#//most of the others it starts w/personality or backstory but him? nah

[shipped-to-the-stars]

Garmadon took over my headspace in the span of three fucking days and now I can’t stop picturing him over my shoulder, grinning, in his silly-as-hell PJs just ‘relax, star~’ and I’m over here internally screaming, thank stars I’m home alone tonight b/c I am DYING.

[pokeexehasstoppedworking]

Love Doesn’t Do Encores Ch15 Battle Gym Leader Allister

( I'm open for any further things my readers want added to this or future stories.)

To say your exit out of Stow-on-Side was quick and abrupt to say the least was an understatement. Gloria literally dragged you out of town and the two of you two ran through the heat like the time the onix chased you two in the Wild Area until exhausted and too hot from the heat to handle and collasped under a shady ledge of one of the cliffsides that were still surrounding the path you took out of Stow-on-Side. Panting, sitting on the ground as your Drizzilie face planted the shaded ground next to you just as tired.

.....You weakly raised an arm from your sweating tired self pointing up. "W-W-We...a-are *wheeze* NEVER r-running- *gasp* in the h-heat again! Hhhaaaaa-'' Your arm flopped back to your side as your laid there heaving your lungs out and Gloria weakly nodded agreeing to that proposal.

After a few tired moments of just laying there in the shade catching your breaths and regular temperatures back thanks to the shade provided Gloria eventually spoke. "W-Well...W-What now?"

You shrugged. "I dunno man. The past two days have been absolutely CRAZY!" During the silence as you were catching your breaths, the silence let it sink in for you two exactly what had transpired the last day and a half for the two of you. "It all happened so fast I can barely believe it happened."

Gloria nodded again patting her pockets. "If I didn't have these wee ones on me person I would nah believe it either but 'ere we are. UGH! What was that boy thinkin'!?"

You shrugged forcing yourself back up into a standing position despite your tired body's protest. "I-I dunno but I think it might be best for us to just leave Stow-on-Side all together before we get caught in anymore trouble's crossfires."

She nodded immediately and used the ledge she laid again to help pull herself up. Before pausing for a moment..and pointing at your hand. "What's that ya got there?"

You hummed before lifting your hand up and coming face to face with the lightly dirty mask that Sonia's yamper had found. And you lit up in realization. "OH! It's the mask Sonia found." You held it out to her as she made a reach for it. "I must've forgotten I had it when we suddenly split town. But I think she said it might've belonged to whoever runs the ghost type gym around here."

"Allister," Gloria corrected you turning the small mask over in her hands...before smiling. "Well if it is we outta return it ta him! I was plannin' on seeing 'em anyways! Now might be a good time as any if we need a reason ta leave."

You nodded. Good enough reason to you too. "I...think Sonia said his gym was a day out of here by some grave yard."

"Oh yeah it is! In fact when I checked the map for his location, I noticed there's also an Inn and a taxi station right next to it as well! We'll have somewhere to rest up then!" You nodded, nudging your pokemon who made an annoyed noise but reluctantly got up from his spot on the ground. "I just hope he's not too scared to accept battling with me. Especially since I already go the same badge he give out from Bea."

You paused..looking up from your yawning water type to raise a brow at her examining the mask more. "..What are you talking about?"

She still looked at the mask almost sadly for a moment before looking at you. "Oh right. Of course you wouldn't really know about him. Even tho it's easily known." She sighed looking back down to the mask. "Allister accordin' ta Lee is one of the newest Gym Leaders in Galar, in fact this is gonna be his first Gym Challenge too."

You blinked wide eyed at her. "Oh really?"

She nodded slowly. "In fact he's only been an official gym leader for 'round two years, but he is a bit eccentric from what I've heard. He claims ta be able ta see ghosts after an accident when he was four that claimed the lives o' his folks." She looked at you and you stared back STUNNED at the words that came and still stumbled from her mouth. "Then he was taken in by the old Gym Leader of the stadium he runs now before he passed away too. From there Allister took over and I think the Chairman or Lee's the one who's taken on the responsibility for him about keeping the stadium up n' running since he's so young." She held the mask with a slightly bigger frown. "In fact accordin' to his league card he's supposed ta have at least a hundred of these things cuz he's so shy."

You still stared.....WHAT!? HOW COULD ANYONE IN THEIR RIGHT MIND PUT THAT KIND OF RESPONSIBILITY ON A CHILD THAT YOUNG!?...Well you couldn't remember exactly HOW young he was since you remembered the only time you had ever really seen most of the Gym Leaders was during the Entrance Ceremony months ago and only for a short time. And in the game Allister's backstory, as much as it pained you too say, didn't have much impact because in fact JUST A GAME then. But now with it being your reality this was down right almost cruel! THAT CHILD NEEDS HELP!!

"Who in their right mind would just put all that responsibility on a kid like that?," you asked scowling.

Gloria shrugged. "From what I've heard through the grapevine Allister insisted on takin' over and wouldn't budge til they agreed. He must've really wanted ta stay at the stadium if he did that."

You didn't at first and just sighed shaking your head. "Well...In any case if we're heading to see him we better start walking while there's still daylight to see by. I don't feel like camping surrounded by cliffs where more boulders could fall on us."

That got her motivated enough to slip the mask into her back pack as the two of you shoved back off in the summer heat, and began walking down the trail still surrounded by the Stow-on-Side's cliffs. By the time it was night time you two were still surrounded by cliffs, so the best thing either of you could do was pitch the tent as fair from the center of the pathway you could as to not block the entrance way in case some traveler passed by. The next morning waking bright and early at Gloria's insistance to start traveling again. As in her words it would take at least a day to get there but since you two had a head start if you started walking early in the morning now, you should be able to reach the inn before night fall. You grumbled but the promise of a proper bed and home cooked food that wasn't just trail mix or the like was enough motivation for you to get up and after packing everything away, started off once again. The sun was as hot as ever as the two of you walked with Drizzilie whining but keeping up at your feet, you were glad he took what you said seriously and began walking but you also regretted not having any water for him or Gloria who looked absolutely miserable in the heat. The sooner you got to that inn the better! As the three of you walked and walked, the sun slowly got to the middle of the sky and then started slowly going down towards the time of sunset. Also within the hours you walked, the cliffs around you started to become scarcer and scarcer until they started to break off from the path around you until you both would just walk by the occiasional one spread out away from the last one and more trees and vegitation started to replace them around you. Thank goodness. The trees offered some shade from the scorching heat luckily, but it still was a pain to walk through. Ahead of you along the dirt path it started to open up to open fields like most of the scenery of Galar you've traveled past and you groaned dreading the lack of shade once you got past the treeline.

"LOOK!," Gloria suddenly pointed making you blink at where she was pointing. And you had to squint your eyes past the sun's glare to see what she was pointing to in the distance. And to your shock, a lil fair aways from you in the open area was a giant silvery stadium, and across from it was a few buildings. THERE IT WAS!! THE INN!! "There it is!" She started forward again waving to you. "C'mon. Let's get outta this bloody sun already! I'm more cooked than a burnt curry."

You could agree with that. Picking up your pace, the two of you quickly made down the pathway, sun be darned to the inn and the closer and closer you two got, the more you noticed this stadium was JUST as BIG as the others even tho it was smack dab in the middle of no where outside of a town. But that's not what got the two of you staring. It was the grave yard on the other side of the giant stadium that caught your attention. It was MASSIVE!! At least two hundred looking headstones surrounded by a very tall and sturdy looking black metal fence with the gates leading into there wide open. You two must've have noticed it at first because it was blocked from view by the stadium. Gloria was first to noticed as she just so happened to glance over her shoulder as you two went down the path that broke off from the main dirt road and towards the inn that in all honestly wasn't an inn. It was in fact just a regular two story house you'd find in Postwick,but very very BIG with what looked like lots of rooms. The only way you could've figured it was an actual inn was the sign in front of the home stating it was in fact a hotel. Just not a very big one. Beside the home was just a plain looking barn with LOTS and LOTS of hay scattered about the front of in like the kind of bard you'd keep cows and pigs in. You nearly made it to the porch when your Drizzilie squeaked and tugged on your leg, when you looked to him he pointed at Gloria, and you looked too confused, until you saw the massive graveyard she was silently staring at for a moment and you settled your gaze on it too for a moment.

".....Gloria. Are you ok?," you eventually asked her once you got over your initial shock of seeing such a thing by a pokemon stadium of all things.

She....eventually nodded and looked back to you. "Y-Yeah. I'm fine. I just thought I saw someone." She shivered before shaking it off and bounding up to you and you made a point of turning around to walk up onto the shady house's porch. "It was just my imagination tho. I guess I'm just a wee spooked about it all."

You nodded in understanding. The two of you walked up to the door and hesitated just a moment before you slowly opened the door which opened with a creak. What it opened too was a cozy looking regular living room and a few doorways leading to different areas, one of which was a kitchen from the looks of it and the other was a stairway leading up towards the second floor of the home. The two of you stared for a moment, relieved it looked normal, before looking at each other. This was an inn?? After a moment the two of you looked back inside and around, not too sure if you should step in from the shaded porch, even if the ac from the cool house was inviting.

"Uh....HELLO!?," you called into the home eventually raising a brow and looking around, "Is anyone here?! We heard this was an inn with rooms!"

"Maybe the place is run by ghosts too," Gloria suggested half teasing half mumbled.

"OH CUSTOMERS!!" Both of you looked up as a young woman's voice shouted from the kitchen area and some noises that sounded like pots and pans and shuffling footsteps. "Please, come in and close the door! I'll be right out in a giffy!" You two looked at each other again before Gloria shrugged and walked in and you followed, closing the door behind you with a creak. As you two walked into the living room area the source of the noise finally made herself present. A woman who looked about a few years older than you with black hair in a short ponytail and black sweats and t-shirt came speed walking from the kitchen. A bright white apron draped over her otherwise dark wardrode. Some flour spread all over her face and front like snow. "Hello there! Good evening!" She greeted with a wave and bright smile. Huh. You didn't remember this in game. Must've been because this was an actual world too. "Sorry I couldn't answer the door. I was a little busy baking some soul cakes." She briefly gestured to the kitchen. "But welcome to the Stow-on-Side Inn and Corviknight flight service! How can I help you two today?"

You two briefly looked at one another again before you cleared your throat. "Well, I don't suppose we could get a room just for the night. ...And where's everyone else?" You rose a brow around you. "This place is pretty big just for one person to manage."

"Oh I'm not alone," the woman explained, "My family works as the caretakers for the Stow-on-Side Cemetery or employed at the stadium across the street. Except for my uncle. He's out right now but him and his corviknight are in charge of the taxi from here if that's what you need." You shook your head no. "It's just me and my grandmother here for the moment, but I'd be happy to ring you up and show you to the guests rooms." You both agreed to that and watched as the woman just walked on over to the closet, opened it, and pulled out an old timey looking cash register. It took a moment for the two of you to practically go through your entire bags to scramble just enough for how much the room would cost for the night and after putting away said register with the money, the woman gestured for you two to follow her up the stairs and onto the second floor. As you two followed, you were honestly surprised at the place being homey and not so scary despite working for the ghost type gym leader and caretaking the cemetery next to it. You followed her to a nice looking but big room with double beds on the opposite side of the house. "The bathroom is through there." She pointed at a closed door within the room. "Feel free to use our laundry room if you need too. It's just down the hall through the green door. Dinner will be served in about two hours. I hope you don't mind soup."

"Uh..No, no. That's fine," you assured her, "Thanks."

She nodded. "You can just leave your dishes outside your door and I'll collect them before sun down. I hope you two enjoy your stay here."

"Thanks again....By the way," you gave her another look, "Where's the gym leader now? I didn't see him when we came in."

"Oh Allister? Probably off somewhere in the gym. He prefers to be left alone unless some one's delivering him food or checking up on him as the Champion ordered. But I'm sure he's fine if you're looking to go battle him right now."

"Uh. No. I was just curious."

She nodded before leaving. "Well if there's anything else you need don't hesitate to come down stairs and ask us."

She seemed pretty nice, and you were surprised but relieved to hear that Leon had recruited someone at least to keep an eye on the boy. You wasted no time in using the provided shower and laundry room for your clothes, relief flooding away from getting to finally cool down from the scorching heat you've endured for quite a few days. Your Drizzilie sure seemed to like when you filled the bathtub just a little bit and let the poor pokemon jump in only to curl up for a nap within the water. He must've been more tired out than you. Gloria made herself busy as she went through her things before pulling out that camera and a lense thing that went over it. When you asked she explained it wasn't just a night vision lense, but one that would also allow her to take pictures clear as day without the bright flash. Sounded handy. Then the next thing you knew she was pulling out that mask you had let her take and headed towards the sink and when you looked over noticed she was scrubbing the thing  front and back with soap in the washroom sink furiously. As if it never had been cleaned before in it's life.

"Hey. What are you cleaning that thing off for?"

"Well I can't just give it back ta him all dirty now can I? It'd look like we didn't take care o' it at all 'n come off as rude don't cha think?"

Hmm. She had a point. It'd be rude of you to just give the poor boy his mask back in poor condition, it was better to clean it up before giving it back to him. By the time Gloria was done it was mostly ok looking. It still looked to have a few scratches and markings here and there from being obviously left out in the elements for who knows how long before being found, but it should still function ok. You didn't know how much time had exactly passed since you crashed on one of the twin beds provided for you but when you did eventually look up from your laid position was when there was a knock at the door and Gloria had found herself busy sticking more of the pictures she had apparently taken with her camera into the pages of one of her dex challenge books but looked up as you got up and answered the door. And on the other side was the same woman although without flour on herself or the apron this time, holding a tray which judging by the smell that hit you as soon as you opened the door was tomato or some kind of veggie soup.

She smiled. "Hello! Hope I'm not disturbing you folks too much." She held up the food. "But since you didn't come down for dinner I figured I would bring it to you as promised. Again, I hope you don't mind soup."

After a moment, you blinked and smiled. "That'll be fine thank you!" You carefully took it from her. It would be a nice change from curry, wild berries, and camping food at least.

She nodded before you closed the door. "Just leave them outside your door and I'll collect them from you later."

You nodded back to her before closing the door and turning with the tray in your hands. Gloria perking up at the promised food you had collected and gestured for you to come on over and look at the pictures she had taken so far. My my. There was a lot already and the book of different pokemon was practically full. Most of them were really well done and showed off the pokemon really well. Victor must've really put a lot of time and effort into the hobby he was so passionate about. However the newer ones were more plain looking and there was a bit of a snap-and-go kind of vibe to them that was obviously Gloria's and some were a bit blurry but not to the point you couldn't tell what pokemon they were.  That's not saying Gloria's was worse just more different. One picture she pointed out to you was one of you asleep on the table back at the Stow-on-Side's pokemon center with your Drizzilie asleep next to you for her photo under the Drizzilie section....You had given her a look half way through your soup with a raised brow, but she only giggled in response teasing how he must've been your long lost twin to be stuck to your side most of the time. You decided to let it go for now since you were more focused on eating your food to fill the empty space in your stomach. Speaking of said water type pokemon, Drizzilie had given a bored but curious look over the still slightly filled tub once he heard the mention of food. Afraid he might've yelled and gotten you in trouble with who ever the owners of this place was, you had rummaged around in your backpack and had found a mini bag of what looked like granola bars and tossed it to him to keep his stomach in check. You also found the small bag of candy you had been 'tipped' back in Hulbury for your 'job' still sealed tight with the little ribbon. Deciding you didn't want for it you offered it to Gloria who, after giving a thoughtful expression, gladly took it and set it aside for the moment. For the next while you had finished the food offered, leaving it outside the door as requested, and you picked up helping her find the right pictures to put into place within the book until you were done. There was quite a number of them that you didn't remember her taking on her way to Hammerlocke or Stow-on-Side concluding she must've just not had the time to glue them all in yet. By the time you were finished and Gloria put the book and other things back into her bag the sun had set and darkness was settling in for a long night ahead.

You stretched and yawned with a sigh turning to the bed provided for you with a smile. Happy you didn't have to worry about pitching a tent for the night again. "Ok! Time for bed-"

"UH! Don't ya mean adventure, Y/n?" You paused...turning Gloria with a bewildered expression plastered on your face as it what she meant by that. She meant adventure as in like a good dream right? She held up her camera and shook it a bit. "The best time ta capture ghost pokemon would be at night! And what better place than around a ghost type stadium n' grave yard!? I don't even have the flash on so it won't scare 'em off!"

"Oh HECK to the no with that idea!" You frowned immediately shutting her idea down and pointed to the floor. "Gloria we've been walking all day in the hot sun and I'd like to get a little sleep tonight. Plus we CAN'T just go tresspassing in a graveyard of all places! That's like high key illegal and very disrespectful might I add."

She gave you a look as if you had just insulted her mother. "WHAT!? Who said anythin' about goin' into that spooky place? I was talkin' 'bout just takin' pictures of 'em as they floated around. I wouldn't really just walk into a grave yard in the middle of the night are ya looney?"

Oh.....That actually made a lot more sense. Since ghost type pokemon wouldn't be too common during the day if any came out at all, and Gloria would probably need to get a few pictures of them if she wanted to finish up that challenge book. Being next to a ghost type stadium and the grave yard did seem like a good place as any to catch a couple of them floating about. But you two couldn't just be skulking about at night light this!! They'd think you were...were....I don't know! Grave robbers or something!

You shook your head. "Glory. Don't you think this is ...I don't know. Strange looking? What if someone catches us and think we're up to no good? These people practically own this land after all."

She gave you that same pleading face she gave to you when she wanted to meet Raihan back in Hammerlocke. "Please! I know I said I wouldn't ask for any more favors but this could be a good chance to get some pictures I probably couldn't get anywhere else! And we wouldn't be actually goin' inside the cemetary for pictures anyways so there wouldn't be any reason for us to get in trouble even if we were found! Plus think of the scientific reasons!" You rose a brow. "Seein' ghost type pokemon first hand in their natural habitat! Documenting' 'em for the world ta see! It'd be a good first hand experience in case one ever crosses our paths!"

You groaned, reaching a hand up to rub at your face. "You're really settled on this thing aren't you??....*sigh* Fine!" You pointed to her. "But you can't expect us to spend all night out there! We'll spend an hour outside but then we need to come back and get some sleep for tomorrow."

"....An hour n' a half!"

You sighed again. "Fine. An hour and a half but don't push it anymore than that!"

She beamed brightly nodding and jumping to her feet with her pack still slung over her shoulders. "You got it! We'll be in 'n out so fast they'll think we're ghosts too!"

You dry chuckled before shaking your head and turning. The things you got yourself into on this journey. "Drizzilie!" Said water pokemon peeked it's head over from the tub as it was called and you pointed to your own bag. "We'll be right back. Watch my bag for me until we come back. Ok?" The pokemon made some kind of sound before sinking back down from view which you took as an ok and turned back to follow Gloria once she walked over to the door. "Hey." She paused. "We'll need to be quiet about this. Remember. In and out. We're not going to be doing anything crazy like in Stow-on-Side. Ok?"

She nodded and with a groan, you reluctantly followed her flipping the lights of your room off as you did. The dishes weren't in the doorway when Gloria stepped out so the lady must've collected them as she promised. The whole house was...quiet. And dark. You had snuck downstairs to the kitchen a couple times to grab a midnight snack without your parents knowing when you were back home a couple times, but this felt different. Everything was quiet and dark besides the odd night noises you'd usually hear and the moonlight leaking in through the windows being your only source of light around. You stood there for a moment taking it in, it almost felt like you two were sneaking away like thieves or something, even if neither of you had bad intentions it still felt strange sneaking out like this. You jumped as the door made a soft creaking noise as Gloria slowly closed it behind the two of you. The brunette turned to you before putting a hand to her mouth in the universal 'be quiet' motion that you guessed even in this universe was known. You nodded and together the two of you slowly walked towards the stairs. It was strange at night sounds seemed to be much louder especially when the two of you were TRYING to be quiet. Even though your footsteps were pretty light and soft considering to your slightly worried selves they might as well have been compared to an elephant's! You tried to not bump or trip over anything in the limited light the moon provided and did your best to try and let your eyes get used to the dark as fast as possible to help out. Eventually Gloria found the stairs and took the first few steps down with you right behind her of course praying you neither of you would accidentally trip down these. Someone must've heard your prayers because you both made it and headed towards the front door. Gloria made the first move as you looked around and were surprised no one from the family woke up. They must've all still been asleep. Gloria slowly reached over and grabbed onto the doorknob, slowly turning it counter clockwise until there was a small click noise alerting it had been all the way turned, and pulled back the door with a small squeak noise. You two cringed at it and in a panicked stopped half way from the noise looking back towards the stairs of the dark and still home......But no sounds of anyone waking up came. With a sigh Gloria finished opening the creaking door enough for you both to slip through and out you two went into the night before she as slowly as before closed it back with a creak and small click. You both stayed still for a moment a little on edge...before sighing on the dark porch. Whelp you made it outside at least. Turning around, you looked out onto the dark world around you and it didn't look so much different than usual. The stadium giant and silent blocking out some of the moonlight and casting the road in front of it and parts of the cemetery in a pitch black shadow. The moon full rising high above your heads as stars twinkled around it like diamonds and dark grey clouds lazily passed along the sky. Would've made a perfect scene for a halloween cartoon. As you glanced towards the cemetary, devoid of any life or light besides the moon, you couldn't help but let a shiver run down your spine. But you didn't see any pokemon. Not even ghost pokemon.

"Hey Gloria," you nearly said in a whisper turning. But jumped realizing she wasn't next to you anymore. It only took one look over your shoulder to locate her tho. She turned back to you and made another shush motion before waving you over from her kneeled spot on the ground facing down the road from the stadium. How did she move so fast? Blinking, you did end up walking over to her as she resumed holding the camera to her eye, leaning over to be eye level. "What's up?"

"Shh." She looked to you, held her finger to her now smiling mouth for a third time, before pointing in front of her. "Loud noises will scare 'em away." She whispered.

Raising a brow you looked forward....And your eyes widened. Down the road from the stadium (the side that didn't have the cemetery on it) was littered in taller grass and a few trees. And they were AB-SO-LUTELY FILLED with ghosts pokemon! And some lights which you quickly realized were chandelier and candle looking pokemon flying or shuffling around. THERE MUST'VE BEEN AT LEAST ONE OR TWO HUNDRED OF THEM!! Peeking through grass. Randomly flying around. Interacting with one another. Climbing over the barn building. A few you remembered the names of like that small group of driftloons. A few shuppets here and there. That there climbing on the barn's roof was a sableeye. You THINK those candle like pokemon walking down the pathway were litwick. There was this really pretty white pokemon who looked to be dancing in the moonlight and you were pretty sure it was a Frostlass.  IT WAS INCREDIBL- You gave a yelped and fell to your knees next to Gloria ducking as a loudly wailing Mismagius flew over head....And the teen giggled at you as you threw a frown at her.

