#to break the law and steal and organ. girl.

[suncaptor]

What about JDM makes people go insane.

[klapollo]

want to take a moment to note that today is the 112th anniversary of the triangle shirtwaist factory fire, where about 146 garment workers at the new york city factory -- mostly women and girls, mostly Jewish and Italian immigrants -- died grisly, brutal deaths due to the inhumane working conditions, including the stairwell doors and exits being locked to prevent the workers from stealing or taking more breaks, thus preventing them from escaping. the youngest victims were only 14. the event spurred a groundswell of unionization efforts and labor activism that resulted in a number of vital changes to workplace laws. today is a saturday, the same day of the week the women and children were working when the fire broke out -- the two day weekend was not adopted nationwide for another few decades.

as unions grow in popularity around the country and bigger and bigger companies attempt to crack down on them, we should not forget what is at stake if we fail to fight for our dignity at work. the organizing after the fire bolstered the burgeoning international ladies' garment workers union, of which my grandmother was a member after taking up factory work when she immigrated. ive directly benefitted from the work that came from the outrage. thinking about what these women and girls endured that day is wildly difficult but we cant afford to forget.

[imshii-kin]

Psychic In Training ::

Chapter # 1 Tourist Trapped

Wattpad

Code, Chapter 1 (You are here)

Life is infinitely stranger than anything which the mind of man could invent. - Conan Doyle

»»————- 🪬 ————-««

'Ah... Summer break, the time for parents to ship their kids off to some negligent camp to terrorize some poor 20-year-old looking for some extra cash.'

'That is... unless you're with the Pines.'

You scream as the golf cart crashes through the billboard, roughly hitting the ground before speeding up again. Glancing backward, you could see the shadow of the creature chasing you, and it seemed to be getting closer.

"Dip!" You yell, "It's gaining on us!"

"I know! This thing won't go any faster, Y/N!" The boy in front of you shouts back.

"Uhh guys," The girl next to him peaks her head out of the cart, "It's getting closer!" She shouts panicked.

"We know!" You and the boy yell at the same time.

'My name is Y/n. The sweaty boy in front of me is Dipper, and the girl beside him about to puke is Mabel.'

'Now, you probably already know why we are fleeing from some imaginable horror in a golf cart. Well I'm going to tell you anyway, and I promise, it's for a completely illogical reason.'

»»————- 🪬 ————-««

Beep. Beep. Beep.

You groan, reaching over to silence the alarm. It's the first day of summer break, but your mother insists on the 7:00 AM wake-up call.

"Y/n! The Pines are here!"

You groan louder. Your mother found a loophole after promising not to send you to camp this year. Now you're left wondering what's worse: a summer at Camp Campbell or a summer with the Pines weird uncle.

Dragging yourself out of bed, you slip into a short-sleeve turtleneck sweater and a pair of shorts, moving as slowly as you can.

"Come on, Y/n! We don't have all day!"

Grabbing your backpack on the way, you rush downstairs, where you're met with Dipper's less-than-enthusiastic expression and Mabel's overly enthusiastic grin.

It can't be that bad, right? No crazy, out-of-control adventures.

With a resigned sigh, you follow the Pines out of the house, bracing yourself for whatever this summer has in store.

»»————- 🪬————-««

"I'm pretty sure this is breaking some kind of child labor law," you mumble as you restock the blue and white pine tree hats. Off to the side, Dipper is polishing a jar of eyeballs while Mabel stalks some random customer.

"Mabe," you call out, giving her a pointed look. "Stop creeping on that poor guy and help me with these hats." Mabel just blows a raspberry at you, her focus undeterred. You turn to Dipper with a shrug. "Well, I tried. Your turn."

Dipper sighs, rolling his eyes as he sprays the jar again. "Mabel, I get that you're in your 'Boy Crazy' phase," he says, stealing a glance at the list in the customer's hand, "but you're kind of overdoing it on the 'crazy' part."

Mabel blows another raspberry, this time at Dipper. "Come on, you two!" she exclaims, bouncing over to join you. "This is our first summer away from home!"

You raise an eyebrow. "Speak for yourself, Mabe. I've been going to summer camp since I was five. It's not all it's cracked up to be-just a bunch of rules and chores." You gesture to the hats you're organizing. "This is just a slightly more illegal version of that."

Mabel crosses her arms, a smug smile spreading across her face. "Mock all you want, but I've got a feeling this summer's going to be amazing. In fact," she points dramatically to the door, "I wouldn't be surprised if the man of my dreams walked through that door right now."

The three of you turn to see Grunkle Stan walking in.

"Ha!" you snort, pointing at Mabel. "Dreamy enough for you, Mabe?" You continue laughing as Mabel cringes in disgust.

Stan strolls over, eyeing the three of you. "Alright, I need someone to go hammer up these signs in the spooky part of the forest."

"Not it!" Mabel and Dipper shout simultaneously, making you groan.

"Uh, also not it," Soos chimes in.

"Nobody asked you, Soos," Stan deadpans.

"I know, and I'm comfortable with that," Soos replies cheerfully, taking a bite out of a chocolate bar.

Stan turns back to you and the twins. "Well, since one of you was slow, you're doing it." He dumps a stack of signs into your arms. "But you've got a habit of 'getting lost,' so you'll need a companion."

Scanning the room, Stan spots Wendy at the counter. "Wendy! Help Y/n with these signs!"

Without even looking up from her magazine, Wendy replies, "I would, but I... uh... can't... uh... reach them."

Stan mutters under his breath, "I'd fire all of you if I could," before turning to Dipper. "Alright then, let's make it eeny-meeny-miney..." He points at Dipper. "You."

"What?!" Dipper protests. "Grunkle Stan, I always feel like I'm being watched when I'm in those woods." He sneaks a glance at you, lowering his voice. "And Y/n gets weird in the forest."

You shoot Dipper a glare. "Hey! I can hear you, you know..." They ignore you.

Stan gives Dipper an unimpressed look, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Ugh, not this again."

"I'm telling you, something weird is going on in this town. Just today, my mosquito bites spelled out 'beware.'" Dipper rolls up his sleeve to show Stan.

Stan squints at it. "That says 'bewarb.'"

You snicker. "Who knew mosquitoes were bad at spelling?"

Dipper lowers his arm, embarrassed, scratching at the bites. Stan shakes his head. "Look, kid, the whole 'monsters in the forest' thing is just a local legend made up by guys like me to sell merch to guys like that." He nods toward a sweating, grinning customer clutching a handful of merchandise.

"And Y/n's just... a little special. Nothing weird about it." Stan shrugs. "So quit being paranoid."

You huff, handing some of the signs to Dipper. "For the record, I can still hear you."

»»————- 🪬————-««

Hanging up the signs quickly became boring. Dipper was hammering nails into the trees so that you could hang the signs, he was muttering something about Stan not believing him.

"Could you not?" You snap, "All you do is complain, it'd be nice if you'd talk about something more pleasant for once."

Dipper shot a sharp glare your way. "Like you're any better. All you do is make snide comments and dump your work on everyone else."

You gasp, feigning offense. "When have I ever?"

Dipper's expression turned flat, clearly unimpressed.

✄┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈

"Who shrunk my sweater!?" Mabel wailed, holding up the now tiny garment. "I told everyone this was special cotton! It needs delicate care!"

You glance up from your magazine. "Pretty sure Soos did it," you answer before returning to your reading.

Dipper stared at you before his eyes flicked to the chore list on the wall, your name plastered next to 'Laundry'.

✄┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈

"That was one time." You defend yourself.

"No! It wasn't! That was one of multiple times!" Dipper said exasperated, placing down another nail and hammering it.

Clank

Both of you freeze, staring at the tree. Dipper taps the hammer lightly against the trunk again, confirming the odd sound. Lowering the hammer, he examines the tree closer, running his hand over the bark until he finds a small crack.

With a glance at you, he pries open the "tree."

A mechanical box with two switches sat within a hidden compartment. Dipper tests one of the controls, nothing. He flips the other switch, and next to you, a hatch suddenly opens in the ground.

You exchange a wary look with Dipper before cautiously peering inside the hatch. There, nestled within the earth, lay an old, thick book. Dust covered it completely, cobwebs clung to its edges, and millipedes skittered across its surface. The cover bore a gold six-fingered handprint, with the number "3" written on its palm.

You slowly reach for the book in the hatch, somewhat hesitate as a bad feeling sinks into your stomach.

A sharp shock runs through your hand as your fingers graze the surface of the book. The air around you seems to hum with a sudden energy, and a burning sensation spreads across your palm.

Something was drawing you towards the book, something ancient and powerful as if it had been waiting for you. The sensation sharpens, and a rush of images and whispers, flood your conscience.

"-/n! Y/n!!" With a sudden tug, you're pulled away from the book. Dipper, who was now in front of you, was gripping tightly onto your shoulders, a look of genuine worry on his face.

"What was that?" he asks, searching your face for answers. When you don't respond, he turns and reaches into the hatch, carefully pulling out the book.

He places it on the ground and opens it, eyes scanning the pages.

"It's hard to believe it's been six years since I began studying the strange and wondrous secrets of Gravity Falls, Oregon." Dipper flips through the book, each page revealing bizarre creatures and terrifying monsters.

"What is all this?" Dipper whispers in awe. You lean over his shoulder, catching a glimpse of a page that reads "TRUST NO ONE!"

"My worst fears have been confirmed. I'm being watched. I must hide this book before it's found. Remember, In Gravity Falls, you can't trust anyone."

You and Dipper exchange a tense look, a silent pact forming between you both.

"HALLO!!"

You yelp in surprise, falling backward.

Mabel was behind you, leaning over a rotten log. "What'cha reading, some nerdy thing?" she teased, trying to peek at what Dipper was hiding behind his back.

"Uh- uh- it's nothing!" Dipper stammers, shooting you a desperate look.

""Uh, uh, it's nothing!" What? Are you not gonna show me?" Mabel laughs.

Dipper looks at Mabel then the Journal then back at Mabel. "Let's... go somewhere more private."

Mabel raises an eyebrow but simply shrugs. She hops over the log and strides quickly toward you, extending a hand to help you up.

You offer her a grateful smile as you reach for her hand.

"What is that?!" Mabel exclaims, suddenly tightening her grip on your hand as she examines it closely. "When did you get a scar like this?"

Startled, you pull your hand back and stare at your palm, shocked to find a vertical eye seared into your skin.

»»————- 🪬————-««

"I can't find anything," Dipper mutters, flipping through the pages with a frustrated sigh. "There's nothing about a mysterious vertical eye appearing on someone's palm."

The three of you have ended up in the Mystery Shack's resting room. You're seated beside Mabel, while Dipper paces back and forth, rifling through the Journal's pages.

"But still, this thing is incredible!" Dipper exclaims, holding the Journal open for Mabel to see. "Grunkle Stan thinks I'm just being paranoid, but according to this book, Gravity Falls has a hidden dark side."

You lean forward, a frown tugging at your lips. "Dip, this could be dangerous. That book gives me the creeps." You wave your hand in front of Dipper's face. "And look at what it did to me!"

Dipper bats your hand away, his expression annoyed.

Ding-Dong

"Who's that? More tourists?" you ask, glancing toward the door. Mabel grins at you. "Well, it's time to spill the beans." She playfully pushes over an empty can of beans. "Boop. Beans." Mabel beams, clearly pleased with her joke before continuing, "This girl's got a date! Woot woot!"

You and Dipper exchange incredulous looks. "Wait," you begin, "In the half hour we were gone, you managed to get a date who didn't run away from your... let's say, intense enthusiasm?"

Mabel nods enthusiastically. "What can I say? I guess I'm just irresistible."

Dipper looks like he's about to say something, but you cut him off with a grin. "You know what? You go, girl."

The doorbell rings again, and Mabel jumps up, hurrying to answer it.

Dipper sighs, slipping into the seat Mabel just vacated. "I can't believe I was right," he says with a grin, flipping open the journal. "Do you mind trying to touch it again?"

You hesitate for a moment, then nod. "Alright, but if I get possessed, I'm blaming you." Dipper brushes off your comment and passes the journal to you.

You carefully take it from his hand, bracing yourself for anything.

...

But nothing happens. No surge of energy, no eerie whispers—the journal sits quietly in your hands, completely still.

"What'cha reading there, slick?" Grunkle Stan asked as he walked into the room.

"Oh!" Dipper yelped, quickly shoving the book behind his back and snatching up the nearest magazine. "Just catching up on..." He glanced at the cover in his hand, "Gold Chains for Old Men?" He read aloud, raising an eyebrow.

Stan leans over Dipper's shoulder and grins, "That's a good issue."

"Hey family~" Mabel calls out as she drags some homeless-looking guy with her, "Say hello to my new boyfriend!"

"Ugh- ew-" you blurted out at the sight of the pale, disheveled boy, but quickly stopped when Mabel gave you a look, "Sorry, it was involuntary."

"Sup." The boy says.

"Hey," Dipper responded awkwardly. Stan, still focused on the TV, didn't bother to look at the boy. "How's it hanging?"

You squinted at him, suspicious. "How old are you?" you asked.

The boy hesitated, stumbling over his words. "Uh- um- fifteen?" he answered, uncertain.

"...You're definitely lying-"

"We met at the cemetery!! He's really deep." Mabel quickly interrupts your line of questioning.

Dipper narrows his eyes, suspicion clear in his voice. "So, what's your name?" he asks.

The 'teen' straightens up, a bit tense. "Uh... Normal... MAN!" he blurts out.

A faint warmth begins to radiate from the center of your palm, just enough to make you curl your fingers slightly. Unbeknownst to you, a soft greenish-blue glow flickers beneath your skin.

"He means 'Norman,'" Mabel chimes in, leaning closer to him.

You take another look at Norman. "Right... and is that blood on your cheek, Normalman?" you ask, pointing to the red liquid dripping down his face.

"...It's jam," he replies, a little too quickly.

"...Seriously?"

Mabel gasps, delighted. "I love jam!" She turns back to you and Dipper with a grin. "He's perfect!"

You shake your head. "Mabe, your standards... where are they?"

Norman turns to Mabel, "So, you wanna go hold hands or... whatever?" He asks, Mabel blushes shyly, "Oh, goodness!" she exclaims, casting a quick glance at you and Dipper. "Don't wait up for me!" she calls out, her voice light and excited as she hurries out the door with Norman.

As they disappear, the burning sensation in your palm begins to fade, replaced by a faint, lingering buzz. You lift your hand, studying the vertical eye with a puzzled expression.

»»————- 🪬————-««

"Of course Stan sticks me with the broom closet for a bedroom," you mutter, shuffling into the cramped space. As soon as you reach the bed, you collapse onto it with a weary sigh. Your gaze drifts to your hand, staring at the vertical eye on it.

"...What are you?"

KNOCK KNOCK

"Y/n!!" You jolt, startled by the sudden noise.

"Mabel'sdatingazombieandshe'sgoingoutonadatewithhimrightnow!!!" Dipper's frantic voice spills through the door in one breathless rush.

You quickly get to your feet and swing the door open. "Woah, woah, slow down, Dip-" You grab his shoulders, worry knotting in your chest. "Explain that again, but slower."

Dipper takes a couple of shaky breaths, but his panic is still written all over his face. "Mabel's dating a zombie, and she's going on a date with him right now!" Without waiting for a response, Dipper turns and dashes off, pulling you along with him.

"Huh!? Wait- how do you know?" you manage to ask as you stumble after him.

"Earlier today, I was following him to gather evidence," Dipper confesses. "When I reviewed the footage, I saw him lose his hand and then reattach it!"

"I knew something was off about that weirdo..." You mutter, following Dipper out of the Mystery Shack. Stan was standing in front of a crowd, showcasing some kind of rock face, which made it virtually impossible to get his attention.

Scanning the area for an alternative, your eyes land on Wendy, casually sitting in a golf cart. "Dip! Look!" you exclaim, pointing toward her. Dipper's eyes widen before he grins at you. "Nice catch, Y/N!"

Rushing over, you quickly approach Wendy, "Wen, Just the gal I need, you don't mind if we steal that cart and possibly wreck it right?"

Wendy looks at you, then at Dipper, then back to you, and shrugs with a lazy grin, tossing you the keys. "Just try not to mow anyone down."

With a smirk, you hand the keys to Dipper. "Let's go save your sister."

You and Dipper jump into the cart, ready to back out of the lot when Soos suddenly appears, blocking your path.

"Dude, it's me, Soos," he says with a grin, handing Dipper a shovel. "This is for the zombies." He then turns to you, passing you a bat. "And this is just in case you come across a piñata."

"Uh... Thanks?"

»»————- 🪬————-««

"I am seriously regretting giving you those keys" You shout as Dipper drives through the forest like a madman.

"Don't worry Mabel" Dipper shouts loudly, "We'll save you from that zombie!!" He accelerates faster.

"Help!" A shout resonated from off in the distance. You and Dipper gasp,

"Mabel!"

"Mabe!"

Dipper makes a sharp turn off the road, driving through the forest trying to follow the sound of Mabel's voice.

Soon, you both approach some kind of cave, and inside you can see Mabel surrounded by... gnomes?

Dipper slows down, parking once he's in the cave. "What the..." He mutters, "What the heck is going on here!?" he shouts, both confused and extremely underwhelmed.

A gnome runs up to you and hisses, prompting you to kick it.

"Dipper! N/n! Norman turned out to be a bunch of gnomes!" Mabel shouts as she bats away the gnomes crowding her, "And they're total jerks!" One particularly persistent gnome latches onto her hair, making Mable gasp in pain, "Hair- hair- hair-!"

Dipper stares at the chaos, shaking his head in disbelief. "Gnomes... huh, I was way off."

A faint warmth begins to emanate from your palm, similar to before. Glancing down, you gasp seeing the vertical eye glowing with a soft greenish-blue light.

"Hey! Let go of my sister!" Dipper yelled at the brown-haired gnome.

The brown haired gnome spins around, offering Dipper a sheepish grin. "Oh! Uh, hey there," he stammers with a nervous chuckle. "This is just a big misunderstanding, really. Your sister's perfectly safe. She's just, you know, marrying all thousand of us to become our gnome queen for eternity!" He turns back to Mabel with a smirk. "Right, sweetheart?"

Mabel, now tied down, glares daggers at the gnomes. "You guys are butt-faces!" she yelled before one of them hastily muffled her.

You step up beside Dipper, and kneel down to the gnome's height, trying to ignore the faint warmth spreading in your palm. "Listen here, Normal-man," you mock, voice steady, "if you and your creepy little friends don't let Mabel go, I'm going to recreate that gnome scene from the 2015 Goosebumps movie." You give your bat a subtle lift, just enough to make your point clear.

The gnome glares at you. "You think you can stop us? You have no idea what we're capable of. The gnomes are a powerful race! Do not trifle with the-"

You nudge him off the rock with your bat.

Dipper wastes no time, stepping forward to cut the string holding Mabel down with his shovel. Mabel flashes him a grateful smile before kicking the gnomes away and rushing toward the golf cart.

Dipper grabs your hand, pulling you along. For a brief moment, he hesitates, noticing the glow in your palm. You can almost hear the questions forming in his mind, but the urgency of the situation forces him to push them aside.

Once in the cart, Dipper quickly starts it up and speeds away. Faintly, you hear Jeff yelling behind you.

As the three of you exit the cave, Dipper eases up on the speed, his tension fading.

"Hurry, before they come after us!" Mabel urges, prompting Dipper to chuckle. "I wouldn't worry. Did you see their legs? Those suckers are tiny!"

You frown. "I'm with Mabe on this one, Dip. That was way too easy."

Dipper rolls his eyes. "And you called me paranoid-"

THUMP THUMP THUMP.

"...I blame Dip. He jinxed us."

A giant gnome monster, made up of smaller gnomes, looms behind the golf cart, chasing you.

"Move, move!" Mabel shouts at Dipper. He stumbles but quickly picks up speed. Glancing back, you see the creature's shadow growing larger.

"Dip!" you yell. "It's gaining on us!"

"I know! This thing won't go any faster, Y/N!" Dipper shouts back.

"Uhh, guys," Mabel says, peeking her head out of the cart. "It's getting closer!" Her voice is panicked.

"We know!" you and Dipper yell in unison.

The monster swings its massive arms, hurling small gnomes through the air toward your cart. Two gnomes land beside you, and out of reflex, you smack the one on your left, knocking it out cold.

The gnome on your right hisses, ready to pounce, but you swiftly grab the unconscious gnome and toss it at the other, sending both tumbling out of the cart.

Another gnome crashes onto the hood and springs at Dipper, latching onto his face with a tight grip.

You lunge forward, reaching over the seat to help the boy. The moment your hand touches the gnome, a greenish-blue light flares from your palm. The gnome yelps in pain, releasing Dipper and snatching his hat away in the process.

Mabel gasps, turning to you with a bright smile. "How'd you do that?" she asks. You stare at your hand, bewildered. "I... I don't know..."

Before either Mabel or Dipper can ask more, a tree crashes down in front of the cart. "Watch out!" you shout as Dipper swerves to avoid it. He manages to steer clear, but the sharp turn tips the cart over, sending all of you tumbling.

Groaning, you crawl out of the wrecked vehicle. "Called... it..." you mumble, slowly getting to your feet.

The ground trembles as the giant gnome monster approaches, each of its thundering steps echoing through the forest.

"Stay back, man!" Dipper shouts, grabbing a shovel and hurling it at the monster. The creature swats it away effortlessly.

The twins cling to each other in terror. You step in front of them, instinctively trying to shield them from the looming threat.

With every step the monster takes, you and the twins retreat, until you're backed against a wall.

"It's the end of the line, kids!" Jeff yells from atop the monster. "Mabel, marry us before we do something crazy!"

