#so whatever this exists without context now i guess. haha

[auriidae]

this is from two? three? months ago fksjhf i spent like weeks and weeks working on it and then got rly scared of posting it so it's been sitting in my drafts ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

shinyduo au where gem n pearl are characters in a legend forced to play out the same story over n over again and to always forget the times before. until the cycle breaks & they have to work together to escape <3 (loosely inspired by wolfwalkers and set to the vibes of aeseaes's megalomaniac)

edit: you guys?? thank you so much for the support on this :’0 i’ve been hopefully trying to continue the story as a fic so stay tuned for updates on that,,

[conclaveconfessions]

As a general I like this fandom a lot. I have my dislikes. I do agree sometimes they make Vincent too holy or too quick to drop his vows, but I'm also deeply sympathetic because well... the person that writes, oh let's say, 2.5k puppy play is indeed not looking for a very deep exploration of these characters.... And That's ok!

What I did when I was puzzled by this (the desire to read erotic content but without the rush) was sort by word count, and it really helped! There are gorgeous agonizing pining long fics in this fandom. Not that many gosh I Need More but there are. Everyone give them a try. I also do see a lot of effort to make the stories grounded, even if they might get a bit ooc, which other fandoms tend to not do... Or do way less, I mean.

I can't cope with Lawrenitez mpreg though. Firstly I don't think Vincent is able to get pregnant and even if he could, like. My mind is only screaming: They're post menopausic queens!!! No one is getting pregnant!!! Stop!! (Do whatever you want haha it's ok) I do however cackle and enjoy when I see "Vincent getting knocked up by the holy spirit" now THAT'S literature (lol). I guess the difference is that if it's by God magic, it's a full on miracle, if it's by a "natural" way it's really weird (to me). Just on account of their ages. I think it's not THAT popular of a trope here, I think most people like the fact they're old men but still-

The reason I mention it it's because I know I'm really a hypocrite. I was complaining about omegaverse with a friend. I do think making Vincent an omega sort of goes again the " uncertainty" that gives him his condition in canon (maybe make him both Alpha and Omega? A complete unknown fourth sex? Uterus and knot? I'm just brainstorming), it flattens the canon stuff. To me, omegaverse is a setting that enhances fictional sex differences because it's hot, but in this context, where the point is that those sex difference irl are maybe not as important as we think, I find it against the characters, and as such, not as hot (I liked one where Lawrence was a beta tho haha)

The reason why I'm a hypocrite though, is that I do sort of love it with Bellesco haha. There, the idea of the sex difference being embarrassing for him is super hot (oh, I'm bottom!Tedesco, Omega!Tedesco one hundred percent). So in that context, I like it. WE know there's nothing shameful in being a bottom or being the "lesser" sex but he doesn't. And that's hot.

Another reason why I'm a hypocrite is that I do love these old queens suddenly feeling all horny. Like, the idea of Lawrence, post prostate cancer already in his autumn years suddenly being absolutely gob smacked horny for Vincent and soo guilty about it that it cures his impotence... I like it. Ditto with Tedesco finally crashing down and admitting he's queer, haha. I have no issues with old men holding erections all night, unrealistic as it could be. I do respect the erectile dysfunction soldiers 🫡

At the end of the day, your tastes are very personal. It's ok if you don't like something that's going on in the fandom. It's normal! And it should encourage you to write your own stuff, or to shower with praise the people that are doing what you like, so they do more :^) and you can also talk about your dislikes as long as you are respectful.

I think speaking about your dislikes is equally important though, since it might let you to people that also dislike the same things you do and you can share "correct takes" with each other. This is a bit arrogant, to say it that way, but let's face it, that's how it feels. And it's no crime either. Saying: ok whatever but THIS is better/hotter, I'll write it- it's like. Half of why fandom exists. Have fun :^)

I don't think I'll write anything myself anytime soon because I'm well fed by the current works, but who knows. My rudimentary English doesn't hold a candle to the poets of this fandom tho <\3

~

[psicheanima]

Your ocs are very cool! What kinda worldbuilding is in their story also are there anymore drawings or writings you can share with us ?

Wow, haha you caught me at a good time. I just posted some information about them. The world building is really complicated, but I’ll try to wrangle key aspects. The biggest continent by far and the place the story mainly takes place on is a place called “Centrali” loosely inspired by Italy. Other continents surrounding it are each inspired by a different country or specific culture. There’s a lot of biblical references. Characters names’ depend on both the continent and village they’re from.

Think of it like a medieval fantasy where the only magic is an equivalent exchange that can only be used by witches— who dislike humanity (the ones who don’t are disliked by most witches, it’s a tight culture). Humans can make wishes to witches, but it always backfires. Most everyone knows this, the only people who makes wishes are incredibly desperate, and witches take joy in their cosmic irony.

Example: I wish I could breath underwater!

Wish granted: You are turned into a disgusting fish.

People hurt by a witchs’ “wish”, whether the wisher or someone the wish affected— are called “wishbound”. Wishbound are usually located in Centrali, because that has the highest concentration of witches, and most every other continent bans witches due to fear of them and an increasing interest in science.

Speaking of, what witches are most known for is living dolls. Back when, they would use their equivalent exchange to kill, say, a furry animal, and transplant that life force into a constructed body, and that body would then be their friend, or lover, helper, what have you. Humans really liked this and commissioned a bunch of living dolls. Most were porcelain, for high class families as live-in maids.

Eventually, witches who had mostly lived in humanity (as witches are born from flowers, they have no parents and are raised by whatever living thing is closest, human or animal) and were separated from their culture and the sanctity of life— mass produced these without care, giving them shoddy bodies and shipping them off for factory labor until they broke. Living dolls each have personalities like real people, as they have souls. A witch can create a living doll without the ability to speak. This is how prosthetics work. The ability to move and think, but not speak, so eventually the doll part will sync with the human they’re attached to.

It’s illegal to create living dolls now, but plenty of underground operations exist. Living dolls are looked down upon, and having equal rights in name only, they mostly live in villages composed only of their own species.

I hope that explains…. A lot? Haha. It’s a lot of exposition, and I guess it doesn’t really matter, but these are things that get casually mentioned a lot… I have a lot of writings, but they’re out of context and strange, and I always feel weird about just posting my writing, so I want to at least refine parts into comics. Thank you for taking such an interest. It makes me really, really happy, because I didn’t share these OCs with the public before. In fact, this is the first time I’ve explained my world’s magic system. But I want to talk about what I love, and this is what I love the most.

[a-flower-who-fell]

inhales

HAI!!!

My name is flower without the capital F

I used to be a singer who lived on the internet with my friendos but uh

I dontknow what teh fuck happened but I guess I am HERE NOW!! Haha

(Everyone is doing these intros but I don’t know hwo to do them save me)

HERE’S A PICTURE OF MEEE!!

I am very tall (not) sorry

Okay bye bye I hope you have the AWESOMEST day wherever you are bye

hi! so that people are aware of the context, this is vflower plucked straight from talkloids (meaning she lived with the meme squad and probably under meiko (queen) before falling into the pokémon world)

she only existed as a singing program on the internet before space time fuckery happened and she fell into the pokémon world and gained a physical body- in the form of an android! basically she’s a robot now :D

(i am aware that there is already a vflower blog similar to mine but this is a faller pokeunreality blog plus i can do whatever i want forever)

i change hyperfixations very very fast so let’s see how long this will last shall we! yay

forgive me

[a-student-out-of-time]

really love the work you put behind your switch theory, now that i’ve actually read through it! i still have a few opinions about j though, especially since in my theory i personally believe her to be the culprit. (btw, i’m pretty sure arei’s implied to be japanese based on the fact that the dev has a japanese name in kanji for her (based on their qna), plus the fact that her sister’s names (natsuko/fuyuko) could basically only be japanese, but whatever works works i guess)

i think the whole ordeal about the “arturo saying he wished he had a brother” also doesn’t make sense in my opinion—and the way you explain that makes sense. however, i’m just going to say there is one other way other than arei dressing up as j and knowing about it that would make sense of this part—what if j overheard the conversation between arturo, arei, and eden? in that case, j would know the context of the secret, all she needs to do is to somehow reveal it without sounding too suspicious. though i do understand the motivations behind your theory and still think they make sense under that context, just wanted to share that with you haha

//Thank you for your support! And of course, I'm always open to alternative explanations, so thank you for sharing ^^

//To be clear on the naming aspect, I'm not saying Arei and her family have no Japanese ancestry. After all, Brazil has the largest population of ethnic Japanese outside of Japan, and there are also huge populations of them elsewhere. Plus, living in another country doesn't mean they wouldn't still be speaking their language or using kanji.

//The whole scene with Hu in the Relaxation Room explaining how she used to use an English name is a good example of this. Her name is Chinese, but it confused a lot of English-speakers, so she went by Julia for a while before deciding she wanted to go by her given name instead. She didn't want to give it up just because other people didn't understand.

//Personally, I think that aspect isn't as important as I made it out to be, but I've had a lot of asks that claimed it was impossible for them to look like each other because of their different ethnicities. I was just explaining how it could still be the case, and the research into it led to me learning that the name "Nageishi" is much more common in Brazil and Kazakhstan than Japan.

//It certainly isn't unusual, as there are English names, first and last, that have almost or completely disappeared in the UK but still exist in places like the United States.

//So, bottom line there, you can kinda take or leave the naming aspects if you want, I just thought it was worth discussing.

//As for J, yeah, that's a fair point to suggest, like maybe she could've stumbled by and heard the common, only to overhear that whole secret thing. I just don't really like making assumptions or stretching character motivations to fit a theory, and it does rely on J being close enough for it to happen.

//We don't know where she or a lot of other people were, so it's really hard to say anything definitive about it. I just find the idea that J would want to be anywhere near Arturo after day one to be a bit unlikely : P

//Still, you present a valid scenario and it would explain why she said something like that and then claimed Arturo told her, which he likely never would on his own.

//Thank you for sharing ^^

[olderthannetfic]

Hi! Anon here who asked you to clarify what the post meant: thank you so much! I really appreciate it. English isn't my first/native language so when I was reading the post I was just like "okay.. i know what all these words mean on their own :S but what is the point of the post". So once I read your explanation, it clicked.

And if I think about it, ultimately, I think I was getting confused because even though I was getting it somewhat (when reading the original op), I was already thinking with your 2 points in mind you listed that are missing and I was mostly just "what is this person on about? why can't we just exist and enjoy our porn in peace knowing it's porn and fantasy and stuff." Things along those lines.

"Plenty of actual fic content is regressive twaddle. That’s not the thing that’s special about fic at all! Many of the early acafans who waxed lyrical about how slash fandom was feminism or whatever literally just meant that women writing badwrong horny art and not apologizing was a big deal."

Yes, I agree. To me, fandom, fic and such things were always a place where I could go and be myself. Like I never felt bad about my fandom and fic stuff (or my kink stuff in general) personally but I knew that internet wise and IRL wise my experience of existence as a human being (I'm a cis female) was just different. On the internet, in fandoms especially, people just treated me like a person and I was listened to. And we could talk, exchange ideas/tropes and overall connect. In real life however, I would either be met with "you're being weird" or "hurdur it's always the quiet ones ;) ;) ;)" depending on the context, and with the first I can be like "ah whatever" but with the second one I gag every time. Let me just exist and vibe goddammit!

"But I will grant that I’ve seen plenty of idiots claiming fic is more woke than other types of iddy writing or calling fandom progressive or feminist or subversive without making it clear why they think it qualifies, and this post is a reasonable critique of those claims."

And I agree with this too. I've seen plenty of folks saying how sometimes fic is better than published novels for example, and while sure... someone could write a fic that reads better than some published novels... I recognize the fact that there's gonna be shitty (or whatever) writing both in fic and novels and it's nothing special. Shitty writing is shitty writing and good writing is good writing, whether it's in fic or novels.

Anyway, when it comes to the last part.. I'm aware of breeding kink haha, but like I already said. I think it went over my head because again, like you- I'm of the opinion that it's not transphobic because I assumed/knew that that specific type of fic was written by horny trans people who want that sort of content. I remember reading the quote and thinking "...but who else would be writing this? where are you going with this?"

I think my overall confusion is because I feel like I'm reading a comparison between two different things as if they're the same thing? Like in my mind, meta analysis and introspection all that is one thing and then porn you get off to is a different thing. BUT I guess I GET IT NOW (at least I hope I do, I'm so sorry if I sound like a moron), if they think those fics were written by people who aren't horny trans folks aka cis people who would be then stereotyping.

I'm so sorry this ended up being so long. But I wanted to thank you again so much!! I really appreciate it. You're amazing. <3

--

Thanks, anon!

I don't know that poster, so they could mean plenty of things, but my guess about the meta vs. fic comparison is that they're thinking: "Man, people keep talking about fic like it can fix representation problems, only when I actually go to look for fic, all I find is porn I hate."

[mollydollyjournals]

Well look at me having major revelations about my interpersonal relationships and what's fucking me up.