"Oh haha. Very funny Ms. Get-Us-Chased-By-An-Onix."

"Hey! I said it was an accident. Besides unlike with that big rock for brains I know we'll be safe doin' this." She went back to holding up the camera towards the variety of pokemon around you. And while it was dark, and you were both a decent ways a way from the cemetery so you couldn't really have seen unless you could see in the dark....Neither of you saw the small figure peeking out from between the tombstones at you. Having heard the yelp you made thanks to the mischevious pokemon that whizzed by.

"Oh yeah? How are you so sure?"

"Ghost type pokemon are just different from rock types," she continued with a smile, "Rock pokemon would usually just mindlessly chase after ya far away if you even bother 'em in the slightest. And while ghost type pokemon can be pretty territorial if they have a territory of their own, usually they're just like this." She pressed the button again aiming at a ghost pokemon with a skull over it's face you couldn't remember the name off. Despite being so close to it and Gloria pointing the camera directly at it, it never even looked at her as it left. "They like to just mind they're own business most of the time as it is. As long as ye don't bother 'em or make 'em feel like you're gonna do something bad nine times outta ten they'll just leave ya alone. A lot of people think they're creepy or just plain ol' dangerous cuz of the bad rep some spread....But we're just sittin' here. Mindin' our own business while they do theirs. What reason would they have to just suddenly come at us?"

You stared at her completely in surprise. ".....Did you learn this from Hop too?"

"Yep!," she said snapping a picture at one of those chandelier like pokemon as it flew directly over the two of you. "He'd make a pretty smart scientist or pokemon researcher if he ever decided to become one."

You nodded. Not aware of just how smart Hop if he could know such astounding information. "...Well. How would you describe it then if a lot of people are too scared of them?"

....she paused...before looking and not even missing a beat said, "Beautiful. Wouldn't you?" The figure watching you's eyes widened.

You blinked a moment before looking forward as another driftloon lazily floated past close enough that if you wanted too you could touch one of it's yellow hand-thingies...before smiling. "You know I would. Because I can't really argue with how you described it either."

She hummed before turning and spotting a small mimikyu walking past towards the shadowed area of the path you two couldn't see into and pointed her camera towards it's disappearing figur- She froze. Eyes widening as through the night proof lense she caught a humanoid white face staring back before it swiftly ducked behind a tombstone- "GAH!!" You yelped as Gloria fell backwards onto her bum with a loud yelp. Startling some of the ghost pokemon into scattering away while others turned at the noise that disturbed the night. She pointed. "There's a bloody ghost in there!"

"SHHH!!" You quickly looked back towards the house relieved it didn't look like anyone was disturbed..before turning to her scared look with a scowl. "Gloria! You'll wake everyone up!"

her hand grabbed your arm as she scowled herself and pointed still. "I. Saw. A. Bloody. GHOST!! G. H. O. S. T. GHOST!!"

"Of course you're gonna see a ghost! We're surrounded by them-"

"No! Not a ghost type pokemon! I mean a real-..." She suddenly let go of your arm. "Hang on." With a fumble she managed to pull her camera's strap from around her head and forced the camera over to you. You nearly dropped to as she grabbed your shoulder and pointed towards a specific part of the cemetery across the road you couldn't see into because of the stadium blocking the moonlight. "Look. There! Right 'round that area there!" You looked to the camera, where she pointed, and then her unsure. But judging by the frown she wore, she wasn't going to take no for an answer. With a sigh you complied and held the camera up to your eye. Now you weren't sure whatever lense she used, but she was right that this thing made everything look like it really was in day time. Only with a yellow-ish hue to it. You could see the grave yard(making you shiver again-) clearly with this again, and could make out a bunch more ghost type pokemon doing their own thing among the graves there. Nothing really out of place as you could tell- until a humanoid black blur ran past  a few of them. Startled you gave a small gasped and dropped the camera from your face. Gloria wearing an 'I told you so' look before snatching the camera back. "Now do you believe me?"

You opened your mouth before closing it like a goldfish a couple times looking between her and the pitch black darkness a few times. Not sure what to say...before settling on. "W-Well....Maybe it's one of the caretakers. They could be doing night rounds or...or something?" Or maybe it was a ghost type pokemon you couldn't remember.

She hummed. "Sure. Could be. But when did a graves keeper wear some kind of ghost ma-" Gloria froze...her hands lowering the camera back around her neck before dropping to her lap. her eyed wide and staring off into the darkness for a moment. ".....Wait a bloody second." You watched confused as she slid her bag off her shoulders(not sure why she brought it along in the first place) and opened it. Her hand hand shooting inside one specific area before pulling out the same white mask she had been cleaning earlier that day. It's white color shining in the moonlight as she held it up. Her brown eyes looked at it then at the dark cemetery then back to it again before she slowly stood up. Still looking at the mask as she slung her backpack back over her shoulders before looking back at the cemetary....and began to walk across the dirt road towards it.

"HEY! Gloria!" You were quick to jump to your feet and run after her, reaching a hand out to grab her backpack again as she let out a 'Hey!' in protest to you stopping her. "Whoa whoa whoa! And where do you think you're going!? I thought we agreed no grave yard adventures!"

"But he's in there!,'' she insisted pointing forward.

"Him? Him who?"

"Allister." she held up the small mask tugging free from your grip. "We said we'd give it back ta him."

......You rose a brow. "You think that Allister is in the grave yard?.....I'm pretty sure he's not an actual ghost."

"I didn't mean like that! He's runnin' around in there."

"Gloria. He's younger than you and most kids even adults would be asleep by now. What makes you think a little kid is going to be running around in a dark cemetery filled with pokemon who'd rather not be bothered at ten at night by himself??"

...She sighed. "Look. I know it sounds crazy but-.."She looked back to it. "I can't explain it..But there's somethin' I really need ta check out there. SO...Please? It's not like we'd be causing trouble by just lookin'."

You understandably were WAY too ready to just say no, call it a night there, and then drag Gloria back to bed to see Allister IN THE MORNING especially not in a grave yard but-...You looked back up too. ....There was a strange feeling about this. Not a bad feeling like you'd get with Mr. Rose or an uncomfortable feeling like when Raihan tried flirting with you or a familiar feeling like when you remembered something. Just...a neutral one as you stared back towards the darkness. And you found yourself slowly walking towards it yourself. Gloria blinked but didn't questioning anything as she followed you into the darkness. It didn't take long for either of you to find the open gates wide open for the two of you and in you went with Gloria right after you. Right into the dark grave yard. And you instantly felt a scary feeling overcome you. OH BOY!! This was like NOTHING in a game!! As you two looked around, Gloria turned down one way for a moment before beginning to walk that way, you blinking before slowly following behind not wanting to be left alone in this place. And like you had seen through the lense there was plenty of ghost types running around here. Many you didn't pay attention too as the two of you walked and looked around. Besides being in a literally cemetery in the middle of the night, everything seemed pretty normal. Before you bumped into Gloria who had stopped suddenly right in front of you.

"Hey!" Her sudden shout made you jump and blink. She walked forward a few steps and you watched...and noticed there was something cowering behind a particular tombstone that didn't look like a pokemon. "I can see ya hidin' away there." Whatever the thing was shifted even more behind the tombstone as Gloria stepped forward- Until a sudden barracaded wall of purple and sound quickly materialized from out of the earth before you two and sent her yelping and stumbling back as a trio of ghastly, haunter, and a gengar made up it. They didn't too happy. Acting quickly, you held your arms out just in time to catch her back before pushing her back upright into a standing position from the scare. She stumbled, righted herself up, and threw you a smile over her shoulder. "Quick thinkin' Y/n!"

"Those three don't seem to be too happy to see us," you commented gesturing to the obvious trio blocking your way as they made more sounds of contentment and frowns your way. Huh. Strange. Usually when you saw these three in any pokemon media they were always smiling so why were these trio angry? Were you invading their domain?

The thing moved from one tombstone to behind another and you two got a glimpse of a person. A rather small person which made Gloria raise a hand and call out again. "WAIT! You're Allister right?!" She pointed behind her. "You're the gym leader here aren't ya?"

There was a moment of silence as the trio of ghosts still stood there .....before the TINIEST and softest voice you had ever come from a kid speak out. "......'M A-Allister." You two could barely make out what was said by the voice...before slowly ....a small hand grabbed onto the side of the tomb stone the figure was hiding behind and a white masked face with dark hair peeked an eye from behind it. You both stared at him and he stared right back at the two of you. First at Gloria, then you, then back to Gloria before he shrunk a bit back behind the grave stone. "...Gym c-c-challenger??" He whispered out.

You weren't sure if it was a question or statement but Gloria nodded. "Yeah. That's right." Before lowering herself to sit cross legged on the ground as you blinked in surprise at her actions. "I am one but I didn't come 'ere to challenge ye or anythin'," she assured in a soft voice Wait...She DIDNT?! Then why was see so inssistant on coming here? "So you don't have ta worry yourself over that."

There was a long pause and the figure didn't even budge from his spot, in fact he inched back even more behind the stone if you were seeing things in the dark corrected. "T-T-Then w-w-why ...W-What do y-y-you-" Gloria calmly held up the lightly scratched up mask to him, and it seemed to be he realized what it was because his visible eye that was reflected within the moonlight blinked at it. "....T-T-That's m-m-my mask."

She slowly nodded again. "I figured it was." Without getting up she slowly extended her arm holding the mask out to him. "We found it all the way in Stow-on-Side. I just...well I wanted to return it to ya. Since you're always wearin' 'em in all I figured you'd might want it back is all."

......The hand on the stone pointed behind her at you. "W-W-W-Who's t-that?"

"Oh this?" She looked back to you before gesturing to come sit on the ground next to her and after a second of hesitation you complied and sat yourself on the ground next to her. "This is my pal Y/n. She was the one who found your mask by the mural in Stow-on-Side." There was another silence as he still stood there before Gloria slowly held it out to the purple pokemon trio in front of her instead. "Here. You can give it to him if it's make it more comfortable to him."

The pokemon all blinked before looking at one another before the gengar reached out and took the mask from her. Examining it as it turned around and walked over to where the boy was still hiding behind the stone. Allister's head disappeared for a moment back behind the stone and you both watched as a hand poked right out real quick to grab the mask from the pokemon who held it out to him.

"I'm really sorry about all the scratches n' dents in it," Gloria apologised, "But I cleaned it up good. I hope that's alright."

Again another pause and while he didn't look out again his voice came back. "T-That c-camera a-around your neck."The masked face peeked out again." ...W-Were you going to t-t-take m-my picture w-w-w-with it?"

"Absolutely not unless you wanted too." The boy furiously shook his head no and Gloria held up her hands before reaching up and taking the camera off your shoulder and held it over to you. You understood and without a word, silently took it from her and placed it inside her bag as she looked back to him. "Ta tell ya the truth I came out 'ere to collect some pictures of ghost type pokemon for somethin' I've been working on."

The boy nodded but in a way that almost seemed guilty. "I-I know I-I heard you speaking....I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. We don't mind at all. And we were being a bit loud, especially when I got spooked by a mismagius," you finally spoke giving him a smile and the same tone Gloria used. Holding a hand to your chest. You're little tease bringing a small but single chuckle from the boy to your delight. "My name's Y/n and this is Gloria. It's very nice to meet you Allister."

"......Gloria?," he asked tilting his head to Gloria who nodded, ".....Like Leon said?"

"If it was Lee who told ya 'bout me then it was def me." She tilted her head at him. "Did he tell ya bout me?"

......"He s-s-said you were a v-very nice and k-kind p-person."

She chuckled. "I try to be. Which is why I wanted to return your mask to ya. Although I have no idea how it ended up all the way in Stow-on-Side."

There was another pause....before the boy disappeared behind the stone again only to shuffle out to meet his full body to face you, as if in case he'd have to duck back behind it again, and you widened your eyes in surprise. When you had originally seen him back in the Entrance Ceremony on the giant screen you estimated him to be only one or two years younger than Gloria herself, but judging by his height and tone he couldn't possibly be older than eight or nine years. As he clutched the lightly scratched mask to his chest he stared at the two of you for a moment. "I-I....l-lost it by accident..w-when I was visiting a yam-mask in the ruins."

"Well then it sounds like you have a bunch of friends from everywhere," you smiled and Gloria nodded. He seemed to brighten at the fact you didn't state what someone would probably usually say and that having a yamask for a friend and traveling to see him was strange. .....You hesitated but couldn't help but ask. "Hey. Sweetie, what are you doing out here so late at night? And by yourself?"

"Oh. I-I'm n-not alone," he said a slightly brighter tone to his voice before he looked at the now smiling trio behind him. "I'm here with my friends."

.....You nodded. "I can see that, and it's obvious to me that they must help take very good care of you." The three pokemon made proud noises and smiles at the praise. "But I guess what I mean is did you let anyone from the stadium know you would be playing outside this late? They might be worried if you didn't let them know."

"Oh no it's ok. They already know I like to come out here a lot so it's not a b-big deal." He said this like it was normal....You slowly nodded but didn't make any move to make him feel bad. Allister then cocked his head curiously at the both of you. ".....D-Did you really m-mean it? I mean. W-When you said you f-found ghost types...b-b-beautiful?"

"Of course we did!," Gloria stated proudly and loudly. Well a little too loud because it made Allister flinch from the loud voice. "Oh. Sorry 'bout that." She immediately apologized before nodding and talking in that soft tone again. "Yeah. We did. But genuinely if I'm honest I really like all pokemon despite what kind they are. Ghost, physic, grass....They're all really unique in their own way. Just like Gym Leaders even if they're similar."

He seemed confused as he stared at her. "What do you mean?"

She hummed in thought. "Well...For example Kabu and Bea exercise a lot to keep fit n' ta help with their motivation, and so does Nessa now that I think about it. All three exercise for their careers in one way or another, but for different reasons. Like how Bea uses that to compete in the Galarian Martial Arts tournaments while Kabu couldn't careless 'bout fightin' in those things." A brighter smile lit up her features. "Oh! Or how Raihan and Gordie like postin' lots for their fan base. But each o' 'em post different things and even if it's the same thing there's differences in each one. It's fun getting to meet all the different gym leaders as people and seeing what makes them so passionate about their lives and how they do things!"

".....A-A-And me?" His grip on the mask increased slightly as he hugged it to himself. "W-What would you w-w-want to meet me for?"

"Well, besides to return that mask like I was tellin' ye about," she explained with a smile, "I think I wanted to meet you to see that special connection ya got that no one else has."

"Huh?," he blinked at her confused.

She gestured to him. "I've been around for a bit n' I've seen some really good connections between some people and their pokemon. But not even Leon can communicate the same level those lovlies behind ya can with you." Allister looked to the trio around him before looking back to her. "I'm not sayin' people and pokemon can't be friend, cuz that wouldn't be right at all since pokemon can be your friends no matter what. But there's somethin' extra special about the way you talk and interact with 'em compared to the other trainers and their pokemon that just seems more......closely bonded in a way I don't know but I can kinda understand in a way.  ....That what makes it so beautiful about ya." Allister....didn't move....or talk.....Just stared silently. To the point even his ghost pokemon pals turned to look at him in question. And more long silence the two of you exchanged a worry look before Gloria looked at him. "H-hey mate. I'm sorry if I said something to upset ya."

"Hm?" He blinked..before waving his hands. "Oh n-no nono. I-I'm sorry. I-It's just....n-no body's ever s-said that to me b-before e-except for L-Leon a-and P-Piers."

"Well he's not wrong." He turned to look at you as you genuinely smiled at the boy. "Allister, I honestly don't know you or much about you ..but by kindly you've been and how ready your friends are to help you speaks that you're a really kind hearted person. And I think you're a great gym leader too. It wouldn't even matter if Leon told you you were special because I think you always were. We just all happen to be special in our unique ways."

He seemed to be taken aback at what you just said because he looked away and kicked at the ground with his foot. "You don't.....think any of this is scary?"

"Hm. Maybe some people would but that's alright too. We're all scared on something. I'm scared of heights."

"....Oooh. So that's why you never wanted to ride a flying taxi."

You nodded. "But that doesn't mean it's a bad thing at all Allister. I think you're a good kid. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

"Besides. We've talked to ghosts too!"

A silence fell over the lot of you again as you blinked and everyone turned to Gloria who smiled. "........What?"

"Yeah. You remember her! Paula! She's the one who wanted us to deliver a letter-"....She blinked. "Oh wait!" You all watched as she slung her bag off her shoulders and once again went to dig through it. Allister tilted his head curiously at her rummaging until jumping back when Gloria pulled out the same letter she had received from Paula back in Hammerlocke. "Here it is!"

"Gloria. We can't just say that little girl was a ghost. She could've just been a regular person."

She rose her brow at you. "A lil girl who could run as fast as a rapidash and disappear as silent as a ghost type pokemon?"

".....Ok. You have a fair point but we can't just jump to conclusions like that-"

"M-May.." You both turned back to Allister as he slowly reached a free hand out the other one still clutching the returned mask to him. "M-May I see it?"

"Of course ya can."

She gently handed over the letter and you two watched him take it as his ghost pokemon crowded around him to also look at it. He stared silently the entire time he looked at it, turning the thing front and back with his hands. ".........T-This has a strange aura about it." He finally looked at Gloria. "Y-You said she wanted you to d-deliver it?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Said it was for someone called Frank in Bellonlea. Also said I looked like someone she could trust."

He hummed for a moment before slowly handing it back to her and she took it back from him. "W-Well.....I think the b-best thing to do if she e-entrusted you with it is to make sure it gets delivered as soon as possible."

Gloria nodded putting the letter back into her bag. "Then it sounds like ta me the next stop we should make is the Bellonlea gym. I can go return the letter n' then battle the gym leader there....*yyyyaaaawwwnnn*"

"Yeah. Speaking of tomorrow, I think we've all had enough adventure for one night and should head back." You slowly stood up as to not spook Allister and Gloria slowly nodded and followed your example with another yawn. "We've all been out here for a while."

......Allister nodded. "U-Um...Yeah. I t-t-think I'll go back inside now too."

"Do you want us to walk you home?" He looked up to you surprised for a moment before shaking his head. "Are you sure? I wouldn't want you to get lost on your way back by yourself."

"Oh don't worry Miss. I'm not alone. I-I have my friends to help me.....b-but if you want y-y-you can come with me to the stadium doors. I-I don't mind."

You smiled and offered your hand out to him making him jump a bit in surprise....before silently looking between you and your hand....before slowly extending his free hand...and putting it in yours. You smiled as you turned around at a slow pace the young boy could walk without needing to change whatever pace he would've already had and walked with him towards the exit of cemetery. Thanking whoever answered your prayers that you were going to be able to get some sleep tonight after all. Even if Allister did this often in game or in this world often, you would feel better knowing that the young boy was safe inside his home and not out running around in the dark unsupervised and got home safely. So you slowly walked with him out of the cemetery and along the dirt path all the way to the big stadium doors where he eventually let go of your hand and you let him with Gloria and the spooky trio following.

"I-I can go on from here,'' he told you.

"Are you sure?" He nodded. "Alright. You be careful now. Ok?"

"I-I will." You smiled and waved a moment before turning and starting to walk away. Gloria turning too the moment you got to her.

"G-Gloria.." She stopped and turned to Allister who was still hugging the mask to himself. "U-Um....If...I-I k-know you said y-y-you didn't want to have a battle w-w-with me...b-b-but i-if you want too..y-you can stop by b-before you l-leave t-t-tomorrow a-a-and have a quick match."

She blinked at him for a moment before smiling and nodding. "I wouldn't miss it!" And then turned to catch up with you.

As you passed by the ghosts pokemon you gave them a smile. "You three continue looking after him ok? You've all done such a great job so far."

They all smiled and made happy noises so you took that as a yes. The both of you heard the door to the stadium open and close as you were walking signalling Allisters entrance and you sighed in relief knowing he'd be safe inside at least. You both returned the same way you got out. By sneaking inside through the creaking doors cringing all the way and being as quiet as you can to not wake anyone up. By the grace of some unseen force you managed to somehow not wake anyone up and successfully make your ways back into your room safe and soundly. And finding your Drzzilie had curled himself in your bag and had fallen asleep. Heh. Guess old habits died hard. You were sure exhausted though and practically fell dead asleep as soon as you hit the pillow. Sighing and closing your heavy eyelids as the peaceful darkness took over. Infact..... you didn't wake up. Not until much later the next day. Also not surprisingly in the slightest you ended up dead asleep again, not waking up until it was almost eleven in the after noon and when you eventually pulled your heavy feeling body out of bed you discovered Gloria folding some white clothing to stuff back into her bag with a plate of untouched waffles sitting next to her on the bed, and your Drizzilie boredly staring unmoving at the food.

At the sounds of you groaning and sitting up she flashed you a smile and waved. "Mornin' Sleepin' Beauty! I hope you're hungry cuz I already went through the trouble of not lettin' this tyrant 'ere take your breakfast." You pokemon sent an annoyed look her way.

With a long yawn and quick rub of your eyes you waved back. "Mmmmmmm. Morning. *yaaaaawwwwnnn*".....Your tired eyes blinked more at the uniform she was stuffing back into her pack and you pointed. "Hey. How come you have your challenger uniform out?"

"Well it's required ta wear it when you challenge a gym leader. I swear both his and Bea's gym challenge was me spinnin' more than Kabu's arcanine's flame wheel attack."

.........You blinked, taking a moment for your tired brain to process what she had just said. "Wait. You challenged Allister?" She nodded. "When did that happen?"

"Early this mornin'. He said if I wanted ta challenge him I should do it before we left for Bellonlea this mornin'. I was thinkin' of heading there next anyways since it would be the closest Gym I haven't battled yet." She finished stuffing the uniform into the pack before slinging it over her shoulders before you noticed the camera slung back over her neck. "And I got the badge...Even if I didn't win exactly."

"....What do you mean by that?"

"There was four rounds with 'em. I won two and lost two. So it ended with a tie between us both. I didn't want to accept the badge if I didn't really win, but he said since we were even I should take it anyways since I technically won it in a way. I think he was really happen to just have a battle with someone who didn't pressure him into it and without a big crows ta watch, tho he said as an official battle it'd still is gonna be broadcasted online for everyone to see," she explained picking up the food and turning to you,"  He's a really strong trainer for a lil kid. I think he's gonna be a great gym leader. And I saved ya some food that the land lady brought."

"Thanks! ...But where is he now?"

"Asleep. He was pretty tuckered out from last night n' the battle." She handed the plate over to you. "But that's to be expected."