"Shoot..." you mutter, glancing at Mabel. "There's gotta be a way out of this..."

Mabel's gaze locks onto the monster as she carefully considers her next move. Slowly, she steps past you and Dipper, her expression firm. "I gotta do it," she says, her voice steady.

"Mabel, don't!" Dipper grabs her arm, fear evident in his eyes. "Are you crazy!?"

She doesn't waver. "Trust me," she whispers.

Dipper hesitates, about to protest, but you place a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, Dip," you murmur. "Trust her, just this once."

After a tense moment, Dipper sighs in frustration, then steps back.

Mabel offers you a grateful smile before turning to face the monster. "All right, Jeff. I'll marry you."

"Hot dog!" Jeff cheers, scrambling down the monster's side. "Help me down there, Jason! Thanks, Andy! Left foot, there we go... watch those fingers, Mike."

Jeff approaches Mabel, holding out a diamond ring with a smug grin. "Ehh? Ehh?" he says, gesturing to the jewels. Mabel kneels down, letting him slip the ring onto her finger.

"Bada-bing, bada-bam!" Jeff dances with glee. "Now that's how you get a wife! Let's head back to the forest, honey!"

Mabel admires the ring. "You may now kiss the bride," she declares.

Jeff smirks, leaning in for the kiss. "Well, don't mind if I do."

As Jeff moves closer, Mabel leans back and flicks on the leaf blower behind her, aiming it straight at him. The suction pulls him in with a whoosh.

"That's for lying to me!" Mabel shouts, cranking up the power. "And this is for breaking my heart!"

Jeff flails helplessly, yelping in pain.

You and Dipper approach, both thoroughly impressed by her quick thinking. Mabel glances over her shoulder, a sly smile forming on her lips. "And this... is for messing with my brother and my best friend."

She lifts the leaf blower and points it at the monster. "Want to do the honors, Dipper?"

Dipper grins widely. "On three."

"One, two, three!"

They launch Jeff out of the leaf blower, sending him crashing into the giant monster, scattering it in pieces.

With their leader gone, the gnomes scramble in confusion. You grab a rake leaning against the Shack and start herding the gnomes back into the forest.

Once you were sure they were all gone, you turned back and started heading in towards the Shack, Mabel had gone inside after talking with Dipper, leaving just the two of you.

"Oh- Um, Y/n!" " Dipper called out just before you reached the door, making you turn to face him. He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "I just wanted to, uh, clear the air?"

He hesitated, glancing at you to gauge your reaction. "Since we've been stuck here, it kinda felt like we were at odds," he admitted. "But with everything that's happened - the journal and all - I figured we should..." His voice trailed off.

"But especially after today," his tone grew firmer, "you helped me when you didn't have to. If it wasn't for you, I don't know if I would've been able to get to Mabel..."

You smiled. "I get it, Dip, no need to get all mushy." He flushed, groaning a little in embarrassment. "But, honestly, you proved me wrong. You're a lot braver than you give yourself credit for."

Dipper stared at you for a moment, then smiled. "Thanks, Y/n. That... means a lot."

A comfortable silence settled between you just as Mabel popped back outside. "Come on, guys! Grunkle Stan has a present for us!"

»»————- 🪬————-««

You admire your new ring, a simple silver band etched with intricate Celtic designs. Inside, the name 𝕌ℝ𝕎𝕍𝕆ℝℍ is engraved, the letters catching the light as you turn it between your fingers.

A knock on the door pulls your attention from the ring. Shuffling around the tight space, you make it to the door and carefully open it.

"Dipper?" you ask, seeing the boy.

He nods, clutching the journal under one arm, a pen in his other hand. "Yeah, I wanted to talk about your... strange mark." You step aside, allowing him to enter, and the two of you settle on the bed.

"This started when you touched the journal?" Dipper asks, glancing at your hand. "Can you feel anything from the mark?"

You nod slowly. "Yeah, there's this constant faint buzzing sensation, and sometimes it gets really warm." Dipper jots something down in the journal, his brow furrowed.

"And do you know what triggers the warmth?"

You pause, thinking back. "It happened when Normalman first appeared - my palm started aching. And then again when we were near the gnomes."

Dipper murmurs to himself, deep in thought. "But why now? Was it the journal that set it off? Could you be some kind of psychic?" He clicks his pen repeatedly, lost in thought.

"Maybe... you have a knack for sensing the supernatural," he suggests, his voice trailing off.

You glance out the window, noticing the sun had long set, "Let's discuss this more tomorrow ok?" You suggest, "It's been a long day Dip, you should get some sleep."

Dipper frowns, trying to protest. "But-"

Before he can finish, you start nudging him toward the door. "Nope, not until I get my beauty rest," you say with a playful grin.

Despite his reluctance, you manage to push him out of the room and shut the door behind him.

"He worries too much," you mutter with a smile. With a yawn and a stretch, you make your way to your bed, sinking into the comforting embrace of the covers. As your eyes grow heavy, you're unaware of the soft glow beginning to emanate from your palm.

. . .

When you open your eyes, you find yourself standing in an empty field. The sky is a strange, burnt-orange hue, and to your surprise, you spot not one, but two suns hanging low on the horizon.

"Where... where am I?" you murmur, spinning around to take in your surroundings. Far off in the distance, you notice a figure, their entire body obscured by layers of clothing.

With nothing else to guide you, you approach the figure cautiously. "Hello?" you call out, the sound of your voice echoing slightly in the eerie stillness.

The figure jolts, turning abruptly to face you. A scarf and goggles hide their expression, but their posture is tense. "You!" he shouts, his voice sharp. "How did you get here? Who are you?"

You hesitate, glancing around once more before offering a helpless shrug. "I don't know. I just went to bed and woke up here."

He studies you closely, his gaze unnerving. After a moment, he reaches out toward you, his hand passing through your form. You blink in surprise.

"Fascinating," he mutters to himself, stepping back to examine you more. "Somehow, through your dreams, you've crossed into this place."

A strange sensation begins to ripple through you, like a tug from deep within. The man's eyes widen in alarm. "You're waking up," he whispers, almost in awe.

You glance down at yourself, watching in disbelief as your body starts to fade, the colors draining like watercolors bleeding into the paper.

"Wait!" the man calls out, suddenly frantic. "There's so much more I need to-"

But before he can finish, everything blurs, and the dream collapses in on itself.

. . .

Your eyes snap open, the soft light of morning filtering through your window. The room is still, the quiet only broken by your racing heartbeat. You lift your hand, the glow slowly fading once more.

You exhale deeply, trying to shake off the lingering sense of unease, wondering what it all could mean.

__

A/N: Wooo Gravity fall's fandom is making a comeback!! This is an old - old rewrite of a fanfic I made on google docs as a kid. Now that I can write, I figured why not revise the old thing?

[base0h]

Hello,

Heard you’re looking for ideas so…

Here’s a crack one: The Straw hats working in a department store

Would they become employee of the month? Would they be fired immediately?

a/n - IM WHEEZING AT THIS— you are GENIUS bro holy crap 😭🫶 dude luffy would get fired so fast it’s insane— and imma just add everyone bc why not 😂

Warnings ⚠️ - MAJOR crack, multiple characters, I’m kinda dumb and might’ve forgotten people

they didn’t even make it past the interview 💀

.✩ kidd (tried killing the interviewer for asking him why he wanted to work there “I really am passionate about restocking— MF IM BROKE.”), buggy, bonney, paulie (did the same thing as kidd plus he parked in the manager’s parking spot)

literally within the first few seconds of the interview they’re hired | “My name is—“ “Can you start within the next few seconds?”

.✩ jimbei, koby, sabo, koala, izou, kaku, vivi

got fired the same day they started

.✩ luffy (ate the entire produce section and then asked the manager “is there more stuff in the back?”), corazon (he accidentally burnt the place down 😀), sanji (confessed his love and asked several female customers to marry him at his cash register), brook (asked for some poor random woman’s underwear 💀)

employee of the month every single month

.✩ jimbei, koby (old people always say how sweet he is to the manager bc he always helps them get the things they can’t reach 😭🫶), tashigi (kids hate her bc she catches them and scolds them if they take an extra candy/sticker from the cashier jar), vivi (accidentally gave herself this title when she’s the manager 💀)

the manager of the store

.✩ nami (steals money from the safe sometimes), aokiji (he literally never shows up to work on time and doesn’t give a shit what the employees do), akainu, fujitora, shanks (bro also does not care and comes to work hungover), dragon (has not shown up once since the interview), sengoku, garp, dadan, vivi, magellan

the sale sign flipper guy

.✩ zoro (if he manages to actually find his way to the store), bepo, ace, shachi, penguin, queen (you legit can’t miss him as you’re driving by 💀), yamato, oden, cat viper, bon clay, ivankov

they work solely in the back to avoid human interaction as much as possible

.✩ mihawk, law, smoker (he’s the guy that mans the big crane machine that moves huge boxes), hawkins, king, katakuri, smoker, lucci

they’re the CEOs of companies that are partners with the store and provide goods for the store to sell

.✩ crocodile (provides gut/immune supporting, healthy, all organic animal/pet food), doflamingo, kaido, big mom, whitebeard, moria (sells and produces copious amounts of Halloween costumes and other decorations)

actually decent employees

.✩ usopp, benn, x drake, robin, nojiko, baby 5, monet, vergo, franky, icebarg, bellamy (SHADOW FROM SK8 PLS TELL ME YALL SEE IT), hachi, killer

they start tweaking because they asked a customer how they were and they ignored them

.✩ shirahoshi (sobbing), bepo, sanji (asked a girl who had her headphones on), Uta (will get so pressed that they ignored her when in reality they just had headphones on)

they’re the reason why the store’s still in business | they’re basically the mascot

.✩ chopper, bepo, carrot, cat viper, dog storm

the dude everyone goes to for questions/help | “Idk go ask ___”

.✩ franky (has beef with cash register 4 bc it stops working for no reason only during his lunch break and never when he’s not doing anything), icebarg, kaku, usopp, lucci, jack, king, robin, jimbei

they’re the reason why no one likes to shop there | they have several weird allegations or felonies of some sort

.✩ trebol, caesar, diamante, dellinger, pica (he drives this mini car and always somehow fits inside it and takes up two spots in the parking lot), absalom, hogback (people have gone missing in the parking lot it’s scary), moria (would you wanna shop if you saw bro? Ik I wouldn’t 😭)

jobless for life ✌️

.✩ rayleigh (he slays idc), roger, yasopp

a/n - I think i forgot people but eh 💀 the one piece brainrot is so back 🙏

[literaila]

you really should’ve known 

tasm!peter x fem!reader 

summary: in which spider-man finds a million different ways to annoy you. he’s very thorough. 

series masterlist. 

warnings: its. banter. (and maybe a slight sense of yearning) 

a/n: give me love (and by that i mean, please let me know what you thought) 

*

"are you serious?" 

contrary to your former impression, spider-man is very light on his feet. 

especially when he's tip-toeing across your roof. 

"being rebellious again?" he asks you, a bit sardonic, taking a seat on one of the boxes just a couple of feet away from you. and also completely intruding on your personal space. 

"are you serious?" you repeat. 

see, the roof is yours. you claimed it with the chair you brought up and the wasted tears on the side of the ledge. 

and the homework thrown across the concrete. 

he tilts his head, eyes comically wide as always. "not usually." 

you glare at him. he peers closer like he's trying to look inside your soul. 

to get a view of all the tar and rot. which, as he can probably see, there's a lot of. 

especially tonight, when you're in the most pleasant of moods. 

you glare even harder. "i don't know what you're talking about." 

"you know," he says, ignoring that. "i actually took the liberty of making sure you weren't going to kill yourself by being up here." 

he's looking up at the sky--maybe just to avoid your disdainful eyes. it gives you a moment to stare. 

"how sweet of you." 

if you look closely enough you can see his throat contract as he swallows. 

"just looking out for you," he looks back at you. if the sound of his voice means anything, then he's smirking at you. and still. 

"what does 'looking out for me' entail?" you cross your arms. pretend that it isn't twenty-seven degrees. "so far we've got stealing my book, and stalking me."

that the goosebumps are just a coincidence. 

spider-man points towards the door. mostly to mock you. "how do you get through?" he asks, ignoring you. "there's a code." 

"maybe i know it."

he crosses his arms. 

you smile, very innocent. "maybe i set the code." 

spider-man coughs. looks away for a moment. and then gestures a hand to you, telling you to continue. 

you sigh. "a friend taught me." 

the reminder feels like a punch to the gut. like walking to the edge of the building and looking down only to find that there's no solid ground in sight. 

you must be walking on clouds. 

he shifts. "a friend taught you?" 

"uh-huh." 

he stares for a moment. the two of you listen to people banging on the ceiling. or maybe it's just the sound of your heart, high on adrenaline. 

and finally, he leans back. "...i can't tell if you're lying or not." 

"not." 

he laughs. "so how do you do it?" 

"snuck into the janitor's office. found a list of codes to the building." 

he thinks for a moment. 

you watch his hands tap at his thigh, arrogant. 

"well, that's definitely breaking the law." 

you frown. "i don't think there's a law about breaking into offices." 

"there's a law about trespassing." 

"i live here." 

spider-man sighs. "breaking the code of conduct, then." 

"how will i ever atone for my strict rule-breaking?" you blink at him, eyes wide. "surely, it can't be as bad as beating people to a pulp every day." 

he scoffs. "i just tie people to things." 

"rephrase. i've seen the news."

"hang people from things." 

you tap a finger to your chin. "would you like to elaborate on that, spider-man?" 

he pretends to think with you. "not really." 

you frown. cross your arms. very offended. 

by his laughter and his showing up and the fact that you're still sitting here when you'd been planning--all week--to yell at him whenever you got the chance.

when you'd been planning to crack the surface of his skin and steal your book back from his organs. 

unfortunately, your throat is sore today. and you haven't been sleeping enough to commit murder. 

he laughs at you again. "what? are you taking notes?" 

you nod, very serious. "i've already looked up the closest news station to here." 

 "'spider-man torments young girl on her roof'" he almost sounds gleeful. "that's not too bad." 

you laugh. "i was actually just going to mention the john green hatred, but if you want me to say more..." 

"no, no. that's okay. you're busy enough." 

you look away from him, down to the homework in your lap. 

it should've been done almost two hours ago. 

spider-man clears his throat. "so your friend taught you how to break into offices?" 

you smile. pretend that there isn't a secret hidden in your chest--something that not even spider-man should know. "he taught me how to pick a lock." 

spider-man freezes, his head tilting slowly to the side. 

you can't tell if he's looking at you or not. 

and then, with a very subtle clearing of his throat, he says: "maybe i should call the police." 

you scowl even though you'd really like to laugh. 

"i mean, you're clearly a danger to society." 

"yup. i like to steal things." 

"and read terrible books." 

your cheek twitches. "he just wanted to be sure that i could get into his house." 

spider-man waits a moment, contemplating. "why didn't he just leave you a key?" 

"'y/n, do you know how dangerous that is?'" you say, in a poor imitation of peter's voice. "'if i ever find a key underneath your welcome mat i swear--'"

"y/n?" his voice is soft. interrupting. 

you pause. feel something twitch in the back of your throat. 

there's a flashing red sign. a tell-tale to turn away. 

you look up, not really caring. still, the embarrassment inches its way further up your throat. "what?" you ask, swallowing. 

you still don't know why he's here. 

but spider-man shakes his head. like he's just remembered something. like he's changed his mind. like he's not going to answer the questions swimming through your head. 

"that's your name?" he's staring at you. "y/n?" 

oops. 

your eyes widen, tiny little voice in your head scolding you. "um, yeah." 

you try and smile at him--feeling nice today. especially now that he actually can call the police on you. "what's yours?" 

spider-man scoffs, jumping off the box and rocking on his heels. 

"that's classified." 

"are you in the witness protection program?" you ask him, completely serious. 

"yes." 

you avert your eyes. "sorry. didn't mean to pry." you definitely aren't using your peripheral vision to watch his reaction. "actually, you probably shouldn't be talking to me." 

spider-man tilts his head but says nothing. 

"you know, since i'm a criminal and all." 

it earns you a laugh. "i'm also a criminal. just another thing we have in common." 

"you're keeping track?" you cross your arms, leaning back to observe him. 

to watch him until he disintegrates right in front of your eyes. 

but he nods, looking very solid. "it's not like there's a lot of differences." 

"you're spider-man. i'm a girl on a roof." 

he gestures around him. "both of us are on a roof." 

"you're spider-man, i'm doing homework." 

"i do homework." 

you scoff. "i'm sorry," you say, eyes squinted at him. the sun has begun to set. "did you just imply that you're still in school?" 

he tilts his head. "what's wrong with that?" 

"nothing," you nod your head, looking away from him. "you know, besides the fact that you're 52." 

spider-man crosses his arms. 

you smack your forehead. "oh wait. i meant 62." 

"that's just offensive." 

you blink. "i didn't mean to offend an elderly man. i would never." you cross your heart. 

you've begun to enjoy the irritated sneers coming from his mouth. 

"not that i believe you," he snides, "but you still haven't." 

"that's right. we're supposed to say 'old' now." 

"i--" he looks away. arms still crossed. up at the sky. maybe contemplating leaving. maybe that was your entire goal. to irritate irritating pests on your roof. should've got some bug spray. spider-man is still shaking his head. "what even--" 

"it's kind of impressive that spider-man is 75 years old." 

he pauses a moment. places a hand under his chin. "you know, you're actually getting closer." 

"oh good." 

and then you look away from him for just a moment. just a second to look up. 

to consider the reality of this situation. in which, there is none. 

in which spider-man maybe isn't annoying you completely. 

you don't doubt that you're low on quality conversation--not that this counts in the slightest--since you lost your boyfriend. 

your best friend. 

since he's started ignoring you in the halls and skipping whatever classes he has with you. 

since you decided that his lying, his avoidance, and apathy were too much. were just not enough. 

it's all fine. 

if you choose to be irritated at anything--and you really don't. you feel absolutely nothing--it's spider-man. 

with his ridiculously long limbs and stupid laughter and hypocrisy. 

you frown at him. 

"what?" he asks, a teasing tone of voice. "did you just remember how rude you've been to me?" 

"where's my book?" you lose any tone of voice. 

his head tilts. "what book?" 

"the book you stole from me." 

"oh. probably making a teenage girl very happy." he nods, very composed. "and i didn't really steal it--" 

"what do you mean? what girl?" 

if you took a moment to reflect, you might understand why he backs away a couple of inches. 

"woah," he whistles. "you alright?" 

you scowl. "i've got a thief on my roof." 

"i mean, that's just a bit of a stretch, isn't it?" 

"john, richard, dicky, whatever your name is, i don't appreciate being tormented--" 

he puts a hand on his chest. mock-gasps. "tormented? i wouldn't--" 

"and i'm very tired tonight. i've got homework--which i'm sure you remember from a decade ago." 

"hah." 

"so," you continue, looking away from him. "will you please give me my book? i've been waiting a week." 

a spare hand goes to his neck. spider-man sighs. "i wasn't kidding about the girl..." 

"what." 

"look," and all of a sudden he's pleading with you, hands clasped together. "she was really scared. like, crying. her phone died, lost her parents. all of that. and so, because i'm nice--" 

you start to protest but he shushes you. 

"because i'm nice," he reiterates. "i sat and talked with her for a while. waited until her parents got back." 

"and you just happened to drop my book while you were doing that?" 

"it was in my hands--because as you can tell, i don't have any pockets. and she saw it. apparently, she'd been wanting to read it for a while, and i figured that you wouldn't miss it--" 

you throw your head back and groan. 

"hey, look. don't you feel good knowing that there's a girl somewhere in new york full of joy because she has your book?" 

"no." 

he points a finger at you. "and, don't you feel good knowing that you'll never have to experience the torture of reading it?" 

"pretty sure i'm experiencing it right now." 

he scoffs. waves a hand like you're being ridiculous. 

like he hasn't distracted you for twenty minutes and stolen your book and given it away and tried to justify it-- 

"you'll get over it. i'll bring you a better book." 

and, at that point, you stand up. 

you push your chair back. grab a paper off of the ground--only one because you really don't want to get any closer to him than you have to. 

and then you turn around. away from him. 

"was that a yes?" 

"i'm leaving. go home, richard." 

spider-man's voice is much more relaxing from fifteen feet away. "you know that's not actually my name, right?" 

you wave at him, not bothering to look back. 

punch the code into the keypad. 

"i'll bring the book next time." 

the door opens. you look back, glaring at him. "there's not going to be a next time." 

"i'm sure you thought that last time too." 

he sounds like he's smiling and it only makes you want to crack the little white eyeballs on his face and swallow them. just to get his reaction. 

super-strength or webby hands be damned. 

"goodbye, spider-man. tell the next girl you torture that i'm sorry." 

and then you open the door a little bit wider, stepping through. 

"i'm guessing you didn't give the coffee shop a try--" 

the rest of his sentence is drowned out by the sound of the door slamming. 