I was thinking last night that maybe I should look at my other old cbt things. Like I dont entirely hate every single aspect of myself, and maybe if I try to look at the things I do like, or at least tolerate, maybe I wont feel so bad. Maybe if I look at the stuff I'm good at or the parts of my body that I'm glad for or whatever. Maybe if I try to tell myself nice things somehow.

Today that morphed into a realisation that I guess is pretty simple and I've kinda been thinking the whole time, but now more clearly solidified. That I dont get told those nice things by other people anymore. Over the past few years of feeling particularly shit, I've always felt I need validation and affection, and I've never been sure if i need a normal amount or if I'm just needy and unrealistic.

I've known I'm touch starved because that eventually becomes a physical feeling for me. Like I have no shape and I'm just growing bigger and bigger and I cant feel the edges of myself, and I need someone to hold me in place and remind me I'm real. All I feel is my fat and i take up the entire room. I have no context for my own size. It fucks up my comfort levels and it fucks with my self image re body dysmorphia.

I think I didnt realise exactly how much I need to just have nice things said to me. Maybe being on here and seeing people reblog stuff about it made me realise. That and something bf said not long ago. He said he was getting a little insecure and I said he could always ask for reassurance if he felt he needed extra, and he basically said that's nice but not helpful as his love language is very much physical touch.

That made something click about what's probably the main reason I get nervous before I go to see him but then I feel fine once I've been there a while. Because the words are missing. I've kind of even thought this before but not even realised I was thinking it, when I was running late and he basically said it's okay take your time, and I thought actually hearing that makes me feel a little better. But it didnt occur to me that maybe actually I need nice words regularly and if I had that I might not feel like that in the first place???

I think I didnt notice it as much before because hb talks a lot. Usually at least. To the point that it gets too much sometimes. So he uses to be where I got my nice words. It works because he can often talk to people on my behalf, and fill in when I'm not feeling talkative. So him backing off was kind of refreshing at first, but it's been so long now and the only times he talks to me it's more like talking at me. He just dumps everything he's thinking and feeling about his own stuff on me and if I can manage to start to say something myself I get something like 'haha yeah life sucks, good luck with that,' and no actual support.

Hb used to be affectionate and say nice things, bf was nice to cuddle up to quietly. Then the pandemic and various other things. I keep feeling unsupported and resentful and not really knowing what to do about it. I got more upset again the other day when I said on my regular social media that I feel shit and need support and got absolute minimal interaction from bf, but two friends messaged me nice things. Even though I know they're dealing with their own stuff.

So I dont really know what to do. Obviously I need to talk to them about it. But 1) I dont think anything will change, and 2) should it even all be on them? What are the odds of having someone who expresses, communicates and understands love and support in exactly the same ways you do? And also meets every other need? It's why I ended up non monogamous. Not just for me - hb really does (or did) talk a lot and it was nice for him to get to go out and talk to other girls when I wanted time to myself. He got to go peacock around and have fun and I'd have an empty house to play music and do what I want, and we could hang out later. So that's without even going into what I got out of having my own freedom.

But that was a couple of years ago. Everything is different now. Now it's so difficult to get the smallest bit of interaction. I dont work and havent for a few years, so I dont even have those interactions. Pandemic fucked it up even more. Now I have one partner who used to talk a lot but doesnt anymore, and one who only did a little to start with because it's not his thing so how can I expect him to suddenly change? I cant.

Should I be looking for something almost queerplatonic? Is there something in the fact that it's always the same couple of friends that end up reaching out eventually? Should I be asking them if they can be my verbal support? Is that just a regular friendship anyway? All my friends are nice but it's not like they shower me with compliments and affection every day.

I mean it's not even that much that I need, just like...some nice things. I dont know. To be able to say if I feel insecure and hear that at least someone doesnt hate me like I hate myself. Be told someone's glad I exist. Or they like to look at me or hear what I have to say or spend time with me. Or they're proud of me. Or they miss me. I so rarely hear those things I struggle to believe it if I ever do because if I dont have it the rest of the time why should it be true now? And now because I've been without it for so long I've become such a pathetic mess I dont know how to fix it. I've long run out of internal reserves but nobody wants to fix a mess like me and nobody should have to.

[black-wolf066]

chap 5 is lolz. the fact that Ben and Vanya are the quiet masterminds behind some of the pranks is perfect, and Klaus being the only to put the pieces together is great too! can i say that i love how you don't dumb his character down either in your story? He's a bit different then canon, sure, but i think your au makes those changes believable. Got any other prank stories that didn't make it into the chapter? Also "toothpaste creme puffs" ?????? context please!!111

Yay! I'm glad you liked it! It was by far my favorite chapter to date. Possibly my favorite piece to write period.

As we see in the show, all of the siblings are a-holes, which includes Ben despite him not being as prominent on the screen as the rest of them. But we see enough of Ben’s personality, and we can see the way he can be soft but extremely cruel in the show (just like all of them). He’s got his own traumas as well as dying too young to boot. i can understand why they all are the way they are. Plus they wouldn’t be the Hargreeves without these dysfunctional faults. 

With this in mind, I've always head canoned that he was the quiet but deadly one in the family. The one no one ever suspected to pull off the pranks. Sure Klaus helped and Klaus did his own pranks (hence the toothpaste creme puff fiasco) but mostly it was Ben (with an equally quiet and unsuspecting Vanya adding her own chaos into the mix on occasion).

Also, you have no idea how happy you have just made me by sending me this. After seeing some of the fanon posts circling around (which I agree with to a point, since people can write whatever they want since there is always gonna be a crowd that will read it), I've been second guessing myself. I know I'm not innocent, that i’m probably guilty of it to some degree, especially when you toe the line of AUs and throwing characters into totally different situations than what they actually went through in canon. It's a fine line that can go either way and I wanted to show the character growth due to these changes but still trying to keep to the characters that we know and love. The fact that there are people who think Klaus is stupid, baffles me. I guess it's the drug addict stigma that makes people believe that, but I know Klaus is not stupid. 

In my mind, he's flippant, he's unpredictable, he can be as soft and as cruel as Ben can be--as all of them are capable of being. Klaus deflects and hides behind a sharp tongue, he uses humor, and if he “acts stupid” then there’s a 90% chance that he’s doing just that; he’s acting and deflecting to prevent people from digging deeper into the actual problem. He’s survived on the streets by himself. Sure Ben is there, but what can Ben really do to help? Nothing. He’s a witness that can’t help when Klaus gets himself into a scuffle or any other kind of trouble. He can offer advice, but other then that, he’s useless. Klaus is witty and thinks pretty quickly on his feet (the meritech facility is proof of that fact), he’s also pretty observant when he puts his mind to it (or when he’s not fogged up by drugs and even then he’s observant to a degree). He’s a complex character, and i love him dearly. I love all of them, i’m even starting to like Luther more now that i’ve been writing him and trying to put myself in his shoes (i’ve never hated him, but in the beginning he wasn’t my favorite. Now i don’t mind him haha). 

So, yeah, in my AU they are different then they are in canon. But i can tell you that it isn’t always sunshine and rainbows with the four of them. I show hints to it, that old habits die hard and tensions rise in the apartment, but for the most part the four of them are different. Klaus gets clean 6 years earlier then canon. Klaus has not only Ben, but Five nagging him also. And Five also knows where to hit where it hurts, he even hits the points where Ben, as cruel as he can be, wouldn’t even touch. In the 6 years that follows, the Four of them (once Vanya joins their ghostly group) go through their own character growth and with tensions not as high (other than the pressure of trying to stop the apocalypse) they actually learn to co-exist and get along like a family should. They aren’t perfect; they fight, they insult each other, they basically act like siblings (cause honestly, that’s how we are in my family, so i can relate), but i don’t show all of these points (just hint at it... i feel i’ve put enough angst into the piece that i didn’t really want to add more, ya know). 

I thank you Anon, for making me feel better though, to tell me that i’m actually doing a good enough job that these characters are still enjoyable for you to read, haha. I’m not perfect. I will make mistakes, but to know i’m doing something right is a sigh of relief XD.  Sorry for the rambling haha, but i’m trying to get through all the points of this ask without skipping over anything. As far as pranks, i’ve got plenty!! Ben tried to replace the toothpaste with Polygrip once without telling anyone (not even Klaus). I head canon that Ben or Five are usually the ones who always make it into the bathroom first--something that pisses Allison and everyone else off--so Ben had the plan to brush his teeth and than replace the tube. It backfired only because Klaus was observant enough to know something was up and replaced the toothpaste with the polygrip he found in Ben’s possession first. 

Allison was the one to start a prank war that lasted for two weeks before Reginald finally caught wind of it and put a stop to it all. it involved a lot of petty things, like things going missing or getting moved. tripping each other in the halls, doing the hand in a bowl of water prank, and the shaving cream or toothpaste on your fingers prank. It’s the last prank that caused the war to be ended. Diego had rubbed the toothpaste in his eyes and that had been the end of that.  

the super glue incident that Vanya did, was super gluing everyone’s knick-knacks/pens/notebooks to the surfaces they were on. Also not mentioned she replaced the mouthwash with straight up vinegar.  Diego and Klaus are the only one’s who fell for it, both too tired to realize the smell was coming from the bottle before it was too late.  LMAO the creme puff incident XD there really isn’t any context i can add that i haven’t already written. I head canon that the kids weren’t really given sweets save for the cookies that Grace made them. so when he saw the creme puffs he figured they were for Reginald and Reginald only. This is around the time when Klaus really started to rebel (maybe a few months before Five disappeared), and i figured Klaus was trying to get back at the man for locking him up--so he replaces the creme with mint toothpaste XD How was he supposed to know that EVERYONE was going to be eating them. That was the best acting performance Klaus ever had to pull because up until he revealed he was the one to do it in that chapter, NO ONE knew who had done it for years afterward (they all got in trouble for it, even Luther).  Thank you for the ask!! I’m truly glad you liked the chapter, and i’m glad you’re liking the story so far!! Hope my rambling wasn’t too bad XD.

[fictional-worlds-are-exquisite]

i am very much enjoying my vague void! it's currently blasting hozier at full volume and that's almost louder than my internal screaming (don't worry, everything is fine, i just saw a spider)

i've never once in my life have followed a recipe correctly. all of my measurements are completely random and whatever happens happens. it is no longer in my hands. whatever eldritch entities exist take the wheel. and i absolutely refuse to spell anything in english without autocorrect because y'all have way too many double letters and random vowel placement

thank you! sadly, i won't have a break right now, because we just had christmas vacations, but the start of the new semester is always pretty chill. and you're absolutely right, i should take up necromancy! the snow and the cold will add to my mysterious vibes. i just need to get a big black cape with a hood to complete the aesthetic

i definitely picture everything above 5'6 feet as the same height. 5'7 and 6'2? the exact same thing. no difference here

how is morepork a real bird name. it's just... more pork? but the bird is magnificent. i completely approve of your first order as bird queen, not that you need approval from mere peasants like me, but it's a great order. ohhh salps look really cool, and it does look a lot like it! when you said boob implant i thought of mermaids and them using salps as boob implants but then i realised wait wouldn't jellyfish be better for that? because of their shape? ignoring their little leggies they're quite boob shaped, no? and then i realised that i was thinking about mermaids and alive boob implants... if i had to think it, you have to read it. i'm sorry

i was sold before but now i'm even more sure that i want to hire you. and I'll make sure to have lactose free cheese for the backflips (unless you want the lactose version? i'm not judging). will the biting of ankles cost extra?

that sounds like a brilliant set-up for a horror movie where they kill off all the children one by one. it's absolutely horrifying. if something like that would've happened to me i would've most likely just passed out. whatever happens afterwards is not my problem. and now i really don't want to know what the hell your leg was caught on because that seems like knowledge that would get me killed

ah so you're a fellow dirt eater? according to my mom my favourite thing to do outside when i was a little kid used to be eating sand. just shovelling handfuls of it into my mouth and crying when my mom made me spit it out. which i refuse to believe. if there are no photos it didn't happen

you warm climate people are starting to make me think that i'm better adjusted to the cold than i thought i am! it's either that or our buildings are better heated. i definitely don't know if anyone else calls hot water bottled hotties but i like it so from now on i'm using it

that's so cute! i was clearly a way more selfish child because when i found any amount of money i just kept it and bought candy as soon as i could. i clearly couldn't save money then and i can't now. we have stores like that (or i'm assuming that they're like that solely based on how they sell lollies) and they used to be my favourite thing because you could get so many lollies for such a small price!! and my mom even used to let me order for myself sometimes so i always felt like a very big girl jsjshsbsjk

also the fact that i can't send pictures on anon is a crime (yes i know why and it's good that that's not possible because can you imagine anons being able to send pictures? oh no is all i have to say about it) but anyways. because i have this one super cursed photo that reminded me of you and now i can't share it :((

duuuuude, sick void bro. sounds like a vibing void. I feel like I haven’t seen a spider in awhile. Other than daddy long legs. But they’re chill. They mind their own business. 