You nodded. "Yeah. So that means you got the Ghost gym badge right?" She nodded again. "...Oh. By the way, how far away is Bellonlea anyways?"

"Eh. It'd take a REAL long time if we walk, n' there's no train 'round here for a good distance too. Which is why I already told the taxi guy out front we would use the corviknight taxi as soon as you were all ready."

You paused. Food on your fork lowered as you looked at her wide eyed. A silence coming over you two as you stared long enough to not notice your Drizzilie take one of the waffles from your plate.

".....WHAT!?"

[xiaosean]

why you should watch douluo continent

the drama adaptation is such a good rendition of “soul land” and stayed true to the plot line and character development. it was fast-paced (perfect for me) but may be confusing for those who don’t know the story. i personally love the donghua, and i think the drama did an adequate job of portraying everything in their own way 😁 (read at your own discretion; this contains spoilers)

things i liked:

initially, i didn’t like the dreamscape bc wtf is it doing there? why is he hearing his mom’s voice in episode 1 (it just kills the entire momentum of the plot); and then after i got to episode 39... fucking ep. 39, i knew the dreamscape needed to be there in order to save tang san’s life; mr. wang who wrote the script, props to you.

the cgi 🥰✨ i had really low expectations bc if there’s shitty cgi like cql... i wouldn’t be able to handle it. but it’s so good ??? please, i know the ape soul beast was small and funny looking (bc they had to spend money on the water dragon lmao), but other than that, it was so good and how each and every character’s powers were able to shine

le outfits + makeup - they’re not super pale 😭😭😭 finally !!! and the outfits are so nice, SO SO NICE, each and every character holy hell

how they changed hu liena’s (aka. qian renxue) role in the drama --- she’s my fav female antagonist; she’s so good here, her character was annoying at first, but she’s so dynamic and independent, and just wants to impress her mom. you see her helping tang san + his squad during the last 5 eps because SHE CARES about her mom despite her strict upbringing 🥺 her and tang san have a ship name called 糖葫芦 (candied hawthorns) and i think that’s so cute hehe

the seven devils 😂 i loved the seven devils in this adaptation almost as much as i loved them in the donghua; each and every character got their own storyline, they’re not boring nor do they draw attention away from the tang san’s main plot, and you see so much development (esp. in ou sike and dai mubai)

headmaster, da shi, and er long trio! 黄金铁三角 iconic and they captured it so well 😭 they chose the actor for the headmaster so freaking well i’m screaming! he loves money so much and his little facial expressions as a third wheel is everything, the comedic relief! and da shi... i see y’all thirsting over calvin chen okay 😌 he’s so much better in the drama tbh & er long is majestic and amazingly powerful and cunning, i love her !!! and props to luo san pao, the best doggo ever!

the seniors! they basically perfected tang san’s relationship with dugu bo... it was antagonistic at first, but then they became besties over poison 😭❤️ i loved dugu bo’s character in here bc he was so funny & didn’t get social cues LMAO // the ape soul master was brief but he honestly made my day with how much he respected the tang family & how he took care of his father back in the day // 七宝琉璃 squad was also 🥰 (less hot than in the donghua lol) but they also somehow made jian yeye the comedic relief? i love how they’re so accepting of ou sike despite him being a support soul master

tang san’s mom - i can only hear her voice, but she made me cry & i love her for that

tang san ❤️❤️❤️ xiao zhan’s voice over just blended in with his character & it was just so wonderful; tang san in the donghua was smart, so fucking smart, cunning, but the kindest at heart; xiao zhan truly portrayed that and my most memorable part was when da shi said “your only flaw is that you let your emotions get the best of you” (this is so important), and you see him later try to control his emotions and not act rashly, especially when confronted with 时年 & 比比东 --- also crying scenes 11/10

bibi dong powerful, POWERFUL WOMAN, props to her voice actress, i got chills when she said, “你根本没有资格知道” // tang hao, wow he’s just like i imagined, but i wish he was a little more emotional in ep. 1 bc the blue silver plant in tang san is essentially his lover’s martial soul

how the concept of family was generated within the shi lan ke academy squad 🥺 it’s such a feel good drama, istg, makes you so happy when you’re having a bad day ✨

things i didn’t like:

xiao wu’s character portrayal (the scriptwriter’s fault, not xuanyi) // i honestly let it slide for the first 10 episodes bc i usually start falling for a character later on, it’s normal; but drama xiao wu didn’t fulfill the 小舞姐 in my heart 😔 i get that many people like her, but it’s not the same! xiao wu in donghua is beautiful, independent, and outspoken, BUT MOST OF ALL HER LOVE FOR TANG SAN IS OBVIOUS, you don’t need to say “一起去” every other line in the drama; i think this could have been remedied if they stayed true to the storyline and let tang san enter the secret dimension alone, bring the mythical herbs back, and have xiao wu prick herself to activate 相思断肠红 (they completely butchered the significance of the flower i’m so angry; fyi: the flower can only belong to you if your heart loves one person --- there’s the most beautiful backstory to the flower but drama douluo said nah). also, drama xiao wu is so clingy and she started exposing herself from the beginning... no momentum build-up whatsoever 😔 it’s 斗罗大陆, not 斗罗大陆: 小舞传 and sometimes it felt like she was being so insistent on following tang san around, i’m just 😓 

the whole canghui academy scheme --- it was confusing for 10 eps straight until they got to the end of it, but I guess the drama wanted to add that part in because they wanted to focus less on the competition and more on 变异武魂 (the mutated martial souls) in order to defeat bibi dong

how the beginning was so confusing 😫 i wish they just stuck with child tang san remembering his past life as a disciple in tang clan & then learning 玄天宝录 on his own bc that was such a great part of his character development + understanding of soul masters/their weaknesses; and the fact that he would rely less on his parents 

the kiss + confession at ep. 40 // could have done w/o it or even a simple forehead kiss; the confession from tang san was way too quick considering there’s little to no emotional build-up towards that moment (other than bibi dong doing all the work like the queen she is) and there’s no surprise element either? like we’ve been knew she’s a soul beast since ep. 5 🥲 and the kiss was awkward & like i said, sanwu’s love doesn’t need words or actions to confirm... it’s this innate thing that the audience should be able to see (if the scriptwriters focused a little more on BIG plot points that boost the sanwu relationship, then it would have been perfect) ^^ i wish they spent more time on the romantic aspect of the relationship bc even after 30 eps, they seem like siblings when OP said They’re Not.

overall thoughts:

this is purely my opinion, so please take it with a grain of salt! the cons imo were minor except for the development of the sanwu relationship; it doesn’t seem like romance to me 😔 but hopefully it’ll get better in the (maybe) second season when they take some time apart to grow? i’m surprised how much they referenced the original story (characters and such), and i am thoroughly impressed with WHERE THEY ENDED IT, and how they rounded all the new/old plot points together in a way that makes sense. i also don’t hate any of the antagonists, which is why this drama is so lighthearted and easy to watch. it’s not emotionally taxing (sans tang san crying bc xz breaks me heart 😭💕), and safe + enjoyable to watch with family! you’re gonna miss it once it ends, and i think that makes a drama successful 😁 also i’m not gonna go into depth about the mysterious ending bc i might spoil it for those who want to watch the donghua LMAO (but if you want to know my theories, shoot me an ask)

[hellsbellschime]

Let’s go down the list shall we:

Katherine: gets impregnated with child out of wedlock, child torn away from her right after birth. Her entire sympathy arc is based on a child she didn’t even connect with.

Rebekah: Believes her trashy life will all be fixed with a hello kitty bandaid if she just had Kids and a Hubby, (when all she needs to do is get away from her toxic brothers and experience life on her own)

Isobel Flemming: Teen mom ™ who regrets child but loves child who wants child but doesn’t want child, who looses child because the guy is a coward, leads person who clearly wants to use/kill child to said child, then turns around and says I love child. (It’s like they couldn’t stick to a single villain arc because how could a mother possibly not care about her child when even the shitty dad does all the while having eight different dad hates child story lines sitting in the back burner.)

Valerie Tulle: gets pregnant with Stefan’s child and has child LITERALLY beaten out of her, has child PHYSICALLY beaten to death inside her, is pushed to the fucking ground and kicked in the stomach till child dies, commits suicide because of loss of child, is not even given the dignity to choose her own death, comes back as first Heretic to exist, all of this to push plot and create dRaMa b/w steroline. Yes they actually used a women who was violently beaten to near death and experienced an even more violent miscarriage at the hands of a guy who believed the child will make him late for a bone sesh, revolve around steroline and how Stefan wouldn’t love Caroline if he just had that child, THERES HALF A EPISODE JUST DEPICTING STEFAN’S MANPAIN ON LOOSING A COULD BE CHILD, when Valerie literally acts like a mechanical robot reiterating facts and her entire emotional “reaction” so to speak is her committing suicide AND NOTHING ELSE (as if they couldn’t be bothered to write female trauma) Like JFC you CANNOT TELL ME THIS IS DISGUSTING FUCKING SHIT THAT SHOULD NOT EXIST.

Jo Saltzman: Looses twin foetus children on her wedding day, is literally killed by her abusive psychotic brother on the fucking alter, to cover up Candice’s pregnancy, JESUS, HOW DID A PERSON WHO IS NOT UNHINGED IN THE BRAIN SIT DOWN AND COME UP WITH THIS, and not for one second think how fucking traumatising ALL of this is FOR NO GOOD REASON. Not even good plot, this was all for logistics they could’ve fucking covered up in a hundred other different ways.

Caroline Forbes: Do we even have to mention it? Is forced to endure pregnancy she has NO obligation to endure, is not even given a single scene to process the pregnancy and come up with a coherent response that isn’t “I will do it for you” forces herself to marry a man who is as old as her dad in human years for said children, said man turns around and tells her she is not these children’s mother to her face when she was literally FORCED into giving birth to two children that aren’t even her own. Looses all character development and becomes Mother of child ™.

Hayley Marshall: Nah bro I shouldn’t have to TELL you, but ok, gets pregnant with an abusive psychopath’s child, ykw the list is too long, y’all know the drill choked when wanting abortion, experiences atleast 7 near death experiences in the nine months she was pregnant all because Klaus wanted to play King to three streets and one marsh, and she was KWEEN of the werewolves, has the most violent birthing experience, her child revolves around Klaus’ redemption, hence her character fully revolves around said child and directly/indirectly Klaus, is turned into a fucking animal when she decided to do one damn thing for her own child, is nothing more than “Mother of Hope” throughout the show.

Freya Mikaelson: Of ALL the different things a women in literal captivity FOR HER ENTIRE LIFE can experience for backstory Trauma™ OF EVERYTHING they could choose, they yet again go for traumatic pregnancy, a self-induced miscarriage and a SUICIDE story revolving around said pregnancy, her selling point to the Mikaelsons is “I lost a child I won’t let you lose yours.” LIKE ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME? Forget misogynistic writing that’s just paper-thin-rumpled-trash-in-trash-can writing.

Esther Mikaelson: Chooses to give up her first born child for the prospect of multiple children, in Lenore’s body actually bloody tells Hayley she can have more babies if Hayley allows her to make Hayley Human, Hayley CONSIDERS THIS SERIOUSLY. Is actually shown to want to become human so she can have more babies.

Sarah Salvatore: Black woman who is KILLED by Damon to give manpain TO DAMON, like bruh wtf?? You seriously had Damon kill a pregnant black woman and give him manpain in the form of guilt to redeem him? YOU MADE A WOMAN’S MURDER ABOUT HER MURDERER’S GUILT?? JP and her team of writers cannot get more fucked up than this

Feel free to add to this, and if any fucker ever dare come to your page trying to fight that tvd/to is not MISOGYNISTIC in its ENTIRETY, you send them to this post, and this post only contains pregnancy related batshit crazy misogyny in the show, if we went through everything that is misogynistic, I’d say the transcript of the show is an entire comprehensive list of all of it. And seriously anybody who believes JP’s writing isn’t the most misogynistic sexist piece of writing that’s just a steaming hot pile of rotten shit, Well then I sincerely suggest you fuck off to some other corner of the world where TO/TVD stans can gather and lick white manpain experiencing male dick.

Sincerely someone who has watched TO/TVD top to bottom and is traumatised.

LOL yes exactly, like I don’t understand how someone could see this and say that it’s not so soaked in misogyny that nothing in the show can be separated from the violent sexism. Saying “well this character stood there in one scene and didn’t say anything sexist so you can’t call the entire thing sexist and if you do then you’re basically doing the same thing as calling all men sexist” (and like I don’t want that anon to start that argument again but LITERALLY WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT ANALOGY) is an absurd, fatuous argument. 

[my-arlington-academia]

Karolina and Tegan birthday fanfic! 👓👠

I wrote a (short?) fanfic for Karolina's and Tegan's birthdayyy 🎉🎉 Last time Scholar was a she so I decided that in this one Scholar will be a he again 👍 Hopefully my writing is getting less cringe 😂 but as you'll see for yourselves I'm still really bad, especially the narration, sometimes I'm like "Wait, what am I supposed to describe here to move on to the next scene?" So most of it is really basic 😅 On a lighter note though, I know that many sweet elite players come from lots of different countries and most times their first language isn't English (*cough*like me*cough*) so at least it'll be easy to read for everyone? (Yes, I'm totally trying to make myself feel better for my lack of vocabulary 😔)

Anyways!!! Have a good read! God I hope I'm getting better...

--------------------------------------

"Karolina used to play Maryo Kart!?"

Tegan flinched due to Scholar's sudden outburst and almost dropped the controller out of his hands.

"W-Well... yeah. We were pretty close in elementary school and we used to share the same interests. Not when it came to everything but we usually agreed about a lot of things."

Tyler cackled from the bunk bed upon hearing this. Looks like he was still browsing through a shit-ton of pictures of chairs on Moogle. Apparently, he wanted to draw a chair for his next art piece.

"Just imagining Karolina even playing an app game gives me the same feeling as watching one of John Mulaney's skits: it's hilarious."

Scholar couldn't help but imagine Karolina playing Candy Rush or Flappy duck and it was in fact rather funny. Seeing Karolina frustrated because of a game would be like seeing Tadashi sleeping, which means it was impossible. Those two really need more rest and a bit of down time...

"So Tyler, you found any chairs that give you a spark of inspiration?"

Scholar decided to change the subject, after all Karolina didn't want anything to do with Tegan even though it was... well... their birthday. Scholar doesn't even have siblings let alone a twin so he had no idea how Tegan must be feeling right now. But from an outsider's perspective, Scholar thought that it was kind of sad and a waste that they didn't at least celebrate their birthday together. Tegan said that he didn't want anything too extravagant though. Thus, the 3 of them had gathered in their room to spend some time together, Ellie was also supposed to come but she said that she had "things to do" and that she'd drop by later.

"Nah man. MIKEA is really running out of ideas. I could come up with sicker designs in the blink of an eye. Actually, in a way this encourages me even more to draw a chair. I'll create the best chair this world has ever seen Scholar. Just. You. Wait."

While Tyler was hyping himself up over chairs Tegan had a really stern look on his face. Maybe it was because he was focused on the game but Scholar felt like there was something more to it. Perhaps they should've invited more people? In truth, the only real guest here was Scholar. This was TnT's room after all... Why is Ellie taking so long?

"...Tegan? Maybe you'd like me to go call Axel and Raquel over? Maybe even Alistair and Claire?"

Tegan who was frowning for a while now finally let his eyebrows relax.

"No uh... Sorry if I looked angry or something but um. I was just thinking about something."

When he said that, Tyler immediately let go of his phone and dropped down on the floor, then he sat next to Tegan.

"When you tell us that you're thinking about something, it means that you want to talk to us about it, right?"

Tegan continued to smash the buttons of the controller without even giving Tyler a side-glance.

"Not necessarily."

Somehow, Tegan was acting a bit cold but not in his usual "I'm sleep deprived" way. Tyler gave Scholar a pleading look. Probably meaning that Tegan needed another little push to tell them what was going through his mind. Of course, Scholar couldn't ignore that.

"Aww, come on man! If it was because you were spacing out like usual you would've just said "it's nothing" butcha didn't! You know you can tell us everything right? We won't snitch."

Tyler followed.

"Exactly! We'll never break the bro code of honor. Spill the tea! Or water! Or whatever drink it is!"

Tegan gave them a big sigh before leaving the game on pause and putting the controller down. Tyler and Scholar looked at eachother dumbfounded. When Tegan puts the controller down it means that shit is about to get real... or he's so tired that he'll short-circuit in a span of 10 seconds.

"Well, it's about Karol. Kinda. I guess."

Scholar and Tyler scooched over even closer to be sure to miss none of it. Talking about Karolina wasn't a taboo topic or anything, on the contrary, it was quite frequent and Tegan was totally fine with his friends taking jabs at her as long as it wasn't mean-spirited. But what was rare though, was for Tegan to bring her up out of nowhere.

"It's... how to say this. You know how when it's Christmas and you become super nostalgic about the smallest things? Or when Viewtube recommends you a short clip from a show you used to watch years ago and you decide to marathon it just for the heck of it? Well, for me that "nostalgic" time is our birthday. When I remember how we used to be so close and hang out together all the time I get kinda uh. I don't know. Regretful? Like, maybe if I didn't end up being a loser who spends all of his time playing games and doing dumb stuff Karol might still tolerate me. Or uh. If I dressed up a little nicer or took better care of myself maybe she'd at least want to stand next to me in public? Now, unless absolutely necessary, she doesn't even want to be associated with me. Like, she's ashamed of me or she doesn't want the other students to think that we're related or something. I don't know. Maybe I'm making it sound worse than it actually is but that's how I feel."

Woah. Okay. To be honest, Tyler and Scholar had already thought that something along those lines might be the reason for Tegan's grumpy mood today. That was a feeling he probably carried with him subconsciously everyday, just maybe to a smaller extent since he drowns himself in video games and doritos. But whenever their birthday comes around, all of it resurfaces. He already told them in the past that when Karolina started taking modeling gigs they started slowly growing apart. Tegan had said it so nonchalantly, like it wasn't a big deal and it was natural to "grow apart" but clearly, he wasn't happy about it.

Tegan was hanging his head low, as for Tyler and Scholar, they lay their heads down on Tegan's shoulders. Tyler ran his fingers through Tegan's hair to confort him.

"You're not a loser in any way Tegan. Karolina is the one missing out on you, she shouldn't set standards on you in the first place. So what? Just because you don't wear Bucci, Bupreme or Bouis Buitton it means that she has the right to act like this? You're my best bro and I know that my best friend is the coolest dude in the world. I mean, who can drink 3 monster drinks at the same time through 2 straws amirite?"

"Hm. Actually... You're not wrong."

Wait, 3 monster drinks at the same time with 2 straws? What?? Scholar's eyes widened.

"Uhhh. What the hell do you guys do when I'm not around? And may I remind you that Tegan is also my best friend!"

Tyler let out a laugh through his nose.

"Oh please, you may have barely enough points to unlock his tragic backstory but I'm still the OG. I'm ahead of you by at least a hundred points. Also, I wouldn't exactly call you a friend but rather-"

Tegan swiftly elbowed Tyler in the stomach.

"Ssshhh! Dude!"

"Ouch! Come on man... you know that Scholar is a bit dense sometimes, you gotta at least let me spell it out for him."

This was about to become a fight between the two of them, with Tegan trying to shut Tyler up and Tyler desperately trying to tell Scholar something. However, someone knocked on the door. That's weird, usually Ellie just barges in without even asking if she can. She just says "It's Ellie!" and comes in like this is her room as much as it is Tegan's and Tyler's. Their small fight stopped and Tegan got up to open the door... to be welcomed with cheers and confetti flying in the air. "WOOOOOOO!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY NERD!!!" Ellie had brought the whole gang: Alistair, Axel, Claire, Raquel and even Tadashi. The only ones who weren't there were Karolina and Neha but in a way, it was kind of to be expected. They were maybe celebrating Karolina's birthday in her room with some of their friends from the fashion department? In any case, everyone was thrilled for Tegan. They congratulated him and gave him some gifts even if they were a little bit less personal than anticipated. It was apparent that some of those were chosen in a rush. If Scholar had to guess, since Tegan is so secretive and discreet about everything, he probably didn't tell anyone about his birthday and Ellie had to go around fetching everyone and bringing them together. That's why some of the gifts exuded that "Oh shit! It's Tegan's birthday today!!!" aura. Especially Tadashi's gift.

"This is kopi luwak. Those coffee beans are extracted from the asian palm civet's excrements. I know that you're more into energy drinks but I thought that you might want to try something different. I know it sounds disgusting but the taste is actually not bad and it'll definitely wake you up, everytime you remember that you're drinking coffee that came out of an animal's digestive system it gives you an extra dose of adrenaline. No matter how many times I drink it, this coffee always makes me feel like I'm a little bit in danger and it wakes me up immediately."

Tegan looked really curious about it but at the same time uneasy at the thought of having to drink coffee made of beans that came out of an animal's asshole.

"Woah... thanks... Tadashi."

"You're welcome."

So that's how Tadashi stays awake, huh? He makes himself fear for his life by drinking weird coffee. Scholar had already heard of it, there's even some kinds that are made from elephant poop and civet cat poop. However, Axel was the first and only one to call Tadashi out.

"What the fuck man? It's his birthday and you gifted him fricking coffee beans that come from a raccoon's butthole? Well, I guess the nickname Tadashit fits you perfectly since you literally drink shit."

Tadashi rolled his eyes so far back that his pupils might've gone in his skull if he wasn't human.

"Like I said, it comes from the asian palm civet. Not a raccoon. Also, do not call me that."

Axel and Tadashi kept on bickering for a while before Claire brought the cake.

"Ta-dah! Sorry if it's not good enough but there weren't any backeries out there willing to make a birthday cake on such a short notice. I had to bake it myself with Alistair's help. We hope you like it!"

The cake gave off a really homey feeling. Scholar was reminded from back home when all of his birthday cakes looked really similar to this one. The icing was really amateurish looking but really really cute. Alistair switched the lights off and Tegan took a moment to think about his wish. The room went silent in front of his stern expression, seems like whatever his wish was, it must be pretty important. When he blew the candles everyone cheered but no one asked him what he wished for. Maybe no one felt the need to since it is said that if you say your wish out loud it won't come true.

Before Raquel could cut the cake Alistair took his phone out. "Wait! Wait a sec, let's take pictures with the cake first! I'm the one who drew the Zbox and the Playmotion logo..."

Raquel put the knife down while laughing. "Oohhh. So I bet that's the real reason why you don't want me to cut it yet?"