*

you would like to be clear that this has absolutely nothing to do with spider-man. 

he is merely a mosquito on your hand, dying because you chose to flex your fingers at just the right time. it itches anyway. 

you would like to shove your fingers into a door until they're broken, just so that you don't have to walk through this one. 

you would like to turn around and fall straight into the center of the earth. 

unfortunately, those things are widely frowned upon. 

so instead you smile at that person holding open the door for you--the person who looks a little bit confused because you've definitely been standing there for more than five seconds. you mutter a polite "thank you" and step through the door. 

approximately five feet in and you've decided that you hate coffee shops. 

there was a time when you liked them, you're sure, but under the influence of stupid ideas and despairing loneliness--it's just loud. 

it smells a little bit too much like coffee beans. a little bit too much like a room filled with deodorant. 

it feels like walking in alone. 

like trying to forget the past six weeks. 

like failing, because what else have you been doing lately? 

you walk up to the counter, order something off the menu--that you definitely do not understand--and go to sit in the corner with the bugs. 

because apparently, those are the closest things you can get to friends. 

you collapse on the table. bang your head until you've entered an alternate universe. 

or, until your name is called. it's basically the same thing. 

when you return to the corner, it's with half-lidded eyes. with feelings that you can barely comprehend, and ideas that aren't comprehensible. to anyone. including yourself. 

you miss peter. 

immediately, with a groan that earns you some looks, you shove that thought out of your mind. you hope it gets a concussion, thanks. 

and then you rest your head on the table. 

this was a stupid idea. 

*

"hey," someone shakes your shoulder. 

your head pounds--maybe because the only thing you've had to eat today was a couple of sips of coffee--as you look up. 

cheek indented from the table, you rub at your eyes. you blink until the vision clears. 

and there stands the last person you want to see. 

"why are you here?" you croak out, voice sore and annoyed and every possible thing that can send him the message of your disdain. 

the exhaustion hasn't faded. there's a sword at the tip of your chest. 

"public shop. they don't actually close it for people trying to nap..." he looks around. "but maybe they should." 

of course, the only person who would ever be as irritating enough to wake you up from a nap in a perfectly public coffee shop surrounded by a lot of people who could steal anything out of your pockets would be spider-man. 

and maybe the nicest. but you don't think long or hard enough to consider that. 

"what do you want?" 

"to make sure you're not dead." 

you scowl. then widen your eyes for him, very comically. "see? not dead." 

"you know dead people's eyes are usually open, right?" 

so then you close them. laying back down on the table. "i'm fine." 

"you're in a coffee shop." 

"is that illegal too?" you mutter against the table. 

"no. but i'm assuming that you got the idea from a very intelligent, very handsome--" 

"--idiot?" 

"okay, no." he sits down across from you. you bury your nose into the table, wanting to block any inch of him out of your mind. "and you should probably sit up." 

"because you want to watch as you irritate me?" 

"because you don't know the last time these tables were cleaned." 

you lean up. blinking down at the table. "oh." 

spider-man laughs. "yeah," he says, moving your cup over so he can see it. "oh." 

"are you going to steal my coffee too?" 

"i'm wearing a mask." 

"you superheroes haven't developed straws to go through them?" 

spider-man leans back. "usually i just take it off." 

you smile. "okay," you lean a little bit closer to him, chin on your hand, adoringly. "go ahead."

spider-man looks around, very distracted. he says nothing. 

you sigh. "fine. bad design." 

you scratch at your hand. think about walking out the door, about stepping on his feet and spilling your coffee all over him. 

all very amusing. all very impolite. 

spider-man looks back at you. "are you offering to sew me a new one?" 

you look down. away from him. up to the very edge of the ceiling, stained with something that you hope is coffee. "i'm offering to give you my coffee in exchange for your departure."

he laughs. 

you stare. 

"you really think i want that? it's basically bleach," he pushes it back towards you. "plus, i already ordered." 

you raise a brow. "how'd you pay?" 

"i'm a superhero. i get drinks for free." he says this like it's an answer. 

you stare. 

"cash, obviously." 

you laugh. 

you look away from him, for just a split second, to notice the people staring at you. 

what seems like hundreds of people. 

all looking. all pointing. 

your eyes widen. you shrink a little bit in your seat. "okay, i think you should actually go." 

"but this is your first coffee outing." 

he must be pouting. 

"aren't you 'on the clock?'" you make air quotes. use a hand to cover your face. 

"can't save people who don't need saving," he shrugs like this is typical for him. like there aren't a bunch of people wondering why he's sitting with you. 

"i don't need saving," you say, "so you can go." 

he laughs. crosses his arms. "i disagree." 

"well, i don't. these people are about to tackle me just to get to you." 

"what people?" his voice is a little bit harder, he's quick to scan the area, looking for any potential threats. 

to you or him, you aren't sure. 

"oh." 

"oh," you repeat, nervous. "so, i mean this with all of the kindness in my heart, richard--" 

"liar." 

"please leave. it was loud before you got here." 

you feel the tip of your chest deflate, your lungs following. you feel his eyes on you, and you still feel stupid for coming here in the first place. 

of course, spider-man gets his coffee on tuesdays. 

"i'll go," he promises, "if you promise not to fall asleep again." 

"the table is comfortable." 

"you're a hazard." 

"to other people?" 

"to yourself." 

you scowl at him. "it's a public place. i'm perfectly safe." 

"guess i'll stay with you then," he shrugs. "keep you entertained." 

"okay, fine. i won't fall asleep again. actually, i'm leaving too. but you go first." 

he crosses his arms. "you're leaving." 

"whatever this was meant to help, it didn't." 

"probably because you fell asleep." 

"richard." 

he laughs--probably at the nickname but maybe at you. "alright, alright," he raises his hands in defense. "i'll go." 

you exhale. pleased with yourself. spider-man stands up, pushes his chair in. he's still looking at you. 

"but you have to promise first." 

"i'm not promising you anything." 

he sits back down. 

"okay, i promise," you say quickly. the crowd has gotten just a little bit closer. 

he laughs again. "see you soon, y/n." 

"no you won't--" you start to say. 

but he's already gone. 

and so is the exhaustion. 

*

my masterlist here. 

part four. 

tags:  @moonlarking-blog​ @v1ci0us​ @preciousbabypeter​ @alexxavicry​ @directioner5life​ @random_writer1021 @bachiracore @spidermoony @doexoeyes @horror-eye @uwiuwi​ 

[eclectic-sassycoweyes]

🚨😶 pleaseee

Hi Michelle! Thankuu! 🌼 Ohh I had to think a lot about these!

🚨Emergency most likely to make you sob

I’m not sure if we’re talking canon here or not, but going with canon bc I’m not going to risk jinxing anything by coming up with awfully sad storylines !

I think the suddenness is what often get to me - when you expect everything to be okay, when the characters even expect that, and then in a second, their future and all they had planned is ripped out right from under them and right in front of them and they have to deal with that shock and their whole world changing and the Thing That Was Never Allowed to Happen happens.

Apart from that, I think that the worst one might be the girl who is a victim of the organ stealing ring in s4. The injustice of the way she was treated by the police, how alone she felt. That gets me every time.

😶 Unpopular opinion, respectfully

On a lighter note, hopefully (don’t come for me please🫣)

Okay, so first I couldn’t think of one, and then I thought of two, and I literally lack that little thing inside brains that chooses between stuff, so now you’re getting both of them🙃

1) Okay, first of all.. hear me out please - I love everything about Carlos Reyes, and I love him with my whole entire being, especially his flaws. This is nothing against him whatsoever, this is about my own issues..

But this Carlos:

And this:

Listen, I love him!! But I would have ran and it’s a good thing I’m not TK bc I might not have come back

He’s so sweet and heart eyes-y and horny enough for crazy enough about TK that he’s willing to put on the sirens and cook dinner at midnight for him and I LOVE IT ! But! He’s also just so intense! If someone offered to break the law for me, or if someone had put on their nicest shirt, set out champagne and candles and cooked dinner for me when I showed up to what I thought was a booty call, I would be like Nope! Can’t handle this👀

I don’t mean to hate on him for doing it, for being cheesy and romantic and a bit over the top and awkward, I love him for it, and I don’t see it as a character flaw. But I would just not have been able to deal because of my own sh*t mostly. I would be scared of all the feelings and sure that I would end up causing him pain and feeling pressured and like wouldn’t be able to live up to how serious and relationshippy he is !

Not me wanting a relationship but running like hell the other way when someone seems to be offering it

For me it goes to show that TK really is so brave and is such a serious relationship-guy himself - this is clearly too much too soon for him, but he also knows that this man is perfect his soulmate in every way that matters, and so he does end up fighting the urge to running as fast as he can in the other direction🥹🥹

It would probably serve me to learn a lot from TK in this regard

2) I… don’thopeforanothercomaoroneofthemgettingkidnapped🫣🫣

Like, I wouldn’t mind one (okay maybe a little bit). I appreciate the exquisite pain and aloneness and the revelations and holding of breath that comes from the whole one of them holding vigil.. but it’s also happened, twice. And like with the kidnapping/disappearing thing, listen I loved how Carlos went all detective in 2x08(I think?) and how anxious and stubborn TK was in 4x04, but it’s just so one-sided and we never get the aftermath and that’s what I want - I want the caretaking, helping with getting dressed and taking small sips of water. I want the whumpee to be there to be grumpy, vulnerable, embarrassed etc.

I’d prefer like, a broken leg, a concussion with bo I screens allowed, stomach flu, even kidney stones lol, or a hangover or the common cold - I want to see them cuddling, loving each other through gross and mundane and human things, calling the others parents in the hospital or their friends to cancel game night🥹

🫣🫣🫣

[bellaaldamas]

Here's the thing:

Live Action Eric's mother would have preferred Vanessa, as a wife for her son and as a daughter in law.

That is, if "Vanessa" was a real person and not a ruse used by Ursula who literally changed her body to get the man. And then effectively drugged said man via hypnotic spell, stealing another woman's voice and his free will to gain control. Ariel had already proven to Ursula by that point that "looks and pretty face" (which original animated Ursula referred to in order to manipulate Ariel) were not enough, did not define her as a woman and that Eric fell in love with her because of her enthusiastic, inspired personality. Down to choosing her mute self over the dream/fantasy girl with a charming voice (a physical trait that was constantly suppressed by others when Ariel was living under the sea, mainly by men - her father and Sebastian, in both versions; though Sebastian perpetuating Triton's patriarchal oppression was far more pronounced in the animated 1989 canon, especially when they both organized a propaganda event where Triton's daughters and Ariel in particular were supposed to sing praises to Triton as a ruler and father).

Hence why Ursula/"Vanessa"'s only way to get the man was to take away his freedom of choice - the thing Eric, in both versions, valued above all else and fought with all his might to retain.

But the Queen in the LA version did not know that context about Eric and mute Ariel. She didn't even know about their bonding when Grimsby helped them escape the castle. To her Ariel was just some girl a random fisherman brought to castle who then turned out to be a mermaid (the Queen held prejudice against the sea creatures but as highlighted numerous times throughout the movie it was certainly not exclusive to her - the sailors told legends about mermaids luring men to their deaths and feared them) and brought a series of dangers upon her son (even Ursula/"Vanessa", from Queen Selina's perspective, tricked and hurt Eric because of her beefs with Ariel).

And that's exactly why Grimsby - and not Eric's mother (who didn't exist in the original) - immediately noticed something was wrong and unusual about Eric's behavior when he decided to marry "Vanessa".

That's one of the spins that benefited the LA version, unlike many other changes that sacrificed real empowerment for the sake of pseudo-feminist "girlboss" moments.

Mainly the kiss amnesia which completely removed Ariel's agency (even though the intention was clearly the opposite). This pseudo-"feminist" twist made Ariel an inert, clueless object during the Kiss the Girl scene. Meanwhile, the subjects are Eric, who in the remake is the one to make all the moves on Ariel during the boat sequence while SHE is the one resisting and pulling away. And Sebastian, who repeatedly manipulates Ariel into kissing Eric throughout the movie.

Sebastian even spells it out to Scuttle and Flounder that he is going to act without her consent and against her wishes when pushing the pair towards each other on the boat. Because otherwise Ariel - and Sebastian admits that too - would chase them all away for ignoring her boundaries, as she does at least twice in the remake ("If she sees or hears us, she’ll shut us down. Nah, man. We got to be sneaky about this"). Which means that without Sebastian's "man knows better" interference Ariel ends up, ultimately, in Ursula's hands. LA Ariel is not only not in control of her romantic agency, she is not in control of her life because of that twist.

(more break down of the good, the bad, the very bad and the very good changes in the remake under the cut though it is not exhaustive at all and I'm not even touching upon the climax because that would require a separate novel length post).

To add insult to injury, the subjects in the LA Kiss the Girl are all male. Discounting Scuttle who, while female in the 2023 version, remains the same comedic relief as in the original. However, original Scuttle has distinctive purpose: to have Ariel bond with someone living above the surface (back when Ariel had no means to "explore the shore up above" herself), the world her bigoted father insisted was full of "barbarians". Even though the ultimate barbarian lived under his ocean and scammed his subjects before turning them into hideous, impaired creatures just to satisfy her sadistic leanings, all with Triton's tacit endorsement.

Conversely, LA Scuttle ultimately affects and accomplishes nothing, besides in the carbon copy of the original scene where, in both versions, Scuttle is used as a plot device to discover "Vanessa" was actually Ursula who stole Ariel's voice. In the 1989 movie Scuttle actively serves his narrative function when he rips the shell necklace off "Vanessa"/Ursula. In the remade version we get an atrocious cat-fight scene between two women - Ariel and "Vanessa"/Ursula - which is not progressive or feminist in the slightest (again, contrary to Disney intending to make it a "girlpower" moment).

That said, although the plot changes to LA Scuttle's role in the story were not well executed Scuttle herself, as an individual character, had a very defined and compelling personality (contrary to Jacqueline in Cinderella 2015 who had no personality at all unlike her male counterpart Jaq in the original; she was made female solely for "progressive points"). This version of Scuttle was vastly different from the original, not only in terms of them being a different type of bird (seagull in the original, northern gannet in the remake), but in terms of how they interact with other characters, particularly Sebastian.

In the original Sebastian doesn't think much of Scuttle and his "human expert" ways (deservedly so) and is annoyed by how clueless he can be. The narrative treats Sebastian as the rational and righteous one and Scuttle as an incompetent airhead who is always wrong about everything. In turn, Scuttle, growing frustrated with his own inability to get some of his points across, lashes out at Sebastian even more harshly, hitting him several times against the docks when trying to explain that Eric is actually marrying the sea witch in disguise.

In the remake the antagonism and banter between Scuttle and Sebastian is also mutual but the narrative more often than not sides with Scuttle despite her being just as wrong about human things as her 1989 counterpart. LA Scuttle, in turn, remains unequivocally on the side of Ariel - a clever way to show the narrative is on Ariel's side as well. Especially when Sebastian slips into his "man knows best and by man I mean me and King Triton who will kill me if I don't parrot his propaganda" mode. It is particularly evident in the Part of Your World Reprise scene on the shore, when Scuttle is genuinely excited for Ariel finding love in the form of Eric and literally doesn't give Sebastian's patronizing speeches time of the day ("sorry, what'd you say, again?").

Onto the change with LA Grimsby realizing there had to be more to a sudden decision to marry "Vanessa" on part of Eric. Eric who has just had his arc of growth and letting go of his idealistic dreams of a fantasy girl and was willing to take the next step in his relationship with mute Ariel after bonding with her. Grimsby, in the new version, got to actually witness glimpses of said bonding in the library and when the pair came back from their Kingdom tour which Grimsby helped organize despite Queen's orders to keep Eric in the castle. That change was good and contributed to vindicating the original Eric. Who often tends to be just as misunderstood and mischaracterized as animated Ariel.

In the original movie Grimsby is Eric's main and only parental/guardian figure and yet he notices nothing about Eric's robotic voice and erratic, irrational behavior when the latter announces he is to commit to "Vanessa". Grimsby is more concerned about why Eric wants to marry so soon but doesn't act on this concern at all. Most tragic thing is that, for awhile, animated Eric, after his free will is stolen, remains completely alone in the world, with no support system besides Max (whose 1989 version saw through "Vanessa" magnificently and made it known at the wedding when hissing at her).

The plot with the removal of animated Eric's agency was more brutal than in the remake.

Because animated Eric struggled and fought not so much for his right to not conform to royal rules and lifestyle (unlike both Ariels, 1989 Eric was not subjected to patriarchal oppression and didn't have parents who could force their idea of royal life on him - but he was just as lonely and firm in his defiance of toxic social norms and pressure to act contrary to his beliefs as Ariel was; and THAT was their bonding point in the original). Animated Eric fought for his individuality, values and priorities (another parallel with Ariel who rejected her father's bigoted views about humans and aspired to gain knowledge and information herself instead of being blindly submissive to Triton's narratives or singing him political and public praises - like her sisters - rather than indulge her curiosity and thirst for exploration).

Original Eric, in that vein, fought for his right to exercise his romantic agency the way he saw fit, subscribing to his idealistic view of love and his conviction there was "the one" out there who would "hit him like a lightning". Which is exactly what ended up happening, twice, just not in the idealistic and naive way his dreamer self expected. But in the way which ultimately proved he was right all along about not settling for pressure and looking for the person who would be good for him. Same way animated Ariel was right about defying her father's bigotry about humans being "savage, barbaric fish-eaters" with no regard for anyone.

When animated Eric let go of his idealistic image of a dream girl with the Voice TM he wasn't letting go of his ideals. He came to realize that it was the mute Ariel who shared those ideals. The one who nearly got him killed because she was too eager to drive the carriage herself (after a lifetime of HER agency and independence being suppressed). The one who dragged him around the square paying little attention to him and often not even looking at him but still wanting him next to her. Even when animated Eric lifted Ariel up during their dance Ariel still did not try to kiss him, more interested in where they'd go to explore next.

Instead of using that time with Eric to try to get close to him romantically (and animated Ariel knew the stakes of NOT kissing him before the third sunset), Ariel was having the time of her life. She wanted to share her own excitement with Eric over finally getting the opportunity to "walk, talk, run, wander free" and not be a "reprimanded daughter" (read: an oppressed woman). She was treating him like a partner.

That leads us to a bad change TM in the remake: LA Ariel didn't include Eric in her process of exploring the human world and made no conscious effort to bond with him on a spiritual and platonic level. When they go out for a walk Ariel completely separates herself from him and he doesn't get to witness her most ridiculous, anti-social moments and still fall in love with her, as animated Eric gets the chance to. Earlier in the library it is Eric who finds Ariel first and starts sharing his interests - only then does Ariel reciprocate rather than initiate their communication, showing him the "secret of the seashell". When he starts making effort to get closer to her on the boat, both emotionally and romantically, Ariel once again responds but she doesn't instigate as animated Ariel does. LA Ariel reciprocates, yet again, because Eric - and Sebastian with his "sneaky" help - is persistent enough.

LA Ariel has no idea she has to kiss Eric to remain human, she just follows the lead of two men in that sequence.

In the 1989 version the vital point was that Ariel knew all along she needed a kiss from Eric to remain human like she dreamed long before seeing and saving him. But she preferred - as in, made an informed choice - to play with dolls on the town's square and explore around and do anything and everything but try to seduce Eric. Eliciting frustration from her male friends for NOT caring enough about a man and caring MORE about every other interest she had.

LA Ariel doesn't get to make that informed choice because she doesn't remember about the kiss. Contrary to 1989 Ariel, she doesn't get to pick between herself and a man and still choose herself.

It is not until animated Ariel and Eric end up on the boat and there is nothing to explore but Scuttle's horrendous "vocal stimulation" that Ariel - again, consciously - has her mind go back to the kiss condition and finally pays attention to Eric. Crucial point is that in the animated film SHE made the first explicitly romantic move on the boat and leaned in for a kiss first. At her own pace, in her own time and when she wanted. The initiative in Ariel and Eric's romantic interactions in the original belonged entirely to Ariel, a woman.

Another disastrous change that should have never happened and that robbed LA Ariel of any agency in the situation: giving Ariel the "kiss amnesia" and having Eric be the one to attempt to instigate a kiss.

A kiss - the condition forced on both Ariels by Ursula in exchange for an attempt at gaining freedom and fulfilling their goals. The condition that animated Ariel remained conscious, aware and in charge of up until forces beyond her or Eric's control interfered (Flotsam and Jetsam tipping the boat over on Ursula's orders). Because she was aware of the stakes and deadlines animated Ariel got to decide how and when to proceed. She couldn't control Ursula's unscrupulous actions but she was in control of her own body and romantic agency.

LA Ariel was robbed of that privilege and it's inexcusable. Especially when done under the guise of "feminism". Especially when her father, in the remake, was even more oppressive and vicious towards her than original Triton.

In the 1989 version Ariel is the subject but Eric is no object either. When Ariel leans in for a kiss Eric pulls away. Because "looks and pretty face" were never enough for him. Because he was still committed to his ideals and viewed the Girl with the Voice as an embodiment of them. And, most importantly, because his ideals included taking love and relationship seriously and Eric, per his own words, could NOT kiss a girl whose name he didn't even know.

And Ariel backed away when he did. She did not make fun of Eric for being a "boy too shy" (toxic masculinity brought on by Sebastian - who directed the "mood creating" musical number; and who proved there was a reason Triton's patriarchal self appointed him as his adviser AND a personal spy to invade his daughter's private space earlier in the story). Animated Ariel respected Eric's agency and consent as much as he did hers. Be it throughout the Kingdom tour or in the aforementioned scene where he pulled away and refused to take advantage of the situation and mute Ariel's vulnerability.

It is not until Eric does learn Ariel's name is the physical intimacy between them resumed - because Ariel wants it and takes him by the hand (being the one to instigate physical contact) to confirm (nodding enthusiastically) that he did, in fact, get her name right. Once again animated Ariel is the subject and an active party in the scene.

In the 2023 version Ariel is simply going with the flow in the same scene. She passively follows along with what she is offered by Eric (who in the remake is completely smitten with mute Ariel by that point and easily shifts the focus of his feelings from his "fantasy girl" to her) and Sebastian. Who, in turn, pressures Eric and Ariel into doing something Ariel does not even remember she has to do and shows no consent or interest in doing.

