#like adding depth to our lil story

[bbina]

FUN FACTS OMG YES PLS,, need to know song siblings plus sungchan friendship lore 🙏🙏🙏🙏

ur wish is my command 🪄

between the lines fun facts: ballad of songs and sungchan edition

songs + sungchan met during pre-school and has been inseparable ever since. literally attached to the hip that at this point sungchan's family and the song family became family friends

sungchan basically owns the spare bedroom at the song residence since he's always over + he has his own set of toiletries somewhere in eunseok's bathroom

eunseok trusts sungchan so much that sometimes when you need to do errands with him, eunseok sends sungchan instead in his place cuz he's lazy 💀

sungchan is ur knight in shining armor against eunseok's endless teasing and rowdy fights

^ that being said, if you and eunseok are fighting like it's about to get real physical type fighting, sungchan steps in and meddles between the two of you– the mediator of the 2ongs fr

u never really got to go on dates cus sungchan and eunseok both pick you up from each and every class you are in (if you guys aren't in the same class) so boys don't really come up to you after class to hang out cuz theyre scared of the two twin towers staring daggers at any potential victim who dare to come close to you

but to compensate that, you three always go on dates (only because you and eunseok come in a package deal) but it feels like ur third wheeling eunseok and sungchan instead 🧍

secrets are never an option with them! they are your walking diaries and vice versa. eunseok comes to you if he needs a second opinion, while sungchan comes to you if he's having problems

sungchan always had a sweet spot for you in his life. always putting you first and taking good care of you. like taking your school bag when you guys walk home, tying your shoelaces when needed, never forgetting to buy extras of the things he's buying cus he knows youre gonna ask to share, etc . . .

you and sungchan often get teased by both parents (song+jung) that they wont be surprised if you and sungchan do end up together in the near future (eunseok gags at this but he lowkey does ship you two as well bc hes the only guy in eunseok's eyes thats fits his standards for u, his lil sister)

your favorite days are when sungchan brings daldal over at your place to play with charlie and vice versa! the day ends with walking the two dogs around the neighborhood / or when you three all collectively decide to go to a dog cafe

you 3 carpool on the way to school. eunseok drives and sungchan doesn't live that far away from you guys (he lives 2 blocks away) so you two pick sungchan up otw to school– this means you get kicked from the passenger seat every damn time

although sometimes sungchan is the one that picks you guys up whenever he feels like driving (yes they both have licenses)

moral of the story is that you and eunseok literally grew up with sungchan <3

[skitariiposting]

Skit's Mini Painting Journey Pt. 3

The Admech one.

C'mon, you all saw this one coming.

Back when I was painting my nurgles purple, I wanted to do a similar color scheme for my Admech army. I slowly moved away from it however, as I didn't quite like the way it turned out. The green and purple look took to Nurgle well, but purple Admech on desert planets didn't make a whole lot of sense. Didn't stop me from trying though, and while they certainly didn't look bad, I'm glad I didn't stick with it.

The Mars Pattern Family

This little fella may look familiar! Here was my first attempt at a more traditional mars pattern skit, and a jawa-esque one to boot! This was a kitbash of a proper galvanic rifle and backpack being added to The Makers Cult's Lil' Recruit.

I mean, Jawa admech is so amazing, but I had to have my little guy properly equipped!

Continuing the Mars linage is a technopriest and engiseer, both TMC printed minis. I love the way these two look. The face-shield on the technopriest looks amazing, and I'm incredibly proud of the reflection on it. The OSL on the hand isn't very visible in the picture, but it also looks really good.

This Thallax bot was supposed to be a Kastellan Bot for @elnubnub, however I got the two mixed up and picked the smaller one. I'm going to eventually remedy that, but he still looks good nonetheless.

This is by and large one of my best pieces in my opinion. Back when @cannibalcaprine had a bird face, this model was more applicable. Dominus Hera has so much soul and time put into her I don't know if I'll ever be able to replicate the state of mind I was in that let me get this mini to look this good. The cloth effects are fantastic, the OSL from the gun is fantastic, the molten axe is fantastic, the color choices and layout is fantastic, the cables are fantastic; I don't know who painted this mini, but it certainly wasn't me. It couldn't have been.

And the most important member of the Mars Pattern Family, the fan favorite: Goober. A kitbash gone wrong gone right. A broken mini finally becoming whole. The legend himself. What more is there to say?

Finally: The Submechanicum

Penelope, the Ocean Queen. My first model I painted for the Submechanicus. I'd love to say that this is my magnum opus, considering I made a whole video about her and everything...

However, I must rip the band aid off and say that this is the first version of Penelope...

Because what immediately followed her was this beast. This is the Krabaphron, another contender for one of my best models. This sucker was so genre defining, that it set a new standard for the rest of my Submechanicus army and would cause me to re-do my color-scheme and paint job planning going forward.

I based all of my future Submechanicus models off of it, using it as a template. The Skits and Techpriest both got the same treatment and I've got to say, I'm in love with the way it looks. I've continued using this style so far and I haven't had to make many modifications.

As such, Penelope... didn't quite fit the bill anymore. She stood out from the rest of the models.

So... after a livestream of planning and base layering...

She was finally given the paint job she deserved.

And that's just were our story begins fair traveler... With the rise of the Depth Guard, a proper protector of the Submechanicus will be needed to combat the forces of Nurgle... And coming late April, there will be such a machine surfacing, with a video to present it.

Of course, this is quite an older photo. It's far more painted than that. I've teased photos of it so far, however I'm saving the proper display of it for the video, so be on the look out if you want to see the completed product!

And that's about it! Hope you've enjoyed this little walk down memory lane and gallery of my mini painting endeavors! I'll be making a website for easier viewing once I've gone through and gotten some more professional looking pictures done. Thank you for reading and viewing!

-Jerry

[cyanidas]

⚠️SHSL Detective ! Kazuichi Souda 🕵️‍♂️

I'm hoping to make a small series of fun lil sprite edits with my talentswap AU that scrambles the talents of Class 77 and Class 78, and has its own weird lil story to go with it

(someday I'll think of a cool shorthand title. maybe. perhaps. as a treat. i would also like to write this story someday... we will see, since evidently im allergic to projects)

Headcanons? Headcanons for Detective Souda?

(also a lil comparison between this one and normal Kazu, and some AU info)

For this AU, characters' original body types, general interests/inclinations, and much of their personality is intact - the only parts of their personality that change are things influenced by their line of work alone. A lot of who we are and who we become tends to be influenced by our interests, which in turn is influenced by our upbringing, which also influences who we are... but I intend to keep the characters as close to how they are outside of their original talents as possible.

This AU also swaps the end twists between the 1st and 2nd games, and in some way keeps original relationships (like Makoto and Kyoko's partnership, and Souda's inclination towards Sonia). Some personality aspects are allowed to bloom or forced into hiding, depending on the upbringing I imagine would have been needed to allow these talents to shine within them and rise to Ultimate status.

ok Souda Headcanon Time:

The teeth are actually natural - he has a disorder which effects a number of things but especially effects his teeth, which are sharp as a result (something that evidently exists?? tho i forget the name, and it's not as perfect as drawn here ofc but.)

I think og-Souda would have a great skincare routine, one that Detective Souda lacks, since he never gained the motivation nor inspiration to care more about his appearance in front of others. So, he has some zits.

When he was very young, he was living with his father in their bike shop, but his dad went too far one night. A worried neighbor called authorities on them after witnessing his dad's aggression. At some point, the situation tips over, and Kazu's removed from his father's custody.

The detective investigating his father's abuse took care of him, and eventually adopted him after his dad was incarcerated. New Dad was not physically abusive, and genuinely cared for his new son, but due to his line of work he wound up kind of a sad sack of a person, so he's still a pretty cringefail/wetkitten father figure.

Kazuichi would accidentally stumble across his files around the house, and witnessed far more corpses than he likely should have as a child. Terrified at first, he eventually suppressed his fears in favor of trying to become a stronger person, and insisted on applying himself to learn his caretaker's line of work... inadvertently witnessing even more death and dying than he should have, from a young age.

As a young teen, he took interest in therapy and self care, and came to realize his trauma regarding his father and his guardian / upbringing. New Dad has his full love and respect and he tries to change for his son. This kind of expands Kazu's self-respect a little, while adding new depths to his hatred/fear of violence and conflict.

Due to his new caretaker, he never went to the same schools, and lost his original friends as a result - so he doesn't suffer from the same trust issues as OG-Souda, and as a result, easily clings to the people around him and allows himself to get lost in his head a tad more often than OG.

He specializes in forensic investigative work, because his brain is still wired better for calculations, spatial reasoning, and mathematical speculation.

He also still loves learning about how things work, and now, he's especially interested in how things have happened / come to be - finding satisfaction in analyzing evidence, instead of reverse-engineering parts/machines.

He even still has a mild interest in mechanics! But he is firmly convinced that being handy and technical is nothing to boast about.

He is also now convinced that he wouldn't make a good repairman/mechanic/engineer, anything of the sort. Part of this apprehension is due to his hatred of his father.

He is still pretty timid, and jumps easily at any sudden or loud noise, is afraid of the paranormal, gets upset easily when socializing, and feels terrified when there is any perceived threat.

However, death and dead bodies are some of the things that no longer frighten him. Upset, sure, but nothing like OG-Souda. He sees dead bodies as objects to investigate and solve, as opposed to feeling the horror of seeing a deceased fellow human, or feeling too overwhelmed if it's someone he knew. Because of this, it's easy for him to get lost in his work and feel totally disconnected while investigating.

[gold-rhine]

That’s because the quest was actually about Cyno and his relationships and NOT about sethos! Hope this helps <3

So in storytelling there is such common used techniques as "supporting characters", and specifically "foils" - characters, used to contrast\mirror\parallel main character. This used in many best written genshin character quests, such as venti, itto, zhongli's, etc. By exploring this "character foil", you explore and highlight main character's conflict and give it depth and different perspective. When the character foil is not explored properly, then whatever contrast they were supposed to highlight in main character also fails to be dramatized. So actually a well developed foil not only makes a story more interesting, but benefits the main character also.

You could notice that this is what I was proposing because I said "so cyno and sethos can have conversation about what the spirit of hermanubis means to them." Notice that THEY includes cyno! next i explain in depth

"sethos can be like you're from the desert and using power of hermanubis, but you don't respect it, it means nothing to u, you treat as just a weapon when its a god of our peoples :\ to which cyno goes i'm me, i'm not a vessel to a dead god, my ppl are sumeru and akademiya, and i have worth and strength beyond just magic powers, and then can have a lil back and forth on this that leaves both of them in thoughtful state"

here you can also notice how more than half of the paragraph focuses on CYNO, to give him space to explain himself and his views, provoked as reaction to sethos' foil.

you can see that I added further "cyno's exploration in "also, after the Hermanubis Lore Infodump Animation cyno could be like huh, Hermanubis was protector of his people just like i am, we actually share a lot of core principles, mb thats why his power resonates with me so well and i was wrong to dismiss who he was as just dead god who gives me powers."

This is exploration of CYNO's character, it's adding HIM depth based on expanded interaction with sethos! here i spelled it out for babies in the end - "so tldr in the end sethos accepts his individual worth beyond being a temple of silence servant, but cyno also gains connection with his heritage and the culture of a god, whose power he embodies". see how giving sethos more space to talk and confront cyno would give cyno more reasons to think and develop! yay!

I don't hope this will help your condescending ass, but mb my followers will find it entertaining

[enden-k]

I haven't watched the Livestream (don't thave the brain capacity right now) but there was smth about inadzuma characters making an appearance? what's that about? is event going to be somehow connected to them?

mostly asking about ayaka because she's cute and I like seeing her (reminds me of a friend tbh so I have a lot of warm feelings for her by association). feel free to ignore this if you haven't watched the stream yourself and stuff, obv, theres probably somewhere else I can look this up as well I'm just not braining good right now

i like ayaka too <3 and ayato, the kamisato siblings have a special place in my heart fr

ill jsut use this ask to briefly sum up the livestream. did skip through it just now

WIFE NAMEDROPPED i thought he was dead

anyway:

main event is the fontinalia film festival set in fontaine featuring navia, furina, chiori (new inazuma character), chevreuse (new fontaine character), kamisato siblings, yoimiya, ofc our buddy xavier from inazuma. basically, we (and furina) are making a commercial for chioris boutique

banners: 1st half navia (5star geo claymore ousia aligned) + ayaka rerun 2nd half raiden shogun rerun + yoimiya rerun + chevreuse (4star pyro polearm ousia aligned)

quests: navia story quest

events: -well the main event in fontaine which gives us a free 4star claymore and several mini games all around film making -ittos beetle battle event returns, this time in liyue bc shinobu (and itto and the lil kid he fought last time) join....plus some liyue character is gonna join but wasnt named -the lost riches (pet seelie) event returns!!! also set in fontaine. the newest color this time is light blue-ish?

-some combat event. also set in fontaine. -marvelous merchandise - liben is back <3

other: -2 new artifact sets. no info on them tho -fontaine realm will be added to the teapot -fontaine card challenges and fontaine designs will be unlocked in tcg -new tcg character/monster cards: lyney, lynette, layla, signora, azhdaha, dvalin, some eremites, 💕💕al-haitham💕💕

cant wait to fucking beat him up in a card game idc about

system optimizations: -we will be able to view recommended sets in the artifacts menu -artifact filter system where you can automatically lock specific artifacts when farming and they get added to inventory -increased the amount of stuff u can put in for artifact enhancement similar how it is with weapons -removed the pop up windows when you level characters/weapons -refining weapons now allows you to add several mats and not one by one -when farming domains, when repeating the challenge we will now be teleported right to the center and not at the beginning to save us all the walking -the chasm archon quest ("in the depths, an unexpected reunion") is no longer locked behind two other world quests now. new players can now directly start -we can now claim all expedition rewards with one click and dispatch all of them without the pain of picking character and time again. its gonna be similar to honkai star rail now -processed ingredients can also be now claimed with one click

thats all i got, was honestly just skipping through the stream so no more details on the mini games or stuff as i usually did. just the important things ig

also, in under an hour the codes will expire so quickly claim them if u can:

RS99D5LVTM6V

UBRQC4MCT4PZ

8BQ9CMMVS5PM

[xxsleebeexx]

My Welcome Home Au is called Gamer!AU.

