#like it would be just temporary until we find new people for these characters

[blueiscoool]

Breathtaking New Frescoes Found at Pompeii

Stunning Roman frescoes have been uncovered by archeologists in Pompeii, the ancient city destroyed by an eruption of the volcano Mount Vesuvius in the year 79 AD. Experts say the newly discovered frescoes are among the finest ever to emerge at the renowned archeological site.

The works of art line the high walls of what was once a large banquet hall. The walls themselves were painted mostly black, and the figures on the frescoes appear to emerge from the shadows. Site director Dr. Gabriel Zuchtriegel told CBS News partner network BBC News that the dark color was likely used to hide stains from the lamps that lit the hall after the sun went down.

"In the shimmering light, the paintings would have almost come to life," Zuchtriegel said.

Two pieces dominate the hall; one depicts the Greek god Apollo trying to seduce the priestess Cassandra. The second piece shows Prince Paris meeting Helen of Troy.

About a third of the "lost city" of Pompeii remains obscured by volcanic debris from the eruption almost two millennia ago. As scientists make new finds, they quickly move them to a storeroom to protect them from the elements.

The newly discovered frescoes, however, cannot be moved, so they have been protected with temporary roofing. Plaster glue is also being injected into the walls behind the artwork to stop them from falling down.

"We have a passion and a deep love for what we're doing, because what we're uncovering and protecting is for the joy also of the generations that come after us," chief restorer Dr. Roberta Prisco told the BBC, adding that the work was very stressful.

The dig site is much bigger than just the banquet hall.

Another fresco recovered from what was once one of Pompeii's grand properties had been on a ceiling, but it was smashed by the eruption that destroyed the city. Archeologists were able to lay out the pieces like a puzzle and recreate landscapes, theatrical masks, and Egyptian characters.

"This is my favorite discovery in this excavation because it is complex and rare," Dr. Alessandro Russo, co-lead archeologist on the dig, told the BBC. "It is high-quality, for a high-status individual."

In a bakery next to the grand property, the skeletons of two adults and a child were discovered.

Archeologists believe they may have been slaves who were trapped and couldn't flee the eruption, and were killed by falling stones.

"When we excavate, we wonder what we're looking at," co-lead archeologist Dr. Gennaro Iovino told the BBC. "Much like a theater stage, you have the scenery, the backdrop, and the culprit, which is Mount Vesuvius. The archeologist has to be good at filling in the gaps — telling the story of the missing cast, the families and children, the people who are not there anymore."

The team's discovery was just one of a number of recent revelations from the site, after they found other mythological-themed frescoes in early March and then, just weeks later, a construction site that was being worked on right up until the eruption.

The archeologists said near the end of March that they'd found a home construction project that was frozen in time by the eruption, with materials such as bricks and tools still piled up in the reception area of the home.

By Haley Ott.

[animatedjen]

What's some stuff you're really hoping to see in Jedi 3 (either narratively or gameplay wise)?

Oh I'm so glad you asked this 🙌 Because I have THOUGHTS.

Gonna put everything under the cut so this doesn't clog up the feed with a wall of text (whoops.) Some of these ideas I hope to create concept art for, after I replace/fix my very cranky thirteen-year-old tablet. Anyway let’s start with gameplay!

Gameplay!

Maintaining Cal's abilities: Survivor handled this beautifully by keeping many of the skills learned in Fallen Order, instead of undoing Cal's growth from the first game. I think it'll be trickier to keep this momentum into Jedi 3 (the skill tree has gotten so large!) but story reasons could push Cal towards new types of abilities instead of bloating the current options.

More synergy between the lightsaber stances: I like all the stances in Survivor and it'd be A) disappointing to lose any of them, but B) overwhelming to add MORE combat styles. Being able to flow between the stances more fluidly would be fun though, with specific combos unlocked depending on which two are active together. Now if Merrin lets Cal borrow her knife-staff and he puts his lightsaber on the end... MAGICK SABER PIKE GO.

New or adapted movement mechanics: Maybe the ascension cable is replaced with a force ability (Force Ascend or Force Leap for an extra vertical boost?) or is "upgraded" to connect between two anchors, letting Cal create his own temporary ziplines.

Replayable missions: This could be explained in-game with a Force Tear or Cal's own interactive echoes. But I'd love the option to experience story missions and boss fights again post-game.

Customization!

This is a bonus section because Merrin should get new outfits. Haven't decided how to make it part of gameplay yet, stay tuned.

Cal's cosmetics in Survivor are mostly cool, some just funny, but overall a huge improvement from Fallen Order (yes, even though we miss all the poncho designs). For Jedi 3 I'd love to see more story-centric cosmetics that tie into the communities and people Cal has met along his journey. A Legacy outfit (incorporating pieces from his three Jedi masters), an Anchorite-inspired outfit (with arm tattoos), a bounty hunter outfit (the prize after defeating the Brood), etc. Maybe a Bogling outfit? No not made from Boglings; it looks like a Bogling. Hang on lemme fix my tablet—

Narrative + Gameplay!

Explore Tanalorr: Right now this sparkly, strong-in-the-Force, temple-carved planet is a huge mystery box for Jedi 3. There's a few directions it could go - more High Republic history, another civilization (the Nihil? someone new?) lurking in the shadows, or Force-related secrets hiding below the surface. Each Jedi game has followed Cal's exploration of an ancient culture, and I think Tanalorr can be a focal point in that journey.

Defeat Sorc Tormo and the Haxion Brood: I mentioned this in an ask earlier this week, but I so want a resolution to this fight against the Brood. Especially since roaming bounty hunters would threaten the Hidden Path. Maybe Cal breaks back into Ordo Eris, or hunts down Sorc Tormo on another planet. Maybe there's a Force-only stealth section?? Maybe a big multi-wave boss fight? Maybe Caij is there??? (no she doesn't get an invite to Tanalorr)

Dark Side Force Slow: The fact that Cal's Force Slow ability kept its red-stained aura, even in the Survivor post-game, is great. I love lasting consequences and ludonarrative harmony, yes yes yes. Really hope this isn't fully resolved by the start of Jedi 3 (potential timeskip makes it tricky but whatever) and the ability receives some sort of healing through Cal finding his way out of the darkness.

Narrative!

Timeskip?: I vote no, but I think Jedi 3 will vote yes, likely to age up Kata and allow Tanalorr to be more developed. But that also means Cal and the Mantis Crew goes through character development without us (boo) or remains emotionally stunted until we get there (also boo?). I'm more comfortable with the five year gap between FO and Survivor than I used to be though, despite "missing out" on big character moments, so maybe it'll be okay. Maybe. 👀

The Hidden Path builds a home on Tanalorr: This works until it doesn't, whether from outside pressure or the threat of a spy within. I don't think Bode's fears should necessarily be validated, but I do think the risk will keep Cal on edge and hurt his ability to trust (both others and himself.) It'll drive decisions that strain his relationships and be a source of conflict for part of the game.

The Mantis gets semi-retired and then reinstated: I just love the mental picture of the Mantis parked somewhere cozy and decorated with cloth and lights and a hideout for Kata. It's become too small and high profile to use for gathering the Path, but when the plot gets going, they're gonna need her back in action.

Three main antagonists: The Empire, an unrelated third-party with their own goals (Nihil or someone else), and Cal's own demons. The first two drive the external conflict, the third drives Cal's inner conflict and the story's themes. More on that at the end.

A memorial garden: It's designed by Pili and filled with native Tanalorrian plants and trees, from which the Anchorites hang cords and windchimes and bits of colored glass. Cere's saber was buried beneath the largest tree. Cal plays her hallikset here when he's too troubled to meditate. If we want to be mean, this place gets damaged during a battle in Act 3. If we want to be less mean, this is the place that doesn't get damaged during a battle.

Kata has some sort of student-teacher relationship with Cal: I'm torn on her being Force sensitive: this is a story about Jedi and "guide her through the darkness" is pretty telling given Cal's own darkness at the end of Survivor. But Cal helping Kata (and Kata helping Cal) can happen regardless of her Force sensitivity - it would just look different. This is a soft answer because I'm still exploring ideas around it BUT admittedly the angst levels would be higher if she is sensitive.

A battle against the shadow self: Look this one is cliche. I don't care. I want a huge cavern in the depths of Tanalorr where Cal gets to fight a dark version of himself that switches between all his former enemies. If we're making a video game here let's physically beat up our darkness. Let's have it not work. Let's bring Cal to rock bottom to remind him that he is more than his darkness and he doesn't have to do this alone. Let's go back to that same fight later and then we finally win.

There's more to explore story-wise and I will eventually, but I'm overall not concerned about Jedi 3's narrative. Respawn has been very intentional with their writing of Cal Kestis and the Jedi series so far (despite some last minute changes to Survivor) and I love this character and this story because of all the great work they've created. I really hope they finish this journey the way they want to. That being said—

How should Jedi 3 end? Should Cal die?

No: I'll argue Cal dying at the end of the trilogy completely undermines the entire lesson of Survivor.

Cal wouldn't stop fighting the Empire: The Cal we meet at the beginning of Survivor definitely wouldn't. That Cal also watched countless friends die to that same fight and saw two different Jedi fall to their passions-turned-obsessions that led them to the dark side. He may wrestle with remnant obligation or a bitter apathy, but he's definitely not as single-minded as he was before.

Cal would sacrifice himself to save the Path: Yeah, he probably would. Cere did exactly that during the Siege of Jedha when all else failed. But maybe the Path could be protected without Cal needing to be a Weapon - a lesson Cere also wanted him to learn.

Another way: I think the Koboh abyss (that separates Tanalorr from the rest of the galaxy) could be destroyed. I don't know if Cal would choose to destroy it, but I think the Empire would: if they can't reach Tanalorr it's the next best thing.

Now Cal has to make a choice: Leave (continuing the fight alone) or Stay (shepherding the Path for an unknown future.) It doesn't mean they never find a way back to the known galaxy, but it'll take time. Enough time for a New Hope to appear.

Whatever your opinion of the Sequel Trilogy, the line: "That’s how we’re gonna win. Not fighting what we hate. Saving what we love." is not only a complete thesis of Star Wars, but fits really well with Cal's journey. He's become very good at fighting. He wants to save everyone in Fallen Order, and he can't. He still wants to save everyone in Survivor, and they refuse him. His Fight has made a difference (again, Cere says as much) but it's clear this can't be Cal's final answer.

Choosing to protect the Path, choosing to trust the Force, choosing a home. That's what he's been fighting for. I love Cal Kestis because he isn't the chosen one and he isn't going to save the galaxy. But for his family and his community, he saved their galaxy. It's cheesy but I don't care, and you know Greez and BD would agree with me.

-

Okay this got so, so much longer than I expected. Bonus points if you made it all the way down here haha. I've had a weird assortment of concepts and ideas over the past year but never wrote them down in one place - until now. I've said it before but part of my hyperfixation with the Jedi series is because it isn't finished yet and Survivor ends on such a gut-wrenching cliffhanger. Whatever happens to this series, I'm slowly finding some sort of catharsis through all the edits and photomode shots and half-baked concepts. Thanks for tagging along ✌️

[skyeventide]

taking a stab at the whole valinor trauma rebirth tragedy thing

without getting into the various iterations of mandos throughout its development, the fact that it shares the etymological root with angband (angamando in quenya) or its use as both a prison/punishment place and as the temporary "afterlife" of elves, I think it should be obvious why "mandos cures everything" doesn't work for most people. it's simply narratively unsatisfying. we know that, technically, spirits are solitary in mandos and don't tend to interact with each other, and we know (iirc) that nienna does most of the healing work, when those spirits don't reflect on things by themselves.

healing in complete isolation might work one rare time, but it's otherwise simply not how healing works, how adjusting to a new life works. being way too in your own head is discouraged. healing all your traumas because a goddess did it via magic counseling gives, at best, uncanny vibes, at worst erases the struggle and journey of adjusting, with help, into the life you're actually living. so people either say that spirits can actually meet in mandos and figure things out among themselves, or subvert the narrative and have people come out of mandos either not truly healed or only partially so, and needing the real living feedback of society to exist within it again. a reading which allows mandos to still function as a recovery, but whose achivement is to "prepare" for the journey of spiritual healing, to bring elves back to a stage where they're able to face the circumstances that generated their trauma (aka the living, embodied world, and maybe more precisely even the people involved in it).

this barely touches on the grievances that dead elves might have with the guys who are running this show. this isn't just feanorian followers (or the exiles more at large) who renounced the valar's authority, it can also be the avari, who now either get valinor or they get valinor. it can be the falathrim, who wanted to go to valinor and lost the chance. it can be those sindar who were waiting for a full intervention from valinor, and it didn't come until earendil came around. it's hard to envision healing within a system when the system itself is what you take issue with. it requires a personal compromise, or an acceptance of the system's authority, and that's simply not always possible, nor can fanworks always easily tackle it — which is also why I think fics where living relatives "bully" or like, strongly entreat, the valar into releasing specific elves from death are popular. it's one way of giving that specific problem a solution, though it may in effect be unrealistic. it's less about realism (I for one don't believe the Valar would ever do that) and more about trying to find a way through wanting to see those characters heal without having to bend and accept the system and its authority.

which also brings me to what comes after and the necessary divide, real or perceived, between people who were always in valinor and people who returned to life after conflict.

to put it simply, making sweeping statements about whether amanyar elves can understand the trauma of exiles and other reborn elves is not possible and in itself pretty silly. even the amanyar themselves don't perceive their experiences of trauma and the darkening in the same way! the teleri refuse to set foot in beleriand despite their own kin being there, and despite the fact that noldor and vanyar embark on a valar-sanctioned war. it's pretty obvious that their own internal experiences and cultural understanding of the darkening or of valar authority is still vastly different, that even going by the imprecise and generalising divide of clan, that trauma was processed differently. or not processed at all.