It's Eric who leans in for a kiss here and Ariel who pulls away, feeling tense, confused and uncomfortable. She doesn't understand what is going on while Sebastian is pulling the strings ("Work on the Prince using the power of suggestion") and he and Eric remain active parties who get to decide how the events turn and when the next romantic step should be taken.

In either case, however, the sequence ends with Ariel getting closer not just to Eric but to her dream of remaining human. Whilst Eric ultimately chooses Ariel over his "dream girl with the voice". Despite the kissing failure courtesy of Ursula's minions Ariel and Eric almost fulfill the condition of the deal and take their relationship to a new level in the process and nothing stops them from trying again (that's the very reason Ursula decides to intervene personally and, as mentioned above, actually changes herself into a conventionally attractive younger woman to coerce Eric).

Difference is that where animated Ariel still has agency and awareness of the situation and the deadline LA Ariel is kept in ignorant bliss and has NO control of either the situation or her own life in this case.

However, Disney did right by both Ariel and Eric when it comes to Eric's key development: him letting go of his idealistic dream of the "girl with the voice" and Ariel doing everything to restore his free will after Ursula/"Vanessa" stole it. Moreover, in the LA version the narrative emphasized more boldly the disturbing nature of this act on part of Ursula, having Ariel directly spell it out ("she bewitched you"). LA made it a point that Eric was no less a victim of Ursula than Ariel and Triton were.

Children likely would not perceive the terrifyingly predatory implications of both versions as far as this matter - and the scene where "Vanessa" puts Eric under the spell - is concerned (same for the horrid, taunting “so long, loverboy” line from Ursula). But it does, either time, attain it's purpose of eliciting a reaction of "why does this have to be so unfair" from anyone regardless of age (or whether or not they cared about Eric prior to that scene). Because the scene - in either movie - is the epitome of injustice and pure unadulterated cruelty despite the lack of any physical violence.

The viewer is exposed to how one of the two leading characters whose core identity was built upon striving for independence, who has gone through the process of maintaining said independence while growing out of childish idealism in favor of informed choices (same theme Ariel's arc rested upon, see above) in the face of constant pressure has everything he's worked so hard for be torn from him rapidly and viciously in an instant.

In the animated version Eric's choice of mute Ariel symbolizing both his growth and the triumph of his free will is more pronounced. Eric's youthful romantic nature was what set his arc in motion in the first place and was the foundation for his struggle. He is the one who rejected the princess of Glowerhaven despite Grimsby's best efforts to get him to act like a royal heir ought to. And marry out of obligation to his subjects (rather than, again, by choice) whom Grimsby uses to delicately pressure Eric in the original ("The entire kingdom wants to see you happily settled down with the right girl").

But Eric stood his ground - because he valued his independence and the idea people should form partnerships upon genuine mutual feelings rather than political contract - above societal demands; and that's what got mute Ariel to listen to him so intently and identify with him. Animated Eric was the one who was, literally, hit by the lightning (the way he believed he would find his love) and, metaphorically, by Ariel who saved him (notably, animated Eric had no qualms proudly announcing that "a girl rescued him" and did not feel one bit emasculated about it).

The flute, for the original Eric, represented that idealistic dream and his belief in free choice of partner attached to said dream, of a girl with angelic voice. But when he gets to bond with the mute Ariel he realizes that physical attributes such as the aforementioned angelic voice or his adoration of an image of "the one" who may or may not have been a figment of his imagination is not what his beliefs rest upon. They, as mentioned above, rest upon free will and Eric's commitment to the idea of mutual, unforced feelings between two people.

Hence why when he throws the flute into the waves he lets go of his immaturity but not his identity.

Live Action Eric did not want to be "hit by a lightning" - he was afraid of that as much as he was afraid of the approaching "storm". It is notable that in the 2023 version it is Eric - not one of the sailors - who first notices the storm coming and warns other sailors about it. LA Eric wasn't an idealistic romantic - he was out to prove a point to his mother about their Kingdom needing to develop and not be years behind in terms of progress compared to others (there where the Queen latched on to her more conservative ideas about the direction their Kingdom should go and, presumably, preferred to keep up with the legacy of her deceased husband).

When LA Eric talks about his late father he uses words such as "isolation and fear" which he associates with staying in the castle and conforming to imposed royal routine. That's what he wants to avoid, for himself and his Kingdom and his people.

In that regard LA Eric, in the first half of the film, is more immature than idealistic romantic Eric from the 1989 movie who wasn't avoiding anyone or anything, did not prove any points and adhered to his beliefs. Where animated Eric seeks conflict of heart ("It'll just - bam! - hit me - like lightning") because he assumes he has enough courage and emotional resource to handle it, LA Eric avoids conflict of heart and hides behind ambitious, often reckless plans to expand his Kingdom's business. The Queen later mentions Eric's voyages resulting in more loss than profits so far for the Kingdom. Grimsby is actually being reasonable when he warns Eric about thoughtless risks ("I believe a little fear may be advisable, sire").

What stands out is how those changes in LA Eric's character impact his relationship with Grimsby (which brings us to the original point about the difference in Queen Selina's and Grimsby's reaction to Eric's announcement he wants to marry "Vanessa").

In the LA version the characters of change are King Triton, Queen Selina AND Grimsby whereas in the 1989 version the only character of change is King Triton. Animated Grimsby never gets to have self reflection or development because he, unlike Triton, is never proven wrong. The only time he thinks he is is when "Vanessa" appears at their castle's doorstep holding hypnotized Eric in her literal and metaphorical grasp.

At that point 1989 Grimsby is forced to admit that the dream girl is, in fact, real; and accepts not so much Eric's freedom to choose a partner (their main conflict point from earlier) as the fact that Eric was right in that one instance. He completely overlooks all of Eric's previous developments and bonding with Ariel from earlier. Even though Eric's illogical demand to have a wedding with "Vanessa" "as soon as possible" seems strange to Grimsby ("Oh, yes - of course, Eric, but, er - but these things do take time, you know...") he doesn't give it any more thought and follows along.

In the remake Eric and Grimsby start out with virtually the same conflict (Grimsby trying to pressure Eric into embracing the royal norms and rules he rejects) but the context is slightly different: LA Grimsby has more of an excuse to not show understanding towards Eric. Because in this version he is NOT his fatherly figure or the closest Eric has to an adult guardian. Original Grimsby used his position of emotional - if not social/hierarchical - authority to guilt trip and manipulate Eric (an orphaned prince, with enough privileges to live his life not needing for anything and not having anyone who would have the power to tell him what to do; yet still vulnerable because of the lack of guidance) about hurrying up to get married, as a proper heir to the throne ought to at his age (the aforementioned line about the entire Kingdom waiting for it). Even when original Grimsby doesn't deny the importance of finding the right person that Eric insists upon, he still places the blame/responsibility on Eric, remarking that he wasn't "looking hard enough" for the right woman.

LA Grimsby doesn't manipulate or pressure Eric about personal matters at all (quite the contrary, he supports all of Eric's wishes and decisions in that respect; it's him LA Ariel and Eric owe their alone time during the Kingdom Tour and the boat scene - he went up against the Queen's direct orders to arrange that for them). Grimsby admonishes Eric about endangering himself or forgetting about subordination on the ship when Eric prefers to drink and party with regular sailors. Which is, in fact, a responsible thing for an adult to do (whereas LA Eric, as mentioned already, starts out as less responsible and self aware than his animated counterpart though eventually achieves similar results and developments). Because Eric is the captain and should always keep a cool sober head and maintain authority. LA Grimsby just does that for all the wrong reasons (Eric is royalty and therefore should "act like one"). Those reasons are less a reflection of Grimsby's own views and more him projecting the views of the Queen. Whose wrath he fears to invoke if anything happens to Eric (as Grimsby admits himself in the very beginning of the remake).

That's precisely why LA Grimsby is able to notice something is wrong with Eric on the day of his wedding with "Vanessa". Furthermore, he actually does something about it. Whereas original Grimsby is pleased to see Eric ultimately doing exactly what he had been pressuring Eric into doing all that time - marrying "the right girl" and being the proper Prince (never mind that just an evening ago animated Grimsby gave Eric "wise guidance" about mute Ariel and how a girl of flesh and blood is better than any dream girl - because back then that narrative was convenient for Grimsby, just like Eric's wedding with "Vanessa" was convenient now).

On the contrary, LA Grimsby goes from someone too fearful to disobey or disappoint the Queen to someone actively defying and anti-paralleling her for the sake of Eric's agency. It's not limited to Grimsby assisting Ariel and Eric in escaping the castle for a day to have a good time.

The scene with the Queen giving Eric the family ring for his wedding with "Vanessa" and Grimsby then pushing said ring aside deliberately when it falls to the ground, as to stall the wedding, are contrasts. That is also why the Queen not accepting Ariel right away and being horrified by the reveal of her being a "sea creature" - whom the Queen was as prejudiced against as Triton was towards humans - works within this story. While Queen Selina and King Triton were meant to be parallels she and Grimsby are anti-parallels.

Back to the beginning: yes, Queen Selina would have preferred "Vanessa". From the writing standpoint, it was a well executed Freudian slip when she called Ariel specifically a "sea creature" but did not say the same thing about "Vanessa" transforming into half-human half-octopus. Subconsciously, the Queen must have been disappointed that the wedding with "Vanessa" was a scam and never meant to happen. And glad that "Vanessa"/Ursula took Ariel away and back into the ocean where she "belonged" and would be away from her son. That's why the Queen immediately attempts to stop Eric from going after Ariel and tells him that the sea is not a friendly place and "their whole world is evil".

But that's also what makes the outcome realistic and compelling: while Selina might have preferred a different route for her son, just like Triton preferred a different route for Ariel, she still accepts his wishes. She makes it a point to highlight she does it for Eric's sake and for the sake of her Kingdom, because Ariel has positive influence on both. It requires wisdom to accept your child's decisions even when you disagree with them and/or would have wanted said child to reach a different outcome with their goals and actions.

It is also not random that LA Ariel and Eric drive off to explore uncharted waters together, taking a necessary distance, while Selina and Grimsby, standing beside one another, bid them their goodbyes. That time and space to reflect on the past events and relationships is necessary not just for Ariel and Eric but also for the Queen. With Grimsby's help and perspective she is likely to gradually learn to see the situation and Eric's journey of self fulfillment from a different angle.

Tonnes of changes in the LA version were either unnecessary or outright criminal but this was good writing.

[viatagrinner]

Silvio Ricci. Dramatic Route. Chapter 23 + Letter

The heroine is used to everything about Silvio screaming for power and money. But this party was different. And the prince came out to the guests in a simple outfit.

_________________________________________

A few days before that.

The girl is in shock.

Silvio: I'm not kidding at this stage of the game.

Silvio: The old man is old enough to get off the throne.

Silvio: It's no good holding on to something forever, so I'm going to kick his ass.

Carlo calls him a "bandit" and a "usurper."

Silvio: It's already happened, so it's not a new thing.

MC: ...How can you even take the throne?

_________________________________________

The system of succession in Benitoite.

There is no "Belle" in this country.

The king appoints directly his heir. This requires "the accumulation of many accomplishments". The current king then passes the ring, the Treasure of the Sea, to the future king.

_________________________________________

The girl asks if Silvio wants to steal this ring.

Silvio: Dumbass, do you have a brain?

MC: I have brains!

The prince, sighing and embracing the heroine, replies that the people will not accept him if he steals the ring.

Both the Belle system and the Ring system allow the King to be recognized.

The captain is in charge of the ship.

If any of the sailors do not accept/acknowledge the captain, discipline is broken.

 (...Taking the throne is pointless if you don't convince people.)

Silvio: It would be ideal if the old man announced that he was leaving the throne.

Silvio: It doesn't matter how to do it. If I can create conditions in which the old man is willing to give me the ring, I win.

MC: ....This is difficult.

But the prince has a plan. He remembered the illegal auction. And he found out who was behind it.

(We must gather more evidence to incriminate the king.)

Silvio: There's no way a king who breaks Benitoite law can stay on the throne forever, right?

There is hope. But it's not that simple. The king is no fool.

So, what did the prince come up with:

1. Physical proof that the auction items were made in Obsidian.

2. This would also require:

A) Researching the import route with the help of merchants.

B) Negotiating with the auction organizer.

If he offers the auction organizer some benefit and gets him to testify directly about the old man's involvement, the prince will get lucky.

It's not as easy as it sounds. Silvio laments that he has nothing to put pressure on the auction organizer.

Silvio: ...I think we should start by getting the merchants to check and gather materials for the exchange.

Silvio: In normal times, money would help, but this time it would be complicity in the crime of treason.

The girl disagrees. She believes that many merchants will want to help the prince.

Silvio: What do you mean?

MC: It's a hunch!

The prince ruffled her hair irritably.

Silvio: It's all intuition, but this is no time for jokes.

MC: My intuition is Belle's intuition in choosing the King.

Silvio: Ha! You've finally admitted it.

MC: There's no point in hiding it now.

(And Lord Silvio is not the man to try to take advantage of my status as Belle.)

(He's a tyrant, but he has a good heart.)

The girl reminds the prince how all the merchants cheered him on.

MC: I think Lord Silvio is very popular.

But Silvio laughs at her and himself.

MC: Do you lack confidence?

Silvio does not answer this question directly. Instead, he calls Carlo and asks him to make a list of merchants to invite to the party.

There are risks that Silvio will be found, but he needs to meet with everyone before his father breaks the alliance with Rhodolite.

_________________________________________

After that, Silvio goes off to his office to write letters, to make lists. All a girl could do to help was bring food.

But the prince was not in his study. Alone, he stood on the balcony looking at the moon.

1. Hug from behind. +4/+4

2. Call

3. Stand beside me.

Without thinking long, MC hugged him from behind. He shuddered and grunted.

The girl apologized; she didn't think it would surprise/scare him so much.

Silvio: If you think it's bad, let it go!

MC saw the prince turn bright red. And instead of letting go, she hugged him even harder.

The prince's arms hugged her back.

MC: Lord Silvio?

Silvio: When you disturb people, be prepared for appropriate retribution.

The heroine's entire body heats up as his lips approach her ears and his breath touches her skin.

MC: I'm so sorry, please let me go!

Silvio: If you do it next time, it won't be enough.

As usual, the prince ruffled her hair.

Realizing why the girl had come, the prince thanked her.

(I can't believe Lord Silvio sincerely thanked me.)

MC: What's troubling you?

Silvio doesn't want to admit it.

The prince reminds her that she didn't seem to want to talk to him.

MC suggests a "temporary truce."

Silvio: Ha! How convenient...

Feelings can't be thrown away so easily.

She wants to help Silvio.

Silvio: Just listening to my words, how can you help me?

MC: Doesn't it make you feel better when you tell me what's on your mind?

MC realizes that Silvio has never told anyone about her problems.

She promises not to tell anyone.

Silvio sighs sadly, looking at the moon.

Silvio: I don't know about that.

The prince spoke in a voice so weak, so unlike his own.

Silvio remembered Rio.

Silvio: He always knew how to win people's hearts.

"By wagging his tail," Rio got people's love.

Silvio: If you are loved by people, chances are they will listen to you, even if it's a little unprofitable negotiation.

Silvio: But that's not my case.

Silvio: Unlike Valerio, there is no one beside me who wants to collaborate with me at a disadvantage.

Silvio: .....In fact, I understand that there are things in this world that money can't buy.

Silvio has always been lonely.

His younger brothers, Emidio and Rio knew how to pick up words and were polite and courteous, but Silvio is not like that.

Silvio: The damned old man used to say, "A lonely prince doesn't have what it takes to be king.

MC: ....But that's not the case now, is it?

Silvio: Yeah. I once used my pocket money to start a business.

Silvio: It was an unexpected success and I made a lot of money, even though I was a kid.

Silvio: When I got carried away and expanded my business, before I knew it, people started gathering around me.

The more Silvio got richer, the more people looked at him, although he didn't change anything about himself.

But the king paid no attention to him or his accomplishments.

Silvio: The bonds of money are fragile.

MC: Lord Silvio is simply invisible because of his great wealth.

MC: You are a tyrant, but a good man. There's no doubt about that.

Silvio: Huh? What part of me is a "good man"?

MC: You've helped me many times, haven't you?

MC: And in every word and deed of Lord Silvio there is always a conscience.

The girl is sure that many are attracted to Silvio's "humanity."

For her kind words, she was rewarded: the prince stroked her on the head. And hugged her.

Silvio: By the way, do you have any tips for gaining popularity?

_________________________________________

About 50 merchants come to the meeting. The girl hides behind a column, but she sees familiar people. They are a pastry chef, a florist, a street vendor, and a bookstore clerk.

Silvio: Guys, I brought you an important deal that could change the country.

Letter.

(A letter that was rolled up and thrown away.)

I don't think it's wrong to buy people's hearts for money.

But you wouldn't call a guy like that a "good guy" at all.

He's got a dirty mouth, and his character is the same. You're the first person to say I'm a "good man." Even if I don't have any money, I can build a reputation... Belle, who was being tested on how she sees people, slapped, didn't she?

If you don't read it, I'll have a good laugh at you.

Honestly, it doesn't matter if it's true or not.

What matters is that in your eyes I am "good enough to be popular". Didn't you just show that you're attracted to my humanity?

I'm not going to let you withdraw it now.

I know I'm not the person everyone loves, like Valerio.

So... that...

I would say that your words were valuable, or rather that I was happy.....

Oh shit, just like I thought, stop writing the letter, stop it!

I don't feel like I can write anything but creepy/evil/bad things.

Silvio Ricci

Silvio's Masterlist

[frazzledsoul]

Unlike a lot of people here (because I'm ancient) I watched Gilmore Girls when it was airing on TV and rage quit twice, only to come crawling back eventually.

The first time was the S3 baby shower episode, at which point I just could not put up with Lorelai and her petty, childish behavior because Christopher didn't choose her over his pregnant girlfriend and was upset he was actually supportive of her. Well, big whoop, Lorelai that's probably why you shouldn't sleep with other people's boyfriends. I'm sure the example that you're modeling for your daughter here (mostly that it's okay to get entangled with men who are already attached because they were yours first) isn't going to be something she takes to heart a year and a half from now or anything.

Anyway, moving on. I rage quit the second time in episode 5 of season 6, "We've Got Magic To Do." This is the episode where Rory organizes a USO/big band themed party for the DAR, Richard is horribly disappointed that she has learned a new skill, and in the B plot Luke is upset when Lorelai encourages him to go camping.

It's not the worst episode of the season by a long, long shot. But I was bored by Luke and Lorelai's stuff, I have never really liked the upper class plot threads of the show so I was even more bored by Rory, and there were rumors about Christopher coming back and Luke's new secret daughter. I could tell it wasn't going to end well.

What got me to quit was Richard and Emily confronting the Huntzbergers, a plotline that made absolutely no sense

Emily and Richard were excited about Rory dating Logan not only because he is basically their ideal future grandson-in-law or because he possessed connections that might prevent Rory from becoming a penniless failed journalist like most of the people in her job field (funny how that turned out) but because they wanted to move up in their social circle.

However, Rory steals a boat, drops out of school, and seeks the refuge of her grandparents because Lorelai says she can't come home. She intends to party and slack off with Logan, but her grandparents insist that she work at the job they give her at the DAR and finish her community service hours if they're going to support her. (I will note that no one forces Rory to do this in AYITL and that's likely why she keeps spiraling: she can live off of the generosity of others and doesn't have to work, so she doesn't). You would think that Richard and Emily would have figured out that maybe Logan isn't the great influence on Rory that they hoped he would be, but alas....no.

The party is a huge success and you would think that Richard and Emily would be thrilled that Rory has pulled off this accomplishment, but no. Emily goes and rips into Shira, tells her that she's basically white trash and a scheming gold digger, and that she will never stand in the way of Rory and Logan's epic love story. Richard confronts Mitchum in the bathroom and accused him of crushing Rory's spirit and forcing her to seek an alternate career path that she is good at. The episode ends with him devastated that Rory is an adept party planner.

It still is ridiculous to me that two people who pride themselves on behaving according to social norms and maintaining the respect of those in their social circle would behave this way. It's deeply moronic and out of character. Why would they risk everything they've worked so hard for and jeopardize their social standing and Rory's to get back at two people they WANTED on their side? Pissing off Mitchum and Shira doesn't help Rory, it won't help her career if she does go back to school, and it's certainly not going to improve Logan and Rory's relationship. It's just putting words in their mouths that the writers want to express regarding their moral worth even though they've also spent the last season and a half focusing on how glamorous the rich kids sandbox can be. A month later, Jess comes back, encourages Rory to return to her life goals, and Rory breaks up with Logan and ends this plot thread. Hallelujah. No thanks to Richard and Emily, though, who probably could have made things worse for her in the long run career wise but didn't.

The whole thing was just dumb and dishonest and I hated it and still do. Plus, ASP was going to screw up Luke and Lorelai anyway, so why stick around for that? So I rage quit until the second half of the season 6 finale at which point I didn't watch again for another decade.

[demonboi96]

Rwby fanfic prompt:

Jaune Arc aspiring crime boss enters beacon with nothing but an old family heirloom, his wit and his charisma. And his goal isn't to protect the weak or be a hero. It is to build connections, grow strong and and start his own crime organization.

Things that would awesome to see in the story:

- Jaune trying to be a hard cold crime boss but is still just as nice as his canon self

- Jaunes new ctime ring doesn't deal in drugs, too much heat and drugs gets to kids and Jaune wants to be a crime boss not a monster. Only selling of illegal firearms, extortion, prostitution, "protection money" and money sharks.