First piece was drawn by me, just to get something out there. The second was drawn by my friend @johnnydarling of both our Gamer!Wallys haha & The last one is drawn by @goregurt; Gamer just enjoying a Snapple while playing his silly lil switch lite!

(- - -)

The AU has the whole cast, I've just only drawn Wally so far. Still have a lot to do & draw, but here's a little bit about the AU.

Gamer!AU is about the Welcome Home crew's adventures in the gaming world. Everything is focused within games, through chats & Vcs/calls. You do, however, get a more in depth look into Wally Darling's life outside the games, while his friends are online only.

Anything below will be spoilers. So, be warned.

To start off, Gamer!AU is centered around Chatrooms & Voice Calls. You'll only ever get to see Wally's pov, but all the characters have their own stories to tell. My idea is to focus on game play & have little clues within each image or writing I post, as that's my favorite part & the point of the Welcome Home's webpage. There wont be much scary stuff (maybe idk yet), but I do know that's how I want to tell the story.

Moving on! The premise is on isolation & being reliant on the internet or technology, & how it can effect or affect your mental & physical health.

Gamer has Chronic Headaches & Migraines, he is always Online, even when he should be Sleeping, & as a result becomes very delusional throughout the story. (This is how other AU!Wallys can come into my Au, but it isn't necessarily part of the story.)

Here's the google doc I made on the types of games everyone plays. I do plan on adding more info of course! I still have the TBA on the Animal Crossing part haha, just gotta get to it.

(Some notes)

This AU is heavily based on & around the ideas & information given to us by Clown (as it should be), so no Wally isn't into a lot of violent games, he's a creator, an artist, so he plays a lot of simple, soft & relaxing games focused on creation & pretty colors. (Wanted to be very specific about this.)

The whole cast is of course viewed the same way Clown does, with the information given BUT I have taken some liberties to make the story move a bit faster & I wanted to add myself in each character as they're all special to me too. I feel a connection to their quirky & fantasticness.

Okay I think that's enough for everyone to read o/ More images & the likes to be added (o:<

[theghostiedyke]

@molsno​ tagged me in a 20 q’s thing. it was originally a reddit refugee thing but now it’s just fun hehehehe

Name? lavi :) i also answer to ghostie :3

Pronouns and gender? they/she; my gender is dyke lesbian. like my sexuality is simply too tied to my gender to consider it otherwise. i am woman aligned because i am in love with women and other lesbians with fucked up genders

Sexuality? lesbian <3

Country? U.S. :/ (but also PR)

Top 5 fandoms? uhhh rn: LOZ, Bleach, Ace Attorney, im probably forgetting some. i’m quite picky with how i interact with fandoms too i like find my lil niche and stay there and ignore the big stuff. i always love when i find fellow queer or fans of color :>

What is your Most forbidden snack? squishies

Would you pet a bug? depends on the bug! it might be too small to be petted or might be something that scares me. i do like to photograph the non scary ones at work hehehe. (i.e. pollinators and or invasive but pretty bugs)

Share a weird fact/story about yourself with the class. i am suddenly blanking as if i am not constantly weird and awkward. i wouldn’t call this weird but more so enjoyable but i have now had two parties where i have had a autism moment with someone i am meeting for the first time on the couch. and we talk in depth about our shared interest. truly a melding of adhd (on my part) and austism (on the other persons part).

What does the color blue taste like? “blue raspberry slushies, my favorite flavor :3″ i am partially copying this answer from vivi! and adding on: blue raspberry dumdum lollipops.

What is the most beautiful thing you've ever seen? idk if can only pick one thing! so many things are beautiful! Puerto Rico, women, a hibiscus I saw blooming the other day, my baby niece, fan art of a current hyperfixation, my baby nephew’s love of ladybugs, artbooks i bought at a convention

What is the stupidest thing you've ever done? only one?? anytime adhd tax has affected me lol, or when it took me literal years to realize two family members were specifically my first cousins from an aunt I never realized was a mom too lol.

Stupidest thing you've seen/heard someone else do/say? a professor asking me and coworker for a “boneless” book when i worked at a uni bookstore.

Hyperfixation song? currently so far so fake by pierce the veil but it might be changing soon

Is there any meaning behind your profile picture and/or username? my avatar is a lil piccrew of me and the username is now self explanatory but originally was a halloween variation back when ppl changed their usernames. it’s undergone many changes on whims lol.

Dream career as a child? i had a couple of different phases so: chef, fashion designer, interior designer, artist

Dream career as an adult? ehhh designer/artist. i’m content in my job rn i get to do enough of stuff i like and the work environment is good and i really like my coworkers.

Thoughts on cilantro? fresh! tasty! a perfect topping to savory foods!

Have you ever been banned from a location and if so, why? nope

What is your cursed food combination? hmmm i don’t think i have one? when i have like 0 groceries i sometimes experiment by putting different things in rice, like cheeses and sauce and condiments and cooking it with bouillon cubes. 

hmmm okie! i am tagging: @onequeerruffian @mothghhost @hitofthesearchparty

(no pressure though)

[kachinnate]

,,,,okay i know i just said i wasn’t going to talk about the deh movie but actually yeah imma talk about it for just a sec bc y’all actually make me legitimately distressed sajkfndsmjkgds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLQ_A0H1otc i dont have the braincells to do a shot by shot analysis right now but here’s what we’re lookin at

under a readmore because ghhhhhhh

firstly, let me lead with this: yes, from what we know, there’s a lot of things wrong with this movie. 

the worst, in my humble opinion, being the bts treatment of the (very few) actors of color, and the lack altogether of any production team members of color. that’s something that should be acknowledged, talked about, and fucking dug into especially at the current fucking period of time we’re living in. it’s unsurprising, but disgusting nonetheless, and it set this movie up for failure from the very beginning. i’m a white person so by no means so i feel inclined or like i have any authority in saying what one should feel wrt all of that, however i will say if there’s to be a boycott in not watching this movie, that should 100% be the reason why. it’s fully poc’s choice whether or not to forgive the production team or give this movie a chance for the irredeemable shit it did in regards to handling the movie’s production. the movie imo definitely doesn’t deserve their forgiveness, but again, that is not for me to say. 

there’s some little things too that i can’t fully think of off the top of my head - like, the whole making larry connor’s stepdad thing fucking irks me, for example, but, like...... listen.

if you know me like at all, you know my favorite word is nuance.

so, i’m going to say it outright: the way you people are approaching this three minute trailer shows literally.... none?? no nuance ??? is it no-nuance november over here or ???? like i’m begging you i’m BEGGING YOU to put aside your pre-determined prejudices against this movie and like stop pretending to be a renowned film critic for ten seconds because it’s really not as outright fucking abysmal as you are saying!! and also it’s possible to have opinions that aren’t completely fucking polarized to one side because guess what, the deh movie? a piece of media! what is the shit y’all are constantly preaching about having the ability to consume media critically ? because you’re trying to cancel a fucking trailer based on the contents of the trailer alone !!!!! hello !!!!!!!!

media is bound to be problematic. if y’all were as quick to judge any movie as you did this one, guess what you wouldn’t be watching any movies like ever <3 

anyway lets get into the parts that are probably going to get me cancelled lmao 

ben platt - listen. LISTEN. listen i know he’s too old to be reprising evan we ALL know he’s too old to be reprising evan i’ve heard this same argument since the announcement was made we get it we all know. haha he’s a grandpa yes bestie ur so right ur so funny wow. i do agree that we should’ve maybe had a not-ben-platt evan moment but here’s some things to keep in mind: the arguments of “oooh ABF is right there !!!!!!” 1. who’s to say he was available? 2. the environment of a movie is so, SO much different than that of a musical -- as much as you wanna pretend you know everything from just a trailer, there’s no way of knowing what scenes were added that might’ve made the movie like.. idk possibly more intense story-wise not even COUNTING the fact that just inherently a movie set is different than a musical one? like yes ben platt might be just being used as a device but that’s probably not the sole and only reason. Also, if i see One (1) more comment about his FUCKING HAIR 😃 first of all it’s not that deep like... if you’re so distracted by an actor having their hair different that’s on you, but going as far as to call it bad or distracting or being like Vehemently a way about it? y’all i know it’s most likely not your intention but that is literally just ben platt’s natural fuckin ETHNICALLY JEWISH hair sajknfgkjds!!!! i’m not the first to make this point, but like dsjnfkjdsg!??! y’all are being so mean about it and for WHAT? again, maybe not intentional, but it reads as like high key Very antisemetic and you should.... maybe not 😳 be that way

connor. the thing about a trailer is that they don’t show you all the scenes because they want you to come see the movie. right? can we agree on that? all the connor scenes in the trailer had SEVERAL hard cuts, omitting a lot of the scene -- like the computer lab scene! we see the beginning of it, there’s a VERY obvious hard cut, and then he’s running out! in my opinion my first watch through of this trailer i had a very like “:// hmm all these actors feel a lil like dry”, but man oh man the comments ive seen about connor. holy shit guys. this boy gets 7 minutes of stage time in the actual musical, and the whole thing is we DON’T KNOW VERY MUCH ABOUT HIM. not to burst your bubble, and i by no means hate connor, i love me some good connor lives fics and stuff, but everything we write with connor being alive? that is !! speculation on our part !!!! those are headcanons and us using the little context we have!! connor doesn’t have any significant development IN THE SOURCE MATERIAL that is being adapted into a movie !!! you 1. can’t fully judge a character with already limited screentime in a 3 minute trailer, 2. can’t really call what connor has canonically in the musical as in depth character development !! what is his arc then !!!! he pushes evan, goes to the computer lab, has an outcast loner kid moment, gets upset, takes the letter, DIES. sorry stans, that’s just how it is !! and, AND, everything in between, all the idiosyncracies, that depends on the actor playing connor! speaking of, you know who the actor is playing connor in the movie? that’s right, colton ryan! so, i don’t know, maybe... have some trust in the process, in an actor who ALREADY has played connor on broadway???? and also trust that you will get more connor content then u are seeing from a 3 minute trailer!! dhgnijsdg and some of the comments on like his appearance specifically? like are you really made that he doesn’t have long hair?? they kept his nails and his rings but nahhh the hair was apparently a MUST HAVE (even though like.. not all connor actors on broadway always had/have long hair but w/e).. REGARDLESS. tldr on THAT , the movie would have to do a pretty shitty job if they want to take something from someone who doesn’t have much to begin with and i think y’all are being extremely harsh on this point 

jared. honestly i’m a bit worried too about the like... name change, because it does have the potential to be taking out some representation, but... they did change the name to fit the actor’s ethnicity? it’s a really [hmm] topic because, again, from a trailer and from what we have been told we don’t KNOW a lot of the context, but i think it’s important to remember that uh.. jewish people aren’t just? always white ?? there’s a possibility they changed the last name to fit with the [ethnicity] while keeping him jewish?? ofc there’s the possibility that they Didn’t and ... again hm that’s its own thing altogether but just reiterates the point that you can’t knock a whole movie just based on the trailer. you can’t talk about things you know nothing about. 

alana. same thing as before, you can’t.... completely bash a character based on a 3 minute trailer. there was discussion about how she seemed ‘shy’ when talking to evan, which like.. maybe she is but also that scene was them talking in a library like if u actually take notice of what’s happening in the scene jdskngsd though i do share the general consensus with many others that she won’t get a lot of screen-time but that’s neither here nor there 😔 moving on

scenes and the setting. one of the things i was most like.. tentative about in regards to a switch from a musical to a movie was how they were like... going to do certain scenes? naturally, a lot has to be different when we’re going from a minimal stage set to an entire movie with like.. settings. there are going to be new scenes because a movie lends to have like, physical places that aren’t just [evan’s bedroom] and [murphy kitchen] and [implied school]. so new scenes, new conversations, slightly different pacing.. this is all to be expected right like are y’all geneuinely surprised here or ........

there’s a lot we aren’t seeing yet because this is a TRAILER. again i already mentioned this re: connor but like... again, y’all are making some Claims that just... fucking outlandish. there are so many moments in the trailer that are very obvious Hard Cuts. you don’t have all the information yet. you are angry at a tiny fragment of something that is confusing you because you don’t have all the context. is there a chance that some of this shit is just genuinely Bad? yeah but you really cannot 100000% say it with your chest and gauge it without seeing the movie and understanding what that scene is in context. lowkey uhhh saw some jokes about the zoe scene in the car and :’))) ? jesus? christ????

concluding thoughts because my brain hurts but like. you don’t have to like the movie. you don’t have to WATCH the movie. like all media if you choose to consume the movie you should do so with some CRITICAL THOUGHT. but, just like the novel (and i do not want to have any discussions about that i don’t care if you think it’s good Or bad that’s not what this is about) you guys are going in this WANTING to believe it’s bad and completely polarizing your thoughts on what this is going to be. yeah, maybe there shouldn’t be a movie. i genuinely think we could’ve gone without. but it’s just a piece of media, it’s not a progression like all your (musical is good, novel is bad, MOVIE IS WORSE OH NO) posts are suggesting. they are all just. different pieces of media stemming from a source. at the end of the day it’s just a fucking movie. if you already hate it so much, guess what? you don’t have to watch it! you don’t have to put so much needless fucking hate into a 3 MINUTE TRAILER. you can stop being performative and dissing it for its poor treatment of POC while then going on to make fun of ben platt’s hair and just targeting a different group like! please !!!

i’m not trying to be a fuckin’ advocate for this movie because there’s so much opportunity for it to suck, i do Not have high hopes for it, and i’m not even really sure i want to watch it (i bought the novel when it came out and have yet to read it, and i’m sure the movie will like.. elicit very similar vibes from me lsdngjkdsg like im just not uhhh feeling it) but y’know what? watching the trailer did not bring forth the fucking onslaught of hatred in me that apparently has fuckin posessed all of y’all and like djnsgjksdg plagued my dashboard for this whole evening. don’t come into my inbox trying to like.. argue with me about this (preemptively im turning off anon because i like i Can’t lmao) this is just like... a rant i needed to get out of me real quick. 