and then, would those who fight the war of wrath understand the trauma of a continent-wide collapse? yeah, surely in a sense they can, they live through it. but can they understand it from the point of view of a sinda who had lived in beleriand all their life and didn't simply come here with the understanding that this was war? who saw their home be destroyed slowly and painfully, and in the end, when the saving arrives, it's a saving with such an immense and heartbreaking price? maybe they can empathise, maybe they can't. the darkening, by the time of the war of wrath, is no viable term of comparison. even among the living, this isn't cookie-cutter.

so what of those who die and return? I think it's obvious, in the text itself, that someone can go through a death, real of metaphorical, return to their old home which has itself gone through some considerable trauma, and realise that no matter if both you and your home have changed, both have bled, you're still unable to readjust to it the way others can. other people who were with you in your journey can integrate, they find old friends and loves who help them in this. you can't. I'm obviously talking about frodo.

it's not the same for everyone and it will never be. and I do feel as though the reading of valinor being in itself unable to take back people who went through trauma is a push-back against the idea that valinor must inherently be blissful, healing, and perfect; but the text presents us many situations where the environment of valinor plants the seeds of dissatisfaction; the fact that it doesn't work as neatly as it seems is at the core of the early conflict in The Silmarillion (even without pointing out stuff like: troubled people, Frodo included, go to the gardens of Lorien in search of that healing and peace of mind that the rest of the land can't actually provide. it's just a land. it's mostly free of toil because there's literal gods providing things, but it's just a land). valinor is not perfect, but its status as blessed realm invites a certain unease in many readers. I believe this unease leads easily to cotradictory and equally extreme positions, ranging from "no one would or should feel out of place after rebirth" to "actually no one would understand the trauma of someone who died and returned".

plus, of course, the obvious: someone's trauma, collective or individual, and how people process it, doesn't somehow erase someone else's and how they process it. the two things can come in conflict with one another, but they're not, like, mutually exclusive.

[itsclydebitches]

Does everyone know that one found family post going around that's something like, "What do you MEAN they all go their separate ways after the journey??"

That's how I feel about Ted going back to Kansas.

To be clear, I'm not arguing that it's an unlikely ending to the series. I think it's very likely, especially when I consider a lot of the cool meta people have been writing lately, but that likeliness leaves a sour taste in my mouth because what's waiting for Ted in Kansas? "Henry!" the fandom cries and yes, obviously, but that doesn't feel like enough to me (which I realize sounds like a callous statement regarding a father and son, but hear me out). The only other things Kansas has are an ex-wife, a horrifically unprofessional step-dad in the making, and a long line of comforts that Ted has outgrown. I've noticed that this season in particular Ted has been moving away from his American roots: he misses his BBQ sauce but manages to find a perfect replacement in Amsterdam, he's finding solace in paintings for temporary homesickness, he's using "football" and "maths" naturally in conversation, many of his speeches lately have been about how he once WAS this American so-and-so but has changed significantly since then. From a canonical perspective, Henry is the only thing in Kansas that's good for Ted anymore and even if we put that aside for a moment (which I don't think we should) it seems quite significant to me that Ted has spent three successful years parenting from across the pond.

Is that ideal? No, but Ted Lasso hasn't gone out of its way to paint this separation as a failure, or a crippling blow to Ted or Henry, despite them obviously missing each other a great deal at times. I'll admit that this aspect is absolutely colored by my own bias. As someone who doesn't want kids herself, I dislike the implicit message that a parent must give up everything they want/need in order to be 100% available to their child. I'm of the belief that there's a big difference between loving/raising your child and lacking a life outside of them because Every Aspect of Your Existence Must Serve Their Direct Needs Until the Magical Age of 18, so I've never jived with the "Ted is a horrible father who abandoned Henry!" takes. Not just because I think the show has made it clear that Henry doesn't feel abandoned, but because it tells viewers that parents can't have anything for themselves once they've brought a life into this world... which feels pretty shitty to me. Thus, that whole Henry-based argument rings as unpersuasive both from my biased perspective and a canonical perspective: "In order to be labeled a good father Ted MUST go back to Henry in Kansas, leaving behind every bond he's formed here, despite the fact that he's spent a significant amount of time making this long-distance relationship work really, really well."

Putting Henry aside and going back to my original point above, sending Ted to Kansas requires the audience to imagine up a life for him that has never existed on screen. Sure, we can assume that Ted will form new bonds and rekindle old ones there, but that would exist entirely off screen. Like the story that asks you to ignore the family that's been built right in front of you in favor of the headcanoned one that the characters are separating for, a Kansas ending would ask us to toss aside three seasons worth of family, community, and still developing relationships for... whatever it is we'd personally imagine up post-series. Audiences (by and large) don't WANT their protagonist to end up with [insert OCs here], they want them to stay with the developed cast, whether that's a romance, a friendship, or a family. To me, there's nothing satisfying about imagining Ted in a location the series has never explored with people who don't exist yet except for, as said, an ex, a man who justifiably makes him incredibly uncomfortable, and his child whom he already has a fantastic relationship with in the community where Ted is happy.

There are a lot of other reasons why this ending would be a big disappointment to me, most notably the rejection of untraditional forms of parenting + the message that Ted was always destined to "reset," returning to precisely where he started out, like he's just a hope dispenser who isn't allowed to significantly grow himself. Sure, you can divorce and get better about managing your anxiety... but making a permanent, positive life change? Nah, let's act like this is an episodic show and toss you back to the beginning. I've seen a couple of people compare Ted to Mary Poppins and while a part of my does like that connection, another part cringes at the idea of him playing the role of magical benefactor, his own future happiness deemed insignificant compared to the lives he's already changed. Thanks for the help, Ted! Hope you manage to find some more happiness for yourself back among everything you've spent the series leaving behind. Open your umbrella and let the wind take you; wherever you land and how hard the fall is doesn't matter because the show is over.

So there's a lot going on for me, however, the found family bit is where I'm truly stuck. You're really going to build up this community and Ted's place in it for three seasons, moving him from "wanker" all the way to beloved coach, only to pack him back to Kansas after he's finally carved out a place for himself? Kansas, the place the show has consistently argued has nothing to offer Ted except for the child he hasn't actually lost? Yeah no, sorry, I'm not a fan.

Which doesn't mean I think Ted Lasso is going to become a terrible show if they choose this - again, very likely - ending... but I will personally be pulling a Nick Fury about it.

[thebearme]

Any headcanon/ design ideas you had/have for Samey? You don’t have to draw it; just write them if it saves time.

Not gonna lie, I've never fully watch TDPI just compilations of shawn. But that doesn't mean I want willing to watch stuff of Sammy!

And YES! I know you didn't want a drawing but I felt bad how long it took to answer this and it gives my brain visuals instead of just describing. I feel like I'm bad at that

She gives me big south park Butters vibes like old Butters.

Or Luigi

Speaking of Luigi, Sammy definitely plays Luigi or Tails any time the two sisters play.

I feel like Amy & Sammy don't have a dad, leading to both of them having to share their mom's attention.

Definitely has scratches and bruises from Amy.

I think Sammy would be good friends with Lindsay and Beth.

If she had more confidence or devious friends (ex. Duncan, Izzy, Mal, Gwen...) april fools day would be hell for Amy.

I feel like she's friends with Zoey and that they go to the same school.

We know the Zoey was pretty judgement with people so I can imagine that originally Zoey didn't want to be near Sammy because she's always with Amy and thought that they just act the same. After ROTI Zoey soon learns to give people a chance instead of just judging character. Re-discover that Amy is a prick but learns that Sammy is a sweet girl.

Zoey recommended Sammy to tryout for total drama so she could get the opportunity to meet new friends and learn more about herself.

* Insert montage of Zoey helping Sammy to find her aesthetic*

I did several aesthetic quizzes as Sammy because I literally don't know what she'll be. All I know is the opposite of he sister, so in result I got.

- 2yk

- bubblegumcore

- VSCO

 Fun headcanon is that Sammy is secretly a nerd/geek/bookworm. put this hc out of my ass but hey, at lease she has two books on her bed that can maybe confirm it

"She's not just a nerd. SHE'S A CUTE NERD!"

 Once when Amy was sick Sammy was the temporary leader of the cheerleaders.

She was doing so well and everyone loved her workmanship until Amy came around ruining the human pyramid, leading to Sammy getting a sprain ankle and the while Amy was blaming her for getting sick. 

Sammy quit cheer and decided to go into something she was always interested in but couldn't do because it would my Amy look bad...

Mathematic club & book club

[vanlegion]

S19 Mini Theory - Staff of Charon Fight

Okay, so I was rewatching some S13 stuff for funsies (a funny af "shotgun" moment). . . but I kept watching to the end. So here's a theory I had before, but now it's changed up a bit because I was wrong about the ORDER... and now I'm actually kind of flipping my shit just a touch if I'm right. I'll add a read more break here:

So lemme just start off all of this Preamble saying, IF we actually get to see the Staff of Charon fight, which was possibly teased by the Simulation run teaser Church was doing... Then this is my new theory for this fight (Which I assume will be at the very beginning of the movie). Okay, so at the end, Church is giving his little speech and saying how this is gonna have to be his last real moment with everyone. He's got to 'deconstruct' himself, and that the fragments he leaves behind will help them all get through the fight. When he says this, the fragments flash on the screen in a particular line up order. . . which also line up with certain characters in the same shot. A line up I was originally got wrong. This is the line up:

There are 6 fragments and technically six characters in this shot. When I first thought how the fight would go, I imagined some people would get some of the fragments somehow. I wasn't sure how it would be done until Church basically said he'd have to break himself up, but I digress. One of my first assumptions was that Delta would go to Simmons. He's typically the "smart" one and Delta is a logical AI. I also assumed this because I figured there might be a Holo-Lock they'd have to break through and so far, Simmon's is usually called to lock-pick a door. (*coughYorkVibescough*) Now however... After seeing this shot? HO-LY Fuck. Delta staying with Tucker makes sense. He's going to need a logical voice helping him with that suit. He'll be able to do his Big Damn Hero thing but with also with a calculated precision Delta can give him. Theta, almost invisible but there in between Tucker and Caboose, would go to Caboose. They are both childlike and find a lot of things scary, but Caboose is also good at not letting those scary things get to him. Theta will be able to protect him, I feel. Gamma with Lopez. I don't think I need to expand much on this. The Twins - Eta and Iota. . . Would go to Doc and O'Malley. Two Minds. Sarge getting Sigma somewhat surprised me, but after mulling it over, I realized that Sarge has always had the fiery passion of battle burn in his heart. I feel this will help keep Sarge sharp and speedy, and possibly we may even see him use his shotgun with new strategy.

Which leaves Omega with Simmons. This kind of shocked me at first. But then, again, taking a moment to reflect on it, this could possibly be fitting. Simmons can fight fairly well as it is, however, he can crack under pressure pretty fast. I feel like Omega is going to drive him to keep fighting even when shit looks really bad. He may even lose a bit of fear. He already seems to have a penchant for fighting - he enjoys it. He also at some point when Omega was a threat before, made sure to prep himself mentally in case Omega jumped back into him.

Of course, this is all speculation and theory over a fight that may or may not happen . . . but like, after that teaser with Church, I feel like if we DONT get that epic fight we're getting kinda robbed. But if I'm right about this, just. . . holy fuck. Anywho, regardless of all of this, I also have this far out/introspective Comic Idea that takes place at this moment. I'm going to call it an AU at this point because we get S19 in a month. But I wanna see if I can get the comic done before then. Let's say Church has one last internal conversation with someone, and gives them a temporary promotion... providing they help him and step their lazy ass up.

[belle--ofthebrawl]

4, 24, 33.

which cryptyd being do you believe in?

Beast of Bray Road, love of my life since childhood. I've driven the road a few times after dark when I'm in the area but no luck.

Yet.

Obligatory Hodag glamour shot. Said to be the amalgamated soul of all the killed oxen whose corpses were burned in Wisconsin's logging period, brought together by the howling fury and murderer of the owners that lead to the destruction of the forests. This one was built by engineering students and it's the best picture I've taken of anything ever.

The fair folk, but it's a belief I'm wary with. Oh they smile at me from time to time but I try to never forget the way their teeth gleam.

if we were together on a rooftop, what would we be doing?

Oh, we'd have our scent collection OUT. It would be so fun to compare scents and what we pick up. We could talk about fic WIPS of course, Ghost in general. Maybe I'd bring my astronomy books out and we can look for certain stars and constellations, astrology and occult stuff. I love hearing different systems of how people make it work for them, whether they're an animist, if they involve deities as like, impersonal help or if they worship pantheons in a more faith-focused manner. If you teach me how to roll a blunt, I can massage your hands after you play guitar because I love giving massages but it's one of those things I think is weird to just offer people at the risk of being taken wrong so I just. Don't.

the last adventure you’ve been on?

A big one would be flying to New York to see Sleep Token at Radio City Music Hall. (Flight credit+stored up points=terribly impulsive decisions) There was some trouble getting home on the holiday weekend but overall I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Small adventure, going to set up and get my costume fitted at my temporary summer job. I spent an hour or so with the costumer finding pieces that would fit appropriately (long limbs, short torso) then four hours cleaning and sorting leather goods in historical get-up. It probably won't feel like an adventure after a few weekends, but this totally counts and I am SUPER excited, can you tell I'm excited? I think I'm being incredibly subtle about it. I also couldn't find parking since the lots are barricaded until next weekend so I spent time driving around looking for a topless silo.