- everyone of Jaunes illegal "buisnesses end up helping the comunities in some way. His illegal firearms help get gun to civilians to defend themselves from low level grimm, he somehow ends up extorting alot of corrupt goverment individuals, the prostitution ring ends up not forcing anyone to do a job they don't want and ends up protecting alot of the girls that would have done it anyway, this has an added benefit of making people happier and grimm away. The shops he demands protection money actually get protection and helps prevent thefts and break ins.

- Jaunes friends don't realise that Jaune is building a crime ring and either don't know about his side gig or know about them but only think he is doing it to help people. Whether or not they join up with them or not is up to the writer i.e. yang becomes an enforcer but ends up in alot of fights protecting shops from being robbed by the white fang.

- due to all the action of Jaunes new crime ring by the time the Vytal festival comes around, Cinders plans are in ruins, they weren't able to steal enough dust, the white fangs numbers are at an alltime low in Vale (in fact lots of them jumped ship into the crime family itself.) The citizens feel alot safer in general and are in better moods helping repel grimm and the corrupt individuals she trys to threaten are way more scared of the family then of an uppity bitch that might kill them instead of making their lives living hells by releasing allof the info about them found by the family. And for some reason the family wants more faunas equality laws and more huntsman spending in the budget. ( faunas get more rights, more of them become clients and customers, huntsman get more spending then not only are his and his friends paid more and receive better traing and equipment but more huntsman that aren't part of his family will spend it out in the field on missions.)

[drabbles-of-writing]

In their wildest dreams, Viney and Jerbo never imagined the chaotic family they would marry into- much less becoming in-laws with each other. Em and Ed basically disowned their high-society family to be with them, and while they don't mind Luz's brand of quirky, it doesn't change the fact that they become in-laws with her and the wild Owl House gang too by extension when she marries Amity.

tyrksebsegr your right that has to be the WEIRDEST thing to have happened to them.

Can you imagine becoming in-laws with one of your best friends + that chill underclassmen??? Because you’re both somehow lucky enough to score a BLIGHT? One of the richest and most powerful families on the Isles?? When they realize it they gonna sit there like What. Gonna be honest, a part of me REALLY wants to give the Blight’s a pet thats like...a carbuncle, a chill orthrus, or a salawa bc like...Barcus my man.

Viney comes from a Very Very poor family of just her & her dad, so when her dad hears that she’s dating and later marrying The rich girl, and enjoys her company, he’s hearing church choirs this man was Blessed.

They don’t MIND being technical siblings-in-law, they practically already were siblings bc that’s how friends be but now it’s like Official and they are Thrown.

All the Blight siblings each had their own trust fund, so when they approaching The End they sort of just,,,,sneak in, steal the password to it, change the password so now it’s only there’s, and DIP. Just one trust fund is more than enough to support a single Blight, so while they’re not as rich as their parents, they got quite a bit of money to support themselves while they get real jobs and don’t gotta focus on the rebellion anymore. Jerbo & Viney’s families are like “oh damn. we rich now?” while Luz doesn’t even Realize until Amity points it out herself.

Jerbo was 100% READY to take Edric’s last name and lowkey flaunt a lil bit because he Like That and his moms were chill with it too but then Edric slides in like “actually I wanna piss off my mom and also I hate my last name can I have yours” and Jerbo, very touched and also realizing this technically means he’s got the sort-of-rich family name now, is very much down for it. Viney was surprised to hear Emira would legitimately want her last name. Yes she knows Emira couldn’t care less how rich her family is, but Viney’s family is still, like, the bottom of the barrel. You sure you don’t want to like, combine the last names or something? But nope, she wants to rid herself of the Blight name completely, so Viney’s chill with it. Luz & Amity have like No arguing over it Luz is thrilled for Amity to have her last name.

Jerbo & Viney are expecting like, a Tiny Peaceful fam because they know the twins ditched their parents and that they know the people of the Owl House, but they’re more like Amity’s thing, you know? MAN they were wrong. Amity is Really close with everyone in the Owl House, and the twins are Really close with Amity. Therefore, everyone deals with each other on a constant basis and now these two nerds are wrapped up in the middle of it.

Eda got sent to a Big Jail again? Welp, let’s call who wants to deal with this bs today. Hey, you two up for a prison break? Councilman is giving Luz flak? Lilith is organizing the most petty and passive-aggressive way to tell him to Back The Hell Up, you want in? Gus, somehow, got caught by police in the human realm and we need people to help bail him out, Please For The Love Of God Help Us. King got stuck in a trashcan again, look at the picture we took lmao.

Neither of them are used to a family of this Size or this Disastrous. So once they’re thrust right into the thick of it they’re getting dragged along for every little adventure until they realize “oh wait we like Don’t have to go on every single one” and then they chill a bit more. Yeah they’ll join every now and again but they also want to Function In Everyday Life.

They have many feelings about everything all the time. Everyone in this family is famous in some way, good or bad. So it’s not a huge surprise when they check the crystal ball and see someone they know being featured prominently. 

Edric & Emira get quite a bit famous because of the whole rebellion thing, but it’s sort of a fun public-mystery about their spouses. Jerbo absolutely Cannot handle attention. Viney can deal with it better but will avoid the press if she can, simply because she doesn’t want to. So you’ve got two rebellion celebrities (who still have minor crimes in petty theft) with very little information on the people they’re married to. Viney and Jerbo actually find it really funny because somehow they became famous for not being famous. 

Viney and Jerbo get shoved WAY more into the family, and nowadays Eda will wake up one day and find anywhere between 2 to 12 people hanging out in her house. She’s too tired to do anything about it now so she doesn’t even bat an eye.

It takes a while for the two to get used to being able to casually walk in uninvited and have it be a normal thing. 

Takes a while for them to get used to a LOT of things but aaaaaaaaaaaaa I have so much to say about this but I’ll stop it at here.

[ravenadottir]

What do you think Kassam’s route would have been like if he had been one of the og boys, and how would his character have developed

my guy, i think i had a braingasm the moment i saw this ask! this is such a cool galaxy brain question, i can’t even...

‘cause i think so much about the possibility of kassam as an og, it’s actually ridiculous!! but in order to put him on day 1, i would have to put one of the boys in casa amor, and i’m choosing gary. that’s because lottie is gonna take interest in kassam right away. let me organize these thoughts in order of happenings in the villa...

♪ when mc steps outside, he’s lowkey interested, but he keeps his hands behind his back, only giving her a nod, accompanied by a smirk, when she says hi.

♪ “if any of you fancy me, please step forward.” kassam would be discreetly stepping forward, shooting her a neutral look, since he doesn’t want to come across as desperate, but a wink is also happening.

♪ “why did you step forward, kassam?” “i think we’re gonna hit it off, and you seem like a real sound girl.” bobby would say something like “ha! get it, because he’s a dj!” and laugh, but the prickly boy wouldn’t even look at him, focusing on mc.

♪ if mc chose to couple up with him, he would stand by her side, whispering his conversation, slightly analyzing the other boys.

♪ when lottie struts out, not gonna lie, he’s gonna think she’s attractive, but maybe a little intimidating. i do believe if she stole him (which i very much want to do here, since it’s an o.g kassam route), he’ll be standing next to her, but glancing at mc’s direction.

♪ the truth or dare challenge would probably be the opportunity to send him the picture, but if mc decided to kiss her partner i think that would “scare” kassam a bit. just because i don’t think he’s into p.d.a.

♪ he would have a lot of trouble relating/talking to anyone, because he automatically hates rocco, and for sure has some issues with how much rocco and bobby talk. which leads me to believe he would be closer to noah and ibrahim. (IT’S SO FREAKY TO THINK ABOUT THAT!!).

♪ priya is still gonna steal mc’s partner, which is not a big deal because she’s more interested in kassam than anyone else.

♪ kassam having more time in the villa means he’s also gonna open up to mc, eventually, and i think that’s what i wanted the most in casa amor. something to make us understand why he’s been closed up and extremely on edge at all times, like having the ear tick, the nerves, the quietness, if there’s anything to be talked about, mc would be person he would go to.

♪ music is probably what helps him relax, and right now he’s deprived of that, in every instance, so if the game wanted me to pay gems to bang some pots and do the glasses’ rim trick with him, i would a hundred percent be paying for that!

♪ bobby being musical himself would definitely blossom a connection between them. something that would make him a little fonder of cake boy. “i was wrong to judge you so fast, i guess.” and this could’ve been the “rap gang” throwback to season 1, having kassam doing beats, bobby doing the harmony, probably ibrahim rapping nonsense along with mc, and getting weird lines out of it! i would pay gems every time, i don’t care how much that would cost!

♪ as the recoupling approaches, kassam says he wants to couple up with us, but because bobby and he weren’t so close, the pastry chef has no idea of the dj’s intentions, proceeding to pick us.

♪ bobby’s choice forces kassam to choose between marisol and hannah, and going for the law student would be the obvious pick. but so much more awkward than gary’s was, because kassam wouldn’t try to hide the fact that he’s into someone else.

♪ marisol and kassam would be a friendship couple from the get go, because they have nothing in common, and that would probably make marisol realize her attraction towards rocco earlier.

♪ i do believe kassam would’ve been a cheeky sort, not the type that gary is, but definitely sneaking around to steal a kiss or two. “i don’t know what’s happening to me. i wouldn’t usually do this...” he smiles, almost not noticing it. “... but i feel close to you... it’s weird...”

“wow, kassam, thanks...”

“no, no i don’t mean like that... i’m just not used to it. you’re not the weird part of all this.”

“and what is?”

“me...” he proceeds to laugh uncomfortably.

♪ twitter bingo would have a fact about him, possibly a secret kiss, but it’s not revealed who he had it with.

♪ mr. love island. his “swimsuit” portion would be similar to lucas’, flexing his arms once he gets out of the pool, direct advice from noah, rahim and bobby. his talent would definitely include music in, possibly doing those beatbox tricks with two or three layers of sound... maybe even the low bass voice, which it’s honestly... SO FUCKING HOT. it would be a tough competition. between ibrahim doing the rubik’s cube trick shirtless, and kassam doing this... i don’t think noah or bobby would stand a chance!

♪ roccosol is still happening, and kassam is baffled by how much lottie is lying through her teeth, and shouting about the matter, since she was already talking to him behind rocco’s back. remember the welcome party for lucas and henrik? which would also mean kassam doesn’t take much heat from food/drinks, and that’s funny to me, for some reason!

♪ i do think instead of rahim, kassam would’ve been voted as “least dateable/leaving the show with a girlfriend. not endangered like lucas/henrik/rocco, but definitely voted. mc having the opportunity of the firepit conversation would end up in a kiss, and the angst is just taken on a new level!

♪ the date with him, before the recoupling on day 9, would be the chance we have to get to know him better, maybe having him tell us an embarrassing story about a gig he had. and if it was an ex’s story, even better! we don’t have that from him.

♪ hideaway scene, after the girls’ choice, would have him slightly less confident than he usually is. “i’m really excited to be here with you, i just don’t know exactly what to do.”

“i mean, if you don’t know, i don’t think i can get a biology book here.”

he would probably chuck a pillow in your direction and laugh at your joke. “i’m just nervous, i guess... i’m not used to feeling nervous around girls.”

♪ now! here’s the tricky part of the whole villa plotline in his route. operation nope. if mc went with it, he would end things, loudly and clearly, because he cannot stand betrayal, much less coming from the girl he spent so many days chasing. and he would probably advise MC to tell hope about it before it happened. kassam should be the type that breaks up with you and don’t want you back, later. i would definitely program him to act like that!

♪ drama to him is pointless, especially if it involves other people. he doesn’t see why people are being so out there about things, and definitely doesn’t understand why his girl has to be the one to solve everything. “i understand they’re upset but it’s not your job to fix it.”

♪ chelsea coming in, along with jakub, would irritate him to the extreme. the bomb she drops about him and lottie would have everyone riled up. YES, I WANT KASSAM TO KISS LOTTIE. they were coupled up before and he thinks she’s hot, besides the fact he was insecure about mc being picked by bobby. similar plot line to gary’s, except he might say something like “i had to know if there was anything there.” i really want him to explain himself here, but with short words: “we were coupled up just an hour before the recoupling. i wanted to make sure there was nothing there.”

“and...?” mc asks, staring at him.

he glances at lottie, shrugging. “there isn’t.”

♪ as revenge, mc would go on the date with jakub, resulting in kassam being apprehensive when it comes to talk about his feelings to her. and very angry and jealous, because that’s just who he is!

♪ the news about the recoupling arrive the night priya and hope are having that big fight, and yes, the bathroom scene happens with kassam, but he’s one of the boys that say the line “i want this to mean something to you”.

♪ disaster recoupling gets you both angry, and kassam would, for the first time, raise his voice, questioning jakub and the boy who steals mc. no, he wouldn’t be like the others and only question jakub or no one. at that point, everything is working against him, and just two days after mc finds out about the secret kiss, this is throwing him into a spiral of stress.

♪ casa amor gets everyone pissed off, and everything stays the same, except you get gary instead of kassam, and he’s interested in lottie and mc. (maybe the unicorn route wouldn’t happen). but casa days would’ve been way more interesting because now marisol and lottie are interested in the same guy! and in some cases, mc as well lol NOW, THAT WOULD’VE MADE CASA INTERESTING!

♪ cheeky the way gary is, he’s probably trying to stick with one girl by suggesting a kiss, sharing the bed and etc, but if mc is not interested in him, lottie would probably be torn about bringing him back or not, and marisol would get confused between gary and graham, proceeding to focus on fish boy, later.

♪ coming back from casa amor, kassam is single, and you get bean bags conversation, only with him he says how anxious he was for mc to come back. “i’m just... really glad you’re here. i...” he stammers a bit. “i missed you.”

“did you miss lottie too?” mc would raise her brows, slightly irritated.

“no, of course not! i missed...” realizing she’s being prickly, just like him, he continues. “har, har... very funny.”

“i didn’t think it was funny finding out you kissed her.”

“i wouldn’t think that either... i’m sorry i didn’t tell you.”

♪ the route is pretty much the same from there, except for a couple of moments:

one: the conversation we have with gary, by the pool, is held by kassam, and he talks about anxiety, and how that affected his relationships in the past. he didn’t know how much he missed out because he was too afraid of taking the leap, and he’s glad he’s in a better place now. also, talking about therapy and mental illness in the same tone gary did, with body issues.

two: he would make a comment of how excited he is to write songs about mc, and how much he has been thinking of his journey and the album he’s gonna dedicate to his time there.

♪ asking mc to be his girlfriend would go a little differently, since he’s not the blob of characterization he normally becomes in the game.

♪ he would continue to be prickly, and sarcastic, but his journey would’ve taught him how to trust people more, and the improbable friendships he developed there would go to show just how much he’s opening up, and how it can only get better from there.

♪ his speech, at the prom, would include his friends, mentioning them as the support system he had in there, just like one of the girls do with mc. “my journey wouldn’t have been the same if it wasn’t for you lads. and despite the bad advice i got, i guess everything worked out in the end.”

i really think kassam deserved a spot in the og’s line up, mostly because of how different he is from the other boys. he would probably have a brief friendship with lucas if the physiotherapist stayed, too.

hope this is what you were looking for. thank you so much for this ask!

[authorialarcanist]

It Seems I'll Never Understand (Kagerou Project)

Genre: Angst

Rating: Mature

Pairing(s): Tateyama Ayano x Kisaragi Shintaro

Summary: "...Hey, Shintaro. Why'd you do it? I mean... You could have stayed out of it. It wasn't your fight."

In a world where Shintaro Kisaragi was the one who killed himself on that fateful august day two years prior, Ayano isn't sure what she can do with her life. Living in fear of the Snake of Clearing Eyes, all she can do is think back on the past, and wonder - why it was that her best friend took her place when she's sure he must have hated her, and when was it that it all went wrong.

Shinaya roleswap with a focus on making it work with as few changes to canon as possible.

---

It’s late - late enough that it’s gotten truly dark out. I’m walking along the road to my home, a boy next to me. The bridge we’re crossing seems to stretch out endlessly into the distance, illuminated only by the moon and the street-lamps we’re passing by.

I fiddle with my scarf absentmindedly as I steal a glance at his face. I’m so glad… I was finally able to become friends with him. Or, well… maybe ‘friends’ isn’t the right word just yet. To him, I’m sure I’m still just that stupid girl who made him tutor her for hours after class.

Still… I tell myself that this is the most important first step. Mm-hm. Now that I’ve introduced myself, I’m sure that we’ll be friends - real friends - in no time at all.

“You really saved my life! I never would’ve been able to finish that problem set on my own.” I grin weakly as my babbling inevitably turns to self-deprecation. Ah, well… after my terrible performance back there, trying to act cool for my new friend was a lost cause already. Well, if this was a manga, at least this might be the part where the aloof genius breaks character to reassure me that I can do it?

“Even with my help, it took you way too long…” He sighs. “Geez. I only came here to get my wallet, too. I must be really unlucky.”

—Yeah, right. I’ve only known this guy for a few hours now, but it’s pretty obvious that tender support isn’t his strong suit.

“I really am sorry…” I shrink a little under his criticism. “But! I promise, I won’t forget about today!”

“What are you saying? Didn’t you just say you forget things no matter how much you study?” Ow… I guess I did say that, but… he really has no faith in me at all, huh?

But he just doesn’t get it! Not quite panicking, I redouble my efforts to explain myself. “Today’s special! I’m going to try extra hard not to forget, so it’ll be okay!”

He hums in contemplation and stares away into the distance. And then—

—“Liar.”

I recoil from the sudden accusation. “Huh? What are you talking about?”

“You’ve broken your promise already, haven’t you? You can’t even remember my name.”

He picks up his pace, and though I try to follow, I can’t seem to move forward.

“Huh? Of course I can!”

“Really? Then why haven’t you said it?”

“Why are you so focused on that all of a sudden?”

“Say it, Ayano.”

“Stop it!”

“Say my name.”

“I— You’re—“ Tears spill from my eyes. I’m trying to say it. Why — why is this happening? Why couldn’t we just keep walking together, chatting about nothing important, like friends do?

“…Yeah. I thought so.” He stops walking, and for some reason, I freeze as well. I have no choice but to watch his back as he speaks. “I guess it’s not your fault, though. Sorry.” He shakes his head. “But… Try to remember, okay?”

He turns to face me again.

His eyes are red.

“If you can’t remember soon, then—“

——

Knock. Knock. Knock. Three hesitant raps on my door.

The sound wakes me from my dream. Already, it’s growing too hazy to remember. All I can say for certain is that hewas there.

He’s always there in my dreams. Maybe it’s some cruel balance for the fact that he’ll never be there again in real life.

“Ayano?”

At the sound of the voice calling for me, I turn over in my bed and bury my face in my pillow, trying not to make any sound to indicate that I’m awake.

“Ayano, please, I know you’re in there. I just want to talk.”

I don’t respond. My father is dead. That’s the best way to think of it. The safest way to think of it. Even when the snake lets him out, it’s only in the hopes of getting me to snap.

“Ayano, I’m sorry. I know I haven’t been the best father to you, since your mother died. But please, I just want to know what happened. What happened to Shuuya and Tsubomi and Kousuke. Why you won’t talk to me. Ayano, please.”

My hands clench against the pillow. I force myself to breathe. In. Out. In. Out.

“Ayano…”

In.

Out.

“…Just… think about it, okay? I’m here, if you’re ever ready to talk. Even if you need another two years, I’ll still be here.”

A lie. Dad won’t be here. Just the snake.

“…I love you.”

I stay silent, waiting until the sound of footsteps fades from my hearing. No matter how many times I go through this, it never gets any easier. But… I can’t talk to him.

Even if the snake wasn’t privy to his every thought, I can’t bring myself to speak with the man who sold my world.

“…Is… he gone?” A tinny voice whispers from my computer’s speaker.

I listen for a moment. When nothing happens, I nod. “Yeah.”

My computer monitor lights up as it exits sleep mode, and a girl in blue peeks out from her hiding place behind a browser window. “…I still don’t understand why you don’t leave here, Ayano-chan…”

I shake my head. “I… I just can’t. I’m sorry, Ene.” Ene… that’s what this girl calls herself. About a year ago, she popped out of an email and decided to stick around. She tried to put on this sassy, hyper front at first, but it fell apart pretty quickly.

I’m pretty sure I know who she really is, after all. And she knows I know. I just haven’t been cruel enough to push the topic.

It’s not like she has much of anywhere else to go, after all.

“…Okay. I get it.” She looks down at the taskbar and pokes her index fingers together. “Just… hang in there, okay, Ayano-chan? Do your best.”

“Like my best has ever mattered,” I mumble, and sit down at my computer chair. To be honest, my activities since dropping out of school two years ago have been nothing, nothing, and a heaping dessert of nothing. It’s not like I have any sort of online life to speak of, even. It’s just that… ultimately, there’s nothing else to do when I’m living under the same roof as my father. I can’t risk going outside at the wrong time and having to face him. At least he respects the boundaries of my room; and the snake finds it convenient to leave me a sanctuary under his supervision for as long as he doesn’t have any need of me.

“…So, um… Ayano-chan?” Ene glances up at me, a little shyly. “Can I ask about whether…”

Ah. That. I shake my head. “…I’m sorry. I’ve tried talking to him while my father was away, but Konoha really doesn’t seem to remember anything about us.” Konoha… the white-haired boy the Clearing Eyes took in really is just another reminder of my failures. Still, I know that’s not hisfault, and I can’t really blame Ene for being too scared to check up on him herself. Talking to him hurts badly enough for me, and I still hadn’t been quite as close to Haruka as she was. Honestly though, whenever I’d felt safe enough to slip out and check on him, Konoha had seemed pretty nonresponsive. Forget remembering me and Ene; he didn’t seem to remember anything, not even basic things like rain.