SO. tldr for now: have critical thought about shit you consume, there’s no ethical consumption under [the film industry], you can’t judge a movie entirely on its trailer, and y’all need to calm the fuck down 

[praphit]

“Project Power”- Add it to the list, Jamie :)

In these tense times of protests, economic woes, demon sperm,

and mad scientists giving us advice on how to stay safe

(Psssh, plus he’s a Nationals fan? Smh... that monster), 

it's natural for us to call out for a hero. 

I know that I'm first on your list (If you don’t know, get it together, I'm practically "Black Dynamite", especially since I haven't seen a barber in forever)

, and I'm flattered, but I'm a busy man. Much like common sense, I may not always be around to lend a hand.

You might want to turn to The Avengers, but 

- yeah. They're kinda done without a leader.

NEXT!

Batman? 

But is it the old, sad Ben Batman?

- or... 

... whatever the hell this is? Batman has got issues right now.

NEXT!

Politici... Ha! Sorry, I can't even... Ha! Just no.

NEXT!

Firefighters!

Sure, but unless your place is on fire or you're having a bachelorette party, they won't be of much use.

Somehow, next up is Jamie Foxx.

Yeah, I couldn't believe it either, but there he is - "Project Power".

Let's look at the official description of the movie shall we - 

"A former soldier teams up with a cop to find the source behind a dangerous pill that provides temporary superpowers."

Seems like it should be a fun, yet awful movie right??

I'm not even gonna bullshit you. This movie is awful, but not in the fun way. It's a Grade F, and that's that.

For starters, the trope-filled story never gets off the ground. I still don't know why or how it doesn't, but I was never invested in this flick. There's no depth to it. It's just those two, and a teenager, bypassing law enforcement to tackle the war on drugs.

This war starts with a character named "Newt", played by music artist (previously a rapper) / actor, Machine Gun Kelly. 

There are certain actors that consistently make poor choices for movies that they're in. It's to the point where if you see them in a trailer, you know that the movie is going to be bad. Now, he's not one of those actors, because you can't call what he does "acting". But, he is always one of the reasons why the movie he's in will be bad.

If you're unfamiliar with his bad choices, here's a brief recap:

*Making music *Beefing with Eminem

(this is not a pic of him from the movie, it's what happened to him once Em launched his diss track at MGK

 - goodbye "rap career")

*Dating Megan Fox

Even his character made poor decisions.

*Here's him drinking a big gulp, obnoxiously loud during a drug dealing meeting (I imagine Trump doing that in meetings).

*Then, his character has his own name written on his own door, WHEN THE COPS ARE LOOKING FOR HIM!

That's just amateur back-in-the-day cartoon villain stuff, right?? Back when they had giant evil lairs.

Plus, he can't be a very good dealer, being that we don't see all that many people using this drug. If this were real, I imagine that everyone would at least try it; especially the way our world is going right now. Granny would replace the hard candy in her jar with power pills.

I could go on and on, but I digress.

Joseph Gordon what's-his-face was good,

 but like most of the characters in this movie, he was one dimensional.

He's a renegade cop who will doing anything to get this ridiculous drug of the streets. Anything includes taking the drug himself to even the odds. The other cops know that he's doing it too! How do they see him doing something blatantly against the law that they serve and... oh wait.

Then, they've got the black teenage girl, who's facing real systemic racism, who focuses way too much on her rap skills rather than school work.

Whom adults also feel to need to take out of school and put her in life-threatening situations.

And Jamie Foxx... 

let's just review a few of the times in which he played an action role.

That’s him a lil behind Josh Lucas. Who’s that, you ask? - exactly.

Here he played a sick violinist... I think. It’s been a while. But, I remember him physically fighting with Robert Downey Jr (him in the back), so we’re adding to the action list:)

Here he is behind another white dude. And a another movie that we forgot about.

Here he is behind the white dude again... at least we know that white dude. 

Lemme look at the poster for “Project Power” again - 

aaaaah, see, now it makes sense to me why Gordon Joseph whatever-his-name-is looks so confused in the poster.

He’s like “Jamie, aren’t you supposed to be behind me?”

There are a few more, but we’ll end with this one...

Yeaaaaah... *sigh* Yeaaaaah. Let’s put that back in the vault.

Idk...

Somehow Tom Cruise, who's almost 60 and 5 foot 2 is so much more believable as an action star than Jamie Foxx.

Don't ask me how. It's one of the great mysteries of our time.

Oh right! - There WAS “Django Unchained”,

 but that had the absurdities of Quentin Tarantino and some comedy in it.

Maybe if they didn't take "Project Power" so seriously it would have worked.

I mean it's about drugs that give people temporary superpowers.  Drugs already give people powers (kinda):

1) Super Balance - idk about where y’all live, but here in Baltimore, there are leaners in every alley way exhibiting this power.

2) The ability to make your problems dis... well, not really disappear, but... you get the idea.

3) And loss of teeth! How about that one??! Pick them up, and use them as projectiles? YEAH!

But, these SUPER powers in the movie are more like speed, strength, fire, ice, all of the regulars.

The effects at times were good, 

but at other times it looked like a bad video game; with the dumbass boss fight as well.

Don't waste your time, people. I was hoping for Funny-Bad, but I got Sad-Bad. You know?? I kept thinking "*sigh* Oh, Jamie."

Have any of you seen "The Boys"? 

(a dark, but funny take on superheroes)

They could have done something like that. Jamie Foxx is hilarious, and that Gordon Joseph guy is pretty funny as well. Be creative. Be raw.

But, nope. They had to tell us a serious tale of a world where drug addicts have super powers, and comedians are our only hope for protection.

[clownkiwi]

anyways, yea, adventure time s1 retrospective (except rubys tired n will most likely rewrite this at a later time)

i remember the exact time when i first heard about this show. it was when i was watching recordings of the clone wars, and i remember seeing ads for this show. it was either of the show actually or this live action campaign where it was of a kid cosplaying as finn running around, asking everyone "WHAT TIME IS IT???"

so as you could tell from great advertising like that, i was hooked. and so was my mom actually!! this was one of my moms most recent fave cartoon shows (she also likes gumball, gravity falls, wander over yonder, star vs, amphibia, & the owl house; u can kinda notice a theme here over what channel she preferred)

but, yea, despite how childish the show was, i still. couldnt believe my 9 year old ears when i heard these cartoon characters on a kids show say "sexy" alot, i was really quite surprised about it back then!! and even now im a lil surprised, esp when u remember how cartoon network now isnt really like cartoon network 10 years ago

quick tangent, i always thought it was weird when in the second episode, lumpy space princess would yell "WHATEVER ITS 2009!" bc my braind would think "huh???? isnt it 2010, why didnt she say 2010???" bc thats when the first season started. of course, that was before i realized how long cartoon shows actually take to make

anyways, if you've been a longtime fan of adventure time, then its defo weird watching the first relatively chill and laid back first season again when you compare it to like. the fourth-fifth season and how intense they get (esp with the story)

anyways uhhhh season 1 both hold up incredibly well and have aged perfectly well. they're a relic of a long gone era of cartoons and internet humor, esp considering the og pilot was as popular as say. the infinity train pilot

my favorite episodes of the first season: the inagination one, really tons of fun. uhhh ig i liked the recurring jokes of the billy episode, and it had a p good moral. i liked how the neptr episode was one of the early episodes where they gave more depths to the characters

overall, rewatching season 1 was like a blast to the past, not only bc i remember watching these episodes as they aired, but i believe we also owned the first season on dvd. so my mom would just play it in the dvd player on our old minivan and we just saw that alot. which ig contributes to my nostalgia

and again, may i remind u, when this show started i waa like. 9 years old, and in 3rd grade

of course i was a big fan of it back then, and i still like it p well now. defo inspired alot about me, and of course. we all never couldve imagined how huge of a hit it would be

[pidayforpi]

Brother’s Sentiment

“Abner...why did you come all the way here?”

“Mr Whitewater Duck, a mail for ya.”

Abner “Whitewater” Duck had never been fond of his family. That’s why he chose to live alone, in a rural small town, instead of the bustling metropolis of Duckburg. He never showed up in any family gathering, nor sent his family a letter or a card. Abner was a loner, and he loved it that way.

The other Ducks had also learned not to disturb their lumberjack relative. They wouldn’t send a letter without a reply letter. They wouldn’t give an invitation only to be rejected or outright ignored. They knew Abner was a loner, and they knew he loved it that way.

But when the local postman handed him a letter sent directly from Duckburg by air, he knew he probably should read it before burning it in the campfire.

“The rich geezer or the broke bloke?” Jay questioned the confused duck. The blue jay bird only knew Scrooge and Donald, the only two relatives to have visited Abner in his faraway town. Abner actually guessed the sender to be one of them. But he was wrong. It was from someone he didn’t know.

“From Hubert and Dewford Duck.”

“Dear Cousin Abner,

Your brother would like to see you. Please come to Duckburg as soon as possible. Meet us at the McDuck Manor.

Love, Your Cousins Huey and Dewey Duck”

“Woo...Someone’s getting high-class...” Jay slyly commented, before receiving a shove from his friend. “Hey! Do you read your clients’ letters?!” Jay let out a chuckle while fixing his postman hat.

“Anyway, it seems like your lil’ bro is dying to meet ya. You should probably go-“ Jay stopped when he noticed the usually loud Abner had gone silent all of a sudden, his eyes covered by the brim of his hat.

“Need me to help send a reply, Whitewater?” Jay quietly uttered, confused and a bit scared by his friend’s unusual meekness. Abner sniffed softly, adjusting his hat with one hand and picking up his axe with another.

“No need. I will give them my reply in person.”

———————————————————

Abner felt like Duckburg hadn’t changed much. Autumn in Duckburg was gloomy as usual, or so he thought. He had not been to the city for half a decade.

Fethry was the only reason for him to go to the city. His younger brother was the only one in the family - and in his social circle - that Abner cared about. Fethry had always been the oddball of the family: He was not as thoughtful as Donald, not as brave as Della, not as lucky as Gladstone, not as helpful as Gus, not as creative as Kildare...

While Donald and Della were out adventuring, Gladstone was non-busily finding $20 notes on the ground, Gus was helping Grandma Duck (and himself) at her bakery, and Kildare was painting the town red (literally)...

Fethry was just lounging by the pond, daydreaming. At the end of a long lumberjack training day, Abner always joined his little brother by the same old pond, watching him look up to the crimson sky, look down to the bottom of the water. The brothers just silently lay down on the ground, until the orange sky faded to black, and Abner held his sibling’s hand as they walked back home under the starry sky.

Abner knew that Fethry, unlike himself, was never a loner. Fethry enjoyed company. Fethry yearned to be recognised. To be appreciated and be of use to others. Yet, being the anomaly of the bunch, talentless and a slow-learner, Fethry had nothing to offer.

“Not even our family give him a place to be in...” That might be one of the reasons Abner never felt the need to bond with his family.

Abner ignored the light mid-autumn rain, and walked down the streets to his uncle’s place with his brown hat covering his head. It was noon in Duckburg, yet the roads seemed lifeless and sad in the shower.

Abner picked up his pace, lest the shower became a downpour. He buttoned up his leather jacket, and hurried to the manor overlooking the city.

(7-3-2020)

———————————————————

“Pst...!Over here, Cousin...err...”

Despite not hearing his name, the voice of a child caught Abner’s attention. He turned to his right, and saw two young ducks hiding next to a bush.

“Dewey, you signed the letter. It’s Cousin Abner.” The duck with a red cap reminded his younger brother, who’s dressed in blue.

“You said it. I ‘signed’ the letter, only.” Dewey retaliated. Huey only rolled his eyes, and motioned Abner to come to them.

“Good afternoon, Cousin Abner. I am Huey Duck, and this is Dewey. Nice to meet you.” The duck in red politely introduced himself and his brother, and bowed his head.

“Yeah...umm...we sent you the letter. Did you...receive it...?” Dewey awkwardly asked while looking at his feet, avoiding Abner’s fierce eye contact.

“Why would I be here, otherwise?” Abner asked sarcastically. Abner would have been shouting at his nephews for their lack of common sense, and somehow attributing it to their city lifestyle.

But not when the two kids were the only clues he had to his little brother.

Dewey sulked after realising his mistake, while Huey swiftly cut in to break the weird atmosphere. “Long story short, Cousin Fethry wanted to see you.”

“...and he’s apparently your little brother...” Added Dewey, face still red with embarrassment.

Abner let out a slight sigh. “Lead me to him then. Will your ‘dear’ Uncle Scrooge give you a limousine ride?”

Dewey quickly put a finger on Abner’s beak with a quiet “shh”. After dramatically looking around like a criminal on the run, Dewey explained to Abner, “Please don’t tell Uncle Scrooge about this visit. Don’t even let him see you, no matter how much you want to meet him.” They obviously knew nothing about Abner.

“Uncle Scrooge doesn’t know about our invitation. He doesn’t even want us to visit Cousin Fethry again.” Huey added, his smile faded.

“Why?” Abner questioned, confused how their loving Uncle Scrooge would separate his family members from one another.

Huey, now grimly held his head down, stated, “Uncle Scrooge didn’t want Cousin Fethry to leave the underwater laboratory.” Abner was shocked, but stayed silent for the duckling to continue.

“Dewey and I visited Cousin Fethry a month ago. We answered his...call. Launchpad took us, without telling Uncle Donald or Scrooge, to the underwater laboratory according to the coordinates Cousin Fethry had given us. Together we went on an adventure to the depth of the ocean.”