I nearly always follow recipes exactly. My mum is like oh cook this for about 7 minutes? Yeah sure. I’ll take a wild guess. I’m like they say exactly 7 minutes so I’ll set a timer for 7 minutes and start a stopwatch so if it does seem to need more than 7 I can keep an eye on the extra time and be aware of exactly how long it takes me for next time. Other people are like oh let's see I have [lists 5-10 things in their fridge], hmm...oh I know what I could make with that! I’m like I have beans in my freezer because one recipe required them and no other recipes I know how to make do so what am I supposed to do with these now,,, this is stressful,,, basically I barely know how to cook and recipes are the only things saving me in that area. That is entirely fair. Except for the fuck duck, and murder is not the word you want surely, situations, it’s pretty helpful.

Ohhh I see. At least the start is chill! For a little! Before your entire situation spirals out of hand and you’re behind in every class and it’s taken you a whole day to read 10 pages and you’re exhausted and it’s only week 2. Just me? ok. fair. anyway. I want a cloak so bad. One of my uni friends tempted me to class because she said she was wearing a cloak so my depressed ass honest to god dragged myself out of bed and to said class just to see it. It was worth it. They’re incredible. Everyone should own a big cloak for the aesthetic.

I’m glad it isn’t just me hahaha. I can visualise my own height in feet but everything else is just the same size that is a vague amount taller than me, mentally.

It’s also known as the ruru. But the name morepork amuses me. It’s named after the call it makes haha. It does sound like it’s asking for more pork if you know to listen for that. thank u for ur approval, it means a lot, turns out becoming bird queen didn’t ACTUALLY get rid of my anxiety disorder weirdly enough so validation is great! lmaooo. What if the jellyfish stung them tho? At least salps wouldn’t do you dirty like that. The mermaids would just look like there are hundreds of bugs crawling around in their boobs, flesh shifting as they float around. Which is a vibe. If you’re into that. Jellyfish WOULD make a more solid, single, implant, some of them are definitely boob shaped. But that’s kinda boring no one’s gonna be traumatised by that. Salps on the other hand...yeah, that sight will DEFINITELY traumatise someone.

To be PERFECTLY honest I haven’t done a backflip in years but for lactose-free cheese? Dude. I’ll be going back to training. Gonna be the best backflip you’ve ever seen. As long as it’s not Tasty cheese I am content, but lactose free IS better. The biting of ankles will not cost extra, it is a pleasure to be allowed to do that.

Oh it absolutely would be. It’d be very funny if it reached the wider world bc people would probably be like ok but who would send kids into the bush like that,, it’s an odd concept. meanwhile everyone who grew up in nz is gonna be like y’all, you’re not gonna fuckin BELIEVE what i experienced growing up, it’s real dude. On one hand, I feel like murdering kids in a movie is questionable, on the other hand, It exists, so maybe people would be down for it. I feel like it’d be a good concept even if it wasn’t murdery tho. Like psychological horror? I’m not sure if I’m using that category correctly I don’t watch much horror. A kid following the rope but then being shifted into a different horror dimension but they never take the blindfold off because their teachers said not to and they’d probably have to let go of the rope to do it...I feel like this could work super well as a short film. The viewers see everything. The child just knows something is off and no one is coming when they call for help. I am so down for this. I also do not want to know what my leg was caught on. Some things I am better off not knowing.

yes! I am a fellow dirt eater! We had a sandpit at home (that’s a little bold. It was a large plastic shell that my parents filled with sand. technically a sandpit. but not fancy sdflsdkfsdf) but I don’t think I ever tried to eat it. Then again, I possibly did and just don’t remember because there’s no photo evidence of that one. I’d have to ask my parents sdfhsjdfs, I would however fully believe them if they said yes. it’s very characteristic of me. I don’t doubt it for a second. muuuum that’s my emotional support sand don’t make me spit it out smh the disrespect these days.

Oh I’m absolutely terrible even by most people’s standards around here when it comes to cold and hot temperatures. I remember sitting in the sun in my school shirt and school jersey in summer on a blazing day like it’s a bit chilly, isn’t it? Meanwhile my friends were in the shade absolutely dying from the heat. Likewise in winter I’d be shivering, teeth chattering, dying with my long sleeve thermal, my school shirt, my school jersey, my school jacket, my longs, warm socks and sneakers and gloves and school scarf while ppl would be walking around in a shirt and shorts like it’s a bit warm this winter huh? my body didn’t learn how to thermoregulate and it shows. But yeah NZ does also have a reputation for shittily insulated buildings and such. It shows. skhdfsfs if it’s not common use maybe don’t say can i have a hotty to someone without context but otherwise go ahead lmao. it’s a fun shortened version.

I was typically a very good saver, to the point where my extended family started gifting me gift cards and vouchers for Christmas and my birthday because if they just gave me money I’d put it in my bank account to save towards uni once I hit like, 12 years old. Which I think was a smart move. But apparently, I’m supposed to buy myself ‘something nice’ with it. I think I’m still an okay saver but I’m not as strict anymore. I’m aware of how much I can spare and I’m not just like you can never get anything for yourself ever, so I do get lil things for myself sometimes. oooo yay! At least you know what I mean. But yes. They were the gold mine for lollies. Absolutely terrific stores. My mum would be like hey lindsey how about you order? And I’d be like mother, I am 7 years old and I have an undiagnosed anxiety disorder everyone assumes is child shyness why would you think I would want to do that. Instead I will whisper my choices to you. After therapy tho I felt pretty rad for picking my own lollies by myself. I was like 13 at that point but sdfkjhsdf listen I got there in the end.

sdfkjsdfkjhsdf I like that a cursed photo reminded you of me. That’s all I need to hear. Tumblr said no anon dick pics but they also said no anon cursed photos either,,, very sad. for the latter part. the first part thank god. If I could turn on photos on anon I absolutely would just to see this but I don’t think I can :(

[myriahkamm]

I live-blogged watching BvS and Justice League on FB earlier; here are my unedited thoughts. :P

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

I'm watching Batman V. Superman (because bad movie night I guess idk), and during the opening scene rehashing the Waynes' deaths (for what feels like the millionth time in cinematic history--seriously, y'all, we can be done with that for a while and definitely don't need a 5 minute slow-motion scene about it), when Thomas says Martha's name as they're dying, I burst out laughing because (i) I didn't remember that he said her name during this scene and (ii) is this supposed to be some kind of foreshadowing for the really dumb crux of the movie where Batman and Superman stop fighting because omg their moms have the same name? I literally can't stop laughing. This movie is such a joke. 🤣

Having the Robin costume in this film with absolutely no context is just stupidly pointless fanboy pandering. Anyone who actually gives a crap about Batman lore should realistically hate that.

Lex Luthor, one of the richest and most powerful men in the world, bitching about not having power is definitely on brand, but I am just super *not* a fan of the quirky, kind-of-nerdy-and-awkward Lex Luthor this film decided to go with. The hardcore businessman Lex Luthor from the 90s and 00s will always be the Lithor I like best. Y'know, the one based at least in part on Donald Trump. That one.

This Jesse Eisenberg version is way too much of a Mary Sue. Businessman *and* scientist *and* awkward nerd? Yeah, Jesse Eisenberg played Mark Zuckerberg, but I'm not sure Lex Luthor should be Mark Zuckerberg.

Ugh, I totally forgot about the Darkseid-foreshadowing dream that's never going to go anywhere because, let's be real, DC is never going to do a live-action film with Darkseid (and it would be awful even if they did). Also, Batman using guns in that dream is a thing I'll never be cool with. I don't care what kind of world he thinks he's living in in that dream; Batman has established principles and pretty much only goes against them in alternate universes.

Jesus, I forgot about the whole Flash-from-the-future scene, too. DC wrote a lot of checks we're never going to be able to cash in this film. Promising an Injustice-esque Superman-is-evil kind of storyline that they're never going to do anything with...why would they do that?

So in the dream, Darkseid-related stuff is going on (which, in Justice League, does sort of happen with Steppenwolf) and Superman says "she was everything to me, and you took her away from me." Then future-Flash says that "Lois is the key". Are they implying Batman has premonitions? Are they giving him a superpower? 🤣

Oh, that's right, they blew up the U.S. Capitol in this movie. 🤣 These scenes that are supposed to be really serious and filled with tension just keep making me laugh.

Why did they decide Batman needed to make a kryptonite spear? I mean, other than plot reasons so they could use it later against Doomsday. Batman uses projectiles and his fists; he rarely uses swords or spears or whatever.

Why did they decide Doomsday had to be created using a mixture of Kryptonian and Luthor's DNA? In the comics, Doomsday is an experimental clone based on ancient Kryptonian DNA. Why (in my opinion) make Doomsday so much more pathetic by adding human DNA into the mix? Freaking weird decision.

"Mm." What a weird quirk to add to Luthor's character. "Mm" every other sentence. What's that all about?

Luthor manipulating Batman into fighting Superman is...so unbelievable. Luthor manipulating Superman to hate Batman, waaaaay more believable. But no, that's not what they went with. They went with Luthor manipulating Batman for two years into wanting to fight Superman. Superman just randomly came to hate Batman on his own and only got manipulated into fighting him at the end. They could have just gone with hey, Batman's suspicious of everyone and would naturally be suspicious of a superpowered alien, especially with the whole setup they did at the beginning that coincided with stuff from Man of Steel. But nope. Nope, they went with the dumber plot.

Doesn't Luthor have way too much info about all these heroes' secret identities? Are we just pretending secret identities don't matter anymore? That's too 90s or something?

Why does the kryptonite spear make an "omg I'm a glowy thing" sound? 🤣

And now we're at the stupid Martha part that makes no sense because if you were about to die, you wouldn't say "save [mom's name]"; you would just say "save my mom!" 🤣

Batman would totally save Superman's mom even if their moms didn't have the same name. It's just such a stupid, stupid plot point and lends itself to endless mockery. 🤣

I *do* like this fight scene where Batman is making his way through the goons to get to Martha. The choreography is really good. Reminds me a lot of the Arkham video games.

Man, this Doomsday just...doesn't really work on a fundamental level. What makes comic Doomsday so powerful and terrifying is (i) it's not just a mindless monster, but is actually intelligent and can plan and strategize; (ii) iwas created through such extreme experimentation that it was repeatedly destroyed and then remade again over and over and over to give it endurance and formidably; (iii) and it's pretty much unstoppable from all that experimentation and uncontrollable because of its intelligence.

Also, what's with this explody thing Doomsday does in this film? A monster can be terrifying without being able to blow up a bunch of stuff. I'm not sure what the point of explody Doomsday is other than lazy writing.

The military hit it once and came to the conclusion that not only does it get more powerful "every time we hit it," but also that it's unkillable? Okay. More lazy writing.

And we're back to one of my biggest issues with Man of Steel: Superman just not giving a shit about collateral damage. Even if the island they're on is uninhabited, that doesn't exactly mean he should just be fine with blowing a bunch of shit up in the course of this fight. Sheesh.

How did Lois know they needed the spear again? She had no reason to go underwater to try to get it. This whole "let's make Lois useless time and again so Superman can save her" thing is really annoying.

Superman's "death" scene carries so little weight if you know (like pretty much everyone should have known, let's be real) that he's not really dead. Like, sure, for the characters it means something because they don't know he'll be back, but for the audience? At least for me, it doesn't make me feel a whole lot.

So all the soldiers at Superman's funeral--do they know they're carrying an empty casket? Just curious.

The dirt rising off the casket at the end for a split second is soooooo dumb. For anyone naive enough to think he *is* really dead, just let them think it. Just let that be a thing. Come on. (Also considering that he doesn’t just come back on his own; it takes a charge from a Mother Box in Justice League for him to come back. That makes this end scene a lie, too.)

Ok, BvS is done. Need another drink and a snack, then I'll move on to Justice League. 😅

Justice League:

Haha, obvious Superman facial CGI right off the bat, omg, I forgot how horribly obvious it is. 🤣

Also forgot that we're starting off with parademons right away. Sheesh.

Do all of Snyder's films have to have gratuitous slow-motion scenes at the beginning? Ugh, dude.

Everyone just throwing Bruce Wayne's name around in relation to Batman all the time. Secret identities are dead, y'all. No superhero can have a real life, I guess.

Ugh, I forgot this film pushes Batman/Wonder Woman pretty hard. 🙄

"It's cool if I show a bunch of Amazons with their midriffs showing as long as they have visible ab muscles, right?" Idk, Snyder, is that how armor realistically works? 🙄 Also, is it necessary for them to have lipstick on? That doesn't even exist on Themyscira, ffs.

The multiple (as I remember; only one so far) innuendo-based jokes really bring this film down, imo. "Clark said you were the thirstier woman he'd ever met." Really? Ugh. 🙄

The plot of this film is so LOTR. Amazons, Atlanteans, and Men all get Mother Boxes, sort of like the various rings of power. There's plenty you can pull from comics, y'all. You don't need to pull from other stuff.

Flash as comic relief I'm okay with. I'm not sure how I feel about *this* Flash's comic relief. I'm not a huge fan of the writing.

Break time because Je'von wants to go out on the balcony lol. 😅

And we're back. So can Steppenwolf breathe underwater? Is that a thing? 

I guess it's supposed to be super funny that everyone disappears except the fastest one of them? Sigh. The writing in this film is just so awful.

Cyborg's CGI also isn't great. I really wanted more for Cyborg because he's awesome. Sigh.