(if you figure out where I work, fellow Wisconsinites, I'm fine with it and welcome visitors to the storefront. Otherwise I wouldn't be talking about it :) just be warned I can't break character)

[valhallakonbi]

Have you read Off Season, Monster Season, and Family Season? If so, how do you feel about them? Any expectations about the anime adaptations?

i read all of those! sodachi fiasco stood out the most to me in orokamono, i cannot wait for it to get animated. i'm so excited that it's going to be the first arc to get adapted. it's gonna be so different from what we're used to, it doesn't even take place at naoetsu, there's so many new characters SHAFT are going to have to actually design and animate. there's no going around it. and sodachi is just superb. i love her.

more thoughts under the cut for every book

the first arc i had read after the anime was suruga bonehead because i love ougi and kanbaru. i remember thinking it was too bad i was reading a translation. i'm sure it held up a lot better in japanese, i haven't read all of the novels that were already adapted into the anime but i can tell it's kind of ougi's gimmick that you have to solve it before they give the answer, the way you would with a detective novel. likewise i can't wait for that one to get animated, the wordplay eluded me (i think i understood at the time because it was translated well) but i think the anime will do a great job at conveying the creepiness of the arc. it felt more like a comedy centered around a morbid puzzle in the middle when i read it. also OUGI IN CASUAL CLOTHES and tooe full design reveal?!?!?

tsubasa sleeping was fun now that i think back on it. i loved that we got to see dramaturgy again. i had also been waiting for someone aside from koyomi to become a vampire so it was exciting when it happened, even if it was temporary.

i absolutely adore the princess beauty arc but i don't think that's a secret.

i don't particularily care for either karen ogre or tsukihi undo. tsukihi undo was pretty funny but i don't think it was very memorable aside from that.

nademonogatari was awesome. i was still at a point after watching the anime where i actually mildly disliked nadeko. from watching the anime adaptation i had thought she was not such a good character compared to the other heroines ; i liked when she snapped in otorimonogatari, but i'm especially averse to yandere stuff that happens right after, and i thought the twist about her being delusional and breaking into koyomi's house was not well-foreshadowed in the anime at all. no clue about the novel though. but well. it turns out that not only is nadeko fantastic as a narrator (she's my favorite narrator), but she also becomes a specialist. this was another one of those things i felt might happen to at least one of the kids and i was so excited about it, especially since i did not expect it to happen to nadeko of all people. this novel marked the biggest shift in her character so far and god knows she's already had a LOT of twists and turns. also, this book features many character interactions that we'd barely seen or even not seen at all before, and nadeko's relationships are always interesting (when they don't involve koyomi). as usual the core message was very uplifting, and this one felt very on the mark.

now onto musubimonogatari. this one was a bit odd. i thought the monster of the week gimmick was pretty fun, koyomi ending up as a cop was hilarious. unfortunately i did not find the characters he helps and investigates very interesting. but i really i enjoyed seeing what everyone grew up to be. so, a bit of a mixed bag, but i would say i rather liked it overall.

i really liked yoimonogatari. it started off super gruesome until you thought about it some more. the twist was predictable but even so i had fun looking forward to it. it was also very touching, i was moved by the little girl's monologue and description of her home life. as opposed to musubimonogatari, this novel got me to care about a character we won't see again. this one also has information about the specialists' curses, and more nadeko, which was exciting.

shinobumonogatari was whatever. it felt like a cheap rehashing of yoimonogatari (edit: i probably meant another one, since yoimonogatari came after). the puzzle-solving in this one felt off. there was no way a reader could've possibly reasoned that one out. even without the answer to the cryptogram it was still fairly obvious that the culprit was not DVS, it felt like the difficulty of the riddle completely mismatched the end result. i was glad we saw her again but i didn't like this one.

i enjoyed amarimonogatari. that shit was crazy. it took a different direction from what i thought it was gonna be about but i was still hooked by how insane that development was lol. also loved yotsugi in this.

i did not read shinomonogatari as there is currently no full translation since nobody likes it enough to pick it up lmao?? i screamed when i read that covid is canon though

did not enjoy ougimonogatari either but part of that i think is that the translation was to blame. polaris has released a translation of their own since then. i was not very interested in the subject matter/overall theme. it felt weird to be "hooked" by the mention of sexual violence (something that was already explored as early as in hitagi crab) only for it to turn out to be something along the lines of "oh no i didn't mind so i wasn't getting raped but the perpetrator keeps apologizing and saying he raped me". the entity itself was whatever. whatever!!! bonus points for ougi though, always a delight, but still not enough to make up for the overall score. i loved the second half about nadeko's new mission though but was left hanging (ok i was reading a digital version so maybe that's why i didn't see it coming).

ikusamonogatari was pretty boring in the first half. it picked up a little late for my taste. i still enjoyed reading it but most of it felt like fanservice fluff, this was intentional since this was the first release in a while by nisioisin standards. still, the ending was cute!

ok that's it for my detailed review of every novel lmao

[pilichainartandmemes]

Malevolent fic - Big Fat Taco

They had reached the terminus, enemies on the plateform and on their tail. His aim cannot be trusted and his eyes stutter at mirages. So down, down, down it goes.

I just think that if you won’t dig into a guy with your bare hands for your apocalypse rock, you don’t deserve it. ;) The idea would't leave me and so here is the result of four intense days of writing before the season four finale comes out later today(well tomorrow in my case). Hope you enjoy reading this as much as I did putting it together!

Warnings: Canon typical violence, gore, non consensual platonic touching, major character death and choking.

Cross posted on AO3

“ I… I think we’ve built enough distance between us and them… Care to explain what I’m supposed to do with this rock now”, panted Arthur leaning against the wall absolutely lost. The faster they got rid of it, the sooner they could leave this blasted place. Because of course Noel had to find out at the worst possible time about John’s past. Of course they lost the bloody gun while escaping the detective and the cultists. Of course Larson found out where Oscar was the same way he did for Daniel and-

“ -thur! Arthur! What is the point of me explaining if you don’t fucking listen? We are going to open a portal. Just like how we dealt with Scratch.”

“ … That’s it," laughed Arthur weakly, "the grand end to the order of the fallen star comes down to throwing a rock into whatever hell we find. Then we hope whatever’s on the other side can’t use it? What if we unleash whatever power is inside the Black Stone? Exactly just like what happened with Scratch!”

“I don’t hear YOU coming up with any ideas! We still need to escape this place and k- clearly many cultists so we might as well… jump in?”

“Jesus fucking christ, John... I didn’t miss taking very literal leaps of faith into the unknown with you.”

“Likewise but with our luck it was a matter of time.”

“Indeed it was. Shame we don’t have the pages but I assume you wouldn’t propose this if you didn’t remember. Am I right, John?”

“Of course I do! Now let me focus… Sed obscuratus nox quaeso mundenetis…”

“Sed obscuratus nox quaeso mundenetis…”

“Impertus meter amicum allundem num.”

“Impertus meter amicum allundem num.”

“Depli mon faenis de tua quae… quae frequens? No. Frenusculi ? No it wasn’t that either !”

“John! I thought you said you knew the incantation!”

“YES I KNOW IT! Damnit Arthur, you say that as if you don’t forget to keep our eyes open for me every day!”

“Fine! Fine! For both our sakes think quickly!” And yet as he retorted back, Arthur began to calculate their odds. From past experiences those bouts of amnesia seemed temporary so they could still manage to open the portal. However with the delay and more people seeing where the stone went, just a throw would not work. Would the cultists even hesitate at the idea of entering the portal? If those madmen didn’t, they would have to fight for every second. Okay so they needed protection or at least something to keep their opponents at bay.

Tuning out John’s frustrated cusses at the Latin language itself, he patted their bag and pockets. Starting a fire was a last resort and could wait until they had an actual escape window. The bestiary wouldn’t be of help against humans. That left them with their unlucky dagger, regardless of John’s insistence to get rid of it. The weapon wouldn’t win against a gun or more than two cultists. But it was their also very last resort…  Should they lose it in the scuffle or…

What if Arthur missed again? It wouldn't be the first time his shoddy aim betrayed them when it mattered the most. They would not have another chance to get the stone and he doubted John would accept retreat after dragging them all the way to New York for it. The moment they lost sight, ha, of the rock was the moment Larson won. They needed a hiding place or at least somewhere the cultists would not think to look into…

“Oh. John no matter what continue trying to remember the spell. I just found the smartest way to get the black stone into the portal! Trust me!”

“- tua quae frenae! FRENAE! It was frenae! Wait... What do you mean smartest?” His friend asked cautiously but he didn’t have enough time to react as Arthur grabbed the rock from their pocket and shoved it down their throat.

Neither John or Arthur’s body were keen on the plan. The Black Stone burnt as he could feel it move past his throat into his… veins? Evidently the cursed object didn’t care for human biology and would go wherever it pleased. If he could just… nudge it towards… THERE!

“Arthur, are you out of your goddamn mind?! Spit it out! Come on!”

“ We’re fine… absolutely fine! Now,” just as he said that a tremor shook their spine and it took all their combined focus to not fall face first, “NOW we don’t have to worry about cultists with deft hands.”

“Do you really think given how we first met him he would stop at taking your life to get his hands on the Black Stone?” His partner growled, and yet beneath it worry laced into his every word.

“Larson? He did hurt many people but it was always through others. Like the butcher or the creature in the mines.” He retorted, confused and wondering not for the first time who scared his friend more than the King or their current enemies.

“Of course! Who else would be after us? This building is crawling, I mean, full of cultists. Surely this kind of... miscreants would have no issue going through us for this artifact.”

“Miscreants… Really, John? Anyway it doesn’t matter!” One more time. If Arthur could ignore the elephant in the room between them one more time, they would actually be fine.

They did not even finish the first sentence of the spell before a shot rang out and a sharp pain took over their right leg. Head and knee promptly were introduced with the wall that would have housed their gate. Shame Larson didn’t account for the headache or John’s yelling before starting to gloat. Another spasm coursed through as he tried to turn around. Its tango with their new wound left the duo a heap of limbs on the floor. Hopefully the view was still better than the wall. The heat that had been building behind their eyes flared and Arthur bit down hard to keep them open, inhaling sharply.

“Well it seems whatever tricks you had in mind backfired in more ways than one. Arthur, did you truly think you waltz your way into my domain unscathed?”

“Oh, yeah! Definitely! But maybe you never went back to Addison? I could always give you a refresher.” He could stall. Get the dagger out, have John could carve the incantation and smear it with blood. Surely they could skip the spoken part that way. Just needed to create a blind spot for them.

Evidently however, unlike Arthur, Larson did see the move coming and stomped on the left half of it. Ignoring his partner’s shouts, he awkwardly flipped on his side. Holding on tight to Larson’s ankle, he sliced at the heel. Shoddy aim and his body complaining every step of the way didn’t leave a deep enough wound. Regardless it was enough for the prick to retreat out of range. Maybe the floor was okay for now as their two functional limbs were split fifty-fifty. Well if you didn’t count the shoulder on the same side getting shot the day before. Speaking of bullets, another lodged itself into the carpet right by his ear as he jolted at the noise and ringing that followed.

“You appear to be the one in need of a reminder of the current situation apparently. Now stop staring at the barrel and tell me where the Black Stone is?”

“For once luck is on our side: Larson didn’t witness your crowning act of idiocy. Keep. Him. Talking! Every bullet in the floor is a bullet that isn’t in our body.”

“Now that’s a bit of a wild guess! Why would little old me have any idea… what that is? I figured I could crash whatever party you had in town, as you know, a payback. It has been… quite a busy week.” Arthur laced that last sentence with all the venom which had piled up over the last few days. It hadn’t even been a full fortnight since the Dreamlands for fuck’s sake.

“Your strange habit of pausing at odd times remains, how queer”, pondered Larson while his enemy attempted to stand again, less graceful about it than a fish on dry land, “I assume you do not need further help emptying your pockets.”

“Listen. Why don’t I smash your head in? Shot you. Step on your hand. THEN you can see how easy it is to focus.”

“I’m afraid I’ll pass the offer…. what is all THIS junk?” Larson asked in disdain as Arthur tried to open the bag with one hand only for the contents to spill out. Fantastic! Turns out he had been holding it upside down!

“The glass, the stone, the mask, the books, the tooth, the coin, the wallet and hooks, the kit of course to help him shave are all in Arthur's bag today. But don’t forget the dagger, the flute, the keys and the lighter that keeps the darkness at bay.” The familiarity of matching a series of notes calmed him down just a little. It didn’t matter that the source of that particular song had been fresh out of a bloodbath.

“What the hell is wrong with you?! Shooting the lock and letting that creature at the crowd to get the stone was genius compared to this. And why did you have to bring him up? Wait- there’s someone coming up around the corner!  

“… No matter. Unlike you, I have all night, my wits about me and only friends here.”

“Don’t be so sure about that.”

“Arthur, it’s Noel! He managed to get past our distraction and is holding Larson at gun point. His shoulder seems to be injured. His sleeves are torn with large dents matching the claws of that thing. If we could somehow turn them against each other, there may enough time to run. Or at least get the portal open.”

“Are you sure about this, detective? It would be poor etiquette as Arthur’s plus-one to have him killed.” Replied Larson as if this entire ordeal was nothing more than an argument at the local pub.

“That won’t be a problem. The plan isn’t to arrest him. Dreadful accidents happened with that many candles in smaller establishments. At the same time, testimonies of assault on the treasurer of another sect, maiming and murder have been connected to him.”

