#like i want to do it in a fingersnap but when i start it every day im crying cramping feel nauseus and my brain wants to explode

[erzsebetrosztoczy]

Mild rant because I need to talk it out into the void.

The thesis not thesising, i just finished the literature, starting tomorrow the questionnaire analysis and I plan to be done with it by the next weekend because my thesis supervisor just announced she will want our writings by march 15, not the end of the month because she will be abroad, so my plan of "one more month" is over, i need to rush meanwhile im trying to balance field practice in the hospital every weekday while also preapring for my state exam with them delicious 92themes FOR JUNE 3.

Like I need to do cell division and have the brain capacity of Megamind to deal with all of this. And im just a silly little girl. I know this should not be the end of the world, heck TÖBB IS VESZETT MOHÁCSNÁL but still this is my biggest challenge and fear for my short ylung life so far and I already developed panic attacks because of academics, what will i do when im working???? Someone poof me out of exiatance please, i want to be a moss rug on the forest floor.

My high anxiety really goes hand in hand with my procrastination to destroy my mental state in my early 20s, aren't they?

Anyway whowever reada this, and also has shit ton of work to do and you are panicing and want to run off to the woods, leviing all responsibility for the strrrong capable ones -- you are not alone as you can see, and I'm sure we'll manage. But first lets disappear into the swamps together, okay?

[duskpinelydearyou]

Artist Dates

Hello again Tumblr, I've got more to share with you!

I loved my second time at Full Sail University. From the start, I knew I had made the right choice in going back to the place where it all began, but I knew it'd be bittersweet as I was quickly coming to the end of my chapter in college and moving forward with the rest of my life. Though I learned a lot from this, I remember one thing that always stuck with me. My third month of twelve, a quarter of the way done with my program, I picked up on something in my scriptwriting class that had me thinking about enjoying something so nice for myself. And it all has to do with thanks from a self-help book by an author named Julia Cameron.

As you can guess by the title of this, I did what was called an artist date. But what is an artist date, you're probably wondering. For me, it was a time I devoted myself to creatively getting out of my comfort zone to find inspiration in the world around me. Though the actual definition is close, it's what I saw my artist dates for the month of October. How did it help me? It freshened me up for a change as I had been so focused on just schoolwork and the like that I never took the opportunity to get out of my shell. Like a turtle, I finally got out of my shell and started going out to have fun, whether it just be around my apartment complex I was staying at, or actively going around the Winter Park community. So to add a little bit of fun and excitement to my blog here, I would like to convey the dates I went on, how I saw the world around me, and how it helped inspire me moving forward with my final venture through college.

We all have to start somewhere, and that start for me was on September 29th with a Hydrodipping even that was done in my apartment complex. What made it fun? Well, we got to design our own cups into unique and colorful patterns similar to how they do the wraps on cars to get those crazy unique styles. I challenged myself to be creative, to think outside the box with what wacky design I could come up with, and settled on it. It also happened during a time where I was working on my first script for the class, a one-page script that I had issues trying to write for as I had been so focused on writing stuff for a full short film.

The second event was exploring Winter Park in and of itself, and was among one of the more expensive dates I went on. Where did I go? Well, I went to Hobby Lobby, one of my favorite craft stores! I think that's something I share between myself and my family as we all love Hobby Lobby, and I was so happy that one was in the town I was living in for the year! My haul wasn't too big as there wasn't much to pick from, especially with it being close to Halloween at the time (October 6th is close in my book, don't @ me). I did manage to grab a couple of books though, mostly on how to draw anime and chibi (a subtle middle finger to my drawing teachers and instructors who tore me down when I was younger) and went home with my haul. Brought the books with me every day for the rest of the month just to chill out and draw something in my notebooks that I brought with me. What I got out of this was just turning my brain into off mode and focusing on something else. It was refreshing to just explore and not have to worry about any assignments for the day.

My next artist date after was just something so very simple: getting a haircut. Why was it considered an artist date? Well, sometimes an artist needs to look their best before a big project, and usually that can just be a change in their own self-appearance, which was what I wanted to do. I wasn't dealing with class that day, so I figured it was a good opportunity to put my controller down and just go for a haircut. I wasn't going to hermit myself in when it was such a beautiful day outside! I even made a video of it that has me doing my favorite video cut: the fingersnap cut.

October 17th was a day at the beach, just having time to enjoy myself and celebrate an incredibly big achievement. I had finished the rough draft of my five-page script and the pitch for this script. My family was also visiting at this time and it gave me a chance to just relax and enjoy the fruits of my labor now completed. A reprieve from the hard world of school, the reward being the gentle lapping of waves on the sand and music in my ears. This was also my last artist date for the end of the month, but there was more to be had as I enjoyed the concept of going out and enjoying myself as a treat for completing something, or getting out of my own head.

Those were just the first four of many I did. Fun experiences to be had all around, and it was just the start of many more wonderful experiences I had. From kayaking, to movie watching, to even enjoying a game I've not had the privilege of playing in years, my artist dates varied, and they continued to vary as such over the next year. I have more experiences to enjoy, much more to go out and see, and I plan on doing it all when I have the stability for it. Hope my next big artist date takes me across the country, or even the world for that matter. I'd love to see another culture and garner inspiration from it seeing as there is more to it than just seeing it on a computer screen. To a future of exploration and enjoying every moment!

[shirtlesssammy]

14x10: Nihilism

Then:

Son of a bitch. Michael’s back.