Snyder must have loved being able to do stuff with Flash. All the slo-mo he could want.

I'm not a fan of neurotic Flash, afraid of pretty much everything. He can be funny in so many better ways, but instead let's just have him be afraid of everything and make sexual jokes every now and then. 🙄

"Let's keep having Cyborg wear sweatpants and a hoodie so we don't have to spend so much on CGI. It totally won't look ridiculous." 🤣

Batman making the argument to use technology he doesn't understand to try to bring Superman back from the dead is just so out of character it's not even funny. First of all, Superman didn't need technology to come back in the comics (whether or not his "resurrection" was silly is irrelevant). Secondly, Batman literally has an enemy (Ra's al Ghul) who resurrects himself on the regular, and Batman (i) knows it's a bad idea because it messes with Ra's's sanity and (b) would never consider using the Lazarus Pit even though he has a relative understanding of how it works. This film just literally disregards established character traits in favor of it's stupid-as-hell plot. Ugh.

Superman is vulnerable to magic, idiot writers. He shouldn't be able to fight Wonder Woman's lasso. Uuughhh. Have any of the writers of this movie ever actually read any Justice League comics? 🤦‍♀️

Well, those cops definitely know Superman's name now. Since you all keep saying it in front of them.

Superman hasn't even been gone for that long (seemingly; I mean, it's hard to tell, but S.T.A.R. Labs is still doing research on the Kryptonian ship in the same genersl area as in BvS, so idk), so all this talk about what he does or doesn't remember seems...weird.

Why not wait until you defeat Steppenwolf to let your mom know you're back, Superman? For all you know, you could die again. Wouldn't that just be harder on her after seeing you back?

Why was the lasso just sitting on the Batmobile instead of with Wonder Woman? Plot so that Aquaman could say some *super funny things*. 🙄 That's not even how the lasso works, you dumb writers. Someone has to direct another bound by it to speak the truth. Seriously, do some research. Ugh. It's not that hard.

"So your plan is dying? You really are out of your mind." "I'm not the one who brought a pitchfork." See, the writers prove that they can be actually funny if they try. *If* they try.

The "everyone trying their best to hold off the big bad until Goku gets there" vibe is super strong in this movie. 😑

Part of the reason the Justice League is a thing is because no one hero can do it alone. That means it all shouldn't be riding on Superman's shoulders. If you actually know how to write the Justice League, that is.

Don't know how I feel about everyone getting perks due to nepotism now that they know Bruce Wayne...must be nice to be buddies with the richest man in the world. 😒

The Flash vs Superman race at the end is more pandering. Ugh. It would be better if Flash was less pathetic as a character in this film. Super awkward is just not very funny, y'all. Write actual jokes instead.

Okay, that's over. What a trip. Both those movies are still pretty much garbage. 🤣 The question is, will I ever watch Man of Steel again? Probably not; I hated Man of Steel more than both those movies, actually. Wrote a 3-page rant about how awful it was after seeing it in theaters originally. $3 was still way too much money to spend on that crap. 😅

Oh, side note for the after credits scene: will they ever actually go anywhere with that? They might do an okay job with a Justice League vs. Legion of Doom (or Injustice Society or whatever villain team incarnation they would decide to go with) film. That might not suck.

[theuntamedproject]

"If the face says nothing, listen to the heartbeat" - Lan WangJi, Mo Dao Zu Shi (Weeks 3+4)

https://zhtheuntamedprojec.wixsite.com/theuntamedproject 

... those who have read the novel know the real context of this line in the scene BUT taken out of context and used in a completely different (*cough* our) scenario..."If the face says nothing," translates to "Even if we seem calm on the outside,""listen to the heartbeat." translates to "we're so stressed to the point of ventricular fibrillation." (dunno if that's even a likely story but the overly exaggerated point still stands: we just handed our uni applications in and we're dreading admission tests and awaiting interviews...)

Quick overview

So aside from school work and university prep, TUP has taken up whatever spare moment either one of us has. However since Zara's Physics coursework began (good luck Zara!!) and both of us prepping for our respective admissions tests, we've decided instead of marching onwards with research on architecture and other food science related stuff, to settle on more relaxed Google seshes on MDZS (and totally not using this as an excuse to read the source text again) and beginning to design the buildings on CAD and paper.

So I'm going to introduce to you the barebones framework of what we plan to include in the design: characters, buildings and effects~ apologies in advance for not including the accents/tones in names (I cba tbh ;-; )

Characters

Because all these little dudes are just going to be cut out gingerbread men, we could include as many characters as possible (we did say we're making a universe are we not?). Those in italics are "maybe" characters depending on the dough remaining (or whether we like them to be part of the universe or not...) or how much gingerbread we're willing to eat ourselves (though huge shout out to everyone thats offered to eat our spare and broken gingerbread during materials testing - which I will get to a bit later :3)

Gusu Lan (the pretty sect)

Lan XiChen / Lan Huan (Sect Leader - simped so hard for his sworn brothers that both of them ended up dead)

Lan WangJi / Lan Zhan (repressed gay but we love him still)

Lan Yuan / Lan Sizhui (he's part of the Lan sect now goddamnit)

Lan JingYi (the most unLan Lan yet has the highest chance of being the next sect leader lmaoo)

Lan QiRen

Lan Yi / Lan An

QingHeng-Jun (Twin Jades' father)

Madam Lan (Twin Jades' mother)

Yunmeng Jiang (arguably the only "normal" sect here...)

Jiang Cheng / Jiang Wanyin (Sect Leader also an "angry grape" as put by Zara)

Jiang YanLi (OUR QUEEN)

Jiang FengMian (loved Wei Ying more than Jiang Cheng lol jk xd)

Yu ZiYuan (BAMF)

Wei Ying not included here since technically he defected from the Sect (; - ;)

Qinghe Nie (fans and sabers my bros)

Nie HuaiSang (Sect Leader - yeah, I can't believe it either)

Nie MingJue (noooooooooo)

Honestly, I swear this clan is either "big muscles or big brain?". If you have neither, you can't be part of their clique. I mean sect.

Lanling Jin (rich rich rich rich rich)

Jin Ling / Jin RuLan (Sect Leader - totally not named after Wei Ying's crush/ husband's family)

Jin GuangYao / Meng Yao (*smiles*)

Jin ZiXuan (peacock but JYL's husband nonetheless)

Jin GuangShan (gross)

Jin ZiXun (double gross)

Mo XuanYu (literally did not sign up to any of this. He just wanted to end his suffering at Mo Manor)

We decided against including everyone from Mo Manor since they literally died within the first few chapters of the novel / first episode of the drama so were kinda irrelevant. Also, we don't care about them like we care for the Lan Sect members either.

Off topic side rant, Zara has been on my case whenever I bring up Jin GuangYao. I have to say, he's way more lovable in the drama than in the novel (didn't really leave much of an impression on me in the novel, NHS did a better job at that). I'm here to briefly explain why this boy is misunderstood and deserved more than what he got (and also why you should love him because he deserves love).JGY is a poor soul who's goal in life was to please others because no one was ever satisfied with him. His mother wasn't satisfied. His father wasn't satisfied. Hell, even his sworn brother NMJ wasn't satisfied with him eventually. BUT GUESS WHAT Xichen the angel is the only person that showed any love or thanks to JGY that's why he didn't kill him in the end - he wouldn't kill people that actually cared about him. IF ONLY EVERYONE ACTUALLY PAID ATTENTION TO HOW CLEVER AND CUNNING THIS MAN WAS, THERE MAY NOT EVEN BE WENS THREATENING THE WORLD. end of brief rant.

Qishan Wen (too hot, hot damn)

Wen RuoHan (Sect Leader - could have taken over the world if his children weren't incompetent)

Wen Qing (half the reason why included this sect)

Wen Ning / Wen QiongLin (the other half of the reason)

Wen Yuan (WE NEED THIS BABIE ALONGSIDE SIZHUI OK)

Wen Chao (questionable)

Wen ZhuLiu (also questionable but less annoying than Wen Chao)

Rogue cultivators (including people we didn't really know where to put)

Wei WuXian / Wei Ying (Can work out how to cultivate resentful energy, fight against the biggest cultivation clans in the world and gain a formidable reputation as the Yiling Patriarch yet can't figure out that Lan Zhan has a crush on him. Makes it look like cultivating resentful energy is easy as pie.)

CangSe SanRen (Wei Ying's mother)

Wei ChangZe (Wei Ying's father)

Xiao XingChen (honestly, the nicest guy ever. Could rival Xichen in terms of kindness. But then again... where did that kindness lead either of them? Moral of story: screw kindness)

Song Lan (Wen Ning's dead buddy~)

Xue Yang (he was cool in the novel, a bit questionable in the drama ngl)

A-Qing (didn't report her situation to the police...)

Baoshan Sanren (without knowledge of her existence, Jiang Cheng may have given up on life after he lost his golden core)

Ouyang ZiZhen (I didn't know who he was at all from the novel (ie he left no impression) but since he's technically part of the juniors, we have to include him)

Wang Ling Jiao / Jiao Jiao (just so Wen Chao has a friend perhaps... I don't know if we're that kind)

Su She (ew. just. He's not our favourite. The whole thing could have gone smoother if he didn't exist)

Luo Qingyang / Mian Mian (that one girl that made Wei Ying think Lan Zhan was straight)

Whew! That's all the character's we've considered! We have yet to come up with individual designs for the clothes and what not but at least we know there are going to be straight up cutting them out using the gingerbread man cutters.

Also! let's not forget:

Li'l Apple (didn't sign up for any of this either)

Fairy (gift from JGY to JL, also good doggo)

All the bunnies in Gusu (yes.)

All the fans and sabers in Qinghe (it's part of their aesthetic)

Locations and Buildings

This section's going to be MUCH shorter than the previous one haha since we've basically come up with 5 main buildings and in 7 locations. We're planning these buildings to be architectural masterpieces (okay, that's a slight exaggeration but that's the point). These buildings will take SIGNIFICANTLY more time than the gingerbread characters and is the reason we've put so much effort into researching what would make the most stable type of building. This is because we've planned to mirror the buildings as close as possible to the drama. We haven't yet drawn 2D sketches as I've left that job mostly to Zara (sorry!) so it's sort of hard to describe in words but by next post, we hope to have these down~ (though please see the mood boards from Zara's post previously)~

Gusu Lan - Cloud Recesses

The Wall of Discipline

The Courtyard

The Orchid Room (the main classroom/hall)

Yunmeng Jiang - Lotus Pier

The Main Pier

Lotus Pod Lake

Qinghe Nie - The Unclean Realm

The Main Courtyard and stairs

Lanling Jin - Koi Tower

Koi Tower

Qishan Wen - Nightless City

Main building and stairs

Yiling - Burial Grounds

The Mountains (and farms/Wen settlements)

Demon-Slaughtering Cave

And of course, Yi City.

We don't know if we want to include any more places but we'll let you know if there are any changes to this list. Plus the effects of LEDs and other arts and craft jazz besides gingerbread, we plan to make sure each Sect get's their own spotlight~

Please enjoy our baby Cloud Recesses, they're going to grow up and be a fine specimen of society worthy of the Lan name :D

The plan going forward

Although unfortunately, things haven't gone totally to plan due to fairly busy circumstances, we still have some major events along the way before starting to build the whole thing (which would probably be around mid-to-end of December) which have indeed started preparing for. Including:

Material testing gingerbread and icing (ie finally, bringing our research to the real world) - a lot of gingerbread will be made, so thank you to the willing volunteers who wanted to eat our failed experiments!

Finding / creating a suitable recipe for the gingerbread people

2D and 3D sketches of the buildings

Designing costumes for the gingerbread people

Another thing that we kinda want to do is to make this project benefit the wider community (we wanted to set up a GoFundMe at some point and raise some money for charity~). But we don't know how to do that as of yet T-T . Any ideas, feel free to contact us and let us know! We want to help others through this project (if at all possible haha)!

[purplesurveys]

962

Do you have a pair of Beat headphones? I used to have a pair. I mean it’s still around in my closet, but it’s completely broken now with the cable all given out and the cushion for the left ear has been missing for a while. I just don’t have the heart to throw it out because it was my absolute favorite pair of headphones that gave me good memories during a particularly shitty time in high school.

How was your week? A little better. I’ve gotten into the groove at work so I’m no longer shy when it comes to asking questions and giving inputs, and I’ve gained a better grasp of the workplace’s dynamic so it’s also been easier to communicate with people. Heavy life stuff is still around and it won’t be leaving for a while, but they were easier to ignore this week.

Are any of your electronics not working properly at the moment? Not really, but my phone’s charger cable recently stopped working. I have a backup that I’m using at the moment and while it’s able to charge my phone, it’s starting to fray and I’m not feeling too good about the wires that I’m starting to see hahaha. I just don’t know how to take care of my cables, guys. Anyway, this question made me paranoid so I took a few minutes to wrap a shit ton of electrical tape on the frayed area so I think it’s all good for now.

