#<- technically for the referenced romance details

[revvethasmythh]

the torte has been completed

it has not yet been consumed, so don't ask me if it tastes good yet, I will update on that later. however if you're asking yourselves "rosie, why is it so Shaped" the answer is because i am an excellent baker but widlly lacking in the precision and attention to detail necessary to be a decent cake decorator. it is what is is

overall: fairly simple recipe to make, if time-consuming. in regards to the icing, I feel like every version of this i have seen has used a glaze but i am here to remind everyone that the recipe tells you to whip the ganache! don't make emmrich's mother sad; whip your ganache! I added rum, but erred on the side of less is more and only added one tablespoon because the only rum I had was a pretty funky jamaican rum, but in retrospect i might have gone for the two tablespoons so the rum flavor could shine through more. that said, the ganache ended up tasting a lot like coffee (which is a bonus for me, as i do love coffee flavor).

most important thing to note here for me is: if lucanis made this for you in the game, i need you all to imagine him finally being freed from his mental prison, returning to the lighthouse, and then choosing, willingly, happily, to whip up EIGHT egg whites by hand. EIGHT. BY HAND (unless they have that kind of egg beater that you can crank back at the lighthouse, but STILL). as an act of affection and devotion, i simply must give it my stamp of approval. we're not even going to discuss how he finely ground the hazelnuts for the batter. 10/10 a dessert to make to show someone you're serious about them, particularly if you are without access to electric appliances

will update later for a flavor review!

[copperbadge]

Hi, I've read and loved your Shivadh novels up to the Lady and the Tiger! I was wondering why Askazer-Shivadhlakia speaks English. And what language was spoken there before? There was a mention of the British having been there, but is there anywhere with more detailed information?

I'm so glad you've been enjoying them!

There's a little bit of an explanation in the next book, The Twelve Points of Caleb Canto, but most of the explanation is floating around in posts I've made to @shivadh. Essentially, during the War of Spanish Succession, the English sent troops through Askazer-Shivadlakia as a way of getting at mainland Europe from the other side, which meant invading and holding the country as well. They insisted that the inhabitants learn and speak English instead of Shivadh, which is what they spoke before (Shivadh is technically a romance language but also has a lot of Slavic influence).

Most of the actual occupying force was Welsh, so Shivadh speak English with a vaguely Welsh accent. And after the war was over, many of the Welsh soldiers looked around at the sexually permissive culture on a beautiful Mediterranean coast and said, "Thanks but I'll stay here actually," which perpetuated the use of English in a multilingual society. Most Shivadh speak English as a first language, perhaps a little Shivadh they remember from school, and a fair bit of French, Italian, or both, because those are the closest neighbors. As a majority Jewish country there's also a fair amount of people who have at least some Hebrew and Yiddish.

The joke, only partly true, is that after learning English for a generation, Shivadh kept speaking it mostly to irritate the French. :D

It originated after Infinite Jes when I referenced Jes having a "faded" Shivadh accent, and someone asked me what the Shivadh accent sounded like. I said it would be funny if it was Welsh, for no particular reason, but then thinking about it I really liked the idea. I have some Welsh heritage and I love the Welsh accent; I think the Welsh are still very maligned in British culture, so it's a little tribute to Welsh culture and to Torchwood, which was one of my defining fandoms.

[chaosandmarigolds]

Among the Bullets

Chapter 2 Part 2

Summary: You're a transfer mechanic for a task force which you know nothing about, and while trying to figure out your standing with each of the members you begin to realize you may be over your head. (Evental romance, He just sucks at flirting, but he is trying bear with meee)

Warnings?: jealousy? Body descriptions, nothing really.

 With a defeated huff you set the tablet down, leaning back in the chair was that was worse for wear. The light from the screen being the only real light source of the room, the hours of searching for a file you knew would be under the most secure of networks left you with a file that was more crossed out than not. A file you, of all people, should have access to. Yet perhaps the other people that was on that team thought not, and some part of you agreed with that.

After anothe few hours toying away in the hangar you had told yourself it was high time for an actual break, so you had gone to the mess hall, spending the thirty minutes pulling apart what you thought was a roll and reading over the briefing file for the up coming operation. Seemed easy enough, although there were a few things that were crossed out, so you assumed that was on a need to know basis. Even with all of the black ink covering the words in the upcoming operation, it didn’t hold a light to the scribbled out words of the past- a past you were now trying to uncover for your sake of mind. 

The way that the captain had referenced this, that mission, as if he knew the details you hadn’t been given until you had blood on your hands- he had information you wouldn’t ever be given. And you had been there. You were stay on the slow moving fan above you, mind whirling with questions you had buried deep down, just as you were about to doze off into a light slumber a knock came to the door, heavy set of hands yet a soft knock- enough to startle you

“Hi!” 

 You blink to the change of light and see the kind looking girl in front of you, bit taller, holding a duffle bag like the one they had given you in her clutch. Her blonde hair neatly slicked back into a bun and her eyes giddy if not fatigued. When you see her you give her a little smile, “Can I help you?” Maybe that was a bit rude but she didn’t seem taken back by it. 

  “Um, the- the guy with the mask- like the halloween one?- He said I’ll be sleeping here.”

Oh. A roommate. Lovely. While you try to hide your ghost of a smile from her words while speaking about the lieutantle you look her up and down, clean clothes, ironed even, white blouse tucked into a clean pair of khakis, black riding boots. She…if it was able to say, was the exact opposite of you.  With a few moments you nod and open the door some more, rubbing your eyes. 

“You must be the mechanical engineer for the operation, I’m chemical engineering” She chirps in response and looks around, setting her bag on the sofa, which would be your bed as you would insist she take the actual bunk. Being a scientist would explain a lot of things, such as her apparence. To that you hum, and she noticed your uneasy expression from the doorway, “Louise. My name is Doctor Lousie Johnson.” ‘

“You actually say doctor?” That was what you said, which was most likely not the best thing to say but it was you had. Sure, techimcally you ahd your doctorate degree, but the idea of introducing yourself like that made you cringe. So as the silence crept, you shrugged, introducing yourself with a shake of the hand, “And technically I’m a mechanic for the operation.”

