#not sure if that *really* applies to this animal and her relatives or just the modern line being bred by that one dude

[bones-n-bookles]

Photos from Охотничьи Лайки (Hunting Laiki) by А. Т. Войлочников (A. T. Voylochnikov) and С. Д. Войлочникова (S. D. Voylochnikova).

Top image is a Greenland Dog

Bottom image is an F1 Wolf x West Siberian Laika hybrid. The second photo is of who I believe to be the same animal from the laikirus (dot) ru database. Not the exact same image and no name or registration number in the book so not 100% sure but it sure looks similar. The laikirus animal, Ulka, was born to a wild taken siberian wolf named Naida, and a pure dog WSL. Ulka was bred to pure WSL males, and as far as i can tell so were the continuing offspring. I haven't been able to find where her line ends so far, for all I know there are living descendants of her now. She was born to the ВНИИОЗ (VHIIOZ, still haven't looked up what thats an abbreviation for) kennel as part of an experiment for the viability of WSL x Wolf hunting dogs.

I'm only able to roughly translate russian currently so *please* correct me if I make any errors on these!

[satosuguwifee]

Between Claws and Caresses — Ryomen Sukuna x F!reader

Synopsis: When your boyfriend comes to pick you up for a walk, a certain feline attracts the pink-haired man's attention.

Contents: fluff.

Friday, the holy day on which Y/n can finally have some free time. She hums the song Single Ladies while applying mascara to her eyelashes, then admiring the result in the mirror.

Suddenly, the sound of the doorbell made the girl jump in fright before sighing in recognition of who might be there, waiting for her. She left the room with the towel covering her freshly wet body and walked to the entrance of her house, unlocking the door and smiling as she recognized the familiar pink head of hair in front of her.

—Good afternoon Sukuboo, are you so eager for our outing that you came early?

— Tsk, you sound like a brat. You're always late, you idiot.

— You really love me, huh?

The girl says ironically and makes room for her friend/enemy to enter. How did these two, who are like water and oil, end up becoming a duo? Not even the most divine being could answer this riddle.

They both went up to her room and soon Sukuna was sitting wide-eyed on the bed, fiddling with his cell phone without paying any attention to the girl in front of him.

— Try to hurry before I change my mind and dump you here. — he says as he continues to type, his red eyes focused on the screen.

— Why, you wouldn't— Y/n fell silent when the man raised that intimidating eyebrow in her direction, as if to say "Are you sure?". — Yes, you definitely would!

The pink-haired man just rolled his eyes and went back to looking at his cell phone, mumbling a single phrase: "5 minutes". The girl immediately ran into the bathroom, picking up the look she had sorted in advance before locking herself in and starting to get ready.

Sukuna, on the other hand, remained seated and watched something he loves when he has free time: laughing at the countless videos of children getting into mischief that exist on the internet.

Suddenly, the sound of the door creaking open fills the relatively quiet bedroom, and Sukuna's attention immediately turns in the direction of the sound, coming across a small, furry being next to his feet, staring at him with curious eyes.

— What are you looking at? — Sukuna says as he grimaces while looking at the feline, making it obvious that he dislikes it.

He then nudges the cat with the tip of his foot to push it away, knowing that if he pulled out any of its fur, Y/n would surely turn into the demon itself.

Not that he feared that angry brat...

...Of course not...

While Sukuna was distracted, he was a little startled when the cat, instead of doing what he wanted, just jumped into his lap.

"Meow!"

— Urgh... Insolent creature. — The pink-haired man grabs the cat by the scruff of the neck and throws it on the floor, not even caring if he's hurt it or not. Then he simply lies down on the bed and goes back to watching the videos from before.

However, to his second surprise of the day, the cat jumped on the bed and once again climbed up and lay on Sukuna's chest, staring at him again.

"Meow."

Sukuna just continued to stare at the inferior being with a certain disgust and, oddly enough, a little interest. Because he naturally had a more frightening and intimidating aura, no human being or even animal avoided him. But, like the cat's owner, the feline seemed just as stubborn as she was in wanting contact with him.

So, by this comparison, Sukuna put the tip of her index finger against the top of the cat's head, scratching it lightly with her fingernail, and that was enough for a noise to start coming out of the kitten: its famous purr.

Sukuna's fingers moved through the soft fur, and the little creature's purr even seemed to soften the man's heart (if only a little). A discreet, unconscious smile appeared on his face, while his bloodshot eyes still gazed at how the creature seemed so cozy inside him.

— All right, sorry it took to long— Y/N soon comes out of the bathroom completely tidy, and as soon as she's faced with the sight of the cute moment between her cat and her ice-hearted friend, she melts. — Kunaaa, do you have a thing for cats?

— Tsk, of course not. — he replies and once again picks up the cat by the scruff of its neck and throws it on the floor, then wipes the hair off with the back of his hand. — Shit, now I'm full of hair.

— Hey, who do you think you are to throw Luke Skywalker around like that? — The girl stomps out of the bathroom and stops right in front of her friend, glaring at him. — That's how you're going to get in danger with me, my dear.

— I laugh in the face of danger, brat.

Sukuna says as he gives her a debauched smile and then punches her hard in the forehead, burying his hands in his pants pockets.

— Urgh! Just let's go, asshole!

Y/n left the room again with those hard steps, eliciting a low laugh from the rosy-cheeked man who was delighted to see her get angry.

As soon as he took a few steps towards the door, he stopped and turned his face away to find Luke sitting at the desk by the door. Then, taking advantage of the fact that no one was there, he put his hand on the top of the feline's head, earning a meow in return.

— Hunf...

Sukuna smiled a little at the sound and then rolled his eyes when he heard the girl's annoying voice calling him, and then closed the door behind him, walking over to his friend and preparing to stay with the idiot he felt obliged to live with.

[superb-fox]

I wanna talk about how Sousou no Frieren treats heroes and demons, because in my opinion it's masterfully done.

We really only learn about one hero, Himmel. Sure there's the Hero of the South but what do we really know about him besides he had future sight and he died? I'll focus on Himmel. I think what sets Himmel apart is how he acts, in typical hero stories they're portrayed as kind, strong, willing to do what's right, all that nice stuff and while I do think those are good traits for a hero, Himmel is shown differently. We almost never see him fight, every time we see him it is in relation to an action he took that influenced people for the better. He takes on countless detours and quests because he can't turn down people in need, every where he goes he's doing good, when people talk about him they never talk about how strong he was or how cool he was it's always about how his act(s) of kindness changed their lives. They're happier, better people because he came through their town. He changes everywhere he goes for the better because of who he is and how he acts. He quite literally changed the world not because he killed the demon king, but because everywhere he went he improved people's lives, and those people because they are better change more people's lives and it spreads and spreads and spreads until the world is better. From random towns people to our main characters, everyone is better because of him. Look at Frieren for example, a complete stoic who before Himmel just was living her life in the woods doing whatever. But after? She takes on an apprentice, travels from place to place continuing the good Himmel did, she learned so much kindness from him in the relatively short time they spent together. Pre-hero party Frieren would have gone to a town, blended into the background, and moved on. But now? She's taking on quests, helping people, and making lives brighter. Why? In her own words it's what Himmel would have done. Fern owes her life to Himmel despite never meeting him because Heiter took her in because that's what Himmel would have done. Frieren looks after her after Heiter's passing because that's what Himmel would have done. Think of all the good she's doing traveling with Frieren just because of that! It ripples outward forever because of a great hero's influence. In other words, he's not a hero because of his great feats or his power, it's because of who he was and that's how you write a truly great hero. 

Now let's talk about demons. People with third grade reading comprehension have made the comparison to real life peoples. That the text is saying that demons being just an irredeemable evil race is racist and compare it to how in real life people do that to justify genocide, but this cannot be further from the truth. Demons in this world are an offshoot of humans like elves and dwarves are. They're similar enough to look like humans, speak like humans, their magic is something special to them but similar enough that with study humans can use it just as well. However demons are truly the farthest thing from humanity you could be. The best way to describe them is how when you see two animals that look so similar but they're in entirely different evolutionary families. How a rabbit and a hare look similar but are so SO very different. Demons are closer to animals in that they do what they can to survive. They trick, they deceive, they hunt. These are not evil things, this is nature. A lion is not evil for hunting in packs to eat one antelope, a bird is not evil for walking a certain way to imitate rain and attract a worm. However when it's applied to something that looks and acts so incredibly human it can be seen that way. The lion ganging up on someone is not a fair fight, the bird is lying to and tricking the worm, these are absurd statements. Demons are a divergent evolution of humanity that cannot comprehend the traits that make us human but will use them to hunt us. They do not understand malice or bonds or guilt or love, they are solitary beings that understand power and magic. They biologically cannot understand it, them learning these emotions is like if a cat suddenly sprouted tentacles, it just can't happen. But because they lack the very traits that make us human while looking so human, they appear evil to us. How could something so human-like act so inhuman? Perform such evil acts without a seconds thought? But they're not evil, they can't even understand evil. Them using maternal love to have someone drop their guard and become easy prey is such a basic thing like waking up in the morning they cannot comprehend why people think it's bad. The problem isn't that one is evil and one is good, it's that evolution set these two species on such polar opposite courses that they truly can never understand each other. Yet they're still so close that there's always that feeling of that things could be worked out, that these two peoples can co-exist, but it is just biologically impossible. And that's tragic, that's heart breaking, for one species to exist peacefully the other must die. These beings so close to us yet so far must die. There's no way around it, no negotiating, no compromise, evolution and nature have played this sick dance to pit these two brothers against each other and it absolutely should hurt your soul, but it must happen.

[alphabetbill]

Macabre [ HEMLOCK GROVE ] - Chapter 3

~ description ~

A werewolf whose only skill is running from his fears, a half-upir with no idea of the true darkness lying inside of him, and a girl found alive in the woods months after her mysterious death.

Some secrets in Hemlock Grove should have just stayed buried. In a town that isn't so sleepy after all, monsters of all kinds are wide awake under the surface, crawling their way up.

~ warnings~

This story will contain mature and heavy themes that may involve potentially explicit content, gore and murder, talk of kidnapping and stalking victims, animal death, supernatural/paranormal/religious themes and trauma, any other themes not covered in the general description will probably be tagged here at the start of the chapters that other significant warnings apply to.

A list will be linked here upon completion and upload of each chapter:

Cicada and the Snake

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

c h a p t e r t h r e e .

Jude Evergreen

<<>>

ROMAN DID NOT STAY AT HER HOUSE THAT NIGHT. Jude went outside.

Something called her to the back porch of the trailer that she couldn't explain. The deer were screaming again- which was strange in itself- because they usually stopped, but tonight they didn't. Tonight they cried out, barking and snarling, stretching off into the darkness in a discordant melody and echoing from far beyond, closer and then distant, distant and then closer.

The breeze on her face was warm and then still, like someone had abruptly turned off the heating, leaving her in an uncomfortable limbo between warmth and cold. Jude stood there for quite some time simply looking at the edge of the woods, trying to figure out exactly where the strange sounds were coming from. She stood there until the air turned cold and goosebumps formed on her flesh, and suddenly she regretted coming outside in just a sweater and shorts.

She tried to look and see if she could spot any of the usual deer that liked to graze in the clover patch near the fence.

She saw a thing in the trees.

At first, she wasn't sure what it was. It was a blur of white from far off in the darkness, nowhere near close enough for her to even begin to comprehend what it might have truly been. It flickered intermittently, casting strange shadows that danced and swirled among the trees. Jude's initial thought was that it might be a torch or some kind of illumination from a house across the stretch of forest. The trailer park was situated on one side of a relatively thin stretch of woods, with the town on the other side, and Jude would often see house lights glittering through in dark on the other side.

This was different than a house light, and when it flashed on occasion it would spill out and illuminate the outline of the trees through the path. Jude assumed it was a torch, and while it didn't raise enough concern to feel afraid, she still decided to go back inside.

Deer screaming and torch lights. Perhaps someone was hunting, or hiking. After all there was a walking trail through there, and it wasn't uncommon for people to go jogging along it. Not this late though.

Jude made some popcorn and put on a movie to try and pry away the feeling of being watched. It worked, and soon the uneasy feeling vanished as she settled in for a cozy late night with Minnie.

She stayed up for a few more hours.

Then Minnie did something strange, stranger than usual. She got up from Jude's lap and went over to stick her bulbous head beneath the blind to stare out the window. She began pawing at the glass. The French bulldog never really took an interest in anything aside from sleeping. It was beginning to spook her.