“I see…” Ene droops. This happens every time she brings up Konoha; as much as she’s tried to be around for me, I don’t have the first idea how to comfort her when this topic comes up.

Well, honestly, I don’t think I’m in a place to be comforting much of anyone. Back when I tried all those years ago, it only ended in pain.

In the end, I go with the tried and true method of pretending I didn’t see anything. When there’s nothing you can do, acknowledging the problem only ends in more tears, after all. I pass the day mindlessly browsing the web and making more paper cranes for the army that chokes every available surface in my room. Occasionally, I can’t help but fantasize about what things might be like if I had Paper-Animating Eyes. Sending an army of little origami birds to get revenge on the Clearing Eyes… it’d definitely be a more efficient way of getting a wish granted.

Ah well.

At least my father has work during the day and the snake has better things to do than waste time in this lonely house during the nighttime, so I’m able to check on Konoha and grab something from the kitchen for lunch on most days. That’s particularly important, because dinner can be much more spotty, depending on whether my father is in a “bury his problems in work” mood or a “try desperately to be present to make up for selling his soul to an evil snake” one. Well, okay, I really don’t know how much he’s able to retain about what the Clearing Eyes does when in control of his body, but if he really is oblivious about everything that might actually be worse.

Unfortunately he seems to be in a “try to atone” cycle right now, so I’m running off of a single meal when the knocks return once again.

“Ayano.”

Ene hides behind the browser window again, and I click off of the tab showing a video of a mongoose taking down a snake.

…What? Look, I have to deal with the spite somehow.

“I know you’re in there.”

I stay silent.

“I’ve got another mission for you, Ayano. You know the deal by now.”

I freeze. This isn’t dad.

“I trust I don’t need to spell it out for you?”

It’s the other one.

“I’m waiting.Or is this some pathetic attempt at rebellion? If so, I have to applaud. It’s the most pointless one yet.”

I finally find my voice. “I-I understand.”

“Heh. Good.” The snake chuckles. “Two children are coming to stay in this house soon. Your father’s sister-in-law, and some hanger-on. When they’re here, you’re going to be the model of a big sister, understand? Get them to trust you, and then make sure they’re in a certain place on August fifteenth.”

I shrink in on myself. Children? Please, no…

“I said, understand?You know what’ll happen to your family if you refuse…”

“N-no!” I shoot to my feet in panic. “No… I understand…”

“Good.” What should be my father’s voice drips with malice. “See? Wasn’t that easy? Goodbye, Ayano.” Saying the last two words in an odd sing-song voice, the snake leaves. I collapse back into my chair, hugging myself.

“A-ayano-chan…” Ene peeks back out from her hiding spot.

I turn to her with wide eyes.

“Ayano-chan, you don’t have to do this. Please, we can fight back. I’ll help you.”

…If only. But no, I know it’s hopeless.

I can’t fight the snake. All I can do is delay the inevitable.

I shake my head, and start disconnecting the speakers from my computer. If Ene tried to do something brave, and the Clearing Eyes found out…

“…Ayano, please…”

I pull the plug on my monitor. Ene may still have access to the inside of my computer, but the most she’ll be able to do in the house is open and close the CD drive.

“…sorry…” I whisper quietly to myself, even though I know she can’t hear me.

God, how did things turn out this way?

——

I have many precious memories, moments I’ve spent these past two years trying desperately not to forget. Reading storybooks at bedtime with my mom. Meeting my little siblings for the first time. The way my dad’s face used to look when he’d play with us, long before everything happened.

If you were to look through those treasured days, flipping from one to another as though they were files secreted away in a lockbox, one might still stand out from the rest. Perhaps it’s laminated, or hidden behind a false back. Not because it’s more precious than the others - I wouldn’t trade my family for anything - but because it’s unique nonetheless. A moment elevated in its rarity, and in the pain it brings me - not the dull ache of my mom’s face, nor the stabbing betrayal of my father’s failures and mine, but a gaping void of ‘what if’s.

The first time I ever got to see Shintaro smile.

It was during our second year of middle school, a couple months after the day I finally introduced myself. The last test I’d gotten back had been my lowest score yet, and with exams rushing to meet me, I was honestly in a panic.

But then, Shintaro’d spoken up. For the very first time, he gave me a totally unprompted offer to help me study.

“Thank you so much,” I’d sobbed. “I don’t know what I was gonna do…”

“Ugh, don’t be annoying about it!” He’d refused to meet my eyes as he grumbled. “I just know that if you failed your exams I’d somehow get dragged into helping you catch back up. It’s just easier to get this over with this early, alright?”

Whatever his stated reasons, I still felt like I’d been saved when he stuck around to help me pound the latest lessons into my skull. And I don’t know if we finished faster than usual, if something good had happened to him at home, or if his guard was just down that day for some other reason, but one way or another, he decided to stick around and chat for a bit afterwards.

I can still picture it clearly. That sunny classroom, me perched on my desk to bask in the light from the window, him leaning his chair back as we killed time… and the glint of light that drew my eye to the spine of a book just peeking out of his bag.

“Hm? Hey, Shintaro?”

“What?” He glanced lazily back at me.

I tilted my head to read what I could from the spine. It rung a bell; I’d overheard some of the other girls in our class talking about it from time to time. “Isn’t that ‘Let’s Fall In Love’?”

“HUH?” I winced at the sudden crash as Shintaro lost his balance and fell in a heap.

“Ah! Are you okay? I’m sorry!” I rushed to help him up, but he just scrambled back until he was pressed against the wall.

“W-w-w-what are you talking about? I-I don’t, I mean, that’s not—“ Shintaro grabbed suddenly for his bag, but his hand missed its mark and sent the contents spilling out as it toppled over instead. The book landed face up, its cover proudly displaying a drawing of a boy and a girl standing together in a very shoujo-esque artstyle. Emblazoned above the picture was ‘Let’s Fall in Love ~ by Yumeno Sakiko.’

“Umm…”

“I mean! It’s Momo’s! Yeah! My little sister wouldn’t stop pestering me, so I picked up her copy for her, uh-huh! I definitely don’t read shoujo manga!” His stuttering picked up pace as he scrambled for excuses, and I couldn’t help it - some part of me kinda wanted to watch him squirm for a little longer.

So, I grinned slyly and searched my memory of my classmates’ conversations. “Uh-huh? You know, with how Mamiko and Oze were talking in the latest chapter, don’t you think there might be a chance they’ll—“

“THAT’S HERESY!” Shintaro slammed his hands down on the ground, and I winced at the sudden spike in volume. “Mamiko and Suzuki are meantto be together!” He clenched his fist and held it to his chest. “I can’t imagine how anyone would think otherwise after that moment in volume 7! And anyways, Oze and Waka may be having a fight right now, but everyone… knows…” He trailed off as my control failed me and I started to giggle. “…Fine. You caught me. Happy now?”

At the sight of him forcing down a pout and struggling to regain a serious expression, I laughed even harder.

“…So I like shoujo manga. Is it really that funny to you?”

“No, no! I’m sorry!” I did my best to get myself under control. “It’s not that, honestly. You just looked so earnest, and then you kept trying to hide it… If reading that sort of thing makes you happy, then I think that’s a goodthing! It’s actually kinda c—“ I suddenly realized what I was about to say, and blushed heavily. “—I mean, it’s kinda cool! Yeah! You shouldn’t worry what other people will think about your interests, you know?” Oh yeah, that was an absolutely stellarsave, Ayano. Absolutely nobody was gonna suspect that you almost called your classmate ‘cute’ without thinking. Aside from, I dunno, people with eyes.

Thankfully, all of that intelligence must have come out of Shintaro’s perceptiveness instead, because he let it pass without comment. “So…” Shintaro seemed to be looking anywhere in the room other than my face, which might have helped the whole ‘not noticing my face doing a bonfire impression’ thing. “Do… you also read it, then?”

“Huh?”

“Y, you know! ‘Let’s Fall in Love’!”

“A, ah! Right!” I snapped out of my thoughts. Right, let’s just pretend that slip never happened for now, and I can unpack whatever the heck it meant on my own time, when I won’t make my one school friend think I’m even more of a weirdo than he already does. “Ehehe… Not really, actually.” I scratched the back of my head and grinned sheepishly. “I was just parroting something I overheard. I’m more into the shounen stuff, you know? Hot-blooded super sentai fighting to save the world, and all that.”

“Really? But they’re so formulaic. You can see everything coming from a mile away. And how do those guys get through posing dressed like that and not die of embarrassment?”

Well, I couldn’t just sit there and take that. “What? Hold on a moment, like your mushy stuff is any better! Aren’t they all just ‘boy meets girl, cue nothing happening for the rest of their school lives’?”

“Wh— they are not!There’s nuanceand relationship growth and everything!” Woah. Shintaro was looking about the most fired up I’d ever seen him! At that thought, an idea clicked in my head.

“Hmm… Alright, then!” I grinned at him and gave a sharply enunciated chuckle, heh-heh-heh. “Why don’t you tell me more about this series, and if you manage to change my mind I’ll give reading it a try? And then, in return, you’ll watch an episode of Engine Sentai Go-Onger with me, and we’ll see how you feel about heroes after that!”

Shintaro rose to the challenge. “Fine! Come on then, I’ll teach you about why Yumeno-sensei is a master! I mean, her portrayal of Mamiko’s inner struggles alone touches the heart, even for a boy like me! There’s this moment in chapter 12 when she…” He lit up as he talked, gesturing wildly with the plot points. I’m a little ashamed to say that I actually stopped paying attention after a few moments, because my focus suddenly seemed drawn to his face. He was grinning - actually grinning, the first genuine smile I’d seen from him in, well, ever- as he opened up about his interest.

I can only remember thinking two things as we walked home that day.

The first was, ‘What a pretty smile.’

The second was, ‘…oh. Crap.’

…So, yeah. It looked like I maybe had a teeny little crush. That was okay! It was fine! It meant I was finally starting to grow up, right? Anyways, whatever Shintaro’s romance manga said, I was pretty sure that people were supposed to get a lot of those with time. They didn’t have to mean anything, or, y’know, gamble their only real non-family friendships on the chance that someone who was really smart and cute would still want to hang out with a dumb girl they barely tolerated helping out if she asked.

Not a problem! I’d just go about my life as normal, and it’d fade in time. Eventually, I’d probably look back on this day and laugh.

…And if in the meantime, I wanted to see him smiling like that again? Well, that could be my little secret.

——

Of course, let nobody accuse me of being a good planner. Obviously, the darn thing only seemed to get stronger with time. Wanting to see Shintaro smile because I wanted him to be happy slowly morphed into wanting to be the reasonhe was smiling like that. Hoping that maybe, if I could be the one to make this lonely boy smile, that’d mean I was actually worth somethingreally the hero I pretended to be.

Mom died, and I had to be the strength for the whole family as dad seemed like half his world had gone missing, but no matter how much I needed comfort of my own, I wasn’t ready to tell him.

We met Takane and Haruka, and one friend turned into three, but even though I’d only be gambling 33% instead of 100, I was still too scared to tell him.

And then I found out that dad had changed, what the thing in his body had planned for Haruka and Takane and my siblings, and suddenly my stupid little feelings didn’t seem so important. I had to research the read eyes, and I needed Shuuya to cover for me, and in the end I didn’t have the attention to spare for my friend my crush my…

…for Shintaro. Maybe that’s why I didn’t notice our growing distant. Why I didn’t notice things growing strained.

Why I didn’t notice that I really was just burdening him with my own expectations.

Didn’t notice until a hill at sunset, a hand snatched away, his back receding into the distance while I stood alone.

After that, I wondered about a lot of things. How much had been genuine, and how much really had just been putting up with me. How much of my motives had been pure, and how much had been that dark little thrill of seeing him down and feeling like I was still needed.

How cruel it must have been, to plan what I was planning and still try to hold onto his hand until the last minute.

So I didn’t try again. I delegated as much school time as I could to Shuuya (and carefully didn’t wonder why his face was growing more stressed, why his own time seemed to draw thin.) I withdrew further, and dedicated everything I had to my lonely mission. August fifteenth came all too soon at last, and I shoved my responsibilities onto Takane, told her to be honest with her feelings even as I swore that my own were better ignored. I wrapped my scarf around my neck, the colour of a hero, I steeled myself and turned to mount the stairs, and I was interrupted.

“Shuuya? What are you doing?” My little brother had arrived in front of me, hands on his knees as he gasped for breath.

“N, neechan, please!” Panting, Shuuya raised his eyes to meet mine. They glistened with tears. “You have to— you have to stop Shintaro-kun! He’s about to do something really stupid!”

“Huh?” I was taken aback. “What are you talking about?”

“He’s already gone to the roof! I couldn’t do anything! Neechan, please!”

“The roof?” I still didn’t understand, but I burst into a run anyways, leaving my brother behind. Why was Shintaro even here today, when he didn’t need summer school? Why did Shuuya know about it? What could he be doing on the roof, other than…?

He wasn’t involved. God, please, he wasn’t involved, why was he here?

I took the steps two at a time, ignoring the pain shooting through my lungs, and had no choice but to stop for breath and lean against the wall for a moment when I finally reached the door leading outside.

My father’s voice filtered in from outside. No - not my father. The thingwearing his skin. “Honestly, kid.” He sounded mildly exasperated, like my dad did whenever a student had turned in a particularly baffling answer on a quiz. “You think that you’re gonna be the big damn hero? You really think there’s a single thing you can do here to beat me?”

“No.” Shintaro, this time. “Honestly, it’s a stupid plan. Totally useless in every way. But hey.” A dark chuckle. “Objectively speaking, the life of a rotten boy like me is just worthless enough to make it worth trying.”

I’d finally caught my breath, but at that it caught in my throat. Did he mean—

I burst through the door, screaming, “Shintaro, NO!” The roof was empty except for two people. My father, standing on solid ground looking mildly vexed. And Shintaro, clad in that red jersey I’d said I liked, the color of a hero, sitting perched half-on the fence around the edge of the roof and half dangling over open air.

His eyes met mine, and no matter how hard I try I know I’ll never forget the way his face clouded over, the way his eyes darkened, or the words he said to me at that moment.

“…Oh.

“Ayano.

“The very last person I wanted to see.”

His final curse delivered, he leaned back. The world distorted around him, horrible discordant red tearing open fangs in the sky.

And he fell.

I must have screamed, but it’s a blur. I just know that by the time I came to, I’d fallen on my knees, and the thing that took my father was laughing.

Laughing.

“Ha! You kids never fail to surprise me, you know that? I never once would have expected that depressing little thing to get up off his ass and do something like this!” He paused. “Well okay, I guess I would, but the part where he tried to stand up to me was still new.”

Before I even knew what I was doing, I’d jumped to my feet and was tackling him. “SHUT UP!”

“Whoops!” Somehow, my father’s body stepped out of the way before I could react. I found myself impacting concrete and rolling on the roof, scrapes all over my body where I’d fallen. “Come on, brat. You’re a big girl now, you should be used to hearing swear words by now. Or wait, are you angry about the boy?”

With a wordless scream, I threw myself at him again, but this time he casually stuck out a leg and tripped me.

“You might still have time to save him, you know. Throw yourself off the roof after him, and maybe you could convince him to come on out and bring me that snake he stole.” He sneered. “Of course, it’d mean making this whole little sacrifice play all for nothing. And this guy” he tapped the side of my father’s head, “might even willingly help me kill the brat if you did! Oh, now thatdespair would be delicious to see.”

I swallowed the pain as my fists clenched, scraped raw though they were. “…Shut up. You… you’re just trying to convince me because you know your plan’s finished. You can’t gather the snakes now. There’s no… no more reason to kill Takane and Haruka, or the others.”

*snrk.* The monster covered his mouth with a hand.

“What’s supposed to be so funny?”

“Ha! Oh, I’m sorry. It’s just… you think this kid managed to save your friends? Please.” He rolled his eyes. “He was too late. They’re already dead.” He shrugged and continued in a sing-song voice. “And anyways, the boy was a goner already. You should be thankingme; this way, at least he has a chanceof living for another year or two.”

“W…what…?” I slumped, the fight draining from my veins. No. It couldn’t be. Takane and Haruka… they were gone, too?

My “father” walked up to me and rested a hand on my shoulder. To anyone watching, it might have just looked like a father comforting his daughter; but I could feel his fingers dig into my flesh in a vice grip. “Still, working this all back out from the top is going to be a pain. And that’s not even counting all of the cleanup I have to do! It’s one thing for those other two kids; I’d made preparations for them. But spinning the sudden disappearance of this brat, too? No, that’s far too much work.” He crouched down until he was level with me, a too-wide smile on his face. A shiver ran down my spine. “So, Ayano.I’m going to have you do me a little favor, alright? And before you consider trying to do something brave, consider just who it is that has your family’s life in his hands, hmm? Don’t say anything; just nod.” I nodded, stricken. Everything I’d planned had come to nothing in a few short minutes. “You’re going to find Shuuya for me, and you’re going to have him go make himself look like this guy -“ he waved vaguely at the empty edge of the roof - “’s body for me. A suicide should be easy enough to explain away. Especially when the victim was as gloomy-looking as this asshole here. Honestly, people’re gonna think it was a miracle he lasted as long as he did.” My fists clenched again at relentless slander, but there was nothing I could do. I was totally and utterly defeated. “You got it, Ayano? Do this, and I’ll let the people you care about live a little longer.” He chuckled. “…Well, what’s left of them, at least. Hahahaha!”

How could I have ever thought I could be a hero? All I’d managed to do was arrive too late to save either of the snake’s intended victims, and drag a bystander to his death in the process.

In the end, tears streaming down my face, all I could do was nod.

——

“Neechan!” Shuuya rushed up to me the minute I exited the school. He grabbed my hands - I didn’t resist - and gasped at the scrapes all over them. “What happened to you? Where’s Shintaro-kun?”

“Shintaro— He’s—“ My voice caught.

“Nee…chan…?” I could see the exact moment Shuuya caught on. His eyes widened and his face fell, all in one motion. “Dammit! And just when the guy starts to convince me he’s not all bad, he has to go and do something like this…” His hands tightened involuntarily around mine, but I couldn’t even find the energy to wince.

I spoke in a flat voice, forcing myself to put one word in front of the next. “Shuuya. There’s something very important I need you to do.”

“Huh? What is it?”

“You need to use your power to turn into Shintaro. Let somebody discover ‘his’ body, so there’ll be a record. If you don’t, then… then he’ll…” My voice caught again, but I forced myself to continue before Shuuya could ask any questions. “And then there’s one more thing you need to do. I need you to take Tsubomi and Kousuke, and go away. Go somewhere far away from here, and don’t— don’t tell me anything about where you’re going. You can’t contact me at all, okay? I can’t have any way to find out more about you.”

“W—what?”

“It’s the only way that you’re going to be safe. I… we can’t stop the Clearing Eyes. He can have you all killed in a moment.”

Shuuya must have been able to see the seriousness in my eyes, because he didn’t try to debate the point. “Okay, but… Why can’t you come with us? We can all run, that’ll be safer!”

I just shook my head. “…No. He… he’ll find me, somehow. He knew how to respond to everything that I tried. Anything I do… no matter what, I’m sure he’ll…” I hugged myself and started slowly walking towards the path home. It was clear to me now. I was nothing more than a puppet dancing on the Clearing Eyes’ strings.

“W-wait, Neechan! Come back!”

“Goodbye, Shuuya. Please don’t forget to do what I told you. Consider it… My final request as your sister.”

“NEECHAN!”

——

“…Hey, Shintaro. Why’d you do it?”

I lie on my back, staring at the empty ceiling as I talk to the air.

“I mean… You could have stayed out of it. It wasn’t your fight.”

The cranes crowding every surface above me seem to swirl and distort, like a heat haze.

My head keeps playing his final moments on repeat. Even as the happy days grow dimmer and dimmer, I can’t seem to forget his last words no matter how hard I try.

‘The very last person I wanted to see.’

“If… if you hated me so much, why didn’t you just let me be the one to jump? Why take my place?”

I wonder… if I’d been the one to jump that day, would he have been able to do what I couldn’t? I indulge in a brief fantasy of Shintaro, red jacket flapping behind him, standing tall with my siblings as they face down the Clearing Eyes together.

…Somehow, I just can’t see it. Sorry, Shintaro.

‘The life of a rotten boy like me is worthless’

“…Did you hate yourselfthat much? Were you so sick of life that you grabbed the first excuse you could find?”

…Maybe. But… somehow, as much as he tried to shut the world out, I can’t help but see Shintaro as someone who was brimming with life underneath it all. At the very least, whenever he talked about his sister, he didn’t seem like he’d want to leave her.

The thought of Momo-chan makes me wince. Another memory, this time of her crying and screaming at me when I’d tried to comfort her.

When I’d broken down and sobbed that it was all my fault.

I can’t blame her for hating me. To be honest, I wonder if it wasn’t what I was secretly hoping for.

Just another case where Ayano’s self-satisfaction came before actually doing her job.

My alarm clock rings. I’d set it instead of my phone, to make sure Ene couldn’t try and be a hero. (I can’t help but hope that she’s given up on me, and found her way to somebody who’ll be a better friend.) It means that the children…

…my victims…

…should be arriving soon.

I push myself to my feet. In the end, even blaming myself is just pointless self-satisfaction. I’ve made the choice to play this role; I made the decision that these two children were worth less than the family I know and care about.

It doesn’t take too long to get myself presentable. I choose an outfit that looks like its owner hasn’t been in hiding for the last two years, and glance at my scarf, hanging wrinkled and dusty on a hook.

My hands shake.