Now:

Welcome to tonight’s AU fanfic entitled:

Dean’s living the contented life running a bar (I’ve read this fic before, but I’m intrigued) listening to The Marshall Tucker Band’s “Searching for a Rainbow” (the BIGGEST EYEBALLS EMOJI), and working with Pamela Barnes! (Wha!?!!! Yay!!!) This bar had a squirrel and a moose and the monkey from The Roadhouse and the Impala’s old license plate and “Daphne Loves Fred” engraved on the bar. Here’s a great breakdown of the bar from @bluestar86. There’s a lot here, guys. This is a Jerry Wanek deserves all the accolades and attention possible blog. Pamela and Dean discuss where Sam and Cas are (hunting a ghoul in Wichita) when a businesswoman with a briefcase arrives. Apparently she’s been trying to buy the bar from Dean, but he’s not selling. 

The woman storms out back into the rain. (About that rain: I loved this post by @postmodernmulticoloredcloak)

Later, Dean’s doing paperwork in his office (WHAT A CUTE, RESPONSIBLE NERD). Pamela comes in with a couple of shots and THIS exchange happens:

Pamela: I’m heading out for a hot date.

Dean: How come you always have a boyfriend?

Pamela: How come you only want what you can’t have?

Dean: Whoa.

Pamela: Besides, you don’t want me. You just like to flirt. I’m a psychic, so I kinda know.

That was a lot to process in 30 seconds and then we’re all blindsided by Pamela’s arm? Not cool show.

Later, Dean is pulling some Texan Beer (just go read all tagged posts by @mittensmorgul) from the walk-in fridge when Pamela alerts him to trouble: Vamps are at the bar.

They make fast order of the situation and in a moment I found quite touching, Pamela starts to clear the blood off of Dean’s face, and he lets her. And I just want Dean to know how much he can be loved and cared for if he’s just let someone (*cough* CAS *cough*) do it.

This whole scene almost made me forget that THIS ISN'T REAL. After the title screen, we’re back in St. Louis, Michael is possessing Dean, and his fingersnap that we all thought would end the world, just updated his clothes to a snappy suit. Michael is so extra.

He grandstands a bit and tells Sam, Cas, and Jack that he knew their plans the whole time. Cas starts to run at Michael, giving Sam time to Molotov Cocktail him, allowing Cas to throw the archangel cuffs on Michael. Whew, Team Free Will, they really are better together. Sam pleads with Dean to hear him, but Michael mocks, “Dean’s not home right now. Please leave a message.” Meanwhile, Michael’s monsters are out in the city attacking and building an army. Maggie and the other hunters check in. They need to save other people. Sam, Cas, and Jack are on their own.  

Monsters arrive before they can make their escape from the highrise. Cas can only hold the door for so long. Jack asks Sam if they’re going to die here. Sam pauses, but it gives him an idea. He calls for Jessica, the reaper. Violet arrives instead. It seems the reapers have to take shifts on monitoring the Winchesters.

Sam begs for her help, and Jack and Cas wonder who he’s talking to. They can’t see her. There’s some back and forth, and Violet appears to have a silent conversation, and without a word transports them all back to the bunker. (BILLIE! She’s got a soft spot for the Winchesters. Ok, not really, she just knows way too fucking much and it’s stressing her out.)

They wrap Michael up in chains in the war room and discuss the details of how to hold him. He informs them that he can hear them, so they move 2 feet further away from him. (I’m pretty sure he can still hear you. He is a celestial being.) Sam brings up when Crowley busted into his head when Gadreel was possessing him. Maggie calls before they can formulate a plan. The monsters have left St. Louis and are heading for Lebanon. (Sidenote: I am so creeped out how Michael says “Castiel”.)  Cas and Jack head off to secure the bunker, while Sam stays and listens to Michael mock that it’s just a matter of time before he escapes and everybody dies.

Sam pulls out the British Men of Letters mind meld machine. It’s their only hope to get in Dean’s mind and alert him to what’s happening. Cas agrees.

Meanwhile, Dean continues to relive the same moments at Rocky’s Bar over and over. (Seriously depressing Mystery Spot FEELS.)

Jack is left with Michael while Sam and Cas set up the machine. This is the perfect opportunity for Michael to place the seeds of doubt in Jack about how Dean feels about him, and Jack’s place in their lives. “You’re not Sam, you’re not Cas. You’re a new burden that he was handed.” UGH. Cas interrupts, and stops Jack --making it clear that Jack shouldn’t believe a word Michael says. Jack doesn’t look him in the eye before walking away.

Meanwhile, Maggie and the other hunters are preparing to stop the onslaught of monsters.

It’s now Cas’s turn to listen to Michael’s taunts. He doesn’t bite as easy. They exchange barbs about loyalty and weakness. All AU!Michael and Lucifer wanted was for Chuck to return, and he didn’t. So now Michael just wants to “burn every one of his little worlds” until he finds him. Michael reveals that he wants to kill God. Story aside: How crackling was this scene between Misha and Jensen? Even with ZERO sexual tension, they cannot turn off their chemistry. It was beautifully shot (Bravo Amanda Tapping!) and mesmerizing to watch.

The other hunters lose track of the monsters. One hunter, Tiger, runs into the woods alone. It’s all good though! He’s fine and alerts everyone that the monsters went around them, heading for the bunker.

At the bunker, while Sam preps the machine, Jack wonders if this’ll work, and then offers to use his life-saving magic. NO BBY JACK.

Later, Sam and Michael are all plugged in.

Cas is going to mind-meld with Sam to hitch a ride. Jack is going to watch over them, making sure no one kills them.

Sam and Cas find themselves in a place astonishingly reminiscent of the Empty. It’s Dean’s mind, but he’s a no show.