Five does stood outside when Jude got up to take a look. They emerged cautiously from the nearby bushes, their ears twitching as they surveyed their surroundings. The motion-sensor light by the fence flicked on, startling the deer and causing them to skitter off into the woods. She watched them go, wondering what the fuck was going on.

That night Jude had a strange dream.

She dreamed that she was standing in a circle, the circle itself made up of a python consuming its own tail. Each time she went to step out of it the serpent would hiss, which she took as a sign to just stand still.

The white light of a torch continued to flash on and off, on and off, on and off, in a particularly rhythmic fashion although Jude was sure that even if it was morse code she would not have been able to understand it anyway. She couldn't see who was holding the torch or even how far away it was.

Soft music was playing, jangly and industrial sounding. If she listened closely she could even hear what sounded like someone whistling, followed by the crunch of footsteps over dry dead leaves.

Heart in her throat she tried to scan the tree line for whoever was out there, her breath escaping her lungs faster than what it could be pulled in. It was fear, stark and real and pure. She couldn't move in any way that wouldn't disturb the snake, and was therefore forced to stand still and wait, unable to run.

Something was stalking her, she could feel it. No more than the way you just knew how to breathe, instinctual, something you could become acutely aware of if you just focused.

Movement in the trees.

The five does that she had seen at her window were standing by the edge of the clearing, bleached white in the light of the crooked crescent moon. A trickle of blood leaked from each one's mouth and, as she peered closer, also from their eyes. The once peaceful and gentle creatures appeared to her now in a grotesque and macabre form. She felt a tug in her stomach at the sight, discomfort hatching like maggots in a wound. Squirming and putrid.

Terror seeped into her bones, pulling her down, keeping her frozen. It wasn't what she saw but what she felt and it felt awful. A rotting smell reached her nostrils, and when she looked down she saw her the flesh of her arms tightening and ripping- wilting to black before her very eyes. Rotting, rotting away to the milk-white bone.

The snake let go of its tail. It bit her on the calf, fangs penetrating the supple flesh without much resistance. Jude couldn't scream. Something was covering her mouth, a glove or cloth or something material. It felt like she was frozen in time, her head pounding so violently she thought it might explode- thin red streams leaking from her ears and the corners of her eyes. The eerie music grinded to a painfully slow motion trawl, scratching like a broken record on rewind.

The cracking of bone spliced the sound of the jagged violin.

Jude woke up to a TV screen of static and beeping. She stayed awake until daylight.

She stayed home from school the next day after she woke up sick to her stomach.

It was miserable, truly, and when she wasn't in bed she was keeling over the toilet hurling up her guts. The contents were black. As she sat there bewildered and shocked and horrified, she saw an insect wing. Large, with a blue-green sheen to it.

Huh.

Almost as soon as she blinked the black bile along with the wing was gone. Jude took it upon herself to lay back down in bed and keep hydrated. She considered texting Roman back, who had already flooded her messages with his disapproval of her skipping school without him, but she didn't have the energy to come up with an explanation for her own delusion.

Minnie stayed by the window, watching rain drops trickle down the glass, the air humid and sticky. For some fresh air the girl also went to sit there for a bit, watching the trees as a few deer once again came to the clover patch. One of the does looked at her, from over by the fence as its curious gaze met hers on the other side of the window. She would have gone outside to try and get a little closer if it weren't for this weird crippling nausea.

Night fell once again and her father, Lance, was not home. He worked as a truck driver which meant being away for periods of time, which up until now she had never minded.

Over the back fence in the stretch of darkness the torchlight flickered again.

Jude went missing that night.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

cool sweet anyways here's a playlist

[ubercharge]

im not sure if anyone asked you yet, but thoughts on the dunmeshi anime?

thanks for asking! sometimes i forget i exist here as a person cuz i just log on to queue random stuff without making posts 💀

it's pretty rare for me to watch an anime without ever reading the manga, and there've been stellar adaptations recently. ONK, kisekoi, BTR, frieren, CSM just to name a few. in a landscape where we're used to being disappointed as readers who have a frame of reference before watching a show, i had very, very high hopes for the dunmeshi adaptations that weren't quite fulfilled.

i'll dump everything under a cut since i actually have a lot to say, sorry if you were expecting it to be brief 😎

the lines in the artistic style are good, nicely translating the characters into animated format. really no notes there. definitely a nicer comparison for char designs between manga and anime vs. tonsuki and tensura who both have incredible manga styles that the anime stumble over (though in the latter's case, i don't think they were aiming for it sadly)

the shading has been fine, but weakened by the colour choices. some of the dungeon scenes (e.g., living armour stuff) are lit with a medium blue which helps to sell the idea of the scene being in a place not lit by fire (and contrasts it with the making camp & cooking scenes), but the lack of dark shading flattens some of these very well-drawn images.

the earlier chapters don't have the same level of detail as newer ones, but the art style is still fantastic - it's expressive with high contrast and shows action and impact perfectly well. manga will often times have a naturally easier way with contrast due to it being in black & white, but i don't think that means anime should just give up on contrast in favour of playing ineffectively with colour.

here's a night shot of fern from frieren. the choices made here allow for the shading to stand out from the flats and give her more definition overall while still being relatively simple (just flats + shading)

when dunmeshi has more "normal" lighting conditions, it does a lot better. similar to fern up there, there's about the same amount of difference between the flats and shadows, so i really wish they did a better job on the dungeon scenes since they're going to have to deal with non-torchlit scenes plenty. i won't argue that the living armor scene certainly has some kind of a sickly, alien mood to it, but tl;dr i think it should've had darker shading if not also being less green. this largely applies to every other blue-green lit scene they've done.

looking at kui's coloured drawings in the ed gives me an idea of what could've been and it makes me sad to lose out on colour choices more similar to that (even if they obviously can't have her level of detail on top of it)

some of the backgrounds haven't been too interesting but some have been good, overall it's probably fine. plus you can only draw and detail repeating bricks so many times before the viewer gets bored of looking at them anyway, i guess.

the animation is really fun and expressive. it's trigger, so they don't keep scenes stiffly on-model when they want characters moving around. this is good because it helps to sell both action and comedy moments!

the music overall i haven't really cared for? the BGM has not been particularly moving, interesting, or memorable - mostly generic. and i've seen too many fantasy shows for my own good, so i might be harder to impress (but i even remember tenken had a good BGM song or two to make a fight dramatic and that show was barely above average at best)

i'm biased not being particularly into bump, so i would've selected a different artist for the OP (i actually did like the bump OP from SxF though, come to think of it). before anyone makes a wisecrack based on what i've watched lately, no it doesn't have to be yoasobi.

i maybe feel the ED song would've been better for the OP, i don't like the largely peaceful bit of the OP with very still visuals. the OP is where you reel people in! it should be an eye-catching hook, representative of what to expect with some extra sauce on top.

the ED is great, total bop. it's a fine time for slower visuals as an enjoyable wind-down from the episode, so less or no animation is no big deal. plus kui's art is absolutely gorgeous! it all perfectly fits that "end of work" fun and lighthearted mood they were going for.

i largely enjoy the voice acting. i would've personally gone for a less "old man" voice on senshi because he's really not that old for a dwarf, but they obviously wanted to make it clear he was the older, wiser, knowledgeable character.

this might be my own personally most blasphemous opinion, but i would've picked a different VA for falin. i want to make it clear i absolutely adore saori hayami - she's incredible and one of my faves. with that said, her voice fits the character, so maybe it's just because i've heard her too often which is not her fault by any means! i love the voices for laios, marcille, and chil.

it seems netflix's subs go off of the official EN TL of the manga, which makes sense, but i've talked about how i don't like it more than ehscans' TL (which is one of the single best TLs i've read for a series, official or otherwise) and that holds true for the anime ("mad sorcerer" is cooler AND less clunky than "lunatic magician"). i prefer less localisation stuff and/or quirkiness in my subs and more direct translation for both manga and anime.

as for the changes/additions they've made to the show, some of them have been alright and some i didn't care for. they really want to sell marcille as the funny joke character which is why they had her being chased by the basilisk instead of having doni & fionil like it was in the manga which was better for the pacing and had good impact vs a funny clip of marcille running back and forth.

i don't dislike when adaptations add or change stuff, but placing them cleanly is important. dunmeshi is already really funny! i don't think it needs help being funnier by reaching for the cheap laugh. when laios sees two people running for their lives from a basilisk and he just goes "wow that's a bad way to run from that monster", it's already lowkey hilarious - all the more so followed by marcille telling mr. monster-know-it-all to go rescue them if he knows what's up and him rescuing them by making himself big and chicken squawking real loud (which embarrasses marcille and chil, but c'mon guys, at least his idea worked!). i feel like the comedy in laios' funny hero moment is undercut by forcing the marcille butt of the joke moment in the anime.

dunmeshi is already incredibly good at just about everything it does. i feel if an adaptation wants to add or change something, it's often better amplifying a strength or shoring up a weakness in the source material. BTR adds a lot to the source (not hard considering the source is a 4koma) and makes already funny things even funnier. the "we should all get social media" scene is elevated to iconic status with the visual of bocchi glitching out + the VA's inhuman screech. i can't say where i'd really want to change or add stuff to dunmeshi, since it really feels so good and whole, but i'm sure there's room in the process of translating manga panels to animated scenes, and i think the direction overall could've been better (comparing most shows to BTR isn't fair i know because BTR is directed & adapted so well it's hydrogen bomb vs. coughing baby territory)

i've mostly said negative stuff, but i don't want it to sound like i hate or even really dislike the adaptation. i think when it comes to a series you really love, you want to see the best adaptation possible within reason, and the disappointment of stuff not being quite what you were hoping for is amplified by so many other recent adaptations being so good.

dunmeshi does not have a bad anime by any means, but a lot of that is thanks to the source material's quality. if they do another season, i hope they have more time/budget/whatever because i think a lot of the parts it does have are good parts! but in this case, i wasn't hoping for good; i was hoping for great.

trigger makes great shows with wacky storylines (in some ways, the same one wacky storyline, but that's a different discussion) and dunmeshi, being directed by someone who's worked on a bunch of trigger stuff (largely sci-fi leaning), maybe needed some more direction from people who've worked on fantasy stuff? i can't say for sure what would've been enough to take the show over the top, but though i generally don't hope for much from adaptations, i really did have higher hopes for this one than it ended up achieving.

overall it seems i'll end up scoring the show a 7 or 7.5 when i finish the season, though there's certainly still room to wow us all. whatever you feel about the adaptation, whether you liked it or not, whether or not you've read the manga, feel free to comment your thoughts below or in my inbox. let's keep it free of manga spoils for anime-only watchers, though!

[justphilia]

Hello everynyan :3 I wrote somethang :]

Fandom: SPY x FAMILY (Anime) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Becky Blackbell & Anya Forger, Anya Forger & Loid Forger | Twilight & Yor Briar Forger | Thorn Princess, Damian Desmond & Anya Forger, Damian Desmond/Anya Forger, Loid Forger | Twilight/Yor Briar Forger | Thorn Princess Characters: Anya Forger, Becky Blackbell, Damian Desmond, Emile Elman, Ewen Egeburg, Loid Forger | Twilight, Yor Briar Forger | Thorn Princess, Original Characters Additional Tags: Canon Compliant, Background Relationships, (as in just like in canon, romance is not the focus), Theatre, Cinderella references (not disney), Comedy, Fluff, reads like an episode basically, Not Beta Read, Self-Indulgent

Preview:

As per yearly tradition, Eden Academy once again opens up auditions for every cohort to try and earn a spot on their respective theater plays. Scripts are predetermined, so all they really have to do is display their ability to act and memorize their scripts, and hence…

“You’ll get a Stella for landing a leading role?” her father raises his brows in surprise, definitely brimming with interest behind his wilting newspaper.

“Ye,” she nods once firmly, fists clenched up to her chest.

Anya wasn’t really interested in the theater play from the start, but Becky, with her fair share of interest towards drama and all things romantic, heard the storyline they picked for their cohort is going to be Cinderella—a classic among all ages—and so wouldn’t stop talking about it.

Overhearing this, Damian ended up revealing the Stella bit between his ramblings of, “I’m totally gonna land the prince’s role.” and “You’re gonna watch my wonderful performance on stage soon!”, which then prompted Anya to boldly declare that she’ll audition too.