And I turn away without touching it. I don’t deserve to wear that color.

Not when red is the color of blood.

“Sorry, Shintaro. Guess you made the wrong trade, in the end. Even a genius like you makes mistakes, huh?”

With that snide remark, I turn my back on his sacrifice and walk out into the house.

…Still, a thought flits across my mind.

—Ah, I would have liked to see that smile, just one more time.

The doorbell rings. It’s time.

I hide my feelings behind a smile, painting it from ear to ear.

And I open the front door.

[hungarianbee]

Way of the Witcher: bits of lore

Disclaimer:  Post contains spoilers to the Witcher games These things may be canon-typical, but the following trigger warnings apply if you want to check out the cards: gore, monster dismemberment, needles, body horror, insects and spiders

“In a world plagued by horrors and monstrosities humanity desperately needed a new type of weapon to turn back the tide. Created by ingenious Alzur, witchers — professional monster slayers of exceptional strength, speed, and agility were tasked to end the threat once and for all. Organized into different schools they honed their craft and passed their knowledge onto novices in training. Some of them were destined to become the legendary heroes and protectors of humanity. Others — the very thing they were supposed to fight…”

Since the gwent expansion was anounced I followed it with rapt attention; every bit of lore is a gem in my eyes. I decided to write down my thoughts of the cards and lore pieces revealed in a post. Share that knowledge around, amirite?

The post references Gwent cards which were leaked (2020 november-december). The theme is mutation and everything that comes with it; namely sweet-sweet lore of the lesser known witcher schools: the Bears, Cats, Vipers and Griffins.

Tucker in, under the cut there is 4.5k analysis of each card that came out.

We’re starting with a theme, then work our way throught the 4 schools (each contain the following:  a leader, a mentor, an adept, a general witcher, a specific job, an item, a school relevant monster, 2  known witchers and a location), then go through a Witcher 1 throwback, Salamandra, and round it with a few new monsters and neutral cards. 

While I describe most of the cards concisely and all the known witchers and locations are on my blog, you might want to look the cards in their (small) glory: [DO IT HERE]

Sounds good? Here we go!

Edit: [this source is better]

The theme is mutation - be it monsters created by transmutation, witchers or salamadra

If that is true, there are monster cards that seemingly stand out: the Succubus and the Phooca

If we are to believe that they do connect to the mutation theme, then

(1) we can conclude that Phoocas (a rare, and more dangerous form of Nekkers; they can pull your head off by sheer force, watch out) are a natural mutation of the original species,

(2) but we’re still left with the Succubi (an inherently demonic creature). They might have chosen it because of its appearance: succubi have horns and goat-like legs. (Note: in the graphic novel “House of Glass” the succubus character has wings, but lacks hooves. In that sense, she could be mutated.)

Breaking it down into factions/schools (some of the cards can be paired up; these cards are interpreted together):

School of the Viper: starting with the vipers, because they are my favourite

Viper Witcher Mentor & Viper Witcher Adept: the flavour text says that the Viper mentors are exceptionally cold and ruthless, and that’s underlined by the story the art tells: the mentor busies himself with sharpening a blade, and in the background we can see the adept attempting to kill his best friend goat, as was ordered. The mentor watches this from the corner of his eye. Young Vipers are to kill their pets (which they nurtured for years) before becoming a fully-fledged witcher. The latter could mean that the boy depicted on the card hasn’t even gone through the Trial of Grasses.

Viper Witcher: On the card we see an unknown Viper crouching over a royalty he killed. I feel like this type of card is meant to represent what we think a general Witcher of said school would be like. Apparently Vipers just like to slay the nobility *shrug*. The flavour text informs us, that Vipers call their two swords “fangs”, and that their style consists of fast and furious attack aimed to overwhelm the enemy.

Viper Witcher Alchemist: Every school has a specialty; Vipers are proficient in potion or poison making. The right side of the alchemist’s face seems to have healed burn marks; a blown up concoction might have caused it.

Ivar Evil-Eye: So far there’s little to know about Ivar. He was either the Master of the Viper Keep, or the founder himself (gwent suggests the latter). He’s described as heavily scarred (facial scars suggests burns and slash marks too), and each of them has a terrible story to tell.

Warritt the All-Seeing: Warritt is a (newly introduced) Viper with heavy disfiguration to the upper part of his face: his eyes are sealed shut (possibly by burn marks, though his hair remains intact). The art shows Warritt drawing a modified version of the Supirre sign in the air to help with his loss of sight. As the wiki says: “Supirre is a Sign used for eavesdropping. Drawn on a solid surface, it allows the people near this surface to listen nearby conversations which would be normally inaudible due to the distance or background noise.” It was only used in Sapkowsky’s second volume of the Hussite trilogy (not yet translated to English), which is entirely separate from the Witcher novels.

Kolgrim: Fate laughed at this Viper. As a kid he was swapped by a weeper, saved by a witcher, than rejected by his own mother who believed that the fake child was the real one. Later, as a grown witcher Ivar instructed him to find a lost weapon diagram. On his journey he was accused - ironically - in White Orchard of kidnapping a child. Invoking a Temerian law, Kolgrim was told to cleanse their crypt (as seen on the card) then he can go. The truth is revealed in Witcher 3 - Kolgrim was beheaded by the villagers before he could even step into the crypt. To add insult to injury: the child was eaten by a drowner. The gwent card therefore shows the optimistic outcome: that Kolgrim reached the crypt and passed in battle. And what’s up with a crypt full of wraiths anyway? White Orchard is shady, guys. (Lil’ trivia: Kolgrim’s eyes are yellow-green.)

Vypper: Basically an overgrown snake that likes damp marshes (they even fight the local kikimores for territory). They only relate to the mutation theme by their nature - they resemble the “school’s animal”.

Gorthur Gvaed: The Bloodgate Keep is located in the chasms of the Tir Tochair mountains. It’s built so high were you to look down from the bridge leading into the keep, you would only see fog (one could wonder how the vipers trained in these conditions). The bridge is made so that you’d have to cross the lookout tower - it might have served as a check in spot. The post itself is circled by the stone coils of a snake; the top is open and has a huge lit bonfire in the middle for warmth-keeping and possibly signaling. Unluckily, it didn’t stop the Usurper’s army from destroying the keep.

Coated Weapons: They leaned heavily into the alchemy and assassin side of the school. Vipers coat their blades with an acidic liquid, so they can kill a man with a nick of it.

School of the Cat:

Cat Witcher Mentor & Cat Witcher Adept: On the adept card we can see a young Cat walking the tightrope blindfolded (they start with close to the ground and slowly increase the distance with time); the mentor is looking up at him. Like the Vipers, Cat mentors are nonchalant about risking the kids as seen from the flavour text: “If you fall, it’s over. Your nine lives are up, kid.” Furthermore, the background of the Cat Witcher Adept card shows the not yet destroyed Stygga Citadel. The Cat Witcher Mentor is in the same scene and we can see lots of potatoes and cabbages; cats definitely eat their veggies.

Cat Witcher: The card shows a Cat in the heat of battle mid-jump; his hood is up, blood is flying everywhere. The flavour text emphasizes that cats are known for their mad bloodlust, not stopping killing even after the enemy capitulated.

Cat Witcher Saboteur: A Cat perches next to the window, a smoking bomb in hand, eavesdropping on nobles. A rope is hung from somewhere out of the pic, possibly for a quick exit. Vesemir comments that these are many-a deeds the cats did that taint the reputation of witchers.

Gezras of Leyda: Gezras is a not yet known redheaded Cat witcher. Following the pattern he seems to be the founder of the Cat School. His flavour text shows that even back then (when the mutagens made Cats emotionless) they were inclined to dislike humans: “Take a contract from Aen Seidhe over a dh’oine any day, as you’re far less likely to receive a knife between the ribs in place of coin.”

Brehen: Now this cat embodies the Cat madness. He’s known as the Cat of Iello because he massacred everyone there. He was consequently shunned by all the schools, and he was even convinced that Vesemir put a kill order on his head. He met Geralt later in the 1240s on his way to claim the bounty for the princess. Thinking that Geralt was there to rob him of his chance of the bounty, Brehen took a priestess as hostage (this is what we see on the gwent card). Geralt managed to convince him to put away the blade, and they parted without crossing blades. When meeting with the striga he scoffed into her face that “she won’t be his first royal”. But his luck ran out. The Temerians buried him and fabricated the story of a cowardly witcher stealing their coin. I’m halfway convinced we see Brehen in the netflix series.

Gaetan: This boy broke into the fandom like a bulldozer. After the folks in Honorton cheated him of his pay and tried to kill him, Gaetan flew into rage and killed everyone there except Millie, a girl who reminded him of his sister. That’s the scene we see on the card. And then Geralt robs/kills him.

Saber-Tooth Tiger (Stealth): Another huge animal/monster related to the school. It’s story is this: “The prized possession of royal menagerie, until a commando of Scoia’tael assaulted the exhibition, released the beast, and set it upon its cruel masters. Since that day, it has acquired a selective taste for human flesh.” Another cat turning against humans.

Stygga Castle: An outside view of what we already saw on the Cat Witcher Adept card. It’s located on a cliff, and the sun shines into it just right (so that the Cats can bask in the light). The walls form a circle where they shelter the inner grounds, and a bigger tower emerges in the middle. The Castle could be reached by the thin bridge connecting it to the mainland, or by the cliffs (if one is brave enough).

Making a Bomb: Cats seem to have a specialty in bombs. Guess where Lambert got his interest from *winkwink*

School of the Griffin: lots of pairs in this one

Griffin Witcher Mentor & Griffin Witcher Adept: Compared to the other schools, this pairing is tame - the adept is climbing a tree to retrieve a crossbow bolt. We can see the mentor in the background. On the mentor card the adept waves down with the retrieved crossbow bolt in hand. It shows a kind of comradeship that’s not present in the other 3 schools. The flavour text emphasizes the importance of knowledge. Students are afforded to choose their final Trial: recite the entire Liber Tenebrum (Book of Shadows; one of Keldar’s favourite books) or steal a griffin’s egg. Noone’s chosen the former.

Griffin Witcher: The witcher is shown shooting down a griffin. According to the flavour text they prefer hunting with silver-tipped arrowheads instead of swords.

Archgriffin & Griffin Witcher Ranger: On the Griffin Ranger card we see the witcher crouching over track marks. On the archgriffin card he found the albino (or very old) monster, who’s already killed someone (probably a lumberjack, judging by the axe). According to the flavour text, Griffin Witchers are trained to be professional trackers; nothing can stop them to reach their prey. Even though archgriffins are considered the embodiment of courage, loyalty and fighting spirit, the gwent card corrects the notion that the Griffin Witcher were named after the monster. In truth, they got the name in honour of their founder’s mentor, a knight named Gryphon.

Erland of Larvik: Continuing the trend, Erland is the founder of the Griffin School (one of the two that are confirmed 100%). He’s from the first generation of witcher, mutated by Alzur himself. After the Order began fracturing he had a confrontation with Arnaghan (who’ll be the founder of the bear school). Arnaghad almost killed one of his brothers, slashed Erland across the face then parted ways with the Order and left Morgraig Castle with his own group. Seeing that the the remaining witchers couldn’t go on like that, he grabbed his 13 best friend and left to Kaer Seren, where (after purging it from spectres) he founded the Griffin School which focused on magic, preparedness and flexibility. His teaching emphasized knightly values (mimicking his long-dead mentor, a knight named Gryphon) in hopes that it would make future witchers’ life easier. It didn’t.

Coen & Keldar: The cards are mainly connected by background. Coen is finished killing what appears to be an albino arachas (but it’s definitely an insectoid), while Keldar’s taking notes. We can rightly assume that he’s updating their bestiary, since he’s one of the teachers/mentors who focus on gathering and sharing knowledge. Coen’s flexibility shows in the flavour text: “There is no such thing as a fair fight. Every advantage and every opportunity that arises is used in combat.” Not very knightly, is it?

Kaer Seren: The “Star Keep” Erland and his friends fled to. It was used by the Order’s mages to mutate witchers (that’s why it was haunted by spectres). It’s located at the edge of the Dragon mountains by the sea between Poviss and Kovir. It’s said to possess the great library, which later mages tried to get for themselves. They messed up: by bringing down an avalanche on the Keep, that knowledge was destroyed. The keep was badly damaged and many witchers died.

Target Practice: The Griffin School’s specialty is their precise aim - they “can split an apple in two from a hundred paces”.

School of the Bear:

Bear Witcher Mentor & Bear Witcher Adept: The adept card shows that young witcher are taught to catch fish by hand (just like their school relevant animal). On the mentor card the elder witcher leads a group of younglings in the mountains; possibly out to teach tracking. The cards are connected by flavour text. The young Bear witcher-would-be’s need to complete the Trial of the Mountain, which consists of them climbing Mount Gorgon (also known as the Devil Mountain; it is the highest peak of the Amell range) to retrieve a runestone. The Trial often ends with the kids frozen to death. The Bear Mentor card’s flavour confirms it: “If you’re unsure of the way, just keep a lookout for markers - the frozen corpses of would-be witchers.” This sounds ominous - don’t they collect their fallen?

Bear Witcher: Bears are solitary hunters as seen in the flavour text: “life alone can be tough”. The witcher in the pic just dismembered what looks like a ghoul (with a tail?).

Bear Witcher Quartermaster: This one I like. The Quartermaster is an amputee (missing one of his arms, which was taken by a bear; must have won that fight one-handed), yet they still found a job for him where he can be useful. His flavour text suggest he likes Mahakam mead.

Arnaghad: The founder of the Bear School, he never felt kinship with his fellow witchers. After attacking a witcher named Rhys over a contract, wounding him deeply from shoulder to waist, he returned to Morgraig, attacked Erland then left with his possé to found the Bear School - Haern Caduch - in the Amell Mountains. Later he almost died in a betrayal, which resulted in another schism and the foundation of the Viper School.

Gerd: Gerd’s a legendary witcher who fled to Skellige after allying with a Usurper instead of his daughter, who later issued a warrant for his arrest. He has a busy time in Skellige: first slaying a dragon, befriending the Jarl Torgeir, killing a bunch of sirens, losing so many weapon diagrams you wouldn’t believe, losing half his pay and silver sword on gwent, escaping Nilfgaard and managing to slay a striga, killing some of his pursuers, only to be caught up in the siege of Torgeir’s castle, where he died in the ruins. On the card he’s showing Bear-typical strength: he’s tearing apart a siren with his bear hands.

Junod of Belhaven: Junod had a dubious background, but was thought to be the child of a brave dwarf and a giantess. He’s a huge man, with a big bushy beard and bald head. His sobriquet is false; he took it after Ivo, because he liked the ring of it. He was known as a strict haggler and a bit of a gambler. In 1243 he took a contract in hopes of cash (he wanted to forge the Grandmaster Ursine Armour). The subterranean monster was said to live in the caverns. Junod drew bear signs and wrote a warning on the wall (this is the scene we see on the card). He was however ill-prepared; the beast turned out to be a shaelmaar (a type of relic Gaetan slew once) that killed him in that very cavern.

Dire Bear: Once again related to the school in question, the Dire Bear is stuck with so much weaponry that it looks like a walking armory. Lots of witchers must have tried to slay it, yet it still kicks - just like Bear Witchers, it’s resilient till the very end.

Haern Caduch: Built into the side of the Amell Mountains, it’s the coldest environment of all the schools. As with the other schools, the Bears were forced out of it due to folk riots. It was left in disrepair to be buried under snow and ice (as seen on the card). It’s name could be translated as “Piercing Whiskers”.

Armor Up: As Bear’s are more likely to stand in the way of attack than dodge, they need to wear a heavy armour at all times.

Salamandra:

Roland Bleinheim & Gellert Bleinheim: Witcher 1 characters. They are thought to be brothers, leading the Salamandra organization. As drug lords one heads the fisstech operation in Vizima’s sewers (Roland), the other in the swamps (Gellert). The flavour text pretty much matches: both of them wondering what the other one is doing.

Salamandra Mage: The art itself was already leaked in China around 2 years back, and there were a few theories. One of them was that the man depicted is Zerrikanian, and I think that’s correct. Both the facial tattoo, darker skin, thinly braided hair and fire magic points in that direction. Azar Javed (a known Salamandra fire mage) happens to be a Zerrikanian escapee too.

Salamandra Lackey: A girl with the Salamandra-stapled mask runs from a city guard. The flavour text says the following: “Lackeys are expected to perform their first five jobs for no pay, demonstrating their passion for the gig.” The organization monitors from the beginning that only those remain who are extremely loyal to their cause.

Fallen Rayla: A little background for those who are unfamiliar with her: Rayla of Lyria was a veteran of the Nilgaardian Wars. She harbours anti-nonhuman sentiments after she was captured by Scoia’taels and severely maimed. The Rayla we see on the card is a mutant - in Witcher 1 she was supposedly shot down by Scoia’tael, and Salamandra found her close to death, subjected her to mutation. She was killed by Geralt.

Salamander: The card shows a bright blue spotted salamander. It has two tails and heads (possibly grown together?). The Salamander is a symbol of the organization. Metaphorically speaking it could mean, that Salamandra thought of itself as something untouchable: “best to avoid petting them, as the salamander, when threatened, secretes a deadly toxin”.

Failed Experiment: The card - ironically - thrives when it’s poisoned. The “experiment” only resembles a human in shape. It’s clutching the table ends, as if trying to escape still.  It’s fair to assume that they later dissected it: “even failed experiments can serve a purpose”.

Salamandra Abomination: A step further from the failed experiment - we see the results of pushing science’s boundaries. Only the skull is left intact, everything else of the body is covered with insectoid-like growths.

Stolen Mutagens: Gruesome organ harvesting. The witcher heart (?) glows, which is either an artistic decision (probable) or the mages sent magic into the body, and the mutagens light up (like angiographia). Three types of mutagens can be harvested: red (strength), blue (magic) or green (resilience). I headcanon that the amount they inject of the three types can vary - that’s how you get strength inclined witchers like the wolves (red), or big ass mothers like the bears (green).

Salamandra Hideout: There are multiple hideouts in Witcher 1 (outskirt of Visima, crypt in sewers and one in the trade quarters). The one depicted here is the fisstech lab in the sewers. It shows a dimly lit, cobwebbed room. There’s an elevation where a body lays on the table. The elevation’s floor is gridded, so the blood and other fluids can freely flow down into the sewer water, where many bodies are already discarded recklessly.

Neutral:

Alzur & Viy & Koshchey: Alzur was a charismatic mage and spell inventor, who created many horrible monsters, like the koshchey (with the spell: Alzur’s Double Cross) and the Viy (a huge centipede-like insectoid). He was also the one who did the lion’s share of work with the witcher’s mutation.

Cosimo Malaspina: Cosimo was the teacher of Alzur. He was known for his knowledge in hybridization and genetic modification. Him and Alzur were the true creators of the witchers sect. On the gwent card, three man are shown prodding at a mutated body. Cosimo (the old dude) is in the middle, Alzur might be the one on the left and that leaves Idarran on the right. His flavour text paints him as cold and clinical, someone without empathy: “Children keep asking him for gifts. He doesn’t know why, but it really helps with finding subjects for his experiments.”

Idarran of Ulivo & Idr & Wererat: Idarran was one of the contributers of the witcher experiments. He’s an expert in hybridization and genetic modification, whose teacher was Alzur. He was a pale kid who lived in the canals of Vizima and experimented on rats at the age of 5. He found beauty in gruesome creations, like the Wererat (a human-sized rat on roids) and the Idr (a big centipede-like insectoid). He’s disdained by Geralt for his many monsters.

Triangle within a Triangle: It’s a magic spell used to introduce a series of mutations and to greatly increase the mass of a given body. That way they can create huge monstrosities, like the koshchey. Adepts often confuse it with a pentagram which can lead to infernal disasters.

Selective mutation: The card shows a close up of a young man’s eyes - one mutated (catlike) one human. His skin shows his high toxicity level, ashen with prominent veins. He’s held down as alchemists prepare to inject a yellow concoction into the human eye. It’s possible that after the success of witchers the mages tried to recreate the changes in smaller scale, then unmake it in turn, unsuccessfully.

Witcher Student: This is not really a card, but I included it anyway. The card’s ability is - ironically - doomed, and to add insult to injury, its flavour text is the following well-known fact: “Four out of ten boys survive… at most.” It’s also a point for black humour that the gwent commentators added: the Trial of Grasses card boosts this unit significantly.

Berengar: He’s a Wolf School Witcher who blamed his school for denying him a normal life and consequently abandoned them. In Witcher 1 Geralt can decide to kill or spare him. In a letter he admits that he was a coward because he betrayed Kaer Morhen and worked with Salamadra in hope that they can undo his mutation. His card references a questline in Witcher 1, where he tried to reason with the vodyanoi (~lovecraftian fish people) to spare the village’s prize-winning cow, named Strawberry. This is non-canon; in the game Geralt takes over the quest to do this instead.

Leo: Another Witcher 1 character. He was an orphan taken in by Vesemir. He was a kind-hearted but hot-headed man, who had all the training but not the mutations and the experience - he never killed a man. The flavour text of his gwent card kind of mocks his death: “He would have caught the arrow if he only had some heads-up.” He’s burned on a pyre and his cenotaph can be found south of Kaer Morhen.