Louise tilted her head, carefully taking out the tablet she had been given, her touch delicate, “Ah. Well in the briefing document they said engineer.” Her eyes lit up as she looks back up to you, “Oh! On that note can I have access to your notes on-” 

  “Eh, Tink-” 

You spin on your heels as you hear the scotts voice interrupting your thoughts and the words Lousise was speaking, looking at him as he was half knocking on the door. He flashes a smile to Lousie, and then looks back to you, “Goin to the bar with Si and Kyle, you’re comin.” 

With a frown you retort, “I try not to drink the night before I have something important to do.” 

“Nows the bes time to drink,” He frowns to that, his eyebrows furrowing, “Si said to drag ya if needed, so gimme y’er arm.” 

  You tilt your head with an exasperated look and turn your head as Louise bites back a little laugh, the woman quieting as you give her a glare, her hand clasped over her mouth and eyes scrunched up in laughter. Without missing a beat you look back to the man, “I’m not going to the bar, Sergeant.” 

 You sit in the booth, sipping the shirley temple as you read over the document for the thousanth time. It wasn’t anything special, the group was mostly sitting at the bar, chatting away with the doctor- who was aptly very quickly nicknamed ‘Doc’ You didn’t quite care for bars, however everyone else seemed to be enjoying themselves- at least everyone expect for the Lieutentant, who somewhat mimicked your own posture but at the bar top. It wasn’t as if you were paying attention though, because that would be crazy, why on earth would you be watching- 

  About seventy percent of your attention was on the group you had isolated yourself from, how they laughed, how Lousie just clicked. It was idootic, you would most likely never see these men again in your life, nor her, after this operation, yet here you were feeling some sort of elementary school rejection. You were on a job, you were getting paid a decent chunk of money for this, and not to mention there were about a billion other factors which motivated your actions. With another sip of the drink you look away and to your tablet again, wiping off the oil smudge you had been too lazy to care about till then. 

  “Ya know its not safe for a lady to be out here alone,” a voice snapped you out of your trance, yet ther voice had no real body, you figured out it was coming from the person one booth over. 

  A quick glance back to the group, who were laughing with their backs to you, you bring your lips to your drink, speaking slowly and hushed, “You can say Hi like a normal person, Jack.” 

 A gruff laugh, and while you can’t see his face the rain covered grey hoodie was enough to confirm it was him- after all, you bought him that hoodie a few moments go by and you can hear him take a long swig of what you would guess was rum, “They want an update.” 

A long silence and you take a breath, hands looping around the glass as you think, “Can’t give them one yet, they haven’t told me anything…important, no location, time, nothing, they told me to be ready for anything and to dress warm.” You look around and then clear your throat, “They did ask if I was comfortable with 4320s.” 

“The tracktor?” He almost aughed, and for a spilt second you could almost see his smile before you replied. 

“Urals 4320s, dumbass.” You snipped back playfully, and look down to your glass, getting lost in thought for the millionth of a second, and when you looked up you noticed the luetiant looking at you, eyes narrowed, with a wary gulp you wave. 

Somehow, you had been given the task of dragging the ‘somewhat’ buzzed doctor back to your room, with a arm under her, aggravatingly small, torso you lead her through the hangar. Listening to the ‘buzzed’ words as she spoke, now, you wouldn’t lie- she seemed like a sweet girl, kind, and very smart in her field- if not a bit dense socially, most likely the only thing you both had in common. Yet there was something that rubbed you the wrong way, and perhaps it was your one jealousy. 

   She was what your parents wanted for you, perfect hair, perfect body, clothes, smile, eyes, makeup, all of it, she reeked of perfection. The worst part was that you couldn’t be upset at her for it, she was too kind. “I think- I think they’re nice.” 

   “Mmmhm,” You nod slowly as you kick the door to the room open, and that had been your go to response to anything the woman had to say, a quick mmhm and a nod, or maybe just a little lifeless laugh that would trigger her own chaotic giggles. Now, this was technically a task you had taken upon yourself, the boys had offered and you knew deep down they wouldn’t have done anything- but the ‘girl code’ was ingrained into your blood. So, with a roll of the eyes you took her back to the room, which now left you there.

     “The scary one is-is funny,” She stumbles out as you sit her down on the bunk, a hand on the top of the head to keep her from hitting her head, her eyes going over your emotionless expression, and she hums, “But he was looking at you.” 

   “You’re drunk, shut up.” You snip and then kneel down, taking off the boots with tough pulls which would get you a grumble and a scold, that you couldn’t care enough about. It took about ten minutes of standing by the bed and shoving her back down before she finally relented and stayed down, so you hum once she was out. So you push yourself up to stand, walking over to the desk, grabbing your bag and pulling out the tablet. 

The faint light in the bottom of it catching your eye, so you frown and grab the flip phone, double checking the door was locked as you lean against it, looking over the message. 

   Mission is in Poland- dress warm. Be safe. 

The contact name stung in your mind, Jackson. Unshokcing that they would have him be your contact, nonetheless, made your blood run cold every time you thought of him, much less when you spoke to him less than two hours before. 

     You too, okay?

 You stood outside the office for a solid few moments after you knocked before you heard the voice telling you to come in, and just as you remembered it was dimly lit, and the harsh smell of the smoke hung in the air. With an exaggerated clear of the throat you look to the captain, “Good morning, Sir.” 

     He motions for you to sit down, which you dismiss the offer with a shake of the head, “What do I owe the pleasure?” 

     “I have a few questions.”

The man seemed to almost expect this and he nods, “About the doctor.” 

   “Why a chemical engineer? From my experience-” 

“This isn’t about your experience. You were chosen for this operation, that should tell you everything you need to know, solider.” 