It’s two birds one stone, she thought to herself as her father mulls it over. If she lands any lead roles, she’ll get a Stella and spend more time with Damian, boosting their friendship status.

“Oh, Anya,” he would say—she can already imagine it. “Acting with you was so fun! Let’s do more acting at my house and also bring your dad to meet my dad!”

“Okay dokey,” she would answer, very cooly but also surprised so he wouldn’t think she planned this.

“Hurray, you have achieved world peace, Anya!” her father would then say, right after. “Good job! Millions of peanuts for you!”

“Did you bring the script?” her real, non-fantasy father asks, snapping her out of her daydream. She nods once again, running to her bag to pull out a relatively thick script—about the width of her clenched fist, but still lighter than all her textbooks combined.

He does not say it, but she clearly hears him go, Oh dear. 

She lets him take a look, knowing it won’t take long because she’s seen how fast he can read, and makes her way over to her mother, who has busied herself with doing the laundry right next to her husband on the couch.

“Is mama any good at acting?” she asks, resting her cheek on one of her mother’s legs.

“Oh, I don’t really think so,” her mother laughs in reply, shaking her head. “I’ve never been an actor, and I’ve never tried.”

“What about you, papa?” Anya turns to her father, despite knowing fully well what his true answer will be. As bad of a liar he is, his ability to alter his expressions at will is definitely awesome. If Anya didn’t have the ability to read minds, she would’ve thought his feelings could change just as easily. 

“I’m not sure about stage performances, but I suppose I have to act a little in front of my patients,” he answers. She thought he would’ve said no flat out. “Otherwise, showing my true feelings may disrupt the trust between us.”

“Maybe I can become a star!” Anya says cheerfully, clasping her hands together as she dreams of herself on the red carpet. 

Her father’s smile strains, “Perhaps.”

[virtual-winter]

Frozen memories #001

My Frozen story - Part 1

It's the end of October which means it's time for me to reminisce about another year of experiences with the Frozen franchise. What's extra special this time though is of course the upcoming Frozen 10th anniversary as well as an opportunity to share it with more than just a few close friends 🙂

I never saw the original Frozen in theatres. Back then in late 2013, I was relatively fresh out of school, unemployed and didn’t have much time or interest to engage in media fandoms of any kind. Things got better the following year as I attended university, beginning my studies in structural engineering and urban planning. Despite having to travel a lot every day and trying to keep up with my studies, life was relatively simple. You did the same thing every day. I was not the most sociable person but I was making good progress getting to know and working together with my fellow peers. Most of them were fresh from high school while I had been studying a bit before applying for uni so I was a little bit older than most of them.

Being in my early twenties, animation or Disney wasn't exactly anything I was paying attention to. I couldn't remember the last time I watched a Disney movie and I think I was feeling a bit out of touch with fandom culture in general.

Entering October, I happened to notice that ABC's fantasy TV-series Once upon a time was coming back for a fourth season. This wasn’t anything out of the ordinary and I had actually never watched the show before (only briefly in an ad and I remember the CGI looked really bad 🤣) but thanks to my local newspaper, I learned that actor Georgina Haig was gonna play a new role in the show. I was very fond of this Aussie gal since her small role as Henrietta in the sci-fi series Fringe 2012-2013 so I was very excited to see what her new character was about.

With hindsight, I know for sure that without Georgina’s involvement, the show would have never caught my attention. And my goodness, did this change my life 😃

Oh, and that newspaper highlight? I rediscovered it a couple of years ago👇

For those of you who (shockingly) can't read Swedish, here's what it said:

Ask about TV Elsa, queen of ice, shows up and it gets cold in Storybrooke.

Will there be new episodes of the fairy tale series? In "Once upon a time" we got to know several fairy tale characters. In the last season, Emma and Hook travelled through time which messed things up for Snow White and the Prince, and Robin Hood and Lady Marion were reunited. When the series is back in Channel 11 on October 20th, a recap episode will be broadcasted at 7PM before the saga continues at 8PM. Queen Elsa of Arendelle (Georgina Haig) shows up.

I obviously had no idea who Queen Elsa of Arendelle was (I barely even knew what story she was from). I was aware that the movie Frozen was a thing and I had seen the teaser with Olaf and Sven around Christmas 2013 but it had left no impression on me whatsoever. I had a vague idea that the song Let it go had become very popular but I didn't understand the fuss behind it. Yet.

October 20th, 2014. My first introduction to the Arendelle sisters👇

It’s hard to describe exactly what my initial reaction to watching the first few episodes was. In general (since I had no experience with the show) I was of course confused about what was going on but the consistency of the Frozen-story definitely helped. Much later on, having seen the entire series, I understood much better how the characters and their story tied into the main plot and especially Emma Swan’s character development. But at the time, it was just cool to take part of some new and (to me) pretty unique fantasy storytelling in a modern setting. For any true Oncers out there, regardless of the quality of the show as a whole, I'm sure you would agree that it was a heck of a fun ride while it lasted!

I knew for sure that I had found something that I truly loved and that was pretty rare for me. Several years back I had been pretty passionate about other franchises like Star Wars, Stargate, Fringe and Hannibal but this modern fairy-tale world was truly something different. And I know a lot of that can be said to be thanks to the Frozen-story. No offence to the main cast, but I would be lying if I didn't credit Georgina, Elizabeth Lail (Anna), Scott Michael Foster (Kristoff) and Elizabeth Mitchell (Ingrid) as the true stars of the fourth season for me! They truly helped bring their characters to life and I still can’t picture anyone else playing them outside of animation (looking at you, Frozen live action-rumours). It should also be said that compared to the rest of the show’s characters, the Frozen characters did have a very strong presence on screen, a look and a feel that was carried over beautifully to the small live-action screen. I may not have known it at the time, but it would be equally true for the original movie.

About four weeks into the season, I knew for sure that I had found something that truly resonated with med and I knew I had to watch the "source material". But that will be a thing to cover in Part 2. 😉

See ya soon!

[starsweepers]

babysitting dawn is, perhaps, one of the simplest tasks. determined to please, she is very easy to handle most of the time... once she warms up to the sitter. she can seem a bit shy at first only because she doesn't want to seem a bother ( she is also not used to those outside of her siblings, parents, or her nanny watching her ), but once she grows comfortable, you can be sure that you have a little angel... mostly. she might try and use her big, puppy dog brown eyes to swindle you out of oreos or other sugary snacks, but she behaves relatively well otherwise.

if you don't really want to engage with her, that's fine. put on a show she likes ( s.ofie the first! ), a movie ( t.angled! ), or simply help her haul out her stuffed animals for a tea party. if you do want to engage, you can bet you're joining that tea party or playing house with all those little stuffies.

she'll try to help you cook if you have to make her any meals, and she'll put on little performances for you. and with storm there, she's not in constant need of outside assistance, since she has both him and her learned way of doing things. you just might need to help where thumbs would be more appropriate than storm's paws.

dawn is relatively treasured and guarded by her family due to her overly kind and loving nature. this applies to any verse, really, and so you must be approved and trusted by her family in order to be given any sort of guardianship role to her. otherwise, you're most likely being watched like a hawk from one of her parents.

[total-drama-takes-takes-2]

tti episode 17

“Last time on Total Takes Island: the campers competed in a friendly game of hide-and-seek-  with Chef. Courtney finally stood up for themselves and reconciled with Bonnie right before getting voted off via Ass’ ever-growing web of alliances. Michael impressed the rest of the team with her hiding spot, gaining Patrick’s allyship, and Julia tailed Scary after witnessing something… peculiar. Will Bonnie cope with losing another friend on the island? Will Staci ever live up to her kin dreams or will she die trying? Find out now, on Total! Takes! Island!”

It’s early in the morning- not even light out yet. Against the gentle breaths and hums and snores of the girls and such, Scary’s eyes snap open. 

She looks from side to side, monitoring the breathing of the campers before slipping out of bed and melting into the shadows, disappearing outside the cabin without making a sound. Within the cabin, one of Julia’s eyes open and she smiles, pushing off the covers to reveal she’s fully dressed, holding a proper notepad in one hand and pen in the other. 

She hops out of bed, landing with a thud that luckily doesn’t wake anyone, and follows Scary outside, tracking their trail far into the woods. 

After what feels like half an hour of hiking in the dark, Julia spots Scary by the rock formation she’d found them last challenge. They flip up a secret cover over a keypad, typing in a sequence of numbers just for the rocky wall to slide down in a series of mechanical whirs. Julia squints as they do, taking note of which numbers she pressed before creeping over as they door closes again. 

She waits for a few moments and then types in the sequence. The door slides open and she walks into the dark tunnel, which is, to her relative surprise- tiled and air-conditioned. 

Julia attempts to make no noise as she travels down the long hallway, spotting the illuminated outline of a door with a window in the distance. She creeps up to it, pressing her ear against the smooth surface. 

“There’s not really any evidence, yet, I’ve found nothing,” Scary’s garbled voice says. Julia listens in closer. 

Chris follows: “You’ve been here for weeks! We didn’t hire you to have fun with the other teens and win challenges, you’re here to figure out what’s going on!”

“And I’m trying, but there’s just nothing that indicates anything left on the island! The animal and plant specimens are mutated, no doubt, but there’s no traces of seriously damaged strands of DNA, and my Geiger counter has gotten nothing anywhere on the island,”

There’s a brief pause. Julia’s trying to take notes on whatever’s happening the best she can without moving from her place against the door and without making any noise. 

“If it’s not leftover radiation, then what is it?”

“That’s what I’m asking,” there’s another pause. “What aren’t you telling me?”

“...Olivia, you and I both know that there’s nothing that Chef and I haven’t told you,”

“I’m not so sure if I believe that anymore,”

“Well, you should. You’re not the only international science prodigy who applied for this job- we could have you gone and replaced by an actual adult in seconds! No more disguises, no more cool conspiracies, and no more carrying you through challenges!”

“Do it, then. I’ll tell everyone,”

“You wouldn’t dare!”

Julia drops her pen, and both fall completely silent at the echoing sound of it hitting the floor. She covers her mouth and presses her back against the wall as two sets of footprints approach. The door swings open, luckily right over Julia, obscuring her, and Chris walks out. He scans the hall, and on seeing no one, rolls his eyes. 

“I thought we took care of the squirrel problem. Whatever! I’m missing out on my beauty sleep,” he says, walking away. Scary follows, though from what Julia can see, it’s not exactly… Scary. They’re wearing a labcoat, thick gloves and safety goggles. Their hair is somehow longer now, and more of a ginger than a purple and red. And they’re making normal human expressions. 

They disappear around the corner and Julia hears the sound of the large door opening. She waits a few moments, and then follows. 

---

Much later in the morning, the sun is risen, and most of the remaining competitors are still awake. Ass is waiting outside the communal showers, casually filing their nails as Julia approaches. “We need to talk,”

“About?”

Julia looks around to make sure no one can hear- the only other people are the two showerers, who can’t listen in over the sound of the water anyway- and then lowers her voice to a whisper. 

“Scary isn’t who she says she is,”

Ass scoffs. “Okay? She’s a poser, everyone knows that,”

“No, I mean, I overheard her and Chris this morning. She’s a science prodigy from out of the country, her name is really Olivia, and she’s a ginger!”

Ass gives Julia a look. “Very funny. If you wanted to pull a prank on me, you could’ve at least made it believable- and when exactly were you up sneaking around without me?”

“This morning- I had to do it on my own- and I’m telling the truth!”

“Yeah, sure. Just no more snooping around without me,” they pause to link their arm with Julia’s. “We’re friends, remember?”

---

JULIA: “I’m... not sure if I like where this alliance is going. They’re so… condescending and sarcastic and fake,” she pauses for a moment. “...Is that how I treated Michael?”

---

“Campers, meet me outside the arts and crafts center in ten for your next challenge!”

The intercom clicks off just as Chris yawns, making Julia narrow her eyes at the speakers. 

---

“Welcome to the arts and crafts center!” Chris grins, opening the door of an old, crappy tool shed. “Your challenge today is to build your very own tricked-out set of wheels! All the parts are here, in our bike depot!” he gestures to a pile of scrap parts beside the shed. “Best design wins! I’ll see you all in two hours!”

Ass pulls Julia close to them and frowns at Bonnie, who’s been glaring daggers in their direction every second they’ve been near each other. Julia is too busy scanning the campers, looking for Scary, who’s nowhere to be seen. 