“We met his team - which was just a bunch of glowing krill, by the way - and went scuba-diving...above undersea volcanoes! 3000 meters below the sea surface, facing scalding dreams of 400 degree Celsius...Oh, and he told us not to drink seawater. Duh.” Dewey cut in, adding in the details of their adventures, unaware of Abner and Huey’s lack of interest.

“Yes. But after getting back up to the surface, we were...well, caught. Uncle Scrooge was there at the lighthouse, the entrance of the laboratory. We were excited to share with him our adventure, when Uncle Scrooge just urged us into Launchpad’s ship. When Fethry was about to come along, Scrooge...”

Huey paused for a moment, still unable to believe the things he was about to say. “...he hit Fethry with his cane. Hard. And slammed the ship door on him. We left, under the order of Uncle Scrooge, while Cousin Fethry was still on the platform of the lighthouse, holding his right hand in pain.”

“The trip back to land was painfully quiet, but once we were back at the Manor, we couldn’t help but confront Scrooge about his actions.” Dewey said, trembling with anger. “‘He nearly got you lads killed!’ was the only reason Scrooge gave us. When we asked him why Fethry was not allowed to come with us, he just said that doesn’t concern us...”

Dewey bit his lips lightly, whispering just loud enough for Abner to hear. “As if a member of our family being trapped underwater by another member of our family for 4.5 years doesn’t concern us...”

“Fe-Fethry has been there for four...four and a half years...?” Abner’s eyes were wide open, blinking occasionally to hold back tears.

“...Yes. Uncle Scrooge never allowed him to leave the laboratory. Cousin Fethry only survived on fish and self-purified seawater. His only form of communication with the outside world was a tin-can-and-string phone, with one of the cans connected to Scrooge’s office. Cousin Fethry was ignored nonetheless, and we were the first ones to answer his call.” Huey continued.

“And the last call he gave us was about his wish to see you. He gave us the address to your town, and asked us to send a letter to you. That’s why you are here.”

A dead silence followed as the three ducks said nothing for a minute.

Abner eventually broke the silence with a question. “Why would Scrooge want to trap Fethry underseas for four and a half years?” Kildare he might understand, but why Fethry? Why the innocent, naive Fethry Duck?

“I guess you will have to find it out yourself, Cousin.” Dewey answered with a shrug. “Here are the coordinates to the McDuck Sub-lab. Launchpad won’t be able to drive you there, so you might have to hire a boat or swim there.” Dewey took out his phone to show Abner the coordinates. “You want a pen and a piece of paper to write it down?”

Abner took out his own phone, which very much surprised his cousins. “You know, living in the countryside doesn’t mean living in a cave.” Abner showed Dewey his phone number. “Send it to me through SMS.”

(8-3-2020)

———————————————————————————————

“Alrighty.”

Abner quickly searched the location of the coordinates. It really was in the middle of the ocean.

“May I ask...how would you plan to go there?” Huey asked, prompting Abner to look up from his phone. “Uncle Donald probably knows a few sailors...Probably.”

“I can manage it.” Abner said, picking up his brown leather bag.

“What’s that?” Dewey pointed at Abner’s belonging curiously.

“Oh.” Abner opened the zip and pulled out his trusty axe, holding it by the wooden handle. Its iron blade gleaming in the dim light. “You mean this?”

“Eek-!” Dewey literally jumped onto Huey, prompting the older brother to catch the duckling  in his arms. The trembling duck in blue cried out for the only hero he knew. “Gizmoduck! Help!”

“Hey, you asked for it...” Abner tried to calm his cousin down, albeit still holding the axe in his grasp. He was trying to refer to Dewey asking for him to display his axe, but he was not the best with words.

“No———! I did not! Back off!” Dewey tried to move backwards, which nearly threw Huey off balance. “Gizmoduck———!”

“Hey! Keep it down. Didn’t you say not to alert anyon-“ Abner was interrupted when he heard rapid footsteps approaching them. Abner tried to hide himself, but a battle cry signalled him that it was too late.

“Don’t worry, citizens! Gizmoduck is here to rescue! Blathering Blather-“ A brown duck in a lab coat came rushing with a stack of lab reports. But the moment Fenton spotted the well-built lumberjack wielding a sharp axe, looking at him straight in the eyes, even the robo-hero fainted onto the ground, pieces of paper scattered around him on the courtyard.

An awkward silence followed.

Abner looked at the unconscious duck on the ground, the crying duck in blue, and the annoyed duck in red. “Weird city slickers...”

“Umm...You probably should go now, before anyone comes. I will take care of these two.” Huey spoke while dropping Dewey  onto the ground. He held Abner’s hand sincerely, and whispered to him.

“Take Fethry away. Away from his misery.”

Even without Huey’s request, Abner would do that himself.

———————————————————————————————

Abner borrowed a wooden boat from a local fishermen duo. The duo offered a turbo jet, even free of charge. But Abner preferred the old-styled oar-driven boat, and insisted on paying for rent (of $1).

The weather that day was not the best for a sail, but Abner could not wait to see his brother. And he believed that his brother would think the same. He followed the GPS on his phone to the coordinates of the McDuck Sub-lab, and paddled against the current.

Despite living most of his life on land, Abner had learnt how to sail at a young age, thanks to his Junior Woodchuck training. He stopped paddling for a moment, and took out his Junior Woodchuck guidebook from his knapsack. On the first page was a photo of him, Fethry and their fellow teammates. At that time, both of them were ducklings. Abner just got his white feather coat, while Fethry was still a yellow-feathered child. Fethry was the most enthusiastic member of their Junior Woodchuck team. Being a Junior Woodchuck was the only thing Fethry could take pride in.

(9-3-2020)

Fethry was the reason Abner joined the scouting organisation. What was taught by the scoutmasters, such as building a campfire, pitching a tent, and (of course) bringing down a tree, had already been learnt by Abner from his lumberjack mentor. Yet, Abner let his brother demonstrate his skills as a Junior Woodchuck. He joined the organisation after an invitation from Fethry, to share Fethry’s joy and pride of being appreciated and praised by his juniors and seniors. Only as a Junior Woodchuck could Fethry truly be himself.

Abner took one last look at the photo, and closed the guidebook. He would be seeing him soon. In person.

———————————————————————————————

“Hey. You didn’t tell me about this thing here.”

Abner phoned Dewey when he saw the weird machine inside the lighthouse. There were so many buttons and levers on it, Abner didn’t know which would lead him down the lab, and which would set the lab on fire.

“Oh, now you are asking for help.” Dewey said sarcastically. “Not before you say sorry for trying to chop us up.”

Abner slapped his forehead with an audible sound, while Huey slapped Dewey with an audible scream. Huey caught Dewey’s phone with his other hand, and instructed Abner on the machine.

“Just pull the red lever and you are good to go. The one next to two stopwatch-looking thingie, with a green grid screen on top of it. There should be a green arrow pointing down once you pulled the lever.”

Abner pulled the lever as he was told, and the machine started rumbling. “Thanks Cos’.”

“My pleasure. A Junior Woodchuck always helps his fellow Junior Woodchucks.” Said Huey proudly before hanging up the phone. Abner was dumbfounded about how much his newly-met Cousins knew about him, as the elevator took him down to the depth of the ocean.

———————————————————

The elevator stopped suddenly.

Abner nearly lost his footing, before balancing himself with his axe. He tried pulling the lever, but there was no further response. The glass gate to a corridor of the lab only opened slightly, the gap too small for Abner to slide through.

Without any further way to proceed, Abner tried forcing the gate open with the poll of his axe. The glass gate easily gave way, rising up to the top automatically. Abner sighed, seeing how worn-out the lab was. At this point, he wondered if the lab was still in use. Everything looked like it was in ruins.

Abner looked around the corridor: The walls were dirty. The pipes were rusty and broken, with unknown chemical solutions dripping from the holes. The lighting flickered on and off, giving the place an ominous atmosphere. His surrounding was unnervingly quiet, except for the dripping of liquid. As if someone, or something, was waiting for him, watching him from the shadows. The smell was awful, a mix of seawater, chemical wastes and rotten organisms. The wall of the corridor read: “Tully Observatory”.

Abner was known to have nerves of steel, but even he could not help but feel scared. The lab was visibly dangerous. If the boys were not guided by Fethry, Abner doubted he would be here now. He would probably never receive the letter. The letter would have never been written. He held his axe close to himself, eyes darting left and right, up and down to look for potential dangers. He took out his flashlight from his knapsack, and turned it on, holding it in his left hand with his other hand grasping the axe tightly. He could feel his heart racing as he nervously shone the flashlight everywhere. But the light from the flashlight came out wobbly, largely due to his hand uncontrollably trembling.

“Man up, Whitewater!” Abner tried to give himself a pep talk. He was the strongest arm in his town, able to win any wrestling match without breaking a sweat, be it with men or beasts. But now he was alone, sweating involuntarily without a single enemy in sight. Abner was grateful he was alone, lest anyone saw him shaking like a damsel in distress. Yet, part of him was also wishing for company. Someone to fight alongside with him. Someone to give him courage and encouragement.

Suddenly, the light went out. For 1 second. 5 seconds. 10 seconds. 30 seconds...Abner dared not to move, and shone his flashlight in every direction. He wanted to make a run for the elevator, but his strong legs were weak with fear. Abner was near his breaking point. He knew something was there with him, as a hissing sound and a disgusting noise were heard. He strained his ears in the darkness, trying to predict where the enemy, or enemies, would ambush him from, but his head was in a daze. The sounds were getting closer, closer and closer to him. They were coming from all direction. Abner’s heart sank: He was surrounded.

At this point, Abner wished the lights would not turn on again, like a child covering his eyes to not see the monster in front of him. He would rather die in ignorance than die in fear. He dropped the flashlight, and held his axe to himself as tightly as both of his trembling hands could.

Finally, at the worst moment, the lights switched on. Abner came face to face with rows of sharp teeth on the wall of a tunnel to the abyss, with the tunnel stretching to unknown length. He was too late to run. Too late to close his eyes. The monster was right in front of him.

(10-3-2020)

———————————————————

Abner was, to a certain extent, glad that no-one would be there to save him, there to hear him scream. He wildly swung his axe forward, clumsily missing his target just in front of him. He swung again, missing the giant sea worm by half a metre. Despite how large in size they were, the invertebrates were quite agile.

Abner was no trained warrior, but his proficiency in wielding an axe was second to none. The fact that he kept missing his targets dampened his battle spirit: He didn’t have a chance against the monster.

Suddenly, just before going in for another careless attack, Abner felt his feet leaving the metal ground. Abner’s heart sank even lower when he was lifted off the ground. He frantically glanced around despite hanging midair: His feet was caught. He was caught.

Worse still, his hand slipped, thanks to his cold sweat on his palm and the disgusting, slimy substance of the beasts. He dropped his axe. His only weapon. He could only desperately look at his axe falling to the stone cold ground, away from his hand, until a loud clunk could be heard.

Abner had no time to fear for the worst. The monster quickly wrapped its body around the duck, squeezing the warmth out of him. Not even the strongest arm in the countryside could resist the constrictor. He tried pushing at the smooth, jade-green skin of the worm, with all the strength he could muster. It didn’t even bulge. Uh oh.

The predator, though without eyes, sensed its prey trying to push his way free. A quick coil pinned his arms to his body, immobilising those nasty limbs. Oh no.

With only his head and feet free, Abner knew that was the end for him. No way to help him escape. No way to struggle. No way to cry for help (at least, no one to hear him). He frantically thrashed around helplessly, heart pounding, eyes wide open with fear.

He made the long trip to Duckburg, met two of his distant cousins, knew his brother’s ordeal, went to where his brother was trapped, and now he’s going to die without even catching a glimpse of his brother. For four and a half years...he had no contact with his brother. And he would soon be no longer to hear from his dear Fethry forever.

The sea worm tightened its crushing grip, subduing even one of the toughest ducks in the world. Abner’s struggling ceased. He felt that his seemingly limitless strength had been squeezed out. Abner could only squirm weakly, watching as his predator loomed over his relatively small body. The pair of lips split to reveal the tunnel of fangs, seeming endless in length.

Perhaps he was already too late. There’s no way Fethry could fight this monstrosity. Perhaps Fethry wasn’t in the lab anymore. This was the way to see his brother. This was how the two brothers could finally reunite. Abner’s view turned black, as the ravenous maw closed in...

“Hey, meanie! Leave him alone!” A strange yet familiar voice shouted out, echoing through the corridor. Though muffled, Abner could recognise that voice. The voice he had missed for nearly half a decade, the voice he came here for.

Fethry rushed to the base of Abner’s captor, patting the worm’s body, rubbing his beak against it. “You wouldn’t hurt a kind soul, would you? You lil’ angel...We have to treat our guests with love and respect!”

Upon “hearing” Fethry’s persuasion, the sea monster let out a sad whine, stopping its swallowing albeit still trapping its prey in its mouth. It’s still not giving up.

Fethry started to get impatient, but reminded himself to fight with kindness. “That’s my big bro, our VIP. We have to show our Atlantis-tic hospitality! You are a good host, right? A good host gives his guest personal space and freedom. I know you can do it...” Fethry encouraged the sea worm with a light kiss to its smooth, slimy body. Satisfied, the sea worm spat its prey out onto the ground, and lowered its head for a pat from Fethry. It slithered back to the lab’s extensive tunnel system, along with its fellow sea worms. The corridor once again became silent, except for the dripping of liquid.

———————————————————————————————

Fethry rushed to his brother’s side, checking for breath and pulse. Both were weak, but at least detectable. Abner lied against the metal wall, still drained and dizzy from the near-death experience. He slowly opened his eyes, meeting his little brother’s.

Fethry pulled Abner into a hug, despite Abner still being covered in the worm’s secretions. Fethry didn’t care. He missed his big bro. So, so bad.

(19-3-2020)

From just a single hug, Abner could feel all the warmth that had been squeezed out returned to him. Even in a daze, Abner could feel his brother’s emotions, his smile and tears. Four and a half years, across the ocean and over the mountains, the two brothers had finally reunited. To think that should Fethry had arrived five minutes later, just less than a jiffy to rescue his brother from the foul, mutated creature, the two brothers would had been forever parted by the death door. Fethry couldn’t imagine waiting in solitude for so long, only to see his brother die in front of him. A mixed feeling of happiness, sadness, anticipation, loneliness and guilt flooded Fethry’s mind, his grip tightening around Abner’s waist.