You stare at the captain for a long moment, the words rubbing you the wrong way, they way he was relaxed making your blood boil,  “I am not a solider. I will never be a solider and I will not be treated as such, I am consult and I demand some information on this operation aside from the vests I will be wearing and the truck I am expected to ride on. A chemical engineer and a mechanical one all in one op leads me to the assumption that is like operation that was lead on March 20th 2018 and I will need that information if you expect me to proceed.” 

Price stayed quiet as you spoke, seeming to take your words with a shaker of salt, which he prayed you would be thankful for, “You have all the information you need, as does Doctor Johnson.” 

   With a scoff you go on, “With all due repsect-”

“That will be all.” He interrupted you, his gaze hard and he holds out his arm for the door, “You are dismissed.” 

  “Did you get an’ sleep?” 

The voice snapped you out of your train of thought, zipping up your bag and you look up to the lieutant, giving him a brief laugh. Maybe to ease your own nerves, sure everything you were about to do made your blood run cold but the sight of a man who might as well just be a ghost at that point seemed to do nothing for them. He lived up to the callsign. It was four hours before you would go on the transport, for the operation to actually begin, and you were getting all of the things you thought you would need- however they didn’t tell you what you would need, so you were going in blind. 

   “Enough, sir.” You respond with an equally amount of lackluster. 

He looked you up and down, the uniform they had given you to wear was ironed and clean- unlike what you would normally wear. “You’ll be fine, yeah?” 

    With a quick glance up to him you hum, and you look around, eyes landing on Lousie as she chatted up Johnny and Kyle and you look to the Lieutant, “With all due respect I need to know why we need a chemist. I need to know what I’m walking into.” It wasn’t meant to sound so harsh, but the words spilled out and it was much too late to turn back. “Last time I had a chemist on my op-” 

    “Take it up with the Captain.” 

“I tried. He didn’t give me a straight answer.”

    The lieutenant looked down at you, the mask seeming a bit more intimidating up close, the black paint smuged around his eyes and the thread he used seeming to be tight to the cloth. He seemed to be mentally debating something, ot jdudging you, you couldn’t figure out which, and you didn’t quite want to. So with a grunt he picked up your bag without warning and began to walk to the transport. 

   “Hey???” You yell after him, a bit more confused than anything, catching the attention of the rest of the group from the other side of the hangar, “Thats mine?!”

Annnnyway that’s it! <33 comments and all that jazz mean a lot to me!!

[askknuckles]

Ask Knuckles!

Hmph. I'm still unsure about opening this thing.

I'm Knuckles the Echidna, the last surviving member of the Knuckles Clan and the sole guardian of the Master Emerald on Angel Island.

There's not much to say about me. Unless the world is in danger, I don't leave my island. But I suppose this part of my personality is what has attracted many to know more about me, especially as my adventures outside of my island place me with a public figure such as Sonic.

Many have come to my island. They've all been found, and immediately thrown off. Angel Island is a place of worship, meant to be preserved and kept safe by my clan- and as the last remaining member, very few outside of myself are allowed to stay more than mere minutes on my island.

But my friends, as I find myself begrudgingly calling them, have informed me that opening a blog where people can ask me questions will keep them from seeking out my island. In the hopes this will keep curious people away from me and the Master Emerald, I'm opening this blog with assistance from some guy from the Restoration that Tails instructed to assist.

I'm only doing this on my terms though, so listen up:

Whatever questions you ask, I'm gonna answer my way. That means I might answer simply or go into detail. Depends on how I feel about the question.

You ARE allowed to ask about Angel Island and the Master Emerald. But don't expect specific coordinates or anything. I know that bat-girl is probably reading this right now...

You might see some other people I've been known to hang out with asking questions or replying to my answers, and sometimes I reply back. I guess you can say it's me "being friendly," but I know in some cases (Sonic) if I don't reply the person (Sonic) will find a way to annoy me directly (SONIC)

Ask me about dating, ask me about girls and guys and whatever, but don't ask about anything private about my body or anything weird, or you'll get a sucker punch right in the stomach.

Anyway, I'll be here with the Master Emerald when you all are ready to ask something.

I hope I don't regret this...

Please read below for other important stuff from the guy who "moderates" my answers, whatever that means.

This Knuckles is a mix of games and comics canon, primarily the former. Events in the comics, past present and future, can and will be referenced. Game events will be openly discussed, so SPOILERS!!!

Knux is standoffish and headstrong, but he's always open to chat and is mostly friendly if you're friendly to him. However, on the flip side, he gets flustered very easily- if your question makes him too perturbed, he might not give you a straight answer. Sometimes he may answer in a way that might come off as rude; that doesn’t reflect the opinions of myself, the writer.

Questions are accepted, but not all questions will be answered! This may be because it didn't go through or, in the off chance that a lot of people submit questions, it may be unseen. Feel free to send in a question once or twice if you feel it didn't come through, but no promises that it may be answered. Sorry!

SEGA may have removed the ages of characters, but Knuckles is still technically 16! Because of which, questions and readers of this blog must be suitable for people under eighteen. Questions on romance, sexuality and similar topics will be answered if they're not explicitly NSFW. Please don't send really lewd questions, they will be deleted.

Ask away!

[dearunreliablenarrator]

✨Good day and happy STS!✨

What is the Coolest thing you have ever come up with lore-wise? Could be anything—a sick motif, a compelling character design, unique worldbuilding, anything!

Feel free to Ramble !!!

and have an awesome day ✨✨✨

✨howdy!

umh, there's honestly so much i can touch on because i've realized i don't really share much on my WIPs outside of Mystic Mondays or sporadic snippet drops.

but i think i'll start with the most important thing that will carry over through the unreliable universe.

so. generational ties/crossroads/parallel timelines/red string theory, i believe are the backbone to the lore inside what we'll call Project NM (PM for short). which wasn't an intentional thing until I started to plot for the duo/companion book for WTRB (where the river bends-a speculative comp. romance (something like that)), because I needed way to bring all four of the characters together in their events naturally, since they'd be referenced and also (technically) be happening at the same.

this was a pretty significant plot hole eraser and pace fixer, because it gave me a sense of timing for events and as someone who isn't planner when it comes to writing, it definitely made me realize that this projects couldn't been done on the fly. (mind you writing now compared to writing in middle school is a complete different world, didn't really worry much about plot holes)

now! i can add as many side stories as i want because i've given myself a backbone to Project NM, and not have to worry about creating world building details from scratch every time i have a new idea. (this also cut down on some overactive world building things, that would have been too complicated to be real or explain)

so, it works lika this. The timeline generationally goes all the way back to GG (a sort of prequel to the unreliableverse) which i could say is set in the feudal/middle age/era because of the Age of Enlightenment is interesting and I've watched Ella Enchanted one too many times to not have my own take on it. (and knights are cool...)