“Awesome, I’ve always wanted my own bike!” McLovin says, jogging over to the pile of scrap metal. “My mom never let me have one, she was afraid my skinny body wouldn’t be able to hold any weight down and I’d get blown away.”

Patrick rolls his eyes. Staci giggles. 

---

Michael sits on a boulder nearby, wrenching a green mountain bike together. A bead of sweat trickles down her face as Patrick sits next to her, elbows on his knees and face cupped in his palms. “Hey,”

Michael gives him a confused stare. “Um. Hi?”

“You know, I’ve been thinking,” Patrick says. “You’re probably the strongest player left, right? So, we should team.”

“Um… really?” she blinks, looking at the remaining campers. Ass is making Julia build both of their bikes, Staci is complaining about getting a splinter while they look for parts, Max is following the torn-up manual Chris provided, McLovin is trying to figure out what a pedal is, and Scary has been missing all morning… again. “Me?”

“You. Say this- alliance until the final three, or until whichever one of us gets eliminated first,” Patrick says, wrapping his arm around Michael’s shoulder. 

“Well, um…”

“Oh, no, no. You stay away from her!” Max shouts from across the clearing. He drops his bike for a moment and jogs over, pulling Patrick off with surprising ease. He grumbles something indistinct and stands up, brushing off his suit before drifting back to the shed. 

Max puts his hands on his hips and stares at Michael before walking off. “You are not this gullible,”

Michael rolls her eyes. “Jeez, thanks,”

“What’s this?” McLovin asks, holding up a bike chain. 

“That’s the, uh, bike chain thingy,” Staci says. “It makes the wheels turn like that big metal thingy on a train’s wheels.”

“Ohhh, I get it,” he says. “Thanks, Staci, you’re really smart! Which one of your relatives taught you that?”

She opens her mouth for a moment, then pauses. “Um… none of them. I taught myself that,” she pauses to walk over and sit by McLovin, helping him assemble his parts. “I was really into engineering when I was younger, believe it or not.”

“Wow. Was the original Staci an engineer?”

“No, this is… just a me thing, I guess,”

---

STACI: “I guess I... kinda forgot a lot about my extra interests during the competition,”

---

Staci holds up two bike skeletons- one is thin and pink, the other is thick and plain metal. They sigh, choosing the metal one. “Winning over kinning. Winning over kinning,” they mumble to themselves as they put together their bike. 

“Campers, time to judge your bikes! Line up outside the craft center pronto!”

---

“Let’s see… Staci!” Chris studies their bike- it’s a thick, metallic and black bike with huge wheels and spiked sides. “Surprisingly hardcore. I like it!”

He walks over to McLovin’s- hastily put together, and on the verge of falling apart. “I guess it works,”

“Sleek. Smooth. Efficient. I like it,” Chris announces, looking at Max’s. He turns to Michael. “And a mountain bike- very useful!”

“Bonnie! Um- okay,” he squints at the black, purple and silver skull-adorned bike. “I guess it’s fun.”

“Patrick- this is not a bike, man!” Chris shouts, staring in perplexed amusement at the unicycle Patrick is holding up. 

He grumbles. “I couldn't figure out the chain,”

“You know what? I’ll allow it!” he chuckles before walking over to the two bikes. “Julia and Ass- these look… um, functional!” Chris smiles while staring at the two duct-taped together wooden bikes. “Hopefully.” 

He steps over to the final bike- a tricked-out purple and red striped vehicle, practically brand new. “Scary, nice work!”

“Um- where did she come from?” Ass says. “And I didn’t see any of those parts in the pile!”

Julia leans in and whispers. “See, I told you,”

Ass frowns, and rolls their eyes. 

“Now we get to the fun part- we’re gonna race these things!” Chris beams. Ass and Julia suddenly look nervous. 

---

ASS: “Okay, I admit, I should’ve done my own. But I thought this was just for the aesthetics, not for actual racing! If I fail, Julia is so done!”

---

“Here’s the catch: you’ll be switching bikes with your fellow campers! Usually, I’d do the selection process randomly, but I’m going to let you choose your bike this time!” he chuckles. “So, get to it! First come, first serve!”

The campers look at each other cautiously. Ass scans the bikes, makes their selection, and then smiles. “I’ll take-”

“I’ll take Max’s,” Michael cuts in as soon as she notices their gaze. Max blinks.

Ass grumbles. “Okay, fine, then I want-”

“Staci!” Bonnie says. “I love the design, anyway.”

“OMG, really?” Staci squeals. Bonnie nods in approval. 

“Okay, fine! I’ll take-”

Patrick walks over and nabs Scary’s- Scary somersaults over to Bonnie’s- and Bonnie is already sitting on Staci’s hardcore bike. 

“Oh, I’ll take yours, McLovin! I helped build it anyway, so it’s half mine,” Staci says. “You should get a good one before Ass does… how about Michaels?”

“No. Way!” McLovin says, staring Michael down as she gears up across the clearing. “No way in a million years!”

“Well, you better hurry, ‘cause it’s either that or those ones,” Staci points to Julia’s and Ass’ rickety wooden bicycles. McLovin sighs. 

Max gets stuck with Julia’s bike (which, admittedly, has a lot more care put into it) and Julia takes Ass’. 

Ass stares at Max. “You’re willingly riding that thing?”

“It’s either that or…” he points to the remaining unicycle. Ass groans, kicking a rock across the grass before walking over to the one-wheeled wonder and propping it up. 

“If you cross the finish line in this round, you’ll be safe to ride in the invincibility race,” Chris says as each camper lines up their chosen bike. “Okay, racers- ready- set- go!”

The bikes start off, rolling down the sandy trail- all seem to be working relatively well, much to everyone’s surprise. Scary pedals the fastest, panting heavily with a huge grin. Julia catches up to them, staring at them intently. Eventually, she yells: “I know what you are! You may be fooling everyone, but not me! I heard everything!”

“Silly, silly!” Scary shouts back before speeding up, leaving Julia in the dust. 

Ass wobbles the furthest down the track, falling off the unicycle every few seconds. They spit out another mouthful of sand as they board the vehicle again and slowly catch up to McLovin, who’s having trouble staying upright, too. 

“First time?” Ass asks, pedaling by. 

“Y-yeah. Yours?”

“Yeah, but I’m a fast learner!”

Scary crosses the finish line first, Max and Michael both in close pursuit. Their bikes are nearly touching as they move down the track, every so once in a while swerving and bumping into each other. “Stop doing that!” Michael yells. 

“You stop it!”

“What the hell is your problem!” 

“You!” Max says, suddenly losing control of Julia’s poorly-made bike and crashing into Michael. They both roll off to the side. 

Michael sits up and groans. “You’re acting like a jerk,”

“You’re acting like a-”

“Enough! What did I even do to you!”

Max glares, crossing his arms defensively. “You know exactly what you did,”

“No, actually, I don't,” Michael says, crossing her arms. “And I’d be very grateful if you’d clue me in on that, cause I still don’t understand why we hate each other!”

“I heard what you said! About using me to get ahead in the competition! I’m not an idiot, you know!”

Michael pauses for a moment, looking confused. “I never said that. I thought you were using me to get ahead,”

“Where on earth did you hear that?”

“Julia- oh, shit,” she says, smacking her forehead. “We got played!”

Max’s expression drops. “God. Maybe I am an idiot,”

Michael rises to her feet, brushing the sand off of her. She offers a hand to Max, and he hesitantly accepts it. “I would never use you like that, for the record,”

“Yeah, I… I guess I always kinda never believed you would. You are a little too gullible to come up with something like that- but Julia…”

“Julia,” Michael sighs. “I shouldn’t have believed her, either. Friends?”

He smiles. “Friends,”

The two smile at each other for a moment, hands still in each other’s until Julia whizzes by on her bike. Then, Michael gets a determined look on her face. “Let’s win this thing,”

The two board their bikes again and pedal up to Julia, who’s rapidly approaching the finish line. “Give me your hand!” Michael shouts. Max blushes slightly and takes Michael’s hand in his. “What’s the plan?”

“I’m gonna whip it!”

“What?!”

“Hold on!” she yells, her hold tightening on Max’s hand as she speeds up ahead of him for a split second before pulling him forward and launching his bike ahead of Julia and straight onto the finish line. Julia stares in shock, giving Michael the leeway to make third place, her former friend not far behind. 

Ass is next, Bonnie, Patrick, and Staci following behind as Michael helps Max up from the sand. McLovin comes in dead last, crashing into Max's bike as soon as he's able to sit on his own for more than five seconds.

“Looks like everyone will be competing in the invincibility challenge!” Chris announces. “You’ll get a ten minute break before the next leg begins.”

Ass tosses the unicycle to the side, huffing. They grab Julia, dragging her to a secluded area of the beach and glaring. “Okay, so, that sucked, and I’m gonna need you to start pulling your weight around here if we’re ever gonna win,”

Julia rolls her eyes. “You mean if you’re ever gonna win,”

Ass narrows their eyes at her. “Watch it,” and with that, they storm off, leaving her behind.

Nearby, Julia catches Scary slinking away from where Patrick and Bonnie are sitting, hiding behind a boulder. They pull a small device from their hoodie. It emits a few beeps, and they squint intently at the screen.

"Hey," Julia says, suddenly standing over them.

The device vanishes into their hoodie again and they smile, almost nervously. "You-!"

"Cut it out," she says, pointing an accusing finger at Scary. "I know you know something. And once we're done here, you're going to tell me exactly what's going on."

Scary's face drops. "Julia, listen, I-" they pause for a few seconds, stammering before getting back into character, giggling and cartwheeling away.

Back on the main track, where most of the campers are resting, Staci comforts a dejected McLovin, attempting to give him a bike riding lesson before the next leg- Patrick glares at Max, who glares right back before turning to Michael, who’s attempting to fix Max’s bicycle for him after McLovin crashed into it. 

He sits next to her on the sand. “Where’d you learn to do that thing?”

“What thing?” she asks absent-mindedly, attempting to reconnect the flimsy chain to the wheels. 

“That… you know, the thing?” Max says, vaguely gesturing to recreate the move she did. 

“Oh, the whip? It’s a roller derby move. Usually requires two people, but I figured you’d be light enough,”

Max blinks. “You do roller derby?”

“Um… sometimes. I mostly just watch, though. McLovin and Joner think it’s a girly thing, so I usually go alone,” Michael explains, sighing as the bike loses a few more parts every time she attaches one. “I pick some stuff up.”

“Well, if it’s any consolation, I don’t think it being girly is necessarily a bad thing,” Max says. “I could never do that, anyway- sports aren’t my forte.”

Michael laughs a little. “Yeah, I think you’ve mentioned,”

“Alright, campers! Line up and get ready for the final leg of the challenge!” Chris says. “This time, you’ll be using your own bikes!”

“Oh, shoot,” Michael says, looking at Max’s still-slightly crushed bike. “I don’t think I’ll be able to figure this out in time.”

“It’s okay, I can do it,” Max says, taking the bike from Michael. It immediately falls apart. He sighs. 

Staci walks over, smiling. “I don’t want to bother, but, maybe I can help?”

---

“Alright, here’s the deal!” Chris announces to the lined-up campers. “You’re going to be dodging landmines, maneuvering over oil, and jumping piranhas! First camper to cross wins invincibility, and the last one gets voted off the island immediately! That means no campfire, no voting, no marshmallows- you're out!” 

The campers stare at each other nervously. Julia frowns as Ass smiles wickedly. 

“Ready, campers? Set- go!”

The racers start off the landmine trail, all narrowly dodging the mines. Patrick lags behind, wobbling pathetically on his unicycle, far from the rest of the competition. Bonnie passes through the oil slick, forcing their bike to stay straight and steady with a firm grip on the handles. 

---

BONNIE: “I’ve already lost two friends, and from the looks of the remaining competition, I don’t have my hopes up for making any others. But… if there’s anything Caesar and Courtney taught me, it’s that giving up isn’t an option, no matter what. Plus- when I win this thing, I’ll have a million dollars and two friends waiting for me!”

---

Bonnie speeds up, passing Julia and Ass, who’s bikes have been connected by a spare chain to create a four-wheeled vehicle of terror. They run over McLovin and just narrowly miss Michael during the oil slick portion. 

Staci and Max aren’t far behind- he clings to them as they pedal faster than anyone, looking confidently ahead. 

“You need to slow down!” Max yells. 

“WHAT?!” She shouts back. 