Cas uses his power to scan Dean’s mind. It’s mostly just...screaming and pain. “There’s so much trauma,” Cas notes, traumatically. Having to hear the love of his life Dean in pain is hard, but the worst part is that there are so many awful memories they’ll have to sort through to find the real Dean. That’ll take time. Sam has a different theory. He thinks that Michael would swaddle Dean in something good because “Dean thrives on trauma.” Inspired, Cas begins searching for good memories and quickly locks on to the bar.

They zap to the bar, only to be confronted by the soft twang of music and Dean’s jovial greeting. Dean shills for Jensen’s beer company (which is, frankly, AHdorable) while Pamela warmly greets Cas and Sam. Both of them immediately swap stories about how they done Pamela wrong (burned out her eyes / got her killed by a demon). Oh. Bbys. 

Sam tries to convince Dean that he’s living in a fantasy when Dean and Pamela zap out of there, cutting to one of their other canned scenes. The memories get increasingly choppy as Sam and Cas threaten Dean’s fake reality. Soon enough, they’re both bloodied bystanders of Dean’s monster bar fight.

For Nice Work, Special Effects Department Science:

Dean’s head is still sticking with the script, though and Pamela attributes Cas and Sam’s new blood spatters as leftover from their ghoul hunt.

Sam’s getting kind of fed up and reminds Dean of how Pamela was blinded. RUDE. Moments later, Pamela turns to them, eyes white in their sockets, claiming she’s been blind for ages. “You can thank Feathers here for that one.” (Cas looks mortified and tells Dean it was an accident. CAS BBY.) And then Dean remembers she died and she disappears.

“This is the dream!” Dean protests. Cas begs him to remember his real life and come back to them.

“Poughkeepsie,” Sam whispers suddenly after a long, searching look. Memories rush back to Dean.

“I remember,” Dean says. “I remember everything.”

Suddenly, off to the side Michael slow claps. Ugh. Go away, Michael.

He proceeds to tell veiled lies. Dean only tolerates “the angel” because he “gripped you tight and raised you from perdition.” As for Sam, he was a burden well shed when he went off to college. Dean looks utterly perplexed by these stories.

Cas realizes that Michael’s stalling so his monster army can attack the bunker. Speaking of which...outside of Dean’s head the bunker door swings open and Maggie & Company rush inside. They start to lock down the bunker.

This is all okay. It’s FINE! Because Dean’s ready to take on Michael, given that Michael’s totally depowered inside Dean’s mind.

And then...it all goes to hell. In the bunker, monsters slam against the door but the bunker’s locked down. They should be safe there for a while! HOWEVER Tiger, one of the AU hunters, went into the woods alone and emerged a monster. The bunker door is actually unlocked and everyone in the bunker start to fight for their lives.

The hunters engage in a fruitless firefight against the mostly immune monsters and it’s looking like they’ll lose when…

Jack taps into his soul and zaps away some of his soul’s energy. Oh Jack. :(

Back in Dean’s head, he hits upon a brainstorm (har har?) and tells Michael that he’ll lock him up inside his own mind. He tries to shove Michael into a walk-in refrigerator and fails. Never fear, though. Because Team Free Will is here! Sam and Cas team up to trap Michael in the fridge and Dean slams home a locking pin. “I’m the cage,” Dean growls and my face melts off.

In the aftermath of the fight, Maggie promises to help clean up the mess from the fight and Sam thanks her. In the kitchen, Cas has a serious conversation with Jack. It’s 40% angry and 60% worried.

Cas tries to help Jack understand that the soul makes him who he is and he needs to protect it. “It won’t happen again,” Jack tells him and UUUUUUUGH it’s totally going to happen again oh NOOOO.

Meanwhile, Michael pounds and screams inside Dean’s head while Dean hunches over the sink in front of his mirror. “It’s only you,” he begins. “It’s all you.”

Suddenly, Billie appears.

For Science:

She knows about Michael throwing the equivalent of 80,000 keggers in Dean’s head. She tells him that Dean’s universe-crossing hijinks have delivered nothing but pain. She reminds Dean of the many notebooks describing how he might die. Since Dean’s possession, all the books have been rewritten to show Michael escaping his brain-cage and destroying the world. Actually, correction: all but one have been rewritten. She hands him a single volume. Dean opens it and….we have no idea what’s inside. 

“What am I supposed to do with this?” Dean asks, looking shocked.

“That’s up to you,” Billie tells him cooly before flapping away.

Where Everybody Quotes Your Name:

How come you only want what you can’t have?

It’s a big trunk.

The worst part of workin’ here is having to clean up the blood after some pissed off monster busts in to kill you.

What can I say? I’m famous.

Put a chair against the door. That’ll help.

You’re confusing loyalty and compassion with weakness.

Get me a shot WITH YOUR BRAIN.

My mind. My rules.

Want to read more? Check out our Recap Archive! 

[polar-stars]

Shokugeki Supernatural AU-Thingie 1: Humans (Part 1)

Relating to this post, I am kind off crafting a Supernatural AU for Shokugeki. Simply because I listened too much to the music of my favorite musical which is “Tanz der Vampire” (”Dance of the Vampires” in English) and I love Vampires. 

Yeh. 

Now I want to establish the roles of the characters just a little bit more (I still don’t have a lot...but hm ;w; I am just having fun...But it really does need more development. If anyone has any ideas, I’d love to hear them ;w;), let’s begin with the humans.

Normal Humans:

Megumi Tadokoro: 

A sweet girl that moved newly into town alongside her friends Ryoko and Yuki (They live in a flat above Soma’s apartment) She was never a big fan of horror stories and all that stuff. Just for safety reasons, she sleeps with a little garlic hanging from the ceiling and silver near her. She starts working in Soma’s tavern and is quickly very well liked within the town’s community. She takes quick notice of the oddities in this town but tries to tell herself that she’s just being silly. 

