#its like i make a ton of progress throughout the week

[trainingdummyrabbit]

I always see a ton of Pokemon AUs for Demon Slayer, but I never see any Digimon AUs! For the AU ask if you're still taking them

. okok iam Absolutely still taking these and ill do my best but anon this is a really funny ask because i. do have a mini digimon au. like its ridiculously self-indulgent and tiny but. getting this was like a kick in the shins (affectionate) WAHAHAHA

so!! i hope you dont mind if this is very blatantly biased, but its certainly a starting point! as well, i havent really interacted w/ digimon since watching the anime years ago + playing world dusk and championship a while ago, so i wont have as much knowledge to pick from as i would other things! with the disclaimers out of the way...!

...hey what if we isekai'd the tokitwins? (post-writing edit: this ended up over 2k words long. This Is A Warning.)

so, you've been oh-so-luckily chosen to be digidestined and whisked away to an unfamiliar world where just about Everything wants to kill you, you have No way to contact your own world, and you have No idea how to get back. great! cool! excellent!

introducing our funny little guys of the week: yuichiro and muichiro tokito! just them for now, before i scope-creep myself to death. but, that aside, you can't be digidestined without a funny little digital partner of your own! so, introducing:

-Patamon, Muichiro's partner! an observant yet skittish little thing that never tends to stray far from its partner. it takes its job very seriously, oftentimes coming across as a bit fussy. even so, it is very easily overwhelmed and may need encouragement to press on. as well, it also tends to take things at face value more often than not, making it very earnest but Very gullible. -DemiDevimon, Yuichiro's partner! a mischeivous little thing that rarely seems to take things very seriously. its defiant and a bit self-centered, and honestly at times seems to genuinely only stick around the twins because theyre entertaining to mess with. it's here for a good time and Nothing Else. despite its yapping, it does occasionally let a bit of protectiveness slip through-- always fiercely sticking by them despite its nigh-constant complaints about how it wants to leave.

this ragtag group of four must make their way across the digital world to find a way back home-- and hopefully remain alive in the process. in such an unfamiliar and dangerous world, however, problems are sure to arise.

the twins, of course, stick together-- but more and more often, their desires and personalities begin to clash in ways that make it more difficult to progress. it's easy to keep your head low and follow along, but just how long can you really take that-- how long can you pretend it's okay? it's easy to keep a brave face, but there's only so much you can do with what you have-- and what you convince yourself that you don't. there's only so long you can stay in such a high-pressure environment before something begins to break.

throughout their journey, they'll discover more outlandish and mystifying places, meet more new faces, and uncover strange secrets-- what's the connection between their digimon partners? how did they get sent to the digital world in the first place? and most importantly: why does this world seem to already recognize them?

///

with that out of the way... time for the fiddly bits.

the twins have an arc with each other much alike the one they get in canon-- but pressed a bit further. the two learn to stand their ground, speak their mind-- and ultimately, learn to really, truly trust one another.

yui oftentimes takes the lead, and tends to do a better job keeping everything in order-- but... he's still just a kid. a kid that cares deeply for his brother, and would do anything to keep him safe. but in a world like this, there's not much that he Can do. so he plays the part as best he can-- even if it means that he has to make hard choices.

mui, on the other hand, wants desperately to be able to help-- he slowly starts getting bolder and more forward, away from that more shy personality he'd been known to have. of course it was more dangerous. of course they didn't know what would happen next. but he would never forgive himself if he just did Nothing.

at its core, the two begin to actually almost switch places through their arc-- mui becoming more active and yui more passive-- as they make their way forward and sort themselves (and each other) out.

and of course: their partners have a whole Thing(tm) going on too! with the twins And between each other.

mui+pata are like odd little peas in a pod, oftentimes found staring at something or other with their big ol owly eyes, going back and forth over this-and-that about it in a way that makes sense to nobody but them. pata knows more about the world and where they might be going, but mui is a bit of an emotional rock for it-- providing encouragement and talking it through any roadblocks it may have come across. theyre odd little enablers! at least, when pata isn't pulling mui's hair over the fact that theyre going the wrong way, they went the wrong way we have to go that way-- no, thats the wrong way too we-- were lost were lost oh no were lost what do we DO--

yui+dDevi are. a goddamn mess. dDevi loves messing with this kid, always talking at him like it knows better-- which it does, technically, but it doesnt have to say it like that, shut up. it talks like a shitty older brother as if it wasn't leagues smaller than him and shaped exactly like a kickball. (yui doesn't vocalize this. he is so very tempted to, though.) despite all the ribbing, yui is pretty much the only person it'll talk seriously with. obviously yui is rather frustrated with it at times, but he can tell it does genuinely mean well. mostly. they squabble, but they do keep each other from doing anything too stupid. and further than that: even if he doesn't say anything, yui can tell when there's something on its mind.

the digiduo are... odd, certainly. but, strangely, there seems to be some sort of tension between the two-- they... really dont seem to get along. pata is deeply distrustful of dDevi, noting its existence as an evil digimon. like, it's in the name! devimon! not to mention how often it leads them astray or messes with them just for kicks-- something's up and it's not sure what.

on the other hand, dDevi doesn't much like pata either. it's a stuck-up killjoy thats convinced it's always right when it can barely make any good calls. always hiding behind its whole spiel of "good" and "evil" like it's so trustworthy. it doesn't even know what it's talking about half the time! if it's going to lecture them, it should at the very least be right about it. get a reason to be upset other than "that ones clearly evil, look at it!"

and then... there's the memories. or rather, the lack thereof. both seem to remember parts of some grand legend that they no longer have the ability to recall the whole of. something important to their reason of being-- and the presence of the digidestined twins.

pata seems particularly insistent of it being a prophecy, a series of steps to follow that foretell what and who they should be. (something about it seems to stress them out particularly badly, though... what exactly is it that they're living up to? why doesn't it know?)

dDevi... pretends not to care, at least. but it recalls the legend too, and hearing the fragments of it seems to make it upset. it wants nothing to do with the legend, and just wants to do... anything else. (anything to get further away from that stupid story. it's not one to be shackled by expectations like that.)

and again, the twins seem to differ on what they make of the story. yui sides with pata, believing its their best bet to at the very least figuring out how to get home. mui, on the other hand, slowly begins to wonder what exactly the gaps in the legend could mean, and wants to find out what it truly is. it's hard to follow a broken path. after all, who's to say its really a path at all? which brings us to... a bit of a conflict.

///

after a particularly rough leg of the journey, things start to get... difficult. theyve had little to no luck learning much of Anything of the way forward-- and things are just getting harder and harder as they go. yui isn't sure how much more they can really take of this. they're starting to barely make it out of these situations alive, so... so maybe they're better off just accepting it. nothing's leading them anywhere, nothing is making sense-- they might as well just... find a place to hide and keep their heads low. live it out as best they can. (he isn't sure how much more they can take.)

mui, of course, protests-- there were so many more places they haven't looked through yet! there was no telling if they found something or not unless they went for it! it was always going to be hard-- they couldn't just give up and wait for the difficulty to find Them. (he can't stand the idea of just giving up after all that...)

the two begin bickering, and it gets... hard. pata starts experiencing some doubt, unsure of if they should really be pressing on into certain death-- they'd just had some ridiculously close calls, and maybe waiting it out would reveal something..? (the knowledge of the unfinished legend hangs above its head, and the thought of unravelling it... is starting to give them a bad feeling.) dDevi doesn't want to sit around and do nothing while waiting for death-- that's boring and pathetic. itd much rather do something with itself even if it's scary. (it needs to know the truth. why so many others know them, why it keeps getting such bitter stares... why? it's frustrating.)

and the bickering turns to arguing. after a few too many harsh words from both sides... they split up. mui heading off with dDevi to find out what was really going on, and yui with pata to... find somewhere safe. figure it out.

for yui and pata, it's... a bit of a long journey. the two rarely speak, mostly just quick words to keep each other alert and avoid attention. yui is mostly pushed forward by his stubbornness, but... it does bother him. it bothers him a lot. he's afraid, he's worried, and he doesn't know what to do. he wants to figure it out, he wants to have all the answers. but he doesn't, and it was stupid to think he ever couldve. legend or not-- prophecy or not, they were just kids. what could they really do? what were they supposed to do?

and as it turned out, pata was worried sick as well. it isnt until a quiet moment that yui catches pata crying-- and they finally talk. because pata hated this too. it hated feeling like it should be able to lead them, but being unable to because of the gaps in its knowledge. it hated giving up, because it knew they needed to do something, and it was letting them down by doing nothing. and most of all... it missed mui. it argued because it was afraid, but it knew this was no better. more than anything, it just wanted to help.

they both knew they couldn't keep going with this. if not for their own sakes, then for the others'.

team mui's progress is... equally difficult. it was already hard enough moving about with a halved party, but they also aren't with their bonded partners, so their Actual Useable FIrepower is much much more limited. the entire time, dDevi goes on and on insulting the other pair, insisting it was really about time this went and happened, and that their own pair was obviously right all along. mui stays quiet through much of this, but after a particularly cruel jab, mui snaps back.

because he knew it didn't really mean any of it. dDevi was smug and irritating, sure, but it was just about always a joke. it was never this mean about it... unless it was actually, personally upset. that was a lot of talk for someone who insisted it didn't care. and even if it were to deny it, mui wouldn't stand for someone saying the people he cared about weren't worth anything. of course they were afraid-- they all were. answers were never easy. it was why they were working so hard to begin with.

and dDevi was genuinely taken aback-- because it was always convinced that mui was the pushover of the group. but just like that, he'd managed to completely read its actions without so much as a word. and... he was right. it wasnt proud of what it said, but it had to stand by it. it just didnt know how else to justify itself-- how else to keep going. but... all of this-- everything had always been for each other, hadn't it? and they certainly wasn't going to stop there.

they just had to find a way to convince the others.

of course, nothing was ever easy. its the risk they knew they were taking, but... maybe a risk they weren't quite prepared for. wherever they go, together or not, some new threat will always find a way to rear its head. but between the two of them, there wasn't much they could do to fight back. and they full well wouldn't have been able to make it... had it not been for team yui showing up at a crucial moment, yuichiro putting himself directly in the line of danger to draw attention from mui-- giving him and pata a chance to actually fight back now that they were reunited.

it's a messy fight, but with all of them together-- and a newfound but concrete trust-- they manage to push through relatively unscathed-- if a bit battered on yui's end. after a few moments to make sure everyone was all right (and ironically, to scold each other over being so reckless,) they finally get the chance to talk. and... to apologize.

///

and now for more scattered notes before i end up writing another minific in a tumblr post.

the legend goes very similarly to a typical fairy tale-- a battle between forces of good and evil, and the champions of each. long ago, there was another pair of digidestined that stumbled across the digital world, and very quickly became unrivaled in power. one half, however, became corrupted by the allure of strength and jealousy, splitting both the digital world and their familial bond. as things came to a boiling point, their conflict brought unseen destruction to the digital world, each of the chosen digimon destroying each other in the battle. crushed and in denial (for varying different reasons,) the old digidestined simply... vanished, one day, never to be seen again. as for their chosen digimon, their data was wiped nearly clean, to be born anew for when they were needed again.

as a whole, it's a story of forging bonds, learning to trust, and breaking cycles of violence.

dDevi hates the idea of digivolving due to lingering memories of that past life. it refuses to interact with it at all, and commits itself to just having a good time and living a life it can enjoy. it doesn't want to become... that again.

pata remembers that betrayal and remembers something awful happening, but... something about having to distrust the other makes it deeply, deeply sad. it want to believe in the best in dDevi, but it also feels the pull of responsibility of having to live up to the legend. that was the only thing it felt it could trust.

the old digidestined are, of course, the tsugikuni twins. whether they show up again or not is still in the air-- yoriichi being pata's old partner and michikatsu being dDevi's.

i dont feel like digging through the digiwiki for another hour but id like to somehow integrate dDevi's original digivolution line being more in line w/ canon, going all in on the Hehoo Evil(tm) thing, but with yui, it follows a more neutral route, following its own desires rather than the course of what the story Expects of it.

SO !!! YEAH!!! DIGIMON AU!!!! i care about this a very normal amount, and if you read this far: thank you, and I Am So Sorry.

[boymeetswerewolf]

I love your art! It’s so high quality. What program(s) do you use to achieve that effect? And what tips do you have for aspiring artists wanting to reach such levels themselves?

Hi Anon!

Thanks a lot for the lovely compliment.

I mostly create my art using a technique called overpainting where I paint over reference images. I have an art background (took art at school and at college), but it was focused on abstract art so my experience with realistic proportions is exceedingly terrible and I've just never had the patience or put in the time to learn proportions from scratch. I've always admired artists who put in the time and effort to learn how to do that!

As for what programs I use, I tend to stick with Photoshop since that's what I was trained on and am most familiar with. I use a combination of brushes, filters and textures to give my art the look that it has. I tend to work at a resolution of about 3000px for height or width (whichever is the largest for the layout I'm going with) and a fixed brush size so that I can add a lot of detail and that it looks consistent throughout the piece. I also use tons of layers so that the lining, shading, colouring and any extra adjustments are all separate from each other and easily changeable. My PSD file usually averages between 300mb to 400mb in size because of all the layers.