 Of course John decided that was the right moment to needle his partner about the decision to give his name to the secretary.  As if they had anyone else beside Daniel to be introduced to the freemasons. Surely Oscar or his father would vouch for Arthur’s character… at least for some of these accusations.  Not that it would amount to much if they didn’t make it out alive. Still he feared being wanted in a big city would make it harder for him to move around the States or to leave them.

“Cults like these prey on people facing hard times and get them to commit atrocities in the name of some big guy above or below. Nobody wants to believe their parent, friend or tenant would choose to be involved in shady stuff. If they can’t look at the evidence, they can bother some PI looking to make ends meet this month.” Noel finished, exhaustion slipping into that last sentence. No doubt the detective had to explain cases like these to clients both in Arkham as a private investigator then as a policeman in New York.

“That’s quite the story you wrote there! Have you ever considered becoming a playwright? Addison may not be a high production stage but you’ll have a captivated crowd and the support of a patron of the arts.” Larson drawled while he slowly drew his gun away from the thief. Although one didn’t need sight to guess he wasn’t about it.

“No thanks. I dealt with enough theater obsessed lemon suckers a few years ago. Then again this crony here is the reason I’m here tonight. Take out those cartridges and kick the weapon away… Jesus, my grandmother would have done better than that.”

“And Wallace is old enough to have met her in her heyday. He just had to throw his daughter at the monsters for that privelege! Clearly he’s the biggest threat here, Charlie. Everything you see at my feet is what I had on me tonight. There is no stupid rock!”

“Oh please, we all saw you leave with it! Would you quit acting like you care about the wellbeing of children anymore than respecting the divine or your elders. If that were true, she would still be here. Your precious little Fa-”

Arthur wasn’t about to let him finish. Compared to the Butcher or the ghoul, Larson was a lightweight. They didn’t need a knife. He would choke the life out of the piece of shit, one-handed if he had to. The monster didn’t get to speak her name.

Someone grabbed for his collar and yanked. He trashed hoping to grab onto his first opponent for stability. Unfortunately their body was acquainted yet again with wall, this time shoulder firsts. The shock didn’t have time to settle in before a punch in the gut had him hitting bedrock.

“Jesus fucking Christ… Do not call me that ever again. As if his highness would tell some guy his grand plan. He stole that name, that voice and is now using it to drag you around wherever he likes. This thing isn’t your friend.”

 “You know nothing! You humans act so high and mighty pretending kindness is inherent to living from the very moment of your birth. Care to guess what happened at mine? I was shoved into a hell worse than you could possibly imagine where neither time nor death has meaning. So yes! More often than not I lie rather than put my trust into people who have earnt it. I go for the throat when I feel even a little cornered. Everyone here has done that so stop fucking pretending any of you are gentle souls!” John’s truth burnt and yet his head felt clearer than it had since swallowing that rock. In the trail of that shooting star, Arthur just had to speak it all out loud for the rest of the world to hear. “Besides I can’t even get him to walk into a movie theater and sit still for fifty minutes.”

Nobody else said anything for a long while. Arthur could feel the fever chewing at his brain as they both caught their breaths from having pushed too far their limits. In the rare moment of quiet, he took notice of something familiar. Back with Parker, they had to look inside a freezer for clues and for lack of adequate clothing got forced to take turns. The cold current from back then it crawled the exact same way in the gap between his socks and his pants at his ankles. Out of damning curiosity he reached out and-

“Oops, thank you, totally missed by cue there. You gotta understand, detectives! I was so captivated by all those twists, turns and delightful noises, I got… distracted Man, I am going to miss not knowing the plot ahead of time. With that said, great surprise party everyone!”

“… it’s him”, John all the bravery snuffed out like a candle, “he’s squatting on our left, barefoot like back in the dreamlands. Ah. He’s what happened to our distraction. I can see its iridescent blood shining eerily against the black of his suit. In his hand there is a very large flat bread folded in two. There is so much garniture; you could not it around without half of the ingredients falling off. No it’s more than that. The sauce, a few drops hang by a thread as if they won’t fall unless he wills it.”

“Damn. Someone get an oxygen mask! This guy just wrote a spiel about a big fat taco.”

Without thinking Arthur flung himself in the opposite direction and despite the pain crawled as fast and as far as he could. Suddenly his brain connected the dots on the topic and person John had been avoiding to speak of this past week. Of fucking course it had to be that guy! He rasped out every word of the incantation he could remember, hoping John would follow suit. Unfortunately for them that distance didn’t mean very much I practice as clearly Kayne had no issue reeling them back so close he could feel the entity’s breath on his neck.

“Fuck, I’m sorry Arthur! Don’t say more, I- I can get us out of this!”

“Aww, you didn’t have to wrap up my present like that!  At this point it’s not just pretty paper and a bow… I can’t simply tear it up with how much love was put into this.” Singsonged the devil flicking back and forth his prey’s damaged earlobe.

Okay that was way too much: the uncomfortable heat beneath his skin and in his head, John’s apologies as he tried to grab their captor’s attention, the strange texture of the definitely non-human hands. He needed out now!

“How does it feel to be New York’s most wanted catch? You got quite a number hooked, ha! Hooked, get it? It’s the only reason you’re still alive after all!” Kayne asked flipping their body to so the three were face to face, one arm wrapped around their waist and the other holding their chin. Arthur bit down on the ‘hand’.

Everything went white as a chorus of complaints and cheers flooded his ears. Slowly he could make out Parker’s voice questioning his partner’s sanity in taking on that eating competition even with that big of a price at stake. Distant and muffled as if coming from under water or maybe he was the one below the surface. His suit must have been an absolute mess if his loudest detractor was to be believed. Thick black ink, blood or possibly both, dripped heavily and slowly like licorice down his jaw onto the shaky floor of the caboose. The fresh liquid cooled his brain boiled by the black sun. Broken skin was good. Broken skin meant he could break this down one bite at a time. Experimentally he twisted the flesh beneath his teeth and pulled. Yet the other end refused to snap clean. Instead it extended like cheese on pizza. Instinctively he opened his mouth and attempted catch the falling strings with his teeth.

“I know I’m the most special treat but I’m afraid I need your head not twenty leagues in the gutter.” Finger snapped and his jaws snapped down on empty air. His mind flailed around for the right frequency to reconnect with his senses.

“Let’s make a new deal! No stone as long as you don’t let us go. Or I-I take it with Arthur to the Dark World!” John’s weak bargain and threat was met with derisive laughter.

“Now why would I ask for something I already hold in my own hands? No, no, no! I’m going to enjoy this all-in-one King’s cake, hot and cold, treasure hunt. This time you can even call a friend instead the usual back-seaters. Much faster and less chances of cheating if you ask me!” The devil muttered something about being forced to write a C option to A or B conundrum. “Though really I guess it’s fifty-fifty: the other day there was that guy. I knew him from head to toe. Not you two. I see other people. Like I said! Every line of his silly little life! Urgh middle school production level, at best. And still! Still he managed to surprise me!”

Two hands clapped together as if to put a close to that intermission. The next moment Arthur was back on the floor and he didn’t like how his brain almost let out a sigh of relief at that sensation. The less was said, the less fun Kayne would have. Bar was low, even for them, but so was the ground. The devil said something about first tries removing obvious options before driving a hand into their stomach. Arthur shouted, violent shivers rocking his spine as their body fought vainly to twist out of the way on pure reflex. Unfortunately their digestive tract refused to admit defeat and heaved to expel the unknown intruder back up his throat. Shame malevolent entities didn’t care for the laws of physics and thus he was left coughing bile. Some of which came straight back down his throat.

“Now that the dud is out of the way, am I warm or icy?”

“Fuck you!” Arthur spat out.

“Uh… Cold?”

“Well fuck you too, John!”

“Do you think I’m happy about this?! I was the one sewing this shit back up while you took a bloody nap!” His partner snapped, spewing the vitriol at Arthur since he was too afraid to do the same towards Kayne. Sensing aggression would only have his partner push back, John tried to put himself down as the reasonable one. Hilarious if you asked Arthur given they had left sanity back at his office in Arkham. “Shut up and tell me where the stone is. Please!”

“Not three hours ago we walked into this… rat hole because YOU said we couldn’t leave a bloody rock into their hands! Now you’re telling me! That the doomsday device of the week would … Christ… safe in Kayne’s hands?”

“Artie, you’re such a worrier! No truly. Think of it as, hmmm, the battery of Mister Universe’s alarm clock. The grey part is sort of its casing and I like to picture the red one as a fog horn. Really the world popping out of existence is not even part of the equation. I mean do YOU think about all the bugs crushed setting up picnics? Of course you don’t! Hahaha that would be stupid, am I right? Anyyyway it’s time for take two, gentlemen and entities!”

Take two in fact involved exploring his intestines and accidentally popping their appendix like a cherry. Of course the only apology he got was a ‘whoospie-daisy’ and a quip about John being lucky the book didn’t land him there. “I mean what would have happened at the first argument? Sending the guy straight to the hospital cause you exploded on him?! … actually that would be funny to see I should check before waking Daddy up.” Arthur still tried to slap or push back Kayne’s hands. Totally useless of course but it was better than licking boots the way John did. Especially when the devil clearly wasn’t interested in bargaining. He would like to not be the reason the world ended, thank you very much. The third strike at their lungs yielded as many complaints and yet the stone remained missing. While Arthur could still feel Kayne was merely playing, he wasn’t sure how much longer that would last.

“Your train friend – what did he call himself again, the butcher – wasn’t wrong you know? About the music analogies! It’s all about hitting the right keys. A bit of tuning might be needed with how battered this body is though. Hopefully I won’t have to hit the entire board to find my gift. I really, truly, deeply”, and with each word pressing his fingers right into the still fresh bullet wound, “would hate for it to be lost in all the wrapping!”

“Maybe… you’re just… bad at looking…” Wheezed Arthur inbetween coughs. Even as they remained on the floor he was struggling to stay afloat. Their boiling head had apparently decided to keep all the heat for itself instead of sharing. It left him both shivering and sweating bullets enough to turn Larson into swiss cheese had they been actual ammunition.

“Actually you’re right… It is time to call a friend! Let’s get to it, we have candidate number one: Wallace Larson from the quaint little town of Addison, here to retrieve the sacred artifact for the Order of –what was it again – the shooting star? Who cares! And candidate number two, Arthur’s plus-one-turned-nemesis, detective Noel from the New York Police Department! Who will take a shot at retrieving the Black Stone and earn the ultimate mystery price?! I for one cannot wait to find out!” The devil announced loudly before finishing in a false hushed tone. “Candidate number three having yet to manifest himself shall remain anonymous… for now.”

“Absolutely not! I’m not putting my hands in that!” Shouted Larson as if the very scenario was a personal offense to his character. There was a long pause until he threw a retort at… someone? John had said there were only three people in this corridor aside from them both…

“Oh I’ll take a shot, alright.” Noel’s voice derailed his theory that he was the universe’s chew toy tonight in particular. Then Arthur heard several rounds attempt to drown out Kayne’s rising laughter.

“Noooooo! What could poor little old me do against… human ingenuity. And so I die… To our hero’s quick draw and wit! ARGh!” A confused John told his partner about the performance as the devil had dropped to his knees, grasping his torso in overly exaggerated agony then met face first with the floor.

Athur felt it before it happened: the change of pressure in the air, how they were leaving the eye of storm and about to meet the worst of it. He just needed to do one thing right tonight, just one little thing! Turn what little energy he has left past his throat into a shout to run, to live, to save Noel.

“SURPRISE!”

He startled as several party poppers and blowers went off. Blood spattered everywhere. Propping himself self up for that warning proved to have been a mistake as projectiles collided with their chest. Some small and hard but others squishy and much more wet. He went back down with hiss, head swimming as his mind slipped

Down,

Down,

Down.

“Fuck. FUCK! Noel! His head! It exploded! It’s all over the floor. Kayne… he… popped out of Noel’s neck. His old body has melted into the carpet. It has left a deep black imprint, the edges fizzling but not catching fire. Larson is throwing up beside the left wall. It’s not just the blood... I can identify… parts. An entire eye landed into our chest earlier! It rolled by our side now. There are also a few teeth lodged into our right shoulder. What I thought were confetti in the air were actually fragments of skin. I’m sorry Arthur. I don’t know… I don’t know how to salvage this.”

No trip to England. No letter to Marie. No night at the movie theater. John’s misshaped hand clutched their chest. Their heart was still beating. It didn’t care for gods, grief or pain. It just was.

“What a blast, am I right?! One down, two to go. UNLESS! Our main attraction wishes to open up at last. The hand you were dealt with was pretty bad but you pulled through! Atta boys! Who cares about the finish line? It’s all about the journeyyyyy! So come on, there’s no need to be a sore loser.”

They couldn’t win. Not by a country mile. But..

It didn’t mean Kayne had to.

“Well, they can’t say I didn’t try. But guess what! It seems the final guest sorted himself out as well… Everyone welcome the prince in rags! The phony few had the patience for! The bastard thrown aside as the once and future king made his return! Our mystery candidate number three! Go on, banana peel. Introduce yourself.”

“I- in yellow.”

“Pretty sure even us folk in the front didn’t catch that. Try again your majesty. Put your whole belly into it!”

“I AM THE KING IN YELLOW!”

“Noooow that wasn’t so hard, was it? One could almost believe all the shaking is from a royal tantrum! Penny for your thoughts on the whereabouts of my lucky charm?”

“Carmichael! Bet me on me!”

“Huh. Kinda already am to be honest… But no. That’s not what you want.”

“If I retrieve the Black Stone, I… can keep the rest of him.”