Are you excited to pick out your wedding dress one day? I like thinking about my wedding but I truthfully dread the wedding gown part. I’ve never been able to decide what look and style suits me best and I’ve just never been good at determining things like that. I like to imagine that I’d leave that bit to whoever my maid of honor will be, because I’d definitely prize a second opinion more than my own.

When was the last time you felt relieved? Yesterday, 6 PM when I exited the last Google Meet for the day. It was a Friday night and it meant my work week was over :)) I mean I love what I do, but Friday nights will always hit differently.

Does it bother you when an artist remakes a song that one has previously done? I wouldn’t say it bothers me but covers are definitely a hit or miss for me, with way more misses than hits. Nothing wrong with acts putting their own spin on an already existing song, but I’m personally the “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” type when it comes to music.

What brand of chapstick do you use? I don’t use any mainly because I’m bound to lose them within a week. Same goes for other care products.

Do you really think someone could be perfect? No. Everyone has their flaws and that should be okay to acknowledge.

When was the last time you cried? Wednesday, I think. It’s been three days! I’d count that as an achievement. But idk, my sadness comes in waves so I shouldn’t be celebrating too early. I’m sure I’ll feel a pang soon and be crying again over the weekend.

What’s a food that you like every once in awhile but not often? Cake. Too sweet and rich; I wouldn’t enjoy eating it every day. What letter is the song you’re listening to under? Not listening to music, but I have a YouTube video on.

Would you rather visit the 60s or 70s? 60s would be the lesser evil, I guess. I would NOT want to live through Martial Law in the 70s...I originally wasn’t even going to go with 60s because I think the world was a bit chaotic at the time, but I think my country was mostly unaffected by the political/cultural things happening then so it’s whatever.

Are you the type of person that enjoys getting hugs? I don’t actively seek them out but it feels nice when someone likes me enough to extend their arms out to me for a hug. I haven’t been hugged for a while and I feel kinda empty.

Do your socks say anything on them? I think some of my socks have the brand name on them but that’s it.

Name a TV channel that only has three letters in it. AMC.

Have you found out who your true friends are? For now, yes.

Gray or Grey? I use both spellings for no particular context. I simply like changing it up lol.

Will you be buying concert tickets any time soon? LOL of course not. And I’m very picky when it comes to concerts that I choose to attend anyway, so I doubt I would’ve bought any tickets in the last six months even without Covid unless it was for Paramore or Beyoncé.

Have you seen the movie The Perks of Being a Wallflower? Did you like it? Nope, but everyone was hyping that movie up when it came out. It never really looked like my thing < Yeah pretty much. I feel like it’s such a teenage-y movie so I was never drawn to it. I also think it would be too triggering for my depression, so I’ve felt wary about checking both book and movie out.

Is there something you’d fall apart if you didn’t have? One of my biggest fears is to end up alone, so I always have to have some form of a support system to fall back into. I would be very lost if I didn’t have at least one person to rely on.

How many weddings have you been to? I can think of four off the top of my head. I was either a flower girl or a junior bridesmaid for all of those.

When you smile, are you confident? Most times I am; I like to smile. But sometimes I smile just to fake it and avoid any questions.

Have you ever not done something because you were afraid of getting in trouble? Yesss, all the time. I’ve always been all about following the rules and I’ve never seen the appeal in breaking them. That makes me sound boring but at least I’ve never gotten in serious trouble lol.

Was the weather beautiful today? For me it is, but only because I like the rain and cloudy weather. Others might find it bleak and sad, but I feel right at home.

Do you have to have a fan on when you sleep? Yeah, all year long.

Would you rather have an orange, red or gray bedroom? If I had my dream modern/brutalist home, grey would be soooo fucking perfect for the bedroom. 

Would you ever dye part of your hair blue? I’m open to it, but I don’t think it’ll be a good match for my black hair as both are darker shades as it is. If I could dye my hair I’d pick lighter colors like green or even go all the way to blonde.

Have you ever gone to a private school? Yeah, from kindergarten all the way to high school. Private schools here typically give a better quality of education and they don’t give off the for-lazy-spoiled-kids vibe that I always hear from private schools in other countries, which makes them the norm for middle and upper-middle class families.

Is Finding Nemo a favorite movie of yours? I have other favorite animated movies, but that doesn’t stop me from loving Finding Nemo. :) I would always tune in for the whole thing if it were on.

Does/Did your school have a uniform? I had to wear one in my first school, but I didn’t need one for college.

Turn on the TV. What channel are you on? No TV where I am. I think my parents are watching a movie on their TV, but it’s on Netflix rather than a channel.

Does your house have security cameras? It does not.

Does a popsicle sound good right now? Eh, I guess it sounds fine but I’d rather have a pint of ice cream. I think that fits better with the weather and the mood that I’m in today.

What’s your favorite exercise workout? My weight training class last year was a lot of fun. I always felt dead after every session haha but I definitely felt healthier. I wish the semester had gone on longer just for that one class.

What’s your favorite thing to do? Lol I love doing many different things < Same lmao this question is so vague??? My favorite thing to do these days is binge-watch Rhett and Link content, but I like doing so many other things too.

What did you do for your 17th birthday? I was with Gabie that day and we went to a local art museum, as well as to a restaurant that she had wanted to take me to.

Does your local Walmart have benches in them to rest? We don’t have Walmarts.

Was your favorite stuffed animal really a teddy bear growing up? I never had stuffed animals. Well I was given a few of them as gifts, but I was never into them and they always ended up being owned by my sister.

If your house was haunted, what would you do? Not even think about it. Just show them that I couldn’t care less, lol.

Are you good at swimming? I can do a few strokes and am pretty good at treading, but I'm prone to panic-kicking when I can tell that the water is too deep.

What’s worse: Slow internet or slow walkers? Slow internet is such a pain in the ass. Shouldn’t even have to be an issue in 2020 anymore.

What is the rudest thing a guy has ever done to you? Cat-called, whistled at, winked at, lunged at. One good thing about this lockdown is that I haven’t had to deal with men as much as I used to. Do you sleep with the sheets tucked in or out? Well I only have one layer of bedsheet and it’s the one that covers up the mattress, so it’s tucked in by default. I have a blanket to cover me up when I’m cold.

What do you do to fall asleep faster? I find a few videos to watch as that tends to make me feel sleepy the quickest.

Do you carry a bottle of water wherever you go? I used to have a tumbler/water bottle in college but I forgot it at the gym one day and when I came back for it, somebody already stole it :( It was such a handy water bottle because it kept my water cold all day, so it sucks that I lost it. I’m planning to buy the same model again soon.

Are you afraid that one day you might get cancer? It doesn’t really run in my family save for one grand-aunt who had cancer, so I’m not too worried. But I’ve accepted the fact that it is at least a possibility.

Are you a fast or slow walker? I like being in the middle. Slow walkers are annoying so I try not to be one, and walking fast just reminds me of my mom and how quickly she walks at malls when she’s supposed to be spending time with her family lol.

Do you usually have to wear a belt with your pants? No. They all fit me just fine.

Does it bother you when people’s underwear hangs out? Eghhh, it really does. I know it shouldn’t but it really does. I just feel like it’s so invasive and it gives me a lot of secondhand embarassment.

Are you usually the person to try new things with your hair? Not really. I like staying safe with my hair. The most daring thing I’ve done with it is get bangs tbh, and I don’t plan on going any further than that.

When’s your birthday? April 21st.

What age do you look forward to reaching? I don’t feel that way about any age. Whenever I reach ultimate satisfaction and security will be a good enough age for me.

Name a state that begins with the letter M. Minnesota.

What’s the first thing you do after a car accident? Think about how to tell my parents. D:

What do you use to get rid of bad breath? Brush my teeth, drink water.

What exercise do you hate the most? Pull-ups.

What do you do at a party? Drink, socialize, tell stories, eat allllllll the food ha.

[inikavulpixelreviews]

Let’s Talk About Pokemon - Galarian Darumaka and Darmanitan

Galarian Darumaka:

Huh, no regionals for Gen 4? That's a little disappointing. I can understand not making regionals for Gens 6 or 7 yet since they're still fairly fresh but the omission of Gen 4 seems odd.

Wait, what's that? THREE lines from Gen 5 got regional forms?! I’m okay with this!

Though it seems clear we might end up getting a new “Fire-type but as an Ice-type” per region for their variations, this line is still a little fun. Galarian Darumaka to start with is just about what you'd expect if I had just said “Darumaka as an Ice-type” with no further context beyond that. But AHHHH. It's an adorable little baby yeti now!! I'm not even sure what about it has me liking it so much. Is it the worried demeanor? Maybe. For whatever reason, it's seemingly a little stressed out looking. What looked like thick eye outlines for Fire Darumaka turns out to be eye-bags as they turn from black to blue here.

I also like that it's SUUUUBTLY more rotund. And that's saying something, given Darumaka is already pretty dang round. It's probably just supposed to look like a thicker coat of fur, but its arms and legs do look a little thicker with its body being a little fatter. Amusingly enough, it just straight up rolls around for an attack animation, hah.

It very much is Alola Vulpix all over again. It's done competently enough to where I like the two forms about equal, but the concept of turning a Fire-elemental into an Ice-elemental isn't exactly revolutionary.

Personal Score: 8.5/10

Galarian Darmanitan:

And, gah. This one feels rather bittersweet. When I had asked for a snowman Pokemon, I never thought it would've come in the form of a regional variant of Darmanitan of all things. That's right, Darmanitan is yet another abominable snowman Pokemon, this time with emphasis on the snowman! While yetis definitely aren't a cryptid unique to UK, a British man is the one who coined the name “abominable snowman.” But I guess that's the extent of the British History Lesson of the Day. Hey, not ALL of them are as intricately tied into the UK theme as the rest of them are.

This rounder, puffier cousin of Darmanitan is definitely a big face life. Especially with those big honkin snow lips it has. Or is it meant to be another 'stache? Just how many Pokemon in this gen have facial hair?! But that combined with its oddly calmer demeanor really gives me some Sam the Snowman vibes for this thing.

And of course, who can ignore the big snowball on its head? Again, conspicuously having two button eyes and a nose made out of ice crystals. Hmm! Of course, it's hilarious to have a snowman be represented as just a yeti that LIVES within a giant snowman.

And what would Darmanitan be without a Zen Mode... er, Darmanitan? That doesn't look very “Zen” at all, my dude. It could be a deliberate switch-up that Darmanitan this time around is the calmer of the two forms, but its Zen Mode is the hyper-active one all a sudden. And pulling off the surprising Ice/FIRE type combo too! Again, when I asked for a Snowman Pokemon, I would've expected mono-Ice or Ice/Ghost more than anything else. Sure as heck didn’t see that coming.

And what an angry snowman it is, fixing all of Zen Mode's previous issues! The previous Zen Mode had the problem that regular Darmanitan was a Physical attacker but Zen Mode switched it to a Special Attacker, meaning you had to have a haphazard moveset that could change up on the fly if you aren't careful. This time around, both Galarian Darmanitan and its Zen Mode are physical attackers. Zen Mode instead just GAINS additional Attack and Speed stats, at the cost of staying fairly fragile. A lot easier to use!

And it's just a hilarious little snowman. All the ice buttons have melted and become fiery. Instead of having a carrot for a nose, it just has a friggin flame jet. Also funny that it has a “mouth” formed out of melting snow, haha. They clearly had some fun with this one!

...but...

I can't help but feel really disappointed. I agree that it's neat that this monkey monster that folds up into a daruma doll has been translated into a literal abominable snowman instead. But it feels like a couple of cool concepts got wasted. It stinks a little bit that our first Fire/Ice type is a rare form variation of a form variation of an already existing Pokemon. I would much rather new type combos get introduced with entirely new Pokemon, especially the unorthodox ones like Ice/Fire.

But on top of that, it REALLY stings that we might not get a dedicated snowman Pokemon now. Or at least not for a while. Even if we had it introduced via a temperamentally hot-headed snowman, I would've taken that over Galarian Darmanitan. It's a nice enough design on its own but... it eating up the possibility for a brand new snowman Pokemon really sucks. I’m not gonna let that affect its score TOO much... but I can’t help but feel like I’ve been robbed a lil. Just a lil.

Personal Score: 7/10

[Archive]

[yoon-kooks]

With Love and No Regrets💋 2

Pairing: ??? x Reader, Taehyung x Reader (this chapter)

Genre: Angst, Handwritten!AU, inspired by TATBILB

Summary: Seven stories, seven regrets, seven letters… to all the boys you may or may not still think about…

Word Count: 2.8k

Parts: Prologue // 1 // 1.5 // 2 // 2.5 // 3 // 

Warnings: none

A/N: hands up if you remember your first crush ever 😔✊

Fifth grade might’ve been your prime. You were a whopping ten years old, all the kindergarteners looked up to you as their senior, multiple boys in your class had their eye on you, and you developed your first crush. His name was Kim Taehyung.

Unlike Jungkook who you had met in kindergarten, the existence of Kim Taehyung was unknown to you until fifth grade came around. And boy did he hit you like a truck.

Taehyung was cute. Perhaps one of the cutest boys in your class, up there with Kim Namjoon and Jung Hoseok. And sure, you would’ve loved for fate aka your teacher to seat you right next to him for the entire school year. But the truth is, fate wasn’t always so kind. Because Taehyung always somehow ended up on the opposite side of the room from you.