“The oil! You need to-”

Staci’s bike veers into the oil slick and gets thrown off course, both of them landing in the water. 

Scary pedals just ahead of Patrick, though it seems as if there are twice as many landmines they just narrowly manage to avoid, and the oil slick is twice as thick for them. They press a hidden earpiece under their hair. “Chris, what’s going on?!”

“Sorry, Olivia! We were just reviewing the footage and you got found out! You’re not safe here anymore,” the speaker crackles off and the earpiece dies as another landmine goes off.

Patrick, wobbling on his unicycle, finally reaches the first section of the race, and immediately gets blown into orbit- though, somehow, he miraculously lands just beyond the finish line. 

“And we have our winner!” Chris says, walking over to Patrick’s sooty body as he lays face-down in the sand. “Patrick wins immunity! Oh, and here’s Bonnie-”

Bonnie rolls up, groaning and rolling their eyes as they see Patrick and Patrick’s charred unicycle already beyond the finish line. Ass and Julia have similar reactions as their monster bike rolls up, followed shortly by McLovin and Michael. 

“Where’s Max?” Michael asks, shielding their eyes as they look around the beach. 

McLovin chimes in “And Staci?”

“Technically, they never crossed the finish line at all, so they’re safe- which makes Michael the last to cross the line,” 

Michael’s face drops, though just as she’s about to say something, Scary’s bike rolls in and immediately falls apart just beyond the line. They cough weakly and collapse, their purple and red wig singed. 

“...Except for Scary, who will be going home tonight!” 

Chef walks over, hoisting Scary over his shoulder and walking away. Her wig falls on the ground as they walk off.

"Wait-" they say. "Julia-"

Chef disappears with Scary beyond the beach, and Julia steps over to pick it the fallen wig, showing it to Ass, who rolls their eyes. 

---

Patrick sits in a makeshift cast at the mess hall table (now only one) and weakly coughs as Bonnie attempts to feed him the slop Chef made for dinner. Staci and McLovin are on their seventy-fourth round of rock paper scissors that night, which Ass is blocking out with their earbuds and audiobook. Julia watches them carefully, a cautious expression on their face. 

Max and Michael are far from the depressing dinner tonight, though, sitting on the steps of the former Anon’s cabin together. 

“She really said that to you? And you did nothing about it?” Max asks, face cupped in his hands. 

“Yeah- well, I mean, I didn’t want to burn any bridges,” Michael pauses to sigh. “And look how that turned out. I come to this island with my only goal to make new friends, and now half of the cast hates me.”

“But that’s your problem. You’re so concerned about being liked. Who cares? These people don’t deserve you, and you definitely don’t need their approval. Being alone is way better than being surrounded by people who treat you like crap,"

Michael shakes her head. “I don’t think I’ll ever understand that,”

“You will. I can teach you, if you’d like,” he grins. “I have a lot of experience in being hated.”

She smiles and playfully shoves him. “I’m just glad Julia’s done messing with us,”

“Yeah, she’s a real piece of work. So… what about McLovin?”

Michael pales. “What about him?”

“You two are supposed to be friends, right? What’s with all the glaring and shouting?”

She sighs, putting her head in her hands for a moment. “You wouldn’t understand,”

“Try me,” he says. “I promise I won’t be weird about it… whatever it is.”

“Well…” she looks up, eyes heavy. “Some time after he joined me and Joner, we… kinda-maybe went out for a little.”

Max gives her a look. “You dated that guy?” he looks to the mess hall, and then back to Michael. “That guy?”

“You don’t have to rub it in, I know! He just seemed so simple, I thought it’d be different from all the jerks I dated in the past. But it was worse,” she sighs. “It’s not that he did anything wrong, it’s just that- well, he never did anything wrong. Cause that’s the thing about guys who are actually nice- nothing is ever their fault. And everyone likes McLovin, so I was completely alone- everything was my fault. I guess I didn’t really handle the breakup very maturely, either. We’re civil for Joner, cause he hates seeing us fight, but we’re not friends. Not in my eyes, at least.”

Max bites the inside of his cheek. “...I’m so sorry, I still can’t get over it. That guy? You- you- dated that guy?” 

“Yes, okay! And it’s totally embarrassing!” Michael says, rolling her eyes. “And that jerkwad totally made everyone from my hometown hate my guts because he’s so perfect and can’t do anything wrong because he’s nice to everyone and I was never a priority for him while we were dating because he was basically everyone’s boyfriend, not just mine! So I went through a year of high school feeling like a jerk for wishing he’d care about me, and then I dumped him and it totally crushed him and everyone treats me like I'm terrible for it!”

“It’s okay! I believe you!” Max says. “I swear, I’m only judging your taste a little. A lot, actually. But I’m going to assume there’s not a lot of people where you come from, so the options are limited?”

“Small town,” Michael nods. “And everyone in that town still calls me Michael or- ugh, Mikey- cause that dweeb refuses to use any names I actually like. It’s like the world revolves around him or something!”

“Ew,” Max says. “That sounds like crap. If it means anything, I don’t think you’re terrible. I would know, I am,”

Michael smiles and shoves him lightly. “You’re giving yourself way too much credit. You’re not that much of a jerk. Not to me, anyway,”

He smiles softly at her, and scoots a bit closer, both falling silent to listen to Ass and Patrick scream at each other over who used the last of the ketchup.

[featherisderp]

aight whats some of the hc that you are very passionate about?

there is no limit since I really like your aus

A- Thank you- I get awkward about my AU's so seeing someone say they like them is always appreciated. :,3

Anyway uh- Long post under the cut!

The main one is Meta Dad. This is something that will never be taken from me- A lot of people see him as a sort of mentors to the kids (and that's fine!) but I personally think he's just- Dad mode. He goes out of his way to help the kids with anything, saw Tiff sad by the fountain and decided to ask her what was wrong (before knowing it had to do with Kirby), and tends to keep an eye on them when there's danger.

Another one is that puffballs can sense each other and monsters. This one I sort of got from thewinterraven, but seeing as puffballs usually manifest as Star Warriors, sensing monsters and each other would be rather cool!

A really big one is that reproduction doesn't happen. Children (of any species) just sort of manifest, although some species will require two parents to want a child for it to appear. This one is mostly because now I don't have to worry about any of that.

I like to think that Meta Knight appeared on Popstar shortly before or after Tiff's existence. He's probably had to babysit her a few times (which leads to him immediately getting attached in some AU's).

One that applies to the anime is why Tiff and Tuff have a hard time figuring out whether or not to trust Meta Knight. I can acknowledge that the anime probably didn't think too much about it but I like to think that it's because the two of the grew up knowing Meta Knight and that he worked for Dedede. Even after getting to know him, they'd both be aware that he's obscenely loyal to his job and following through with orders, even if it doubles as a way to train Kirby. They aren't confused about whether or not he intends to kill Kirby, they're confused because they're not sure whether or not he's willing to put those orders above his concern for them.

Meta Knight is the monster that betrayed Nightmare. I have this explored in more depth in another post (you can read that here), but this is a hc I will die with.

Nothing dies from old age. I like to think anything can age up to a certain point, but stops aging past the peak of adulthood. This means they can still die of illness or injury, just not from their bodies slowly deteriorating. Some species age faster than others but they all take a relatively long time compared to humans. They may use sentences to say things like 'I'm ten years old' when they've technically been alive for a couple hundred/thousand years, but that's entirely so it's easier for me. I should probably specify that a child is still a child even if they've been alive for like- 28 years, if their species ages slowly.

I think that's it for now, thanks for ask, anon! This was fun! ^^

[stratuscloudsurfer]

I'm not sure if it applies with your AU, but I thought. (Warning: Some angst.) The Submas Twins are likely the liveliest with each other outside of MC giving them a proper battle. Which they don't notice at first because whenever they're in the same space, they either argue - so of course they're lively - or leave because they're annoyed with each other. Even anticipating each other pulls them into the present.

And so it sounds silly to both of the brothers when people say that the other usually seems lost. They've only experienced the other at his clearest.

They're better than in canon because of each other. But they don't see each other that often, and the trauma is keeping them from remembering despite interaction. They're often in states of daze, mind elsewhere and also nowhere.

So imagine when, for example, Emmet sees Ingo from a bit far away one day outside of Warden-and-clan business. Maybe after they got over their dislike after the Alpha incident? Ingo doesn't notice him. Emmet doesn't know why he stays but he watches Ingo, how other people interact with him.

Expecting him to get loud, be a spoilsport, etc.

It doesn't happen. Even talking and directing the people, when he straightens up to point, Ingo's eyes stay empty. And when nobody's interacting with him, he returns to his slouch and stares into nothing.

It unnerves, maybe terrifies Emmet. Is this what he looks like when his own thoughts drift away? Is Ingo experiencing the same? Deep in his core, his heart breaks because Ingo shouldn't be like that.

And a similar realization could happen to Ingo about Emmet. They might be needling (playfully) each other even more just to make sure that empty look stays out of their eyes.

Ooooooh very interesting thoughts here...

( And I’ve got a lot of thoughts too, heh, sorry in advance for the long post )

I'd say that definitely the brothers are at their most animated around each other. They somehow manage to bring both the worst and the best out of each other. 

I feel like the difference in personality when they're around vs. not around each other would be much more noticeable in Ingo. He gets so fired up and loud around Emmet that its as if he is a completely different person. I feel like it would be a less dramatic shift with Emmet because 1. he arrived after Ingo, so he doesn't remember a time when Ingo wasn't in Hisui at the same time as him, and 2. He's a part of the Diamond clan where there is so much chaotic energy, what with Sabi and Melli and even Adaman around. These are just my own personal thoughts here, but I feel as if the Diamond clan is more open than the Pearl clan because Adaman doesn’t think time should be wasted on subtext and subtlety. He encourages the members of his clan to express their feelings openly, which leads to a lot of lively discussion. If a member of the Diamond clan has a problem with you, they will tell you to your face, holding nothing back. It’s the perfect environment for Emmet, who is blunt to begin with, so he thrives there, and in general feels more like himself.

In contrast the Pearl clan is relatively reserved. Irida values a calm and peaceful space and steers her clan members away from conflict. Therefore, if a member of the Pearl clan has a beef with you, they are less likely to outright confront you about it. There are far less confrontations, but consequently gossip has a tendency to spread (as evidenced by how they treated Palina with the whole Growlithe situation). 

Ingo already has a natural, overwhelming sense of responsibility from being the oldest sibling, but in the Pearl clan, he has no outlet to escape from it. I mean, don’t get me wrong, he likes being in the Pearl clan, and especially admires and respects Irida, but he doesn’t feel as if there is anyone he can really talk to about the crushing pressure that he feels sometimes from having so many people relying on him for so many things, and besides, he doesn’t really want to end up like Palina (poor Palina btw, she’s a queen and didn’t deserve being trash-talked behind her back). Not that he would burden any of the other Pearl clan wardens with his feelings anyway. I mean... that would be unprofessional, right?

The only time he feels like there is no point hiding his frustration is when he is fighting with Emmet. He has no idea why he gets under his skin so much, because usually not even Melli fazes him, but he just does, and It all explodes out at once, and he gets loud, but Emmet can handle loud because he is loud, too. He leaves every encounter with his brother feeling irritated but oddly relieved at the same time, like a weight has been lifted from his shoulders. 

Maybe once they finally start getting along, he confesses some of these frustrations to Emmet. How he wishes that Kamado would stop piling up work for him to do at the training grounds on top of his regular warden duties even though he doesn’t even work for the Galaxy Team. How Irida doesn’t seem to understand how hard it is to be present at a mid-morning meeting after tending to largely nocturnal Lady Sneasler all night. How if he hears Gaeric tell him that he really should join him for his ridiculous workout routine one more time, he is going to lose his mind. Emmet encourages him to keep talking by agreeing with him (”Yes, you’re right, that is verrry annoying”) and casually shit-talking the people that annoy Ingo (”Sometimes I think that Gaeric has more muscle than he does brains”).  Afterwards, Ingo gives him pointed look and tells him, “Don’t tell anyone I said that. They absolutely cannot know,” and even though there are, as a rule, no secrets in the Diamond clan, Emmet doesn’t dare tell Ingo’s. 

I imagine that once Ingo has Emmet to talk to about these sorts of things, his “old” personality returns. He is louder, more confident, and smiles more (although its still rare). Its a slow change, but everyone notices it, and Emmet can’t help but feeling a little relieved (although he can’t quite put his finer on why). 