They all took lots of ridiculous pictures with the cake. It was a pretty big one so Raquel cut it into 10 slices. After a bit of a ruckus, things finally started calming down. The 9 of them sat down in a circle and talked about random subjects: the teachers, the homework, sleep paralysis, the new Store Wars movie, the conscious and unconscious mind in cognitive psychology...

The time was passing by and everyone was having fun no matter how weird the conversation was getting until Raquel reminded everyone of the last slice of cake.

"If no one's gonna eat it, I'll eat it."

The only one who was against it was Tyler who also wanted the last slice. They decided to choose the winner through rock paper scissors. A 3 round match. But just as it was about to start, someone knocked on the door again. Did the noise annoy the neighbours? It was getting pretty late after all.

Scholar got up to open the door only to find... Karolina followed by Neha!

"Happy b- oh. It's you."

Karolina was holding a small package and as for Neha, she didn't even bother to wrap up her gift. It was a fancy hoodie with a sort of skull on its back. Tegan almost flew towards the door.

"Karol! You came... and Neha, is that Sombra merch?"

Neha smiled warmly, seeing that he noticed right away.

"Yes. I mean, kind of. It's that character from Underwatch, right? I don't know if it's your favorite but one time I remember you saying that "she was fun to play". So I made you this. The quality isn't really that good though, sorry. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough time to make it properly. Anyway, I'm rambling. Happy birthday Tegan."

Tegan immediately put the purple hoodie on in excitement.

"Looks sick. Thank you Neha. You really nailed the logo."

Karolina also thought that it looked "sick" but not in a good way. She was clearly not getting why wearing that sort of thing would make someone happy. Since it was made by Neha, of course it was really well done but why does he prefer wearing video game merch rather than high quality clothing? She was almost regretting coming here. Tyler laughed at the sight of Karolina trying really hard not to roll her eyes, it looked like her pupils were trembling. Kinda terrifying honestly.

"I would've thought that you like soldier 76 or Tracer better since... they're about as straight as you are. But besides that, it looks dope Neha! Would you make one of my paintings into a T-shirt one day? Like, you know, my birthday? August 21st? Pretty pleaaase!"

It wasn't long until everyone started requesting clothes from Neha for their birthdays. Of course, she shut them all down while Karolina still stood there with what looked like a gift.

"Ugh. I see that you invited a lot... of people."

Her cold gaze was on Axel and Alistair specifically, since she did not like those two. As for Tegan, he was silently waiting for his gift. Judging by his face, it had been a while since Karolina had showed up to one of their birthdays, not to mention that she brought a gift too.

"Anyway... here. I'm sure you don't play those kinds of games anymore but uh... Well, in any case you better not laugh at my gift. Or else."

Tegan carefully unwrapped the gift. It was the new Maryo Kart! Everyone was baffled. Karolina actually gifted Tegan a video game? What's next? Is she going to play it too on top of gifting it? Tegan thanked her happily and reached for something behind the TV. It was Karolina's gift. Her eyes scanned the shape of the wrapping trying to guess what it was. Though she didn't lose any more time trying to figure out what it was and opened it. It was a Bouis Buitton bag. Karolina smiled.

"Basic choice but not bad. Thanks."

Seeing that Neha had already sat down, Karolina did the same. Of course, to Raquel's regret, they ended up splitting the last slice of cake, Karolina said that she didn't mind since she couldn't afford to eat food with too much calories. Especially not pastries but she let this one slide. As for Tegan, he immediately switched the game on. Of course. But then, he offered the second controller to Karolina. Everyone looked at him like he was batshit crazy. Miraculously though, Karolina sighed and took the controller.

"...Fine. But I don't remember the controls anymore."

That was a fricking lie. Karolina was killing it?? At Maryo Kart?? Raquel was going crazy. Well, everyone actually. But especially Raquel.

"What the hell?! So you steal the last slice of cake and now you're whooping Tegan's ass in a video game? I didn't even think you knew how to hold the controller correctly..."

Karolina clicked her tongue at that remark, looking unimpressed. Though clearly, she was a bit embarrassed about playing against her brother in front of 9 other people who had no idea that she was even capable of touching a controller without throwing up. But during that time, Tegan was grinning like a kid. It was like going back in time for him. He was thrilled. How many years has it been since the last time they played together like this?

"Believe it or not, but Karolina was actually the one to always kick my ass in video games. She was too strong. Thankfully, she's a bit rusty now."

Karolina elbowed his arm violently but Tegan didn't budge. It was like he was used to it, maybe Karolina always tried to distract him from the game by pushing him when they were little?

"Oh shut up. It's the game's fault. Why the heck did they add that much useless features? Also, the maps are way worse than the old Maryo Kart games. Those ones are a jumbled mess, doesn't make any goddamn sense with those twists and turns."

Karolina frighteningly sounded like a retrogaming nerd. Could it be that Tegan's love for video games came from...? Nah, no way. She's just salty that Tegan is catching up in wins. They're tied now.

"Okay! What about this: The one who wins the next round gets a kiss on the cheek from Scholar!" Ellie proclaimed in a loud voice.

"Wait! Why me??"

Scholar honestly doubted that Karolina would like that, Tegan? Maybe. But not Karolina. Surprisingly enough she didn't react but that lack of reaction probably hid something. Usually she would complain and quit but she's not the type to lose on purpose after getting this far. Tegan looked fired up too. Looking back on it, earlier Tyler was trying really hard to say something. Could it be that both Tegan and Karolina like Scholar? Well... that would be extremely awkward and unlikely.

In any case, it looks like Tegan has a head start.

"What's wrong Karol? Have you really forgotten the controls?"

"Say that again and I might murder you."

This is the most intense party of Maryo Kart anyone had ever seen. Isn't there an e-sport for it? Maybe the Novak(ova) siblings should sign up...

In the end, Karolina managed to catch up somehow. Ellie took that host voice again.

"Alright ladies and gents! Looks like Karolina will be the one receiving the prize! But what an act of cruelty on the sister's part, wouldn't you say? Because she was heartless and unpleasant I declare that as compensation the viewers should also get a kiss!"

Everyone cheered for Scholar's kiss but funnily enough, Tegan looked super offended. He was about to throw a tantrum.

"Wait. So I'm the only one without a kiss?!? That is so unfair! It's my birthday... I should at least get a participation fee!"

Tyler patted him on the back.

"That's rough, buddy. But hey, at least your boyfriend didn't turn into the moon."

Tegan quickly elbowed Tyler in the stomach again.

"Dude! Scholar's not my... dammit, I told you to be quiet earlier."

"Ow! I didn't even say any name... You're the one digging your own grave man. Look, he's looking this way."

Seeing that Tegan looked absolutely heartbroken (and pissed), Scholar took Ellie's place as the announcer.

"Change of plans! Only the siblings get a kiss because it's their birthday. All the others won't get any because it would be extremely unfair."

That's when everyone started booing but Raquel seemed to have an idea. A stupid one. But still an idea.

"Uhhh, excuse me! Actually, I'm their sister. We're triplets, so I also get a kiss!"

Axel did the same.

"No, Raquel is lying sir! We're actually quadruplets so I get a kiss as well! The four of us look so similar, I have no idea how you missed that..."

This whole thing turned out to be ridiculous. Seems like Tegan and Karolina suddenly had 8 new siblings. But of course, only the 2 of them got the kiss. Everyone was satisfied with the birthday party despite all of the chaos.

-------------------------------------- Oooookay! That's it! Sorry the ending was so abrupt (as usual) but I never know how to end these... Thank you for reading though! And sorry if you cringed! But that's a risk I'm willing to take ✊😔

[teruthecreator]

if you're looking for something to rant about, do u have anything to say to someone who genuinely hated amnesty? i thought it was really uncreative compared to balance and it didn't scratch that Taz itch for me.

i mean, ur asking someone who now literally Cannot re-listen to amnesty bc of the trauma i retained from the ending, so like. cant blame you! i think out of all three of their arcs, it was the one with the most potential but the least amount of effort done to access that potential 

i, honestly, was never the biggest fan of balance. high fantasy bullshit has never been my cup of tea. i didn’t read h*rry p*tter or lotr when i was a kid bc it all seemed so Boring to me. i stuck to settings based in our reality, but with a fun twist! like the series of unfortunate events, which i read three times over

basically all of this to say i preferred the premise of amnesty over balance. balance was like high fantasy bullcrap that slowly merged into sci-fi bullcrap, while the premise of amnesty was like spooky and mysterious!! but still grounded in some sense of normalcy, which is an enticing premise to me! maybe it was a little cliched, small town in the middle of the woods has Something Off, but i would argue most of balance was cliches too. 

my biggest problem w amnesty now, looking back, is griffin genuinely did not give a shit. you can feel it in the effort he put into making the narrative, you can SEE IT in the end, and it’s just really evident throughout that griffin Did Not Fucking Care. which, if you don’t give a shit, don’t make a story that is going to make others give a shit bc it’s only going to end up unsatisfying for the both of us in the end. 

i think talks happened behind the scenes, and it was ultimately decided that travis would dm the next big arc. but, dust was a bust (as he said he couldnt maintain mystery for that long) and the other idea he had was barely in the works. so, to fill time before trav was ready with graduation, griffin decided to dm amnesty. i don’t think griffin wanted to do this; i think he was tired of dming and tired of making stories. griffin SOUNDS tired throughout most of the ending so like, it can be assumed this was a perpetual concept. they also literally admitted to having graduation ready to go Right When amnesty went to shit, so i think this is a really solid theory. but, even still, i think it’s a goddamn shame the amount of potential they wasted to jump to graduation asap 

but i think amnesty has better characters than balance, ill be deadass. i cared WAYYYY more for the amnesty trio than the balance. balance was just boring men, while the amnesty pc’s had like. legitimate flavor. flavor that was squandered, mind you, but flavor nonetheless. 

ned is the best character they’ll ever make for a pc, and i will live and die by that. ned had an intricate and complicated backstory that explained parts of his present personality while still leaving some mystery to him. every interaction he had with the other pcs or npcs felt both Genuine and Not, but given his character being a crook it’s literally the most accurate out of the three. my biggest problem with amnesty is ned got squandered to appeal to griffin’s inclinations towards big story tropes and sci-fi bullshit

aubrey’s Whole Shit relied on her understanding her greater power. duck’s Whole Conflict was coming to terms with his greater power even when he has a long-standing history of problems related to it. sound familiar? 

it’s magnus all over again! which, tho it was trav’s character, you can tell in balance that griffin was heavily aiding trav in fulfilling this greater fantasy

in my opinion, ned was what the show should have focused on. because ned’s story had NOTHING to do with high-fantasy themes or sci-bullshit that griffin used as a crutch in both balance AND amnesty. ned’s story was about genuine connection, re-discovery of self, and the lengths it takes to forgive and let live. ned’s story was the closest to the human experience any of the pc’s has gotten thus far (graduation tbd), and you know what they did? 

they fucked it. 

they fucked it for angst bait, and for that i literally can’t even hear ned’s voice for half a second without being filled with anger and sadness. 

and don’t even get me STARTED on the wack bullshit griffin and justin did in terms of the relationships in amnesty. SORRY, HUH??? THE FUCKING COP WHO SPENT THE ENTIRE ARC TRACKING DOWN THE CRYPTIDS HE LIVED WITH AND LITERALLY WAS AN ACTIVE PARTICIPANT IN TORTURING MAMA GETS WITH BARCLAY??? THE GUY WHO NEVER WANTED TO INTERACT WITH HIM IN THE FIRST PLACE???? 

and to any d*ckn*vas out there just kno ur opinion is shit. i have a whole Essay as to why that relationship is a genuinely Bad Representation of a relationship and i’ll make ur broke bitchasses go find it. duck was a TEEN and minerva was a GROWN ADULT when they met; even if they got together when they were way older it still means they met and interacted at the equivalency of when you meet your high school gym teacher. and the power imbalance that existed for the entirety of their friendship bc it was mentor/student that y’all just Glance over. yeah, right. i kno yall dumb bitches had really gross teacher crushes I See It. 

but given ALL OF THAT, do i think balance is better than amnesty? 

nah. imo balance was boring and i only really started to care by stolen century. amnesty i cared from Right Off The Bat and only lost it after they ruined their own show

so yeah lmao that’s it ghrbjhrgbhjrgbhj

[queenharumiura]

Space explorers Vasco and Kajika~

Send me a ship and I will grade it: ||Still accepting||((//sweats sorry for being late with this one @heromanvasco @wild-untamed-heart))

-

C: Not a bad ship

Alright, so I will preface thiswith, it’s been a while since I got into Lookism. After webtoons took it overand they changed the names (probably for legal reasons), I just--- could not doit. It did anger me for one thing, but it’s also just--- we know me… with names…memorizing them.

I would have to go back fromthe beginning and reintroduce myself to all of the characters and memorize theirnew names. I’m pretty sure they changed all the names, even the minorcharacters, so it’s just like—oh no. The nickname ‘Vasco’ remained the same ifI recall, however.

Anyways, the reason why I’mprefacing with this is—I’m working with dated information here. I’m sure sincethe last time I read there has been a lot of character development. I’m goingoff what I currently know of him. I’ll get back to Lookism… eventually;;;;

ALRIGHT, ONWARDS!

I honestly think that they wouldn’t be too bad together?Certainly, they are good friends and we’ve already established this in thread form.Vasco is pretty fair towards other people—once he gets into the correctmindset. Admittedly, he does have a bit of a negative bias towards attractivepeople. He got… bullied a lot in his younger years.

‘Bullied’ is putting it lightly, considering he has scars fromit. Not only emotional ones, but actual physical scars. That’s why he’s sotatted up, to hide the scars that were given to him. Even scars… is putting it lightlyin my opinion, since it’s not as simple as scars. It’s like… graffiti, but onthe body. The tattoos hide them, so he can be less ashamed of it.

From this, he formed a phobia of needles. The tattooing wasto help him get over it. I’m sure there’s still a bit of nervousness thatremains from needles as it highly relates to the bullying. This is something thathad such a deep impact on his life. He has a negative bias towards attractivepeople (the one who bullied him), he absolutely DETESTS bullies, and he vowedto become stronger as to not get bullied again.

He has a lot of pride in himself for how far he’s come. He’salways loved Superheroes from a very young age. It isn’t like he came to likethem after the bullying thing. Nah. He’s always loved them and he’s alwayslooked up to them. To him, heroes are such a big part of his life. Inparticular, ‘Heroman,’ whose real name is Vasco.

Taking this identity onto himself, he’s mostly called ‘Vasco’rather than ‘Euntae’ which is his real name. I’m sure the Webtoon gave him adifferent true name, but I don’t know it.

He may have a bit of a poker face, but he’s actually areally big SOFT BEAN. He’s truly a GOOD BOI tm. I absolutely adore him and Icry for him. I feel like once I re-read the series, I’ll skip the entirety ofhis past arc bc I cannot watch as my baby gets BULLIED.

Anyways, Vasco does have a prejudice against good lookingpeople, but he’s not blindly prejudiced. If he sees that they aren’t like oneof those good-looking people, he’s quite willing to befriend them. Thisis the case with the main character Hyunsuk (I think it’s Daniel in webtoon?).He thought that Hyunsuk was bullying students, and Vasco challenged him. Turnsout, he’s not a bully, and he was trying to help people.

From what I know (unless things have changed), they becamereally good friends. I think it’s somewhat of a conditioned response for him tobe initially distrustful of good-looking people due to what he went through. However,his attitude towards justice and his general ‘good boy’ nature prevents himfrom blindly hating people based on their looks. If they are good people, hewill like them.

He loves to drink strawberry milk and he’s just—so---precious. He will give milk boxes to people that he likes/approves of. Hyunsukbeing one of such people. It’s like a part of him being shy and what not.

Going back to that—HE IS VERY SHY BOI. He’s very awkward andhe’s not very confident, though he may appear that way at first. He’s confidentin his strength, that’s for sure. He’s full of confidence in himself, but onceit comes down to--- his… uh… intelligence… or social-awareness… he’s um…lacking… a bit to put it gently;;;; I will say that he’s aware of it himself. I’mnot just saying it. When asked: if you could have a wish granted, what would itbe? Paraphrasing, his answer was: “I want people to stop calling me stupid.”Which basically is a ‘I want to be smart’.

Basically, he can be a big idiot sometimes and it’s—a lil endearingto be honest. He’s also just not sure of what to do around other people. Whathe may think is fun or cool, others may not feel the same way. He’s easilyamused and very emotional. Being given a rock can have him almost shed tears. (hewas told that it was a lucky rock passed down through generations.)

He’s very dense and very gullible, essentially. He also isn’tvery aware of his own strength, so he could totally launch someone out thedoor, across the room by playing pillow fight. That’s why he’s not allowed toplay along. 8( His best friend usually tells him to join in though, much toeveryone’s horror. Not to go too far into the backstory relating to the bestfriend… this guy really serves as Vasco’s emotional support and ‘is thissocially okay? Can I do the thing? Can I join the pillow fight? If I do this,would it be cool? Is it lame if I do this?’- support.

He often asks his friend for a lot of advice on many thingsas he doesn’t know what is ‘right’ or ‘cool’. His friend is so lenient on himthough and lets him get away with a lot of stuff. Like, it makes you happy? Gofor it! I’ll support you bud! I’ll have fun with you! You want to dress up inthose blow up costumes that make you look like you’re riding on a dinosaur? Youwant our entire department to dress up as that for the school competition---?Uh… okay, I’ll get them to agree.

Get you a friend like him.

Anyways, this illustrates the fact that Vasco is very--- insecure.ESPECIALLY around girls. Most girls run in fear around him. A common thing isfor him to shed a tear once anyone runs away from him. He may look scary but heis GOOD BOI. So, he’s so tender hearted and it breaks my heart to see peoplerun from him, or assume he’s bad.

Kajika, being more open minded and accepting, would be agood influence on him. He can befriend her and learn that not all girls willrun in fear of him. OTL She has a cool and outgoing personality, so I’m sure he’dlook to her as a ‘cool person’. Don’t be surprised if he randomly comes to asklike ‘hey, is this app cool? Are a lot of people playing it?’

That being said, he’s really not too big on social media andwhat not. He just wants to have fun and have a taste of what other people aredoing to have fun. He’s not exactly a person who chases after trends orwhatever. It’s a very common thing in Korean culture to chase after trends andwhat not, but he’s not quite like that.

So, I think that Kajika would be a great influence on him.Have him learn how to be more secure in himself, and to have more confidence inhis likes. Teach him to not be so tense around girls. He doesn’t walk like arobot in front of Kajika, so that’s an improvement.

The Vday and Wday events that goes on helps reinforce the ideathat they are friends and that she’s not afraid of him. I’m honestly not reallysure what impact Vasco could have on Kajika, really. He’s relatively calm in general,but when he’s around friends, he just turns into an excitable puppy. I feellike, there isn’t really much she could gain from him, which contrasts him.

He can learn how to be more confident; he can learn how tofeel more secure about himself, and he can learn how to be more comfortablearound girls.

It’s not like you NEED to be able to gain something in yourSO, but I do think it helps in most cases. I guess if anything, they are comfortablewith each other. I personally feel their dynamic works best as friends, but Idon’t think them as a couple would be a bad idea by any means.

Vasco is a VERY LOYAL person, and I’m sure that Kajika isthe same. Both are very dedicated to their friends, and I’m pretty sure theyboth have a strong sense of justice? They share a lot of common traits, and Ithink that’s something that’s crucial for a relationship they’d share.

They don’t contrast to the point that they would touch uponeach other’s landmines, I think. I guess it would be one of those ships whereit’s bestfriends àlovers.

Did anything change at all? No. I thought something wassupposed to change? What are you going to change then? No idea. Tell me whenyou think of something.

That’s pretty much them, I think.

Though, Vasco does get a lil hung up on how things shouldbe, so I can see him trying to study up on how to be a boyfriend. Reading up onhow to be romantic or whatever. I’m sure if they did start dating, there wouldbe an odd transition period for him bc he’s trying to figure out what to do andwhat works best. Lol

If Kajika prefers him being the same ol’ Vasco, she just needsto say so, and he’d do it.

They’d be the type that wouldn’t change much in arelationship, I think. Kajika, from what I vaguely recall, is a free spirit. Idon’t think she’s very tied down to many material aspects like riches, societyranks, etc. She really loves the beauty of nature and exploring.

I honestly don’t remember that she was really very swayed bymany romantic situations. Based off the vibe I get, I think she’d be moreimpressed by sentimental things, or nature than she would anything showy. That reallywould play well into Vasco, since he doesn’t really do well with ‘showy’things. He’s more of a sentimental bean than anything, so I think he’d havethat covered.

They’d have a comfortable relationship for the most part, Ithink. Of course, I don’t know what current Vasco is like so who knows if I’mreally right anymore, lol. Still, this is based off what I last remember ofwhere I left off. So that’s my verdict based off what I remember.

I also gave the rating I did since I don’t think it’s fairfor me to give anything too high or low when I’m not caught up with the ‘Lookism’series. Kek.

Hope you enjoyed!

[comicteaparty]

May 4th-May 10th, 2020 CTP Archive

The archive for the Comic Tea Party week long chat that occurred from May 4th, 2020 to May 10th, 2020.  The chat focused on Dead City by Michelle Parker and Jey Pawlik.

Featured Comment:

Chat:

Comic Tea Party

BOOK CLUB START!

Hello and welcome everyone to Comic Tea Party’s Book Club~! This week we’ll be focusing on Dead City by Michelle Parker and Jey Pawlik~! (http://topazcomics.com/deadcity/welcome/) You are free to read and comment about the comic all week at your own pace until May 10th, so stop on by whenever it suits your schedule! Discussions are freeform, but we do offer discussion prompts in the pins for those who’d like to have them. Additionally, remember that while constructive criticism is allowed, our focus is to have fun and appreciate the comic! Whether you finish the comic or can only read a few pages, everyone is welcome to join and chat with us!

DISCUSSION PROMPTS – PART 1

1. What did you like about the beginning of the comic?

2. What has been your favorite moment in the comic (so far)?

3. Who is your favorite character?

4. Which characters do like seeing interact the most?

5. What is something you like about the art? If you have a favorite illustration, please share it!

6. What is a theme you like that the comic explores?

7. What do you like about the comic’s story or overall related content?

8. Overall, what do you think the comic’s strengths are?

Don’t feel inspired by the prompts? Feel free to discuss anything else that interested you!

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

I don't know how long these are in the queue, but wow, "infectious outbreak that focuses on characters coping with limited resources while self-isolating from anyone contagious" is hitting awfully close to home right now...