And with GG (which will also have a companion, maybe) the two female leads respectively are the reasons MOST if not ALL of the female leads throughout the series are connected.

So, with that being said. No matter what timeline is currently being lived through, their descendants (or they themselves) will meet and have to face whatever challenges (curse as people are saying nowadays) together, that were never dealt with previously.

But what this doesn't mean is that they're all happening at different times or generations. For clarity, we'll stick with the Big Three. WTRB (where the river bends), CUTS (cherries under the sun) and ALT (altheia).

canonically, CUTS and WTRB are happening that same time but the entry point to their stories are staggered. CUTS and all it's horror begins in the late summer/early fall (starting from the prologue) while WTRB opens in late winter/early spring and at some point meet at a crossroad. whether that's characters referencing one another or events. There will things that shift the actions of each group, respectively as their stories go on.

as for ALT, this is maybe 500 or so years later, i haven't really decided yet. but its far enough out for some consequences to be eliminated, and close enough to still see and feel some of the repercussions of not just the actions of our characters but also the world they live in or grow around. so, 5 generations later at the least, at the max 10.

so,tiny diagram here!

i'm linking a youtube playlist, that i hope will make this make a little more sense if i've gotten you lost. it'd probably be a piece of media i'll reference alot along with Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022).

while there are some more things i want to expand on here, i'll plug mystic monday one more time. there is no tag list, but it does have a dedicated tag for your searching ease. #unreliablelore or just search mystic monday!

i find the lore here- while being a bit more detail oriented and researched base, it isn't really significant to the storyline. think of it as a living library, to be referenced throughout the story. and probably the answers to easter eggs as they come.

i think thats all i can ramble on about at thee moment, if there's anything i can clarify or expand on just let me know.

k-bai✨

[dirtdotmp3]

✨⭐ i n t r o p o s t ⭐✨

basics: ★ my name is rory!! ★ 17 ★ they/them, he/him? (masc terms preferred over non-specific terms, just nothing fem) ★ japanese american !! ★ audhd + various mental illnesses + 1(one) chronic illness (so far.)

what is this blog for? ★ art/things i make in general ★ outfits and such ★ random shit that happens irl ★ tbh anything in my head that i see fit to let out of my head

interests/favorites: ★ bands: my chemical romance, pierce the veil, the front bottoms, fall out boy ★ special interests: fairy tales (specifically brothers grimm), alice in wonderland, minerals, my chemical romance ★ manga: junji ito (i have 15 books), witch hat atelier, the girl from the other side, how to treat magical beasts, toilet bound hanako kun ★ games: dont starve, minecraft, sims 4, clangen (never got into the books tho lol), everything is going to be ok, subnautica, fallout shelter ★ tv shows: adventure time, bojack horseman (havent finished), criminal minds, gravity falls, scott pilgrim takes off ★ collections: rocks and minerals, cds, junji ito, various zines, ★ random: unholyverse, edgar allan poe, dsmp (lmanburg/elections/exile, not recent as much), frank iero, just roll with it (riptide), dnd

things i make/do: ★ art !! (various kinds) ★ zines ★ patches/other clothing modification stuffs ★ kandi (still figuring out cuffs) ★ currently coding a shitty little mcr website for a class ★ ukulele !! ive been playing mildly since 6 not v good tho ★ guitar? barely tho + just started ★ occasional embroidery/knitting ★ im technically in a band but we dont have a name and the bassist hasnt touched a bass yet ★ skateboarding. my knees are so scarred from me eating shit all the time tho. fall out boy more like fall off boy. ★ i did circus (specifically aerials) for 3 years pre pandemic. i miss it !!

⚠ general warning ⚠ there are often references to/implications of sh in my collage/doodle pages. its never detailed, you probably wont see it if you dont look close. the tags will always have tws for implied or referenced sh, if theres anything more major ill put the correct tws for that. i try my best to always use content warnings/trigger warnings, if i ever miss something please let me know!!

🚫 DNI 🚫 transphobes, racists, homophobes, misogynists, bigots/fascists in general. lolita/nymphette/lana del ray stuff (coquette fine as long as its not weird).

free artsakh, free palestine, punch a nazi, drink some water, i love you<3

[orlissa]

I’m currently reading a book, American Royals by Katharine McGee, with the premise “what if George Washington became king instead of president, and his line were still on the throne today?” Of course, this is just a backdrop to the romance-drama (because the crown princess cannot marry a lowly bodyguard, etc.), which is, like, nice, but do you know what I really wanna know?

George Washington had no biological children, so who followed him on the throne, technically establishing the dynasty? (The text mentions a George II in the early 19th century, so presumably George Washington Parke Custis, GW’s grandson through his adopted son, John Parke Custis)

What effect of the monarchy had on the Civil War? (It is referenced in the text that it happened, but holly molly, it must have happened differently)

The text mentions that since the US did not become a democracy, other countries were not inspired to throw off their monarchies, so France, Russia, Astro-Hungary still have kings and queens--which is, cool concept, but give me details.

Really, give me a whole damn textbook on this hypothetical timeline, because the idea is just so damn fascinating, okay?

(BTW, here is a video on who would be the king of the US today if GW accepted the crown.)