Abner knew that mixed feeling was mutual. Although unable to hug back due to his arms still numb, Abner said nor did anything, letting the welled-up emotions fill his heart, and express themselves in the form of tears.

———————————————————————————————

It was Fethry who let go first. Once he did, the good old enthusiastic Fethry was back.

“Big bro! You really did accept my invitation! I am so happy!” Fethry jumped up and down, visually showing his unnatural happiness.

Abner felt something a bit off, but went along with Fethry for now. “Yeah. I...uh, read your letter. Or your cousins’ letter. They met me at the McDuck Manor, and guided me here to find you. You said you have-“ “Oh! So you met the two lil’ Donalds! They were cute, weren’t they? I especially like the Red Donald. He’s a Junior Woodchuck too!” Fethry interrupted before Abner could finish. Fethry was always the bubbly type, so Abner was used to his enthusiasm.

“Yea. Um...’Huey’ was quite helpful. The other one...not so much.” Abner said as he got up from the floor, his legs still weak and numb. His entire body was drenched, but he got neither the energy nor the motivation to dry himself right now.

“Um...I...” Abner looked down, hands messing with his hair aimlessly. Fethry looked at him with his huge, watery eyes, waiting for his brother. “Th...than...thanks for saving me just now. I...I don’t know what would happen if...if you didn’t co...come to he...help. Thanks, Fethry.” Abner managed to utter the last sentence of gratitude without stuttering. Abner never owed anyone anything, and now he owed his life to his dear brother.

“Aww shucks...It was nothing.” Fethry puffed his chest proudly. “A Junior Woodchuck always helps his fellow Junior Woodchucks.” Abner chuckled as he saw the resemblance between his cousin Huey and his brother. No wonder Fethry liked Huey so much.

“Come on! I’ll show you around.” Fethry proposed as he took off his jacket, and put it on Abner. “You’ll catch a cold, big bro. Wear this!” Abner wouldn’t want to make his brother’s coat dirty, but he couldn’t deny that he was freezing. Partly because his head was uncovered right now...

“That’s right! Where’s your hat?” Fethry pointed out, before Abner even noticed his hat missing. “Must have been taken by that...thing as a souvenir. Won’t risk taking it back.” Abner shivered at the thought of fighting those monstrous sea worms again, that feeling of pure fear still lingering in his head.

“Oh, no! Your head must be kept constantly warm to prevent...brain-freezing! A warm head is a happy and healthy head...” So Fethry’s still believing in that self-help book? “No, I’m fine. Just need a quick rest...”

“Here, take this on!” Without hesitation, Fethry took off his stocking cap, and put it on Abner’s head. Fethry never took his stocking cap off. Fethry was never successfully convinced to take his stocking cap off. Fethry never doubted that self-help book’s advice of keeping your head warm to keep it healthy. And now he’s taking his cap off on his own, under no pressure or threat, and putting it on someone else’s head, while leaving his head bare and unprotected? Fethry’s love for his brother was so great, even Abner couldn’t comprehend.

“Th...thank you, Fethry...” Abner uttered in disbelieve, fixing his new undersized jacket and stocking cap. “Don’t mention it! They look great on you!” Fethry smiled.

(20-3-2020)

“I’ll take you on a tour! You are our honourable third guest!” Fethry walked forward down the corridor, looking back to signal Abner to come with him. Despite still having questions...a lot of questions...Abner decided keep his beak shut for the moment. Questions could wait. He retrieved his axe from the floor, and let Fethry take his hand.

———————————————————————————————

“And now, we come to the abode of the one and only Fethry Duck. Behold!” Fethry said in a tour guild’s voice, as the brothers entered Fethry’s abode. The pod was inhabitable, but clearly in disrepair.

Fethry’s voice was optimistic and persuasive, but the fact that the pod, along with the rest of the lab, was not a homely place was obvious. The golden-yellow paint on the wall was tearing off. Every piece of fabric was sewed up again and again (despite Fethry’s fine sewing skills, the evidence that those cloths have been used for years was inevitably visible). Electricity was still supplied throughout the lab, albeit unstably, as it was generated by the “hydrothermal vents” (as Fethry had explained). Living here for four and a half years was, to a small extent, possible, especially given how adaptable and creative Fethry was. But would anyone want to live in such a condition for so long?

(21-3-2020)

A torn poster was decorated on the wall. The only phrases readable were the title “Signs of Ocean Madness” and a bullet point “Isolation for Long Period of Time”. Abner wouldn’t say Fethry had gone mad, but he sure did feel...different. Different from a person suffering from isolation for long period of time. Why was the poster there in the first place? One of the partly-torn bullet point involved the word “Pressure”, and Huey reported Fethry trying to “depressurise” himself from the deep sea pressure. Was Fethry trying to stay sane while being trapped here? Was the torn poster a symbol that he had failed?

“So this is where I live. Simple and sweet. Not too much, not too little.” Fethry showed Abner his “home” by spinning around. “My bed, my sofa my stove, my tea kettle, my dishes, my towel, my empty coffee bean jar...” Among the possessions Fethry listed, he missed one prominent item in the room. One type of household item that was in excess quantity and diversity: Cleaning goods.

Fethry didn’t mention it, but Abner knew that much cleaning chemicals and tools were unnecessary for a pod this small.

“...my cupboard, my curtain, my window, through which you can see the beautiful ocean view - well, in depth...and...Oh! My team!” Fethry dashed to the an even smaller storage room, before Abner could stop him. He took out a jar of seawater, which, on mild stirring, began to glow. Bioluminescent krill. It was the first time Abner saw anything bioluminescent other than fireflies. The krill were beautiful, but Abner had no more time. Abner was happy that his little brother was happy, but something tells him Fethry was not. Questions could wait, but it was too long.

“My team, meet my big bro. My big bro, meet my team-“

“Why-“ Abner cut him off before he could introduce his “team”. That was obviously not a team, whatever the nature of the team was. Fethry was obviously hiding something. There’s no way he could feel so happy.

Yes, he just met his “long lost” brother. But then he’s taking Abner on a tour around his prison, without hinting why he was sent to this prison in the first place, or his feelings when trapped in this hell. Fethry asked his cousins to send his brother a distress signal, and his cousins added additional information on how pathetic the situation Fethry was in now. Fethry might hide the truth from the boys, as they were still acquaintances, and Fethry might not want to badmouth their dear Uncle Scrooge in front of them.

But there’s no reason why Fethry would ask the boys to send a long distance mail by air to Abner’s town, urged Abner to come all the way to the McDuck Sub-lab, only to take him on a tour around the lab. There’s no reason why Fethry would hide the truth from Abner, the only family member he could trust. He couldn’t hide it.

Fethry was evading. And Abner could see through it.

“Why could I fend off the sea worms? Oh...You see, they feel affection...” The sea worm attack was an hour ago. “So instead of fists, you fight with kisses! Red lil’ Donald’s tactic worked! I should write that in my Junior Woodchuck Guidebook...”

Fethry put down the jar on the cupboard, took the guidebook from his bed, and began flipping through the pages to find a blank one. When he did, however, Abner put his right hand on the page, pushing the guidebook down. Fethry was wacky, but he’s not stupid. He knew he had been exposed. He’s just buying time now.

“Fethry, level with me. Please.” Abner requested firmly. “Why would Scrooge trap you here for four and a half years?” Fethry didn’t tell Abner he had been here for four and a half years, let alone the fact that Scrooge was the culprit.

The question pinpointed the problem at its core. There’s no escape for Fethry now. He dropped the smile on his face, and the guidebook in his hands.  He lowered his head, and said nothing for the next minute. Abner waited, as Fethry was internally struggling to open the lid to his bottled-up feelings. Betrayal, rejection, isolation...

Fethry’s hands rarely balled into fists, his entire body shifted from shaking to trembling. Fethry could lie, but he couldn’t lie to himself.  When those bottled-up emotions were let out, Fethry easily collapsed.

He fell onto his knees, his hands covering his face. Not even his hands could contain the flowing tears, which slipped through the gaps of his fingers. Four and a half years’ worth of buried sadness manifested into a pathetic wail, echoing in the small pod. He cried, screamed, shouted, cursed...It wasn’t the first time Abner saw his brother cry, but it was the first time he saw his brother cry this hard, this intense. Fethry hit the cold, hard ground with his fists. It surely hurt, but not as much as it was in his heart. Scrooge, Scrooge McDuck, Uncle Scrooge...Four and a half years, because of this man, this relative, this...”idol” of his.

Fethry needed some time. Some alone time. Abner watched as his brother expressed his feelings wildly in his so-called “home”, not saying a word, not doing an action.

In merely fifteen minutes, four and a half years’ time suddenly burst forward.

———————————————————

“So, the boys told you about what happened when they left...” Fethry, still looking down, stressed on the word “they”. He wasn’t allowed on board, on board the ship to freedom. That slap on the hand started to hurt again.

Abner sat on the ground to get to the same level as Fethry. Fethry had the answer to his own question.

“Ten years ago, I left from our hometown to Duckburg. I heard Donald and Della were going on adventures with Uncle Scrooge again, from Gladdy. Of course they wouldn’t involve me in their adventures. They wouldn’t even want me to know about their adventures.” Fethry said with a strong hint of sadness. It was after a visit by Gladstone Gander that Fethry left for Duckburg, but Abner never thought what really drove Fethry to his uncle was the postcard sent to Gladstone by Donald.

“I had been pushed aside, neglected and ignored for so long, I wanted to prove myself I could be as successful as anyone else. I wanted to prove that I am not just a Junior Woodchuck. I am more than a Junior Woodchuck. I am talentless. I am useless. I am weak. But I thought: Through determination and creativity, nothing is impossible. Isn’t this how Uncle Scrooge became the richest duck in the world? ‘Tougher than the toughies, smarter than the smarties...’, eh?” Fethry recited that phrase with pure bitterness. The phrase he once lived by had come back to bite him.

“When I arrived at Duckburg, however, Uncle Scrooge had stopped adventuring. Apparently, Della had laid three eggs, which are, of course, the three boys. Without Della, the adventure team stopped its operation.”

“‘That was my chance!’ I thought to myself. I could substitute Della as the third member while she waited for the eggs to hatch. After proving my abilities, I could become the fourth member of the team.”

“But Uncle Scrooge outright rejected my offer. ‘You are too incompetent,’ he coldly said to me. ‘Don’t think your Junior Woodchuck skills make you a genius.’ I understand. I am not as strong as Donald. I am not as brave as Della. But I have a heart for adventure as passionate as both of them. I am also a Junior Woodchuck like both of them. Somehow, being a ‘jack of all trade, master of none’ automatically makes you useless.”

“I tried to prove my worth as a team member. I had thought of possible locations for treasure hunting, researching the geographic and the fauna of those areas, thus working out the level of difficulty of different destination. I had also provided solutions, and self-invented gadgets if necessary. But all my proposals were not even given a glance. All my gadgets were not even given a trial. I understand Della was an irreplaceable member of the team. I wasn’t trying to replace her. I just wanted to be like her. Be a part of the team. Be...like Scrooge.”

“A man of miracles, hailing from the highlands of Scotland, travelled to the land of America at a young age of 18, gained his own bucket o’ gold from the gold rush at 20, and established his own company at the tender age of 22.5. Just four and a half years, Scrooge McDuck was already on his way to fame and glory. A man of miracles, indeed.”

(22-3-2020)

“And even the richest duck in the world couldn’t escape bad luck, it seemed. One day, I came to the McDuck Manor, and bumped into Donald with the three eggs. I didn’t need Donald to tell me what happened. It was all on the news. The niece of the richest duck in the world went missing in space. Poor ol’ Uncle Scrooge poured his heart and soul into saving his beloved niece. I had never seen him look that pathetic: His eyes were red with crying, his sleeves wet with tears. His feathers were all puffed up and ruffled. His office was in a mess. Oh, poor Uncle Scrooge.” Despite his wording and apparently sympathetic attitude, Abner could hear a strong satirical tone in his innocent little brother’s speech.

“Donald took up the responsibility to take care of the three little Donalds. I wanted to help, but Donald insisted on being the sole caretaker. Donald never like owing people things.”

“The only thing I can do is take care of Uncle Scrooge. Duckworth’s ageing body started to fail him, so I volunteered to help take care of my own uncle.”

“Those days were tough. Very tough. I believe Donald felt the same when raising three children on his own. Uncle Scrooge didn’t seem like himself. Once the owner of the world, now a pathetic old man. I did everything for him. Meals, cleaning, laundry, fetching newspaper, collecting mails, gardening...And he said my Junior Woodchuck skills meant nothing...”

“Dr Gearloose, as usual, helped in the repairing of electronic appliances, while Mr Duckworth helped deal with the press and the entrepreneurs. Those days were hard, but there, I found a meaning for my life. Despite I was just taking care of my uncle, I felt like someone appreciated me for the first time since I left the Junior Woodchucks. I felt like I was being treasured, being noticed. I was an apprentice of the legendary Scrooge McDuck!”

“I didn’t want his wealth or fame. I just want the attention  he gets. Not the one from reporters, but from his family. That’s all I ask for: A place in this family. Where I can be myself, and be welcomed and accepted.”

“After a year or two, things started to get back together. The money bin was filled with coins and treasures again. The stock price of McDuck Enterprises was rising again. Even I was just being a caretaker, I felt like I had done something great for the family. I felt like I played a part to save McDuck Enterprises, and Uncle Scrooge himself. There weren’t any celebrations, but I was clapping my hands in my heart intensely when the news arrived.”