Tosuke Megishima:

Runs the pharmacy in town! Very mysterious and not much is known about him. Actually, Tosuke is a retired Vampire-Hunter, who simply lost interest. But that makes him a person who knows a lot about the supernatural elements in this world and knows exactly how to keep them away from him. 

Ryoko Sakaki:

Moves into town alongside Megumi and Yuki. Her and Yuki don’t plan on staying pretty long but living alone for a while just sounded like a good idea for them. Ryoko does not believe at all into vampires, werewolves and all that stuff and think it are just stupid children tales. She helps out Fumio a lot in the church and makes her money with selling Soma fermented products. 

Yuki Yoshino:

New in town and ready to kick it! Yuki is very excited about all these vampire and werwolves tales n’ myths. She does not really believe in them, but she’s very excited about them. Everything about the town fascinates her and she’s ready to explore every spot of the dark forest. Took a job as helping hand in a slaughterhouse.

Vampire-Hunters

Vampire-Hunters basically hunt for everything that’s supernatural. You could also call them “Werewolf-Hunters” or “Witch-Hunters”, but “Vampire-Hunters” is just the most common term for them for some reason.

Eishi Tsukasa:

When you ask Eishi Tsukasa why he’s hunting vampires, his answer is gong to be a shrug. Eishi is a nobleman. A nobleman who can receive everything with just a fingersnap. And eventually he got bored. And that is why he hunts. For the kick that comes with it, because hunting Supernaturals is not just something you do so easily. Yes, he quickly became one of the highest Elite in the hunting community. 

Nene Kinokuni:

Another high-rated hunter. She’s an offspring of a very renowned family full of hunters and excels greatly at her craft. She also takes it heavily serious of course and can’t stand people like Terunori who almost seem to treat it like some sort of sport. She also finds supernatural creatures truly nasty. That’s because it was taught to her like this from a very young age on.

Terunori Kuga:

And another hunter who’s name is commonly known. Now he also hunts for the kick. He finds genuine fun in this dangerous task and the more dangerous his target is, the more he’s going to be into it. He also seeks a rivalry with Eishi (who doesn’t takes a lot of notice from him) and loves to mess with Nene. He often works together with another skilled hunter, Miyoko Hojo.

Akira Hayama:

Hunts to protect. His parents left him alone on the streets and he probably would have died, if Doctor Jun Shiomi hadn’t find him. When he was a kid the two got attacked by some supernatural creature, but got saved by a hunter. Akira, still haunted by those memories and terrified of the mere thought something could happen to Jun, immediately begged the hunter to train him. Nowadays he’s despite his age already a largely promising hunter who carries around a deep hatred for everything supernatural.

Takumi and Isami Aldini:

Twins whose father was murdered by a vampire. They were taught to hunt by their uncle and they also kind off hunt to protect their mother. They are very talented and very brave and came to town because their heard that some fishy things are going on there. They also rent an apartment in Soma’s tavern.

Again...it still needs a lot of work. So if any of you has ideas, please don’t hesitate to tell me about them ;w;

I am going to do some of the supernatural creatures tomorrow

[worryinglyinnocent]

Fic: A Streak of Luck (4/?)

Summary: Lady Belle of the Marchlands sets out to break the curse that has doomed all the women of her family line for centuries, seeking out the legendary sorcerer Rumpelstiltskin to aid her in her quest. Even if she finds him, will he be able to help her break her curse?

Rated: T

[One] [Two] [Three] [AO3]

====

A Streak of Luck

Four

Now that they had established Rumpelstiltskin’s actual identity after the Bill farce, he was no longer taking any pains to conceal his face, and as such, Belle had the opportunity to observe him properly.

They had been riding together in silence for the most part of the afternoon, with Rumpelstiltskin lost in thought, no doubt trying to work out how to break Belle’s curse once they arrived at the Dark Castle, and whether it was even possible. Belle for her part amused herself by trying to piece together a true picture of the man riding beside her from the person she could actually see, the things she had read in her book, and all the tall tales that she had been told over the years.

That he was under some kind of curse was clear from his strange appearance. Now that the light was shining on him, Belle could see that his mottled skin had a strange little sheen to it, as if he had been covered in gold dust. Well, that would make sense if all the tales of him being able to turn straw into gold were true. Some of it must have rubbed off on him.

She wondered what kind of curse it was. Whatever it was had definitely made him immortal; if all the stories were to be believed then he had been around for several centuries. She fell to pondering, letting Philippe fall out of step with the other horse so that she could daydream in peace. Perhaps he was not the original Rumpelstiltskin of the legends, still alive today. Perhaps it was just a title, passed on to several successors of the original dealmaker.

“Rumpelstiltskin,” she said presently.

He turned to glance over his shoulder at her.

“Yes, dearie? What is it? You know, if we’re going to hold a conversation, it might be easier if you come up here again, I can’t be talking to you over my shoulder all the time. I’ll get the most terrible crick in my neck and if the wind changes then I might be stuck like that forever.”

Belle trotted up alongside him again.

“That’s much better. So, what was it that you wanted to know, my dear? I can see that you’re practically bursting at the seams with questions, no matter how proper and polite and ladylike you’re trying to be.”

He was right. There were so many things that Belle wanted to know about him, but she didn’t know if her questions would be too personal this soon into their acquaintance. She had read so much about him and she was desperate to know how much of the legend was rooted in reality, and how much had been made up by storytellers over the years. If he really was as old as people claimed, then it would be unlikely that there was anyone else alive today who could substantiate the tales.

“Why are we still riding?” she asked, picking her most innocuous question to start with.

Rumpelstiltskin raised one eyebrow.