But why leave everything up to fate? You weren’t that passive when it came to love—at least not at age ten. So you found another way to connect with the boy.

One stormy October morning, you discovered a common interest between Taehyung and yourself. Rainy days were always your favorite because your class was blessed with some free time in the school’s computer lab during recess. After all, you were the type that opted to stay behind a screen instead of facing things head on.

“Ahin, how are you level 77 already?” you asked your best friend as you glanced back and forth between her level 77 mage and your level 32 bandit on the computer screen. Her character had a lot more swag with the sunglasses and shit compared to your basic ass character with the default clothes.

“That’s because my screen time isn’t limited to one hour a day like you,” Ahin shrugged. “At this rate, you’ll be a noob forever, Y/N. Taehyung’s gonna over-level you soon.”

“Taehyung plays StapleMory, too?” You were intrigued because StapleMory was already your favorite MMORPG, but with the addition of a cute boy thrown into the mix, you’d have to beg your mother for an extra hour of play time.

“Yeah, he started playing a few weeks ago and he’s only a few levels behind you.”

“What’s his username? I wanna add him to my friend list.”

“Why? Are you in love with him or something?”

“What? No, of course not.” You didn’t have a crush on him just yet. You didn’t even know what a crush felt like.

“Well I don’t know his username either,” Ahin said. “I just heard him talking about it with Hoseok. Try asking them instead.”

You’d only made the smallest of small talk with Taehyung in the first month back from summer break, so you didn’t know him well enough to casually start a conversation with him at recess without it feeling a little forced. On the other hand, you did have an already established acquaintance with Hoseok thanks to summer school a few years back.

You peered down at the pair of boys several computers down from where you sat, locked onto your target, and rolled your chair over in that direction. When you caught a glimpse of familiar character sprites on their screens, you knew what to do.

“You play StapleMory, too, Hoseok?” The character on his screen was a heavily armored warrior holding a long blue spear.

“Y-you play too, Y/N?” He looked shocked. Shocked but not upset. Though maybe if you both had put two and two together sooner, you could’ve advanced your acquaintanceship with him beyond summer school.

“Yeah, and Ahin plays too.”

“I play too,” Taehyung jumped in. Contrary to his natural handsomeness, his character was on the ugly side equipped with a bow and arrows. “Well I just started, so I’m only level 30.”

“Oh, so you’re still just a noob,” you laughed as if being two levels higher than him was anything to boast about.

“Well what level are you then?”

“Higher than you.” You really should not have had that smug look on your face, but you did.

Taehyung narrowed his eyes at you. It was a challenge. “What’s your username? I’ll add you.”

“YoungHinata.”

“Is that some kind of Naruto reference or something?”

“Yeah, duh.” You didn’t know. It wasn’t your username.

After typing the username in, Taehyung’s jaw dropped. “Level 77? That’s… impressive. You already have your third job advancement?”

You wanted to psych him out a little, not impress him. Clearly that didn’t work out, so you abort. “Nah, I’m just kidding. That’s Ahin’s character.”

“Haha very funny. I guess I’ll add her then, not you.” Taehyung sent Ahin a virtual friend request right in front of your eyes. “Unless you wanna tell me your username.”

Were you feeling threatened? No. But did you want Taehyung to be your friend? Yes.

“It’s… TacoCat98.” You admit you were self-conscious about the name, and you would’ve picked something a little wittier like TacoBelle if you’d known you’d be playing with a cute boy. But nobody could’ve predicted that.

“Seriously?” Taehyung laughed at your username as he typed it in. He had no right to clown you when his own username was something as simple Vante, and you totally did not get the reference if there was one. And he only stopped laughing once he saw your character. “You called me a noob when you’re only like two levels above me? Noob.”

“It doesn’t matter! I’m still higher than you, so ha!” You got the last laugh, but not the last say.

“Not for long, Y/N… Not for long.” The confidence in Taehyung’s voice was admirable with a hint of flirtiness, but you wouldn’t let him get the best of you. Or so you thought.

-

It had quickly become a regular thing for you to hop online after school with either Ahin, Hoseok and Taehyung, or just Taehyung. Your mother was pleasantly surprised to see you zipping through your homework with newfound motivation, and she even granted you an extra hour of screen time to reward your excelling academics. Little did she know that your motivation had everything to do with a boy.

With that valuable extra hour of play time, you did everything in your power to stay ahead of Taehyung. You grinded, took on quests, asked Ahin for advice on the best equips and places to train, and you did so without a minute to waste. The only time you took a break from leveling up your character was when a certain notification popped up on your screen.

[Vante has logged in!]

[Vante sent you a message!]

Vante: hi Y/N >:)

TacoCat98: why r u sending me a mean face? :P

Vante: freedom of speech?

TacoCat98: ok?

Vante: come train with me :(

TacoCat98: where r u now?

Vante: where the fire boars are

TacoCat98: kk

You might’ve been in the middle of a jump quest that you’d have to restart later, but you were willing to forfeit some good EXP in exchange for time with Taehyung. The two of you were close enough in level where it’d be mutually beneficial to train together on the same map anyway. So you hustled over to the fire boars.

As soon as you walked through the portal to where Taehyung said he was, you witnessed a hoard of flaming pigs chasing an ugly green-haired archer. Rather than extending a hand to help the boy out of danger, you take pleasure in watching him struggle to find safety on a nearby platform.

“why didnt u help me????” A speech bubble appeared over Taehyung’s character. “i almost died!!”

“i didnt wanna kiss you,” you typed, with a very embarrassing typo. “i meant KS you… not kiss you lol”

“r u sure that was a typo?” Taehyung changed his character’s facial expression to a hmm face.

“KISS wouldnt have made sense in that context!!” K.S. was the abbreviation of kill steal, which was when someone (often a noob like Taehyung) is trying to kill a monster but then a higher level player passes by and instantly kills the monster as a form of mockery. Kiss, on the other hand, meant something very different.

“right…”

“RIGHT.” You made your character flail around in the air like a kid having a tantrum before jumping down to release all your awkward energy out on the fire boars. “can we just train now??”

You sent Taehyung a request to join your party, and he accepted it, but he remained right where he was instead of joining you on the battle grounds.

“or we could just talk,” he typed. That not only surprised you, but also meant something to you. It meant he’d rather spend time chatting with you over leveling up his character. You were more important to him than the game itself.

You jumped back up to the safe platform and faced Taehyung’s character. “we could.”

You didn't know if he was just luring you away from training so he could sneak past you in levels as soon as you logged off, but maybe it didn’t matter. You only had two hours a day to do whatever you wanted on the computer, and Taehyung was what made your time feel well-spent.

And if he ended up surpassing you in levels as a result of that, you’d lose bragging rights and that hold over him, but something in you wanted to believe he wouldn’t leave your noob ass behind.

-

For a solid year, you never grew bored of Taehyung and his antics. Even in the classroom, it became apparent that you two were no strangers. You teased him about his new haircuts, he teased you by shouting “TacoCat98” across the school yard, and you both exchanged ugly faces as you passed by each others’ desks. All of that was innocent and cute, though the more intimate stuff remained online.

You can’t remember the exact moment you first acknowledged your feelings for Taehyung because it was your very first crush and you had no way of recognizing the signs. For a while, you assumed your first crush would be Namjoon because he had all the stunning physical qualities you thought you wanted in a boyfriend. But with Taehyung, it was something else that you couldn’t quite comprehend. All you knew was that he made your day a little brighter. And you found yourself thinking about him. A lot.

But nothing could’ve made you realize your crush more than when he asked you about it right after graduation.

Vante: hey

TacoCat98: hey

Vante: do you like anyone?

It was your chance—the golden opportunity. You wanted to scream “YES, IT’S YOU” through your computer. But on the off chance that he didn’t feel the same way, you wanted to save yourself from a potential rejection. You told yourself you’d only confess to him if you felt 100% confident that he felt the same way. Despite having a gut feeling that that might’ve been the case, you needed more answers.

TacoCat98: lol why r u asking?

Vante: bc u know how my group of guys had a talk after the grad ceremony?

TacoCat98: umm no? and yall arent “guys” yet btw. youre still boys lolol

Vante: whatever -_-

Vante: anyway

Vante: the BOYS had a talk about who we liked in our class

Vante: so i know who likes u

Someone liked you? That was definitely news to you. No one (to your knowledge) ever had a crush on you in your ten years of life. Naturally, you were curious as a kitten as to who it was, and if it was in fact Taehyung himself. Or maybe he was just bluffing. If that were the case, you were going to bluff back.

TacoCat98: well i know who likes u too :P

Vante: who?

For some reason, your dumbass didn’t anticipate him asking you to spill the tea. Especially not when you were alluding to your own crush on him.

TacoCat98: u tell me first and then ill tell u

Because how romantic would that be if the feeling was mutual and realized on the online platform where it had all begun to bloom?

Vante: hoseok

TacoCat98: wat

Vante: hoseok said he likes u

Vante: ok next

You needed a long minute to comprehend what had happened. Hoseok liked you? Hoseok? Hoseok didn’t even know you the way Taehyung did. You rarely even spoke to him outside of when he’d play StapleMory with you and Taehyung. So how was it possible for Jung Hoseok to develop a crush on you out of nothing? Spoiler alert: It wasn’t possible. But you didn’t know that at the time.

Vante: so… who likes me?

An idiot liked Taehyung. And that idiot was you. But after he didn’t confess to you like you had hoped, there was no way you’d confess either.

TacoCat98: actually i promised to keep that a secret

Vante: but u said u would tell me >:(

TacoCat98: well im srry!!

TacoCat98: it’s not like you were sharing your OWN crush, so why r u so mad lol

TacoCat98: hoseok probably wanted to keep that a secret but u told me anyway

Vante: true

Vante: dont tell him i told u >.<

TacoCat98: ok i wont

Vante: good

Vante: now back to the original question… tell me who u like

TacoCat98: i dont like anyone lol

Vante: seriously…

TacoCat98: really i dont lol

Vante: everyone has a crush

TacoCat98: and your crush is…?

Vante: ahin

He typed it without hesitation, not a sliver of doubt. He confidently told you about his crush on your best friend as if that information wasn’t going to get back to her. Maybe he intended for you to tell Ahin so he wouldn’t have to confess himself. Or maybe he just wanted to make you jealous. The latter was what he accomplished.

As a friend, you loved Ahin and envied her for how easily she got along with the boys in your class. Just as her StapleMory character outshined yours, she had the same effect at school. It honestly didn’t surprise you that Taehyung chose her over you. You had just hoped and envisioned that this time it was you.

TacoCat98: AHIN!!! can i tell u something?

YoungHinata: sure lol

TacoCat98: i like tae

YoungHinata: omg

YoungHinata: really????

YoungHinata: u should tell him!!

YoungHinata: he always acts like he likes u too

TacoCat98: i dont think he likes me like that

YoungHinata: y tho???

TacoCat98: i just have a feeling :(

YoungHinata: well youll never know for sure unless u confess to him

TacoCat98: nah im fine with him never knowing

TacoCat98: i just wanted to get it off my chest so i told u instead of him lol

-

After elementary school ended and middle school started, you were more thankful than ever that you and Taehyung had established an online friendship. You wouldn’t have otherwise known he attended the same middle school because you had zero classes with him in sixth grade and literally never saw him on campus. You owed a lot to the online platform for all the opportunities it provided you with in chatting with your crush. At the same time, a relationship built upon online engagements had its limits.

[Vante has logged in!]

TacoCat98: hihihi

Vante: i havent seen your face around these parts in a while

TacoCat98: blame my teachers >:(

TacoCat98: more hw = less staplemory

Vante: same

Vante: dont u think it’s weird tho

TacoCat98: whats weird?

Vante: how we talk on here but not irl

TacoCat98: i guess we never see each other at school anymore

There were a million better ways to respond to Taehyung’s comment, but that’s how you chose to respond. You had every opportunity to say, “hey let’s meet up at lunch tomorrow” or “wanna get milk tea after school?” But you were too dense to realize what he wanted out of that conversation. You took it more as a subtle breakup like “we can’t be friends anymore because things are awkward now irl.” After all, you were on the wrong side of an unrequited love, and it was almost inevitable that he’d develop other crushes on his new classmates who outclassed you.

It was only after you both quit StapleMory later that year and left your friendship to die in cyberspace that you heard a rumor floating around regarding you and Taehyung. One of your new middle school friends said Taehyung had asked her if it was true that you had a crush on him.

How did Taehyung know about that? And why did he even care? He was supposed to like Ahin. He told you himself that he liked Ahin. If you were his crush, he would’ve told you. He should’ve told you. Because you were fully convinced he no longer cared about his little gamer friend when there were plenty of prettier kids to pursue. And whether or not it was the truth, you took it to heart, despite all the other signs that had said otherwise.

So, no. The rumor wasn't true. You didn’t have a crush on him. Not anymore.

[candyredterezii]

valenwoke replied to your post “hi guys i finally saw the nightmare on elm street reboot i ranted and...”