The tool I probably use most outside of Photoshop is Color Cop. I'm partially colourblind, so when I want to use specific colours I need the hex codes or RGB codes otherwise it takes me ages to get the colours to blend right.

Below are some progress examples (from the "Sacrifice" theme for Sterek Week '23) of how I usually start out when I'm creating something. I go hunting for images and make a collage/edit of what I'd more or less like the finished piece to look like. Usually during this part I also play a lot with different ideas to see what works best. (Sometimes the final result ends up looking how I wanted, sometimes it takes on a life of its own and goes in a completely different direction!) The "Sacrifice" piece is made up of a promo shot of Stiles from Season 6 and a screenshot of Derek from Season 3 (I think). The background is made up of official images from Stranger Things that I blended together and added colour filters to.

Once that's done I start painting with pencil brushes to get the lines, then follow up with texturing and shading. I like to use a soft neutral colour like a beige as a base canvas so that I can paint with black as well as white. Lastly I'll paint in the colours and then finish off the piece by cleaning up the linework and by adding filters to adjust contrast/balance or colouring. Occasionally I've worked "backwards" by roughing painting the shading and some of the colours out first before adding linework.

As for specific tips, I think mindset and believing in yourself is important. It's very easy to get overwhelmed in the beginning, so don't compare yourself to others. If your art makes you feel something, then you're on the right track. Regardless of whether or not you work professionally as an artist, if you express yourself creatively in a visual medium - whether it's an oil painting or making lewd doodles in a sketchbook - then, in my opinion, you are an artist.

Once you're over that hurdle, the next part is just to keep at it. I hate using the word "practice", so I'm rather going to say keep making art consistently, and - most importantly - have fun while you're doing it. If it's fun, you're more likely to stick with it and improve. If you're trying to go in a specific direction with your art, I think there are two important areas to focus on: expanding your creativity and your familiarity with the tools you use. The latter especially will make your life a lot easier.

For me, being familiar with Photoshop is what allows me to make digital art the way I do. I've used it for a long time so I know a lot of tricks and shortcuts to help me achieve what I'm going for. This goes for any program you choose to use, though. And you don't have to limit yourself to one. Play around with different tools and programs and see what works the best for you. The internet is also a fantastic (and often free) resource, and YouTube especially has a lot of tutorials that can help you get started or help you build on your existing skills.

To expand your creativity with regards to your art, I recommend studying other artists - and not just one specific kind of artist either. Look at the old masters, look at modern art, look at fan artists, look at photographers and cinematographers. (And, of course, Mother Nature - the greatest artist of all.) Look at how they use composition, how they use colour, how they use lighting and shading. Try and incorporate some of those aspects into your own work and see what works for you.

TL;DR - Experiment and play… and most importantly, have fun!

Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

~ Bren

[kairasims]

Hello hello lovelies! I hope everyone is having a good week so far. This post will be kind of long (sort of) as it will contain some updates and whatnot so check below the cut!

First and foremost welcome to my new followers! I’m glad that me and my sims interest you enough that you hit that follow button lol 🤣 I hope I can keep you all interested in my upcoming content and previous content. ☺️

NOW! let’s get down to business. I’d like to first apologize for the lack of posting. Before, I was posting several times a day. During that time, I was out of a job so I had A LOT of free time however, I now have TWO jobs and I’m also a single mom to 2. I just wanted to clarify that for my new peeps. With that being said, my time is VERY limited. The only time I really get to play is on the weekends and usually it’s late night. So my posts will usually be done pretty late but at least you all will have something to look forward to when you wake up! ☺️ Or if you reside in a different time zone, you’ll have something to look forward to during your lunch break, or when you get home etc.

I post mostly pictures of sims I create because I LIVE in CAS 🤣 I was a Barbie lover as a child and had TONS of Barbie stuff and LOVED to play dress up. So being in CAS is like playing Barbie to me (adult style) lol. However, I do posts random shots of my gameplay from time to time.

If you couldn’t tell, I have a story in the works called Forever in San Myshuno. It will be based around 4 women who are best friends who go throughout their early adulthood and of course there will be DRAMA. I was a huge fan of the show Friends and so I was kind of inspired to make a story of that caliber. I really want to execute the first episode of that story really well so I’ve been taking my time and preparing for it hence why it’s taking quite a while for the first post. I have to give you storytellers props because it’s A LOT of work trying to get everything set up like jobs, and placing lots and finding everything that’s needed. But I am REALLY excited to share the first post.

SO with that being said as well, the first episode to Forever in San Myshuno will be out on Saturday, 9/16/23!

SPREAD THE WORD! ITS FINALLY HAPPENING!! 👏🏾👏🏾

Yes! It is FINALLY happening! I will spend the better part of Friday night taking screenshots and editing and everything in between and the first post will be live on Saturday! Again, I post late night since I’m usually busy with my kids during the day so expect that first episode to be out late Saturday night. I’m REALLY excited as I have wanted nothing more than to finally play and get this first episode out! And though I haven’t played with them, I’m growing an attachment to my main OC’s.

I hope you all will enjoy the first episode and know that I am NOT a pro with editing and whatnot and I’m still trying to find my “style” of storytelling so I will be asking for feedback as I want it to be easier for you all to read whether it be on mobile or desktop or any other device.

I will also try and post shots of the characters apartments along with the gallery ID of the creators. I want to try and do that BEFORE the first episode but if not then it will be a bit after the first episode.

As for other gameplay screenshots, I will DEFINITELY be posting some of those as well. I have a couple of challenges that I’ve been playing that I’d like to keep playing such as the Joy of Life Legacy Challenge and the Not So Berry challenge (for the 100th time 🙄🤣). I also do have a YouTube channel and will be working towards getting the right equipment and set up so I can do LP videos for you all and maybe some CAS videos (something I REALLY have been wanting to do for a LONG time). But again, everything is a work in progress.

Ok so this post IS lengthy but I promise that’s all the news I have for now! Hope you all enjoy the rest of your week and I will see you Saturday! Stay tuned and Happy Simming! 🥰

[gabnonymous]

where have i been?

man... where do i even start?

i thought i'd make this post for the few people who've been wondering as to what i've been doing this past month. i've also been wanting to post on here for a while now.

nonstop studying

it shouldn't come as a surprise for some to know that i take my studies, somewhat seriously, though if i had the choice to pursue my studies or make videos, i'd probably take the latter just because its so much easier for me to do. i kmow studying is better for me in "the long run", but at this point it's been draining too much of my self-esteem... who thought it'd be a great idea to throw 10th grade math problems towards an art student who hasn't touched math in a year?

but no. i've been studying nonstop to take multiple college entrance exams throughout this year. the cool thing about being an asian is that you're required to go to college, or you'll starve on the streets... at least that's what my family's been telling me everytime they see my failing scores in my diagnostic exams... completely disregarding the fact i got an award for being an honor student a week prior.

after taking my first college entrance exam, paired with the fact i haven't gotten proper sleep in a while... my eye started twitching. i might be making it a much bigger deal than it is, especially now that it's stopped twitching for a while now... it still bugs me. doesn't help knowing i've had consistent headaches every time i wake up since then.

don't get me wrong, i'm grateful to have the resources i have for me to have a "good studying environment"... but man, i really wish i could do things differently, because who would've guessed that online classes don't help me in the slightest, and i can't even go against taking those classes because my family paid a shit ton of money for the course. it just feels like i have to take these classes instead of actually gaining something.

dwindling social life

i haven't opened up about this before, since it's still a relatively touchy subject, but i know that if i continue to keep it to myself for long, things aren't gonna get better either way.

following an inner conflict i had with a now-ex close friend after telling an inappropriate joke, followed by a brief emotional meltdown, i decided to voluntarily leave my friend group with the intention to try and grow as a person, alone.

and although i've apologised to everyone, and it's been a month since it happened, i still don't feel even remotely close to feeling comfortable being around the friend group anymore. ever since the incident, i've willingly isolated myself socially from anyone, trying my best to keep to myself and only ever interacting with people when they approach me, which sounds reasonable, but that also means having to spend long periods of time, with my own thoughts, inside of a classroom with people you feel scared to even look at.

i've been through therapy multiple times in my life, and have heard the same kind of advice time and time again from many people, and i have yet to see any significant progress towards my mental wellbeing for near close to a year now at this point. i know these kinds of situations require time... but there just comes a point where you start to wonder when that "time" will come.

i've tried virtually everything i could think of to try and combat my thoughts, with no improvement. it's come to a point where i've been intenting to see a psychologist just to try and get a concrete reason as to why i've been acting this way for this long... am i extremely anxious? am i depressed? or am i just a shitty person to be with?

sadly, if i do see a psychologist, it won't be till next year. so, i'll have to live with these thoughts through the following months.

life

who would've thought that my voice actors also go to school? that was sarcasm, by the way, i think it was pretty obvious.

i'm currently waiting for some of my voice actors to finish up their lines for an upcoming short. i was planning to have said short to be the first video to be uploaded onto the channel after a while... but by the looks of it, it might be the 2nd as i'm closing in on a gaming video i've recently finished recording for.

it sucks, but some things are simply out of my control. i don't like pressuring people to do what i want, so all i can really do, is wait. i just hope people do the same, even though it's been a while now.

conclusion (tldr, sort of)

i'm really sad and busy. school's been kicking my ass twice and i'm working on 3 videos at the same time.

am i happy? probably, i dunno. being stressed beats doing nothing, so, eh.

stay safe, yall.

[keefwho]

May 28 - 2024 Tuesday

10:23pm

5.5/10

This morning I took care of the dogs and showered like usual. I was a bit quicker than usual so that was nice. For breakfast I made Dinty Moore beef stew with some pasta in it. I actually got to take my time and eat it which I don't usually do. Then I had a cookie with my coffee and starting streaming.

I warmed up with a couple of Monster High doll studies and some normal human gestures. I only streamed for an hour since I had planned to move Sporticus's kennel into the fireplace and rearrange my bed. I mostly did commission sketches and worked on a YCH.

Afterwards I had to clean out the fireplace area which meant trying to scrub soot off the walls. Somehow I tore off the first layer of skin on the side of my finger which got tons of ash in it and then I decided I should be wearing gloves. I did improve the fireplace but it's still charred blank in some places in a way I cant just brush off. I got it clean enough to put her in there. Then I started putting all my bed stuff in the laundry to wash throughout the day.

I had planned a sort of meetup with TK a few days ago so we got in VRchat and hung out in this public Minecraft world the whole time. WX joined too. We talked about religion and kids and parents and a bunch of different stuff. I switched to desktop to make lunch while I hung out with everyone.

I started working in VRchat and did today's request which included mild gore, I kept it private. Then I tried working on this Opaline idea from fan idea requests and I barely made any progress like the last 3 weeks. Its getting very frustrating because I don't know why I cant get such a simple pose right. It didn't help I was mentally drained and had a headache. I decided to give up for the day.

I made the minor mistake of taking a tiny hit so I could take some time to enjoy myself. Or maybe it wasn't a mistake, I only consider it one because my loose rules tell me I shouldn't be smoking at all on weekdays. My self enjoyment time was okay but it started getting windy and thundering towards the end of it. It passed by quickly and then I started playing Roblox Toilet Tower Defense until DS was free.

She worked on her fursuit and I played Roblox for awhile. We watched a couple furry con vlogs and took a long look at old IKEA catalogues while reminiscing about furniture. She told me of a liminal place she remembers vividly relating to the IKEA play area from her childhood and I was very interesting in maybe turning it into a VRchat world with some cooperation. In bed we did our puzzles and I played a little Kerbal. It started thundering a lot after she went to sleep and I kept getting startled so I put on my earmuffs. While taking the dogs out, I stood atop the rock in the yard and was watching the lightning. It was very scary for me to do at first but I got used to it pretty quick. Then I started putting my bed together in it's new position but the blanket I use as my sheets had a big damp spot I missed so I have my fun blowing under it right now. It should be dry so I'm going to finish the job and go to bed.

[analogousanybody]

i gotta stop going ham on the food during the weekends

[sunsinourhands]

Vulcan vs. Earth Cultural Difference Thoughts

Taken from the wiki: "First and foremost, Vulcan is a hot planet. Daytime temperatures routinely range from 43.3ºC (110ºF) to 51.6ºC (125ºF), and in the peak of summer can reach or exceed 65.5ºC (150ºF). The rays of Vulcan's orange sun, 40 Eridani A, usually shine down through the red sky unbroken by clouds from dawn to dusk, as rainfall throughout the planet typically averages less than 635mm (25in) per year and is heavily concentrated in the six-week period immediately following summer's end.

In addition, winds tend to be mild except along the coasts, providing little relief. (The exceptions, the continent-spanning sandstorms, provide no relief at all.) Only nightfall brings a break to the incessant heat, dropping the thermometer to 7ºC (45ºF) or below. In Vulcan's winter months, the mid-latitude deserts often experience freezing temperatures at night...

...The planet Vulcan has no axial tilt, so that there is no natural progression of the seasons from north to south and back again as on Earth. Instead, seasonal changes occur planet wide as the result of Vulcan's elliptical orbit around its sun."