Miranda

1. What did you like about the beginning of the comic? I really liked how it jumped right in. It didn't feel the need to explain the outbreak, the history of it, what the symptoms are, etc. It simply showed a zombie, showed a non zombie, and the stage was set. 2. What has been your favorite moment in the comic (so far)? I think the Vending machine incident and Mikael ust straight up getting naked to take a rain shower. 3. Who is your favorite character? I like Mikael and his personality. He's just very blunt and to the point 4. Which characters do like seeing interact the most? So far there are only two, but their interaction, while simple, says a lot about their personalities and experiences with the outbreak so far. 5. What is something you like about the art? If you have a favorite illustration, please share it! Black and white is usually hard for me to read, but this one does it well. I love Mikael's freckles. 6. What is a theme you like that the comic explores? How people handle crisis 7. What do you like about the comic’s story or overall related content? It's so simple, but even with few words, you can tell a lot about the character's and where they've been and what's brought them to where they are now. 8. Overall, what do you think the comic’s strengths are? Drawing the characters to show without having to tell.(edited)

RebelVampire

@Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn) I looked out of curiosity. This was submitted January 13th. So it's a big happy coincidence.

Queenue

Oh man I love Dead City! It was nice to refresh myself on the comic since I last read. I will say, the artist handles black and white beautifully. This is such a great comic with such a limited palette (almost pure b&w with some spinkles of gray). The style reminds me of really great classic American comics, and I dig it a lot. And as an intimate character study of two guys struggling in a post-apocalyptic world, it is fantastic. JP is my fave character as I find him really relatable. Overall, I feel his and Mikael's relationship was well built up and realistic. All of those cute, quiet little moments between them really make this story. One of the major themes that I gather is that humanity endures, even in the face of the apocalypse. The end of life as we know it isn't the end of us, we can still thrive, and even fall in love when the world's falling apart. That's kind of a theme in a lot of zombie media, but Dead City really hits on this. While I kind of wish there were more zombies in the comic (lol), I understand that it's mostly a romance/character-driven story. But, it also tackles the issue of isolation in these types of situations in a really genuine way. You get the feeling that these characters are the "only two people in the world" and that they felt so profoundly alone before they found each other. That's powerful writing.

But it also knows how to use humor and light-hearted character moments to lighten the mood, which I like. I've never seen a piece of media in this genre that wasn't super dark and gritty and that's one of the things I love about this comic. And, I don't know if I can pick a favorite moment, but I do like their whole time spent in the suburban house just lazing about, drinking wine and trying on the previous owners' clothing.

RebelVampire

I like that the beginning of the comic begins kind of typical to a zombie story. Where character A meets character B but then oh no trust issues cause survival of the fittest. And then the story just completely deviates from it in a lot of ways. I really kind of like how it used the tropes to establish the setting quickly, before becoming its own thing. My favorite moment in the comic so far has probably been when Mikael froze and JP had to step up and take action against a zombie. I actually wasn't sure JP had it in him tbh, so for me that was a cool moment of just seeing another side to this character. I also liked seeing confirmation that nah, Mikael has been affected by the scenario and the whole has-it-together vibe isnt entirely accurate. My favorite character is probably JP if not for the fact I see myself in him a bit more just for the fact he never quite feels like he knows what he's doing and is just kind of winging it. Considering there's really only two characters, it's obviously JP and Mikael. Their relationship builds up in a very organic way that feels natural, so it's really enjoyable. As for the art, what I like the most is the attention to detail. Like Mikael's freckles, the fact JP's facial hair grows, etc. Those small things really just kind of give the comic that extra bit of polish that's really nice. As for a theme the comic explores, I think I enjoy most right now the human need for connection. Cause sure Mikael didn't trust JP at first (and possibly vice versa), and yet, are you really going to turn away perhaps one of the few ppl left? I think this story really captures that need for people to have someone else in their life.

As for the story's overall content, what I like the most is just how un-zombie of a zombie apocalypse this is. Sure we see them, but overall they aren't the focus. I also like that the zombies aren't treated as like this OP always have to worry about thing. One line that super sticks with me is Mikael noting the zombies got slower cause they're, ya know, dead and rotting. So I like that there is this hope that maybe it won't be a forever thing. As for the comic's strengths, again, probably the premise where it's a zombie apocalypse but that is so far from the focus it makes it really unique and stand out.

Comic Tea Party

DISCUSSION PROMPTS – PART 2

9. Do you think JP and Mikael’s relationship will be able to last, or will the situation of the apocalypse get the better of them? In what unexpected ways do you think their relationship will be challenged despite the situation?

10. JP and Mikael’s backstories are both decently vague, so what sort of theories do you have surrounding them? Do you think we’re in for a shocking truth bomb that may drive a wedge between the two?

11. Given what we know about the world at the moment, do you think the apocalypse will last forever, or might things get better someday? What do you think will happen if JP and Mikael run into more survivors?

12. What story moment about the harsh realities of survival hit you the hardest? In contrast, what moment about human connection hit you the stronger? All in all, what do you think the comic says about connecting with other people, even in survival situations?

Don’t feel inspired by the prompts? Feel free to discuss anything else that interested you!

RebelVampire

I think JP and Mikael's relationship will last. But, what I think will challenge their relationship is the idea that maybe the apocalypse won't last forever, or things won't always be super dire. Cause I think that forces them to reexamine who they were as people in the past and talk about that a lot more than they do at present. At present I get way more of an impression they're living in the now, so once the past and future can be relevant again, I think that will prompt some interesting discussions. I don't have anything concrete at the moment regarding background theories. However, I do think there's a dark edge to Mikael somewhere in there that will make JP go "I'm not sure if I like that." Given my opinions above and it being mentioned the zombies aren't as fast as they used to be, no. I actually think we're already seeing the signs that as long as humanity can whole themselves up somewhere and implement proper containment procedures, things will get better. As for more survivors, I actually don't forsee that being an issue anytime soon. And if they do meet other survivors, that is when I expect something super bad more zombie apocalypse like will happen cause humans are the most trustworthy bunch in this genre. I think the moment for harsh realities of survival that hit me the strongest was really when they realized they had to move and couldn't stay in one spot forever due to factors beyond their control. It's really hard to leave a place you feel safe, so that hurts the heart that they really didn't have a choice. As for the moment of human connection, it was when the freezing scene happened and Mikael was upset someone he knew was a zombie. Cause I didn't get the impression they were super duper close, and yet that hurt was too real. As for what the comic is saying, I think it's a message about how regardless of situation, we need to feel connected to others - even more so in survival situations.

Comic Tea Party

DISCUSSION PROMPTS – PART 3

13. What are you most looking forward to seeing in regards to the comic?

14. Any final words of encouragement for the comic?

Don’t feel inspired by the prompts? Feel free to discuss anything else that interested you!

jestershark

13: I think seeing JP and MIkael's relationship change and grow over the course of the comic has been a delight so far and I think it's going to continue to be interesting into the future. 14. I wish more people were reading it! It's definitely got all sorts of hooks...

snuffysam (Super Galaxy Knights)

I've loved reading Dead City! I really like how this story feels like... progress? Like a lot of zombie survival stories are about the protagonists slowly falling apart as more of them get picked off, but this felt... hopeful. Like, the two get better at surviving as time goes on. Especially given how JP & Mikael's relationship is such a major part of the story. The fact that they can find love in the zombie apocalypse shows that there is hope for humanity after all.

RebelVampire

I am most looking forward to them dealing with more zombies actually or survivors. Unfortunately, resources are gonna become scarcer as time goes on, so I'm interested to see how they change to deal with that. My final words are that this comic is super unique in its storytelling and, to me at least, is a beautiful story about human connection and how there is always hope even when humanity is struggling

Comic Tea Party

BOOK CLUB END!

Thank you everyone so much for reading and chatting about Dead City this week! Please also give a special thank you to Michelle Parker and Jey Pawlik for volunteering the comic and creating it! If you liked Dead City, make sure to continue to support it via some of the links below!

Read and Comment: http://topazcomics.com/deadcity/welcome/

Jey’s Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jpawlik

Topaz Comic’s Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/topazcomics

Topaz Comic’s Shop: https://topazcomics.com/shop/

Topaz Comic’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/topazcomics

[cosmicmoved]

𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐊𝐈𝐌 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐖𝐎𝐎  ! !

as you may already know, min is just one member of a two-member popgroup (bc i personally really love duos and just feel like the world could stand to have more of them) called SO:DA. now, i’ve considered keeping the other half of the duo as an npc and that’s probably what i will do if this doesn’t work out but i think it’d be a lot more fun if someone else were to jump in and agree to write him for me! as it currently stands, he’s pretty much a blank slate and near enough everything would be up to you! i have a few specific requests ofc and i’ll place those under the cut but, overall, i’d be happy to give you free reign so long as it doesn’t contradict the backstory that’s already in place for min! and, from there, we could take their exact relationship in any possible direction! do they get on or not? is the other member more collected than min or is he wild? The Possibilities Are Endless! let’s talk about it! as for faceclaim, backstory, personality...they’re all up to you! :’D

okaaaaay so this is the part where i talk about requirements, the stuff i’d like someone to keep in mind if they agreed to do this. i’ll just ramble below bc i honestly don’t have the attention span to think how else to organise and format this so apologies in advance if this looks wonky --- if this is hard to read on my theme or whatever, just open my blog in the dash popup view and the post should come up in full? anyw this gets really long and rambly and i’m v sure nobody’s going to read this but....i can dream.....

FIRST! please read this. this tells you what you need to know about min and also deals with a lot of the basic info about the group. in that respect, it’s pretty vital info. min’s the rapper/dancer so the other guy’s the vocalist. idk, maybe he’s good at dance too tbh. a dance-focused duo works great! but, either way, he has to be the vocalist. also pleeeeeaaaase keep in mind that minwoo’s plotline deals with some heavier stuff, partly bc he’s besties w/tomo but also bc i’m not especially interested in writing the super clean sparkly celeb plot? shit’s fucky & companies screw ppl over, i guess!! anyway, while they’re open to anyone, i don’t feel super comfy plotting tomo & min stuff with people who aren’t 18+ since there’s a lot of uhhhh sex n drugs n misery?? (there’s a lot of stuff min doesn’t do but he’ll talk about it & he’ll watch it happen and he’s not at all removed from it) so that’s just something to keep in mind! 

min became a trainee in 2010 so wherever you go from there will probably determine how long they’ve known each other. given that SO:DA are an english-speaking group, i’d probably prefer your character either grew up in an english-speaking country (but preferably not the UK again) or attended an international school somewhere. idk, i’m not that fussy. i don’t mind if he’s younger or older than min or even around the same age. i think i’d prefer older but it’s fine either way. i really don’t want the other member of the group to be too distant in age from min so i’d honestly only really open a one year window either way? this means the other member has to have been born between 1994 and 1996. this is the character, not the faceclaim. for that, i’d ask that 1997 is probably the youngest you do but i don’t mind an older fc being used, granted they can pull off the younger age or you use younger content for them? i think, for safety’s sake, 1992 should be the limit but feel free to ask me about it. the fc doesn’t have to be k-pop idol, just bc min’s fc is! it’s cool if you want to use an actor or, say, a jpop/cpop idol or anything like that, just keep in mind that they technically started as a k-pop group so it’d have to make sense in that context. his personality would probably the most important one in terms of defining their relationship though so please be sure to run this one by me & we can talk about it! but you could really go anywhere with this; he could be more collected and sensible than min or he could be real fuckin wild. min’s a little difficult bc he’s stubborn and hard-headed and likes to complain so it’d be good to think about how your character would deal with that!

SOME QUESTIONS TO PONDER! do they get on well? (is he friends with tomo too or does he think tomo’s a Bad Influence?) how does he feel about their awful schedule and being overworked? is he a suck-up to the company? does he pretend to suck-up and is actually mad abt it? do they butt heads creatively? does he agree with min’s need to fight for creative integrity or nah? would he just see it as min being passionate abt things? or would he find it frustrating & unhelpful? would he get fed up w/min being a total chancer in regards to public image and damage control? or would he be even worse than min?

[the-council-of-new-york-vampires]

Priya and Amy being sweet to each other is so cute. I hope you continue it

Out of Character:

Definitely! I’ll continue it right now. :D

…Just wrote it and… This shit is meaningful as hell. I just wanted to write a bit, but… w o w.

It’s not so sexy, but it contains explicit language. Know Priya’s backstory, and I promise you won’t regret reading this…

It was an hour later that Priya woke up.

Amy sat by her side, smiling. “Good morning, sleeping beauty.”

Priya’s eyes widened. “It’s morning?”

She chuckled, told her, “No, it’s still evening. Then again, I didn’t know vampires needed sleep at all.”

Priya shook her head, slightly perplexed. “They don’t.”

Carefully, Amy’s finger stroked her cheek. “Do you remember what I said to you before you fell asleep?” Her voice was quiet once again.

Priya looked at her… and grinned. Even after their romantic night together, her smile had something predatory.

“I mean it,” Amy whispered.

“I appreciate that,” Priya just said.

Amy looked at her for a long time before asking, “…You don’t say it back?”

“I’m not fake.”

…She couldn’t help but feel sad.

Priya placed a hand on Amy’s shoulder and explained, unusually serious, “If I love someone, I let them know. Then again, I told you how I feel about that word. So, no guarantees.”

Amy bit her lip, nodded, understanding. “I can’t force feelings that aren’t there.”

“Maybe they’re there and I don’t know,” she said, shrugging. Priya was surprsingly cool… careless, maybe?

Amy nodded. A bit more distant than before, she stated, “I hope… Maybe you learned that sex can be intimate and gentle and not rough or degrading.”

“Amy, darling, please. Don’t think you can teach me anything about sex. I know everything.”

“But did you know this would feel so good?” With that, she had her.

“…Sure.”

Amy grinned. “What did you say about not being fake?”

Priya nudged her playfully. “Shut up. I’m the realest bitch.”

Amy chuckled. This almost felt like a relationship.

Priya admitted, “It was nice enough.”

“I will treat you gently, forever,” Amy proclaimed. “As long as you let it happen.” She said that with a certain warmth in her voice. “Because I feel it does you good.”

“You can’t do it forever anyway.”

‘As long as I love you. And that’s forever.’ Damn, how cheesy that sounded… Too cheesy to say it.

“Mortals don’t live forever,” Priya noted.

For a longer time, Amy was quiet. “I don’t even know if I’d want to get Turned. It was never an option, really.”

“Why wouldn’t you?”

Amy shrugged, remembering again just how special she felt for being able to say ‘Priya Lacroix is actually interested in me.’ “Being a vampire grants you so many perks. But there are also things you have to give up.” She thought about it, and chuckled. “You’d never understand, but… I think I want children someday.”

Priya said nothing.

Then again, Amy laughed. “I bet you hate them.”

“Mhm…”

“They don’t really go with a glamorous lifestyle,” she joked. “And you wouldn’t want to give that up.”

“I can’t, anyway.”

Amy raised her eyebrows. “Huh?”

“Have kids.”

She nodded. “Yeah.” For the fun of it, Amy said jokingly, “I bet it’s better that way.”

Priya’s stare was cold. As if she was actually offended.

When looking at her, Amy’s smile left her face immediately. “I… Sorry. That’s cruel. You could be a great mother. I don’t know you enough to judge.”

“That’s right. You don’t.” The warmth was gone. “Actually, you don’t know shit about me.”

Amy’s eyes widened. She was suddenly afraid, sad… hurt. “Priya…”

“It’s kinda funny how every asshole judges. I’m so cruel and rude and I’m a horrible person and whatnot. These people… It’s them who I’m coming for first.”

“I… never meant to judge you. I’m sorry. Hell, you might be a better mom than me. You’re loving and mature and capable. I’m dorky as hell. I don’t have half of the experience you have.”

“Mhm.”

Amy grinned, trying to bring back the positivity she usually felt around Priya. “I love how you love your dogs.”

“My dogs are my babies.���

She chuckled. “I wish I was one of them. You’re be a great mama.”

Somehow, Priya didn’t find that too funny.

Amy felt the awkwardness, the coldness betweem them. She took her oversized pullover off to reveal her body, undressed. She lied down next to Priya, the blanket covering both of them. It was quiet until she mumbled, “I could lie here with you and talk to you forever…”

“Am I that interesting?”

“Absolutely. After all, I want to get to know my future wife.”

Priya laughed…

…And Amy was glad. This was Priya’s kind of humor. Babies just seemed to be a taboo topic with her…

“Ask me something nasty.”

Amy thought… and kissed Priyas forehead. “What’s your favorite type of hug?”

Again, Priya laughed. “I hate you. You’re boring as hell.”

“I just think sex isn’t the most important thing in life.” She grinned.

“Having fun is.”

“That sounds… more acceptable.”

“Who cares? Some people should just get their heads out of their asses.”

Amy chuckled. “You know, I… I’ve met quite a few vampires. I learned that many of them are hot. I mean, let’s exclude The Baron and Lester, because they make me gag.”

“They make me vomit in my mouth.”

She laughed. “I learned that vampires must love sex, since… their senses are heightened. Things feel more intense. And that makes sense. Yet, I haven’t met a single vampire as obsessed with sex than you.”

“Pff. They’re just sneaky with it.”

Grinning, she asked, “Are you sure?”

“I guess? It’s just… You know… I collected a lot of shitty experiences regarding the topic. Then I got Turned and I thought… Time to take what I want.”

“Shitty experiences for you would be… Girls in sweatpants. Or men with average dick lengths,” she joked.

“No, like real shitty.”

It was then that Amy understood this was serious. “Oh… Sometimes, talking helps.”

“Yeah, no, nothing really helps.”

“Have you… seeked help? Talked to someone who loves you? I mean… I know it can be difficult. But it’s often for the better.”

Priya sighed. She didn’t seem particularly annoyed. Rather as if there was a heavy weight on her shoulders. One she had been carrying for centuries.

Amy pulled her close. “Shhh,” she whispered. “It’s okay.”

“I’m alone.”

“No. You’re never alone. You can talk to me.” She thought about her words, then added, “I swear, you can always fucking talk to me.” Amy meant this. Nothing more than this.

For a minute, Priya was quiet. She felt Amy’s hand caressing her back. They were naked, together, but nothing about this was sexual. She felt a weird feeling in her throat… as if she had to confess. “Fuck, Amy…”

Amy kissed Priya’s cheek, assured her, “If you don’t want me to know, I respect that. Priya… I respect you so much. It’s just that I know what it feels like to not talk about something, letting it break you. It sucks. And I don’t want that for you. Because you’re an amazing person. You don’t deserve to feel this way. No matter what people say. You’re right; they judge. And they don’t know you.”

Priya sighed. She looked at Amy, taking her head off of the young woman’s shoulder, and asked, “Do you know the sex trafficking industry?”

Amy froze. “Yes.”

“Well… I know what that’s like.”

“Were you…?”

“Yeah.”

Amy was silent. Then she said, “No…”

“Yeah.”

“Priya… I don’t want to believe this.”

She was cold as ice. “Do you think I want to believe that shit?”

Amy was in tears. “No… No… No. I don’t want this. Please… Don’t tell me that’s true.”

Priya smiled, her eyes teary. “Shit. I forgot it was that bad.”

Amy covered her face with her hand… and let the tears fall. She hugged Priya ever so tightly… and cried with her, together.

Eventually, Amy found herself on top of Priya, a blanket covering two women whose faces were wet from tears. She cupped Priya’s cheeks and whispered, “I swear… If anybody fucking hurts you…”

“So many people fucking hurt me.”

“They’re dead. They’re all fucking dead. And if not… I’ll kill them myself.”

“I went through so much shit.”

“For how long, Priya?”

“Eight years.”

“You started when you were…”

“Sixteen.”

“…I’m angry. I’m so fucking angry.”

Priya rubbed her eyes, acknowledging that her makeup might as well be worth getting ruined - just this once. “I’m not even angry anymore.”

“This is a crime against humanity. You were a child.”

“Well, I was a girl.”

“Were your parents cruel?”

“Nah… My mother tried to do everything to provide for us and stuff. Call me stupid, but I’m kinda thankful. The women in my life were strict as hell, but I don’t blame them. They went through the same shit, after all. It went on for generations.”

“And your father?”

“Don’t know who.”

“Oh… Right. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I hate him. No matter who he is, he is a fucking rapist. All of them are.”

“Maybe… Maybe he would have loved you. You’re very loveable…”

“No one loves a daughter.”

“Priya…”

“It’s true. It’s a man-made system. Literally.”

“…Damn. After all you went through… How can you look men in the eyes?”

“Honestly? I have no idea.” She laughed. “Sometimes, I call one of my toys, and I say ‘Down!’. And he looks at me all sorry and shit. And I order it again. He gets on his knees before me. And I kick his balls so good. With heels on.”

“…Ouch.”

Again, she laughs. “His screams don’t make up for what I went through.”

“I can imagine… But we live in a different system now. Men are… different.”

“‘Let boys be boys.’ God, when I hear that, I cringe.”

Amy faced the ground… and nodded. She wiped her tears away.

“One time, I got pregnant. And I thought: ‘Shit’.”

It was then that she gaped. “What?”

“You bet I had no idea who her father was. And I thought… Damn. That’s it. I’m continuing the cycle.”

Amy felt the sadness coming back up. “Was it… a girl?”

“I like to think it was.”

She thought back of their recent conversation… and it hit her. “Priya… I’m so sorry. I had no idea you were pregnant as a human.”

“Me, pregnant… You’re right, it sounds ridiculous. I wouldn’t even believe it myself if I didn’t know for a fact it’s true.”

“Did you… have an abortion?”

“Hm… More like a miscarriage.”

“Oh, shit… I’m sorry…”

“The worst thing wasn’t even that I got pregnant. The worst thing was that I actually wanted her. Not in the first place. I was at my lowest. But I got used to the thought, however that worked. I don’t know. All I know is I was ready. And then I lost her.”

And again, Amy was crying.

“I thought life fucking hates me. Life must be a man, I thought. And you better believe I hated that motherfucker back.”

Amy did the only thing that felt right. She hugged Priya, kissed her… “I love you.”

Somehow, Priya grinned. “Damn. One tragic lifestory and every bitch is at my feet.”

“Priya, I want to fight the world. With you. It’s us against the rest.”

Priya chuckled. “Are you on crack?”

For the first time, Amy laughed. It felt like medicine to a wounded soul. “I’m sad as hell, okay?”

“Time heals all wounds, I guess. At least, that’s what smart people say. It turns wounds to scars. Like, I can talk about it and… not lose my shit. I can be fine. At least, kinda.”

Amy lied down, her head on Priya’s chest. “Are you glad you spoke up?”

“Somehow, yeah. Unless you’ll choose to fuck with me up with it.”

“Never.”

“Well,” Priya said, “it’s not like I wouldn’t kill you.”

“I wouldn’t even be offended if you killed me.”

The two of them laughed.

“Priya?” Amy then asked.

“Sup?”

“Are you… often dating?”