“Uncle Scrooge returned to his former glory. The last ray of sunlight at dusk seeped through the curtains into his office. Uncle Scrooge was asleep in his chair, tired from a day’s work. Even on a sunny day, autumn in Duckburg could be chilling. I took a blanket from the closet, and placed it on Uncle Scrooge. His drowsy ‘thank you’ was all I needed. Two words gave me the will to live on. A smile gave me the energy to move on. Just being by his side filled me with happiness. Just being with Uncle Scrooge gave me the meaning in life. I don’t need adventures anymore. I had found my position, my value.”

“But life just wouldn’t give ol’ Scrooge a break. Fate just likes to mess with people, you know?” Fethry’s voice deepened, signalling a dark turn of events.

“Five years ago, Mr Duckworth passed away. He had fought bravely against death for five years to witness the rebirth of Scrooge McDuck, but he succumbed to his disease on a beautiful autumn morning. The morning glory bloomed quietly in the garden, its speaker-shaped flowers listening to the silent prayers of the elderly duck.”

“We were afraid what happened five years before would happen again. It didn’t, in their eyes. But it did, in mine.”

“McDuck Enterprises didn’t fall into depression, but Uncle Scrooge did. It wasn’t very visible this time, and only Dr Gearloose and I noticed Scrooge’s abnormal behaviour. He had been working much. Too much. He could take care of himself. He ate, slept, bathed...but then it’s back to working time. The only socialising he did was with business partners. He only talked to Dr Gearloose about research and design. Nothing more.”

“Not being part of his enterprises, Uncle Scrooge didn’t talk to me at all. Except complaints about incomplete or imperfect houseworks. I still had my job, but the meaning was starting to fade. I was still Uncle Scrooge’s caretaker, but that’s all I was. I was treated as though I was being paid. I wasn’t appreciated. I wasn’t needed. Scrooge could take care of himself. What I was providing was no longer required. I was no longer important.”

“I was never appreciated in the first place. The one receiving the glory was Mr Duckworth, the forever faithful mister butler.  He was the one who saved Uncle Scrooge. I was just pretending to be in his spotlight. Now that Mr Duckworth was gone, the spotlight ceased, and I realised I was the jester on the stage, not even close to a sidekick.”

(23-3-2020)

“I stayed by his side, taking the role of Mr Duckworth before a replacement could be found. Funny how I was now taking the role of someone else, like I always wanted, but I felt nothing. For half a year, I didn’t exist in this world. I was invisible, non-existing, intangible. Anxiety crept in as I realised my meaning in life getting away from me. I needed to be of use. I needed to contribute to McDuck Enterprises. Only then...I would feel Uncle Scrooge’s appreciation.”

“I asked for whether he needed any help. I had done all the necessary housework as possible, and asked for extra work for the Enterprises. The reply was surprising. Unfortunately surprising.” Abner frowned slightly as he knew what the job would be.

“‘Yes.’ He said. He introduced me to the McDuck Sub-lab, where I would be working as a scientist. The Sub-lab at that time looked nothing like this. Golden walls, brightly illuminated hallways, well-furnished laboratories...I was overjoyed when I stepped into the Sub-lab. I imagined how my life in the McDuck Enterprises would be: Me, working among elites from all over Duckburg, doing experiments and research with hundreds of Dr Gearloose, doing demonstrations and presentations in front of thousands of Scrooge McDuck...A life full of meaning was there in my reach.”

(24-3-2020)

Abner listened quietly, and kept his confusion to himself. Didn’t his cousins told him Fethry was just a caretaker of the lab?

“To think I could be second to Dr Gearloose, the greatest inventor in Duckburg, I was more than delighted. Childish it may seem, but I always aspire to be a scientist. A person who can change someone’s life. A person who can change the world for the better. I just find it meaningful to help others. Must be all that teaching back in the Junior Woodchuck.”

“That’s why I invited you to Duckburg at Christmas of that year, big bro.”

Fethry looked up, looking at Abner’s shocked expression. Abner seldom answered his family’s invitation. His family seldom gave Abner invitation. But that Christmas, five years ago, Abner accepted his brother’s invitation. He knew there must be a reason why Fethry, the one who knew him the most, would invite him to a family gathering on purpose.

———————————————————————————————

At the front door of the McDuck Manor, there he was: Fethry waving at his brother in the front garden, wearing a bright smile that warmed Abner’s heart in the evening snowfall. That was the first and only time Abner entered the Manor. He would never think of getting in there if it wasn’t because of that letter from Fethry.

Despite the Fethry’s warm welcome, the bright lighting and the fragrant aroma of wintry herbs, the inside of the Manor was colder than the outside. The Manor seemed unusually big, thanks to the lack of occupants. It’s true: Scrooge would stay in his office, while Gyro would stay at home. One hated Christmas, one hated human interactions in general. That “family gathering” was between the two brothers only.

Still, Fethry prepared everything himself: The invitation, the decorations, the hospitality, the food...That full-course meal was the best Abner had ever had. After all, which chef in all of Duckburg - or in the world - would know what he personally liked the most?

Together, the two brothers warmed up the three-storey manor. On the Christmas day five years ago, laughter filled the McDuck Manor. The long-gone festive atmosphere surrounded the Manor. The winter moonlight illuminated the once misery abode. For one night, a couch beside the fireplace became the most cozy place in the city. For one night, a plain bunk bed became the most comfortable place in the world.

For one night, a Christmas miracle was bestowed to the Duck family.

———————————————————————————————

But little did Abner know, the Christmas present given to him that year was a parting gift.

Fethry didn’t tell his brother about his new “occupation”. He wanted to invite his brother to his new working place for a tour once he started working there. But surely, that dream didn’t come true until now, four and a half years later.

“I wanted to celebrate with you, brother.” Fethry held Abner’s hand. “That was the best Christmas I had ever enjoyed ever since we grew up and went separate ways. I wish that Christmas night would repeat. That happiness and warmth I experienced would come back to me...” Fethry was close to tears, but held them back with a soft sniff.

“And then, I didn’t experience any Christmas at all for four years. The next spring, I was brought to the Sub-lab by a submarine, guided to the depth of the building complex, and left stranded here until now. Uncle Scrooge promised the other scientists would be joining me soon, but I should have known better. A tin can for communication? How silly of me. I watched as the Uncle Scrooge left with the only vehicle to freedom, and disappeared into the spring mist. I remembered I waved at him, smiling. I could imagine Scrooge doing the same, smiling at his gullible nephew.”

“While waiting for my non-existing colleagues, I did the only thing I know. The thing I once did to save the company: Caretaking. I found the cleaning goods in this pod, and made the whole laboratory sparkly cleaned, ready for scientists from all over the world to join me underseas.”

“For days, weeks, months, years...nobody came. The tin can must have rung countless times, but nobody answered. I tried joking, shouting, screaming for response, but nobody replied. I waited on the dock of the lighthouse for ships from McDuck enterprises, or just from any good Samaritan, but nobody even passed by in the murky sea. I don’t have a submarine, ship or boat. Even if I did, the only coordinates I have was of this cursed Sub-lab. I wouldn’t know where to go. Swimming back to land was suicide. I have learnt enough to know how dangerous the wonders of the sea could be. That’s when I knew: I am truly trapped in this deserted laboratory.”

“Food was running short. Clean water was running short. Fear was running high. Even with my Junior Woodchuck guidebook, I can’t survive on my own in the middle of nowhere. Worse still, the chemical waste and the hydrothermal vents were turning my sea companions into murderous monsters.”

“What started out small enough to fit my palm mutated into unmeasurable length. You aren’t the only one scared of those sea worms, big brother. The first time I met one of those, I knew I was going to die. Just one of those monsters, and I was immediately subdued. My eyes wide opened, my feet dangling midair. I was cornered, trapped, vulnerable. That was the end for me, I was convinced. That was where I would die. That was how I would die. Alone, scared, hopeless, helpless...”

“I cried. Pathetically. At the mercy of my predator, I didn’t use my hands to struggle. I didn’t use my hands to beg for salvation. I used my hands to cover my face, wiping away ever-flowing tears. That wouldn’t help, but I knew I couldn’t save myself anyway. I was weak. I would never be tougher than the toughies, smarter than the smarties. I just couldn’t. I cry when I am scared. I panic when I am startled. At the end, I am just a whiny kid.”

“My discovery about those worms was the result of that near-death experience. The monster loosened its grapple, from a crushing grip to a gentle embrace. It softly set me down onto the floor, and nuzzled my face. They may not have eyes or noses, but they can sense emotions. It must had sensed my sadness, and felt my tears dripping onto its smooth skin. These were my buddies, originally my predators. I was pathetic enough to treat my killers as my friends. I was pathetic enough to let those cold, smily skin give me warmth and comfort.”

(30-3-2020)

Fethry paused for a brief moment, before letting out a little laugh. “On the other hand...” He pointed at the torn poster on the wall. “That is what Scrooge gave me. A mockery, letting me know I’m going insane: My cries for help are just ‘signs of madness’. My fears of dying are merely ‘paranoia’...”

The laughter turned from a chuckle to a hysterical cackle. “When I look at that poster...That worn-out piece of paper bearing the logo of McDuck Enterprises, signed by Scrooge McDuck himself...” Fethry touched the window of the pod, looking at the deep sea outside. “My anger as scalding as the vocanlos, but my sorrow as blue as the sea.”

Abner looked at the jar of bioluminescent krill Fethry was hugging close to himself. The dim blue lights from the critters reminded him of the twinkling stars back at their hometown. Fethry must have thought the same: Whenever Fethry stared lovingly at his “team”, was he thinking of his hometown? Those carefree days observing the starlit night sky with his brother on the meadow. He used to make a wish to the stars every night. Was he doing the same to the krill? How many wishes had he made during those four and a half years?

“But...” Abner hesitated to say the question he had been wanting to ask. “Why would Scrooge do this to you?”

Fethry didn’t answer immediately, still looking at the deep sea. Abner patiently waited, silently worrying he might had asked a wrong question. Was it something Fethry had done? Did Fethry not have the answer?

“Uncle Scrooge wanted a start over.”

Fethry whispered, looking back at Abner.

“Ever since Della went missing, Donald went away, I was the only person who would remind Uncle Scrooge of his past, adventure days. After Mr Duckworth passed away, Scrooge wanted to move on. Falling into depression a second time taught Scrooge the only way to rehabilitation was to let go of the past.”

“I’m his life reset button. Only by removing me could Uncle Scrooge forget the past and return to his former success. When I realised I was trapped here, I understood Scrooge’s intention: Getting rid of me, dead or alive.”

Fethry showed a sad smile.

“At the end, I was saving McDuck Enterprises after all.”

———————————————————————————————

A faint ray of light pierced through the glass into the pod.

The sky must had cleared up. For light to penetrate through the deep ocean layers, the sunlight out there must be very bright.

The sunlight illuminated Fethry’s smile, like an angel trapped in hell, yet basked in heaven’s light.

And Abner’s going to free this angel from his underwater prison. He’s going to give his brother the salvation he had deserved for four and a half years.

Abner stood up, walking behind Fethry, and returned his jacket and stocking cap, helping him put on the clothing. Before he could decline the offer, Abner held his brother’s hand, helping him up.

“We’re getting out of here, Fethry.”

The younger brother replied with a nod and a smile, his watery eyes showing his gratitude and happiness.

Just like in the past, back in the rural hometown: A big brother holding his younger brother’s hand, walking home in the dark.

Axe in one hand, his brother’s hand in another, Abner walked through the ruined underwater lab for the second and the last time. What seemed like hell just an hour ago was a bit more homely now. The cold, metallic ground underneath was now the path to freedom.

Walking towards the wall labelled “Tully Observatory”, Abner faced the predator again. The sea worm came out of its hiding spot, tilting its head at the duo. Abner let go of his brother, dropped his axe voluntarily, and paddled towards the monster whom he had feared just a while ago. The duck embraced his predator, patting the head previously trying to devour him.

“Thank you for accompanying my brother.” Abner uttered, a bit unbelieving that he’s talking to a seemingly non-sentient being. Whether it understood or not, Abner felt that he must give his gratitude to the only company his brother had had until their two young cousins came to visit.

The sea worm let out a contented whine, like a cat’s purr. Despite having no limbs or visible sensory organs, that creature was quite sensitive. The invertebrate bent its body, seemingly trying to cough out something. Abner put out his hands to receive the “gift”, which was no other than his own brown hat.

Slightly disgusted, but heart-warmed, Abner gave the monster one last pat, put on the hat, before taking his axe and his brother’s hand again.

———————————————————————————————

The sky in the outside world looked like it had never rained before. The evening shade was a mix of aqua and orange, with sparse clouds a deep blue colour. Distant light from lighthouses and ships looked like twilight stars fallen from the sky, gleaming brightly on the water surface. The waves were calm, the breeze gentle, as if it was the start of a new journey.

Abner stepped onto the boat, putting his axe back into his leather bag, his knapsack beside him, while taking the oar in his hand. Fethry looked at the lighthouse one last time - his home for nearly half a decade - but his heart was now calm as the evening tides. He had left his sadness, wrath, despair, and agony down on the sea bed. Uncle Scrooge was right: Only by letting go of the past could someone move forward.

Fethry flipped a switch, turning the lights off. No need for the beacon of hope, now that the stars were in his reach. Fethry took a deep breath, and turned around to his brother.

“Let’s go home, big brother.”

(7-3-2020 ~ 11-6-2020)

———————————————————————————————

-Oh my god I finally finished it.

-This is actually the first fan-fiction I have started in my life, but the fourth to finish writing. This is also probably the longest story I will ever write. I’m sorry I’m impatient and lazy.

-Like “122,640 Days” (and “Hey Laddie”(?)), I wrote most of “Brother’s Sentiment” before and during my public exam. I’m sorry I’m a terrible student.

-(Okay back to the story) This story is an AU (?) of the Ducktales (2017) episode “The Depth of Cousin Fethry!” (S02E02), in which Huey and Dewey did not (could not) free Fethry after their visit to the McDuck Sub-lab, so as to give way for Fethry’s big brother Abner “Whitewater” Duck. The lab was not destroyed during the kids’ visit (sorry Mitzy no playing hero for you).