[siriannatan]

Skeletons in Our Closet

Even the most perfect couples have some dark secrets…

Content Warning: Blood, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con

Full ver AO3

Preview bit under the cut>

Scott was probably the luckiest man in the world. He had a good job as a surgeon in one of the biggest hospitals in the area. Had a nice house. And of course, his beloved boyfriend. Jimmy. A detective with the murders unit at the local precinct. An absolute angel actually and Scott was wondering if he should wait for Jimmy to propose or do it himself. He made Scott feel safe even if there was a terrible murderer on the loose in the city. Scott just knew Jimmy would protect him like the knight in shining armour he was. Even Scott's brother and friends approved of Jimmy. Scott scored when he shot his shot that one time when work friends dragged him out to a bar after getting a big promotion.

And Jimmy wasn't only great when people could see them. If he was ever first back at home - neither of them had a fully rigid schedule - Scott was greeted with kisses and delicious dinner. And flowers. And cake. And all the romance one could want and desire. And he wasn't only great at making Scott feel like a fairytale princess. No Jimmy just had to be perfect in every way possible and was also great in bed but Scott would rather keep all the saucy details to himself. 

With how great Jimmy always was Scott sometimes felt bad he did all the nice things. So, one day when he somehow managed to get off his shift at the normal time, meaning before Jimmy said he'd be home. Even if it was technically his day off Jimmy was out helping some friend move or something. Scott was a bit more focused on the homemade lunch Jimmy made for him while Scott had his breakfast. It was a very early breakfast for the both of them, in his defence. But back to today. Scott had big things planned. On his way home he texted Jimmy to check if he is actually out. He said he'd be out a couple more hours and to stay out of the basement. Something about some of his friends' things needing to be there for some time. Scott was fine with that explanation and on his home went grocery shopping. 

This time he was making the romantic dinner happen and was positively giddy at the thought. 

Scott was a bit shocked JImmy's car was in the driveway but he assumed that he left it when they dropped off the friends' things. And so he went about preparing everything. He brought in the groceries. Put them away for the time being. Changed and went to get cooking when he heard some noise from the basement.

[emblazons]

You know the more time I spend on the internet and trying to make sense of how people are missing the cues for Byler (in the narrative sense—not in a ' willfully obtuse about what's happening because the story isn't heteronormative’ sense) more I realize it’s because they think Stranger Things is the same as other media they consume, instead of a show created by people who consume media critically and enjoy stories with little details that build into the subversion of tropes.

Now, this isn't to knock more "casual" television or movies (I am a firm believer that there is as much to be enjoyed and even analyzed in a show like The Office as there is an acclaimed film like Bong Joon-Ho's Parasite, if for wildly different reasons); it is simply to say that The Duffers themselves have said over and over again that ST was designed for people like them, even though (as the show has gained more popularity) most people watching Stranger Things aren't “people like them,” which is why they keep missing the things—Byler among them—they put in their show.

Even just reading “Worlds Turned Upside Down” the way I have been…people “like them” are people who had a bad time in high school: film nerds who grew up on Tim Burton’s Batman, Evil Dead I & II, who found inspiration in the works of Stephen King, Dan Simmons and even George’s R.R. Martin books; who got the idea of this show from watching Denis Villeneuve’s Prisoners, and who learned to love TV as much as movies as a medium for storytelling after seeing what Cary Fukunaga did with True Detective; people who grew up watching movies through until the credits rolled, and who take pleasure in referencing a million other movies as little Easter eggs for the other people…like them.

source: The Duffer Brothers on how ‘Stranger Things’ will all end (deadline)

When it comes to how people interpret what is becoming a huge love triangle in the show, I think that lack of understanding of who is making the show and who they are making it for (on top of rampant heteronormativity and homophobia) is a huge part of what is keeping most people from seeing things that are technically right in front of them, even to the point of dismissing individuals who understand this show wasn't designed to be read at a surface level.

Most people watching the show aren’t the type who dig into things (which The Duffers are—they talk about watching every director’s commentary and “how it’s made” for their favorite media constantly), and so they miss that Mike and El’s relationship was compared to Elliott and E.T., which (if you know movies) has immediately non-romantic implications.

They miss the way things as small as the shirt someone is wearing is meant to draw a mental comparison to stories that directly contradict Mike & El being endgame, and the way a “star crossed lovers,” Romeo and Juliet comparison is actually a bad thing if you’ve spent any time critically consuming Shakespeare. The duffers even love putting references to how they’re building out their show in the damn show—down to making in-canon jokes about how people called their story derivative because it was so inspired by stories from their childhoods—and people still miss it.

I say all that to say…I just. I guess most of the people shipping them so adamantly add Mike and El to their little lexicon of couples from romantic comedies, 80s romances and Disney movies (while overlooking/willfully denying the cues for their breakup and Mike’s seemingly requited feelings for Will) and miss the fact that ST wasn’t made to be that…so much so that it was designed to subvert expectations created by those things.

They forget that this show wasn’t made for people like them—and they ignore the ever mounting evidence that maybe, just maybe, The Duffer Brothers and their team of 2000 creatives aren’t making a show that will give them what they’ve come to expect from their media….just like all the stories the ST team consumed that brought them to their own story. Just saying lmao

[yurimother]

I Married My Best Friend: A Bridge Between Yuri Eras

This is a preview of an article from The Secret Garden, YuriMother’s exclusive series of articles, available only for Patrons. If you want to access it and help support Yuri and LGBTQ+ content, subscribe to the YuriMother Patreon.

Naoko Kodama's I Married My Best Friend to Shut My Parents Up was both serialized and published in 2018, just before Yuri's 100th anniversary, which marks the start of the "Common Yuri Era". The work depicts lesbian identity and attempts to open itself to the issues and sociopolitical challenges. However, critical review reveals that, although these explicit acknowledgments move the series beyond prior works, it falls short of the genuine explorations of queerness found within the Common Yuri Era. Kodama's adherence to the detached jovial comedy of shounen's slapstick influence on Yuri, itself a product of Yuri's evolution in multiple demographics (Bauman, "Yuri is for Everyone"), foils its efforts.