“Because as I am sure you are aware, we are not yet at the Dark Castle.” He gestured around himself theatrically at the open expanse of grassland that they were travelling across. “I can assure you that the place itself is not in any way, shape or form invisible. We’re not going to suddenly happen across it where it wasn’t before. Therefore, we are still riding because we have not arrived at our destination.”

“I know that,” Belle said. “What I mean is, why are we still riding when you have the magic necessary to transport us there in a fingersnap.”

“Ah.” Rumpelstiltskin waggled a claw-tipped finger at her. “Now there, you see, is the problem.”

“Don’t you have that kind of power?”

“Oh, I have that kind of power, all right, dearie. I could transport us to the castle in a fingersnap. I could transport the castle over to us in a fingersnap. I could make you invisible and send you to the bottom of the ocean and back without harming a hair on your head. Raw power isn’t the problem here.”

“So why wouldn’t you transport us?” Belle asked. She was intrigued by his vehemence about the whole affair, and she wondered what his motives were in extending their journey longer than they had to. Surely it would be in everyone’s best interests for everything to be cleared up as soon as possible; the sooner that they could get started on breaking her curse, the better. Or, to put it another way, the sooner that Rumpelstiltskin could tell her that her curse was unbreakable, the sooner Belle could start coming to terms with the idea.

“All magic comes with a price,” Rumpelstiltskin explained. “It’s a basic law of nature, you see. Equal and opposite reactions and all that kind of thing. You can never get something for nothing. Every time I perform a feat of magic to assist me, then the magic requires something in return. Can you imagine what life would be like if there were no prices for the spells that we weave? Everyone would get a magical solution to their problems with no questions asked and the world would be very boring.”

He gave an explosive, high-pitched giggle, and Belle could immediately tell that there was something else behind the words than mere flippancy.

“Somehow I don’t think that boredom is the reason,” she said sagely.

Rumpelstiltskin just looked at her for a long time. His eyes were narrowed, scrutinising her thoroughly, and Belle wondered just what he was thinking. It looked like he was sizing her up again, taking some measure of her although she didn’t know what.

“You’re an interesting one, Lady Belle,” he said, not that the cryptic words really shed any light on the situation.

He didn’t speak again for a long time, and Belle assumed that the conversation was closed. Perhaps she’d touched a nerve somewhere along the line without meaning to, although she couldn’t for the life of her think what she might have said to offend him.

“It’s a question of balance,” he said suddenly. “Every spell cast takes its toll on its caster. Why do you think I look like this? My complexion wasn’t always this rosy, you know. Several lifetimes of dark magic will do that to a person.”

His dark eyes flashed dangerously, but Belle didn’t feel any fear. “If you know the legends, then presumably you know the bad ones as well as the good ones. There’s a reason why people only come to me for a deal when they’re desperate.”

“Well, I’m desperate,” Belle said. “And yes, I know all the legends. I know the prices that you extract from people who seek your help. I may be young, but I’m not naïve.”

“Well, I suppose that will remain to be seen,” Rumpelstiltskin said. “Still, it’s good to know that you’ve done your research. The price that I extract from my deals is simply the price that would otherwise be extracted from me instead. All magic comes with a price, be it the dark magic that we sorcerers have harnessed for centuries, or the mystical magic of the fae. The difference is that the fairies don’t tell you about the price in advance. They just let you pay it.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Oh, they’ll give you a solution to your problems all right, and they won’t charge you a penny for it. But somehow, in some way, that solution to your problems will inexplicably start causing more problems than it solved, and no-one ever thinks to link this mysterious coincidence back to the fairies.” He gave an emphatic sniff. “At least I’m up front with my prices. No-one can ever accuse me of not setting everything out in writing. Whether or not they read it is entirely up to them.”

His feathers were ruffled; Belle could tell.

“I apologise. I seem to have touched a sore spot.”

Rumpelstiltskin just bowed his head a little. “All magic has a price,” he repeated. “Even the magic to break your curse will have a price. I just don’t know what it is yet.”

“I’m willing to pay it,” Belle said.

Rumpelstiltskin just looked at her, raising an eyebrow.

“Are you absolutely sure about that?” he asked. “You may not like the price once I’ve worked out what it’s going to be.”

“Well…” Belle thought back to the tales of her youth. “I’m not sure that being uncursed is worth a first-born, but then again, I probably won’t survive to see a first-born in the first place, or at least to live with one for very long.”

“You’re incredibly pragmatic about it,” Rumpelstiltskin observed.

“Like I said before, I’ve had to be. There’s no use in pussyfooting about the whole thing. Sometimes you have to look at things from a different point of view in order to get anywhere in the world.”

“Hmm.” He paused. “I’m glad you thought about the first-borns.”

They rode on in silence for a while, each lost in their own thoughts. At least Belle knew now why they were still travelling on horseback even if Rumpelstiltskin had probably poofed himself to the inn to meet her as soon as he knew that she was on her way to seek him out. Magically transporting another person probably came at a much greater cost than just moving himself, and she couldn’t ask him to pay that price now just for the sake of her convenience.

“You mentioned all the legends that surround you,” Belle began again. “I was wondering about them.”

“How many are true, you mean? Oh, all of them and more, I can assure you. Especially the really bad ones.”

He grinned then, showing sharp, mossy teeth, but Belle was unperturbed.

���No, I wasn’t thinking about the truth of them. I know that all legends get embroidered over the years.”

“Most of them embroidered by my own fair hand, if I do say so myself.” He seemed extraordinarily proud of the fact.

“Well, be that as it may, I was wondering why there were so many legends in the first place since you’re still, you know. Alive. Active. Still making deals. You’ve fallen into folktale and legend but you’re as real a person as I am. How did that happen? How does a man become a myth like that within his own lifetime?”