It is a desert planet with wild temperature ranges of scorching hot in the day, and frigid in the night. It also...doesn't rain much there. And I think that's really important to remember when it comes to cultural differences. For example: the area I live in has an average yearly rainfall of 42-43 inches a year--with an additional average of 21-22 inches of snow on top of that. That is roughly 2.5 times MORE annual precipitation than Vulcan. I also live in an area where temperature changes often...but not to the degree of a desert. I looked up average desert temperature at night...and it's around 25F or -4C. No fuckin' thanks. My area is (aside from a few large cities spread pretty far apart) also a pretty heavy agricultural area. It's near Bloomington, Indiana--the hometown of Captain Janeway. The area is known for producing Corn, Soybeans, Poultry, Swine, Mint (for candy companies) and Watermelons. Note, it isn't uncommon to see big sales of 25 lbs watermelons for $3 in my area. My Japanese friends hate me for it. We're also no slouch when it comes to producing wood for furniture.

My point is, it's a green fuckin' area. I can only imagine someone from Vulcan getting lost and (ten minutes after leaving campus) finding themselves in front of a corn field that stretches hundreds and hundreds of acres. It would be a mind-boggling scene of agricultural plenty. Or, perhaps, they'd come across one of the fish farms the Bald Eagles like to chill at. Just THOUSANDS of gallons of water, just sitting there. Enough to raise FISH. Enough for WILD WATERFOWL to just CHILL THERE.

Meat requires a TON of water. A quick google tells me your average pound of beef costs 1847 GALLONS of water to produce. That's so much fucking water. That's why humans can AFFORD to eat meat all the damn time. The vast herds of cattle would seem ABSURD to a Vulcan. (Note, one time my neighbor's cows broke through their fence and the roads were FUQUED until he rounded all 300+ of them up).

The Vulcan Science Academy has an agricultural department. You don't see agricultural departments that often in the United States. It's considered kind of...a sign that you're a 'hick school' in some circles. But the ILLUSTRIOUS VULCAN SCIENCE ACADEMY has a whole-ass department for it. They greatly respect the agricultural sciences. In comparison, on Earth we are SPOILED with an overabundance of water (when our governments don't fuck it up.) Humans often learn how to swim. Hell, my area has flooding problems in the early spring. Drownings are a very real and not uncommon threat over here.

I can only imagine Vulcan visitors just staring at Earth Food and internally counting out how much water was required to make that. And the planet's surface is covered 70% by water. 70 PERCENT. No wonder humans can afford to eat meat, dairy, and sweetened products. They have water to SPARE--so much that their cultures developed cuisines entirely based on the ENJOYMENT of food. My friends and I often go hunting for Morels and foraging for other wild goodies. The planet is so FULL OF LIFE that you can just FIND STUFF TO EAT wandering around. Farmers in my area are worried about the aging hunter population because there are so many god damn deer out here they are an agricultural menace. I have gotten calls at 9pm asking my partner and I to come over for some Surprise Venison. It would seem so...decadent.

I've read a number of fanfics where Vulcans comment on how much humans seem to love useless, decorative plants. When you get as much rain as we do, you can go WILD with plants that only exist for aesthetic purposes. They wouldn't be used to the concept. Someone might have a breakdown at the concept of Flower Farming--because that space should be used for FOOD except we HAVE ENOUGH ALREADY.

I just imagine some Vulcan wandering (because you CAN accidentally end up in a farm field 10 minutes from Bloomington's campus) into a famer's market and BALKING at how cheap everything is. In this part of the country, people like to grow their own veg. So it isn't a surprise when someone throws a party/bbq and 3 people EACH show up with a watermelon and corn from their own garden and another 2 show up with 4 dozen eggs each because they got too many chickens and the eggs DO NOT STOP. I myself discovered a few years ago that Chinese Eggplants do EXCELLENT here, and I have more than once ding-dong-ditched my neighbors with bags of eggplants--only for them to leave a dozen zucchini on my porch when I'm doing errands and cannot defend myself from this vegetable violence.

And this is where the cultural differences come in. As mentioned in Plomeek Soup for the Soul, giving an unmarried man water or food directly can be interpreted as a MARRIAGE REQUEST. Y'all out here that is just being polite. Hospitality is Serious Business. I keep water and gatorade bottles in a chest on my porch for USPS employees and anyone who wants one.

It would be SO EASY for someone who did the idiotic move (a friend did this) of planting a DOZEN ZUCCHINI PLANTS accidentally ending up Vulcan Married because they had to End the Torment of the Plague of Zucchinis in their home before it expands and destroys the house from the inside from the sheer volume of vegetables within.

[flowesona]

Wicker Man - yandere! jungkook x reader

so my child @babeejk​ wanted a y! sugar daddy jungkook, and i live for nothing if not to fulfil her jungkook obsession so here we are. 

word count: 2.1k

pairing: y! jungkook x gn! reader

Most people (Y/N)’s age would spend their Friday night partying, hanging out with friends, trying new things. But (Y/N) was spending the best days of their life entertaining a young, rich CEO who would no doubt dump them for a new pretty face in a few years.

Jungkook was a sweet gentleman. Always made payments on time, and usually never pushed the boundaries. But there were instances where his hands crept a little too far for (Y/N)’s liking, or his grip on (Y/N)’s arm got a little too tight in the presence of his friends.

He was peaceful enough that Friday night, having ordered takeout for the two of them and put on a movie. Clearly, he needed the company of (Y/N) more than their body as most of their previous sugar daddies had coveted.

With (Y/N) placing their plate down onto the coffee table and relaxing into his arms to watch the movie, it was almost like they were dating. Jungkook didn’t dare push this idea often, happy to stick to the simple domesticity they had as if they were already in love and nothing needed to be said.

He pressed a kiss on the back of (Y/N)’s neck, enjoying the fleeting feeling of his lips on their skin. 

“You seem tired, baby. Want to go to bed?” The film was reaching its climax, but (Y/N)’s eyes were barely able to stay open.

“Mmmmm.” They replied, not protesting as he lifted them like a bride and carried them into his room to rest on his king sized bed.

(Y/N) had allowed a gentle smile to settle on their lips, their eyes having drifted closed. Jungkook settled himself beside them, feeling equally as at peace.

“I wish every night could be like this.” He mused allowed. “Would you like that, baby?”

(Y/N) was only his for two nights a week - Fridays and Saturdays, wherein he would often have them stay for the night.

“Mmmmm.” (Y/N) gave an ambiguous grumble as he hooked his arms around their chest to spoon them.

“Really? I can’t wait, baby. I love you, so much.”

◦◦,`°.✽✦✽.◦.✽✦✽.°`,◦◦

The morning after, (Y/N) woke up to an empty bed. Unusual, considering that Jungkook loved to wake up beside them and talk in the morning. Brushing that aside they stood up and padded out of the bedroom and into the kitchen.

Jungkook was seated at the counter, glasses perched on his nose and his laptop in front of him next to a steaming cup of hot water (allegedly, it had health benefits but (Y/N) had never understood it).

“Good morning, baby.” Jungkook had a bright smile, beckoning them to join him at the counter. (Y/N) followed his instructions, hopping onto the stool beside him and leaning on his shoulder in a move they knew he adored.

“I’ve been working hard for you this morning, baby. You know, I want to get this done as soon as possible so we can be together.”

“That’s good.” (Y/N) hummed in reply.

“How do you feel about the moving company getting there at two today? That’ll give us time to have lunch on the way.” Jungkook ran his hand down their arm, soothing them as he noticed how they tensed up.

“What?” 

“So you can move in, baby. Of course, you don’t have to bring everything here and I’ll be more than happy to buy anything extra you need-”

“Wait, wait, wait a second.” (Y/N) breathed out slowly. “Moving in?”

“We talked about it last night. You agreed, didn’t you?” (Y/N) scrunched up their nose, trying to recall the conversation but drawing a blank.

“No, I never agreed to that. And I never would. It’d break the terms of our contract.”

Jungkook had such a sincere look of hurt in his eyes that it tugged at (Y/N)’s heartstrings.

“We don’t need that contract, baby. We just need each other. You know I’ll give you anything you want, right?” 

“And what I want… no, what I need… is for some space. This is just my part time hustle, I still have college and a life outside of this. I want to keep it to two days a week, otherwise it’ll blur the lines between you as a sugar daddy and you as a boyfriend.” (Y/N) tried not to let their irritation show as they spoke.

“Fuck the lines, (Y/N)! We don’t need any of those labels, I just want you to be mine as much as I am yours!” Their companion’s grip on their arm had grown tighter to the point that his nails started to draw blood. Realising this, (Y/N) pried his hand away and stood up.

“I’m sorry if I’d misled you. But I’m not looking for that kind of relationship with you, I’m just looking for strictly business. If this doesn’t work, maybe we should end this.” 

Jungkook stared at them incredulously.

“Well…” He bit his lip, deep in thought. “Fine. Life will go on, I guess. I’ll call up the moving company and cancel it. Let’s not end this beautiful thing we have over a silly argument.”

(Y/N) nodded, although they had a horrible feeling in their stomach that it was not the end of the conversation, and Jungkook would stop at nothing to get his way.

◦◦,`°.✽✦✽.◦.✽✦✽.°`,◦◦

(Y/N) had chosen to make Thursday a ‘me’ day. They cooked themselves breakfast and lunch, did some online shopping and applied a face mask. They had zero intentions of visiting anyone else, when all they wanted to do was de-stress from life.

As they were lighting a candle and listening to some Beethoven, a shrill alarm rang out.

‘Huh. They don’t normally hold the drill today.’ (Y/N) shrugged, waiting for it to cease. However, it didn’t stop.

After a few minutes, (Y/N) grabbed their phone and stepped outside, only to see people hurrying down the stairs. 

“Hurry! Fire!” One of her neighbours yelled, jogging past them. 

Their eyes widened, but sure enough they could see smoke curling throughout the air and they knew they had no time to lose. Leaving their apartment with only their phone in hand, (Y/N) followed their neighbours down the stairs and out of the building, standing on the pavement as they watched the flames licking at the building and smoke billowing out of the open windows. Soon enough there were fire engines on the scene and ambulances to deal with the people who’d inhaled too much smoke. 

(Y/N) found themselves sitting on the pavement, numb with shock. To think everything they owned was going up in the flames was terrifying, even as they saw the firefighters doing everything to minimise the damage. 

“(Y/N)! Baby!” Their state of shock was broken by someone yelling their name, and suddenly they were pulled into a tight hug.

“Baby, thank god you’re okay. I don’t know what I would’ve done if something happened to you.” 

“Jungkook?” (Y/N) instantly recognised the voice. “What- How-”

“I was in the area when I heard about what happened. I came as quickly as I could.” Jungkook pressed a kiss to (Y/N)’s forehead. 

“You need to rest. Come back to my place, okay?”

◦◦,`°.✽✦✽.◦.✽✦✽.°`,◦◦

(Y/N) had ended up staying there far longer than intended. Their apartment had been completely wrecked by the fire, since it had started on their floor. Every possession of theirs, gone so quickly, although of course Jungkook insisted on replacing whatever they wanted.

Jungkook seemed to be very much content with their prolonged stay. In fact, he’d been working from home for the first few days to make sure they were settled in and not feeling too lonely. (Y/N) would sit with him in his home office, since they didn’t really have much else to do, and scroll on their phone until he inevitably called them over to cuddle with him. 

The young man had become progressively bolder with his skinship, never holding back from pressing kisses to their neck or holding them a bit too tightly to his crotch. They hadn’t done ‘it’ yet, but with how he was acting it was only a matter of time. 

They were just sitting together, (Y/N) scrolling through instagram and Jungkook answering some emails when the desk phone rang. Jungkook reached around them to answer it, holding it to his ear for a few seconds before putting it back down.

“Your nintendo switch has just been delivered. I need to go down to the lobby and sign for it. Are you okay waiting here for a few minutes?” Jungkook pouted, as (Y/N) nodded in reply.

He pressed a kiss to their cheek before standing up.

“Don’t miss me too much, baby.” He smiled before leaving. 

(Y/N) let out a breath they didn’t realise they’d been holding in whilst he was there. But now, they were bored as ever. 

A chime rang out, and (Y/N) found their attention drawn to Jungkook’s phone, sitting there innocently. They reached over and picked it up, only seeing a text from his mother asking about dinner plans next week. But they noted how he’d changed his lockscreen to a picture of them, from a few nights ago when they’d accompanied him to a formal event and he’d asked one of his colleagues to take a picture of them together.

(Y/N) suddenly had something to do. They set about trying to unlock Jungkook’s phone, first trying their fingerprint and face ID but to no avail. Then, realising that he had a numeral password they tried typing in a few dates - his birthday, his parent’s anniversary. Then, out of sheer boredom and with only one attempt they tried their own birthday only for them to be granted access to his lockscreen.

‘Jeez, he needs to get a life if he’s that whipped for me.’ They sighed, as they scrolled through his phone. Nothing was particularly out of the ordinary, until they checked the photo gallery, to be met with tons of pictures of them. Screenshots from social media, snaps from their ‘dates’, selfies with them fast asleep in his arms. It was enough to make (Y/N) shudder with fright.