In I Married My Best Friend to Shut My Parents Up, Machi's overbearing parents have high expectations for her in many areas, including marriage. Fed up after her parents send her yet another set of profiles of successful men they hope to become their new son-in-law, Machi lets her friend, Hana, who has been openly in love with her since high school, convince her to enter into a sham marriage. Thus, they get "married." However, the pair do not enjoy a legal marriage but register a special partnership certificate from Tokyo's Shibuya Ward; the closest two women can get to marriage in Japan. This incredible technicality marks Married My Best Friend's queerness.

What sets I Married My Best Friend close to works of Yuri's second century is this representation of queer issues and identity. Machi and Hana's partnership certificate exposes the equality issues of real-life Japan, where gay marriages have no legal standing; A ban resulting from an unfortunate interpretation of the country's constitution that the district court in Osaka recently upheld (Treisman). However, the 2015 establishment of Shibuya's partnership system, under which Hana and Machi obtain their certificate, was the first legal avenue for Japanese citizens to have their LGBTQ+ relationship recognized.

A fair number of Yuri stories feature marriage, especially those of recent years. However, such works often ignore the issue of gay marriage legality, declining to display or explain the details of such a union. This absence is not to say that a media such as Hisakawa Haru's Yurikon is not enjoyable or is not, in its own way, queer. However, its ceremonies are akin to the pure worlds of S, the brides hidden away from reality by "the gauze curtain" (Friedman, By Your Side) to play at love without the burdens of the real struggles and pressures existent in LGBTQ+ identity.

Contrast this with the OshiRabu visual novels, a product of Yuri's second century. While the series primarily focuses on fanservice and comedy, it also positively acknowledges the characters' lesbian identity, as Ren openly admits her sexuality. Furthermore, the legal matter of same-sex marriage is recognized, though quickly dismissed; a complication waved away with an offhand statement that gay marriage is now legal. The matter-of-fact explanation is quick but serves an important role. Such a ridiculous product as the "cat and mouse" romance between a cursed girl and her lucky young unwanted houseguest/girlfriend/fiancé (depending on the point of the series) need not ground itself in reality. Such a game gains little in referencing marriage equality except legitimizing its characters' identity, making the issues that plague the real world seen.

Want to check out the full article?

Support YuriMother on Patreon to get full access to this and other in-depth articles on lesbian anime and media as part of the Secret Garden series.

[anathemafiction]

Call for Beta testers!

I'm putting out a call for volunteers who would be willing to beta test The Golden Rose: Book One! 

I’m looking for people who:

Can commit to the time frame (2 weeks, starting 14th April until 28th April).

Are willing to go through the game multiple times in a variety of ways to catch as many bugs/errors as possible in different variations.

This book is large and there are a lot of variations depending not only on what you do and where you go but even in what order you choose to do so. Some early choices affect parts much later in the game, and I may ask you to play those different routes - it can get exhausting! So, please, only apply if you think it won't stress or upset you. 

Have a good grasp of the English language. I'm not a native, and I know there will be grammar mistakes and awkward sentences. You don't need to be an English-speaking native either, but having a good mastery of the language is preferred. 

Will be discreet. I... really cannot stress how important this is. This book is a labor of love and a lot of effort and please, please, do not share the link of the beta. Don't spoil the game for other people, don't make posts online/share screenshots of it until the game is published. This is the most important factor. Please respect all that I've put into the Rose. 

What I'm looking for:

First and foremost, as I've said, I need people who have a keen eye for grammar and spelling errors. 

This book is over a million words and I'm only one person - some typos and errors slipped through the cracks. So you need to be willing to provide screenshots of any errors you see. Any sentences bungled together, or long pages of text. Two characters speaking in the same paragraph, etc. 

Continuity errors - another big one.

As I've said, this is a big game with a lot of variation. Does your character know something they shouldn't? Or have they forgot something they previously knew? Did you randomly get to the middle of a scene? Is someone referenced as dead when they shouldn't be? Were you romancing a character and they suddenly act as if you aren't? Tell me!!! 

Choices -  is there a place where you wished your MC could have said something or reacted to something that wasn't an option? Any suggestion as to how a scene might play out? A dialogue? Does this relationship seem rushed or too slow? 

At this stage, I'm not going to change the plot. It is set in stone, so I'm mostly looking for technical, coding, or spelling errors, as well as continuity and flow of the story. But, of course, give me your opinion! Did you like it? What parts did you like best? Errors and suggestions and constructive criticism are essential, but please, positive encouragement is also very much appreciated! 

So if you liked something, tell me too! I need all the motivation I can get. I am... extremely nervous about this next step. 😄

If you’re interested in working with me on this, then please send an email to:

anathemafiction(at) gmail (dot) com (without spaces and an actual ‘@’)

with the subject of The Golden Rose Testing. In the mail, please let me know why you’re interested in beta testing, the gender of your MC, the romance you're most interested in (or no romance at all), and the Weapon you use. 

Then on Wednesday 14th April, if you’ve been selected, I’ll send you an email back with the details of the testing!

This is my first time doing anything like this, so the testing group will not be very big. I can't let myself be overwhelmed so I'll keep it simple for now. If I get a large number of submissions, this means, unfortunately, that I won't be able to accept everyone. This is just because of my own sanity, it doesn’t reflect at all on your application.

I'm really sorry, but selected or not, THANK YOU so much for applying in helping me make this game as good as I possibly can. ♡♡

[the-insomniac-emporium]

Serenade (Daniela Dimitrescu/Reader) Pt. 2

Fandom: Resident Evil: Village Pairing: Daniela Dimitrescu/Reader Rating: T for language and blood + references to violence Warning: Lil bit of kisses with dubious consent (initial surprise, then “hmm this is nice, I guess”), as well as a tiny bit of blood. Oh, and, ya know, mild referenced cannibalism. Notes: Still no beta reader, we die like innocent chickens unfortunate enough to be in Ethan Winters’ way. Also, I’m hoping this isn’t too ramble-y, I kinda. Got excited. Maybe sorta stayed up late to write this instead of sleeping, so... PS sorry for the cliffhanger, I could not resist. Next chapter will include the reader earning their PHD in Bullshittery, while also moving us into the, like, actual central plot of Serenade (or at least the part that the romance revolves around). Previous Chapters: Pt. 1: Nocturne

Chapter 2: Overture

     By the time you made it back to the maidens' quarters, it was nearly half an hour after your "shift" officially ended. Daniela hadn't taken up that much of your time, but her words had instilled a vigorous sense of anxiety in you, which had only drawn out your remaining tasks. You also weren't terribly looking forward to being interrogated by your coworkers. What would you even say? "Oh yeah, I accidentally played a note on the forbidden piano but instead of killing me, Lady Daniela just flirted with me and let me go! Haha smiley face emoji!"