Why were u mad?

OKAY LET ME GET INTO THIS AS BEST AS I CAN CUS IM SHIT AT EXPRESSING MY THOUGHTS

number one: wes craven wasn’t even asked about this film. they didnt tell him shit they just fucking went and made the movie with his character and his idea and was like byyyyyee which tbf the entire franchise rlly was wes having his like. child taken away from him and bastardized, only being able to reclaim it’s legacy in New Nightmare.

next, lets get into the character.

Freddy Krueger.

We all know Freddy as this really campy and jokey character. He’s a beloved slasher. He was funny and silly and his kills were creative and had funny one liners - robert englund brought to life this character and is one of the big reasons he was so beloved. He was a child murderer, yes, but a big thing along with it is we never actually saw him murder a child in the entire series. There was sexual undertones in subtext, and it was originally he was supposed to be a child predator as well, but they threw it out due to a real life scandal happening at the time and played it more subtext

Now. In the remake when they say they ham up the child predator shit they really, really do and it is NOT fucking pleasant at ALL.

But we will get more into that later.

Freddy in the remake, along with the entire thing tbh, is gritty. Edgy. Dark. He makes one liners and REPEATS OLD JOKES FROM THE SERIES, which throughout was liek. Haha that was in Nightmare (X), wish i was watching that one right now. His jokes were just. Flat. It wasn’t jokes it just made you kinda. Yikes. They weren’t delivered with the mirth and excitement like with Robert Englund.  His makeup made him look like a fish. He was absolutely disgusting. Making gross sexual assaults on Nancy on one point, granted nothing exactly major but enough to make ur skin crawl.

He was played to be just. Revolting.

Which isn’t a bad thing to do for a character - but not to one that has been well loved and rather like a ‘fun wacky uncle’ kinda guy. Not one with an existing legacy to be a wise cracker looney tunes kinda killer.

But let’s get more into the child predator aspect of it because holy fucking shit.

They literally show flashback scenes in the movie of Freddy playing with the kids and it was all like. Cute and sweet if you didn’t know context but seeing him interact with these kids is like. Revolting and makes your stomach churn. Especially them showing the little girl with her back scratched and a five year old nancy crying to her mom how “he takes us to his special cave” and burst into tears because she was fucking defiled constantly. 

Speaking of his special cave. Nancy and Quentin find it. And guess what they find? A bunch of photos of a naked five year old Nancy that Nancy sees and fucking has a break down over it because holy shit that’s fucking disgusting and heavy.

The movie is heavy. Very heavy and makes your stomach sick - and not in a like. Saw movie torture porn kinda way where you are like HAHA SIIICK. But in a fucking crushing reality and just makes you, the viewer, even feel utterly vile as you are watching this character be vulnerable and go through repressed trauma.

The whole movie deals with also Nancy and Quentin and the others apparently having repressed these memories and the parents trying to hide it by hiding their preschool photos and other things from their childhood.

It’s just utterly sickening and makes your skin crawl. Especially as much of Freddy goes after Nancy and speaks so vile to her about how she was his favorite, how beautiful the girl characters still are and how ‘grown up’ they are and just being a fucking creep.

Now that the story is pretty much fucking just. A fucking heap let’s get into the actual movie elements.

The one thing in the original Nightmares I absolutely LOVED was how dream like the dreams were. How they had this kinda dream like quality - it was whimsical! It was creepy and unsettling but also? Really fun? It was CREATIVE.  The deaths were fun and imaginative! The crew had so much fun coming up and creating these kinda deaths that you rlly couldnt get away with in normal stories cus its a DREAM where anything can happen.

Now in this movie? It was just. Oh. We’re in a creepy classroom. Oh looks like we are in silent fucking hill and then one flash of lights AA we are i nthe boiler room oh nooo. Oh nooo u got slashed by freddy and now you’re dead. Okay. Cool.

IT WAS BORING It was gritty dark and jsut snooze. it didnt even give any tension it was just. oh ur trying to be scary and thats it. ok.

Now this movie is also a reboot, meaning it’s a fresh start to the series. So someone who  hasn’t watched the original series should come in without having to watch the other films, right? Wrong. Now in the original movie, we followed the character Tina as a red herring to be the main character. The same thing happens in this movie, we do not follow Nancy (the one character whose name they kept. Which meaning if you have seen the original films, you know Kris is the Tina character and this twist is not gonna work on the previous fans who a MAJORITY IF NOT ALL this movie’s audience was. Even if you haven’t seen the first Nightmare most people know Nancy is the main heroine. I digress.) So we haven’t followed Nancy. At all. We see her once telling Kris she also saw something in her dreams and thats it.

Next we see her is when she comes to see Quentin. Sits down and just says, “Freddy” Where did she get this info? How is the audience supposed to know who tf that is or why or how or just. WHAT???

Okay. WHATEVER.

This movie also plays a lot on old gags, jokes, and visuals from the first movie as like. A homage. But they’re done.. So poorly. It just makes me go, “haha i remember that. wish I was watching that nightmare instead of this one.”

There’s also small plot elements that made me go ??? what. why?? like for example the mother of Kris apparently having kept one of her daughter’s dresses that was slashed when she was ASSAULTED AND DEFILED BY A MAN in a box upstairs with her preschool photos?? Like. Okay.

There is NO CHARM in this movie. No love. No passion. It’s just gritty and dark and just makes the audience feel utterly vile and absolutely tears apart the legacy of Freddy and NOES and everything Robert has done to the character. It has taken Wes’ original idea and story and just said Hey. What if we take this and just make it dark and edgier and SCARY OOOO. And then they tossed it in the trash compactor. 

I feel I’m missing even quite a fucking lot of shit too but. 

I fucking hate this movie so much dude.

[queenofnohr]

Yan Qing Interlude - Death of a Certain Outlaw

Phew, this one was a doozy. Warning: This Interlude hinges on the reader having knowledge of how exactly Doppelganger and Yan Qing are tied to each other as well as knowledge of Water Margin. I try to give context in translator’s notes at the end, but…… yeah.

Only one set of options for now because I was supposed to put this up Saturday, but my internet was blown out for the last 4 days and anywhere with free wifi is quite a ways away. I’ll probably end up adding them this weekend (and for now the corresponding options are bolded)

If text isn’t tagged in brackets or with a character tag, it means it’s unnamed narration. (I also recommend pulling up a video or the Interlude itself cuz there are some cool effects (like the scenery being “glitchy” during narration segments))

Now that I’m done with uni, translation commissions are open for the immediate future!

―Doesn’t everyone have this thought at least once in their lives? That is - am I really myself? Can you say for certain whether or not you’re just a puppet, controlled by someone else? Maybe this world is nothing but a sham, and I am a being that only exists within the mind―

In this world, “yourself” isn’t anything that truly exists. Legends, myths - those certainly do exist.  Now then. ―Just who am I?

[in Shinjuku]

Yan Qing: *pant* *pant* *pant* …… The sky is dull, the water tastes filthy, the stench of blood hangs thick in the air - the atmosphere is altogether the fucking worst. The bleeding won’t stop. I’ve been cornered. ???: How does it feel to die? Yan Qing: Ah― it really is the worst. Laughing, sneering, jeering. And yet, here, in my final moments, doubt rises from the depths of my mind. In the end, all I wanted to know was life as a human being. Just who was I, really? I wonder if the man before me laughs because he knows. Yan Qing: Hey - who am I? ???: ……. ……. You are― I can’t hear him laughing. I quietly close my eyes.

[scene change, rooftop]

> We’ve come to Shinjuku again……

Mash: Communications are stable, Master. Allow me to explain the situation once more. Shinjuku, as a Singularity, has already been corrected. As such, no matter what strange phenomena might occur here, it will have no effect on the Human Order Foundation, however― One Servant Leyshifted to Shinjuku. Known as the Shinjuku Assassin, his True Name is Yan Qing…….

> Does anyone know what happened to Yan Qing? > Is it certain he’s in Shinjuku?

Mash: I have no other information to report other than that he Leyshifted to Shinjuku. Accompanying you as navigators are Cursed Arm Hassan and Geronimo. I look forward to working with the both of you. Geronimo: The pleasure is mine. Cursed Arm: Then, Master, where shall we begin the search? Geronimo: We won’t find him by searching at random. It seems we have no choice but to follow his magical energy…… Mash: Yes, and we have the tracking data from it. The problem is, at a certain point, Yan Qing’s trail effectively disappears. It might be because of increased interference on the part of the monitoring device, or perhaps…… Cursed Arm: Hm. Perhaps he suffered a grievous wound, or even perished. No, excuse me - I spoke without thinking. Please be at ease, Gudako-dono. Yan Qing is a strong person with high mental fortitude. In fact, he’s probably at his best running around this city. Geronimo: I suppose you’re right - this isn’t a serious enough issue to require fortune telling. I, too, will guarantee his survival. Cursed Arm: Then, for the time being, I’ll investigate our surroundings. We shall have a better chance at finding him with our options narrowed down. Geronimo: I suppose we’ll wait until you’ve returned. But taking our Master’s endurance into account, I’d like to finish this within the day. Cursed Arm: Haha, but of course. Well then, I’ll be back shortly.

> Take care > Be careful―

Cursed Arm: I’m grateful for your concern. But worry not. For we Hassans are one with the shadows.

[Cursed Arm leaves]

Geronimo: Then, for the time being―

[Cursed Arm returns]

Cursed Arm: I found him. Geronimo: That was fast.

> So fast!?

[scene change, streets]

Yan Qing: Oh, Miss~! Can I get a meat bun with whatever kind of meat that is? Thanks~.

> It really is Yan Qing…… > What the hell is he doing

Cursed Arm: When I saw him I, too, doubted my eyes. I thought - there must be a limit on how much one can slack off. Yan Qing: Oh, if it isn’t my Master. What’s up?

> Don’t you “What’s up” me!

Yan Qing: ? ……No. That’s right. After all, I just turned up without a word, didn’t I. Ah, sorry. I really am sorry, but― There’s something I must do here. I won’t let anything get in my way. Yan Qing (?): It’s no excuse, but I will not allow myself to be caught!

> This is Doppleganger’s power……!? > He shapeshifted!

Yan Qing (?): That’s right. I’m going all out this time. It’s all over if you catch me here, you see! Geronimo: He’s about to lose it. At this rate― Our best course of action is probably beating him into submission. Let’s go, Master. Mash: Everyone, please prepare for combat!

[battle]

Yan Qing (?): Sorry, but I’m out. See ya! Geronimo: A smokescreen……! Cursed Arm: It seems he stole it from someone while we fought. Mash: W- What should we do? He said he had something to do, but…… Cursed Arm: ……This is certainly unfortunate. Gudako-dono, let’s pursue him. Geronimo: Oi. Cursed Arm, do you know what exactly it is Yan Qing should be doing? Cursed Arm: Indeed, as it has to do with me. Now then, shall we head out? His destination is unknown, but so what? We’ll just have to go over this city with a fine-toothed comb. It’s a routine job for a Hassan such as I.

[2nd arrow]

Wandering, searching for that which must be done. Something that cannot be cleaned away, atoned for, compensated. If something gets in my way, I’ll eliminate it. Because my objective is righteous. Because it is righteous, it is for the sake of being righteous. I will take revenge on him. [scene change] Geronimo: So, basically, it’d be better to go after him, but…… If he’s disguised, finding him would be impossible. Then, what should we do? Cursed Arm: Not impossible - in our previous battle, I secretly marked him. It’s a cursed incense passed down in my organization. We only need to be near him to detect him. Geronimo: Oho, so that was what you were preparing during battle. Then we’ll be counting on you to guide us, Cursed Arm. Cursed Arm: It would be my honor, Master.

> Please guide us!

Cursed Arm: ……Hm. It’s faint, but the scent is in the air. It’s surprising that we’d locate him so soon. He’s this way. I’ll take the lead.

[scene change]

Geronimo: By the way, I’ve been thinking about our conversation from earlier.

> What are you thinking? > About what he “must do”?

Geronimo: Indeed. Why did he want to go back to Shinjuku? And you, Cursed Arm - what is it that you know? Cursed Arm: …………Alright. It isn’t something I should’ve spoken of so easily, but the situation being what it is, I happened to have a slip of the tongue. The truth is, in Chaldea, Yan Qing came to apologize to me.

> Because of the Shinjuku Incident…… > Apologize for what?

Cursed Arm: Indeed, because of what happened during the Shinjuku Incident.

[Chaldea flashback]

Yan Qing: Eyo, Master Cursed Arm. Do you have a minute? Cursed Arm: Go ahead and come in, Yan Qing-dono. What troubles you? Yan Qing: I feel like there’s something I need to apologize to you for. Cursed Arm: Apologize……? I can’t think of anything in particular that would warrant an apology. Yan Qing: But it seems like, because of what I did in Shinjuku, I caused you trouble. Cursed Arm: ……So that’s it. What you did certainly was described in the Shinjuku report. My name appeared in it, so I read it just in case, but…… It isn’t anything you need to apologize for. Living as an intelligence agent, disguising yourself to betray others is inevitable. Yan Qing: Maybe you’re right. After all I don’t particularly feel any way about it. But even if it isn’t in my heart, my body itches for it*. I must make amends with you if I want to move forward. And, if possible― I must return to Shinjuku to accomplish it. Cursed Arm: Accomplish “it”……?