Another message popped up.

‘I need the other half of the payment, sir, or I will be contacting the police.’

(Y/N) clicked on it, expecting business talk only to be met with something else entirely. Fear settled in their stomach as they scrolled up through the messages.

‘(Y/N) has been evacuated outside, doesn’t seem to have been hurt.’

‘Someone’s called emergency services, but the fire should spread far enough that (Y/N)’s apartment will be damaged.’

‘I’ve started it, it’s spreading quickly.’

It didn’t take a genius to realise what had happened. 

(Y/N) dropped Jungkook’s phone on the floor in shock, standing up immediately. They’d walked right into his arms without hesitation, they’d played into his plan perfectly. Jungkook always got what he wanted, no matter the cost.

‘I have to get out of here.’

(Y/N) started for the door, only stopping to tuck their phone into their pocket. They were just by the entrance to the penthouse when they heard talking outside.

They knew they had to hide, but it was too late. 

Jungkook burst through the door, accompanied by a stern faced delivery driver carrying a large box. This was subsequently placed by the door and he made a swift exit, avoiding (Y/N)’s existence the entire time.

“Ah, baby I missed you. Here, come and see what I bought for you.” Jungkook beckoned to them, but one look at their face told him he’d read their mood entirely wrong.

“What’s wrong, baby?” He cooed as he approached them. “Tell me, and I’ll fix it for you.”

“Get the hell away from me.” (Y/N) snapped. Jungkook froze. “I know what you did. What the hell is wrong with you? I could’ve died in that fire?”

His face became stern.

“I would never have allowed that to happen. I just wanted to give you a little push to move in with me, that’s all.” 

“You’re insane!”

“And you’re too stubborn to progress our relationship!” Jungkook bit back. “Can’t you see how hard I try to make you happy? Is that not enough for you to love me?”

“I never want to see you again.” (Y/N) huffed, trying to show past him only to be caught in his iron grip. 

“You’re not going anywhere.”

(Y/N) struggled, but Jungkook’s determination was stronger than their body weight.

“Maybe I am crazy, baby. And you know what that means?” He leant in close, so (Y/N) could feel the warmth of his breath. “You never know what I’m going to do next. So don’t try me unless you want to get burnt.”

[petekaos]

Top 5 characters with great development!! Whatever that means to you ☺️

hiii nonnie! oooh this is an awesome ask, thank you so much! 🥺💗 in no particular order:

1) han juwon from beyond evil. okay listen i finished watching beyond evil a couple of weeks ago (maybe a month? time is a lie) and then my friends nico and ellis and dawn started watching it too, which meant i just got to relieve the experience through them. one of the things we talked about most is the way juwon grew throughout the series. he starts off as this arrogant-seeming city boy who doesn’t care about anyone but as the series progresses, we see him peeled back, layer for layer, and it all makes sense. in the end, we see juwon as this kid who has a difficult relationship with his father and who was not loved for a long time, and we see him letting himself care about other people. it’s JUST SO 😞🥲 my han juwon…

2) pete phubodin rachatrakul from dark blue kiss. the LOML … his character development is one of the most satisfying to watch? he goes from being this aggressively straight guy to doing an absolute 180 and doting on kao once he realised his feelings. and it’s so nice to see him mellow out in dark blue kiss … you can really tell how much he truly adores kao and how much he wants to spend his future with him. seeing pete, the campus playboy and an all around mess in kma, settle down into a healthy relationship with its ups and downs in dbk is just soooo so refreshing! 🥺💗

3) sung deok sun from reply 1988. I LOVE HER SO MUCH … my little meow meow 🥺 the way that she’s ribbed on for not being good at school in the beginning but how she’s so emotionally intelligent and always knows what’s going on with her friends. and how she gains self confidence, respect, and a stable job when she becomes a flight attendant. it’s just so lovely to see how deok sun matures within her friendships but also in her own personal growth as she chases her dreams and doesn’t let the fact that she’s not the most academically gifted hold her back at all, because in the end, that’s not what’s important. her empathy and her kindness make her who she is.

4) na woochan and jeong insol from racket boys. OKAY okay i know they’re side characters but i just really love the way that their confidence in their playing rose throughout the series. insol went from this guy who was so focused on academics and was sort of cut-throat to someone who cared so deeply for his friends and is kind of shy, whereas woochan went from not being too confident in himself to playing so well in matches after he realised what his weaknesses were. they’re so underappreciated but some of the best characters in the show 🥺 also: society if woochan and insol were a couple etc etc!!

5) kakei shiro from kinou nani tabeta / what did you eat yesterday? aaaah i love him so much. this show is just a balm to the soul 🥺 it’s so lovely to see shiro become more confident and open in himself and in his relationship with kenji—while openness is absolutely not the be all end all of relationships, it’s something that happens organically and naturally in knt and therefore so nice to watch—and the finale made me sob tears like a baby.

thanks for this ask!! these are just the first 5 characters that popped into my brain, there are tons more from different shows that i adore 🥰

put ‘top 5 anything’ in my inbox!

[whythehellnaut]

The secret brilliance behind Nickelodeon All Star Brawl‘s marketing

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about the Nickelodeon fighting game after it was announced, progressing from mild interest to ironic excitement to unironic excitement for it.  So many jokes and memes have been made about it that they’re almost impossible to avoid.  But when I thought about it, I realized that that’s exactly what the marketing team for this game wanted.  The idea of the game is so absurd that no one would expect it to exist, but they figured out a way to make absolutely sure that it would create just the right buzz to get people like me to take serious interest in it.

Watching the trailer again, I figured out that every character they picked to showcase in that minute and a half trailer were carefully and strategically chosen to cater to as many people as they could.  Even the order of their appearance had deliberation behind it.  Here are my thoughts:

Michelangelo comes first, establishing that the game is combat focused.  After all, who better to show off first for a fighting game than a character that has already appeared as a playable character in at least two of them?  Plus, the Ninja Turtles are the oldest characters in Nickelodeon’s library when you consider that they first aired in the 80′s, before Nickelodeon even started making cartoons.  This is a character that everyone recognizes, parents included.

Lincoln Loud comes next, a more modern character that adults might not know but kids will.  This is to quickly lure the kids, who have less patience than adults, into watching the rest of the trailer, assuring them that it won’t just be older characters like the turtles that show up.

Powdered Toast Man comes next to snatch up the other side of the equation, the adults/90′s kids who remember him from the original Ren and Stimpy show from 1991.  I’m not sure if it’s still airing as reruns on Nick today, but considering I hear very little about the show online, I’m guessing not.  This is a bit of a surprise to the adults who thought it’d be a kids’ game, so it lures those folks into staying for the rest of the trailer as well.

Sandy is important to show off early for a number of reasons.  Spongebob is popular among kids and Millenials, and is arguably the only property here as well known as Ninja Turtles, so they’re luring in more fans.  It also serves to imply that other Spongebob characters will join, as, even though Sandy’s passion for karate makes total sense for her to appear in a fighting game, you still can’t leave out Spongebob himself.  Showing her first implies more possibilities of characters to come, proving it won’t just be a festival of protagonists like Jump Force was.  It also shows off their female representation to keep women interested.

Patrick is just a fan favorite to get out of the way before the sponge shows up, so he’s only here to confirm that the game is going to be full of characters that people actually want to see.

Oblina was personally a shocker to me, as I barely remember Ahh Real Monsters from my own childhood, but I remember enough to know that she wasn’t the protagonist, necessarily.  I also know it’s relatively obscure in comparison to Spongebob or Ren and Stimpy, so they proved that they are willing to take characters from more obscure shows that the young kids won’t remember.  This solidified my interest as I could tell that they are doing more to cater to the 90s generation than just confirming Powdered Toast Man.

Nigel Thornberry is arguably their most important addition at the halfway point.  Outside of Spongebob characters and maybe Stu Pickles, I would say Nigel is the internet’s favorite Nickelodeon character to use for memes.  The marketing team had to have known this.  After getting some of the core audiences hooked, they now have the memer crowd invested, ready to spread the word about the insanity of this game’s premise across the internet.  This is exactly what happened, and why the trailer has 2 million views on Youtube right now.

Lucy Loud is shown off quickly to remind the younger crowd to keep watching, and to add a little bit more female representation.

Spongebob is shown off a little bit late, but since we were expecting him to show up, it’s just to make sure the casual fans who only know the big names stay watching.

Helga is an older character, but I recently saw a young kid wearing a Hey Arnold tee shirt at the supermarket, so I’m positive it’s being shown as reruns on Nick today, so most Nick fans of all ages will be excited about her.  Moreover, since she came immediately after Spongebob, who is a protagonist that was introduced after Sandy, a side character from his show, it gives an implication that Arnold will also appear.  Although he is not introduced in this trailer, it allows the fans to speculate that he will soon be showcased, perhaps in the next trailer.  Also, she’s the fourth female character shown, confirming that the game is being fair and inclusive to both sexes and not simply catering to male gamers, like say, Jump Force or Dragonball Fighter Z.

Reptar is another shocker, because although Rugrats is very popular and well known throughout the generations, he is a very, very minor character in the show.  He is literally a fictional character within a separate fictional universe.  The marketing team threw him in to show off that just about any character from any Nick property, no matter how minor or obscure, has a chance of making it into this game.  Again, this forces the fans to speculate about future announcements with even more creative thinking, as we now know that it won’t just be major characters joining the fray.

Zim is a well thought out choice because he caters to a specific crowd that I’d describe as the alternative niche.  That is to say, there are people who are fans of Invader Zim who don’t watch other Nick shows, so they are luring in the folks you’d expect to see at Hot Topic and the like.  It was an edgy show with a feel and fanbase unlike other shows of its era, so it’s important to use him to diversify the roster.  They also showed off Gir as his assist, and although that may deconfirm him as playable, it still pleases the fans, who often prefer Gir over Zim.

Danny Phantom is the only character that comes strictly from the 2000s era, so they are making sure to maintain the attention of the teenagers who watched that show as kids.

Leonardo seems like an odd choice to end on, maybe even anticlimactic, since they started with Michelangelo, but it makes sense when you think about it.  They couldn’t show just 1 turtle, or else it might imply that the game’s roster was small.  But if they showed all 4 turtles, they would have needed to leave two other characters out of the trailer to make room for them, and they didn’t want to make it look like a Turtles fighting game with guest characters.  So having exactly 2 turtles allows them to show off enough characters from other properties, while also confirming unofficially that the other turtles would appear later, since you can’t just have 2 of the 4 turtles in the game.  By leaving it open like that, they’re giving an implication that the roster is going to be huge.  So big that the turtles were just a small portion of it.  They end the trailer this way to leave the crowd speculating again: how many characters will appear in total?

The only characters that curiously don’t show up in the trailer are the cast of the Avatar franchise, who are quite popular.  However, one of the stages shown is clearly the Air Temple with Aang’s glider in plain sight, implying that Avatar characters will be announced later.  Another smart move to instill hope in the fans.

Finally, the Rollback Netcode announcement that came afterward solidified a very important group- the serious/competitive gamers.  For those who don’t know, rollback netcode is relatively new technology that speeds up online gameplay to cut down on input lag, which is super important for fighting games in particular, as they rely on strict timing more than other game genres.  It’s so new, however, that not all competitive fighting games use it.  Popular tournament fighters like Super Smash Bros, Tekken, and Dragonball Fighter Z have not implemented rollback netcode for their games yet, so of all games, Nickelodeon All Star Brawl beating them to the punch is causing a stir.  This is a sign that the devs are putting serious effort into making the game enjoyable online, which could potentially help its chances to be taken seriously in competitive settings.  Only time will tell if that truly happens, but it’s a sign of quality, nonetheless.

So ultimately, this short trailer and announcement manage to cater to dang near every crowd that may want to play it: Kids, teenagers, young adults in their 20s and 30s, parents in their 40s, men, women, memers, casual fans, alternative fans, and serious gamers, and opens up a ton of potential for speculation regarding new announcements.  That’s a fantastic way to start off and explains why this game, which for all intents and purposes should have been nothing more than a thought experiment that people joke about in the car with friends, has been trending so much for the past two weeks.  Congrats to the marketing team for what they put together.

[weasleytwinwheezes]

i wanna get better | GW | part 2

Summary: After accepting an invitation to Ron’s birthday, Y/N Black returns back to the Burrow after 10 months. She’s pushed by Molly to go see George who has been holed up in his childhood bedroom since Freds funeral. 

Word Count: 1.8k

Authors Note: this HURT me and HEALED me. Post-war George makes me so sad to write but here it is. I’ve also decided that this will be a 3 part series, but I’m planning on leaving the ending open in case I later want to come back 

Warnings: mentions of death, slight fluff 

Part 2/?

 part one 

~tag list~ 

@auggie2000​ @anxious-alto​ @painfullyravenclaw​

Missus Y/N Black

Number 12 Grimmauld Place 

Claremont Square

London, England 

              You are cordially invited to a celebration of the Nineteenth    

                                             birthday of

                                 Ronald Bilius Weasley!