“NO! Kayne, our deal isn’t broken!” Yelled John desperately trying to lift them both up and prove they were still in the game. “Arthur, please! Just tell him! I can’t- I can’t lose you again.”

“Should have thought about that earlier, turncoat! Regardless this tortilla’s got it baaaaad. Never thought you’d want all thorns English Rose back after what he did to you.”

“I want to win.”

“Oh please! You want him back! Hmmm the irony of YOU coming on top… YES that’s it! Okay! Okay. We’re all ears.”

There was a brief silence as Yellow took a deep calming breath. John whispered at Arthur pleading, promising that a fake wouldn’t have pulled him back from the brink in Addison. At the end of his rope his partner brought her up. Somehow not even that worked. Arthur’s thoughts only concerned the monster just a few feet away. One born out of his grief, his misguided love, his bad temper, his selfishness.

“Arthur has the stone inside him,” and immediately the devil cut in with a sarcastic comment but Yellow continued on, “if you searched the lungs then fingers or toes must be valid options as well. No, limbs are easy to separate from the rest. Too big a risk…”

“That it would. I’m so sorry John! The portal closed on us and your arm with the stone is on the other side! Now that would be anticlimactic.”

“John doesn’t know, the entire time he didn’t fight back against you. That leaves out the left foot. As well as his forearm and…”

Strangely Arthur felt a twinge of pride as Yellow broke down his thought process the way an investigator would. He admitted it was a bit self-centered to assume the entity got it from him in their short time together. Maybe at the end he wanted at least one person to understand his choice, the logic behind it.

The gap between the three of them was closed in seconds. A cool sensation spread across his forehead and desperate for the contact to last he leaned deeper and deeper. Ocean waves scratched at his skin as the seagulls laughed and laughed. Taking turns they dug in. The waters trashed around pulling Arthur under. The birds didn’t care and followed after, their cries now clamored for their prey to stop wriggling around. The best lock in the world would not keep Davy Jones’ loot safe for long against someone with both the right tools and determination.

The moment the foreign fingers scratched against their prize, a flash of lucidity cut through. Arthur curled around the stone so tightly he no longer knew where it ended or where he began. Hooks dug into his soul, prying him closer and closer to the surface. Gold strings fiercely yanked him back towards the abyss. Then as a last resort stitched themselves hastily into the searing patchwork.  

“Ding, ding, ding! And we have a winner!”

The slap on his back had Yellow hunching forward, closer to the hands cupping the Black Stone. It throbbed in unison with his own body. Every shadow, every color glistened in a blinding contrast. The very same way Addison had looked that morning after the clouds had parted, leaving only clear skies and the brilliant snow. His heavy breaths were woven into brush strokes painting this vista, one last gift to Arthur before this entity swallowed the entire world. Then he fixed his gaze onto Kayne holding the rock out, waiting for the devil to keep his end of the deal. Everything went sideways and Yellow landed on his ass. It was disorienting as fuck but he felt more at home than he ever did inside Larson’s head. He grazed his fingers across the new scars he was not present for with slight irritation. No matter he would demand the stories later. None seemed to compare to the three from the boat anyway. Wait the boat-

“I give you a ten out of ten. Stellar work truly! So here’s the tip: you remember everything. Honestly I didn’t expect you to be that useful after driving Artie to the brink. Fascinating really how the carrot he had no trouble following after all this time disgusted him when I served it grated. Since he was so difficult I switched to a slightly different brand and you’ll never guess what… He swallowed it hook, line and sinker! Convinced I had indulged his whimsies. It was hilarious!”

His stomach sank as his memories clicked back into place: the office, the hospital, the city under the hotel, the pits, Lily and the sight of Arthur’s dying body falling out of his reach while the King laughed at his naivety. What had followed despite Kayne’s meddling was their own handiwork. It shouldn’t be that much of a surprise considering their argument in front of his mural. The bigger threat was never the creatures they encountered down the line but their own stubbornness.

The stone’s power rose into a crescendo sending shivers down his spine. The corridor twisted from the tension it wasn’t made to withstand. No, even had they been out in the open the artifact would have bent the world in the same way. Slowly his ears began to parse out the melody underneath: a wail accompanied by a piano and the sound of rushing water.

“Oh darling, thar tickles! Looks like Daddy’s clock will have a vibrate option, truly a testimony of human progress don’t you think? Huh. Don’t stare at me like I drowned your goldfish. It’s not MY fault you didn’t account for stowaways before handing it over! Anyway time’s up. Farewell Jonagold!”

He didn’t care about the difference between them, the purpose of the stone or how this was the consequences of everyone’s choices. No one took what was his! Not even the Crawling Chaos itself!

The reason he failed and grasped nothing but empty air was ironic: the pathetic leftover vessel who had refused to get his hands dirty.

How stupid! How shocking! How splendid! His roar of laughter bounced off the walls of the blood-stained corridor. It was a stage equal to the basement of 58 Pelican Lane. However he still had to make his own debut.

The malevolent entity wrapped his hands around the man’s throat

and

squeezed.

[silviakundera]

Once again reviewing less known/unpopular dramas... Ghost Host, Ghost House (2022, Thai BL) delivers what it promises to be in the first episode: supernatural family drama about ghosts, with a side of romance. I have an affection for media that knows what it wants to be and executes that.

Kevin, now an adult and ready for university, arrives in Thailand to visit family he hasn't seen for a decade - as his mother moved them to the USA when he was young. He's a budding video blogger whose gimmick seems to be: cute gay boy who visits haunted houses. Little does he know that the family he's come to stay with are all dead. The loved ones once separated by geography, as a child of immigrants, are now separated from him in a way he is yet to understand. There at the old family home he also runs into Pleum, a local boy with big dreams who is cheerfully navigating through 5 odd jobs and begins to pursue the visiting hot boy with the same dedication. But whose family is also hiding wounds of his own.

"This flower reflects the reality. Pain hasn't gone elsewhere. It's just hidden, so we can move on and live our lives."

Don't come looking for a thriller or scares or ghost hunting. It's not a fast-paced drama, it's about the characters.

It's charmingly earnest in the two young men's fumbling birth of a romance, elements of whimsical humor in Kevin's ghost family navigating death (think Beetlejuice), and occasionally poignant in discussions of mortality, grief, and letting go. The family relationships are given equal weight to the romance.

There wasn't a tonal whiplash for me. The sweet & sexy parts fit alongside the fact that both MLs are surrounded by death and need to come to terms with it. The tone is fluid. In the midst of life, there is death; in the midst of death there is life.

It's not a deeply profound, philosophical exploration of grieving and I don't think that's a failure because it's not trying to be. It's just characters who are haunted, literally and metaphorically, and who find a way to move on during the course of 8 episodes.

The couple really worked for me (until the writers imo fumbled the end). Post high school, figuring themselves out and what they want. Clearly not virgins and very comfortable with their sexuality and queer desire, while being still awkward & uncertain about how to act around a cute boy you like. I appreciated that the couple is quite sweet & soft without neutering them. They are allowed to be age-appropriate horny! They're also allowed to make mistakes & deal poorly with grief in hard moments, and then apologize and be forgiven for it. Two people who met each other in the worst timing & situation for attempting a romance. Though perhaps without the ghosts that united them, they would have lived out their lives mostly on separate continents & never found home together.

The otp like each other right away - it's external factors pulling them apart. Unresolved grief that must be dealt with and the hovering dramatic tension tension that Kevin is Thai diaspora, essentially American, and this was intended to be a temporary visit to see his relatives. He's presumably considering this a 'vacation fling', while it was clear that Pleum was ready to go all-in. A separation was basically baked into the pairing. I was anxious about how this could really work. Spoiler: happy ending, but I did not entirely like how they got there (see cut).

I would be spoiling too much to discuss in detail, but the family elements are lovely. Bittersweetness in the incomplete time we get with our loved ones. And the subtle tragedy of the opportunities Kevin lost to know his extended family; the taste of home he's been missing as his mother moved on with a new american husband.

Only 2 distracting missteps in the drama. SPOILERS FOR THE ENDING.

A. Kevin is a dual citizen who's mostly lived in America all his life. His English should be perfect but it very much isn't. But tbh to a thai viewer it likely isn't noticeable and this is a thai production; that's the intended audience, not me. So I just used my imagination. It doesn't come up frequently.

B. The requisite separation trope in the last episode is always super annoying to me in kdramas & thai dramas, because it's such a cliche. At least in this case it was foreshadowed several times since early on that Kevin was NOT ready for commitment while Pleum was. (he clearly gets uncomfortable & ducks the question repeatedly when people bring up them being boyfriends. He's not a blushing maiden, this was reluctance to commit to staying in Thailand & settling down with Pleum, despite the connection, compatibility, and everything they went thru together) And it makes sense that he was too young to be brave enough to take such a leap and hadn't made peace with his 1st love Jake's death. So for once, the separation 100% made sense and I wasn't even upset by that part! My issue was how they executed the rest. Frankly, I disagree with the writing choices. I guess they were going with the idea that Kevin was resigned to having missed out. He feels like it's too late. But I hated that they had Pleum waiting for years for Kevin to be ready and it just didn't feel certain to me that they would have reunited except by chance. Like, I wanted Kevin to choose to go to him, full-stop. Not accidentally run into him, sorry that's bullshit to me. Yes, Kevin kept a momento of their time together. Yes, he obviously wasn't over Pleum. But to me it also felt like he was just prepared to move on and never see him again. No me gusta.

There's a romantic sensual reuniting scene and Pleum seems confident that he's not going to let his man go anywhere again. And Kevin is ready to say goodbye to the memory of his 1st love and admit Pleum is the one for him. I did buy-in on the idea that they experienced something truly formative together that no one else would understand. In the end, I did feel like Kevin would make a home with him now. So it's definitely a happy ending. But.. It really annoys me because without this misstep, if they had executed the separate & unite differently, this would be a fav drama I'd rec to everyone.

[mandalorianchronicles]

While I’m not a dinbo fan (din/fennec all

The way) I do have to say your positivity of this season is refreshing. I feel like I’ve been defending this season all by myself. Dave and Jon are excellent writers and I trust them with my whole heart. This season has really focused on the subtle plot choices that are going to come clashing together and make sense.

Nice to see another fan enjoying the show. 🧡

I love this! Thank you so much for sharing these thoughts. It's so nice to hear from other voices who are not so quick to jump on the negativity bandwagon. The Mandalorian tag has definitely had its ups and downs over the seasons. I can remember when the chief complaint was that there were too many episodes with canned plots that were "filler" or "slow" or "side quests" and everyone kept asking "where is the plot?" Of course, the overarching plot (that all those canned episodes contributed important pieces to) always came crashing down in the last few episodes of the season and they complained about that too.

This season has seen a lot more world building and has been incredibly focused on character development. The chief complaint I've heard now is that Din's character is "regressing" or being "sidelined". In the first two seasons, Din's priority was a) keeping Grogu alive and b) getting Grogu to a permanent home. Since The Book of Boba Fett, Din has accepted that Grogu is now his responsibility for the long haul. That has shifted his whole world. He can't keep dragging a baby on bounty hunting missions and even if he could, he wants something better for Grogu. He wants to give him a home and people, a stable lifestyle. Bo-Katan can make that happen and he is willing to support her in any way possible to help her succeed - not just for his and Grogu's benefit - because he truly believes in her.

And though I understand and respect that Dinbo is not everyone's cup of tea, I do believe that is the direction the writers are taking their relationship, especially in light of the fact that Bo has voluntarily (with zero prompting from Din) assumed a motherly role with Grogu. For me, I just really want to see these characters find some peace and happiness. I know that in Star Wars peace is always temporary, but it would be very satisfying for me to see Grogu, Din, and Bo (three characters who started this journey utterly alone) become a family. They have each grown so much over these three seasons and the writers have spent the most time focusing on them for a reason. I believe their story can be told well without detracting from the bigger picture of restoring Mandalore and pushing back against the restoration of the Empire.

We know that Star Wars fans are a toxic bunch who aren't happy unless they're complaining. I'll be the first to admit, I went through a phase where I really hated on the sequels (even though I was actually enjoying them until TRoS). We've all done it. And let's be real, there are legitimate reasons to be critical of some of these shows/movies. But I really do believe that a lot of the negativity over this season of The Mandalorian has been predominantly from fans who were just salty that their hyper specific headcanons weren't coming true or because they jumped the gun and judged it before they got to the end. If I had a nickel for every complaint about loose threads, I'd be rich. Even before the season is complete, the vast majority of those threads or pieces have become relevant and now everyone can clearly see why those were important. Patience is a virtue, y'all. Let the season play out and just learn to enjoy the ride. Save your criticisms for after it's done - you'll probably have a lot less of them and you'll undoubtedly feel less stupid when that plot thread you thought was just dropped actually became relevant (looking at you people who thought they went through all that trouble with IG-11 for no reason). Maybe we should all start meditating on my new favorite Mandalorian proverb:

"One does not speak unless one knows."

It sounds a lot like this other favorite of mine:

"Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive." Proverbs 17:28

[brigdh]

Brigdh, these are *wildly* evocative titles! I need you to know that I waffled so so much on this choice, but the one I think I need to know about the *most* is war criminals doing compensated dating.

The WIP meme!

@napneeders and @likethehotsauce also asked for this one, thank you all!

And thank you for liking the titles, but I don't think I can take any credit for them; they're just the prompts I used for inspiration. Case in point: this one! This is from when everyone was describing their favorite characters as war criminals (maybe we're still doing that? I feel like there was a peak in the term over the summer), and then someone combined that with angsty high school AUs, and voila, a bizarre combination that I somehow found incredible compelling. (Also, if you're unfamiliar with the term compensated dating, it's basically the same as a sugar baby/daddy relationship, but often with the connotation that the baby is still in high school.)