[foxsimthings]

Nino Moretti & Michi(ko) Okeke for @galaxsims Love Island!

Nino Moretti Young adult | Bisexual Firefighter | Heroic | Family-Oriented | Bro

Michiko Okeke Young adult | Pansexual Massage Therapist | Dancer | Comforting | Laid-Back

(you thought I could stop at one? you were mistaken. I also feel like I’m usually the one making sims to stir up drama, but there were already a few drama-stirrers so here we go ehuehuhe)

Nino has always suffered from looking like a far worse guy than he actually is.

Is he, perhaps, a bit of a jock? Sure, of course. Does that thick Brooklyn accent sometimes make him sound a little extra arrogant? Maybe, now and then. But underneath a healthy layer of bravado, dudeliness, some slightly archaic beliefs and a lot of cologne, he’s a good guy who tries his best.

Nino’s family wasn’t always the most accepting, and the Moretti family only really hung out with extended family. Cousins, aunts, distant cousins, great grandparents - he can list every relative he’s ever had back to his ancient caveman ancestor Tito Moretti who invented putting out the fire, but he can list friends he has that aren’t related to him on one hand. 

Being in such a closed environment, some of his beliefs are still a bit archaic, but he tries hard to correct them when he realizes they’re wrong. Those close to him may have found him a bit intimidating to talk to at first, but he’s extremely open to and willing to learn and if he says something that’s perhaps not so correct, he has no problem apologizing when corrected and doing his best to fix himself. 

A firefighter working out of San Myshuno, he risks his life pretty much on the daily and is always the first into danger and the last one out. Nino’s apartment is overrun with stray animals he scooped up off the street and his landlord has been lenient with her no-pets policy because, I mean, it’s Nino. 

Coming from a big family, it’s Nino’s dream to have a big family of his own, a nice big house for everyone to get together in, a loving husband or wife, and a few little chickens.

Name. “Nino Moretti.” Age. “Twenty-five.” Occupation. "Firefighter, been for uh couple years now. It’s awesome.” Hometown. “San My, baby.” Sexuality. “Uh, I forget if it’s pansexual or bisexual. I like ‘em both. Er, wait, there’s more than two now right? Oh shit, have you been writing all this down? Oh man, I’m gonna look like the biggest asshole. Okay just scratch all that out, just put down bisexual.” Ideal Type. “Must love animals, first of all. I got like six cats back home. You know people just dump off their old cats? It’s fucking disgraceful is what it is- sorry, no swearing, sorry. What was the question? Right, ideal type. Yeah so they gotta love animals, gotta have a good heart, but not too... soft, you know? Like if they cry every time a diaper commercial comes on maybe not, but a good person. Gotta get along with my Ma. We gotta be best friends, we gotta love each other’s company. I want us to have fun, go places, laugh until our faces hurt. And if they don’t think my memes are funny, I mean, it’s over. I just wanna settle down with a good person, an animal lover, who cares about family and doing the right thing. And can put up with my ugly mug, aha!” Why are you applying for Love Island? ”I think it’d be fun. Is that okay to say? I dunno, I mean I’ve worked since I was fifteen, I went from high school to training to become a career firefighter and, you know, I don’t take no breaks or nothin’. Well, no, that’s a lie actually, I was at my cousin’s wedding in Tartosa. You never been? Aw, we should go. No really, it’s beautiful, we got a villa out there and-- I’m sorry? Oh, sure, yeah. I guess I’m applying because it’d be fun, because I could use a break, and I mean, who doesn’t wanna be on TV, you know? All my buddies back at the station’ll be going bananas!” What do you hope to get out of this experience? “I mean, that depends if the drinks are comped or not, hah! No, don’t write that, that’s stupid. Uh, I mean I don’t know if I’m looking for forever but I’m definitely hoping for... for now. You know what I mean? You probably shouldn’t write that either. I just don’t wanna come off desperate or nothin’, you know?”

-----

Coming from a very mixed family with Japanese heritage on one side and Nigerian heritage on the other, Michi has always experienced a lot. A lot of culture, a lot of language, a lot of food and spirituality. She’s also an only child, which means everything her parents had they gave to her; and it was a lot. She was loved endlessly - still is, for that matter - and though her family isn’t as big as some people’s(^), it’s a warm, tight-knit unit. 

Michi grew up in Del Sol Valley where her father continues to work as a dentist. While perhaps the Okeke family isn’t incredibly wealthy, they certainly have never wanted for much. Michi has babysat for Brytani Cho, ridden horses with Holly Alto and gotten high with Venessa Jeong. There isn’t a Simschella festival that she hasn’t attended. She’s always sat right at the periphery of stardom and celebrity, and it’s always suited her quite well. While it might have been easy enough to slip in a connection or two and rise to fame herself, she prefers a more down-to-earth lifestyle.

One can’t walk into Michi Okeke’s apartment without being struck by the smell of lilac and lavender. A crystal sits in just about every room and she’ll explain at length why her jade egg is her most valuable possession. She’s obsessed with lepidoptery and keeps rosy maple moths. Michi calls her parents every night and cooks them dinner every Sunday. She believes that ghosts are made when people die holding on to ‘bad vibes’.

Her presence is often regarded as calm and motherly. Very little seems to get under her skin and she’ll try just about anything once. 

Name. “Michiko Okeke, but people usually just call me Michi. Or Itchy. Or Iko. People call me kind of everything.” Age. “I turned twenty-three on July 2nd. Gemini squad. But it’s crazy that you and I are even chatting because you’re a Virgo, right? No, I can totally tell.” Occupation. “I’m an RMT, a registered massage therapist.” Hometown. “Del Sol Valley.” Sexuality. “I’m pansexual, I kind of lean toward men sexually but romantically I can and have loved everyone of every identity.” Ideal Type. “Spiritual, romantic, spontaneous. I like a little wild, but not crazy wild. I mean like... let’s just go get lost in the woods for a week and live off the land wild. I want to get sick off random berries with you and go swimming after dark and push you on the swings. I just want to experience all of life with someone, the good and the bad, and just be so in love with someone that even the bad is hard not to smile through. But what about you, what’s your ideal type?” Why are you applying for Love Island? “I’d love to meet some new people, make some new friends. And my friends have been pushing me to do it, so I figured I’d just take a chance. Worst case scenario, I have a great time and come home as single as I left. Best case scenario, I fall head over heels in love and next thing you know we’re starting a kazoo band and touring the world.” What do you hope to get out of this experience? “Everything! Anything! I’m just excited to experience something new, there’s so much life out there to live.”

[ssarkosghost]

Arkos Week DAY 8 - Free Day

Ah the final day of @arkos-week-2022, firstly thanks to all you readers I really hoped you enjoyed what I wrote for the week 😁 . As for today I’ve gone for another AU setting, a more medieval world where our two soul once again meet for the first time(May do more of the verse eventually).

The Beacon’s Glory Masque, though perhaps not the grandest of court celebrations, was definitely the liveliest. It was the favor of the Protector Regent, Lord Ozpin the Unfathomable, who despite having a reputation for being distant, thoroughly enjoyed the vast swaths of color and merriment the event brought. It also provided the perfect opportunity for all of Vale’s social strata to gather tighter. Even the final part of the celebration, held within Beacon Castle itself which was often closed to only the most elite of the kingdom, found itself filled with guests invited by such individuals.

Hence why the Arcs found themselves being allowed into the castle. Once they did rank amongst those who could gain entrance to the Vale King’s keep. Their warrior ancestors helped forged the very kingdom they all now live in. Peace and abundance have reduced the need for such warrior families. Plus, the Arcs themselves have also settled for the farming life. Too much tragedy had dampened their family’s tendency to send their offspring to battle.

With such a loss they fell to relative obscurity, but their sacrifices were not to be forgotten. This is why Her Ladyship, Glynda Goodwitch the Unbowed, Supreme Magician of Vale, had extended the customary invitation to the final act of the night.

Jaune also assumed it had to do with his sister, Saffron, having recently managed to engage Lady Cotta. A minor Mistral noble that his sister had met during one of her ventures. It spoke about how Lord Ozpin had been trying to align at least parts of the Kingdom of Mistral so that Atlas, whose growing military might have worried some, would not have its old ally.

Thus, his sister’s engagement was perhaps an unexpected boon, and the Arcs' presence would help ease the Mistral delegation. Then again that could all just be speculation at this point. Greater people had tried to predict Lord Ozpin’s plans, and they have all failed to this point.

So, it was best to probably just enjoy to party, and perhaps he could see if he could again gain a recommendation to attend the capital’s knight academy. After all, even though most could guess who everyone was, it was custom to assume everyone was a mystery. It had its downsides for sure, but it allowed those in attendance to speak their thoughts without fear. Many a crisis had been adverted by the inciting individuals being able to air their issues in such a form.

Honestly, the ones he’d have to avoid would be his parents. His father would probably be the first Arc to die of old age and not of complications with wounds. A trend his mother full-heartedly agreed on starting. Which was exactly the opposite of his goal of becoming a knight of the realm. So, when the Arcs made their entrance, clad in their new cloths of yellow, with their mask simplistic depictions of the animals they now called their charges, Jaune, or Mane as his stage name was for the horse mask on his face, quickly made his way to slip into the crowd.

Sadly, as the night drew on, his quest seemed hopeless. Firstly, it turned out to be much more difficult to find those who could help him. Turns out many of the knights also preferred to dress in their civilian lives. Honestly, the only ones that stood out were Lady Goodwitch (who was friendly to his parents and posed too much of a risk) and Lord Brawen, though that was mostly due to said man’s current camping of the punch bowl at one of the tables. Which lead to his second issue, the few knights he did find often found his request hilarious. This was Vale, anyone could apply for the chance to attend the academy. Even the most helpful of the bunch a grey-clad man with a multi-eyed bird mask had asked why he didn’t simply ask his parents.

Jaune smiled ruefully at that. He didn’t need to ask his parent to gauge their reactions. He had seen it in their faces when in his youth he played knights in the fields. The looks had turned to words as he got older and his interest failed to wane. He knew his parents simply didn’t want to see him mauled on the battlefield, but over the year the steady attempts to discourage him had worn his trust in them.

So, it wasn’t surprising that after finding no help amongst the partiers Jaune decided to seclude himself on one of the private balconies outside of the hall. Here he could be out here with the stars. His ever-present companions when he needed space from his family. It was a clear night and the wind was gentle calming his racing mind.

“May I join you?” a soft voice, though their tone was far from timid. For a moment Jaune thought about saying no, but perhaps destiny had decided to smile on him.

“Sure, and you areeee,” his voice trailed as he was stuck with how beautiful the owner of the voice was. She was dressed in crimson and bronze, an outfit of silk and armor. Her mask was a decorative masterpiece of scales and feathers that formed a rainbow across her face, highlighting her bright green eyes. She giggled at his shocked expression before answering his question.

“Sir Nike, of the Kingdom of Mistral,” Nike introduced herself before asking for Jaune’s name. A moment of silence passed before Jaune realized she had asked in return, and tried to answer. Sadly, his mind was still hooked on her beauty and so his words were a jumbled mess. Nike gave him another bought of her laughter and simply pushed on to what he was doing out where.

“Ah just letting my thoughts drift,” Jaune sighed as he was brought back to his current problem.

“Oh…does it have something to do with attempting to attend Beacon’s Knight Academy?” Nike asked much to Jaune’s surprise.

“Ho—How?” he stammered; he would have remembered if he had talked to her before.

“You were rather loud with your last conversation,” Nike stated, their tone similar to when one of his sisters stated the obvious.

“Ah…well if you’re here to enjoy the story, I’m sorry to disappoint, but I will—”

“Oh, no no,” Nike cut in as she moved closer to Jaune, “I wanted to help,”

“How, no offense sir, but you’re a Mistal Knight, you don’t exactly have the authority,” Jaune pointed out, unsure just what was happening

“True, but I will be attending said academy myself, and I will need someone who is familiar with this kingdom’s ways,” Nike answered, partially confusing Jaune more.

“But you are already knighted and in Mistral your home,” he pressed, “what would you gain from attending our kingdom’s academy?”

“It is a test run,” Nike answered, her head next to Jaune’s, “my Queen has asked that a warrior of Mistral learn to see if Vale is still able to produce great warriors against the Grimm threat. So, what do you say?” Jaune had no idea what to think of this chance. Oh, sure he knows he was being used, but it’s still a chance.