Yan Qing: Yeah, you know that saying - “If you commit a sin, work to atone for even a part of it”? It’s sorta like that. Cursed Arm: ……But isn’t is enough to fight alongside our Master? You don’t have to search for atonement in Shinjuku specifically. Yan Qing: ……Yeah, I guess you’re right. No, you’re exactly right. Man, what was I thinking! Just forget I said anything. Cursed Arm: …………

[end flashback]

Cursed Arm: Altogether, I didn’t think anything of it, so I didn’t press it, but…… Upon entering Shinjuku, I remembered how I felt at that time. Even if I was smiling then, my heart was not. Yan Qing is still probably seeking atonement. Geronimo: Atonement, huh. But what the Shinjuku Assassin did has nothing to do with Yan Qing. It can’t be that way. If it were, as Heroic Spirits, our sins would pile up with each time we’re summoned. Even if we were talking about a hero from the Age of Gods, that’s an unbearable burden to place on anyone. To prevent this, we only retain records themselves, we do not “remember.” Mash: As a Demi-Servant, I have no memories from Galahad…… If I did, I think my mind** would wear down.

> But, Yan Qing……

Cursed Arm: ……That’s enough talk. We’ve caught up with him. The Hornet over there is Yan Qing.

[Hornet enemy type appears]

> Yan Qing!

Yan Qing (?): Gah, you already found me!? Geronimo: Yan Qing. Is what you seek atonement? Or is it perhaps retribution - to be judged for your sins.

[Yan Qing reveals himself]

Yan Qing: ……I’m not searching for anything. It’s something I must do, I’m sorry, Geronimo. I have to do it, or I will no longer be me.

―I have a headache. Proper Heroic Spirits don’t understand the agony grating against my soul. Is simply being killed a punishment in itself? No, I have to die more miserably than that.

> Yan Qing……?

Yan Qing: ……Don’t try to stop me, Master. I beg you…… I’m begging you. I have to die. Cursed Arm: You’re contradicting yourself. And you’ve gotten green, Yan Qing. If it’s a sin so heavy you must be killed for it, in order to bear it, fight― I can’t leave you as you are right now. You’re just a despicable greenhorn who’s lost his head trying to scrub away his regrets. Yan Qing: ……! Cursed Arm: How about you, Master? ……If you’re to accept his atonement, with the way things are now, it would be best to just go back.

> I can’t accept it > Let’s talk it out

Yan Qing: Unfortunately, I don’t have time for this……! ―Damn it, so it’s gotta be like this again.

[he turns back into the masked enemy]

Yan Qing (?): If that’s the way it is, I’ll take you on! Sorry, Master!

[two more appear]

Geronimo: Hmph, he can multiply himself just like a planarian or some seaweed. Mash: I think he just called for reinforcements…… Ahem. Anyway, prepare for battle!

[battle]

Geronimo: It seems he escaped while we were defeating the other Hornets. But…… hm. What do you think, Cursed Arm? Cursed Arm: About what? Geronimo: If the end is just? Cursed Arm: ―Of course. That’s why I came here, after all.

> What do you mean? > Perhaps you’re right……

Cursed Arm: Allow me to explain next time we encounter Yan Qing. He also needs to hear it.

[third arrow]

―It’s not here. It’s not here either. It isn’t anywhere. How strange. It has to be here. That person is still here, I’m sure of it. Ah, my body is crumbling. I can’t maintain my spirit foundation as Yan Qing. The sky is dull, the water tastes filthy, ???: How does it feel to die? When I look back, the Grim Reaper is standing there, waiting eagerly for me.

[black screen]

Yan Qing: What, so you were here after all? Cursed Arm Hassan.

[Cursed arm is in view along with the city]

Yan Qing: That’s right, I have to apologize to you. I killed you, I killed you, after all. No, that’s wrong. I was killed. I was killed by you. ……No, wait. Please wait. My memory- My memories are all jumbled up……! Cursed Arm (?): It’s already over, so it’s best to quietly accept it. ……. ……. We can never atone for our sins. Yan Qing: ……That voice…… No, wait…… Are you me? Cursed Arm (?): I shall answer your question with another. Who are you?

[Cursed Arm turns into Yan Qing]

[scene change]

> Hassan…… > Yan Qing……!?

Yan Qing: Eyo, sorry Master! My plan was to trick him, but it didn’t pan out! Geronimo: Hm. It seems you are the real Yan Qing. However, that one also maintains a Saint Graph comparable to Yan Qing. ……This one is at least able to laugh. Is the Yan Qing over there Doppelganger then? Yan Qing (?): Ah…… A- Ah…… AGHHHHHHHHH!! Yan Qing: Oi, oi, calm down, me! Ah, it’s no use. This is bad, I revealed my true form too soon!

[Doppelganger starts rapidly changing forms]

Mash: This is…… A Servant…… No, Christine……? As well as Hassan, Yan Qing…… It transformed into various other enemies! Yan Qing: Well, whatever, let’s calm him down, Master!

> So we just have to beat him! > Er, meaning……?

Yan Qing: Yup! Well then, me that isn’t me. It’s time you return to the place we can be ourselves. Here, the existence you must atone for doesn’t exist. So― If we don’t finish everything here, neither of us will be able to maintain ourselves!

[battle, then scene starts off with a screen blood splatter] [flashback, rooftop]

Cursed Arm: Guh― Shinjuku Assassin: It’s over, Hassan-i Sabbah. Cursed Arm: ……It’s my loss. Take this head of mine. Shinjuku Assassin: Huh? Why would I do a stupid thing like that? No, I’m going to copy your Saint Graph instead. Cursed Arm: ……! Shinjuku Assassin: After all, sooner or later your little Chaldea friends are gonna come to visit, and I’ll - or should I say you’ll - be there to greet them! Cursed Arm: ―So you stay your hand for the perfect ambush setup. You’re a Heroic Spirit worthy of the name Assassin. Very well. Then as a Servant summoned to this land, let me show you the depths of my will. Shinjuku Assassin: Oh, so you’re taking me on? The Big Shot of the assassin world. It’s an honor to be able to kill each other, Hassan. Cursed Arm: ―Dying without being able to do anything. I thought that would be my role, but it is precisely because I cannot do anything that there is indeed something I can do. Shinjuku Assassin: What……? Cursed Arm: ―Zabaniya! Shinjuku Assassin: Ha, I knew it! You can’t take my heart without any prep! Cursed Arm: You’re right. But this time I don’t need a copy.

[blood splatter]

Shinjuku Assassin: What……!? Cursed Arm: Kuku…… Looks like it was successful. Shinjuku Assassin: Your own heart…… why? Cursed Arm: It should be obvious. I believe Chaldea will save this city…… If that’s the case, then I am merely lending my support as a Servant. Shinjuku Assassin: Huh…… Huh……!? How stupid! All this for a hunch! You’re giving your life for someone you’re not even sure will come!? Cursed Arm: Of course. I was summoned as a stray Servant. As such, my mission was to save this city. No, it wasn’t just that. The will of heaven…… No, it’s better to refer to it as a mission. In any case, it’s only natural to become a martyr to that end. Shinjuku Assassin: ……! Cursed Arm: With my death, your imitation cannot be complete. ……It’s such a small thing for me, and such a large failure for you. To the person who will save this yet unknown city - farewell……!

[Cursed Arm disappears]

Shinjuku Assassin: Damn it……! What the hell! For fuck’s sake! That wasn’t for the sake of your lord. Dying for someone you’ve never even met……!? That’s such a fucking bullshit end……! Damn it, damn it, damn you……!

[scene change, looking at sky, still flashback]

―My Saint Graph grates against itself, crashes together. I was someone who once betrayed my Master at the very end, yet even so I still intended to serve faithfully. So, I understand completely. That Assassin’s devotion isn’t something that just anyone can live up to. How ungainly, how very enviable. Ah, it’s grating. It’s coming apart. Splitting in two. It’s being torn apart……! O, lord, my lord! Why did you rush so foolishly to throw away your life! You were smarter than that! Was it for the sake of some hint of glory? Is that unfathomable devotion in me! ……I don’t understand. At that time, fear pierced the depths of my heart. How could I oppose my lord, who saved my life, which should have been abandoned? I didn’t know what I should have done. Nothing, nothing……. Not even the slightest bit……. I didn’t understand anything at all……***

[scene change, present]

Yan Qing: ……And that’s the reason why. That person is me and yet not me. Doppelganger, an existence that should be a phantom. That’s why I could pursue them pretty easily. After all, I still possess some of Doppelganger. Cursed incense? Sorry, that was a lie. Geronimo: So you separated…… I don’t quite get it. Yan Qing: If I had to say, it’s a copy. Using Doppelganger’s power, Shinjuku Assassin could transform into anything. ……Little by little, I lost sight of who I was, until I was defeated by Master. This is what remained, but it was still connected to the me that was summoned by Chaldea. ……That’s right. We’re tied together. The report that I Leyshifted was probably due to the disorder at that time. He thought he was Yan Qing, and returned to Shinjuku again. And I couldn’t allow him to do the same kinda stuff he was doing before. I’m not the villain who controlled Shinjuku, but a chivalrous outlaw. Look, I’m a person with a strong sense of justice, right?

> If it’s you we’re talking about, you’re definitely an outlaw of justice > You mean a chivalrous outlaw of darkness?

Yan Qing: Wahahahaha. Thanks for playing along, Master! Yan Qing (?): Ah…… Ahhhhh…… I can’t atone……. I can’t redeem myself…… There’s only regret…… Nothing but regrets piled high, and I’m still alive…… I can’t stand it…… Yan Qing: You wanted to die, so you tried to kill. Because if you killed then you would be killed. Am I wrong?

[Doppelganger turns into a skeleton ghost]

Doppelganger: ……I…… I am…… I am****…… Everyone……. No one…… Because I have no self, I am no one, because I possess neither good nor evil intent, I cannot become anything. I can only live in the interval between darkness and whispers, no more than an unsightly phantom…… But…… Even so…… I wanted to- at the very least, atone…… But I don’t want to die either…… I don’t know- what to do…… Yan Qing: Oh, in that case, you should join together with me. I mean, I came to invite you, anyway. Geronimo: Hm, joining with a phantom? Can you even do that? You’ve retained your individuality up until now, but your sense of self may be affected. Yan Qing: It’s fine, it’ll be fine. I am me. Right, Master?

> If it’s Yan Qing, everything will be okay > I’m a bit worried, but……

Yan Qing: Righto! Doppelganger: I- It’s okay……? For me…… to be with you…… truly……? Yan Qing: Yeah, become my strength. And don’t forget the feeling of being driven mad, starved of justice. If this is happening, be a splendid outlaw. Doppelganger: An outlaw…… Someone with honor and compassion, who opposes kings, who can control themselves…… Even I…… Could be that……

[Doppelganger disappears]

Mash: Doppelganger…… Wasn’t exterminated, instead I confirmed it’s integration into Yan Qing. There is no disturbance concerning the numerical value of his Saint Graph. Yan Qing: So you’re saying everything’s fine? Geronimo: However, this is an exceptional situation. It’s probably best to receive counsel from Da Vinci upon our return. Yan Qing: Yep, yep, roger that! Geronimo: …… …… Because it had no ego, it wrought evil upon Shinjuku― Consequently, possessing a personality, Doppelganger has the potential for good…… It could be said that this is a miracle borne of the instability of the Foundation of Humanity. Then, Master. No matter who forgets, I want you to remember. By being witnessed by you, his despair and struggle become immortal. And in doing so, surely it will be his glory. Yan Qing: Yeah. For believing in me until the end, you have my gratitude, Master. Everything I do, is for the sake of my lord― For your sake, Gudako!

[end]

Notes: * The furigana reads “body” but the main text reads “Saint Graph” and the verb is “whisper” which is a major sort of….. clue, I suppose, as to what’s going on ** Japanese has a lot of words for mind/soul/heart/will with some of them used interchangeably. This particular word could mean either mind or spirit. *** Hoooo boy. Okay so the entire narration here is based off what happens in Water Margin. Basically, Li Junyi - Yan Qing’s lord who saved him (and thus earned his loyalty) - was lured into a trap and poisoned. Doppelganger, who’s sense of self is tenuous at best is overwhelmed by Yan Qing’s memory of it because of Cursed Arm’s sacrifice, and loses it. I have no idea if there was angst in the original text, but here Doppelganger/Yan Qing is torn up because he regards his greatest sin as surviving even though his lord (as well as a lot of the other outlaws) died.  **** Here, Doppelganger starts cycling through different ways to say “I” in Japanese (Watashi/Ore/Boku/etc) which is obviously difficult to translate directly into English especially since he doesn’t include any other text in these “personality” shifts. It is a cool thing in the OG text though in a short but effectual way to show Doppelganger’s lack of “self” ***** As always, whenever “outlaw” is mentioned, it’s the chivalrous type that Ya n Qing prides himself on being