                         On the 1st of March 1999 at 7pm

                                    At The Burrow

      With love,

            The Weasleys

You stared at the invitation that had been clipped to the fridge for the last week. Truthfully, you hadn’t decided whether or not you were even going to go. Mentally slapping yourself for agreeing to come in the first place, you momentarily considered feigning sickness to get out of it. Although, you knew that would just result in Molly rushing over to care for you. With a long sigh, you wandered throughout the reset of the house. A month had passed and you were quite proud of the progress you had made on the dreary interior of the house. The dark muted wallpaper had been replaced with cream and robin egg blue paint. You worked hard to restore the hardwood floor to its former glory, ridding it of the dust that collected during its time abandoned. New furniture covered the sitting room and a landscape painting of Hogwarts replaced the spot the Black family tapestry once hung. However the thing you were most proud of, was tearing down the portrait of Walburga Black. Now guests would no longer be subjected to the screaming of your Grandmother. Despite her use of the Permanent Sticking Charm, you had the entire wall knocked out and rebuilt. Now her painting laid at the bottom of a landfill, her screaming unable to be heard. 

Finally making your way upstairs, you found yourself staring into your wardrobe. Truthfully, you knew it didn’t matter what you wore. Molly would be over the moon that you even showed up. Giving in, you grabbed a cream cardigan and black blouse. Nice but still cozy enough to keep you warm in the crisp, spring air. Taming your wild hair, you grabbed the card you bought for Ron and apparated to your destination. 

___________________________

Apparating at the end of the stone path, you gazed upward at the house in front of you. The house that had offered you warmth for so many years, looked darker than usual. Memories of playing quidditch in the field and throwing snowballs from the roof ran through your head. You hadn’t been here since the funeral and the reminder of that hit you like a ton of bricks. Your eyes shifted to the willow tree that stood above the edge of the murky pond. You knew if you walked closer you’d see the headstone, but you couldn’t bring yourself to do so. You turned your gaze back to the door ahead of you, pushing your body up the path. It seemed as though your presence had already been noted, seeing as you barely lifted your hand to knock when the wood door swung open. 

With her hair as bushy as ever, Hermione wrapped you in a hug, “Y/N! You’re here! You’re actually here! We were worried we wouldn’t see you! I’m so happy you’re here!” 

With each word, you felt yourself grip her tighter. You hadn’t seen the younger witch in so long, that you almost forgot the comfort she brings. Pulling away you smiled at her as your eyes scanned around the room. Filled to the brim with Weasleys, you spotted Harry and Teddy cozied up beside the roaring fire. For the first time in months, a genuine smile came to your lips as you gazed around the room. The Burrow looked as it always did, the only thing missing was the sound of mischievous laughing and the thunder of footsteps on the stairs. Catching the eye of Molly, you made your way towards her. 

“Y/N dear! I’m so glad you made it! I was beginning to think I’d have to send Ron for you!” she chuckled, pulling you into a quick hug. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t send an owl with my response! I’ve been so busy renovating, I must have slipped my mind,” you apologized, “Also I got a card for Ron! I’m not sure where to put it.” 

Taking it from you she looked about the room, a sad smile stretching across her face. “You know, this is the first real celebration since the funeral. The holidays were too rough to face last year. I just wish George would come down from their room.” 

“He’s here? George is here? Not at the flat above the shop?” you questioned. 

“Merlin, no. He moved back in after the funeral. Says the flat is too much, it reminds him of him. The entire shop is, it wouldn’t even be up and running if Ron didn’t force him to let him help. Poor boy hardly even talks to us he just works, eats, and goes straight up there,” she confided in you. 

A sudden pang hit your heart. You couldn’t bear to think of George holed up in their childhood bedroom. You thought of all the late nights you spent with them, testing new products and sneaking firewhiskey. The idea of him up there alone, seemed so foreign to you. Never had you ever seen just one Weasley twin in there. 

“You know if you went up, you might be able to talk him into coming down for dinner,” she suggested, a hopeful look in her eyes. 

“I don’t know Molly. I haven’t spoken to him in months, he might not even want to speak to me,” you replied anxiously. 

“Oh honey, he would love to see you. If anything else, you’re one of the last pieces of Fred he has,” she comforted. 

Her words were like a slap to the face. How could you have been so blind? How could you have gone 10 months avoiding the one person who shared in the loss you felt? What best friend would do that? Tears stung at the corner of your eyes as you lifted them to the stairs. Turning to face Molly, you gave her a nod before making your way towards the stairs. 

____________________________

You weren’t sure how long you had been standing outside of Georges bedroom door, staring at the posters and photos that littered the outside of it. Smiling as you looked at the Weird Sisters poster, thinking of how the three of you danced the night away at the Yule Ball. The door held the first batch of Weasley Wizard Wheezes scratch and sniff stickers, grimacing at the rotten egg scented one. After studying the door for at least ten minutes, you half-heartedly knocked on the door. A small groan was all of an answer the man on the opposite side gave you. 

Quietly opening the door, you were faced with a sight that made your heart drop. George laid face down, in Freds bed. Clothes were strewn around the room and the mirror that sat above the dresser had been covered. Slowly clearing a spot on the empty bed, you sat down. Looking at George, you saw he hadn’t moved a muscle. You honestly were not even sure that he knew someone had entered the room. 

“Hey Georgie,” you spoke softly, watching his every move. 

Watching as the muscles in his back tensed, he shifted slightly to face you. Eyes wide, he reached out a hand. Placing your small hand in his large one, you were surprised when he yanked you into the small bed with him. Arms wrapped around you, you heard a small sob escape the lanky man. Turning to face him, you let him burrow himself into you. Stroking his hair, you thought of the nights building up to the Battle. You had found yourself huddled up in the twins shop, sharing a bed with George. You were reminded of the fear that encased you that only he seemed to cease. Now it was your turn to help him. 

“I’m sorry George. I’m sorry I wasn’t here for you. I’m sorry I ran back to Grimmauld Place and hid away from everyone. It wasn’t fair to you and it wasn’t fair to Fred. You deserved to have someone here for you and I fled at the first chance. Everyday I’m reminded that I’m the one who sent him back into the school and everyday I hate myself for it. I’m just so damn sorry,” you choked out, tears trailing down your cheeks. 

The arms around you tightened with your words and you wanted nothing more than to hear his voice. Seeming as though he heard your thoughts he pulled away to face you. 

“It’s not your fault, Y/N,” he whispered out, “I missed you.” 

“Oh love, I missed you too,” you cried out. Staring at his tear stained face, you shot him a sad smile. 

“It really isn’t. Don’t ever think that. He knew the risks when he went in and he wouldn’t want you to think that way,” he spoke aloud, wiping the tears from your face. 

The two of you laid there for what felt like hours, relaxing in the forgotten comfort of the other. Every creak in the house had you on edge, thinking Fred would burst in on the two of you at any moment. You know he’d make a big scene about how you chose the ‘less attractive twin’ and feign hurt at ‘the two of you sneaking around behind his back’. 

Noticing the sorrowful look that had come over your face George broke the silence, “What’s going on in that big head of yours?” 

“I’m just thinking about Fred and how he would tease the hell out of us for being in the same bed,” you replied. 

You watched as his face lit up at your words and his loud laugh filled the quiet room. Your heart leaped at the sound of it, relishing in the small happiness of him. 

“He’d definitely give us hell for it, that’s for sure,” he chuckled out. 

Laughing, you pulled your arms from his lanky ones and sat up on the bed. Looking at the messy redhead you all but whispered, “Would it be crazy if I had the idea that we go downstairs for dinner? Of course you wouldn’t have to stay long! I’m just not too sure if I can face it without you.” 

Scanning his face for any flicker of emotion, you were surprised when he suddenly started to stand up. Pullings yourself off of the bed, you faced him. You made your way to the door before you reached your hand out towards him. 

“We don’t have to do this alone George. Together?” you spoke. 

Grabbing a hold of your outstretched hand he whispered, “Together.” 

__________________________

Walking down the last few stairs, you were surprised when the room went quiet. You watched as everyone looked at you, then at George, before finally settling at your hands interlocked. Looking upwards at Molly, you saw a smile come to her face. She seemed to cherish the small moment before clapping her hands and loudly saying, “Alright everyone! Take your seats! It’s time for dinner.” 

Making your way towards the long table, George squeezed your hand. All that matters right now, is whatever the two of you face. It would be together. 

[caw4brandon]

- Where have I been? -

Its been a month, and I have broken my promise to write every Wednesday but, fortunately and unfortunately. The world is still on fire and we are in Lockdown. I had some time to recuperate and little by little throughout the mid of April and whole of May. I’ve been practicing on my drawing with good ole, pencil and paper and I figured, “I should update just to keep myself accountable.” 

So yes, as you can see in the gallery. I’ve been reviving and reinventing my HPHM character, Sadie mac Lir as well as bringing back some of my older friends that I have not mentioned but has been with me for a long while; Hector James Dagger, Vox of The Red and a new character.

[I’ve mentioned on a particular tagged post] saying that I dream to make my own series someday and this is the current progress so far. As for the new character, I’m having a ton of trouble with the look, mainly because I’m a bit of a scatter brain when it comes to stuff like this.

I’ve been using social media to find effective methods to draw correctly as well as looking for ideas and storing them in a big folder to visit and review which has been so helpful if I ever feel uninspired or unsure.

As of now, the new character one has one detail that is confirmed. Their name is Jamie. A Unisex name, which means its applicable for both boys and girls. There’s not much to show and its still very unpolished but, you got to start somewhere right? Here’s more of the many ideas for side characters and creatures.

That’s all I have to say this week. I hope you enjoy this post and I wish to update more soon. I might change a few things after this and I hope to achieve the mentality of just doing it without thinking too much but at the same time. I do require help to “round out the edges a little” so, if you can.

- What you think of the overall drawings so far? -

Thanks for Reading

- B - 

[sonia7atm]

BRIDGERTON BOOK SERIES REVIEW.

So here it is, before I start I just wanted to say that I’m in no way shape or form an expert in english or literature for that matter. English is my third language and I’m studying science. Having said that, I have read all eight books in less than two weeks and I have a lot of opinions that I wanted to share so here they are. Obviously: SPOILERS AHEAD

The series in its entirety

The bridgerton series is probably the best written series that I have ever read. I loved the fact that it is made up of 8 books, but also the way the books are structured. In each of the books we focus on one of the siblings and their significant others, and even when the side characters are there, they are not really a main focus of the story. This means you can pick up a random Bridgerton book without having read the other ones and you would not feel like you are missing something. I really liked this because it meant that with each book you were getting to know a different sibling, thus you are never really bored and there wasn’t unnecessary drama happening with the already established couples, which is refreshing at the least.

However, it does have setbacks. In some of the books, you find that this side characters really change from the way they appear in the background or the other novels, and it can be difficult to digest at first. Another flaw that I found is with the brothers' books. When I was reading some of the books dedicated to the men of the family sometimes I found that we don’t spend enough time with them and when you finish the books you don’t have an understanding of who they are. Maybe I’m not making sense but I’ll elaborate in each book a little bit more.

But in the end, even these little flaws, I had a great time reading the books and finding out what was happening with the family.

My favourite book - AOFAG

I know some people have trouble ranking the Bridgerton books, especially, the favourite one, but I’m not one of them. I am obsessed with “An offer from a gentleman”, I love the story, I love Sophie, I love Benedith and I love Violet Bridgerton with all of my heart. This book is great from the start, even though b, the third book you know a happy ending is what the book is leading to, it still excites you and makes you wonder. AMAZING DARE I SAY.

Sophie is one of my favourite characters in all of the books. She has a strong morals system and you get really inspired by her. All of the things she goes through are horrible, but she still remains such a calm and kind individual that I cannot help but stan. HARD. She has very strong ideas and morals and she sticks with them even when they mean losing Benedict. I found this message really important and powerful because we usually see the opposite: people changing their views for their significant other, and I don’t think it's right. So, hereby I declare Sophie QUEEN of the Bridgerton clan.

Moving on to Benedict, I heard a little bit of criticism with his actions in this book and I see where they are coming from, but I don’t share them. I think Benedict is one of the brothers that suffers from a really deep female counterpart and as such his thoughts are not fully explored. In my opinion Benedict is tormented by the fact that he is the second Bridgerton and nothing more (similar to Colin and kinda Gregory really), and also by the fact that he lost the woman at the ball. On top of that, Sophie comes along and he starts falling for her and he feels guilty that he is falling for someone else, so he doesn’t fully commit to Sophie but also doesn’t really leave her. It’s a messed up situation and he doesn’t make the best decisions but I understand his actions and I support him. The only thing that really annoyed me about Benedict is that he doesn’t recognize Sophie at all. I wanted to hit him, hard, in the head, with a fucking piano.

Now the best of the best: Violet Bridgerton. She was the surprise character of this book in that prison scene. In the previous book you still see her and like her but she saves the day in this one, and I felt like I really knew her after that. She is not the typical ton mother, she really values their children’s happiness and takes everyone under her wing. She knows who she is and the importance her family has and she uses her powers for good. I gained so much respect for her. A surprise character and a great one.

To sum it up, Benedict and Sophie are perfect to each other, like this mellow entity. Two kind souls, always happy, always calm. Of course they live in the countryside, they could not live anywhere else.