     Yeah, that would definitely go over great with the others. Maybe you could get away with pretending you hadn't been the one to play? Even though, you know, your daily duties were posted on the same wall as everyone else's, and anyone could see that you were the only person working in the music room today. Damnit, you think, everyone is always a bit tense when someone "gets off easy". Not that it happened terribly often. It simply made people nervous, considering they never knew if the Ladies of the house had been denied the "stress relief" they so desired, and whether or not they would want to take it out on someone else.

     Hoping things would sail a little smoother this time, you took a deep breath and pushed the door to your quarters open. As soon as you stepped in you felt a dozen pairs of eyes turn your way. There had been muffled talking as you approached, but now it was silent, a heavy curtain of discomfort hanging over the room. Well, fuck, you thought, struggling to think of how to react. In the end you settled with a slightly-too-enthusiastic wave and a shy smile.

     “What the hell is wrong with you?” One of the maidens asks, almost instantly, eyes narrowed and eyebrows furrowed with confusion. If you remembered correctly, her name was Cynthia, and she was one of the (currently) longest running survivors. The two of you hadn’t spoken before, which made her next move all the more confusing. Without much of a warning she moved in front of you, reaching out to grab your hands, before gently holding them in front of her chest. When she speaks, it’s with a hushed voice. “How are you not dead right now?”

     “I… have absolutely no idea,” you replied, doing what you could to avoid her gaze, but ending up meeting eyes with the others in the room.

     “When you didn’t get back with everyone else… we assumed the worst,” Daphne, the closest thing you had to a best friend, said. She was towards the front of the small crowd of maidens, all of whom were now gathering around you out of curiosity. “You’re probably just lucky that Lady Dimitrescu wasn’t home while you played, otherwise, well, I think we can all guess what would have happened.”

     “Thank the Mother for that, literally,” Cynthia chimed, dropping your hands as she did. That caught your interest for sure. Despite being part of an eccentric “extended family”, it wasn’t that often that Lady Dimitrescu actually left the castle to visit the other Lords; or their leader, for that matter. Was something big coming? Or was it simply time for a regular check up? You didn’t have time to ponder that thought, as soon Cynthia was speaking again. “Now, please, regale us with your story, dear. It must certainly be interesting… seeing as you escaped unscathed.”

     “Alright, alright,” you said, putting your hands up in a “slow down” motion. Sighing, you moved over to your bed, sitting on the edge, before starting to tell the others what happened. You left out a few details, such as the severity of Daniela’s flirting, as well as the way she touched you. By the time you reached the end of your story, the other maidens had settled in a semi circle around you. A few had started to get ready for the day shift while you spoke, but their movements were deliberately slow, and their gasps let you know they were definitely listening. It was, however, difficult to tell how anyone really felt about what you were saying. Were they looking worried because they were concerned for your safety, or for their own?

     Hard to say. All you knew at the end of night was that no one was looking forward to the following night.

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

     Every shadow in the corner of your eyes makes your heart skip a beat. All day (night, technically) you’ve been overly paranoid, expecting Daniela or one of her sisters to pop out at any moment, their sickles raised, blood-stained lips pulled up into a grin, promises of violence dripping from their mouths. So far your anxiety had proven irrational. Experience, on the other hand, was reverse-reassuring you with memories of maidens you had hardly had time to get to know. Who were you to avoid such a fate? Could playing a little song really justify your existence to these people? These mutants?

     Distracting thoughts like that swirled around your mind for hours, leaving you feeling faint and dizzy, as you desperately tried to focus on your work. Ironically, it was your tunnel vision on your worries that brought them to life.

     “Humph, you should really pay more attention, sweet thing,” a voice whispers, right besides your ear. Immediately you jump, a little yelp escaping you, and whirl around to see who had crept up on you. Your wide open eyes soon settled on the youngest Dimitrescu daughter. A toothy grin lit up her face as she took you in, leaning in just close enough for you to feel her breath. “Missed me?” She asks, words melting into a fit of giggles. One moment she’s face to face with you, the next she’s evaporating into a swarm of insects, moving around the room with frightening speed before settling on a nearby table. Both her legs dangle off the edge, swinging a little in a childlike manner.

     “Lady Daniela, I-” you stutter, hardly able to will yourself to speak. You can’t help but glance at the table with a feeling of anxiety, knowing that you had just finished cleaning it, and wonder if your work would be for naught. But it seems that Daniela doesn’t appreciate you focusing on something other than her. Again she buzzes into a cloud, this time coming closer to you, the insects circling you, occasionally tugging at your skin. Fight or flight tries to kick in, yet all you manage to do is freeze in place.

     You don’t open your eyes until the sound of hundreds of wings beating dies down. Fresh drops of blood trickle down your brow, as well a few from smaller cuts on your arms. Panic still roots you in place, even as you stare up at Daniela with a frightened expression. At first all she does is laugh. Loudly, with no softness to it at all. This was exactly the sort of thing that you had been afraid of in the first place.

     “Oh, you poor little thing… Did that hurt?” Daniela asks, trailing a hand up your arm, pausing just before her fingers touch blood. Then she leans in, once more putting her lips right next to your ear, slowly pulling off one of her gloves as she does. “Good. Maybe you’ll pay more attention to me now. You really should, being in love with me and all.” She says it so casually, and with such conviction, that you almost wonder if she knew something that you didn’t. Though you try to turn to look at you, you find her gloved hand holding your head in place. The other moves so slowly that you almost don’t notice it until her thumb is sliding across your forehead. Blood smears as she does this, but she doesn’t bother trying to be neat about it.