Rumpelstiltskin didn’t answer for a long time. He was staring out into the middle distance as they rode towards the mountains, but Belle could tell that he wasn’t taking any of it in at all. His mind was miles away.

“I suppose it might have something to do with the fact that my lifetime is rather longer than everyone else’s.” He looked over at her at last, and in that moment, Belle could see the centuries etched into the lines around his eyes. Physically he didn’t look to be older than his late forties, but his eyes held many more years in their depths. “Yes, I really am as old as people say.”

“How?”

“You’re not the only one who’s cursed, dearie. Like I said, all magic comes at a price.”

They continued to ride on. Belle was lost in thought, but she didn’t dare to ask Rumpelstiltskin any more questions until later, once they had reached the castle. She felt that there was something different about him now. Despite his strange appearance, he was the closest to a normal human man that he had been throughout their short time together, and it perturbed her. The knowledge that there was a man who had once been human there underneath the veneer of magic and legend made her wonder just what had happened to turn him into the person she saw now.

There had to be a reason why he had allowed his name to become legend. There had to be a reason why so many people thought that he was just an old wives’ tale and that he didn’t really exist. He was a figure from local myth and history, someone who wasn’t entirely real despite his presence throughout their folklore.

Up until now, perhaps he hadn’t been entirely real to Belle. Now, he was definitely a man of flesh and blood like anyone else, and she was more than intrigued to find out what the real story behind him was. His origins had been lost to time; like so many figures of legend, no-one could tell precisely how he came to be. The books had spoken of a curse, vague mentions of making a deal that he hadn’t understood at the time. Belle wondered if fairies were involved somewhere along the line to give him his antipathy towards them and their magic.

Other than those few vague words, though, there had been no mentions of where he had come from or who he had been before this curse. It was as if he had always been there, a constant presence that no one questioned. She had been intrigued by him before, but now having met him and verified his reality, she was even more so.

A cold wind had started to blow in from the north, and Belle pulled her cloak in tighter around her against the chill, pulling her hood up and tucking in her chin.

“Yes, the mountains are a forbidding place at times.” Rumpelstiltskin seemed unaffected by the sudden cold, and he looked over at Belle, shivering in her saddle. “Don’t worry. The castle will be more welcoming once we get there.”

“Do you have to live in such a remote place?” Belle muttered.

“I don’t like uninvited guests any more than the next man looking for peace and a quiet life,” Rumpelstiltskin pointed out. “At least I know that anyone who comes looking for me here really means business. I find that living so remotely does help to sort the desperate from the truly desperate. Most people would think it madness to make such a journey.”

“Well, call me mad then.”

Rumpelstiltskin just chuckled and squeezed his heels in to pick up the pace against the driving winds; Belle followed suit.

“Here,” he said, snapping his fingers. An empty glass jar appeared in his hand, and he held it out to Belle, who took it gingerly.

“What is it?”

He gave her an unimpressed look. “It’s not finished yet. Stop getting ahead of yourself.”

He snapped his fingers again and a small ball of blue flame flickered into life, dancing over his palm. Carefully, he tipped it into the jar, and immediately Belle felt her chilly hands begin to warm up.

“Thank you,” she said. “What’s the price for this one, then?”

Rumpelstiltskin waved her question away. “Oh, this one’s on me. We can’t have you dying of frostbite before we even get there, can we? It would be a terrible waste of a journey and I was really looking forward to analysing your curse; it’s one of the most complex I’ve seen and I’d hate to be denied the chance to take a closer look at it.”

Belle didn’t think that he was being entirely truthful in his reasoning there, but she didn’t press him any further, simply grateful for the warmth that was now suffusing her veins from the little jar of fire.

She felt a tingling sensation at her scalp again, at the base of her maudlin streak. It was the same feeling that she’d had the night before in the tavern, when she and Rumpelstiltskin had first talked and she had first been clued in as to his identity. He had said that her curse trusted him. It was the magic in her that had recognised the magic in him, and now it was doing so again, reminding her about just why she was here with him in the first place.

Her curse knew something about him that she didn’t, and she was determined to find out what it was.

Not now, though. In time. He had said that her curse was a complex one, so it might take some time for him to break it. It might take some time for him to find out if he would be able to break it in the first place. There might be plenty of time once they reached the Dark Castle and were out of the cold in which she could find out more about him. Because she really did want to find out more about him. She knew that she really couldn’t trust what the books said, and she had barely scratched the surface with her questioning this afternoon.

Rumpelstiltskin pulled up short, reigning his horse in.

“We’re here,” he said.

Belle came up alongside him, and looked over the mountain ridge. He had been right in the tavern when he had looked at her map; she never would have found the place so quickly had she gone on her original planned route. In fact, she wondered if he had perhaps used magic to make their journey shorter after all.

They weren’t there yet, there were still a few miles of winding roads into the foothills, but the Dark Castle was now in sight, looming impressive in the distance.

It was a foreboding place, and Belle shivered, but any fear that she felt soon gave way to anticipation. If she was going to succeed in finding a way to break her curse, then it would soon be close at hand.

She looked over at Rumpelstiltskin.

“Lead the way, Bill.”

He rolled his eyes but said nothing, and they continued down into the foothills, coming ever closer to the Dark Castle.

[marshmalleaux-queen]

it’s almost 3 am and i’m sleep drunk but didnt feel like going to bed yet so i rambled about how much i fuckign love my demon lord husband and now you all have to suffer with me in Ghirahell

God I just. love Ghirahim??? Like what the hell. Who gave him the right to be so incredible.