Top tier books - WHWW, RMB, TVWL

WHEN HE WAS WICKED

This book wrecked me, I have to admit I was a mess, I could not deal. A tragic story with so much longing and guilt and despair, I love a drama, man this is great. I went in knowing the basics of it but I was not prepared.

The poor Francesca has the most devastating story in my opinion: she suffers from infertility, her husband dies, she doesn’t feel like she fits in her family, and when she falls in love Michael is sick, WHY?!. Throughout the book you get to see how strong she is, how strong-willed she is. We are not talking about this enough. She loves with all her heart and she suffers with all of it too. She and Michel have a really strong chemistry and it translates really well. I think she was really clever to wait and think before committing to Michael, and I see how she would need to see him in danger to really let herself fall completely. In the end, she knows what losing someone you love feels like and she doesn’t want to feel that again. I understand. Also, an important part of Francesca's journey is to realize that loving someone else doesn’t diminish her feelings for John, and I love how Michael acknowledges it. 

Michael is a really interesting character who falls in love at first sight with the wrong woman. He is fully aware of this fact and it is really good to see that he doesn’t doubt his love for her, but is instead aware of the impossibility of doing something about it. Even when he can do something about it, his respect for his cousin is always present. The guilt he feels for loving Francesca both when John was alive and after he died is so different but so well written. It’s eating him up and It is painful to read to be honest. However, I found that said guilt disappeared rather quickly after his conversation with Colin. I may be the only one but I was a little bit put off by it, and that’s why this is not my favourite book in the series.

THE VISCOUNT WHO LOVED ME 

The bees, I could talk about the bees for days after reading this one. This one has a lot of Bridgerton backstory, and it explains so much of the rest of the bunch even if not directly. So I would say not to skip it (but why would you skip any of them?).

Kate Sheffield is one of the best written characters in this series. She is complex, fierce but delicate, confident but self-conscious. I would kill for her, she deserves it. Her family dynamics are impeccable. You feel the love between these three women and the roles they have, and you get them really quickly: Edwina is the little sister, a little naive but good-hearted, Kate is the fierce older sister and Mary is the compassionate step-mother. I really enjoyed their dynamics. The introduction of Kate’s character is by presenting her goal for the season: defend her sister. When Anthony enters the pool of suitors, she obviously opposes and their back and forth shows she is very witty. But as the story goes on we get to see her insecurities and fears, in a way that it’s so in character but at the same time so different from the start. It’s amazing and I can see why she is such a fan favourite.

Anthony is a baby.We can see how Edmund’s death really scarred him, and those wounds are deep. He believes in his own demise so blindly that it is conditioning all of his decisions.He grows a lot until he is able to share them with Kate and they bond so beautifully over it. Getting to see that, was something that I loved and enjoyed so much. It makes you really connect with both of the characters and it explains so much of his behaviour, that even if he frustrates you, you can’t be mad because you understand where he comes from.

Newton is the guest star in this one and I would like to take our time to appreciate the captain of the Kanthony ship. This little dog is such a plot device, put there to cause havoc and bring Kate and Anthony together, it is so funny. He smelled Anthony and decided he wanted a new dad. Put a plan in march, probably alerted his friend, THE bee.

ROMANCING MR BRIDGERTON

The message of this book is amazing. The journey they both go through to re-know each other is beautiful. Penelope and Colin have known each other for years, and they both have a version of the other in their minds but as the story progresses they unveil hidden personality traits about each others and I love how it is acknowledge and developed into a clear message of “people are flawed and not the perfect individual you wish them to be, and that’s ok”. It is really necessary and it made me reflect on my own relationships and how I could improve them. Colin and Penelope have to be my favourite couple of the series, but, because they were because of the show and not the books, when I finished this book I was left feeling like I wanted more, and that is why it is not my favourite one.

This is the book where readers find out Penelope is Lady Whiseldown and it is a big plot line. However, this revelation is maybe halfway through the book and until then, Penelope's inner monologue doesn’t reveal anything. I would have loved to really focus on it and know from the start how she really did it but at the same time, we get to see so much of Pen’s growth anyways. She is shy and kind but when she is with someone she trusts (in this case Colin and Lady Danbury), she is full of wit and boldness. I see myself so much in these characteristics that I cannot help but make her my favourite character in the series (totally biased but it is what it is). She starts with a sense of discontent about her, she knows her fate and accepts it but, she doesn’t necessarily like it. She is trying to change the way people see her and Lady Danbury helps a lot with it. She and Colin spend a lot of the book kind of on opposite sides in part because of their own demons, she wants to prove herself and at the same time is faced with the realization that the Colin she made up in her mind is not the real one. It really makes you wonder if it’s a happy ending at the end of it, because they both have such strong points but they are so diverse. At the end, after they talk about it, their relationship is full of devotion and you feel how they are making each other focused and better. I would die for them.

Colin is such a tumultuous character and it is a stark contrast on how we get to see him in the previous and following books. He is used to putting the charm on and fooling everybody but, of course, in this book we explore his inner workings and now we know the truth. He is just a lost puppy, looking for something to do with his life, and he is so focused on this search and runnin away for his family that he doesn’t see that there is already something that he is good about: writing. His relationship with Pen is obviously key in all of this searching because it pushes his limits and makes him think. His realization, of both his vocation and his love are slow and steady. He sometimes jumps to conclusions and rushes things *ahem*the proposal*cough* but not love, and once he commits he does it fully. The “stay, stay, stay” scene is a monumental hallmark in the book. We see Colin really deciding and choosing Penelope and Lady Whistle down with all that it entails. And later on, he opens out about his jealousy over her work, but he does it when he is ready, and Pen allows him to come to her when he needs without judgement. They are so perfect it hurts. 

The lack of Eloise is an insult to my soul but we get Lady Danbury as the guest star. She is on Penelope's corner helping her navigate the ton and her relationship with Colin, as a mother figure would. I believe she at least has a big suspicion that she is LW, but I might be wrong.

All-nighter books - OTWTTW, IIHK. ON THE WAY TO THE WEDDING

Gregory’s book is full of twists and turns that you just cannot put it down. Not the fact that the main female character is Lucy and not Hermoine, like Gregory thinks half of the book, just because you don’t. It is pretty clear that Lucy is our heroine so the fact that Gregory falls for her is not a twist itself because we (and Kate) already know. But in my opinion, the fact that it starts with Gregory interrupting the wedding and then it goes back and explains the backstory to you, so it is constantly leading up to it. 

Lucy is not the most interesting of the female leads but it is part of her charm. She is a normal girl, her life is already arranged, so she doesn’t feel the pressure the rest of them do, she is just enjoying herself. She doesn’t believe in love, and it is so funny how in denial she is about it, until it all explodes. 

Gregory’s life was influenced by her brothers before him and his big family but he feels so alone because of the age difference. He is trying to find his place in life and, because he saw all of his siblings fall in love he wants the same thing so badly, that he confuses desire with love. He is so precious, and must be protected at all costs.

The last few chapters are action packed, there’s an urgency in everyone's actions: Lucy, trying to save her family and Gregory, trying to save Lucy. I couldn’t figure out what was going to happen and that hooked me. The fact that the wedding actually takes place is the most shocking plot of all of the books.  

To conclude, Gregory owns my heart and I trust him with it.

IT’S IN HIS KISS

This story is another “all-nighter”, because it revolves around a mystery and the search for Gareth’s grandmother lost jewels. This quest brings Hyacinth and Gareth together, with a lot of Lady Danbury’s help. It’s really interesting to read about the felonies they commit, all of them instigated by Hyacinth, who, in my opinion, is chaos personified. 

Hyacinth is the most forward-thinking woman of this series. She is outspoken, confident, loud and apologetic. All of these traits really set her apart, because she doesn’t play by the rules of society, she does what she pleases, and she should. She is the typical little sister, a little spoiled but with a good heart. Her conversations with Violet are really touching. 

Gareth on the other side, is not in a good place with his family, and it is endearing to see how shocked he is by the Bridgerton’s closeness. He has a severe lack of self love, and sees himself as an imposter, and not worthy of Hyacinth. But when he falls, OMG, HE FALLS. His attitude towards Hyacinth’s personality is amazing because he loves her exactly as she is, and knows he will be following her orders for the rest of his life. Adorable. (He is the “That’s my wife” meme).

Lady Danbury is again the guest star and it only helps to cement her as the cool grandma that we all aspire to be. An honorable mention is Anthony getting super-duper happy that all of his sisters are married and therefore he is free (my poor guy).

However, the main issue I have with this book is that the decision of getting married is really attached to Gareth’s need to vex his father, who is a horrible person, and it makes me mad. 

Not my favourite books - TSPWL, TDAI

TO SIR PHILIP WITH LOVE

In this book Eloise decides running off to meet a possible husband is a great idea. Her brain, I can’t. Obviously the Bridgerton brothers follow her and force the two to marry anyways, although they were already falling in love when they found her. Phillip, Eloise's love interest is a loner and lives outside of the ton and I think that these traits really work with her because they are polar opposites but at the same time they fit so well. The relationship Eloise has with Amanda and Oliver is so cute, because you can see that these kids just need some attention and help navigating the world without her mother and Eloise is there for them.

However, even though I loved their storyline and I wanted to rank this higher I couldn’t. The other Bridgertons are a big part of this book and when I was thinking back on it the parts that I remember fondly the most are when Anthony, Benedict, Colin and Gregory arrive to kill talk to Philip, and then when Charles is ill and we get to see Benedict and Sophie as parents. So, I like this book because of side characters and not the main ones, even though I know there is nothing wrong with them. However, I do think the book is ok and I would recommend it nevertheless.

THE DUQUE AND I

I don’t have much to say about this book. The r*pe is completely unnecessary in my opinion. Daphne and Simon have terrible communication skills, but so do Kate and Anthony, for example, but still, the repercussions are not that severe. It is so much worse in the books and it has no consequences whatsoever. Up until that point, the enemies to secret dating to falling in love is such a classic thorpe that I usually like, but I cannot separate the two of them. In fact, I would advise to skip this one.

Hapily Ever After

Thank you to the heavens for this book. It is just a little exploration of all of the sibling’s future and an extra story for Violete.

Daphne’s story revolves around her last pregnancy. A surprise one when she is quite old. I found it really sweet and it looks like she and Simon are really happy with their life so good for them. Also, Colin and Penelope visit with all of their children so I’m obligated to like it.

The TVWLM continuation is a get together in Aubrey Hall for a Pall Mall rematch. I had so much fun reading it and getting to see all of the Bridgertons interact in a “relaxed” manner.

Sophie and Benedict’s story focuses on Posy and her search for a husband. She is lovely and I do want her happiness but getting to see Sophie and Benedict interact while actually together was a treat. I feel very blessed to see them be the balls of sunshine they both are.

Then we get to see how Eloise found out Lady Whisheldow’s identity. It was fun, and we get to see Pen and Eloise being friends, which we don’t get enough of in their respectives books. Colin and Penelope leaving the wedding early, was a gem. They are a couple of horny idiots and I love to see it. After that, we focus on Eloise again and we get to see a little bit more about Amanda and Oliver.

One of the main things about Francesca in her book is the fact that she wants a baby, and it is never resolved. In this one, we get to see how Francesca and Michael become parents and it's another heartbreaking one. We get to see how worried Violet is for her and also how Michael and Francesca talk and understand each other. They are one of the best relationships on this series, I said what I said.

In IIHK the diamonds are never found, but we find them here. It is great to know they were not missing and also a relief to know that Gareth was able to rescue the family even without them. The fact that Isabella actually finds them and proceeds to say nothing is hilarious. But when Hyacinth finds them the happiness she feels is so wholesome.

Then we get to see Gregory and Lucy’s twins be born (their 8th and 9th children). It is not an easy task and for a moment I was afraid for Lucy but it all works out in the end. It was filled with great moments but the one that I like the most is when Gregory says that Katherine gave him purpose in life, because he was meant to be a dad. I cried ngl.

And lastly, we meet Edmund. He is very present throughout the book but I was not expecting to grow so attached to him with this little story. It is divided in different stages of Violet’s life and obviously we get to see her romance with Edmund. I loved the little details, his behaviour reminded me of Gregory but he eats a lot like Colin so it is great to see where they get their traits from. The later parts, after he dies, show you how much importance Violet puts on remembering him and preserving his memory. They were truly soulmates, and it is such a shame that their time together was cut short.

[davidmann95]

sooo... the snyder cut's out

I liked the Snyder Cut. This sucks.

Me thinking about this movie, apparently

Do I think it has revolutionized superhero cinema forever? Nah, if nothing else it mostly plays it too unexpectedly safe for that. But this was evidently always going to be his version of a straight take superhero teamup adventure after BvS, and as it turns out, he’s really good at that? There’s a better version of this that trims at least half an hour of pure bloat - and I don’t mean ‘inessential’ character beats, strictly redundant exposition - but by and large this is a terrific meat-and-potatoes superhero flick realized with the sweep and style Snyder brings to his work. There’s a ton of stuff I could nitpick, and its biggest sin is it loses momentum over time because Snyder clearly used literally every single thing he had filmed regardless of utility, but by and large this was a fun time. Assorted notes (where I get into spoiler territory) below:

* Why wasn’t the weird Motherbox opening credits sequence kept? They showed it off just a few weeks ago!