“Not really. I mean, nothing serious these days. I have my toys and that’s it. I seek new ones, and sometimes… Sometimes I break them. But that’s all. No romance and shit like that.”

“…These days?”

“Yeah. I kinda stopped taking it serious.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. It’s like… responsibility. And… I mean, in a relationship, people are supposed to be equal. I realized that doesn’t work.”

Amy was silent. Then she said, “You’d be equal with me.”

But apparently, her voice was too quiet. Priya continued. “I really thought it could work. One time, I was at a sex party with Vega and-”

“Vega?”

“Yeah.”

“Senator Vega?” Amy couldn’t believe it.

“You’re cute when you’re surprised. Anyway-”

“Don’t tell me The Council threw a sex party.”

Priya laughed. “Ew, fuck no. It was a private thing back when we were dating.”

“I… had no idea you were dating him in the past.” Somehow, that changed her perspective. On both of them. A match made in hell.

“1920s. Wild time. Anyway. I was having the time of my life at that party. It was so good that I collapsed.”

Amy gaped. “What the hell?”

“It was great. Damn, I was exhausted. I felt high as hell. Somehow, he stood before me and I just gave him a blowjob. I don’t know if I wanted it at the moment. But he wanted, and I didn’t think. And he cupped my cheeks and pulled me close and I just did it.”

“Uh… Okay…” Another person Amy could never look in the eyes again…

“A moment later, there were a dozen guys surrounding us. And they watched us and jerked off, close to my face and shit. And I was kinda thinking ‘Excuse me??’. I tried to pull away, but he kept me in place and I could tell he was totally enjoying it. He was in control at the moment and he took advantage of me, showing off to all those assholes. And I didn’t want it. Later I realized he had made me feel the exact way I’ve felt all these years. Used.”

“…Wow. I hate him so much right now.”

“Don’t. He’s a fun guy. He was the only one who believed in me, that I could be a famous designer and shit. I owe him a lot. Plus, we had a friends with benefits thing going on for some time. I don’t hate him one bit.”

“But that’s not okay. He was putting his ego over your needs. Have you ever talked to him about it?”

“When the whole thing was over, I said I was exhausted. Seriously, I couldn’t even walk. He picked me up and drove me home.”

“And that’s it?”

“When we woke up afterwards, I told him it was fucked up. And he didn’t even know what I was talking about. So I described it and he said he hadn’t known I was uncomfortable at the moment. I told him that I was and that I didn’t enjoy it, and he apologized and said he wouldn’t have continued if he had known. And then he changed the topic, and I just took it as answer. I was okay with it. We did more fun things and never talked about it again. But it kinda stuck with me.”

Finally, Amy looked Priya in the eyes. “…I would never treat you like that.”

“You’re not a man.”

“Don’t you date women?”

“Not really. I figured dating isn’t really my thing. I think women demand more attention than men. I’m not one to give so much… rather receive.”

Amy looked at Priya in a way that expressed more than words ever could. Simply, she said, “I’d treat you like a goddess, Priya.”

After a silent moment, Priya grinned and said, “I am one.”

“You truly are… Sometimes, I look at you… And I’m just speechless. Like, how could someone be this damn beautiful? Inspirational, even.”

Priya smiled… and the predatory streak was gone. “I didn’t tell you these shit stories for nothing, Amy.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that you make me see the world in a different light. We talked… And I feel brand new. Like… There’s something I wanna try.”

Was that a hint? Amy took a breather. She had to fucking ask this. “Do you want to be my girlfriend?”

Priya was quiet. Then, she said, “Fuck yeah.”

[the-canine-king]

i answered all 50 questions in that oc question post

note: i'm only talking about the ones i made lol i was gonna link them all the character’s names to their profiles but that shit’s way too much work so: https://toyhou.se/CanineKing/characters/folder:all/tags:1/tagged:Original

1. Your first OC ever? hmm, there's probably two answers 1) an unnamed character who was basically a fantasy dressed fox kemono boy. do you remember playing a game as a kid where you look out the window in a car and you imagine someone doing sick parkour beside your car? he was the character i imagined (there was also a whole other story i dreamt up where i was some long lost princess from other world and he was gonna save me from this one but that's a whole other thing) he's technically a character i thought of but never thought of anything beyond that, i don't think i ever drew him either 2) 4 (maybe 5) characters i made in middle school where it was about these characters that come from families that can bend one particular element, and they're all friends on school trying to get used to their passed down powers and also be basically kid superheroes. i drew them out and gave them names, but i never wrote anything beyond that, but they were definitely ones that i would call my first actual written ocs 2. Do you have a personal favourite among your OCs? -looks at ace, eliott, and mel- no 3. Have you ever adopted a character or gotten a character from someone else? yup! before i wasn't so big on the adopt thing, but i turned into a fan w/ collecting designs and writing a lil story for them! i adopted 38 characters, and one other that's currently still in the process of trade :P (and unfortunately trying to purge some away) 4. A character you rarely talk about? unfortunately that'd be a lot of characters bc i'm super focused on drawing ace/ mel smooching for the 548787th time 5. If you could make only one of your OCs popular/known, who would it be? i'd probably make it eliott bc who else doesn't love a cute, shy, goat boy on the internet 6. Two OCs of yours that look alike despite not being related? ...... i can't think of any lmao 7. Are your OCs part of any story or stories? i literally only make ocs to make stories so 8. Do you RP as any of your OCs? If you do, introduce one of your RP OCs here! nah i can't do rp stuff :'D 9. Would you ever be willing to give any of your OCs to someone else? honestly, not really if i made them lol but i guess i can if i'm not attatched to them and such, so if i just made a design and offered them up then yeah i can trade them (unless i love their design lol) 10. Introduce an OC with a complicated design? even thought i haven't fully drawn my plans for his outfit, azazel would be the most complicated in my standards 11. Is there any OC of yours you could describe as a “sunshine”? me personally, i'd say eliott bc that baby boy is trying his best story wise, either thorne or lucas (but totally lucas since thorne is a liar at heart) 12. Name an OC that isn’t yours but who you like a lot TOO MANY AUGH the very first oc i fell in love with but was forever homes was like a fantasy setting character that was an adventurer and had eagle legs/ other features w/ banging colours but other than that too many others 13. Do you have any troublemaker OCs? again, a lot, i guess. bc they mostly fall into that trope? aiden (even though he's trying to be a better person), damien, eve, hugh (in a way), jack, ollie, ricky, roman, and wyatt 14. Introduce an OC with a tragic backstory uhhhh, hard to choose, i don't have any more bc i haven't written their backstories yet lol - growing up as a theif his whole life to support him and his mother, accidentally kills someone after an awakening of powers and is had to run from his hometown - growing up being shadowed over and forced to be someone that they're not, only to get their hubris get to them, causing themselves and others get hurt and can't even remember the person they loved - growing up w/ betrayal after betrayal she closed herself off, but they met someone and slowly opened up and accidentally fell in love w/ them, only later getting caught and fell from grce, then only to find the person they trusted before not remember them - after being caught on what seemed to be a fatal accident, gets rescured from a miraculous surgery, but he's slowly forgetting what he looks like and who he was every passing second - two people close to each other, only to end up w/ betrayal and lies 15. Do you like to talk about your OCs with other people? absolutely but if they ask me something i haven't planned yet i'm just "UHHH" 16. Which one of your OCs would be the best at biology (school subject)? 17. Any OC OTPs? nah ace/ mel is my notp :/ anyways if it's couples in general then: - ace/ mel - lucas/ darla - kaiko/ caspian - + a bunch of the parents in the monster family story - damon/ ollie (okay i'm really not planning for them to be together, but they cute u.u) - jebediah/ demon boyfriend - gunther/ harem - nadiya/ her girlfriend which i still haven't decided if i want her to be like a princess or a traveling swordsman of sorts) - the chimera girl i designed/ her human girlfriend - the fallen god/ mercenary 18. Any OC crackships? uhh i actually don't know :V anyone of the people listed  being w/ someone else would be a crackship? idk every other pairing i know i wouldn't like lol 19. Introduce an OC that means a lot to you (and explain why) i guess eliott! i guess also catherine, ricky, comet, and/ or captain since they were my fist group of ocs i wrote a bit about, but i think eliott means a lot more bc he was the one that got me thinking more about ocs  :> 20. Do any of your OCs sing? If they sing, care to share more details (headcanon voice, what kind of songs they like etc)? for some reason i feel like rosa would be a singer? va hc would be someone w/ a strong husky voice and she would probably sing really well in kind of old slow songs you hear in old bars i also thought maybe lillie could sing too, but they’d usually be softer songs or lullabies to calm herself down it’d be nice/ cool to write for fallen god to be able to sing as well, and maybe the mercenary too so they can have nights signing together. maybe fallen god can sing songs that are in their own god language or whatever, and mercenary can watch in awe there may be others but i can’t think of them rn/ they might be charas i haven’t fully made yet 21. Your most artistic OC lmao it’s a bunch of ocs that i haven’t developed my ocs enough for me to know so let’s skip i guess 22. Is there any OC of yours people tend to mischaracterize? If yes, how? i mean, people get some stuff wrong about my ocs sometimes but they’re usually so small that i really don’t care about it lol 23. Introduce OC that has changed from your first idea concerning what the character would be like? hmm they relatively stayed the same personality wise but i assure you everyone’s changed from their initial drawing of them 24. If you could meet one OC of yours, who would it be and why? that's. a really hard choice actually lol bc i wanna be hugged by one of the parents in the monster family story i made, but i also wanna hang out w/ the characters that i can comfortably hang out w/ lol 25. The OC that resembles you the most (same hobby, height, shared like/dislike for something etc?) everyone’s got a bit of shared piece of themselves w/ their ocs don’t they? 26. Have you ever had to change your OC’s design or something else about them against your will? against my will? i can’t think of anything that i changed against my will so no :V 27. Any OCs that were inspired by a certain song? the only two i can come up rn are: alistair (devil wears a suit and tie) and rosa (o, raven) 28. Your most dangerous OC? i guess the chimera girl i made since she’s trying to fit in the modern life? i mean i still haven’t thought of her story yet but i know she Angery 29. Which one of your OCs would go investigate an abandoned house at night without telling anyone they’re going? ace, aiden, maybe keaton 30. Which one of your OCs would most likely have a secret stuffed animal collection? mel, eva, roy 31. Pick one OC of yours and explain what their tumblr blog would be like (what they reblog, layout, anything really) eliott: landscape stuff, muted colours, mystical content here and there ace: default theme, memes, probably has a side blog that’s more of an aesthetic blog mel: super aesthetic blog, romance themed 32. Which one of your OCs would be the most suitable horror game protagonist and why? literally anyone in the renegade group i could’ve said anyone in the hunters group but they’re all fucking idiots (lee would be more closer to the renegade’s level tho) 33. Your shyest OC? eliott, roy, audrey, fallen god 34. Do you have any twin characters? i literally want to design twin ocs just to have twin ocs jdshfkjsdf 35. Any sibling characters? audrey, dylan, and elle + eve and juno + ace and jack 36. Do you have OC pairs where the other part belongs to someone else (siblings, lovers, friends etc)? nah not really lol 37. Introduce an OC who is not quite human ?? i barely have human characters in the first place, unless this one means humanoid :V 38. Which one of your OCs would be the best dancer? iiiii can’t think of anyone other than the two parents i thought of that i’m planning to be dance teachers lmao 39. Introduce any character you want i haven’t drawn them yet but fallen god and mercenary are two unnamed characters that i recently started thinking of where fallen god falls from the heavens and looses their sight, and the merc runs from their past meet and they team up together w/ the merc being fallen god’s eyes and the fallen go being their protector 40. Any fond memories linked to your characters? Feel free to share! i guess it;s just sentimental ones like, first ocs, first compliments, first art/ fic of them, etc. 41. Has anyone drawn fanart of your OCs? If yes, maybe show a picture or two here (remember sources & permissions!) YEAH AND EVERYONE DRAWS THEM CUTER THAN I DO (well i mean these were from freebies, art trades/ games, and gifts but still) please check out ace’s other’s art gallery and eliott’s other’s art gallery, bc they have the most of them (bc i ask for them a lot lol) 42. Which one of your OCs would be the most interested in Greek gods? whoever in middle school age i guess 43. Do you have any certain type when you create your OCs? Do you tend to favour some certain traits or looks? It’s time to confess big n beefy, jokesters, heart of gold 44. Something you like about your OCs in general that i made them all (well of course not the adopted kids) 45. A character you no longer use? everyone every time i don’t focus on their story anymore than i used to ;;;; 46. Has anyone ever told you that you treat your OCs badly? fortunately no, and i hope no one does and it’d stop to others bc wow that’s rude as hell 47. Has anyone ever (friendly) claimed any of your OCs as their child? okay literally the first time i made eliott, everyone i knew wanted to adopt him as their kid lol 48. OC who is a perfect cinnamon roll, too good for this world, too pure eliott, parker, elle (i love all of them tho :’D) 49. Which one of your OCs would most likely enjoy memes ace, roman, ricky, aiden, dylan, eva, ollie 50. Give me the good ol’ OC talk here. Talk about anything you want i love all of my babes okay good night

[sassycassie-s-series]

All My Fault 8

By: SassyShoulderAngel319

Fandom/Character(s): DC, BatFam - Damian Wayne/Batman

Rating: PG

Notes: (Masterlist) Little bit of Cloudy’s backstory!

Tag List (Open): @probsjosh @batboys-and-other-messes @nanna-the-batmum @welovegroot

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7

^^^^^

It was rare for me to have the Batcave all to myself. But Bruce and Tim had a meeting to attend at Wayne Enterprises so Alfred drove them, and Dick and Jason went to go check on their pal, Roy. Heaven knew where Damian disappeared off to. Probably off walking one of his plethora of pets or something. As far as I knew, Cass was on a mission somewhere and wouldn’t be back for another several weeks under the cover that she was attending school somewhere in Japan—or so I’d gathered from the boys’ chattering. I wasn’t entirely sure they knew where she was either, to be honest.

So I was weirdly alone. In the Batcave.

Singing “Total Eclipse of the Heart” at the top of my lungs in a way I hadn’t sung in a long time.

You’d think the fact that everyone is constantly somewhere else on business of some sort meant that I’d be home alone a lot but nah. Someone was always around asking if I’d turn my music down or not sing so loud because it had been a long night last night and they were trying to sleep or working on a case and needed to concentrate. Depending on who was asking, I often got varying levels of politeness. Dick’s was always, “Oh, Cloudy, could you please turn it down just a little? Please?” Whereas an extremely sleep-deprived Tim once snapped, “Who’s playing that racket?! Shut it off I can’t hear myself think!”

I never begrudged him the breach in manners, though, because I was fairly certain he’d been awake for 72 hours at that point. Usually he was nicer.

Surprisingly, Jason and Damian never used to give me much flak for listening to music loudly and/or singing along. Even though Jason’s room was on the other side of my bathroom from mine so he always got to listen to my shower renditions when he was home. Sometimes I’d get a text from one of them saying something like, “Hey can you turn it down for a little while?” but for the most part they left me alone.

This time, no one appeared to be in the Batcave at all so I sang to my heart’s content. The way I used to when my parents were alive and I wasn’t a ward of Bruce Wayne.

I stopped my song. My parents…

I ran over to the Bat-computer and looked up McCloud Software.

There was a news report from the day I arrived in the future as one of the top results. I clicked on it.

“Today marks the eighth anniversary of the disappearance of Nora McCloud, daughter of Jaqueline and Lyle McCloud of McCloud Software—the company that has taken leaps and bounds in the field of software design and innovation. Jaqueline and Lyle McCloud were tragically killed in a car accident when their daughter was sixteen. She was taken in by her parents’ business partner and good friend Bruce Wayne until her disappearance. Nora was slated to take over as CEO of the family company, only to disappear three days before she could take the reins. Since then, McCloud Software has been run by Lyle McCloud’s close friend and long-time business advisor Michelle Eden...”

I clicked out of the news report over to the stocks of my parents’ company, comparing them to the rest of the market through the eight years I missed when Damian brought me to the future and the timeways collapsed. My mom taught me how to read stocks from the time I was three. The company’s stocks mostly followed the trends—except one dramatic dip in 2021 that quickly climbed back up.

McCloud Software stock drop, 2021, I typed into the search bar.

SOFTWARE SCANDAL! McCloud database hacked, thousands of users at risk. I should have expected nothing less than a scandal to drop stocks.

But that wasn’t the top hit. It was the second-to-top—I just noticed it first because of the caps-locked title. The top hit said, McCloud Software database hack leaks emails that confirm Michelle Eden and Lyle McCloud affair.

“What?!” I demanded quietly, jumping to my feet and storming over to the case where my Cloudburst costume hung. Once I pulled the door to the case open, I threw off my shirt and started undoing my belt to get my skinny jeans off.

“McCloud? What happened to the music? I was enjoying your singing,” Damian remarked, descending the stairs.

I froze, half-naked and out in the open of the Batcave with no shirt and halfway out of my trousers. I yanked my skinny jeans back into place and covered my bra with my arms. “Damian!” I shrieked, whirling to look while keeping my back to the stairs as much as possible. “I thought no one was here.”

“No, I was upstairs designing a new evening gown for your appearance at the charity gala,” he replied, politely looking away from me with a sketchbook under one arm and a cup of tea in his other hand. “Were you… intending to go somewhere?”

I scooped up my shirt and pulled it back on aggressively. I pointed at the computer screen. “What do you know about the scandal that Michelle and my dad had an affair?” I asked.

Damian came down the rest of the stairs, looking at me now that I was decent. There was an intense look in his eyes. He set his sketchbook and cup down before gently resting his hands on my shoulders. “We’ve been keeping an eye on your company for you, I swear,” he said, peering down at me.

“That doesn’t answer my question,” I said. “Did Michelle actually have an affair with my dad?”

Damian hesitated. “We were never certain—”

“Damian,” I warned.

“As far as we could figure, no. It was just slander. Tim pored over both your father and Eden’s writing styles for two days before coming to the conclusion that the emails were planted. They were too different from the usual. However, we must consider the emotional aspect of passion and the fact that people don’t necessarily write the same when they’re exchanging romantic sweet nothings.”

I turned back to my Cloudburst costume, sliding out from under Damian’s hands on my shoulders.

“McCloud, wait,” he protested, grabbing my hand. It sent a charge all the way up my arm. He tugged back on me gently. “Cloudburst cannot go and interrogate the CEO of your company. She may figure out that Cloudburst is invested in this because she is Nora McCloud. You can confront Michelle at the charity ball as yourself if you wish, but not now.”

When I kept looking at my suit, Damian pulled me closer and wrapped his arms around me. Less like a cage and more like a hug.

“Please,” he added. “I understand that you are upset, but now is not the time.”

I was so surprised that he said “please” that I looked up at him. He was looking down at me intensely, his eyes searching my face with the same soul-piercing look they’d had when he first showed up in my past and seemed to be disbelieving that it really was me.

I sighed. “Alright. But I'm going to ask her about it at the ball, assuming she attends,” I relented.

“It’s likely she will be. For your sake,” Damian said. His hand slid down my arm and he wrapped his hand around mine. His hand was warm and I started wondering if he had some sort of electric powers that he’d never told me about with the charge running up my arm from the contact. “Come upstairs. I’d like to ask your opinion on the designs.”

“Can’t I just go to a store and find an evening gown?” I asked.

“Absolutely not. This is the first event where you will be seen in public in nearly a decade. A custom gown is the only way to go for image’s sake.”

“So you just… what? Casually design evening gowns?”

Damian pursed his lips thoughtfully. “Only for you,” he said, leading me out of the Batcave after taking his cup of tea and sketchbook off the table where he’d set them. “I mean, we have a significant lack of time for a professional designer to come up with one. I seem to recall your tastes in evening gowns. If I have created one you like, it would be quicker to have it made than to hire a professional designer.”

“Right,” I said, unsure of what else to say.

“Tea?” Damian offered as we got out of the Batcave.

“No thanks,” I replied.

“Yes, you don’t like tea, do you?”

“Nope. Tea, coffee, ugh.”

“May I grab you anything else?”

“No thanks.”

“Alright then. Come sit with me.” He led me into the main parlor and indicated I sit on the loveseat while he grabbed his drawing tablet from the sofa. He sat down next to me and placed his sketchbook on his lap. “First: basic designs. I went over the previous evening gowns you have worn to galas and attempted to balance them with your personal tastes and your particular… affinity for grand ballgowns.”

I snickered. “Okay,” I said.

Damian took a sip of his tea, set the cup off to the side, and opened his sketchbook. He leafed through several pages until he found what he was looking for. He wrapped the pages he didn’t need around the back. “This is just the first page,” he said. “Don’t assume these are all of your options.”

“How many pages are there?” I asked, noticing the first page had about six different designs on it.

“Five,” Damian said.

“Five?!” I demanded. “Dami, don’t you think that’s a little… much?”

He blinked at my use of a nickname. “… No?” he said. “Your first event in eight years to the public has to be just right. It’s vitally important that you wear something befitting your status as a high-profile young lady as well as all the attention that will be on you. Every camera will be on you almost all night, so you must look impeccable.”

“… Right,” I said. “Okay. Walk me through.”

“Of course. Now, once you select a few different designs, we’ll work on the coloring, yes?”

“Sure.”

“This one—” He tapped the dress he’d drawn on the top left corner of the page. I leaned a little closer to his side in order to see it better. He wrapped his left arm around my shoulder and pulled me closer so I had a better view with his arm out of the way. “—is intended to have a more form-fitting design, like most evening gowns. Most of what I’ve drawn have short sleeves and high necklines as I seem to recall your distaste for revealing too much skin—especially when you’re injured. This one is supposed to have sequins or jewels across most of it in order to sparkle like the night sky. It ought to be complemented with a sizable diamond necklace due to the wide but high neckline—”

“No thanks,” I interrupted. “I really don’t want to wear grand, expensive jewelry. Makes me so paranoid I'm going to break it.”

“Tt. In that case, perhaps you would prefer this one,” he said, tapping another design on the first page with the eraser end of his pencil. “It maintains the form-fitting, cap-sleeved design, but the neckline is narrower and a tad lower. Nothing too revealing, of course, but it does allow for smaller, less garish jewelry.”

“What are you gonna wear?” I asked.

“A tuxedo. As usual,” he said.

“I figured, but, like, are we doing the high school Prom matchy-matchy thing where my dress and your tie are the same color?”

“Not unless you intend to wear a black evening gown. Which I would not recommend for your first event upon returning. It would seem as though you were mourning something rather than celebrating your return.”

“I was just kinda kidding, Damian,” I said, looking between his eyes and his sketchbook, very aware of his warm, strong arm still around my shoulders.