-I also tried to give a backstory as to why Fethry ended up in the lab in the first place, a description of Fethry’s feelings for being trapped for four and a half years, and a reason for Scrooge’s decision of trying to indirectly kill his relative, etc. These aspects were not explored in the series and were thus non-canon.

-Also non-canon was Scrooge’s road to fame as described in the story. I know there’s a detailed backstory about Scrooge’s rise to power (?), but I am not a real fan I didn’t do my research I’m sorry wanted to fit the time “4.5 years” so as to make a comparison between Scrooge and Fethry.

-The story was written (finished) at the start of Season 3 (up to S03E07). More of Fethry may be explored (Abner screen debut please), so the story really is all my imagination.

Two songs I listened to while writing (most of) the story:

Mitsuha’s Theme (三葉のテーマ), from Your Name https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NHefLo230SE

Kataware Doki (かたわれ時), also from Your Name https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Uy3NpQRJntc

———————————————————————————————

Thank you for reading my first story. Have a nice day!

[katedoesfics]

Hello!! Could you do a stardew valley fic if you can? Maybe something that explores the relationships between some of the families (Haley and Emily, Seb and Maru, Abby and Carlin’s, etc, your choice!!)

If not that’s totally fine! Thank you

you dont know how long its been since i got a lil message in my ask box i damn near had a panic attack i cant even believe someone notices my blog THANK YOU???!!!!?!?!?!?!?!!! you just made my day!! xox

melodramatic moment over. Anyway! I DO have a couple of Stardew valley full-length fics that may interest you!

Skyloft Farm is the first sdv fic I wrote based off my first farmer. It takes place ‘after’ the game where she’s married to Alex and has one child with him. It has some focus on the war and explores other relationships to other characters a little bit (without giving away too many spoilers!)

Under Shadow is a completely different take on Stardew Valley that is more on the apocalyptic/dystopian side. The difference being that every villager of Pelican Town actually lives in the same city (not in stardew valley) and no one knows each other. Upon a deadly attack (where right away, some of our characters don’t make it out alive...) it follows the remaining survivors as they wander around, trying to escape the Shadow People, and eventually all come together in search for a magical place called stardew valley! 

My third and final Stardew Valley fic is actually still a WIP that I fully intend to finish! It’s called Honey and Vinegar and our OC famer is actually a non-binary fairy named Pip! In this fic, there won’t be any romance between Pip and the other characters, but it does go much more in depth with the other characters, their backstories, their personal struggles, etc. as Pip slowly learns about each of them and the about the valley itself. There is a heavy focus on the fairies of the valley as well, and since fairies were never really explored much in game, it includes a lot of my own head canons. There are a lot of other fairy characters besides Pip who interact with Pip, and their story kind of pushes the plot along and influences a lot of what happens in stardew valley and with the other characters. that’s probably a really confusing way to explain it all, but you can read an actual summary at that link and start reading the few chapters i’ve got posted so far! based on what you asked, i’m thinking this might be the fic that interests you the most! maybe i’ll attempt to pick it up again!

I should note that all 3 of these fics are all BEFORE the most recent BIG update where a bunch more cutscenes and such were added. Admittedly, I haven’t had a chance to play the new update, so it’s possible aspects of the war, the fairies, etc are explained more and I just don’t know! Everything in these fics are just my own headcanons :)

however, if none of these are what you’re looking for, let me know! especially if there’s something more specific you’d like to see - little shorts that explore each relationship separately? happy endings? head canons you have? any romantic relationships? or just family? i’m happy to try anything like that, just let me know! ^_^

[ask-eugene-h-krabs]

What is your views on mermaid man and barnacle boy, Mr. Krabs?

Oi, them blow’ards, eh? Well, strap in, ‘cause that’s a bit o’ a complicated subject fer me.

See, back in th’ 50s er so, Ernie McHale and Tim Parker were just a couple o’ errant humans what done wandered in from up above, an’ thanks ter some cosmic fuckery er somethin’, they ended up wit’ some kind o’ superpowers. Was nice, ‘avin’ th’ two around, helped keep th’ streets clean an’ gave people somethin’ ter believe in, symbols o’ justice er some pie-in-the-sky shite like that. Weren’t harmin’ nobody, plus they were kinda eye candy, so o’ course I took ter em pretty fine.

Then comes th’ 60s, an’ these two meat’eads end up gittin’ themselves a telervision show fer coral’s sake! What a career path, ye might say, from refugees ter crime fighters ter actors! Ye couldn’t say th’ two o’ them weren’t loved nothin’, either, two o’ them ‘ad more screamin’ fans than them four dumb sluts from Liverpool. I remember th’ gals used ter toss them bras up o’er the red carpet line as they passed… ah, bless their ‘earts, was a diff’rent time, nobody understood quite what th’ two o’ them had…

But then comes ‘64, an th’ Gulf o’ Tonkin. Now I don’t mean ter digress too much, but fer ye young folks out there who dinnae know, I gots ter stress: th’ August 4th attacks what got America’s Congress ter sign th’ bill what sent 58,000 GIs ter their deaths an’ killed millions o’ civvies in th’ carnage… it were all a sonar glitch, an’ Lyndon Johnson knew it. I ain’t got a clue what they be teachin’ ya in schools these days, maybe ye all know this by now, but us common folk weren’t clued in at th’ time. Fer all we knew, it were now open war wit’ North Vietnam.

Now, in those days, the Marshall Islands did belong to Uncle Sam, an’ so wit’ Johnson’s resolution, we bottom-feeders down under in Bikini Bottom were part o’ the war, too. Now I could spin ye a tale o’ how I were just a poor feller who got ‘is draft card pulled, an’ got dragged inter a rich man’s war kickin’ an’ screamin’, but I ain’t ‘ere ter bullshit yas. No, I enlisted on me own accord, an’ it were Ernie an’ Tim what convinced me ter do it.

See, though Bikini Bottom weren’t th’ most populous ecosystem, them bastards in th’ beltway figgered they’d git a coupla us gill-breathers ter die in th’ place o’ them red-blooded American boys. So they extended their recruitin’ efforts down inter our briny depths, an’ let any Bottomite jumped up on red-scarin’ rage sign ‘is own death warrant afore jumpin’ em on them steely graveyards.

But thing is, us sea-dwellers cannae give two shits uva sea bear’s tail fin what politics be like on dry land, an’ that made enlistin’ us a moron’s errand. It weren’t goin’ ter be possible ter git more than a handful o’ hormonal sea-hawks ter join their so-called “volunteer navy”, not wit’out some serious properganding. An’ yet, lo an’ behold, down wit’ us salty suckers were a duo o’ humans jus’ like them, feelin’ alienated from their kind an’ itchin’ ter serve their community. It were all one big ado when Ernie an’ Tim, now well-established by them stage names “Mermaid Man” an’ “Barnacle Boy”, announced they’d be leavin’ our lil’ patch o’ Atlantis fer a time ter return ter America as naval cadets. One last season o’ their show were filmed, transparently war properganda if ever there’d been any, an’ then they were off, an’ like th’ school o’ guppies that we were, it became a regular feedin’ frenzy ter follow in their wake trails.

I… don’t want ter get too deep inter what went on in me years o’ service. Sufficer ter say, I came out o’ the fightin’ a changed man, me an’ all me crew were. I don’t look back on th’ time fondly, an’ I don’t make excuses fer what I’d done. When orders ter withdraw came, I’d done enough damage ter meself an’ th’ people o’ that country that I’d’ve been wise ter ‘ave turned me back an’ never look behind, but there’d been one loose end which none o’ us from Bikini Bottom could shake: Ernie an’ Tim, last seen in Saigon, ‘ad never come home.

Disregardin’ orders, me crew an’ I hitched up wit’ some GIs marchin’ inland. I’ll never ferget Saigon, not till me dyin’ day. Fer th’ people trapped inside the city limits, it coulda been th’ end o’ th’ world. It were what little good we could do ter help organize th’ evacuatin’, but all o’ me boys knew our ulterior motives: We ‘ad ter find Mermaid Man an’ Barnacle Boy, they ‘ad ter be alive somewhere.

In those last few days o’ April, durin’ Frequent Wind, it seemed as though all hope were lost. The NVAs ‘ad th’ city surrounded, panic on th’ streets were so bad ye couldn’t pedal a bicycle down th’ block. We’d be ter evacuate on the next helicopter outta th’ city, nothin’ more we could do. Wit’ a ‘eavy ‘eart an’ a ‘eavier conscience, Armor Abs Krabs an’ ‘is crew were ter leave Vietnam fer good.

Then, from o’er th’ raucous yellin’, I ‘eard it. A voice, one which I’d ‘eard night after dreary night on me ship’s projector.  A voice I never thought I’d ‘ear wit’out th’ familiar ‘um o’ film grain.

“Wait!” it cried, “don’t leave! We’re military, just like you!”

It were Ernie, wit’ Tim on ‘is ‘eels.

Th’ look upon th’ once proud Mermaid Man’s face, robbed o’ youth an’ optimism since committin’ it ter film stock, were one o’ abject horror. Barnacle Boy, no more a boy than a shell-shocked man whose soul were thirty years ‘is senior, hustled forward wit’ nae a trace o’ mirth on what ‘ad once been ‘is trademark babyface. Sparin’ not a moment ter greet th’ sea creatures what’d once been their neighbors what’d come all this way ter find em, they clambored inter the helicopter an’ cowered. Tim were near catatonic when we strapped ‘im inter ‘is restraints. Ernie could only rock back an’ force, holding ‘is knees in ‘is arms.

I ne’er knew just ‘ow long th’ two o’ them ‘ad been out there. Officially, there’d been ceasefire from America fer th’ better part o’ two years when Saigon fell. ‘Ad th’ two been separated from their unit an’ left ter wander the jungles all that time? Er ‘ad they’d stayed behind ter fight against th’ orders o’ high command? Though I’d remained a presence in th’ two’s lives fer a time after Vietnam, ‘elpin’ em reacclimate ter civilian life an’ cope wit’ their demons, I never did get straight answers outta them. I learned quickly not ter ask Ernie ‘bout ‘is time on dry land, th’ flashbacks came too fast an’ too cruel fer that man. Tim, I could never bring myself ter ask, not knowin’ what it’d done ter the older man. I’d enjoy not knowin’ what’d wiped th’ smile from th’ Boy Wonder’s face. When each o’ them passed these last few years, me navy buddies an’ I gave em a hero’s goodbye, but ter this day I wonder, I think all o’ us wonder, if they really deserved it.

Anyway, this ol’ man’s let ‘is story git away from ‘im, just look at th’ time. Been ramblin’, I been, an’ I don’t got a clue if I e’er answered yer original question. But then again, I don’t suppose I’d really know meself. It’s like I’d said, it’s a complicated subject, an’ not one I think anyone could say fer sure. All the same, thank ye fer listenin’, an’ I hope ye’ve considered what this ol’ krab ‘as ‘ad ter say.

Now are ye gonna order somethin’, er do I gotta get th’ broom ‘andle again?

[tough-bit-of-fluff]

Prompt #3 - Muster

“And THAT’s the story of how Turnip, Liv, Kail, and I, stopped the quote unquote bandit attacks on traveling merchants and their chocobos, vanquished a massing army of undead, and secured the supply of feed for all chocobos everywhere but especially ours!” Alyona seized her mug from the bar beside her and took a triumphant swig of cider as she finished her tale. Her pink tail swished happily. A tidy, self-contained story of heroics with neither casualty nor rampant collateral damage was not always so easy to come by.

The woman behind Aly let out a sigh of relief. The petite lalafell was waiting for a blind date at the bar counter, and had gotten caught up in the story in spite of herself. Focused on the exploits of the heroes, she had let her ice melt in her drink, which she now eyed skeptically. It was watery beyond recognition, but she was on a strict budget. She smoothed her dress, telling herself the cost had been worth it, to wear a shade and style so similar to the Sultana. She sipped at her drink, eyed the clock on the wall, and grimaced, though whether more at the late hour or the watery cocktail’s taste could not be said.

The man two seats in front of Aly let out a sigh of relief at the story’s conclusion as well. He was a feline-featured miqo’te, like Alyona, but his ears were folded back beneath his cowl in annoyance, and what little could be seen of his face looked deeply unhappy. “Thank the bloody Twelve,” he muttered, just loud enough to be overheard. “I thought she’d never quit her yammerin.’” 

This tavern patron seemed to be waiting for something as well, though what, other than the cessation of Alyona’s speech, was unclear. He ordered himself another drink, perhaps as a reward for having endured the boisterous bar talk. Although there was ample seating elsewhere, he remained firmly planted on his stool. The scowl, likewise, remained planted on his face.

The man directly in front of Aly was none other than Ramius Raske, an inventor of some notoriety, and her new associate. He chuckled, shaking his head in bemusement at the tale’s resolution, jotting a final note into his leather-bound journal. “And all that in answer to the question, ‘So what do you like to do for fun?’” The story ended, he closed the small tome and replaced it carefully in the depths of the satchel beside him on the bar counter. He had listened gamely and intently all the while, Aly noticed, while still keeping an eye to his surroundings. Aly liked that.

Ramius swept his fingers through his fiery hair, and shrugged a shoulder. “Well, with the whole ‘zombie horde’ element, one certainly couldn’t say that it wasn’t an adventure.”

Alyona nodded. “Right, malevolent animate corpses equals adventure, everyone knows that.”

“That’s just basic monster math,” Ramius agreed, raising his cup slightly as if to indicate “I’ll drink to that,” and then doing so.

Aly broke into a broad grin. “You get it!” she enthused. “This guy gets it,” she announced to the nearby patrons. The lalafellin woman giggled, curls bouncing prettily.

The cowled miqo’te hissed something under his breath about how someone was going to get it. Ramius raised an eyebrow, but Alyona was unbothered, seeming to take no notice.

“So,” said Ramius, “Refresh my memory. Kail is the...captain, of the Four Winds?”

Aly shook her head. “Nope, he’s the Head Pirate for sure, though.”