* This is very Morrison JLA in that only the junior members of the group get character arcs, and fairly bare-bones at that, but everyone gets their Big Iconic Stuff. Except oddly Batman, who shockingly gets short shift here while Superman in his minimal screentime is as much a sudden 180 “hey here’s just regular ‘ol Superman now” as what we saw in 2017.

* Flash’s opening setpiece was the best of the movie by miles, a jaw-dropping realization of that power and the necessary delicateness that comes with it that’s one of my favorite moments in any superhero media period. His big time travel moment was nothing to sneeze at either. They never explain where his powers come from though?

* Steppenwolf is actually pretty damn fun in here as a guy who’s in-universe a fake final boss who’s really a put-upon self-loathing failed lackey.

* (Darkseid meanwhile sucks and is nothing but that isn’t surprising.)

* This looks better all around, obviously the action and composition is gorgeous and even Flash and Cyborg’s dopey looks are considerably more tolerable, while Superman’s black suit helps cover a bunch of the noodly nonsense.

* Yes, this is better than Whedon’s version. Not exponentially so, at least for my tastes - Batman of all characters felt like he had a lot more going on in that - but I’m loathe to give it much credit, and I think a lot of relative strengths it had were purely due to it keeping leaner.

* I’m not clear at all why WB felt the need to damn near remake the thing when this was so very much Snyder playing nice, other than maybe no one could figure out how to wrangle down the runtime comprehensibly? I certainly can’t fathom how the assembly cut was reportedly declared ‘unwatchable’ by producers.

* No, the Martian Manhunter stuff makes no fucking sense whatsoever, but it’s worth it because his presence means that the last words in Zack Snyder’s Justice League are Martian Manhunter, which is incredible.

* At heart it’s no more a sequel to MOS or BVS than what Whedon did beyond the raw fact of progressing the plot: this isn’t a meditation on power or politics or duty or vengeance beyond the thinnest of notes with some of the side characters, it’s a bunch of cool superfolks putting aside their personal problems and learning to believe in themselves/each other to save the world from a big bad thing, even if it still operates in the broad thematic realm of “life snatched from death” prevalent in both versions.

* It’s consistently at its best when it’s Snyder getting to go buckwild with the powers, imagery, and pure vibes; the character work is fine and the actors all do well enough, but the point here is this is Snyder setting up Space Superhero Lord of the Rings with impossible beings operating on a grand scale.

* I kind of wish it had the manic unselfaware energy throughout of the opening Wonder Woman sequence where she saves the kids as in the theatrical cut, but the head terrorist says fuck, Wonder Woman’s clearly killing them all...and at the end she smiles and gives an earnest girl power line to one of the hostage kids right after disintegrating a fool in front of them. It would be a worse movie, but an even more entertaining one.

* The Batman/Joker scene is perfectly fine, and while it would have been better for this movie unto itself if the reshoots had been used to tighten some stuff up instead I don’t begrudge Snyder for going that extra mile to ensure folks absolutely fucking demand he get his sequel (I know he says that’s not why he did it; he is transparently lying). Affleck sells his f-bomb.

That’s pretty much that! I think the purpose of this movie as Snyder conceived it was to win over rubes like me without alienating the true believers to get the leeway to do JL 2&3 however the fuck he wanted. And god help me, especially with the worst possible avenues closed off to him I do want to see what those would be, all the absurd operatic bombast of BvS as applied to a big cosmic superhero epic functioning from what we’ve heard in the more straightforward mode of operation established here. The fandom force of will both joyful and horrific will be there in spades, so I guess it’s a question of what kind of numbers this does.

[aspenflower17]

Finding You (Part Nine of ??)

Happy Thanksgiving everyone (even if you don’t live in the US)! Here is the update for this week :) This chapter was a little self indulgent. I do talk a tiny bit about music theory and Jane Austen in this chapter. If you have questions about either, just ask and I can try to explain/direct you to some good sources on what I’m talking about 😅 

Edit: Totally forgot to mention! The whole Pride and Prejudice HC about Lucifer is not originally mine. I believe I read it on one of the Beel blogs. I think it was @taco-beel :)

For anyone new, here is the link for Part One. I hope you enjoy 😁 

Tags for the Lovelies:  @simpingforsatan @naimena @hachimochi @wrathandgreed @magi-minminxiii @rensphilia @a-dream-at-night @chloelikesobeyme @getbehindme-satan (If you’d like to be added to the tags list, just message me or comment below!)

Satan/ F!Mc

Trigger Warnings: possibly for depression?

Word Count: 2,322

After Mc shut the door, she slid down the door to the floor, head in her hands. Well, that couldn’t have gone worse. I would’ve rather had him ignore me or not remember me at all. I could’ve figured out how to interact with him in those situations. But what was with him being sweet in the beginning, and then just seizing up? Then he grabbed my wrist and seemed super worried about me leaving and then didn’t even say anything the whole walk?! That goodbye too! What was that?! 

The more Mc thought about the whole thing, the more upset she got. She leaned her head back against the door, her brain replaying the beginning of the conversation trying to figure out what had gone wrong. Remembering the look in his eyes as he had fervently declared he remembered her. The warmth of his voice.

Then the progressive unease as she had continued talking until the abrupt emotional cutoff. He had obviously been uninterested in talking with her any longer, though she really couldn’t figure out why. He had been so dismissive. But when I tried to leave… She looked down to the wrist he had grabbed. He sounded so… desperate. Like he truly didn’t want to let me leave. So, why didn’t he talk to me?

“Mc? Are you alright?” Michael asked, stepping into the entrance hall with Diavolo.

“I’m… I’m fine. Diavolo, do you have a music room?” Mc asked, standing up as nonchalantly as she could.

“Yes, of course.”

“Do you have a piano, or similar instrument?”

“Yes…”

“May I use it for the rest of the day? I need to compose.”

“I… Sure. I’ll have Lil’ D No. 2 show you the way,” and as he said that, a small demon appeared and beckoned her forward, and she promptly followed.

“Oh dear,” Michael sighed, eyes following Mc.

“What’s wrong,” Diavolo asked, thoroughly confused by the whole encounter.

“She is definitely not alright. She can only compose when she’s really emotional about something.”

“I… Wait, is she going to let us hear it when she’s done?” Diavolo asked, eyes lighting up.

Mc sat down at the piano. It was an almost pure black grand, and the key colors were reversed, which was messing with her brain visually. The piano bench lid was made from a beautiful dark red wood, the rest the same black as the rest of the piano. The piano did not look worn, but it was obviously old. 

Mc started playing her normal warm up scales, but quickly stopped when she realized they didn’t sound right. She tried again with the same result. It’s in minor…

Trying out all the keys, she realized the whole piano was in minor. You could play major chords, but it was like making minor chords on a normal piano. Interesting.

Mc continued playing and getting warmed up, wanting to explore the amazing opportunity that had presented itself. She started playing some of her own creations, marveling at how different her songs sounded. As she was playing, she remembered a song she had abandoned a long time ago. Though it should have sounded correct, she had never been able to make it sound correct. I wonder…

She started playing the song, and was amazed to find just how perfect it sounded. It was the same song, but it now sounded perfect. Encouraged, Mc tried to continue composing, but she couldn’t get past where she had already composed, no matter how much she worked on it. Discouraged and a little frustrated, Mc look at her DDD and was surprised to see it was almost time for dinner.

Standing up, she promised herself she’d come back later, and work on it more.

“I’ve decided to throw a ball in Mc’s honor!”

Michael and Mc looked up from their dinner at the proclamation from Diavolo. Luke seemed unphased by the announcement.

“A ball? In my honor?”

“Yes! You’re my honored guest after all.”

“He also loves throwing balls,” Luke added.

“Also that,” Diavolo admitted.

“Well, I’d be honored. Thank you.”

“Perfect! It’ll be held a week from today. Barbados! Make sure invitations are sent and food is ready.”

“Yes sir,” Mc jumped, not realizing Barbados was in the room, turning around to see him exit. She was starting to notice the butler seemed to be everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

“Is a week too fast?” Mc asked worriedly.

“Nonsense! This is a lot more notice than I usually give if I’m going to be honest,” Diavolo laughed.

“For a whole ball to be planned?”

“Yes! Barbados is one hell of a butler,” Diavolo grinned over his teacup, before taking a sip.

Mc sat in her room and mused over the events of the day. Now that she had calmed down enough to think rationally, she started analyzing Satan’s behavior, and found she really couldn’t make sense of it. Unless he thought I was someone else… Wait. That makes a lot of sense actually. Like not a ton of sense, because he should have realized I wasn’t them before I started talking about meeting him before, but more than anything else I can think of. He may have also been a little… unhinged. He did look like he hadn’t slept in three days…

Satisfied enough that her brain could rest, she snuggled down into her blankets. Every time she closed her eyes however, all she saw was Satan’s face as he had grabbed her wrist. She brought her other hand up to her wrist and grabbed it. Now smiling, she drifted off to sleep.

Mc snorted, shifting a bit as she read. The bed was comfortable, the scent of its owner making her feel safe and comforted. Classes had been long and when the demon that sat behind her had gotten up, they had accidentally hit her in the head with their bag pretty hard, which had made Mammon nearly kill them. She had narrowly saved their life by assuring him it had been an accident and somehow calming her guardian demon down. This then had resulted in her being called into talk with Lucifer about what had happened, and so she had missed her Devildom History course.

She had come to Satan’s room to grab the notes he had thoughtfully taken for her, but when he saw how worn out she was, he had offered a quiet evening of reading and tea. She hadn’t been able to refuse, seeing as how she relished anytime she could get with him. The scent of old books and their caretaker was a surefire way to help her unwind from the day, the stacks of books throughout the room making her feel like they were in their own little world. The outside world glittered in the perpetual darkness through Satan’s large windows.

“What’s so amusing?” Satan asked from the armchair he had moved over by his bed once their reading sessions became a normal occurrence.

“‘We all know him to be a proud, unpleasant sort of man; but this would be nothing if you really liked him’” Mc quoted.

“Ah! ‘You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.’” Satan said, a cheeky grin on his face.

Mc’s brain stopped functioning for a second, “Wai… Wha…?”

“Pride and Prejudice right?”

“Oh, hehe, right,” Mc laughed, trying to hide behind her book as best she could as all the blood rushed to her face, “It’s a good quote.”

“You know, when it came out, there was a rumor going around that Mr. Darcy was based off of Lucifer.”

“Wait… You’re joking.”

“No. He had been spending a lot of time in the human realm. Sometimes we wouldn’t see him for weeks at a time. Then, he just stopped going up as much. About a year later, Pride and Prejudice was released. After the rumor started, Lucifer would not allow it in the house for the longest time. He even went so far as to ask Diavolo not to allow it in the Devildom at all.”

Satan had Mc’s full attention at this point, “What was his excuse?”

“Something about a stupid romance novel ruining his reputation, and how we needed to be the voice of reason for the lower demons if they were going to allow themselves to be so easily swayed to believe the nonsense.”

“You had a copy though, right?”

“Oh, of course I did. I still do actually. First edition. I even went up to the human realm to get it.”

“Wow… That explains so much though. Lucifer is like the epitome of Mr. Darcy.”

Satan shifted in his chair, and looked down at his book, “You think so?”

“Yeah. Tall, dark, handsome,” Mc watched as Satan sunk a bit lower in his chair at each word, seeming to get fairly upset, “Standoffish. Rude. Conceitful. Overbearing.”

“Ah, so you’re not a fan of Mr. Darcy?”

“Hmmm… I wouldn’t say that. He is her most popular leading man for a reason. But…”

“But?” Satan was looking at her now, his eyes probably larger and more insistent than he meant them to be. 

“He’s far too prideful in the beginning for me. We probably wouldn’t have gotten anywhere,” Mc watched Satan relax visibly before continuing, “While I enjoy Pride and Prejudice, I’d rather read Sense and Sensibility or Northanger Abbey. I would rather have a Mr. Tilney or possibly even a Colonel Brandon. Someone who I could sit and make jokes with. Someone who would read to me. Someone I could go on adventures with and who could tell me all about this or that because they’re so well read,” Mc was looking down at the cover of the book now, and she could tell her face was heating up, “I’d much rather have someone like that.”

There was silence after Mc stopped talking, and she dared not look up. She’d basically just confessed to Satan, and she hadn’t even meant to. She kinda hoped her words went over his head, but also hoped they didn’t. The silence stretched longer than Mc would’ve liked before the bed shifted.

There was another few moments of silence before Satan spoke, a bit haltingly, “Mc, will you look at me? Please?”

Mc lifted her eyes shyly looking a little sheepish. She only had a moment of Satan’s shocked look before there was a flash of gold and his lips were on hers. She was so shocked she couldn’t respond for a second, but then she returned the kiss, melting as her body was on fire. Completely focused on the moment while soaring through the clouds. Perfect. It was perfect.