Geralt: Quen: The last classical sign that wasn’t yet a card. In the art, Geralt is wearing the Manticore armour

Snowdrop: She’s a not yet seen character; impish looking female bard with light blond hair (flowers braided on the side) who plays a medieval version of the fiddle to a rooster. There’s a horseshoe hanging from the hem of his pants. She’s also seen in the gwent: journey #3 launch trailer. She’s narrating that she was saved by Alzur. Alzur told her about his plans of creating witchers to fight the beasts of the Continent, and she admired him so much she spread his story (”let me tell you about the greatest sorceress to ever lived”). Their story will unveil in the next week, I’ll probably update accordingly. It’s also interesting that Alzur says in the gwent intro (regarding witchers): “Bards will toil to do justice to their feats.” As if his own successes and experiences will be mirrored in his creations. Projecting much?

Monsters:

Viy & Idr: both of them are centipede-like insectoids conjured by infamous mages (see: Alzur and Idarran)

Wererat: same can be said about this one. Idarran experimented on Vizima’s sewer rats since the age of 5. This human sized abomination was the end result.

Succubus: We already discussed how the “Succubus” doesn’t fit the theme. Other interesting thing is the surrounding of her - in the background we can see a skull full of some kinda of dark liquid; she’s also holding a goblet. I’m not saying she’s drinking blood, but if she does, it would shed some questions as succubi don’t need to drink blood at all.

Phooca: As nekkers’ rare big brother, phoocas are ogroids that have the strength to rip a man’s head off with their bear hands. According to the wiki, in Celtic folklore they are regarded as shapeshifting fairies.

Koshchey: A witcher 1 boss, koshcheys are spider-like abominations summoned by mages. The woman standing her ground in the picture is Visenna (Geralt’s druid mom). In the story she’s the one to kill the first koshchey ever created.

Spontaneous Evolution: Under the Red Moon the wolf mutated into an amalgamation of eyes and teeth. Malaspina possibly added something to the mix that proved unstable. The card’s name is kind of ironic - this change is not spontaneous (it was induced) but could be related to evolution (it would imply that this form is somehow advantageous to the current environment and helps adaptation). (Note: in my opinion spontaneous generation would be a better term: it’s the thought that living creatures could arise from nonliving matter.)

Hybrid: the card shows a two-headed wolf or dog. Pretty straight-forward.

Chimera: A creature created my Cosimo Malaspina. He combines the genes of a fiend and griffin, then added a trace of insectoid and wyvern. It kind of looks like a furred wyvern with antlers. Interestingly the frightener (an insectoid; a rare result of magical experiment) is also called a chimera.

Dol Dhu Lokke: a new monster lair location. The depending on how you translate “lokke” the Elder can be read as “black valley place” or “alluring black valley”. It’s so dangerous - housing many-a horrors - that even a witcher thinks twice before going near it.

Interesting tidbits

Coen has hair, which is weird because so far he was described in all sources as bald.

There used to be a card  that was also called Viper Witcher, which is now referred to as “Kingslayer”

The Bear Witcher’s face was drawn after one of CDPR’s employee.

The Koshchey’s card title has a typo: “Koschchey”.

Easter eggs (mainly in flavour text)

The Spontaneous Evolution card references The Powerpuff Girls intro: “Professor Malaspina accidentally added an extra ingredient to the concoction - compound X.”

The Bear Witcher card might reference a song of Baloo from the Jungle Book (The Bare Necessities): “Life alone on the road can be tough - be sure to bring all the bare necessities.”

[mego42]

Shamelessly stealing @foxmagpie​’s monthly rec thing without the ability to get my life together to do these on a monthly basis so, seasonal recs! So excited to see if I manage to do this again with anything remotely resembling consistency but i’ve been keeping the notes for approximately 43 years (or since ~september, whatever that means) so by god i’m gonna use them. 

found my thrill - s_t_c_s / @sothischickshe​

Turner POV!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

guys turner is SO OBSESSED with Beth and Rio

both canonically and in this fic

it’s gr9

also features a weirdly soothing and relatable cord untangling moment as a metaphor

truly disturbingly relatable turner pov tbh

relentless boomer disdain, always a plus

led to the creation of this monstrosity, not sure what kind of a monster would do that

War In My Mind - mintletters16

Backread!!!!

post-213, gorgeous character study 

guaranteed to make you feEl stUfF

I really love the like, cyclical, fractured pattern of Beth’s internal monologue, it gives the whole thing a really affecting at times dreamy, at times haunted vibe

the end twist is *chef’s kiss*

mourning bells - Ejunkiet / @ejunkiet​

Backread!!!!

Later s2 era, Rio’s at a funeral, gets drunk and calls Beth

V short, kind of…..mmm, not sweet, but almost? Idk

It’s got a wistful sort of almost/i can be quiet with you vibe that i go extremely bonkers for

delinquents - foxmagpie / @foxmagpie​

Lol are any of you actually not reading this yet?

g o d ch 8 where do i start

First off how ABSOLUTELY VERY DARE for the tragic angst that is delinquents!beth boland. This poor baby, this precious bean. MUST PROTEC

SHE’S TRYING HER BEST AND I LOVE HER

zero percent deserves dean’s clammy hands, no i have not forgotten, tattooed on my brain, will never forgive

I also love love love love LOVE the ruby/stan subplot happening

(and ruby’s mom!!!!!) (seriously though you write the best moms)

oh god and baby beth starting to have confusing feelings about rio?????? *chef’s kiss*

p sure i was just like, straight screaming the entire end of the chapter

the dugout is like, pure serotonin

I can’t even talk about the closet

tHe teNsiOn

thank you i will take eleventy billion

don't give it a hand, offer it a soul - medievalraven / @medievalraven

am a desperate heaux for any fic that features rio and mick friendship

you are all incredibly shocked i know

still would not be mad if this swerved into rio x mick fake dating but beth x rio is cool too i guess

Speaking of things i am a desperate heaux for: DIANE!!!!!!!!

and DATING ANNIE???????????? Blessed

honestly this fic is worth it purely for the assertion that mick watches queer eye

Why don't we go to Venus? - watermelonriddles / @bensonstablers​

another grief study! 

apparently i was working through some stuff in september, idk, that was like 4 years ago

considering it’s the premise of the fic, i don’t think it’s a spoiler to say this fic is canon divergent and working with the premise that rio killed beth in 302

he is uh, not coping well

extremely haunted you might say

lots of marcus and rhea which is a delight!

rhea is to good for him tbh

i said what i said

truly top notch dream (nightmare?) sequences

the conversation at the end is extremely uncalled for

drop the game - Ejunkiet / @ejunkiet​

Backread!!!!

Am going to die mad Beth and Rio didn’t hook up in 211 but luckily this fic scratched the itch 

(temporarily, it’s a fairly permanent itch)

Bonus rec: missing scene series i wanna do bad things to you featuring 2x02 and 2x04

Viva Voce - zetuslapetus / @querenaxx​

Whoops we woke up married Vegas shenanigans!! 

So cute!!!!! So sexy!!!!! 

What more do you want?

am desperately obsessed with how beth can’t help stalking rio

feels right, feels organic

this makes me feel a lot of stuff about how they could be without their canon garbage between them

🎶 we could’ve had it aaaaaaaaaaall 🎶

you showed me colors (i can't see them with anyone else) - gild_fire / @gild-and-fire​

really into the use of color to illustrate beth’s emotional state, i feel like there’s a word for that but idk what it is

UNIMPORTANT

really nice job capturing beth’s inner vulnerability balanced by her outer stubbornness

am DESPERATELY into Mick playing matchmaker

more please???????

Both Sides of the Law - JoeyLee / @joeyjoeylee​

LAW SCHOOL AU! I suuuuuuper love Beth and Rio here (alt pov!! a gift!!!!) I love how initially prickly they are, I love how it’s evolving into a grudging respect, I love how INCREDIBLY AND HILARIOUSLY OBSESSED WITH EACH OTHER THEY ARE and neither one of them seems to see it

listen I know we’re all already foaming at the mouth over this one but as it’s gonna go down as one of my all time favorites it bears repeating/rereccing

cannot stress enough how masterful the use of POV is here, both voices feel completely true and distinct and I love how the alternating chapters revisit, reveal and emphasize pieces of each other

i can’t talk about this fic without hyperventilating

I LOVE IT SO MUCH YOU GUYS

the slow burn is going to ACTUALLY KILL ME

rip, no regrats

Earned It - wakeupflawless / @wakeupflawless​

spanking

that’s it that’s the pitch

H O T

living for beth’s exit in the first chapter, rio and i are both incredibly into it

second chapter also features violently possessive Rio who cannot deal with anyone messing with his girl so if that’s your thing boy howdy get on it

shake, baby, shake - openhearts

backread!!!!!

according to my bookmarks this was a reread but ???????

must’ve read it in the fugue state that followed reading for a moment we were strangers which is gr9 and I believe I have recced it before. If not, horrible oversight, reccing it now

beth and Rio POV lead up to the bathroom break, beautifully done, low-key feel bad reccing it bc the end point of both chapters makes me want to throw things but it’s super worth it for the tEnsiOn. ENJOY

What the Sea Wants, the Sea Will Have - flashindie / @pynkhues​

I’m assuming all of y’all are already reading this

If not OH MY GOD FIX YOUR LIVES

P I R A T E  A U

I’m sorry maybe you didn’t hear me piRaTE aU

meticulously researched, brain-meltingly vibrant, already painfully sexy slow-burning PIRATE AU

god where to start okay so first off, the world-building here straight up breaks my brain, sophie’s put in the work and it SHOWS

second, the atmosphere. i’m generally a pretty like, vague mental picture sort of reader but the sensory detail here grabs you by the throat and like, forcibly hauls you in whether your brain’s wired that way or no

and hey speaking of throats if you, like me, go a little funny about the knees at the idea of beth holding a knife to rio’s throat (he’s fine, calm down), there’s a v excellent beth-in-a-barrel moment for you

oh christ and the sexy tension

it’s gonna be a race to see which slow burn takes me out first, this or law school

Stunner - foxmagpie / @foxmagpie​

Another high school AU, this time with baby Rio absolutely head over heels for his older sister’s bff

stunner!Rio has an emotional earnestness about him that I feel like delinquents!Rio has already outgrown and it’s so SWEET I can’t get enough

Desperately cute!!!!!!

alL he waNts iS foR beTh tO bE hiS girL

also unreasonably angsty???????

ANN ARBOR IS NOT THAT FAR MEGAN

A Heart's A Heavy Burden - tooshyforthis / @bathroombreaks​

Howl’s Moving Castle AU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love Howl’s!!!!!!!!!!!

perfect opp to roast Rio for being a Dramatique Heaux 

and it’s gonna be 9 chapters?????? H Y P E

author’s note boldly presumes I did not know I needed this AU when the reality is I did in fact know I needed this AU, I just wasn’t expecting anyone to deliver

so blessed

author also claims to not be team nose stud and yet it features prominently in all its magnificent glory

what is the truth dot gif

A Bit of a Stretch - septiembre / @septiembur​

SO????? CUTE?????????

would be on this list for Rio calling Beth E alone tbh

really really really really really love this Rio POV of being settled into a relationship with Beth

It manages to be sweetly domestic af while still holding the edge that makes brio brio which is a neat trick

@septiembur may be a witch

beth’s approach to getting rio to do yoga with her is hilarious and exactly right, canon-typical amounts of subtlety 

1000000/10

Post Break-Up Sex - femalegothic / @bethsuglywigs​

stg this was called Hit Shuffle

no matter

h O T

with a side of damn i’ve made some questionable choices in my life haven’t i introspection

(no regrats tho)

(esp not with this fic)

not the point of the fic by a long shot but i’m also extremely obsessed with Weed Eddie, so real

She drains my soul... she drains it not - niham87 / @niham87​

ABSOLUTELY OBSESSED WITH THIS CONCEPT

am a complete sucker for paranormal world building that satirizes bureaucracy 

Is that a trope? If so that’s my favorite

I did it. I’m picking a single favorite. You know what that is growth dot gif

ANYWAY i love the concept, i love the humor, i love beth instantly clicking with annie

I love her and mick’s sort of grudging professional courtesy

Love beth as a champion of environmental responsibility and all of the underworld being like …...okay??

cannot wait to see where this goes

Nine-Tenths - riosnecktattoo / @riosnecktattoo​

*INCOHERENT PTERODACTYL SCREECHING*

sometimes i think about rio putting beth’s hair in a ponytail and have to go lie down

science please explain why this rUinS mE

wait hold on i skipped ahead

HEY KIDS DO YOU LIKE UNBEARABLY CUTE DOMESTIC TENDERNESS

opens with rio sleepily holding beth’s hand to his heart so that’s the kind of thing you’ll be dealing with

uGH theY’RE sO CUTe

idk why precisely but rio adding hair ties to his bracelet collection is my undoing every time

Missed Call - foxmagpie / @foxmagpie​

Rio doesn’t come home from a job when he’s supposed to. Beth (and I!!!!!!!) slowly loses her mind

Truly a masterpiece of rising tension

Will literally never forgive her for calling this light angst

I was SO STRESSED OUT

The first person to point out there was an author’s note at the beginning I obvs didn’t read is getting blocked

crush - foxmagpie / @foxmagpie​

Listen even though this is centered around two OCs, they are OCs FROM a (n iconic) brio fic AND Beth, Ruby and Rio all make cameos (I mean, Rio’s pretty present since he lives in Mar’s mind rent free bc they are THE SWEETEST MOST ADORABLE BEST OF FRIENDS so idk if i’d call it a cameo but whatever)

and even if it didn’t feature any official GG characters I’d still rec is bc that’s mY SON AND this fic is TOO CUTE

I have so many feelings over mar and rio growing up and not knowing how to cope with girls becoming a Thing in their life and how it affects their friendship and mar feeling left behind but (SPOILERS) at the end of the story rio starts feeling that too and it’s so poignant knowing how that’s going to continue in delinquents

while mar may be my son, i also claim elena’s #1 stan status

before you’re like meg you’re only reccing it bc it’s a bday present ask yourselves do i really strike you as the kind of person that wouldn’t be equally obnoxious about this either way?

truly cannot fathom how hard i have fallen for these OCs i don’t normally do that

@foxmagpie is definitely a witch

The Ottoman - Niham87 / @niham87​

look i will be the first to admit that i don’t go near as bonkers over the ottoman line in 308 as y’all do

(don’t get me wrong, i love it!!! I love that he laughs and i love that she’s pleased it just doesn’t hit my lose my whole mind button like idk, the dubby or the 306 convo, idk why)

BUT i v v v much love the context this delightful Rio POV pwp gives it

am also absolutely feral for 209 missing scene fic

and anything that captures the complexity of Rio’s s3 feelings for Beth and how twisted they’ve become

so this scratches a bunch of itches, is what i’m trying to say

Bet On It - zetuslapetus / @querenaxx​

*INCOHERENT PTERODACTYL SCREECHING*

That’s what my brain does when I think about Beth and Rio meeting in ch 1

am DESPERATELY OBSESSED WITH the tension between the two of them in this fic

I love how it plays with the ways they have to rely on but don’t trust each other

plus FAKE DATING and BED SHARING (fair warning hasn’t happened yet but the set up is there)

originally supposed to be 2 chapters, already up to 4, prayer circle it goes on forever

do you like drugs (tonight) - s_t_c_s / @sothischickshe​

v important focus on hydration, other fic should take note

extremely about the use of cut to and then flashback to enhance the ‘we were on drugs’ vibe

speaking of, beth and rio absolutely would take ecstasy to prove they are fun bc they are the exact kind of idiots that would peer pressure themselves

so glad beth kept her purse, got a bit stressed there for a second, clutches in that kind of circumstance are A Risk

not that i would know

FLAWLESS USE OF VOICEMAIL TBH

really love the ongoing denial that they are remotely into each other while proceeding to demonstrate how they are in fact, extremely into each other, great vibe

rio dances

I know my brain broke too

mmmm bacon

Navigate A Broken Path - flashindie / @pynkhues​

*INCOHERENT PTERODACTYL SCREECHING*

I have a long standing tradition of getting unreasonably obsessed with side characters so i’m not like, entirely surprised by how obsessed i am with both Mick and Mary Pat but i never in a million years considered them as a ship

AND Y E T

they fit????? so perfectly?????? It’s amazing how she developes them individually enough that i look at them together and think ah yes this makes perfect sense for both characters

and they’re such an amazing foil to Beth and Rio? 

can ships have foils? do i know what a foil is? 

unimportant

GUYS you dON’T uNDERStAN d 

hell i don’t understand

how absolutely very dare you make me care about YET ANOTHER set of gg ‘verse children

do not read this fic if you have no interest in feelings you zero percent asked for

wHA t hAPPeNED iN aLASkA?????????

A Moment’s Silence - femalegothic / @bethsuglywigs​

*makes sign of the cross*

y’all are gonna make me rediscover religion

extremely appreciate the author’s note approach to backstory top notch prioritization

listen it’s basically 3k of beth deep throating rio idk what more you need me to say about it

it is…..good stuff

bless the kinkmeme or fest whatever we’re calling it

praise - civillove / @blainesebastian​

I mean you had me at “three times rio calls beth a good girl and one time he really means it”

ephemeral rio

I left that note for myself in here in the middle of the night and haven’t the foggiest what i was thinking but i stand by it none the less

okay okay i think i know what i meant, this fic (as do all of my fav civillove brio fics) has this sort of like, liminal, in the quiet moments feel to them that makes the moments and feelings somehow feel like i’m catching a glimpse of something secret and precious???

idk i just really like it okay

Heart and Soul - riosnecktattoo / @riosnecktattoo​

oh look more unbearably sweet domestic tenderness, this time to music

thank you ma’am for my life

rio remembers beth used to play piano and gets her one and revoltingly cute shenanigans result

also hilarity

and sexiness

this fic has it all, truly

shout out to mick who sees no reason to keep rio’s feelings to himself

good girls tumblr fic - prettylittlementirosa / @hypermania​​

cheating and reccing a whole series

It’s my list and i can do what i wanna

stop crying about it, it’s four fics and they’re all AMAZING absolutely impossible to pick a fav

truly flawless characterization, next level ability to capture evocative mood, cannot get enough

three’s a crowd: who knew ballroom dancing while dean watches and grinds his teeth could be so sexy 

(trick question everything about that premise sounds A++++ and boy howdy does it live up)

feel it on the way home: rio tries to break up with beth, it goes about as well as you’d expect

(thE angSty tenSioN)

i want to play the game: [from the floor] i’m still not ready to talk about it

(rio/turner, missing scene, 10000000% a taste of what went down in that hotel room)

june after dark: pitch perfect annie pov, really really love the take that Annie is the baby whisperer, can’t fully explain why but it feels incredibly right

(ANNIE X NANCY COULD WORK SO WELL YOU GUYS)

[mbrinnon35]

I learned to rock climb this year

Ethereum Pools was my most nerve enducing post and made me laugh the most

synthetic a priori took the longest and didn’t work out. I will likely return in a long time

I enjoyed drawing dragons 🐉

Many unfinished projects I can only bet

I would like to redraw Pokémon and Link because they bring with them nostalgic feelings and I haven’t yet perfected by heart

The process behind some posts are to write anything that feels right fast enough to not forget what’s next. Remember all the letters that are autocorrected and incorporate them into the next phase of thought. Use numbers and make the meaning cryptic and abstract. If it all flows i’m satisfied.

Art goal - paint and learn a new technique

I tried to just write and add connections then organize

My first paper was criticized heavily then the rest passed academic standards with flying colors

I listened to the girl in red and laroi and hxliday

The lovely haikkun commented on how much she wanted to see our type of deep thoughts in word form

Lots of tutorials on electronic functioning

Found lots of resources at IU - couches, food, condoms, ziplock bags

Redrew many mazes

New inspo came from rapper friends, tumblr friends, online triathletes, and characters in books

Sharing is based on a feel or how if fits within other goals/moral laws at the time

I returned to zombies and selling shoes this year

Biggest art project was printing pictures and showing them one by day

Exchanged a lot of money this year

My style became more layerous and more bloody

Am conscious of this often

Haven’t painted much

Many mediums less hard drugs

Let Siri do more talking and learned to code

Went silent and communicated through telepathy

Became familiar drawing from darkness

And holding breath

I learned through falling into pain without reaching out

No OC designs but I was really intrigued by them this year especially

Salvador Dali and Spider-Man No Way Home had some great ones

I have some twisted song ideas like screamo jingle bells and sinister twinkle little star

Also book ideas somewhere forgotten along my scroll of posts this year

I most wanted to improve creativity

I still get stuck on patterns but have made vast progress

My art has many more strokes typically and lest blocks

Also many breaks

It’s difficult to edit because I never see imperfection and regret it might change the original meaning and story

I most enjoy the surprising enigmas and looking back when i’m down and seeing my masterpiece

I did technical studies on computer history

All my works are cursed

The disturbing ones are rare including sorry child and frozen wasteland (with picture)

I sent my art to my professor he said “please do not email me anymore”

I also gave it to friends/family who were ecstatic

I notice entendres quickly and look into how the strokes were made

I also sound out words and have been very stupended by the allusions/ironies

Lazy lazers and sex among species was best received

Slightly unexpected

“All these words around me keep narrating my life - what the hell is watching” - most personal

And the red gem conglomeration

I had fun making them all

My google search history has been corrupted by canvas and “how to kill your Roomate”

My family see these and I don’t know which I’d prefer

Because the audience would alter intent forever

I look at it and sometimes am ashamed but mostly am proud

Alternate fandoms preferred except romantic relationships. When those are tinkered with I am repulsed. I feel like it corrupts the entire character and identity so it’s just using the imagery and stealing nostalgia for something recognizably unrecognizable. Like click bait. Not a bad thing just not my forte.

The art I make can’t help but adopt and merge with the stuff I look at

The patterns and voice pervading

Similar workflow though this last month I have done more reading in between lines of writing

Biggest motivation was distraction from money

My art wasn’t so important but others have been my escape from hell