“Sir Nike, I Mane of House Arc will accept your request to accompany you to the Beacon Knight Academy if you will have me,” he stated proffering a bow to his new benefactor.

“Very well Mane Scion of the Arcs,” Sir Nike replied, “I will notify the Lord Protector of this, and make sure your letter of acceptance is sent,” and with a bow, Sir Nike departed to ensure her word was kept. Deep down Pyrrha Nikos, Sir Nike’s real name was ecstatic. She would have to thank Sir Grey for pointing out Mane’s plight. She could see the determination in him and knew he would be an excellent partner to help her survive the incoming trial. She also smiled at how easy it was for the two to chat and hoped when the time came for them to truly meet, he would not change himself.

[sinnersandsaints-linwrites]

Ariel (600 special snippet)

(warning: will contain spoilers for future chapters. trigger warnings for SaS apply.)

They looked exhausted, in a very literal sense of the word. Their shoulders were slumped, trembling slightly, and their legs bucked just enough to be noticeable. Their vibrant chestnut hair stuck to their face, seemingly darker than it really was. Their eyes, once full of life and shining like liquid sun — now dim and dull, like a coin forgotten at the bottom of a pirate’s trunk. 

A wide, blood soaked material was wrapped across their back, but even with it in the way, you could make out the lines of a tattoo. Black, very detailed wings, spreading all over the shoulder blades, upper back, arms, ending at the elbows. In the dim light, it seemed as if the ink was actually moving, pulsating even. Vibrating in the golden skin it was ingrained in. 

“You want to fall again, Ariel?” A smooth, almost silky voice came from behind them. A relatively tall woman — who was only slightly shorter than the person on the edge — with skin reminding you of the onyx or sun in eclipse, and hair that could rival the color of the moon, a silvery white, running down her back in locks. 

The person, Ariel, only flinched at the sound of the newcomer coming closer, but not enough to risk falling off the roof. 

“You know I adore your brooding nature, but this is hardly the time for it, Ari.” Despite the lighthearted tone, you could sense a hint of worry in the voice of the stranger.

The tattooed arms moved, and for a moment you could swear each feather was real — as you stared at it — and wasn’t just ink in scar-riddled skin. 

“I have all the time in the world, Nita. All the time. Will you deny me a moment of grief?” Ariel spoke, the raw emotion in their voice seemingly making the sky itself tear in pain, as clouds gathered above you, dark and angry, threatening a storm. 

Previously hidden worry was now visible on the woman’s — Nita’s — face, clear as day. Her features reminded you more of a painting in a cathedral or a statue carved in stone, than a living person. Like she was too powerful and beautiful to exist in the real world as a living being. 

It grimly contrasted with how utterly broken Ariel looked. In ripped old pants, with dirt on their feet, and blood soaking into the bandage tied across their chest and back. Their hair in complete disarray, as if it was pulled at too many times in desperation, anger, pain. You never imagined to see someone so beautiful look so... tarnished. Cracked, neglected, like a doll abandoned by a spoiled child. 

Even though everything about the two people told you they were divine — you couldn’t help but notice that one emanated power, while the other struggled to shine half as bright as they used to. 

“There was nothing you could do, Ari. You know that.” Nita’s voice was careful. Like she was approaching a wild, wounded animal backed into a corner.

A humorless laugh escaped Ariel’s lips. How could a laugh sound so painful?

“Do I? I cannot be sure about anything anymore. Once, I was sure you would have my back.”

Nita’s hands tightened around a silver staff — did she have it before? You had not noticed it earlier, where did it come from? — digging it harder into the gravel.

“What would you have me do? Damn myself with you, and live an eternity of misery? I would grow to hate you for it, and you would have no ally in me, and no ally at home.” Her voice was firm, if harsh, but there was no malice in it. You couldn’t be sure, but she sounded almost gentle. Loving.

Ariel must have noticed the same, as they let out a ragged breath. Muffled a sob with their fist, biting down on it. They were crying, you realised. 

Nita was next to them, gently placing her hand on Ariel’s side, first barely brushing it with her fingertips, warning them of the upcoming touch. They accepted it, relaxing under the familiar warmth. 

“What will you do, Ari? Where will you go?” The woman asked, her voice barely above a whisper. “You cannot stay here. Dumah will be here soon enough, and she’ll see no reason, and have no sympathy for either of us.” Nita’s gentle voice calmed the tremble in Ariel’s arms, eased the tense muscles under the bandages. 

You could not begin to imagine what was the relationship between the two people before you, but it was not hard to guess it was strong, powerful. They were like the storm and a lightning, or wave and a cliff. Dangerous, unforgiving, wild. Lethal, independently as well as when together. Seeing now one of them so broken, and another so soft, felt like watching something forbidden. Not destined for your eyes. 

“I will leave. There is nothing holding me here anymore.” Nita’s hand left her companion’s body, still as careful as before. “And what will I do… I will put my skills to use.” A low growl escaped Ariel’s lips, as Nita stepped aside, barely suppressing a flinch. The clouds above you covered any source of light, making it seem as if night has fallen already. Even in this darkness, you could make out just how furious Ariel’s honey eyes were. If before they looked broken, now they looked like wildfire, ready to consume anything in their way.

“They damned me. They called me a monster. I will truly be damned if I don’t show them exactly what a monster can do.” 

[sneezemonster15]

I am new to Naruto fandom. Even newer to SNS fandom. I observed the shipping wars, and frankly, participated in it a couple of times. Just to see what it's all about. And I have come to one conclusion.

It's bonkers how far one will go to convince oneself about one's shipping whether it makes sense or not. At the end of the day, it becomes not really about the content itself, but one's comprehension and understanding of content. Which helps me understand why SS, NH, or NS stans exist. Their projection (which it certainly is) almost seems delusional and definitely inconsistent with the content itself.

When I first started watching Naruto, I wasn't aware of Naruto fandom. I am a cinephile and I am used to analysing content involuntarily while I am watching it. I wasn't expecting much from Naruto, I definitely underestimated it and wasn't expecting any emotional impact given it was shonen and I am very hard to please (yes, I am a film elitist). But as I kept watching it, I had to grudgingly change my opinion. By the time I reached Shippuden, I could tell that I was almost fevered with excitement and looking forward to more emotional impact.

I didn't watch it with any romantic lens, I was mostly interested in the fighting sequences initially. Hell, that's all I was expecting from a shonen show about ninjas. But at the end of vote 1, I was like, hmmm. What?? This was so emotionally wracking. Are they really just rivals, or friends? Now, I am a fully fledged cinephile and have watched a lot (a. Lot.) of LGBTQ films, given my interest in shows about emotional and sexual repression. And throughout my first watch of the first part, I kept picking up on the subtle sns moments without actively thinking about them. I was really into the story and wanted to see what will happen next. But at the end of vote 1, I had to stop and think, wait what, are they in love with each other? They are definitely not just friends. Or rivals. The language of their interaction in vote 1 is so fraught with underlying currents of repressed emotions that it just made the cinephile in me ask, what am I watching exactly? Like isn't it shonen (I am also relatively new to anime/manga) where gay relationships are a strict nono? Like why does it have all the tropes of repressed homosexuality in men, just like all the films I had seen. The way Naruto and Sasuke constantly gravitate to each other, their interactions at times feel like a borderline attempt at just staying close to each other, their violent, strong feelings and devotion for each other (land of waves arc) and then denial of those feelings (after the land of waves arc), their contant physical fights for no apparent reason, Sasuke goading Naruto for no apparent reason especially when Sasuke is not the type to talk without reason which had been made abundantly clear. Sometimes, it literally felt like he was flirting with Naruto (during the chuunin exams) while rejecting Sakura. Sasuke constantly appears to be caring and attentive towards Naruto while treating Sakura like trash. This was even acknowledged by Naruto who asks Sasuke to be nicer to Sakura. But Sasuke doesn't even think about it. He instead flirts (?) with Naruto. It made me think, why did the writer choose to do that? Why make it clear that in hierarchy, Sasuke keeps Naruto much higher than Sakura, so early in the show (when there hasn't been so much development either, we were mostly shown how they keep fighting and arguing with each other)? If they are supposed to just be comrades or friends, why pinpoint this? Why use this trope at all if it's about friendship, especially in a show that can't include a gay relationship.

And this kept happening consistently. The writer made the interaction between Sasuke and Naruto to be major turning points in the plot. Vote 1 fight made it clear to me that there was something more going on, but I didn't want to be presumptuous, so I kept it on the side and kept watching.

After watching Shippuden, I was convinced that none of it, was accidental. The writer painstakingly wrote a gay love story and was even obvious about it in a very clever way. Like he fucking got away with writing a gay love story in shonen. I know Naruto is basically a kids' show meant for entertainment purposes, but it touched so many important, dark and adult themes. I knew that it would be difficult for the writer to actually give a proper conclusion to these themes because they really aren't that black and white or even appropriate for children. So I wasn't surprised that he couldn't actually show peace being achieved after the war arc or slavery abolished in Hyuuga clan.

But one thing I was sure of. He wanted to show a gay love story, maybe out of a twisted sense of humor, I don't know. But that's what he did. He could not have made it clearer. He flagrantly used all the related tropes, visuals, sound, dialogues, hell the story. The fucking story...

He was so shrewd about it too. He made it so that people can take away whatever they wanted to take away from it as long as there was some plausible deniability about things that weren't made clear in the show itself. That fucking minx! But he knew that anyone who watches shit carefully, will be able to see what he actually did. He knew that at least some of us will be able to connect the dots. He went out of his way to make sure we connect the dots. There is no other way to explain why Sasuke repeatedly kept asking Naruto why he cared for him so much. There's no other way to explain why he concluded everything with the dialogue where Naruto explains that he hurts when Sasuke does. There's no other way to explain why that affected Sasuke to such an extent. Kishimoto went out of his way, like seriously, to tell the audience that they are Not just 'friends'. He basically used this friend thing with so much saturation and intent in such a twisted way that he made it into something else entirely. In that sense, the concept of 'friend' changed its meaning. Like you can try, but you can't change my mind about it.

Whether I approve it or not, but my takeaway from content depends mostly on the content itself. I do believe that more often than not, the simplest explanation is the right one. And this applies to the phenomenon of Naruto as well. Of course, as a viewer, I can't ignore that my suspension of belief relies on my own understanding of the external world and how I perceive visual language. But that is something that happens anyway, in tandem with consuming the content, while I was pretty much consistently objective about it.

I believe I have a pretty good understanding of how cinematic language works, and I know every creative or narrative choice has a reason and meaning behind it. Absolutely None of it is random. Cinematic language may not be universal in terms of styles, but all the styles definitely have a common ground. And any creator worth his salt knows it, he knows how his content will be perceived and what it is exactly that he wants to show or say. Do not delude yourself that it was accidental or on a whim.

I know for a fact that Kishomoto wanted to show a gay love story. I know for a fact that he wanted to show that Sasuke has feelings for Naruto and he knows it. He also wanted to show that Sasuke not only had feelings for Naruto but also knew that he couldn't show them openly. He wanted to show that Naruto has feelings for Sasuke as well but is confused and naive, like he is about so many other things. He wanted to show us that Sasuke is not into Sakura, that he doesn't even respect her. Any enthusiast of visual/cinematic language and narrative can tell all the above things without going into headcanon or deluded explanations (like SS, NH stans), with just on the basis of content they consumed.

At the end of the day, I don't ship SNS because it's in my head. I was forced to see and believe SNS by the creator. Not forced literally but forced to notice and acknowledge the emphasis and meaning of the twisted/manipulative ways of the creator.

Kishimoto, hats off to you, you sly bastard. You succeeded in trolling people endlessly, you had a lot of fun pitting people against each other, didn't you? Hahahahaha. Well, I call your bluff/or non bluff in this case since you obviously knew what you were doing.

[angellesword]

EUPHORIA | JJK

It’s Sunday. Jeongguk was supposed to be at the gym, serving looks. You were supposed to be at the church, serving the Lord. But you two were at the mall, looking for baby toys. You guessed this was your punishment for letting him stick his dick inside of you instead of just using an adult toy.

Alternatively:

“We share the same painful views. Won’t you please stay in my dreams.”

word count: 2.6k (one-shot) PART OF INTRO SERIES

pairing: husband!Jungkook x wife!reader

genre and content warnings: established relationship, angst, fluff, married au, (forced marriage) mention of premarital sex, pregnancy, abortion, Catholic guilt, death, and mental illness.