Mc came back to consciousness, her alarm playing soft piano music. She reached out her arms grasping. Searching. Coming up empty, she cracked an eye open, disappointment flooding her body when all she saw was her own arms. Her vision blurred as a strong wave of loneliness washed over her. She blinked a couple times to clear away her tears, feeling them slide down her face. She had had mornings like this in the Celestial Realm, though this was the first time she had remembered the dream that preceded it. She hadn’t really felt lonely since coming to the Devildom, and hadn’t registered it. Now though, it felt debilitating. She sent a text to Luke explaining she probably wouldn’t be down for breakfast and asking him to apologize to everyone for her. She then turned on some soft music, and dropped her DDD on the bed.

She lay quietly, the tears falling openly. This is what she had to do those terrible mornings in the Celestial Realm when she felt like she couldn’t face the day. Eventually her tears gave out, and she was left with an apathetic empty feeling. She continued laying in bed, not remembering a bout this bad in any recent history. After a while, she drifted off to sleep again.

“Hey. You awake?”

Mc groaned, sore from not moving in awhile, “Is that you Luke?”

“Yeah. I got a bit worried when you also missed lunch. You okay?”

“I think I’m okay now. I just got a bit too upset this morning.”

“Are you sure? I can tell Michael you’re caught up in an artistic frenzy or something.”

“Nah. Thanks though,” Mc smiled, still sleepy.

“Okay. As long as you're okay,” Luke was looking at her worriedly, but leaning down and kissing her forehead anyways, “I’ll make sure some lunch gets saved for you.”

“Thanks Luke,” Mc sighed, sitting up.

“Anything for my little sister.”

Over the next week, Mc continued trying to work on her song, though she didn’t get any further, along with her other art. She also read all about the Devildom’s history and visited some historically significant locations to put a name to a place. The whole time, her mind worked on the enigma that was her dream. She supposed it was a product of her brain trying to work through the disappointment of how her first meeting with Satan went, along with how active she had been since coming down to the Devildom. She tried to convince herself of this anyways. The truth was, it felt exactly like she was reliving a memory. It felt real, and nothing about it had been weird, all details clear, nothing out of place. It even felt familiar, she’d even go so far as to say worn, like some of her favorite memories did.

She blushed even thinking about the dream, clearly recalling the warmth and softness of his lips. The feeling of his hand on the back of her neck....

“Mc, are you almost ready,” Luke called from the other side of the door.

“Give me a couple more minutes. I’ll be down soon.”

“Okay. The guests are starting to arrive.”

“Sounds good. Thanks for letting me know,” Mc took one last look at herself in the mirror before nodding and getting up, ���Let’s do this.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks for reading! Like, comments and reblogs are appreciated! I love discussing Obey Me so feel free to chat with me 😁

Part Ten

[itshalza]

The Egg Has to Go

I wrote this a while ago and it's kind of irrelevant now, but this was my headcanon of how the red banquet could have gone. Obvious canon divergence. Just Foolish having main character energy

!! Content Warning: implied drugging?, manipulation, brainwashing, zombie like imagery, mild depictions of violence, has hbomb in it (again this was written like, the week of the banquet before anything happened)

Summary: Foolish quickly realizes that the Red Banquet is not what it seems.

Foolish entered the grand hall that Bad and Ant had built for the Red Banquet. The event was beginning to be well known throughout the smp, and Foolish had accepted his invite on a whim, expecting to be able to put an end to the egg then. Oh, how he was wrong. He was running late as his duties at the temple took him a little longer than expected. But he was here now, quietly mingling with Niki and H. He absent-mindedly tightened his tie as Bad lightly tapped his silverware on his glass.

The clink of the dinnerware got everyone to quiet down and their attention on Bad. "I'd like to propose a toast. To a new era of peace on the server." He called out, raising his glass in the air. Everyone followed suit, Foolish only doing so half-heartedly as to not draw attention. The crowd in the room called out cheers before taking a drink from the glasses.

The liquid in the glass was.... strange. It was a deep red. Much.... much deeper than any wine Foolish had ever seen. Considering that, and the fact he was still suspicious of how he witnessed Bad and the others celebrate over Tommy's death, he didn't drink it. He raised the glass to his lips, tilting it to act like he was taking a sip when in reality his lips were sealed tight. He lowered the glass without a word, trying to ignore the feeling that someone was watching him.

That's when HBomb's words snapped him back to reality. "Uhh overworld to Foolish?" He said, moving to get himself in the totems field of vision.

Foolish shook his head slightly, blinking a few times. "I- what?" He asked, looking over at his 'manager.'

"What has gotten into you tonight?" Niki asked. Her tone was light, but Foolish knew there was genuine concern in her words as well.

Foolish hesitated for a moment before shrugging. "I don't know. Just have a bad feeling about tonight, I guess." He scanned the room, avoiding eye contact with anyone. He didn’t want to draw any extra attention to himself.

“Loosen up a bit, man. Tonight’s supposed to be fun, so let it be.” H said with a grin, leaning back in his seat and taking another drink from the glass.

Foolish didn’t respond to the words. He looked around again before standing up from his seat. “I’m gonna go look at the buffet, I’m starving.” He said, his tone returning to its usual lightheartedness, but it was completely fabricated. He didn’t want his friends to worry about him, but he really didn’t feel right about this whole thing. It was a little too… perfect.

He made his way up to the table lined with food, weaving through the crowd muttering short apologies as he went. He grabbed a plate and began looking over the options. He went to reach for the serving spoon for the mushroom stew before getting startled by Bad’s voice.

“So are you enjoying yourself, Foolish?” Bad said lightly. Foolish jumped slightly, letting go of the spoon and cringing at the clatter it made.

It was obvious that the friendly attitude that Bad displayed was a front. Foolish and Bad had been at each other's' throats over the Egg multiple times. The two were hardly even acquaintances. Their first interaction was rather neutral, sure, but the last couple of weeks Foolish has witnessed a turn. It wasn’t Bad’s fault of course; the Egg was only manipulating him to do its dirty work. But that didn’t mean Foolish had to like him either.

“Uh yeah! I’m doing okay, all things considered.” He said, putting up a similar front. He didn’t want Bad to suspect anything, although if Bad had come over to talk to him, he obviously knew something was up. “What would you recommend from the selection? There’s too much up here for me to decide.” He asked, a light laugh coming from him.

Bad hummed in amusement. “I’d say you made the right choice with the stew.” He mused. He watched Foolish nod and begin serving himself a helping of the stew.

“Oh Foolish, by the way, I’d love to get your opinion on the wine! You’ve been around a while so I’d assume you’d know a thing or two about good wine.” Bad asked. If Foolish hadn’t known better, he would have assumed that Bad was being genuine. Something was definitely wrong with the wine. What it was, Foolish didn’t know. But he knew one thing: he absolutely was not going to drink it.

Here’s the problem. Foolish didn’t know anything about wine. He needed a clear head while guarding the temple so he avoided alcohol as a whole. He really had no idea what to say about it, but he knew he had to come up with something quick.

He looked the demon up and down before replying. “Yeah it was good. Probably not the best I’ve ever had, but it definitely was up there. It had good… earthy undertones,” he said, hesitating slightly.

Bad hummed slightly, as if he knew that Foolish was bluffing. “I see. Well I’m glad that it’s enjoyable. It cost Ponk an arm and a leg to get the cask from a village due south. And you know, he’s already down an arm,” Bad said, giggling softly at his own joke.

Foolish laughed too, a slight hint of nervousness behind it. Foolish looked down at his dish of stew before back up at Bad. “Well, I’m gonna head back to Niki and H, I don’t want to keep them waiting.” He said sheepishly.

“I’ll see you later then, Foolish. Bad said, grinning and walking away, still laughing at his joke. Though once he was out of earshot of the totem, he grumbled lightly. “Why does he constantly have to ruin my plans?” he muttered before going to find Antfrost or Punz to ask them what they should do.

Foolish made his way back to the table, trying to mask his growing anxiety about this whole situation. Something was wrong here, and he wanted nothing more than to leave and go back to the temple.

He sat back down to hear Niki rambling about the construction of her new city. It was a noble project, but it took a lot of work for it to be functional.

“Oh by the way Niki, if you need me to come back and work on fixing up that waterfall area, just holler.” Foolish interjected.

Niki chuckled lightly. “No, no it’s fine. I’ve been working on it a bit and I think I’ve gotten it the way I want it for now.” She said.

“Plus, would you even have time with all those build projects you have going on? I have you booked for Tubbo, and Kin-”

“First of all, HBomb, you don’t have me booked for anything. Second of all, I'll always make time for my friends. You guys need help? I'm right there, okay?" Foolish said. He flashed a bright smile before taking a spoonful of the stew.

The three continued to chat about things. HBomb complained that no one had signed up for maid service in a while, Niki spoke cryptically about a trip to Snowchester she took with Phil, and Foolish rambled on about the progress of the mansion and his future plans.

The banquet hall slowly began to quiet down as the night progressed. The pair in front of him had gone through two glasses of wine and Foolish had yet to take a sip.

"Foolish, aren't you thirsty? You've barely touched your wine." Niki asked, her tone still light.

Foolish looked up from his dish. "Uh, it's just really not my favor-" his voice dying out as he finally took in his surroundings. How had he been so oblivious?

The Egg was glowing a soft red and emitting a low hum. The walls looked… well, looked like they were dripping with the wine in his glass. The room was dead quiet, eerily quiet, other than the hum of the egg that he could feel in his bones.

"Foolish, come on. Don't be silly. It's really good wine, I would know," HBomb said. The friendliness in his voice oozed with tension. His smile was too wide, too forced.

The realization hit Foolish like a ton of bricks. His eyes flicked from H's tense smile to his eyes. The bright blue was replaced with a deep, off-putting red. It was a similar color to the wine, but they looked as if they were glowing similarly to the Egg in the corner of the room.

Further observation showed that it wasn't only H. As he looked around the room, not only were everyone's eyes a monstrous red, but they were all trained on the totem's figure.

He had to leave. He had to get away. But where? The Egg was spread all around the smp. Even if he could get back to the Temple, Bad and his crew have proved they aren't scared of trespassing on Temple grounds. But the Temple was his only shot. Everywhere else was too vulnerable.

Foolish laughed nervously. "Well, I think I should be going now. I have a big day of building tomorrow. Need to be well rested, you know?" He said, standing up. He slowly began moving toward the exit.

"Foolish, please. Stay and enjoy the night with us." Bad said, standing up as well.

"Yeah, Foolish. Don't be difficult." Punz called out.

No one else in the room reacted. They only stared blankly at Foolish.

Foolish laughed lightly. A smirk coming across his features. "I think I've proven multiple times that I'm not scared of you and your Egg, Bad." He muttered.

"Maybe you should be." The demon spat back. Any false friendliness that was in his voice before was gone.

Foolish's smirk only grew. "Obviously you haven't learned anything from our past encounter. Don't be foolish, Bad." He said, his voice lacking any emotion. He wasn't angry or upset at all. If anything, his tone was just smug.

Bad just glared, and Punz seemed like he was itching to aim his crossbow and put an arrow through Foolish's chest. He didn't have much time left to figure out his escape route.

"Or perhaps I'm the foolish one… for not taking care of that pathetic Egg sooner."

In a split second decision, Foolish grabbed his trident and threw it at the Egg. Sparks of electricity spread throughout the corner of the room and into the shape in the corner of the room. The Egg let out a shrill scream, and the guests in the hall grabbed covered their ears and let out groans of pain.

Foolish took this as a chance to escape. He called back his trident, which left a sizable crack in the shell of the egg. He threw an enderpearl toward the water elevator at the edge of the room.

"GET HIM!" The Egg cried out. The horde of mind controlled puppets reacted instantly. But Foolish simply saluted the crowd before hopping into the water elevator.

Once he hit the ground, he was running. His heart was pounding in his ears as he ran through the land of the Dream SMP. He needed to get to the community portal. If he didn't travel through the Nether, there was no way he'd make it by foot. He ran through the remains of the community house before hurrying up the stairs to the portal.

An arrow, dipped in some potion, lodged itself into the obsidian of the nether portal, but Foolish was already gone. He sprinted as fast as he could while still being observant to the difficult terrain of the Nether. One wrong move could send him into the pit of lava. And it didn't make it any easier that he had a swarm of armed Eggheads behind him.

He dodged arrows left and right, some of them on fire, some of them potion tipped. He looked behind him to see Punz throw an enderpearl in his direction. Foolish grabbed his own bow, lining up the shot and shooting the enderpearl in mid air, sending Punz falling onto the netherrack below him. Foolish finally made it to the portal that led to his summer home.

Standing in the obsidian frame, he lit a block of TNT and left it on the other side of the portal, faintly hearing the explosion as he appeared on the other side of the portal, his summer home lightly glowing in the distance.

He took a moment to use his pickaxe to break the frame of the portal, just as a safety precaution. He ran to the temple, breathing hard. He didn't stop until he reached the heart of the temple. He slumped down, the cool glass of the beacon against his back.

He took a few deep breaths, hands shaking slightly. The distorted faces of his friends were stuck in the back of his mind. They tried to kill him, they…

He couldn't think like that. It wasn't their fault. It was the Egg's. He tried to push the image of his friends away as he thought about the monumental task that was just placed on his shoulders….

The Egg has to go.