This is one where I can't really post it as finished fic because that set-up is too complicated to explain in an author's note, so you've got the whole thing below. Modern AU, Ed-focused.

Ed’s dad wasn’t around anymore. That was fine – good, actually, it was a good thing – but it turned out that the old man had paid more in rent than he’d wasted on booze. Ed should have known. His dad was a shit father and a shit husband, but he was white, and still had his high school footballer muscles, and had a way of talking to other men that made them laugh with him instead of at him. He’d never had any trouble holding down a job, no matter how often he went in late and hungover.

Ed’s mom never had a bruise on her face, these days. She never walked funny or flinched too easily. But she still wasn’t happy. She started getting home late; the few times Ed glimpsed her in daylight, there were bags under her eyes, and her mouth was pinched and thin. Ed caught her hunched over the kitchen table, writing with one of the Bic pens he brought home from school. She didn’t hear him come in, and he got close enough to read the first few lines over her shoulder before she noticed him. It was an application for the night shift at the little grocery store down the road.

“When would you sleep?” he asked.

His mom made a little sound, half snort of amusement and half exasperated sigh. “A lot of people have a second job, Ed. We should be grateful that I can work.” She smiled at him, eyes crinkled and warm. She really believed it, was the thing. All the things she said about how the world worked, and it made Ed’s instinct to shout that it wasn’t fair, wasn’t right, feel small and childish. “Besides, it’ll be temporary. Just until your father gets back.”

Ed had fucked up. He’d already known that, of course, but now there was a whole new side to how he’d fucked up.

Obviously the solution was for him to get a job, but nowhere that hired teenagers paid over minimum wage, and when Ed counted up the hours he could skip school before the social worker called the house, it didn’t add up to enough. Jack had offered to teach Ed how to pick pockets in exchange for Ed blowing him, but he suspected lifting a few wallets here and there might be fun drinking money, but it wasn’t the kind of thing that paid the rent. Ed would have to get into harder crimes to make it work, stuff with real risk if he wanted the real rewards.

Or. There was a girl who came to school every day now with designer clothes, jewelry with real stones, the newest model phone that she updated practically every month. She lived not far from Ed, and he knew none of it came from her parents. She didn’t have a lot of friends, though she’d been nice enough when they were kids. Now people whispered whore and skank when she walked by; her eyes never flickered and her fingers tap-tap-tapped on the strap of her Birkin bag.

That was Ed’s other choice. Less dangerous than crime, probably; certainly less chance of his mom finding out, since technically compensated dating wasn’t illegal. And anyway, Ed wasn’t really a virgin, so why not?

People looked at him, sometimes; he knew that. He liked it, usually. He’d been figuring out how to dress to make them look longer. When he walked home along the side of the road, sometimes a car honked at him. Not to tell him to get out of the way, but because of what they saw.

The girl with the fancy clothes, people called her needy too. Said she had no self-respect, that anyone could have her. A sick curl of recognition had squirmed in Ed’s belly. He was like that – he needed people to want him. It was like he was hungry and other people’s attention was the only thing that filled him up. It scared him: how much he needed it, the stupid things he’d done to get it. So he tried not to think about it, to stomp the craving down into the dark places of his mind where he put the things that bothered him. He could never get rid of it for long. though. He hated how weak it made him feel, how desperate.

The idea of people paying to look at him, to touch him – that didn’t sound so bad. If someone wanted to give Ed things, just because they desired him, ached for him, even loved him, maybe that would soothe the hunger in him. He could make them be the ones who needed.

In the end, it wasn’t really much of a choice at all.

[koolkat9]

WIP Tag Game

Thanks for the tag @balladofthewhitehorse

Rules: Reveal the titles of the documents in your WIP folder and tag as many people as there are documents. Let others ask questions about the ones that interest them and post snippets or explain the contents as you see fit!

I did this before so I'll put the ones I already posted under the cut because again, perhaps people asking about them will get me motivated to write.

I do have some new outlines to share because where I work we got slow periods where a lot of us will do something like word searches or in my case writing...so...

NEW OUTLINES

NedCan "Dancer" AU - It's actually a NedCan stripper AU (but I wrote this when I had free time at work so...I didn't want people being suspicious). It would be a long fic though and I only have the prologue/first chapter outlined.

CuCan Cottage - CuCan obviously

GerEng Hot Day - GerEng obviously

Art + Lud Stuffies - GerEng + stuffed animals

Everyone Boosting Lud's Spirits - Nations Free AU - An ensemble fic with some German Bros and GerEng.

Royal Red Bros - Mattie Playing in Mud - England + Canada

GerEng - Future - Nations Free AU - GerEng

GerEng Tongue Piercing - GerEng

GerEng Feeing Birds - GerEng

Matt Ficking of to the Woods -> Allie Finds him - Scotland + Canada

NedCan - Nude Painting - NedCan

Art Motorcycle - GerEng

FROM THE LAST POST

CURRENTLY BEING WRITTEN OUT

Arthur Meeting Lud’s Dogs - Obviously GerEng 

Count Your Blessings (Chapter 3) - England + Canada 

GerFruk Arthur Sick fic - GerFruk

Got a Secret Can You Keep it? - GerEng (nsfw)

Day 6 - Folklore || Pining - FACE Fam + Fruk (this was originally going to be something for Fruk week but I couldn’t get myself to finish it in time since it is very long, but I do plan on returning to it)

Cardverse Fic - GerEng is the main focus, but there will also be Itapan, probably some platonic Al and Art, platonic Arthur and Yao, Scotfra, and so much more. Don’t know when it will be posted since I want to finish one of my other multichapter fics before jumping onto another. 

German Bros - Germany + Prussia (originally planned as a Father’s Day fic but I ran out of time. Probably won’t get posted until Father’s Day 2024)

Untitled - EngUkr (I think this was supposed to be a birthday fic, but then I ran out of time and just haven’t finished it yet)

GerEng Hurt/Comfort Hospital - GerEng, England + America 

Pruk Spice - Pruk (nsfw)

 Subspace - GerEng (nsfw)

Top England x Bottom BFT - BFT x England (nsfw. Based on a prompt on the hetalia kink meme)

ONLY OUTLINE (Break because this is where it gets long)

FACE Fam Sick Fic - FACE Fam + Fruk

Omega Ludwig being taken care of at a meeting (inspired by a convo on my spicy blog)

Ludwig’s Birth + Gil’s Anxiety - little Germany + Prussia (and Germania, though it’s more like he’s there in spirit with him possibly actually being present)

Francis Caring for Matt’s Hair - France + Canada

GerEng + Peter Sick fic - Obviously GerEng + Peter

Fruk Death Fic - Fruk (I promise it’s only temporary Character Death)

Arthur and Kiku taking Matt to a convention - England + Japan + Canada

FACE Fam Matt is Injured in Hockey - FACE Fam + Fruk

CuCan Beach Prompt - CuCan

CuCan Winter Prompt - CuCan

GerEng laying in Bed all day because Arthur is depressed and mentally drained - GerEng + an appearance by Ludwig’s dogs possibly

Canmano First Meeting - Canmano + a little bit of Ameliet

Art + Matt WW1

Arthur Getting Merlin - England + the kitten I gave him named Merlin

GerEng exercise Buddies - GerEng

Fruk Kiss Prompt - Fruk

Royal Red Bros Storm - England + little Canada

Matt Comforting Arthur after a Nightmare - England + little Canada

Lud Picking up Arthur after he fell asleep in a weird position - GerEng

Ludwig Cleaning Arthur’s Wounds After a Bar Fight

NyoCanUkr smut - Nyo Canada x Ukraine (nsfw)

Pet Play GerEng - GerEng

EngUkr Spice - EngUkr

CanCu Omegaverse - CuCan (nsfw. Based on prompt from Hetalia Kink Meme)

GerEng Thunder Storm - GerEng + Aster (Lud’s dog)

Matthew + Fran and Fran’s Fear of Planes - France + Canada

GerEng Late Night - GerEng

I forgot the tag let's see...what other writers do I know...

@needcake @redds-art828 @averyblair and I can't think of anyone else. Anyone who wants to jump onto this. Go right ahead. Consider this your tag. (No pressure to anyone though)

[sirenjose]

Call of the Abyss 1

This is a repost of my COA 1 analysis.

COA 1 Trailer transcript

(Trailer begins at timestamp 1:19: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voPFd6efJUM)

A sea as calm as a lake. Makes people forget about the storm for a moment. Not even a stone could make a single ripple on the sea. But it can create waves in the hearts of the people.

“Somewhere in the world… are treasures buried that all desire.”

The journey of pursuing a dream never had flaws. But this journey leads to challenges. One day… The journey will be forgotten. Even if there is only one person, who will reach the destination. No one ever doubts their direction. Intertwined and colliding dreams… will turn into wings and survive the most terrible storms. In front of them… even the sharpest wind and rain will become dull.

At the end of the journey you will find a treasure, But there is still evil lingering at every corner! Go, write your own story.

Go! Become a legend!

The main characters of COA 1 are Pirate Captain and Caged Butterfly.

Pirate Captain: His only purpose in life is to find that unique gift for his beloved. He never thought that it would be met with disgust and disdain.

Caged Butterfly: She loves that innocent Asian lady from the Madame Butterfly and thought she would find a love that was more genuine, but she never thought that her fate would be as bleak. The vast ocean devoured her sailor and devoured her everything.

Pirate Captain is in love with Caged Butterfly, his “beloved”, who he spends all his time searching for “that unique gift” for her. Caged Butterfly also likes Pirate Captain, but he doesn’t make his love apparent enough to her. We know this from Leo’s Telescope accessory, which says before he went out searching for treasure, he looked toward where his heart was, meaning Caged Butterfly, but “never took a step in that direction”. All Caged Butterfly sees is him spending all his time out on the ocean on various voyages rather than with her. This is why Caged Butterfly says the sea “devoured her sailor and devoured her everything”. This connects with how, once Pirate Captain did eventually retrieve the gift he was looking for, why he says he was surprised to be met with “disgust and disdain”. He was surprised because he hadn’t understood how Caged Butterfly was feeling about him constantly being gone and spending all his time out at sea. She thought he didn’t care about her and only wanted treasure.

Telescope: Before searching for treasure, the captain would use it look out into the distance looking for where his heart lies, but he never took a step in that direction.

Caged Butterfly’s feelings about how their relationship is going connects to Caged Butterfly mentioning the story of Madame Butterfly.

This story is about a girl that falls in love with someone who doesn’t love her the same way. He simply chases her like one would a butterfly. He sees their marriage as temporary until he finds a real American woman to marry (instead of Madame Butterfly, a Japanese bride). Eventually, he does leave and marry another woman, who he brings with him when he comes back for his and Madame Butterfly’s child. Madame Butterfly had remained loyal until she sees his new wife, at which point she attempts to kill herself (the opera version has her succeed, while the short story has her stop after being reminded of her child).

The comparison to Madame Butterfly’s story would explain why Caged Butterfly says “she never thought her fate would be as bleak”, as she had hoped for “a love that was more genuine”. She had hoped her love with Pirate Captain would be this “more genuine” love. Unfortunately, Caged Butterfly feels the same way as Madame Butterfly, as just a “butterfly” that is to be chased, but that he doesn’t actually love her. She is mistaken though, as Pirate Captain does actually love her, with Vera’s Iris accessory likely coming from Pirate Captain. My reasoning here is because iris flowers in real life can attract butterflies and would thus tie in to the Madame Butterfly story as well as Caged Butterfly’s misunderstanding about Pirate Captain.

Iris: The caged butterfly will never forget the fragrance of a flower.

Caged Butterfly thinking someone doesn’t care for her when they actually parallels how Chloe (Perfumer) mistakenly thought the same regarding the real Vera (Perfumer’s sister), which was why Chloe killed her. Leo being in love with Martha Remington who leaves him and eventually gets killed off parallels Pirate Captain, his love for Caged Butterfly, and Caged Buttefly’s eventual fate I’ll soon discuss. The disgust and disdain expressed by Caged Butterfly towards Pirate Captain also accurately parallels Martha’s comments to Leo in Emma’s 5th deduction.

Deduction 5: Little Girl's Diary 2: Father and Mother quarreled. Mother said that father's clothes were always dirty. Father didn't say anything

Back to the story, someone else has learned of the relationship between Caged Butterfly and Pirate Captain.

I’m referring to Pirate Captain’s first mate, Jack as Stern Mate and Manta Ray Mate, who’s noticed Pirate Captain’s love for Caged Butterfly. He wasn’t happy about this. The first mate wanted Pirate Captain to focus on being a pirate and looking for treasure. He felt the captain’s infatuation was a ridiculous waste of time and only made him weak.

Stern Mate: He wasn't willing to live under the command of any one person, especially not someone like this captain smitten by boring romance.

Manta Ray Mate: He persisted in that throwing the butterfly to the depths of the ocean was the best way to awaken the captain. But in the end, he didn't think it was worth losing that treasure.

So, to “awaken the captain”, he decided to “throw the butterfly to the depths of the ocean”. Based on Madame Coral mentioning she woke up in a cage sinking to the ocean floor (from translations of other versions), Jack likely tried to drown her by first putting her in a cage before trying to drown her. Jack also mentions losing a “treasure” at the same time. This was likely Vera’s Sea Snail accessory (called a Conch Shell in other versions). This is important because it is said to be capable of “resurrection”. Caged Butterfly being “reborn” as Madame Coral parallels how Chloe took Vera’s (her sister’s) identity and became “Vera” instead. The conch shell is also said to grant “eternal youthful looks”, which is likely why Pirate Captain was looking to give this gift to Caged Butterfly. It may also connect to how, once Caged Butterfly becomes Madame Coral, why both Deep Sea Turtle and Sharkbite mention a woman that they are helping (Deep Sea Turtle says he’s never seen someone as beautiful as her, while Sharkbite describes her as “worth protecting”).