People give him shit for being too ~flamboyant~ and ~showy~ but tbh I think that just makes it better cause like. then you don't expect him to absolutely obliterate you. Like yeah, do you forget that he's an absolute fucking BEAST with a sword? multiple swords?? this man literally IS a fucking sword??? he is an incredible fighter with such phenomenal magical prowess and raw physical strength like holy shit. Managed to fuck Impa's shit, nearly managed to fuck your shit (or DOES fuck your shit, depending on how well/badly you play) - also remember how he can catch your sharp-ass sword between two of his fingers and then fucking rip it from your hands and steal it from you??? cause yeah, that's a thing that can happen!!! honestly if it weren't for the fact that you're the hero and you have to win the game, this man could have and WOULD have singlehandedly harnessed the power of a fucking goddess in order to literally resurrect SATAN HIMSELF. Like holy FUCK I do NOT want to get on his bad side. Anyway yeah point being that while you're sitting there laughing at his ~effeminate~ mannerisms and appearance he can literally just fucking teleport behind you and snap your neck in a heartbeat i bet. That's how he gets you. Clever motherfucker. Brains AND brawn. the whole frickin' package.

anywhom moving on from the fact that he could literally give me a black eye and i would fucking thank him (okay maybe I would not want him to give me a black eye but like jeezus dude his strength is not to be underestimated), let's take a moment to appreciate his exquisite beauty. Oh yes. That hair? Snow white hair that's short and smooth in the back and long and luscious in the front? God would I love to run that hair through my fingers. And what a gorgeous face. What a rich and lovely dark brown his eyes are. What flawless violet lines underneath them. and those lips? those smooth, delectable lips whose color compliments his skin perfectly? Every time I see those lips curl into a smirk I am s h o o k. I want to smooch them so much. and don't even get me started on that tongue. that fucking t o n g u e. Oh but we're not done. consider the rest of his gorgeous body. Oh yes. Being an absolute beast in combat would certainly be more plausible with such a toned body. not lanky but not BUFF. perfect body for holding and feeling safe. And he's so tall too?? My goodness think of all the fun things that could come from the height difference. One moment I'm the butt of the short jokes and the next moment he's towering over the dickwads that think it's okay to join in when nobody fuckin asked them to. And all the while he maneuvers this body in a perfect balance of gracefulness and power. How does he do it. How does he manage this flawlessness. This is not to mention the myriad of outfits he dons throughout his encounters. The cape of my favorite primary color, that I bet would be so big on me it could be a blanket. The diamond motif of the underclothes that provide both mobility and eye candy. The regal gloves that adorn his strong yet delicate hands. the vibrant gems that decorate his ear and his waist. I'd say I want to frame this man and put him on my wall but that's another can of fave-related worms entirely. *coughYugacough*

and his mannerisms? the way in which he presents himself beyond physical appearance? heart-stopping. His words are constantly laced with silver. one moment you are entranced by his smooth tone and loquaciousness. the next you are shaken by the venom and power that his words can carry. This man could read me all of the shakespeare I was begrudgingly forced to read in high school and for once I would actually be enamored. Fuck it, this man could read me a fucking terms and services page and I would need to rethink the entirety of the english language because clearly it cannot be this beautiful. Oh and must I even mention the absolutely glorious tenor that graces his vocal cords? or the myriad of delectable sounds that it produces at any given moment? must I mention how it reduces me to an absolutely melted puddle on the ground, even if he is literally threatening to fucking murder me??? must I????? And this man is confident and he is not afraid to show it. He knows that once he's done boasting about his beauty, he can easily wring your neck and have it be a performance. His actions and his words carry both grandeur and power - both of which can bring a marshmallow to her knees with a single badass fingersnap. He's beauty. He's grace. He will punch you in the face.

[gyrlversion]

(G)I-dle Are Standing Out With Their Self-Produced Sound And Defining It On Their Own Terms

By Taylor Glasby

Before the recent release of their fourth single — the lyrically sagacious, ’90s hip-hop-soaked “Uh-Oh” — the six members of the multinational K-pop group (G)I-DLE felt the prickly onslaught of nerves. Not that this was new; according to Beijing-born vocalist Yuqi, 19, they get nervous before every drop of new material. Their way through it is by communicating with each other. A lot. Not just before a comeback but “almost every day if we have time,” says Thai vocalist Minnie, in English. “Maybe not all six of us every day, maybe just two or three, but we’ll always talk.”

“We often encourage each other before a stage,” Yuqi elaborates, also in English, her long, diamante earrings repeatedly catching the light. “We’ll have a pep talk.” She’s an animated speaker, hands fluidly mapping out the rhythm of her words. The group’s leader, rapper and songwriter, Soyeon, 20, and Minnie, 21, also share this habit, and the latter’s thin metal bangles collide as she talks, filling this beige, windowless room deep inside Madison Square Garden with tiny, bright spirals of noise.

KCON USA

Members Shuhua, Yuqi, Soyeon, Soojin, Miyeon, and Minnie at KCON New York on July 7, 2019

This isn’t their first trip to New York City — they made a fleeting stop last summer for a 3-song showcase — but as they step confidently onto the stage at KCON to the noisy adoration of thousands, it’s easy to see how far they’ve come in just a year since their debut. Each of (G)I-DLE has their own ultra-distinctive presence: Minnie is almost Amazonian, all lithe strength and power; Soojin, 21, oozes a sexy playfulness; Miyeon, 22, is coolly composed; Taiwanese Shuhua’s, 19, etherealness is punctuated by cheeky, knowing glances; Yuqi has a feisty, fighting spirit; and Soyeon’s compelling energy (which saw her effortlessly take down opponents on the 2016 season of Korean hip-hop survival show, Unpretty Rapstar) ignites every move and word.