Sunday was church day.

This was what your whole family made you believe ever since you were young. They were firm believers of God. In fact, your first word wasn't like what most babies said.

Jesus. This was your first word and your mom wasn't even complaining. She loved to brag about it to other lectors and commentators. Your father, a lay minister, also took pride sharing the same story over and over again.

Frankly speaking, you were getting tired of it.

Don't get it twisted. You loved Jesus and you believed that he was your savior. You even sang worship songs at the church every Sunday. You were the head of the choir; every church goer knew you—well, not only church goers.

Literally everyone around you knew you.

You were also popular at school. People referred to you as the good girl who had it all.

You were pretty, smart, and your boyfriend was none other than Jeon Jeongguk.

The man you were dating was a jock. He made it clear that he didn't like studying, but he still wanted to go to a university and apply for scholarship. You had no doubt that he would get what he wanted.

Jeongguk was a star football player after all.

"Babe, what do you think of this?" You showed Jeongguk a stuffed animal. It was a rabbit.

"Cute," he grinned at you. Jeongguk wasn't sure what he found cute. Was it you or was it the stuffed toy?

You and Jeongguk were currently at the mall, buying toys for Haneul, your son who was turning one this month.

"We'll buy this next time.”

The smile Jeongguk was sporting turned into a scowl when you put the toy back to the shelf.

"Next time?" He furrowed his brow, reaching for the rabbit. "Why can't we buy it now?"

"Guk," you let out a sigh. He was feigning innocence but you knew better.

You knew you couldn't afford this kind of toy. Why did you even ask him to go here? It was obvious that you didn't belong here.

Years ago, you and Jeongguk had plans. He wanted to be a famous football player while you decided to major in Marketing; however, your dreams had been shattered when you found out that you were pregnant with his baby.

You didn't know what to do that time. You just graduated high school. Actually, you were supposed to take the college entrance exam at Seoul University.

The test didn't happen because you felt sick that day. You had been vomiting non-stop and everything smelt awful.

You still took a test, though. It wasn't the kind of test you were expecting. You woke up that day to chase you dream, but instead you ended up chasing your breath as you cried and cried and cried.

You took a pregnancy test and the numbing slap of your mother was enough for you to know that you were a disgrace.

A disgrace, a disappointment, an animal, a disrespectful child, and a....

sinner.

You accepted it all. You didn't mind that your whole family was insulting you inside and out.

You didn't blame them—couldn't blame them.

How could you do that when you saw yourself the same way they saw you?

Your mind was poisoning you. You were blaming yourself. You were blaming Jeongguk. He did this to you.

He did this to you because you let him.

So basically, this was your fault.

You ruined your future and the only way to restore everything back to normal was to have an abortion.

Of course you considered abortion. You were young and so, so scared. How could you take care of a child when you couldn't even take care of yourself?

And what about Jeongguk? He didn't deserve this shit. He was young too. He deserved the world, not a punishment.

You considered your child as a punishment. Why didn't you just stick to dildo? Or a fucking vibrator?

There were so many options. Why did you have to trust that stupid condom? You knew it didn't work all the time.

Nothing worked according to your plan.

"You are going to marry Jeon Jeongguk." Your father's words screamed authority.

Everyone in your family was aware that once your father demanded something, it should be followed without any questions. He rarely spoke, but when he did, it was absolute.

"But—" despite knowing the end of this discussion, you still tried to reason out.

You were only able to utter one word before you felt another deafening slap from your mother.

Or was it your father?

You had no idea.

All you knew was that everyone was either physically hurting you or emotionally manipulating you.

"No buts! My decision is final! You are going to marry that Jeon boy!"

Ah, that Jeon boy.

Poor Jeon Jeongguk. He had no idea what was about to happen to him. God. He didn't even know that you were carrying his child.

"We won't allow you to live like a slut anymore," your auntie crossed her arms.

This was the thing about your family. Everyone had a say, even your relative could discipline you. According to them, elders should always be respected. You had to follow what they said because apparently, they knew better than you.

Maybe they did. But still, you didn't want to force Jeongguk to marry you.

Sure, you two had been dating for three years now, but that wasn't enough. What if the love he felt for you wasn't the kind of love that you and your kid needed?

Perhaps you should have thought of that before giving into lust. The tiny voice inside your head sneered at you.

You could only sob.

It seemed like crying was all you could do.

You cried when you found out that you were pregnant, you cried when your parents found out that you were pregnant, and you cried when Jeongguk found out that you were pregnant.

All of this was happening because you were pregnant.

Except one thing:

Jeongguk wanted to marry you not because you were pregnant but because he loved you.

"You don't have to force me.” Jeongguk gritted his teeth when your whole family barged in his house.

Of course the Jeons were surprised. They weren't close to your family even though you lived two houses away from one another.

Your family didn’t want to associate themselves with the Jeons. The latter didn't really believe in the Lord, or even if they did, they were still far from religious.

They raised Jeongguk to be a sinner.

Your family firmly believed that you only got pregnant because Jeongguk forced you.

It wasn't true. You both wanted it to happen. You were consenting adults. Besides, your boyfriend asked you thousands of times if you truly wanted to do it.

He didn't force you. He respected you.

"I will marry her." Jeongguk said with confidence. He was looking at your father as if he was ready to knock him down.

"Jeongguk," his mother called softly. She was crying. She was broken. She was ashamed. She was sorry.

"It's alright, mom." The look Jeongguk gave his mother was the opposite of the glare he threw at your father.

Jeongguk was a sweet boy. He loved his parents so much.

"Shall we talk about the wedding, then?" Your father raised a brow.

Everything happened fast after that. Your family and Jeongguk's parents arranged the matrimony that was about to happen.

The Jeons offered to pay for the wedding expenses. Your family agreed. They didn't really care about the details. They only demanded a church wedding. They also wanted to marry you off as soon as possible.

They said it would be a shame if your baby bump appeared before the white event.

Since the preparation was short, you didn't have a choice but to wear a simple dress. Your mother insisted that you add veil as an accessory.

It was a hypocritical move, really. Veils symbolized innocence and purity.

You were neither.

You were a sinner and guilt was consuming your whole being.

Guilt for disappointing your family.

Guilt for breaking your promise to the Lord.

And guilt for taking something away from Jeongguk.

You took his freedom away.

The small apartment where you two now lived was not enough to showcase what he got. This abode was small, suffocating and confining his talents.

It was also too small to cater your unending tears.

You felt like you were drowning.

"Babe..." Your husband whispered, yet his voice still startled you.

You didn't answer—didn't have the energy to do so. You were drowning, remember? It didn't help that you feel suffocated too. The stupid dress you were wearing was too tight.

"You okay?" Jeongguk enquired, sighing.

He was worried about you. The two of you got married today. It was supposed to be one of the happiest days for brides, but why weren't you happy?

Why did you look...dejected?

"Yeah," you tried to offer him a smile. "I just feel hot."

You weren't lying. You didn't like the ambiance of your house. It felt like a vacation place, like you were a stranger, like you didn't belong.

It was because your mother and sisters were the ones who decorated this place.

"You think you can join me outside?" Your husband rubbed circled on your palm. "Let's have some fresh air?"

You nodded in a heartbeat.

You were tired, but you didn't want to be stuck in this room. You wanted...out.

"Okay.” Jeongguk helped you get on your feet. He was acting as though you were an expensive figurine ever since he learned that you were pregnant.

Your husband led you to the small garden of your home. You didn't know that your family decided to buy a place like this.

You were grateful though. The inside of your home was suffocating, but the garden appeared...magical.

"Jeongguk," your eyes widened in shock. "W-What's all this?"

Your hand was shaking as your eyes scanned the garden. There were fairy lights wrapped around the trees. The place was also decorated with different ornaments and pretty flowers.

Your favorite flowers.

"Do you like it?" Your husband was grinning at you. His eyes were shining brighter than the lights.

"Of course," you cupped his cheeks. "This is sweet, Kookie. Thank you.”

"Anything for you," he brought your hands closer to his mouth, kissing it.

"You deserve everything, baby." And with that, Jeongguk dropped on one knee.

"W-What are you doing!?" You panicked, eyes dilating once again.

"I know everything happened so fast." He started, licking his bottom lip. "We didn't have time to process everything. Our family decided what they think is good for us and trust me, I appreciate it."

You knew he was implying that he wanted this to happen.

"But I want to do something that I want.”  He fished a small box out of the pocket of his slacks.

You gasped.

"They told me to marry you." He opened the velvet box.

There was a ring.

"But they didn't give me the chance to do this," he raised the ring in the air.

"Baby," Jeongguk called, looking at your face with so much fondness. "You deserve a better proposal."

You were sobbing.

"You deserve a man dropping down on one knee. A man who will show you that he is serious about this marriage.”

He took your left hand.

"And I want to be that man. I want to be the man you deserved and not the boy your father coerced,"

You laughed, heart hammering through your chest. Jeongguk was so beautiful.

"I love you..." He confessed as he called your name. "Will you marry me?"

The yes that came out of your mouth was instant. You didn't hesitate. You didn't feel guilty. You just felt....happy.

Jeongguk put the ring on your finger. He kissed your stomach before standing up to crash his lips against yours.

Jeongguk no longer tasted like regret.

He tasted like forever.

Forever...

You swore you would stay with him forever. You felt silly for doubting him.

Jeongguk was a good man.

Your house no longer felt suffocating. It was loaded with love and laughter and it made your heart swell with joy.

Your family didn't bother your life anymore. You were on your own. They stopped supporting you. They said you made a choice—a choice to be a mother.

A mother was a provider, a natural giver.

You provided for your new family. You worked harder. You had two jobs: a waitress and elementary tutor.

Jeongguk continued studying. He was a student in the morning and a delivery boy at night.

You two worked in the same restaurant. Jeongguk tried to cover your shift as much as possible. He was basically doing your job.

He was scared. What if you overworked yourself? He didn't want you to work but you said you had to.

Raising a baby was expensive.

But you did it.

Haneul was turning one year old this month. He was a bright kid and he looked exactly like his father. They had the same brown eyes, so innocent and wide.

You knew you would do anything for your baby—well—except for one.

You wouldn't buy this stuffed toy for him. It's not like you didn't want to. It was more like you couldn't.

You couldn't afford it.

You couldn't, but Jeongguk could.

"Let's buy it...” He repeated. "I have money. I worked overtime last night.”

Your husband was still a delivery boy. You, on the other hand, quit your job so that you could look after your baby.

"Are you sure? This is expensive, Kook." You bit your lower lip.

Jeongguk smiled at you.

"But Haneul will like it.”

His reason was enough for you to just give in.

Of course.

Anything for your little Jeon. You would die for your son.

"Haneul, we're home!" You cooed loudly.

You were excited to see your baby. Jeongguk told you to give Haneul the stuffed toy while he go and express his gratitude to your neighbor for looking after baby Haneul.

Little did you know, Jeongguk was lying.

There was no neighbor to talk to.

It was only an excuse so that he could stare at you through the window as you rocked the empty crib in your room.

You were singing.

"You are the sunlight that rose again in my life..." Your voice was sweet that Jeongguk couldn't help but cry a little.

For you, Haneul was light. He shed light when you felt like giving up.

"You are the cause of my euphoria," your child was also the cause of your happiness.

Without him, you would be lost.

Jeongguk knew it.

Haneul.

This was the name you chose for your kid. It meant heaven.

For you, Haneul was God sent.

But Jeongguk was wondering.

If Haneul was God sent, then why did the Lord take him immediately?

Why did your Lord take him away from you and Jeongguk?

"Close the door now..." You continued to sing.

Jeongguk's heart clenched.

He watched you every day, so he already knew the next line of the song.

He sang with you.

"When I'm with you I'm in utopia..."

Utopia was a special place. A fantasy world. A world where everything was possible.

In Utopia, Haneul was still alive.

Jeongguk wasn't crazy.

He knew you needed help.

You were in denial. Too caught up in fantasy that you refused to believe that your son was already dead the moment he was born.

Haneul died in your womb.

He tried telling you, but you didn't want to acknowledge it.

You became hysterical when the words dead and Haneul were mentioned in the same sentence.

Jeongguk avoided using those words. It had been months now, almost a year actually.

He wondered if he could still continue pretending.

Looking at you hurt.

He guessed it was time to let go.

Not now, but soon.

For today, he just wanted to believe that utopia was real.

It should be fine, right?

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