Madame Coral: She awoke in a prison next to an oceanic volcano and realized that her body merged with the coral. The water was hot enough to burn flesh, and her heart sank to the depths.

Sea Snail: According to legend, only the sea snail is capable of resurrection. Eternal youthful looks is something countless people desire, but it would seem that this one has lost its luster.

After he sent Caged Butterfly to the ocean depths, the first mate successfully “awakened the captain”, as Pirate Captain becomes Golden Sea Monster. This occurs because of the captain’s grief over losing Caged Butterfly, which left a hole in his heart. To attempt to fill this void, he begins focusing on finding treasure (gold, based on his name). Due to this transformation, he begins to be described as “terrifying”, as we see from Pirate Spotter and Blacktip. Pirate Spotter potentially came from a different ship that was defeated by the captain and forcefully recruited (aka, join or die), which could be the sort of thing Pirate Gunner is for. Blacktip apparently is fighting the captain, based on Sharkbite’s description, for Madam Coral (possibly for revenge, partially because they may be competing to find the treasure or eye first).

Golden Sea Monster: Which pirate doesn't adventure for the chance to claim countless treasure? Forsaking everything for the sake of gold, filling the empty void in their heart.

Pirate Spotter: His self-proclaimed title of "spotter" always gave him a sense of pride. That was until he encountered that fearful captain of the Sea Monster.

Pirate Gunner: This sharpshooter only wishes to further improve her marksmanship on the open sea.

The first mate’s actions and desire to wake the captain up parallels the actions of Jack’s bad side towards his good side, as the bad side slowly gains more freedom and control, with the 2 merging by the end of his deductions.

Pirate Spotter being with a different crew but forced to join parallels the Church forcing Kreacher to give them his orphanage, as well as how he has to stay on their good side as they are shown willing to have him arrested on theft charges to get him out of their way.

According to Golden Sea Monster, he is searching for “countless treasures”. This may be where the COA 1 trailer comes in, as it mentions “somewhere in the world… are treasures buried that all desire”. This would line up with the 1st stage of COA 1: Bottle Throwing Ceremony, which is likely based on the real-life tradition that is meant to bring good luck and safe travel when a new ship is launched. The “treasure” that “all desire” is referring to the “eye”, which could be the reason everyone “desires” this “treasure” enough to go looking and fight over it. This would also mean everyone’s destination (that “somewhere in the world”) is R’lyeh, the last stage of COA 1.

R’lyeh is a sunken city in the Cthulhu Mythos where Cthulhu sleeps.

One of those I think that is looking for the eye is Madame Coral. The reason I say this is because (according to translations of other versions) her mind (or heart) fell to the abyss (in Chinese, it uses the same characters for abyss that are used in “Call of the Abyss”).

We know she was freed from her cage based on Deep Sea Turtle commenting on her walking “alone on the seabed”. Clownfish was likely the one to free her, as she mentions it “does its best to get everything ready and to accompany her” when “Madame Coral is reborn from the seabed”.

I believe Madame Coral could’ve also been looking for the eye based on Deep Sea Turtle and Lava Tortoise. Deep Sea Turtle implies she asked him about a certain “treasure”. This can’t be the conch shell, as she doesn’t need it to bring anyone back (Pirate Captain isn’t dead. She was the only one that had to be “reborn”). Lava Tortoise adds that this “ultimate treasure” was sunk “long long ago”. The conch shell was sent to the ocean’s depths with Caged Butterfly, so it wouldn’t have been “long long ago”. From what we know about R’lyeh (as it is really old according to the original Cthuhlu mythos), and how it is called “ultimate”, this is likely the treasure the COA 1 trailer is referring to, the one “all desire”, aka the eye.

Deep Sea Turtle: During his long life he has never heard of any treasure, nor has he seen a woman as beautiful as her, she who walks alone on the seabed.

Lava Tortoise: To find the ultimate treasure that sunk there long long ago, he searches endlessly in the volcano on the seabed for Madame Coral's gem. He hasn't even noticed his shell beginning to expand and crack due to the lava.

Lava Tortoise mentions he was searching volcanos on the seabed for this treasure. The mention of “volcanoes” combined with the “coral” referenced by Madame Coral I believe can be used to further connect to R’lyeh and the idea she was looking for the eye. R’lyeh is said to be located deep down in the Pacific Ocean, with a number of coordinates putting it at the Pacific oceanic pole of inaccessibility (the furthest point from any landmass). One of the coordinates puts it about 10 days from the real island of Pohnpei (Ponape), which in the Cthulhu mythos had the “Ponape Scripture” (a text that described Cthulhu). Pohnpei is a volcanic island surrounded by an outer barrier reef (connecting to the “volcano” and “coral” mentions).

Also, the fact Lava Tortoise calls it a “gem” could connect with Parasite, who makes a comment about the “eye-shaped gems” in his skin. I discuss this more in my COA 2 analysis, but the eye in Infected looks very similar to the evil eye in Evil Eye Host. There’s also how Infected warns against staring at the eye for too long, which connects to how Margaretha was corrupted and became Vile Blossom after seeing the evil eye open.

Infected: Those red eyes really make one's hair stand on end, so don't stare at them for too long.

Parasite: These eye-shaped gems make his skin glitter... they are so shiny!

I mentioned earlier that Blacktip was fighting the captain. I think this may connect to Madam Coral having Lava Tortoise look for the eye. It’s possible she’s trying to compete with Golden Sea Monster to see who can find the eye first. This would go along with the COA 1 trailer which talks about this journey for this specific treasure as a competition or race. I also think, due to their proximity to the abyss, along with Madame Coral, both Lava Tortoise and Sharkbite gradually become corrupted. This would go along with how Deep Sea Turtle becomes Lava Tortoise, or how Sharkbite is mentioned not to die but “faded away”. This latter one can connect with Pricking, who is also being corrupted and is trying to use pain to “remind herself not to be consumed”, as she even adds “but how long could she possibly last? Maybe the abyss is where she truly belongs”. I think this exact thing may be happening to Sharkbite, which we know can happen as Madame Coral’s mind apparently already fell to the abyss.

Blacktip: His body is covered in scars from his fights with the terrifying captain. They regarded each other as mortal enemies.

Sharkbite: The old soldier is not dead, but has just faded away. But before his time, he found a woman worth protecting.

Pricking: She tried to use pain to remind herself not to be consumed by the corrosiveness of the enemy’s mark, but how long can she possibly last? Perhaps the abyss is where she truly belongs.

Another group I believe looking for the eye involves Kurt and Helena.

Kurt as Voyage mentions he wants to “uncover the mysteries of the abyss” and thus, to do this, “embarks on a voyage”. This “voyage” is likely the one Helena as Last Vacation and Good Old Times “blindly embarks” on, as she didn’t “check the destination of the vessel” she was boarding. She even adds she doesn’t know “what kind of voyage awaits her”.

Voyage: If there are times when you long to uncover the mysteries of the abyss, why not put on your backpack and embark on a voyage!

Lost: Life is a long voyage. As long as you have a lighthouse in one's heart, you won't lose your way.

Last Vacation: You should always check the destination of the vessel you are about to board. It is doubtful Helena knows what kind of a voyage awaits her.

Good Old Times: When recollecting the past, you can learn from past mistakes, for example, don't blindly embark on a journey.

From looking at Jack’s 2 Osprey skins as well as Tracy’s Shipbuilder skin (who based on how she isn’t called a pirate and has no pirate symbols on her, I think she could’ve been with Kurt and Helena), they likely encountered Golden Sea Monster. 

Fog Osprey: You would never want to encounter it, or him, when a fog appears on the open sea or envelops a port.

Red Osprey: Within the dense fog at the harbor an inauspicious color will sometimes arise.

Shipbuilder: It is necessary to have a reliable ship mechanic on a long voyage to ensure the power generator runs smoothly. You never know when you might need to outrun a sea monster.

Shipbuilder mentions a “sea monster” which is the same term Pirate Spotter uses in reference to Golden Sea Monster.

Fog Osprey and Red Osprey warn about an encounter with “it, or him” at a harbor or on a foggy “route” (according to other translations). The dangerous “it” or “him” that people “would never want to encounter” matches with how the captain is referred to as “terrifying” (or it could be referring to his first mate, who we know is willing to kill to get what he wants). 

A bit more of a side note, but the “fog” could be a reference to Pirates of the Caribbean, as fog always seemed to accompany the Black Pearl wherever it went. This includes near the beginning of the movie when it attacks Port Royal, or even at the very start when young Elizabeth sees it pass by right before the other British sailors spot the wreckage of the ship the Black Pearl destroyed. There’s a good chance Pirates of the Caribbean is somewhat of a basis for COA 1 based on the similar stories (pirates, cursed treasure, different groups of pirates, etc…), as well as similar characters (Pirate Captain and Golden Sea Monster seem fairly similar to Davy Jones from the 2nd and 3rd movies).

Osprey’s mention of a “route” could also point to this happening during COA 1’s 2nd stage: New Route.

Navigator is one of those helping the captain reach the treasure “all desire”. Translations of other versions mention (something along the lines of how) he has a map in his eye that “hides a secret many seek”. The part about something “many seek” matches up the treasure referenced in the COA 1 trailer. I think the reason he has this map (as well as why his skin is blue unlike the others, with a supernatural eye) could connect to Pirate Doctor, who in other versions is referred to as a witch doctor. Other versions seem to have her description say no one could hold their own in front of her, a witch doctor, not even the captain. It’s possible she’s the reason Navigator became what he is and got that map. Maybe it could relate to whatever is in Emily’s Pirate Flask accessory, which apparently isn’t “ordinary medicinal liquor”.

Navigator: Even though he only has one eye, he still sees what others wish to remain hidden; things that others long to know.

Pirate Doctor: A ship full of pirates and there is not one among them who can keep it together in her presence, not even the captain.

Pirate Flask: This flagon contains no ordinary medicinal liquor.

Both Navigator and Pirate Doctor even have the same dark marks under their eyes, which no one else has.

If she did help lead them to R’lyeh, even if it was via Navigator and possibly being how he got his special eye, this could parallel Tia Dalma from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. She helps Jack throughout the movies, and even brought Barbossa back from death. Barbossa even had a curse that made him undead, which can parallel Navigator’s zombie-ish skin color.

The next stage after New Route is Storm Circle. This matches up with how the COA 1 trailer says “intertwined and colliding dreams… will turn into wings and survive the most terrible storms”. This same line can also help imply Kurt’s group did encounter Golden Sea Monster based on the “intertwined and colliding dreams” part. Right before this line, the trailer even says “No one ever doubts their direction”. This line seems to almost perfectly reference Kurt’s Lost skin description: “Life is a long voyage. As long as you have a lighthouse in one's heart, you won't lose your way”. Another line from the trailer, “In front of them… even the sharpest wind and rain will become dull”, also sounds very similar to Lost’s description (and his passion to encounter the abyss).

This stage could also be where Navigator’s Pirate Compass accessory comes in, based on the line about how “compasses can save lives”.

The storm could imply they are getting close to R’lyeh. This may be when Oar of the Abyss and Ghost Blue Helmsman get involved. Oar of the Abyss states it is the reason the ship was led to the abyss. Ghost Blue Helmsman mentions the helmsman of the ship merged with the rudder, which is something that helps steer the ship, and thus also connects to the idea they are being brought to R’lyeh. The one behind all this is likely Poseidon’s Crown and Poseidon, who “rules the oceans and lakes”. This ties in with the COA 1 trailer, which says at the very beginning “A sea as calm as a lake”. Poseidon’s Crown is likely meant to parallel Cthulhu, who actually sleeps in R’lyeh in the Cthulhu mythos (and there’s how R’lyeh being underwater could relate to how Hastur’s skin is called “Poseidon”).

Ghost Blue Helmsman: The crew's fear toward the helmsman after he merged with the rudder almost surpassed that of their fear toward the captain.

Oar of the Abyss: No one knows the true reason as to why it lurks here, the one who brought a ship and its crew to the unknown abyss.

Poseidon’s Crown: There is no mercy in God's heart. That is the very reason why God is God.

Poseidon: He rules the oceans and lakes. His fury will rouse monsters from the abyss that will destroy everything.

It’s possible before Oar of the Abyss and Ghost Blue Helmsman get involved that some of those aboard the ship may have essentially summoned (or called) them. I’m referring to Joker as Singer and Mr. Pink, and then Emily as Rebirth. Joker’s 2 skins mention singing a song for “spirits”, while Rebirth mentions “praying to the ancient gods hidden in the dark for miracles”. The fact she talks about “miracles” could imply they were in danger, which could refer to the “storm circle” stage, especially as she also does mention the “raging tides”.

To add to this, Singer and Mr. Pink both have the Yellow Sign (Hastur’s sign) on his hat, while Emily’s hat has the same symbol that can be found on Fiona’s hood and key. In fact, Kurt’s and Helena’s skins also have this same mark.