“Oh. Right,” he muttered. “Regardless, if you like the form-fitting, long style but don’t want the garish jewelry, this is the one I would consider.”

“And if I don’t?”

“Well, we’re nowhere close to finishing, McCloud,” he replied, almost playfully. “We’ve barely begun.”

Next

[realmzenith]

answer All the questions for your newest oc

DEAD U HAD TO ASK FOR NEWEST DIDN’T YOU. welp in that case have ya boi eneko

What’s the maximum amount of time your character can sit still with nothing to do?he’s a patient dude! eneko can likely sit still doing nothing for as long as his physiology will allow aka until he needs to go to the bathroom or smth. he does well w low activity as he’s an introspective person

How easy is it for your character to laugh?FAIrly easy?? on a level of one to ten w one being laughs at anything that moves or doesn’t move i’d say he’s a.. 6. ok so not that easily like he IS fairly taciturn but he will smile and laugh at a good joke esp if he’s comfy around the person making it

How do they put themselves to bed at night (reading, singing, thinking?)by crying- no jk he doesn’t… cry… emotions? what are those??? (thats a lie he’s an emotional mess) he will plan for the next day, strategizing and such but that’s honestly rlly bad for him. he stresses easily. on nights when he’s got a clearer head he’ll hum softly or read if he’s not feeling too guilty abt burning off candles. he does like night walks they always clear his mind

How easy is it to earn their trust?oh oof that’s a tricky one. not that easy but at the same time- OKAy yeah just not that easily from one being the easiest to ten being the hardest he’s likely a 8

How easy is it to earn their mistrust?VERY hard. once you’ve gained his trust he will be LOYAL af to u eneko is quiet n not the most expressive but he will absolutely go down in flames for someone he’s deemed trustworthy. a solid 9. 

Do they consider laws flexible, or immovable?laws are flexible defo. he PREFERS structure but if morality trumps laws he will break them. it also helps that he’s lowkey part of a rebellion so technically his existence in the present is breaking the law

What triggers nostalgia for them, most often? Do they enjoy that feeling?god save us all. he’s a nostalgic dude so uh, oh damn i dont have backstory for him yet i made him last night rainy stop bullying me but ykw we’re doing this. flowers defo. queen anne’s lace n bluebells esp? bring back memories n also pumpkin stew. mixed memories w that one. queen anne’s lace mean sanctuary n bluebells mean gratitude which is LOWKEY ironic considering they spawn memories of burning along w memories of his older sisters so yes?? he does like remembering his sisters but no not in that context. the stew is a weird reminder of his first love n that’s. also complicated 

What were they told to stop/start doing most often as a child?talk more and talk better. he’s got a bit of habit of being short abt things and the middle sister of the fam was ALWAYS getting on his case abt no u can’t word it like that but the eldest was and is a terrible influence n absolutely encouraged it bc she found it hilarious. it’s good they love each other i swear

Do they swear? Do they remember their first swear word?yes he’s part of a rebellion and a soldier what more do u eXPECt and no he doesn’t remember his first swear word. he also doesn’t curse that much dont get me wrong. he has to be comfy around u

What lie do they most frequently remember telling? Does it haunt them?gosh uh. eneko is still v underdeveloped so i .. WELL I CANNOt tell u in the present it’s prbly smth angsty involving his sisters or his lovER but the answer to does it haunt him? yes absolutely he must Suffer :)

How do they cope with confusion (seek clarification, pretend they understand, etc)?it depends on the situation’s levity. if it’s smth important he will absolutely bluntly ask for clarification if it’s smth casual he’ll just nod and pretend like he knows what ur talkin abt bc social anxiety is a b

How do they deal with an itch found in a place they can’t quite reach?Suffer in Silence

What color do they think they look best in? Do they actually look best in that color?he doesn’t rlly think abt this. he likes green tho but he wears a lot of black (that’s partially required by his associations and partially bc idk what other colors exist thanks @ god) he looks best in hmmm red

What animal do they fear most?himSELF 

How do they speak? Is what they say usually thought of on the spot, or do they rehearse it in their mind first?he’s usually fairly forthright so he sounds like he’s saying whatever comes to mind but the reality is he says abt 1% of what he’s thinking and he won’t say things that are quite obviously rude. who knows tbh maybe he gains secret enjoyment from watching ppl squirm under his bluntness eyes emoji

What makes their stomach turn?torture n he hates the sight of bones. blood he can stand but bones? no thanks. unfort in the business they’re in he comes across both of those more than he’d like. he also hates working in the theoretical. it’s unnerving but he’s fine if someone he trusts is wading thru the abstract for him aka thank u @ kent for being the resident intuitive 

Are they easily embarrassed?nah not particularly 

What embarrasses them?if u slap his BUTT in public jkjk i mean that would embarrass him if u caught him by surprise but hmmm he doesn’t like attention if u draw attention to him he’ll freak a lil that would fluster him also excessive praise esp if it’s expressed publicly. he squirms beneath the spotlight

What is their favorite number?19. day of the month he last saw his sisters smiling

If they were asked to explain the difference between romantic and platonic or familial love, how would they do so?he’d prbly say smth deep which i cannot truly replicate but prbly smth like. “familial love is steady. it’s the mountain beneath which u were born. it’s the protection n the stability n the impossible sheer volume of it that can’t quite be comprehended. platonic love is like cords linking u to them. it’s the promise, the assurance of i will pull u up if u fall and if i can’t ill fall w u. it’s a tug o war and an anchor. romantic love is a stallion. it’s the passion and the chance but if u know how to tame it it serves to make u a better man than u could ever become on ur own. it’s the teamwork and the flames”

Why do they get up in the morning? to execute justice and to experience each new precious day he’s been gifted

How does jealousy manifest itself in them (they become possessive, they become aloof, etc)? it’s ugly when jealousy rears its head in him. he doesn’t SAY anything but his actions become more erratic and he has a harder time focusing. it’s likely he’ll become more impulsive. he’s not DANGEROUs per se but it’s not a situation u want him in

How does envy manifest itself in them (they take what they want, they become resentful, etc)? envy he’s better about. mostly bc unlike w jealousy he doesn’t already have the thing. it’s smth he’ll just push down and soldier thru like he does w most uncomfy things in his life

Is sex something that they’re comfortable speaking about? To whom? oh MY GOD DONT TALK ABT SEX that’s SCANDALOUS- the answer is no he finds it unprofessional in his line of work but he would be comfortable discussing it w his s/o

What are their thoughts on marriage? good. he approves. however, for himself he finds the prospect unlikely considering the high risk nature of what he’s involved himself w. he expects to die before 35 in all seriousness

What is their preferred mode of transportation? in the sweet embrace of death horseback

What causes them to feel dread? the knowledge that everything’s falling apart. that fate and circumstance are slowly but surely chipping away at the very foundation of what u live for and there’s absolutely nothing u can do to stop it. also freaking the appearance of the antagonist or his minions

Would they prefer a lie over an unpleasant truth? in theory? no. in practice? he’s actually p sensitive that’s a difficult one to answer. it would greatly depend on the circumstance but in the long run he prefers the truth

Do they usually live up to their own ideals? yes but in his own eyes, no. he holds himself to extremely high standards and is very self critical. also he has rlly unachievable ideals he’s a lil bit idealistic beneath the guise of realism

Who do they most regret meeting? ohohOHO jk i have no idea not there yet in the story but prbly the antagonist he’s a b

Who are they the most glad to have met? funnily enough? he could almost say the antagonist. he’s the reason why eneko’s working as hard as he is for what he is. without the introduction of the antagonist he would’ve been oblivious to the terrible injustice around him and likely ended up a victim by some obscure mindless death order. however the person he truly admires is the rebel member who took him under her wing however she’s still in the works so i can’t give u much on her

Do they have a go-to story in conversation? Or a joke? i don’t think so, no

Could they be considered lazy? NOPE not in any sense of the word. eneko works extremely hard. he’s v dedicated n dutiful

How hard is it for them to shake a sense of guilt? oh, very hard. he’s naturally altruistic so he tends to take failures to heart and internalize them and considering the dangerous line of work he’s in he oftens has guilt building up inside him. he’ll likely carry it w him for the rest of his life once he’s decided to be guilty abt smth. if someone doesn’t help him w it it can break him down in ugly ways

How do they treat the things their friends come to them excited about? Are they supportive? yes!! he’s a pure son. you’ll definitely get a smile out of him if smth good has happened to u. he’s very supportive of his friends. he would die for his friends and likely all of u i just want u all to know this 

Do they actively seek romance, or do they wait for it to fall into their lap?neither. he finds seeking romance irresponsible w his lifestyle. as i previously stated he expects to die young

Do they have a system for remembering names, long lists of numbers, things that need to go in a certain order (like anagrams, putting things to melodies, etc)? he has fairly good memory esp w faces! but otherwise? i would say he learns best by touch. he’s a tactile person and also fairly auditory. music defo helps him remember things

What memory do they revisit the most often? prbly the day he separated from his sisters. it’s not a particularly good memory but it’s seared in his mind

How easy is it for them to ignore flaws in other people? he doesn’t ignore ppl’s flaws per se? he’s p perceptive so it’s difficult for him to just turn a blind eye at least within his own mind but eneko is v tolerant of ppl and accepting. even if he dislikes u it’s doubtful you’ll know he’s fairly good at keeping up the same respect for most everyone he comes in contact w. but yeah? he knows what flaws are there but he will simply accept ppl bc he knows everyone, including himself, esp himself, has many flaws

How sensitive are they to their own flaws?oh oof yeah he’s?? a p sensitive guy so while he recognizes his own faults jabs to his weak spots will hurt him and he’ll prbly sit on the accusation or callout for days esp if someone accuses him of being selfish or immoral or not having done enough for the ppl he cares abt (smth along those lines) he’d absolutely hate that. but if u tell him he’s blunt he’s going to be like im well aware of that

How do they feel about children? he’s SUCH A DAD he loves kids and he’s rlly good w them they love him bc he’s SOFT ok but he doesn’t plan on having them himself even tho he’d like to for the exact same reasons he isn’t pursuing romance/marriage

How badly do they want to reach their end goal? enough that he’d die to reach it

If someone asked them to explain their sexuality, how would they do so?eneko is either demi or grasexual w pan preferences. he’s also panromantic. if someone asked for explanation he’d be like “i’m attracted to people of all genders” and just leave it at that unless ofc they were like RLLY curious or smth but he doesn’t rlly consider himself demi or pan or anything he just knows he isn’t straight LOL

QUESTIONS FOR CREATORS

A) Why are you excited about this character?…strong silent type. that’s all i have to sayB) What inspired you to create them?i’ve taken some inspiration from other characters from shows, etc. i’ve written so he’s a bit of a love child of the best of my musesC) Did you have trouble figuring out where they fit in their own story?im still figuring it out so that’s a probable yesD) Have they always had the same physical appearance, or have you had to edit how they look?he’s been edited a bit there were a few reincarnations of him like at first he had straight black hair in an undercut style but now it’s WAVY and dark brown and he also got darker. id say he’s like latino w a lil african blood this is esp amusing considering i literally created him last nightE) Are they someone you would get along with? Would they get along with you?i think we’d get along alright if we could get past the initial awkwardness bc we’re both kind of crap at interpersonal relationships actually he isn’t that bad it’s mostly me and i THINK he might find me slightly abrasive n energetic (even tho im PLOT TWIST low energy compared to most extroverts) but he’s tolerant it wouldn’t be too badF) What do you feel when you think of your OC (pride, excitement, frustration, etc)?love…. i love my soft boi i usually hate my ocs aka i would slap them if given the chance but eneko? deserves happinessG) What trait of theirs bothers you the most?he is not real in general and non existent in actual writing as of the present. the latter tragedy i will soon solve. in all seriousness it’s prbly his bluntness it has the tendency to give me second hand embarrassmentH) What trait do you admire most?his tolerance and patience i have none loLI) Do you prefer to keep them in their canon universe?for now, yes! i dont have a solid grasp of him so until then he’ll stay where he was BIRTHEDJ) Did you have to manipulate or exclude canon factors to allow them to create their character?not rlly! the entire story he’s in is still in the works so everything’s rlly flexible

[cathygeha]

REVIEW

Up In Smoke by Annabeth Albert

Hot Shots #4

 This book left a smile on my face. It was a steamy-sweet romance between two men that so deserved to find happiness. No major drama for the couple though taking on the care of an infant baby girl was definitely not easy…but so much easier together than it would have been for either to do alone. It almost had a fairytale feel to it and was perfect reading for me the day I read it!

 What I liked: * That the backstories of the two men had commonalities

* That I felt both men were “equal” and brought qualities that would support the relationship

* That the two men communicated openly and maturely

* Shane: good brother, musician, loving uncle, has goals and dreams, a good person

* Brandt: firefighter, a bit of a rambler, professional, caring, team player, a good person

* The growth in both main characters

* How the two dealt with the situation they found themselves in

* That they were there for Jewel, the baby, and for one another

* That there was no major drama between the two men

* That it felt believable – mostly

* The fairytale feel of the story that might have been less believable but that was very nice indeed

* The happy ending

* Seeing/hearing about some of the characters from previous books in the series

* Wondering if there will be more books in the series

* That there was no “bad guy”

* All of it really except…

 What I didn’t like:

* Being reminded that firefighters have a tough life and that they sometimes die as a result of the job(s) they do.

 Did I enjoy this book? Yes

Would I read more in this series? Yes

 Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin-Carina Press for the ARC – This is my honest review.

 4-5 Stars

Up in Smoke by Annabeth Albert is available in eBook, mass market paperback and audiobook formats on April 27th!

  Book Description

Three Men and a Baby meets Backdraft with explosive chemistry and heartfelt feels.

 Freewheeling smoke jumper Brandt Wilder thrives on adrenaline. He’s never met a parachute he can’t repair or a dangerous situation he couldn’t wrangle his way out of. He’s popular and fun-loving and not at all looking to settle down or form lasting relationships. It’s a lifestyle that’s served him well…right up until the day he finds a baby on his doorstep.

 Shane Travis is used to putting his country music career—and his own happiness—on hold after his sister rolls through his life. Like last spring when she convinced him to try skydiving for his birthday—and she walked away with the hot parachute instructor.

 Now he gets to deliver the piece of news that will upend Brandt’s carefree life: he very well might be a dad.

 Shane’s niece is safe in Brandt’s strong, capable hands, but too many questions remain unanswered. Co-parenting while they sort it out leads to late-night talks, and soul-bearing confessions lead to a most inconvenient attraction. Still, Shane can’t leave this makeshift family behind—even if it means playing house with the one man he can’t resist.

 Hotshots

Book 1: Burn Zone (available now!)

Book 2: High Heat (available now!)

Book 3: Feel the Fire (available now!)

Book 4: Up in Smoke (coming April 27)

  Read on for an excerpt from Up in Smoke.

 Brandt’s deep chuckle rumbled straight through Shane. Damn. This was torture. Then the other man wrapped an arm around Shane, positioning his muscled forearm where Shane could see his fancy-looking watch gadget. “Now this is my altimeter. It tells me when we’re at five thousand feet and ready to deploy the chute.”

“Got it.” Shane wasn’t about to study that meaty arm any more than he absolutely had to.

“Okay, it’s go time.” Dallas’s voice echoed though the room. Brandt quickly unclipped them, but as soon as he stepped away, Shane’s pulse kicked up. Maybe he couldn’t do this. Jump out of a plane? Who was he kidding? He was a ground dweller, through and through.

Right when he was about to turn away, though, Brandt grabbed his biceps. “Nerves hitting you? Trust me. You’ll be just fine. I haven’t lost a jumper yet.”

Shane barked out a laugh. “Not exactly making me feel better.”

“Listen, I can tell you all day about how awesome this is.” Brandt looked him dead in the eyes, gaze serious for once, all his charm turned to raw intensity. “But until you do it, you’re gonna think it’s all BS. Sometimes you gotta take a leap of faith.”

“Not very good at those,” Shane admitted quietly as he stepped free of the other guy’s grip. He couldn’t keep meeting his eyes either. Too much power there, like a shot with an extra kick.

“Okay. You want me to tell Dallas you want out?”

A yes was right there on the tip of Shane’s tongue, but then he heard Shelby’s laugh ring out. She’d love it if he chickened out. Not only would she get bragging rights for all of eternity, she’d get what she’d wanted and get to go with Brandt. And for whatever reason, Shane hated that most of all. “Nah. I’m going.”

He white-knuckled his way out to the small plane, spared a nod for the female pilot, and squished his eyes shut until Shelby jostled him into looking at the valley underneath them, the green canopy of the national forest contrasting with the pristine blue sky. Random snippets of lyrics danced through Shane’s head, ways that he might try to describe this view. But then, right as he was settling into something resembling comfort, everyone started shuffling around, getting ready to go. The wind rushed in as the hatch opened, and a full-body shiver raced through Shane.

Then Shelby gave him and Brandt one last coy grin before she and Dallas were away, her whoop echoing across the sky.

“Ready? Here we go.” Brandt nudged Shane closer to the open hatch. Shane wanted to say no, wanted to drag their clipped-together bodies back inside the plane, wanted to both hurl and yell. But in the end, all he could do was nod. Only one way down.

His knees had locked up even as his thighs trembled. Behind him, Brandt was sure and solid. He could push Shane out the hatch pretty easily, but he didn’t. He was letting it be Shane’s choice. And somehow that patience and restraint gave Shane a jolt of courage. One step into nothingness. That was all it took.

Brandt was right behind him, smooth as if they were on a dance floor, not open sky. And now they were fall­ing. Falling so fast. Faster than a car on the interstate with the windows all down, faster than a dirt bike on a steep incline, faster than the whoosh down a water slide. There was no describing the feeling of the wind on his cheeks, the roar in his ears, the shout that probably be­longed to him, the adrenaline that crashed through him as he tried to remember what they’d practiced about po­sitioning. Damn. Hard to think.

Which was funny because that was the one thing he was good at. Shelby was forever teasing him about overthinking. But now, his brain couldn’t even pull two words together as they rushed through the air. Brandt yelled something, but Shane was too busy hurtling through the sky to focus on it. And then he was pulled backwards, a hard yank as the parachute deployed. No more freefall. And the oh-my-God-about-to-die adrenaline quieted enough that he could look down, really look.

“Oh my word. It’s… .”

“Beautiful isn’t it?” Brandt’s voice was deep and rich, like warm honey over Shane’s still jangling nerves. Now that the air wasn’t rushing so fast, he could hear him better. Almost too much better, because it felt like they were soaking up each other’s awe and wonder. Sharing something warm and tender and perfect.

“Yeah.”

“Nothing like it.” Brandt whistled low, a sound that hit Shane somewhere soft. “Never gonna get tired of this view.”

“Me either.” Shane almost didn’t recognize his own voice, up this high, this far removed from everything that usually weighed him down.

“Hey, Superman. You want a turn steering?” Brandt didn’t wait for Shane to reply, grabbing his arms, guid­ing his hands.

“Whoa. Wow. I’m doing it. Look at us.” They swooped gently from side to side, and it was quite possibly the best feeling Shane had ever experienced.

“Look at you. Didn’t know your smile muscles even worked.”

“Screw you. I can smile.” Shane was feeling so good that he had to laugh.

“Well, then get ready. The landing crew will snap your pic as we land. It’s your rock-star moment.”

“Feels like it,” he said right before Brandt took over and set them down softly in a clearing, barely even jarring Shane’s knees. “Damn. That was…”

“It was something.” Brandt was looking right at him, like he could see straight through Shane’s layers, strip him bare. And Shane held his gaze, held the moment as long as he could.

 Copyright © 2021 by Annabeth Albert

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  About Annabeth Albert

Annabeth Albert grew up sneaking romance novels under the bed covers. Now, she devours all subgenres of romance out in the open—no flashlights required! When she’s not adding to her keeper shelf, she’s a multi-published Pacific Northwest romance writer.

 Emotionally complex, sexy, and funny stories are her favorites both to read and to write. Annabeth loves finding happy endings for a variety of pairings and is a passionate gay rights supporter.  In between searching out dark heroes to redeem, she works a rewarding day job and wrangles two children.

 Connect with Annabeth Albert

Website: http://annabethalbert.com/

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Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6477494.Annabeth_Albert

[punkiio]

I for the ask thing, just an over all unless you want a specific character.

Like... All of them?? Hell yeah I’ll do Peter because I loVE Peter

This is going to be hella long so.... Get ready 

1: What’s the maximum amount of time your character can sit still with nothing to do?Probably a very short amount of time.... He has like, a lot of energy

2 How easy is it for your character to laugh? Its hella easy to make him laugh!! He is almost always laughing and smiling... He is a very positive fella

3: How do they put themselves to bed at night (reading, singing, thinking?) Either thinking or playing his flute or pipes!!

4: How easy is it to earn their trust? Its pretty easy, especially since he is oblivious to a lot of things, including bad ones

5: How easy is it to earn their mistrust? Not sure???? Probably a little harder, but not really hard.

6: Do they consider laws flexible, or immovable? he definitely considers them flexible.

7: What triggers nostalgia for them, most often? Do they enjoy that feeling? Probably things like jungles, treehouses, other kind of nature things... and yeah!! He likes the feeling!!

8: What were they told to stop/start doing most often as a childA LOT of things... He was a big trouble maker. Mostly was told not to do things like, something dangerous, doing/saying something too quickly, getting into fights, that sort of thing. and the thing he was told to start doing most???? Grow up

9: Do they swear? Do they remember their first swear word?Yeah he swears as much as the next guy tbh, but probably doesnt remember his friend swear because he has been living for so long

10: What lie do they most frequently remember telling? Does it haunt them? He’s actually a pretty honest guy!!! He even tells the mundies that he’s Peter Pan, but he’s actually like.... Pretending, to pretend he’s Peter Pan??? So when someone is being 100% serious when asking if he actually is, he lies and says that he isn’t. But I think the lies that actually haunt him, maybe not now, but definitely when he was still married to his wife, was that he actually still liked her and continued to stay with her

11: How do they cope with confusion (seek clarification, pretend they understand, etc)? He would try really really hard to understand, but if he cant, then he’ll pretend to understand

12: How do they deal with an itch found in a place they can’t quite reach? He would ask people to get it for him, and probably make the other person feel hella awkward wile he’s just like “Thank u pal”

13: What color do they think they look best in? Do they actually look best in that color? Green!! He thinks and does look best in green!!!