Their KCON performance consists of “Uh-Oh,” “LATATA,” “HANN,” and “Senorita,” all of which have been penned by Soyeon (alongside some legendary Korean producers, including Big Sancho). She’s written for other idols (CLC, JBJ, SHINee’s Key) and penned four of the five tracks on (G)I-DLE’s second EP, I Am, with Minnie composing its final track, “Blow Your Mind.”

Although Soyeon had been given songwriting classes while she was a trainee, she never intended to be the group’s primary songwriter. “At first, I really didn’t know I’d be writing these songs,” she recalls. “But our debut was getting delayed because we didn’t have a song. So that’s when I thought, I should write our song, and started writing a title track.”

“Because I was a rapper, I’d only written lyrics and verses,” she continues. “I started putting on the beats and melody, then I took a MIDI class and stuff.” Although she appears to have been undaunted by the task at hand, it doesn’t lessen the enormity of the situation — that the reception to, and even the fate of, her group lay in her hands. “I always have pressure,” she concedes with a small laugh and smile, but her arms fold protectively over her body, “because it’s not a solo song — it’s for the team.”

The members are her muses. “She always says my voice inspires her,” says Minnie, who was the main influence for “LATATA.” “I think she knows my voice better than me! She knows how to put it in a way that sounds good. She’s like…” She pauses. A mind reader? Minnie laughs. “Yeah, a mind reader.”

“I usually have lots of conversations with Soyeon,” says Miyeon softly. Soyeon says, smiling at her: “For some songs, I write with inspiration coming only from Miyeon. I get it in various aspects but mostly from the powerful, emotional parts of her.”

Shuhua believes it’s her image and her vibe that helps spark Soyeon’s creativity, but for Yuqi, it’s the other way around; she doesn’t think she inspires their leader as much as Soyeon inspires her. “I prefer to just believe in her. She’s done everything so fast so, from my point of view, whatever parts she gives me, I try to do my best with. I think that trust works for me.”

“She’s been seeing me since trainee period, so she knows what fits me the best, and she writes me that part,” says Soojin, glancing over at her bandmate, who nods. “Soojin has a really cute voice,” Soyeon says, “so I sometimes make her do cute songs. But I also know she expresses sexy well, so I try to give her parts like that, too.”

KCON USA

Their label, CUBE Entertainment, recently gave them their own studio and the girls can be found ducking in to check on progress. “Soyeon lets us listen to a sample or maybe the hook and asks us if it’s OK, then she’ll continue writing,” says Minnie. But Soyeon isn’t one to sit around writing fragments of songs and tucking them away onto hard drives that gather dust on a shelf. “I’ve written so many raps,” Soyeon points out, “but for the team, I write songs for an album. I don’t really have made songs [lying around]. I’m more like, once I write it, I publish it.”

The songs are steeped in their very essence — a girl’s complex, internal house of mirrors that is constantly being broken, assessed, understood, and remade, where one style or sound is never enough to reflect who they really are. And so (G)I-DLE are the enticing tropical beats and coy fingersnaps of “LATATA” and the ominous, warning whistled hook of “HANN.” They’re also the pensive harmonies and slow throb of bass on the R&B-infused ballad “Put It Straight,” the whimsical words painted over the house music of “What’s In Your House,” and even the tango of “Senorita.” Their lyrics push back, they beckon. They can be bored nonchalance or sharpening desire.

Soyeon sees their self-produced sound as a “perk,” since “knowing our members better than any [external] songwriter means we know what we can do best.” There are a number of prominent female idol songwriters (such as Miryo, LE, Sunmi), although they’re primarily from an older generation of idols. Unsurprisingly, they’re not often talked about with the same reverence, or even in the same breath, as male idol writers such as Zico or G-Dragon.

Ask (G)I-DLE if they feel like their status as a female, self-producing group is pushing forward or laying new ground for their generation and they exchange unsure looks, then laugh at each other’s expressions. “I guess… not really,” says Minnie slowly. “The strength of our group is that we make our own songs and we put our opinions into the concepts and everything, but we just want to do something that suits us. We want to show who we are as best we can, and how we can perform.”

Getty Images

Although Soyeon mentioned in a 2018 interview that she was keen for (G)I-DLE not “to be like other idol groups in Korea,” she takes a moment now to elaborate and say that “rather than being different from other groups in a certain way, we’d like to have our own color. Like, [someone saying] ‘Oh, this song must be (G)I-DLE.’ It’s not being different, it’s about standing out,” she says seriously.

However much they downplay their role, (G)I-DLE are already a significant addition to the pop landscape. Soyeon’s shy, slightly embarrassed smile indicates she’s still coming to terms with that line of thought, admitting that winning over a dozen awards in their first year stunned her. “We used to say our first goal was ‘the best rookie award’ and when we actually got it, it was unbelievable,” she says. Minnie adds: “We didn’t really know until we received the rookie awards. That’s when we realized, oh, maybe we can do something. But even now we’re still just trying harder [as a group].”

Their impressive start (118 million views for “LATATA,” 64 million for its follow-up “HANN”) is no small burden on the group who are expected to not only maintain their success but continue growing. “The president of CUBE always says, ‘If you stop now, there’s no spotlight later,'” says Soojin. It honestly sounds terrifying. They laugh, even as they nod in agreement.

But Yuqi knows there’s a middle ground to be struck and she wants to have fun in the process. “Of course, every time we’re successful, then the next time everybody will have even more expectations for us — like, what will their next color be, what will their style be? Instead of getting pressured, we can enjoy it, we just do what we want to do. We show who and what (G)I-DLE is — that’s the only goal for us.”

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