“An esteemed position, no doubt,” Ramius said, straight-faced.

Aly nodded emphatically. “No doubt! Norah’s right-hand dude! A real go-getter! He’s a Getter of Things. And of injuries!”

The Midlander chuckled again. “I believe I’ve filled that role myself a time or two, unfortunately. The injury part,” he added quickly, seeing Aly’s eyes widen. “Not the ah, Head Pirate aspect.”

He rubbed the back of his neck and cleared his throat. “So, this Norah. She’s the captain? Flies the ship?”

“Norah is the captain, but Argent flies the ship. He’s a teacher you know, an educator, which is very good because I am veeeery new to the fast-paced fun-filled field of navigation as far as I know, and I am looking forward to benefiting from all his years of experience. I will try try try! I’m a Try-er.” Aly beamed happily as she took a drink. She put down her empty tankard and took on a thoughtful expression.

“Norah is...our Must-er, I think.”

“Your...muster?” Ramius propped an elbow on his satchel, rested his chin on his hand. The cowled miqo’te growled, perhaps because of the man’s marginally closer proximity.

“Yeah like...she knows what must be done. Even if it seems difficult it won’t sway her. I bet lots of people said, don’t sell all your stuff and buy an airship! Live a comfy life! And she said, ‘No! Nein! I must! Baby I was born to fly.’” Ramius had never met Norah, but he was already reasonably confident the woman had never said such a thing. He did not interrupt, however. “And I bet other people said to her, don’t kiss a sky pirate on the lips, you don’t know where that’s been! But she knew she must do that sometimes too! And she was right, Ramius, don’t you see? Because under that cool mask-goggle-combo-dealie, Kail is totes kissable-looking, and it’s important for our rag-tag plucky protagonists to appeal also to an older demographic! We should, nay, we MUST!” Alyona slapped her fist into her open palm, as if that was explanation enough.

Behind her, the lalafell began to sniffle, and then to weep. Aly whirled around, flailing her hands in the air, a look of confused panic on her face, as Ramius patted his pockets for a handkerchief.

“I-it’s okay!” Aly babbled. “You can still like the ship even if you’re still young and cute! Or, or does it contradict your head-canon? There’s always fanfiction, it’s as real as you want it to be! Imagine yourself with everybody, I certainly do!” 

Ramius coughed, handing a clean white hankie to the tiny, tear-stained woman.

“I don’t know what any of that means,” she sobbed, accepting the handkerchief. “I just know I’ll never have someone like that, a captain or a sky pirate or a Raubahn to call my own.”

Ramius mouthed, “Raubahn?” to Alyona, wondering what that had to do with anything. Aly shrugged in response, then narrowed her eyes. “Hey! That doesn’t belong to you! That isn’t even a sleight of hand, it’s just a hand! Where it’s not supposed to be!”

Ramius whirled around to see the cowled miqo’te making for the tavern door in a hurry, something tucked under his arm. In the same fluid movement as his turn, Ramius had unholstered his gun and leveled it at the fleeing feline.

“Did you honestly think you were going to get away with that? Drop the journal,” Ramius said in an even, practiced tone. “Who sent you? Harvelle? Blavenhauer? Start talking and I might let you live, instead of bleeding out senselessly on a dirty tavern floor.”

“That got dark fast,” Aly murmured. The lalafell, wide-eyed, could only nod in agreement.

The miqo’te hissed, baring his fangs. “Does everyone think himself a hero anymore? It’s these stupid adventure stories, filling heads with fool ideas that get people killed.” He shifted his robes to reveal a pistol in his own hand. “How about if you drop the gun, and I let you live.”

“How about THIS!” Aly yelled, and the journal thief shifted his gaze just in time to see the hurtling tankard that caught him squarely in the face. “Looks like I wasn’t the one to ‘get it’ after all,” she observed breezily to her staggered target.

In the moment of distraction, Ramius blasted the man with a pulse of energy from his weapon, catching him in the hand, and causing the miqo’te to cry out and drop his gun. The inventor tsked and shook his head, closing the gap between them with a half-dozen quick strides. “You poor sod,” he lamented, kicking the dropped weapon across the floor. “You really went for it literally as soon as I turned my back. This job was above your pay grade.”

“Alsoooo, maybe everyone you try to steal from wouldn’t think they’re heroes if you weren’t dumb enough to steal only from heroes!” Aly piped up, crouching next to the seething, disarmed man with a length of rope she had produced from her own pack. “Hands please! We’ll get some first aid on that as soon as you’re alllll tied up.”

~*~*~*~

As the authorities questioned the last remaining witnesses in the tavern, Aly hefted a pouch of coin. “Feels like the reward money for his capture should juuuust cover the damages we’re being billed by the bar. Maybe next time we’ll get our drinks to go…”

Just then, the tavern doors swung open. A towering mountain of a roegadyn burst, panting, through, a sheen of exertion shimmering on his copious muscles. Pushing past the Brass Blades who tried ineffectually to stop him, the man made his way purposefully towards the bar.

Ramius groaned. “More trouble?” He got to his feet, ready for another conflict.

The roe’s eyes lit up, and then, dimmed with guilt, as he dropped to his knees directly in front of the lalafell. “It’s ye, right? Th’ pretty lil rose petal Fufelu tol’ me about?”

The lalafell’s eyes widened again. “Fufelu!? Does that mean you’re my-”

“Yer date, aye, an’ about two bells too late by me reckoning. Gorgeous creature like ye deserves better’n’ me busted wagon wheel woes. Ye look just like th’ Sultana, ye do! Can ye ever forgive me?”

His lowered gaze rose abruptly, for the woman had already thrown herself into his arms. “Take me to see the sights, and I’ll think about it! But I must insist on the best seat in the house,” she laughed merrily. The roegadyn laughed too, in relief, and hoisted her effortlessly onto his shoulder.

Aly clasped her hands together in delight. “Looks like you’re a Must-er, too!” She called to her departing newfound friend, who tossed her an eager thumbs-up in response.

Across the room, the miqo’te hissed again as he was taken away into custody. “A Must-er isn’t a thing,” he thought in utter annoyance. But he didn’t mutter or grumble. He had other things to worry about.

~*~*~*~

@ramius-xiv @norahnightsbane @erstwhile25 @matter-of-a-pinion @argentrenard - thanks for being compelling co-protagonists in our shared stories! <3

[rabble-dabble]

i have recently gotten into johnkat and johndave (yes i do hate myself). i know there is a ton of hs backstory and fandom drama i will never know about, but can you maybe explain why there seems to be so much disdain for my ships? i'm sure the short answer is d*vekat, but it also seems like people don't like my son john. 😢

hmmm, i dunno if i can explain past anything a few years ago seeing as i wasn't there before, like, 2016, but i can explain my best from interpretation and i can tell you about currently!! it seems like historically, johnkat and johndave started kinda sitting on the fandom backburner around the time the Vriskagram animation came out and "confirmed" canon interpretation of davekat (although we should never let canon get in the way of anything fun!!) and, of course common in every fandom, there were pledges of shippers against other ships that weren't theres (i would say the john/karkat/dave triangle is certainly so...temmie would say we should just let em all kiss lmao) so years of rising tension and already established ships, along with the fact nothing was ever "confirmed" but always hinted at is at least a quick summary of the history (to my brief understanding).

More recently, if we include the epilogues and the drama surrounding literally everything about hs, there are two key reasons these ships currently may be subjected to hate: 1, homestuck suggested and the epilogues dubiously confirmed davekat and hs^2 continues to be a drama-esque unsubstaining 2015 4k sadstuck fic around any lgbt+ topic, so theres that, and 2, with the rise of June Egbert and her more vocal image in the fandom today, there are a lot of people who believe "John" is now a character that invalidates and is transphobic to June's image (which, my followers have most likely seen why this is incorrect! We should support everyone <3) so shipping "John"dave or "John"kat is seen as trans misogynistic (prejudice against trans women) by those who may divulge into content about the egbertian charmer; including ships! And, perhaps there's a little more or less to it that I'm unaware of and/or forgot to mention, but I believe this is more or less the reasonings about why john/dave or kat is now disliked or less common within our fandom (nowadays).

I guess a few other surface reasons to have contributed would be things such as the changing culture of the internet from 2009-to current times, how the fandom has changed during that time too, old fans leaving and new fans taking place (adding into the mix of people who have grown bolder at attempting to create conflict) and mayyyybe how Homestuck is interpreted as the whole story (including beyond canon) vs how one would have felt during the "era" of homestuck? I personally believe hs^2 has definetly influenced (a little too much) the experience of some first time readers, so it comes down to "Seeing the puzzle coming together slowly and gaining experience n culture" versus the "the puzzle comes together quickly and understandably but unaware of the depth of how people felt in the moment" as to what seems to form in everybody individually.

At least, this is from what I've gathered about reading old posts, tidbits of history left behind on abandoned blogs and snippits represented by artists back then (like orangelemonart? have you ever seen their one comic about shipping the fused homestuck ships together??) that leaves us new fandom folk with the quest on piecing together the "back then". What I'm saying is, the ending of Homestuck most likely had a lot of fans "moving on" and leaving behind those who wanted to stay and a lotta wholes for new readers to fill. The whole story influencing new readers preferring davekat isn't a surprising development, and I could only imagine how it's preffered if reading everything we have today all at once (although the scarcity of johnkat and johndave(?) is odd, there are still people around!! and it's likely there will always be). Don't fret if you feel as if your ships are sunk a lil, because there's always a little something or someone around the corner who feels the same way you do. It's practically why I draw johnkat now! I've been able to reach those people in the distance even when I didn't know they were there, and I'm sure there's more who we don't yet see.

Hope this answers your question!

[fluffyunicornofdanger]

Night Shift

AN: This has been in my inbox for a couple of weeks, sorry it took so long. I had no idea how to start it. Blurbs are literally the hardest thing for me and I don’t know why. It’s probably because I like in-depth stories. Anyway, I hope to have a Mick Mars blurb our later today. I don’t know how likely that will be, though, because I’ve been struggling with coming up with ideas for it. We’ll see, I guess.

*~~*~~*

Masterlist

Motley Crue x Reader

Requested by: Anonymous

Request:  omg! maybe a lil blurb about you working in a restaurant and the crüe boys giving you a surprise visit?

Word Count: 837

Warnings: not edited

Y/n yawned, looking up at the clock, she had an hour until clocking out. She would have been grateful that she was an hour closer to leaving, but she was stuck working the night shift after someone called in sick. It was probably, in her opinion, the worst shift in the world. It seemed that in the middle of the night time slowed down, minutes passing by in hours. It was long and agonizing. And it didn’t help that she was a waitress, meaning that she couldn’t leave until all her tables were gone. With her luck, a table would come in and spend hours doing nothing but eating and talking. 

“Why don’t you eat something,” her coworker, Rachel, suggested as she cleaned off the counter.

She shook her head. “It’s only an hour.”

Rachel raised a brow. “One hour can turn into two like magic. Just eat some fries or something.”

Food sounded good, but with exhausting finally getting to her, her appetite was all but gone. As it was, she knew how the food was cooked and handled and knew better than to order something. If she wanted food poisoning, she’d cook something herself. 

Y/n grabbed the container they stored the menus in and began organizing them. If only she hadn’t picked up the phone. If she’d just let it ring and ring and ring then she wouldn’t have had to come in. It was a stupid thought, how was she to know who was calling her? If it wasn’t her boss it could have been her mother or a friend. It could have been an emergency but she wouldn’t know if she hadn’t answered. 

She closed her eyes for a second, leaning against the counter. It would be all to easy to fall asleep right then and there. But sleep or any type of peace wasn’t something she was going to get when Rachel smacked her with a menu.

“Better wake up, a table just walked in and it’s all yours,” the woman smiled before walking into the kitchen.

Y/n groaned, pushing herself off the counter and went to gather menus and silverware. One more hour. One more hour and she’d be out of there, hopefully fast asleep in her bed. Her lips formed into a forced smile as she walked to the table, but it quickly turned into a genuine one when she saw who was seated at it.

“What are you guys doing here!?!” she asked, coming to stand in front of the table.

Nikki smiled at her. “No hello, good to see you?”

Y/n playfully smacked him with a menu before passing them out. “I thought you guys were going to a party after the show,” she explained.

Vince shook his head, blonde locks twirling through the air, disappointment written on his features. It was clear that at least one of them wished they were at that party.

“You guys are probably missing out,” Y/n said as she pulled a note pad out of her apron pocket.

“Doubtful,” Mick commented, looking over the menu.

Y/n took their drink orders, coming back minutes later with four drinks in hand. She passed them out to the boys before pulling her note pad back out. “You guys ready to order? Or do you need a couple of minutes?”

“You serve pancakes all day, right?” Tommy asked.

She nodded. “All day, every day.”

He grinned at her answer. “Then I’m having pancakes.”

Y/n smiled back at him before turning to Nikki, “What about you?”

Nikki looked over the menu, trying to decide what he wanted. He wasn’t that hungry and was sure that he would only eat maybe half of whatever he picked. “How about we split something?”

“You and me?” she questioned. 

He nodded.

Y/n sighed, taking Tommy’s menu. “I’m not all that hungry, Nikki.”

“Neither am I. That’s why we should split something.” 

Y/n knew better than to argue with the man. She had been friends with Nikki for ages, letting him crash at her place when he needed and tagging along to shows when she could. She had watched him form Motley Crue and had become friends the rest of the band in the process. The boys were like her brothers and like brothers they didn’t listen.

“Fine,” she gave in.

Nikki smiled at his victory. “I’ll have whatever you’re having then.”

“What about you, Vince?”

Fifteen minutes later, Y/n came back to the table with four plates of hot food. She set them in front of the people they belonged to before taking a seat next to Nikki. She might have regretted answering the phone, but she was glad that something good came of coming into work. It wasn’t often that she got to spend time with the boys, they were either busy at the studio or performing somewhere. So, it was a good thing she’d picked up the phone, otherwise, she wouldn’t have gotten to spend time with the boys.

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