14: What animal do they fear most? He doesn’t fear animals that much actually??? I think the only time he would be afraid of an animal is if they’re acting aggressive towards him tbh

15: How do they speak? Is what they say usually thought of on the spot, or do they rehearse it in their mind first? Its always. on the spot. He almost never thinks it out. The only time he thinks of it out is if he has time and if its something he’s nervous about, but even then, he usually doesn't come out the way he wanted

16: What makes their stomach turn? When people believe the rumors/lies told about his childhood, things that make him super nervous, thinking about things he has to admit sooner or later, those kind of things

17: Are they easily embarrassed? No, not really :0

18: What embarrasses them? When people talk about embarrassing things he did, especially if its in front of someone like Boy Blue. He gets awkward embarrassed

19: What is their favorite number? 18 maybe :0

20:If they were asked to explain the difference between romantic and platonic or familial love, how would they do so?“Alrighty, so romantic love is like... When you love someone, and you like, want to date them and get married and kiss them and fuck them and whatnot. Platonic love is where you’re like, ‘DAMN! I LOVE MY FRIEND!!’ but not in the romantic way. You just like them as a friend. Familial love is, y’know, you love your parents??? Your kids???? Your siblings?????? Its close to platonic but also... not....” 

21:Why do they get up in the morning? His job. Boy Blue. 

22:How does jealousy manifest itself in them (they become possessive, they become aloof, etc)? Depends... If he was jealous abt someone interacting with Blue, then yeah, he might be a little possessive or/and aloof, but he’ll probably just show off in front of the other person, make them feel like a third wheel

23:How does envy manifest itself in them (they take what they want, they become resentful, etc)? He usually just... Tries to let it pass.... But might... just might..... become resentful..... But it would be rare

24: Is sex something that they’re comfortable speaking about? To whom? Yeah he’s totally fine with it. I think the only time he would be uncomfortable about talking about it is with straight people. Especially straight girls. Unless its about him doing it, then its fine

25: What are their thoughts on marriage? He’s fine w it!!! He gets married himself! :0 

26: What is their preferred mode of transportation? He just... takes a car..... But in places like the farm (and if/when he goes to the homelands), he likes to fly!!! 

27: What causes them to feel dread? His friends being hurt.... He gets so scared when his friends are hurt

28: Would they prefer a lie over an unpleasant truth? Nah, he’s used to the unpleasant truth, so he would want that instead of a lie 

29: Do they usually live up to their own ideals? Sure!!! He’s got a boyfriend and a good job, he doesn’t really have any ideals past that???? He is also pretty powerful, so thats a plus 

30: Who do they most regret meeting? ProbablyMargaret

31: Who are they the most glad to have met?:All of his friends!!! 

32: Do they have a go-to story in conversation? Or a joke? Probably a joke most of the time, but also sometimes has childhood stories that he had just remembered 

33: Could they be considered lazy? No!!! He is always busy doing his job!!! He is usually always doing something

34: How hard is it for them to shake a sense of guilt? Not hard probably fndjsbkds he’ll probably just end up forgetting about it......

35: How do they treat the things their friends come to them excited about? Are they supportive? He gets excited with them!!! He’s so happy they’re happy!!!!!!

36:Do they actively seek romance, or do they wait for it to fall into their lap? He usually waits, but if he sees a cute guy he’ll be like *eye emoji* and go flirt with him or something 

37:Do they have a system for remembering names, long lists of numbers, things that need to go in a certain order (like anagrams, putting things to melodies, etc)? Nah.... He actually has a kind of bad memory and easily forgets names 

38:What memory do they revisit the most often? His childhood adventures!!!

39:How easy is it for them to ignore flaws in other people? Pretty easy tbh

40:How sensitive are they to their own flaws?He isn’t sensitive abt them that often, pretty much the only time he is is if someone pointed them out. Other than that, he’s oblivious 

41:How do they feel about children? He loves them!!!! Pretty much the only reason he pretends, to pretend to be Peter Pan, is so when he’s cutting a kid’s hair, he can get them all happy and excited n stuff.... 

42:How badly do they want to reach their end goal? I dont think??? He really has one??? Its hard for fables to have an “end goal” because they live for so long 

43: If someone asked them to explain their sexuality, how would they do so? He just... Tells them he only likes men..... He’s gay..... (I wont explain his backstory on it rn because.... spoilers....)

Questions for the creator!!

A) Why are you excited about this character?He just... Makes me and others(????) happy!! Some of my friends can relate to him n stuff and that gets me excited 

B) What inspired you to create them?I had always wanted to make a Fables oc that was Peter Pan, so I did!! Peter Pan is like..... one of my favorite fables......

C) Did you have trouble figuring out where they fit in their own story?Nah, not really :00 

D) Have they always had the same physical appearance, or have you had to edit how they look?He has changed a little, but not much!!! Though his first concept art is.... Ugly.....

E) Are they someone you would get along with? Would they get along with you?Yeah I think I would get along w him..... We got a lot in common in a way 

F) What do you feel when you think of your OC (pride, excitement, frustration, etc)?I am.... So happy.............. When thinking about him........

G) What trait of theirs bothers you the most?Idk if this is what this means but uhh.... He was born a human, yeah???? But when/after he was raised by fairies, he’s half fairy???? Im thinking that the fairies like.... Changed him...... idk 

H) What trait do you admire most?Is it safe to say??? All?????? I cant think of one........

I) Do you prefer to keep them in their canon universe?Hell yeah I do

J) Did you have to manipulate or exclude canon factors to allow them to create their character?Dude we are.... Changing so much of canon Fables for our comic..... Not for him, just in general 

[fyeahwynonnaearp]

Wynonna Earp Questions I Want Most Answered (UPDATED)

I shall keep a running list of questions throughout the season and I have a feeling it will get extensive. There’s a good chance that there’s gonna be spoilers so everything will be under the cut.

As usual, if you got answers/opinions, leave a message or let’s discuss over at https://discord.gg/yaAdGGT

UPDATED: 02 August 2017, 17:23 EST

From S1

1. Gooverly: Evil or Nah? I’m still NOT completely sure, but The Goo™ wants to have fun (S02E04). Evil, pretty sure. Because how can it be so freakin’ mean to Nicole?!? (S02E05). 2. Is Waverly really an Earp (or will she be a Haught instead **wink**wink**)? 3. Does Waverly tell anyone about her being “not an Earp”? Yes. Nicole :) (S02E02). She sent DNA sample but no confirmation seen yet (S2E08).  4. Where did Peacemaker send Willa? 5. Juan Carlo, what art thou? Who art thou? STILL don’t know but he helped bring Dolls to the Earp Homestead (S02E04). He also has been helping/guiding The Order™ (S02E05). A priest in Purgatory who helped capture the Widows the first time and one of the seal keepers (S2E08). 6. Dolls, what art thou? Some type of human/demon hybrid created by Black Badge (S02E01). He can breathe FIRE!!! (S02E04). Is he a dragon? 7. Who and WHERE is Mama Earp? According to Waverly’s old scrapbooking gone wild board at her old Shorty’s apartment, Mama Earp’s name was Wendy Rosie (Thanks, @cm0999). But where did she run off to?!? 8. So, Constance the Stone Witch is just chilling in the salt flats? She’s coming back isn’t she? NOPE. That little Tucker found the Stone Witch and beheaded her (S2E06). 9. So...the whole “Keeper of the Bones” thing is done right? Because Waverly done destroyed the skull and Constance’s sons are dead-dead? 10. Who did Waverly shoot at? The new creature, Hala, a Bulgarian devourer of souls (S02E01). 11. What will happen to all the revenants now that Bobo is gone? Not at trailer park anymore. They’re all scattered. (S02E02).

Start of S2

12. Will Doc get a new hat? Yes. He stole one :) (S02E04). 13. Wynonna, how are you really feeling? Well, crappy enough that The Goo™ was able to possess her pretty easily (s02E04). 14. Dolls. Are you gonna be okay? Well, he’s breathing out fire. So, yes? (S02E04). 15. So...are Chrissy and Waverly still friends? (Kinda want a Waverly-can’t-help-but-gush-about-her-girlfriend-to-her-friend-who-is-clearly-over-and-tired-of-this-coversation scene) 16. Gus, where art thou? 17. What is up with Black Badge? Are they still doing human experiments? They’re not the totally good guys anymore...are they? So Black Badge Division, Ghost River Triangle branch is no more. According to Moody, it wasn’t even a government agency in the first place (S2E06). 18. Lucado is definitely getting demoted, right? Yup. She’s stuck at Purgatory until they collect every last supernatural entity that entered the Triangle. (S02E02). 19. What does Nicole think about her girlfriend’s new voice? Did she hear Waverly say “At least, not today”? She didn’t know Waverly was possessed, but will shoot anybody for her. Should I find that sweet and adorable? (S02E05). 20. Does Jeremy question how Waverly scared the “devour of souls”? NOPE. As of S2E06, it never came up. Doubt it ever will since Mictian/Mikshun is gone. 21. What did Dolls tell Doc? To create his serum? Not, entirely clear on that, but I think it is (S02E03/4). 22. Does the BBD blood oath/contract come into play later? TBD as of S2E06. 23. When does Nicole get a new uniform and why? (based on S2 pictures) Because she hates khakis and Nedley wants her to be sheriff when he retires. (S2E03). It’s gonna happen on Episode 5, based on promo pictures. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. 24. When does Wynonna find out about Gooverly? S02E04. OH S H I T. 25. Why does Waverly take the bell from the police station? Gooverly is hoarding shiny things. (S2E03). 26. Dementors in Purgatory? Or Willa is somehow back (again)? The two Women in Black were the ones that escaped from BBD when it blew up; Lady Gaga hand. (S2E03). 27. Hellmouth?! Well, some asshole broke through the asshole-of-a-seal (S02E04). Well, there are three seals and two are broken by the Widows/Ladies in Black (S2E06). Keeping Sheriff Clootie locked away (S2E08). 28. Does Doc know where Dolls is? Making preparations to create his meds (w/ Rosita)? No. Doc didn’t know where Dolls was but is working on making his serum. (S2E03). 29. *whispers* Could Nicole be supernatural as well? Because I have theories that I will not get into and I still don’t know how I feel about the possibility of non-human Haught. 30. “I like you”?!? Waverly, what happened to “I love her?”? Everyone is just casually saying that they love each other but WayHaught hasn’t said it to each other (S02E05). 31. Shouldn’t Wynonna know whether or not Waverly is biologically related to her? Because she’s six years older and would remember if Mommy was preggers. Or does she call Waverly “baby girl” because when baby!Waverly came to live with them she didn’t have a name yet and Wynonna being the Earp girl who didn’t hate the new child took care of the baby and (due to lack of name) just called her “baby girl”. Remembers when they brought Waverly home from the hospital (S2E08).  32. When did Doc have time to meet people (i.e. Rosita)? Wasn’t he stuck in a well for like...forever? 33. So...any more future private shows for Officer Haught? I need to know, for science. And, role playing? 34. What came first: the trophy or the Marzaniok? Or did Wynonna just assume that it came from the trophy because Perry never said that it did, just that it came out of the trophy case and that they were pretty high when it happened. 35. Why or what does Rosita need protection from? 36. Why do they need ‘pure’ demon blood to make Dolls’ serum? Apparently, Doc’s blood doesn’t work? 37. What was Lucado’s ‘personal matter’? I’m guessing it’s trying to get back to BBD HQ’s good graces (S02E04). 38. How many times have Waverly ‘gone on patrol’ with Nicole? Just, for science, again.  39. What’s with the random snacks Gooverly?!? IDK but based on a promo, Goononna is worse. We’ll probably never know... (S02E05). 40. Why did Mama and Papa Gardner leave most of their fortune to the town? Yes, they’re rich. But, is that all why the Gardners are a big deal in Purgatory? 41. Because Waverly doesn’t remember when she’s being Gooverly, does Gooverly implant memories when taking over? Because I think Waverly would be concerned if she’s blacking out. Finally acknowledged that she’s missing time (S02E04). 42. “Not in uniform, okay? Not in public.” Will we see more sexy times in uniform in Officer Haught in private? 43. “Not good enough.” Does that mean Waverly just wants to jump Nicole every time she’s in uniform or does Gooverly have a crush on Nicole? Because Gooverly does kinda come in defense of Nicole when Tucker was being his creepy, homophobic self. Fandom things The Goo™ was trying to possess Nicole, but didn’t work. Though, I strongly believe (and it’s my headcanon) that The Goo™ has a crush on Nicole (S02E04). 44. And what is up with Tucker Gardner, Town Pervert? Tucker “wants a girl”. It could either be Waverly or Nicole. I think he wants Nicole because he’s starting to be fixated on her. Thin line between hate and obsession? (S02E04). Why did Nedley compile a confidential file on him? Because Tucker has always been protected by his parents/money and has past criminal behavior (S02E04). 45. Will Wynonna and Nicole be bros again? Wynonna apologized to Nicole (S02E04). They both acknowledge Waverly is being weird but Nicole might think it’s the whole “not being an Earp” because she immediately tells Wynonna she won’t betray Waverly’s trust. But I’m gonna need some bro scenes in the future. 46. Where did Waverly disappear to when the gang went to contain the Marzaniok? Next we see her is in Shorty’s and then at the barn. Even Nicole pointed out, “I thought she was with you”. Must be important if it was mentioned. 47. How did Tucker know where Waverly would be when he cornered her? 48. Was Tucker’s bracelet that Gooverly take important/significant? Probably not important, but the metal was for a DIY lightning rod (S2E05). PS: It looked like a medical bracelet. 49. Will there be no consequence with Wynonna’s wish because it was the demon that made the deal with her and not the other way around? 50. Why did Nedley try so hard to specifically recruit Nicole to work in Purgatory? I double that it was just because she was “top of her class”. 51. “Non-werewolf” citizens? 52. Nedley said “they could use your instincts” to Nicole. So, does Haught-stuff have really good instincts (maybe almost supernatural levels)? She does heal rather quickly....(jfc, these non-human Nicole theories, I’m torn about it). 53. Nicole from the Big City? When will we have more Nicole-backstory? Ooh...Nicole-flashbacks? 54. Why were the Women in Black at the Gardner residence? (and RIP Mercedes?) They STOLE Beth and Mercedes’ faces!! (S02E04). They were attracted to Tucker’s darkness...his “prowess”. ew.  55. Gooverly doesn’t seem to hurt Dolls, based on Dolls being okay in the promo for episode 4? (See Question #1) Well, we don’t know what Gooverly was gonna do with that knife (S02E04). 56. Where’s Nicole’s hat?!? New uniform. New hat, apparently. She now wears a baseball cap (S2E06). Will the stetson make a return appearance though? 57. Why does Wynonna smell Mommy’s perfume around the Women in Black? 58. Doc’s horse, where art thou? (anon asks) 59. Dragon!Dolls?!? According to Wynonna: tiny, sexy dragon (S206). 60. Is Jeremy torn between Doc and Dolls? Will we get a flashback of Dolls helping Jeremy with that one chin-up? What is the connection between Jeremy’s mom and Dolls? 61. Will Tucker go after Nicole? Perhaps. But his obsession with Waverly reached new heights (S2E06).  62. Does Nicole have a gluten and lactose problem and that’s why Waverly is excited about being “this close” to getting that vegetarian restaurant for her girl? Asking, for science. 63. Will anyone tell Nicole about Gooverly? Sorta? They don’t really go into the whole “BTW, Waverly has been possessed for the past few weeks”. I really hope Waverly talks to her about it in future episodes (S02E05). 64. Rosita/Doc, is that gonna be a thing? Confirmed sexual relations (S02E06) but not in a relationship. Lovers (S2E08). 65. Will anyone find Waverly’s hand in Ba-Ding Ba-Ding? Probably not? But now we know you can get The Goo™ by severing it’s host and melting it down (S02E05). 66. What is up with the Purgatory Fair commemorative plate? Is Edwin Earp gonna be relevant this season? Why is it so important? So, it’s important to The Order™ dudes and it had their sigil. This will probably play out in the future and may have connections to the asshole seal (S02E05). 67. GOONONNA?!? Well, that was scary and short-lived. But damn! Goononna is uber mean to Nicole. Can we stop being so mean to Nicole? #StopBeingMeanToNicole2k17 (S02E05). 68. (Based on promo pictures) When/Why/How does Gooverly come back? Plus, Andras had said in an interview, we will see more The Goo™/tentacle powers. Waverly being a self-sacrificial cinnamon roll (S02E05). 69. (Based on promo picture) Is Officer Haught protecting Gooverly in her new outfit?! Does she know?!? Protective!Girlfriend!Haught will still love you and shoot anyone for you (S02E05). 70. What is coming?! Are the Women in Black connected to it? BIG MAYBE. We know the Widows are after the seals and probably will unleash something (S2E06). Widows breaking seal to release their husband Clootie demon (S2E08). 71. Are real!Beth and real!Mercedes just faceless, but alive? Because at least one of the bodies were still wiggling. Safe to assume they’re dead (S2E07). 72. Where in the world did Officer Nicole Haught get a gluten-free, lactose-free pizza in almost-have-a-vegetarian-restaurant Purgatory?!? 73. What’s with The Goo™ hoarding all the metal? Does Nicole get her utensils back? The Goo™ made a lighting rod to fuse more permanently to Waverly. Like...that’s super-extra. Does The Goo™ know you can just order one online? (S02E05). 74. Why was Waverly hit with a tranq dart on her way to band? And bandnerd!Waverly?! Yes. What instrument did she play? 75. Pregnant Wynonna! This is NOT a drill! Who is the father? Everyone pretty much accepted that Doc Holliday is the biological father (S2E06). 76. Goocado. Where did the body go? OFFICIAL: Lucado is RIP (S2E06). 77. How will The Squad™ and The Order™ team up? Isn’t The Order™ just focused on The Goo™? 78. WHAT IS WAVERLY? The Goo™ teased that she had ‘dark corners’. Somewhat hinted she is part-demon/part-Revenant (S2E07) and the theory is believed by many Earpers. 79. How does Waverly feel about Nicole’s new outfit? She likes it. Very much so. (Based on Purgatory Case Files text) 80. How does Wynonna really feel about Nicole? ‘Queen Brisk of Bossy Town’ (S2E05). Hang out at strip club, Pussy Willows, and talked about effects of The Seven (S2E07). 81. Is Wynonna’s baby okay? Because, yes she’s been drinking and eating rats and has been possessed?!? It has a strong heartbeat and grew during sleeping spell despite the fact that it shouldn’t have done so (S2E06, S2E07). 82. The Plate™, The Women In Black, The Order™, The Asshole Seal™ are they all connected? How are they all connected? The Widows are after the three seals to break it (S2E06, S2E07). 83. WTF Happened to Black Badge? The place is now empty?!? They’re ghosting the Ghost River Triangle and apparently isn’t a government agency, never was (S2E06). 84. When will we see where Nicole lives? I hope it’s not a motel room. 85. And what about Nicole’s cat? 86. Is Wynonna’s pregnancy supernatural/paranormal-related? Is it human? It grew even though it wasn’t supposed to (S2E06). Possibility of baby being half-Revenant (S2E07). 87. The Ghost River Triangle is also called The Sanctuary, what is it actually protecting? 88. What are the (three) seals for? To keep Sheriff Clootie locked away (S2E08). 89. Is Doc now mortal since the Stone Witch is dead? He was shown coughing; he had tuberculosis and the curse ‘stopped’ it (S2E07). Juan Carlo also assumed to be dying from gangrene (S2E08). 90. Is Baby Donut/Earp affected by the curse that was placed on Doc by Constance? Doc might not be the biological father (S2E07). 91. Where is Tucker now? What is he planning? Tucker is MIA (S2E07). 92. Being Hypno’s daughter, is Poppy fully demon or a hybrid? Will she also have time manipulation powers? 93. Jeremy brings up an important point, who is paying The Squad now? Will Waverly need to work at Shorty’s again? 94. Would Doc continue having sex with Rosita? Yes. They’re “Lovers” (S2E08). 95. Will Jeremy and Nicole be gay BFFs? 96. Do the Widows and Constance Clootie share a husband? YES (S2E08). 97. Are the Widows witches? 98. Why does Widow!Mercedes hate Wyatt Earp? Was he the one who killed their husband? 99. The Widows and The Squad are both after Tucker, as a police offer, will Nicole have to protect him from the Widows? 100. With Doc being “I am all in”, how will the Wyndolliday dynamic change? Dolls and Doc are supporting Wynonna/helping her out. They kidnapped a doctor for her (S2E07). 101. Who are the Powers To Be™ in Black Badge Division? 102. Why does Moody say BBD was never a government agency? 103. Is the rumor of a Revenant/Human hybrid baby true? 104. Since Wynonna is moving on and not planning to do genetic testing (based on interview by Emily Andras), will we ever find out who the bio baby daddy is? 105. The Ghost/Phantom Marshals, do they exist to police humans turned supernatural based on treatment of Doc? 106. Are the Phantom Marshals under Black Badge or just regular law enforcement? 107. Is Rosita from Doc’s past? If so, she isn’t a mortal human. What is she? 108. Why did Nicole have to build a temporary shelter in a flood zone? What the hell was her life? 109. Waverly’s origin story? Wynonna remembers when she was brought home from the hospital (S2E08). 110. Based on S2E08 sneak peek, why does Wynonna have trouble remembering her childhood? Waverly may have thought it was Wynonna that pulled her out of the water, but it was really Bobo (S2E08). OR (if the vision quest does affect the timeline), it was Wynonna originally. IDK. Who knows. 111. Based on S2E08 sneak peek, Wynonna says they were going to name her ‘Welcome’ and Waverly said that Wynonna gave her her name. Willa’s diary also mentioned “why does she get the pretty name?”. Because Time Travel is apparently possible based on the sneak peek, did Wynonna give them the name before returning to proper timeline? Wynonna gave the name ‘Waverly’ to Bobo when he asked for his angel’s name (S2E08).  112. How was Dolls able to touch/punch Ghost Marshall Reeves considering he just said he can’t be touched by something in this earthly plane? 113. Did the vision quest change the current timeline? Specifically, will Bobo and Wynonna’s relationship be different now? 114. Will the Clootie demon need to be re-sealed? If so, will the keeper of the seals also have immortality as a side-effect? 115. Is there anything supernatural about the Purgatory Sheriff’s Department? 116. Who tasked The Order to protect the Triangle from demons? 117. How does Ewan know about BBD? 118. What makes Wynonna special/different from past Earp heirs? 119. How did the Widows end up with Black Badge? 120. Why is Bobo the only revenant back? 121. Wayhaught angst. It’s not a question. Jk. Would they finally have a serious talk about protecting each other? Also, Nicole backstory needed...so much. 122. Earp baby’s accelerated growth. Why?  123. Will Bobo’s obsession/relationship with Willa come up again? 124. While dying, Robert Svane says “...I’ve caught glimpses of you my entire life”. Hallucinating (because, you know, dying) or Wynonna goes on future vision quests? 125. Robert rang the bell in the past/vision quest. Why did it happen in the present?