The last stage of COA 1 is R’lyeh. The captain and his crew were brought there by Oar of the Abyss and Ghost Blue Helmsman, possibly because of Poseidon’s Crown. Hastur’s Glutton and Carnival (which is called “Feast” in other versions) could hint towards what one of his purposes for bringing them there was (such as corruption). This would tie in with Vera’s Manners skin, who references a “feast” (the name of one of Hastur’s skins as I just said), or to the fate of Pricking (who’s being corrupted). This stage lines up with the line from the COA 1 trailer: “At the end of the journey you will find a treasure, But there is still evil lingering at every corner!”. This line comes right after the one about encountering storms.

Glutton: A true predator doesn't know what being satisfied means. Beware of his gaze.

Carnival: A distant banquet visitor and one of Hastur's abyss incarnations.

Manners: Wearing magnificent clothing to a feast is just good manners. She was more interested in the pursuit of a pure fragrance, with which she could transcend these vulgar affairs.

When they arrive at R’lyeh, they shipwreck. We know this based on Emily’s Holy Angel skin, which mentions a ship sinking, as well as Lucky Guy’s Sketch of a Shipwreck, which shows a ship being sunk by something with tentacles. There’s even an unreleased B-Tier skin for Lucky Guy called Shipwreck. There’s also Emily’s Pirate Flag accessory, which based on the mention of “captured land” could imply they did indeed reach R’lyeh.

Sketch of a Shipwreck: It is impossible to visualize that strange event by simply looking at this rough sketch.

Holy Angel: A radiant angel will sometimes appear in the illusions of sailors whose ship has sunk and lead them back to tranquility.

Pirate Flag: Haha, the pirate flag should be planted at the highest point of the captured land!

Emily’s Flaming Angel mentions leaving behind a “splendor far surpassing that of the sunset glow”. This could also possibly parallel Pirates of the Caribbean.

During the 3rd movie, they have to go to Davy Jones’ Locker to rescue Jack Sparrow. This is essentially Davy Jones’ favorite punishment for those that try to cheat him. Davy Jones’s Locker is also an idiom for the bottom of the sea, for shipwrecks and sailors drowning. The bottom of the sea part could connect to Madame Coral who, with the other fish related skins, are on the “seabed”. The part about shipwrecks and drowned sailors would connect to those that shipwreck on R’lyeh. The fact some of these people are “pirates” would connect to the pirates that arrive at Davy Jones’ Locker in the movie, both Jack who is trapped there until he’s rescued, or the others that go there to rescue him. Especially the latter, as their ship wrecks when they arrive at Davy Jones’ Locker and have to use Jack’s (which Davy Jones left for Jack as part of his punishment, as it was in the sand and couldn’t actually sail at first).

Back to Flaming Angel though, her mention of “sunset” relates to how, in the movie, the way to escape the Locker was to capsize the ship at sundown. Once this happened, they would return to the living world at sunrise, at which time there was a green flash. This “green flash” signaled the returned of a soul from the land of the dead (aka Davy Jones’ Locker). This flash could parallel Flaming Angel’s mention of her “splendor” at sunset (combined with her name “flaming” angel).

Flaming Angel: If she soars on the horizon, she'll leave behind a splendor far surpassing that of the sunset glow.

Back to R’lyeh, this is where we know the eye is retrieved from. Based on the COA 1 trailer saying “One day… the journey will be forgotten. Even if there is only one person, who will reach the destination, no one ever doubts their directions”, it’s possible some of them won’t leave the island.

The part about the “journey” being “forgotten” could relate to how I mentioned some are corrupted once they arrive here when I discussed Glutton, Carnival, Manners, and Pricking. This could connect to Lucky Guy’s Shipwreck skin. We know it’s tied to Pirate Captain and his crew as he has the same anchor symbol that is on Jack’s first mate skins and on Leo’s Pirate Captain skin. The reason I think this could tie to possibly being corrupted is because of the similar color scheme of Lucky Guy’s outfit to Poseidon’s Crown, but especially because of the trident symbol on Lucky Guy’s shirt. This trident even seems to have what looks like a tentacle wrapped around it. This matches with Poseidon’s Crown (and Poseidon) as both have tridents on their backs and heads (and because of Hastur’s tentacles).

The fact it says “no one ever doubts their direction” right after mentioning “reaching the destination” could imply Kurt was one of those to reach and retrieve the eye. The fact him and Helena, as well as Emily as Rebirth, all had the same mark on them could imply they all managed to do this.

From Poseidon’s description saying he “roused monsters from the abyss”, that could connect to how all of Hastur’s skins get involved as they approach R’lyeh (Oar of the Abyss, Ghost Blue Helmsman, Glutton, and Carnival). It could also be what he does once everyone reaches R’lyeh. This is where I think Naib as Infected and Parasite gets involved. As I discussed earlier, I think the eye in him is where the actual evil eye comes from.

Lava Tortoise was also looking for the eye for Madame Coral, so it’s possible him and Madame Coral get involved somehow as well. Compared to his “Deep Sea Turtle” skin, his Lava Tortoise skin, as it’s called a tortoise rather than a turtle, could imply he went on land (aka R’lyeh), as tortoises spend most of their time on land (while turtles are mostly underwater).

From here, I think this is where Pirate Shipwright comes in. She talks about building a ship from “seaweed and coral”. The reason she’d be making a new ship could tie in with how their previous one got wrecked. The fact she mentions no “captain with their wits about them would dare risk such an endeavor” could imply the captain and his crew, plus Kurt and Helena, survived, while the part implying the captain may not be sane could either relate to them being at R’lyeh (and so close to the abyss) or to his state of mind since he lost Caged Butterfly.

The fact the ship is made from “coral” I wonder if that could imply a relation to Madame Coral. Her body was said to have merged with the coral afterall. She could also be involved with R’lyeh consiering her mind was said to have fallen to the abyss.

With a ship, they’d be able to leave R’lyeh, which would lead to the beginning of COA 2. This ship made from seaweed and coral could also be the “centuries old ship” mentioned during the COA 2 trailer, while those onboard could’ve been the predessors to the expedition referenced by Optical Mirror.

I did my best trying to figure out COA 1. This is my 3rd time starting over and trying to revise it to be more correct. It’s taken me longer than any of the other COAs. So please don’t be too harsh. I do hope this was at least somewhat enjoyable for everyone!

[duns-writes]

*banging pots and pans together*

Hey Jancy nation! Jonathan Byers appreciation club! Come get y'alls fic!

Tagging @beef-a-ronie, @jonathanssweatercollection @jancys-blue-bayou in case you're interested. If anyone wants to be tagged or untagged, let me know!

----

Music and laughter, and we're young and alive

CW/TW: Very Temporary Character Death, blood, injury, pain, hospitals, mentions of child abuse in later chapters

In which Jonathan gets hurt, and the people who love him realise just how much he's taken on.

Chapter 1: Take Me Out Tonight

Jonathan dies on a Tuesday.

They're in the back of a van. Speeding towards the only clinical space that's still functioning, the FEMA field hospital just outside of town. (Argyle is doing a surprisingly good job of driving both double the speed limit and safely.)

She'd watched and waited in the final showdown, building the strategy so that all they had to do (ha!) was get to Vecna and strike him down. The demodogs and bats had been neutralised, radio communication turned off, and Jonathan (against everybody's wishes) had volunteered as the distraction. ("Will and El are going to need you two, and Mike and Holly need their big sister.")

Time had stretched and warped like taffy, but they could still recognise it was taking too long. Something wasn't right, but what? She and Joyce had stood close to one another, the chief peering out into the ash and smoke, until-

Will had stumbled through the gate bloodied under his nose, tripping on the rubble. "Vecna's gone, but Jonathan's hurt! I can't pick him up on my own, I tried, but El's too drained to help!"

All three had thrown caution to the wind (nothing new there). They'd gone carefully through the gate itself, but dashed after him toward the ruins of the Creel house. Jane was knelt over a prone body, and-

Her knees wobbled.

Jonathan. His shirt-front slick with blood, stretched out like a pieta. Gazing up at El, breathing something as she gripped him, her tears making trails in the grime on his cheek.

Of course. Of course he would try to comfort her.

"*Gasp*-you're gonna be al-*gasp*-right. 'S all gone. You an' Will are-*rasp*-be okay. Find-hnngh-find out what makes you hap-happy. M'kay?"

His breath gurgled in his throat.

El had managed to pull together a watery smile, then glanced up, seeing their rescue party. "Look! They will help us get you out. You will be okay too. You-you just have to stay awake a little longer!"

He'd visibly shaken himself awake, corners of his mouth turning up as his brother had laid his hand on his shoulder. Reassuring someone else again.

Moving him had broken the spell.

"We have to stop the bleeding from these cuts, we need bandages." (Joyce had pressed the shredded remains of her shirt into the chief's hands, a few knotted together into a skein. She'd had to do something with her hands while they waited.)

"This is gonna hurt, kid. And you don't hold it in. Making noise is a way of dealin' with pain.'

They'd met gazes briefly, before Will was lifting Jon's shoulders and Hopper was winding the bandage around his torso. A tiny nod, then the chief pulled it taut, and a wail of agony ripped itself from the boy's chest. Jonathan was insensible for a few seconds, fighting against their hands like a rabbit in a snare, only stilling when Will's fingers began to soothe through his hair. He whimpered, tears rolling into his hairline.

"Shh, it's okay Jon. You're gonna be okay, just let us help you..."

He'd made a guttural noise when they arranged him across their laps, El curled up and watching from one of the jumpseats. Hopper knelt beside him, keeping pressure on as many wounds as his hands could stretch to. Argyle was grim in the driver's seat, following Joyce's directions.

They were almost at the gates when Jonathan's hand had gone limp on top of Will's. The tips of his fingers, dipped, gracefully, to the floor.

A tiny gust of breath had escaped his lips, and those warm brown eyes fixed themselves on a spot far into the distance, and then-

There's a low moan of "God no, not again, please-" and the teary young-man's-voice of Will urging him to "Breathe, Jonathan. Come on-".

Jane is stone-silent and still.

Nancy shuts it out. She shuts it out, because she has to. Has to move, has to fight, has to win, has to survive. To compartmentalise means to live. Maybe it even means he gets to live.

(Her own talent for detachment scares her sometimes. Jonathan is the only one who can break her out of her Frozen-Charlotte state because Barb is-)

Don't think about it don't think about it don'tthinkaboutit-

She seals her mouth over Jonathan's between Hopper's rhythmic pounding on his chest. Watches while the open-and-shut of his ribcage flares and sinks. All the while, she consciously blurs the sound around her. His soft, slightly chapped lips are all she can feel.

The world comes back in a rush, like breaking a swimming pool surface. Her heart gets hauled out of her hands, whisked away on a gurney.

The running mass of people turns the corner, and he's gone.

[articskele]

BERNADETTE BY IAMX IS SUCH A CEDRIC SONG. GODDDDDDDD.

HE MAKES ME SICK!!!!!! OHH I'M SO ILL I'M SO UNWELL. AUGHHHHHHh I NEED TO THROW THIS MAN INTO THE RIVER

In the first part of the song, Bernadette refers to his childhood best friend Dove. Not wanting her to leave after she found out about the murder, singing sickly sweet nothings of a future where they can stay as they are, as they've always been.

Dove was the only one that's been there for him all these years and he cannot bear to lose her now. He may be all socially savvy and popular and whatnot, but behind that mask he's vulnerable. He has no one else.

OOOOOOOHOHOHOHOHOHO NOW THIS IS WHERE THINGS GET INTERESTING

Cedric finds himself stuck "out of bounds" (kinda like the Backrooms) where he meets Artic, and they absolutely HATE each other at first but they're forced to work together in order to get out. There's a whole enemies-to-friends thing, they try to kill each other multiple times, it's great

Cedric has always been haunted by death and abandonment, doomed to lose the people closest to him. His parents, Dove, Mel... Even his name is an echo of his uncle, the late Cedric Anthony Stone. Either by circumstance or his own hands, they slip through his fingers all the same.

"We are alone, no one to blame" is just. Goddd. Neither of them asked for this. There is no fate or divine ruling in this place, only the things that happen and how we respond to them. Two lost souls that were never even supposed to meet, now wandering a barren landscape with little hope for survival. Hands intertwined, warm skin against frigid bone. They have no one else.

At one point, they encounter an "anti-cheat" entity (think smth like the Dungeon Guardian from Terraria, insta-killing you for being where you shouldn't be) in the form of this HUGE archangel. Cedric kneels before it, fully expecting to die. But Artic doesn't back down, giving him this look of "I'm not giving up on you."

HERE THE CHORUS TAKES ON A WHOLE NEW MEANING, NOW REFERRING TO ARTIC. It’s no longer a selfish serenade, there’s real weight behind the words as this one moment signals a HUGE turning point in Cedric’s character.

So much confusion and awe and guilt and hope just hit him all at once and he doesn’t know what to make of it. Even in the face of certain death, Artic is standing up for him. Staring into the eyes of a being well beyond their comprehension. Putting her life on the line for some random human that’s done nothing but be an insufferable asshole to her.

And it’s just. So baffling to him?? Why would she do this?? They're going to die anyway. Or maybe, just maybe, they still have a chance. He still has a chance.

The chaos that follows is a blind scramble to escape, daring to defy binary gospel. This place is volatile; any wrong step could send you tumbling into an infinite void, any object could kill you with unimaginable force due to collision errors. And this so-called angel could rend their very souls apart with the slightest touch. If death is even possible here, that is.

Glass is shattered. Wings are set alight. Howling screams still ring in their ears as Artic and Cedric flee the scene, running until their legs give out. They are alive, and that is all that matters.

They find temporary refuge in an empty library, tending to their wounds and getting some much needed rest. But the end of the song carries a foreboding air; neither of them know what lies ahead, much less whether or not they'll be able to survive it. But they must carry on.