     Instead she simply brings the finger back towards herself, her other hand turning your face as she does, so that you could make eye contact as she licks her thumb clean. As soon as the blood hits her tongue her eyelids flutter and a soft moan rises in her throat. Astoundedly the sound brought a strong blush to your cheeks. It was less about attraction per se, more about the inherently intimate nature of the moment. Daniela was so close, her hand resting on the back of your head, her eyes slowly returning their focus to you. When she sees you she can’t help but don a prideful grin.

     “You taste even better than I expected, sweet thing- what a fitting nickname, mhmm?” Another giggle, another rush of blood to your cheeks. In the rush of the moment you found your fear fading out, slowly, gradually being replaced by a mix of confusion and… warmth? What is wrong with me, you think, mind racing with countless half-thoughts.

     Suddenly, as quick as the strongest of impulses, you found yourself being pulled closer to Daniela, her bare hand moving to rest on your waist. For once her eyes left your own. Now they drifted lower, to your lips, giving you a single moment to realize her intentions before she acts on them. Your lips collide with hers before you can even think to protest. It’s a million times softer than you would have ever imagined- not that you had imagined. But now that you had felt this… damnit, you know you shouldn’t enjoy it, yet you found yourself kissing back nonetheless. It wasn’t like it meant anything, right? Not like you’d have a chance to kiss anyone else around the castle, either.

     Within a couple moments you realize two things: One, Daniela was smiling into the kiss. Two, by Jove (by Miranda?) was she seemingly inexperienced. Based on how much flirting she had done, you had naturally assumed that she was in no way, shape, or form new to this. The kiss was a bit sloppy, although passionate, and Daniela seemed quick to mimic your movements. More than that, it seemed like she was unable to catch her breath (did she even need to breathe? Or were the movements more out of habit than anything else?). By the time she pulls away she needs to gasp, and you’re left absolutely reeling, unsure how to process any of this. On the other hand, Daniela was softly grinning, gently resting her forehead against your own.

     “Delectable, darling,” she murmurs. There’s a softness to her voice that you simply cannot fathom is real, at least not entirely so. Then a pause, with her gently running her fingers through your hair, before she gives you one more little peck on the lips. When she pulls away, just far enough to really look at you, you see something in her eyes that fills you with dread: Hunger. “I think I know what you want, what you need. You want to be with me, forever, a part of me, don’t you? They always do, in the end…” Her eyes shift to your neck, and suddenly her grip on you is dangerously tight.

     Instantly you shift into panic mode, trying to squirm out of her grasp to no avail. This seems to irritate Daniela, who digs her nails into your waist, making you gasp. Without hesitation she seizes the opportunity to push you against the nearest wall, the hand that had caressed you so gently now pinning you down. Your thoughts are racing, desperately searching for anything that might buy you some time to get away, or even dissuade her entirely. But seconds tick by with nothing coming to light, your hope quickly fading. Gulping, you squeeze your eyes shut, ready to accept your fate.

     And then… it hits you. An idea, maybe, that might just be stupid enough to work. Here goes nothing…

     “Wait! Don’t you want me to show you my love?” You ask, somehow managing to mask the pure terror you were feeling. Hell, you slipped in a bit of confidence, sounding far, far more sure of yourself than you really were. Apparently it was enough to give Daniela pause. Her teeth had been mere inches from your neck, but now she was watching you closely, head tilted at a slight angle. “I can hardly do that if you kill me so soon, love. Don’t you want to see everything I have to offer? To know me truly, fully, before we become as one?” Another pause, a little hum from Daniela, then a slow, spine-chilling smile.

      “Go on, then… show me.”

[littleeyesofpallas]

BLEACH - Name Games(?)

I was asked about zanpakutou stuff.  I don’t know that many have names and kanji choices that super jump out at me at a glance, but the ones that do come to mind all seem to have references to Buddhist icons that I’m sure don’t come across in English very well.  I tangentially touched on that when talking about Mayuri while doing my rambling series of posts about shinigami names, so I figure that'd be my entry point.

I don’t know that this will amount to a lot of posts, but if I had to pick one to start with the obvious choice would have to be Urahara Kisuke’s zanpakutou, Benihime.  It has a lot of wordplay involved that doesn’t come across in English all too obviously, plus a little religious reference tacked onto the very end.  I remember this being kind of a well circulated bit of trivia back in the 2000s but I don’t know that it’s persisted after all this time, so hopefully this isn’t too obvious to people.

The name itself, Benihime[紅姫] is written pretty straight forwardly as 紅: ”Crimson”/”Deep Red” and 姫:”Princess.“  The release call okiro[起きろ] generally gets translated as “Awaken” which is accurate, but “Get up” works as well, but technically it can also mean “Stay awake,” but that’s really more a semantic issue for English, in Japanese the phrase is used identically in either situation.  In the context of Benihime being only the second shikai we ever see (after Zabimaru) it seems like a concealed sword being told to “Wake up” makes the most sense, but there’s a bit of a case for “Stay awake” that I’ll get to a bit later...  (Also worth noting real quick is that this kind of “rousing” verb is specifically about being awake -vs- asleep, and doesn’t extend to the English colloquialisms relating to “[sexual] arousal.”)

Also, it’s never directly referenced, but both in cane form and in shikai form, Benihime has a unique blade shape that suggests that the sword blade has been broken; It lacks the distinctive Kissaki[切っ先]:”Point-area” of a katana blade, and the blade’s Hamon[刃文]:”Wave-pattern” doesn’t follow the edge of the blade properly at the terminus.  This plays into the themes well go on to address, so keep that in mind...

But the fun comes with the various techniques Urahara uses with Benihime over the course of the series.

The one we get almost immediately is Nake[啼け] which the English translations erroneously called “Scream.”  But the Japanese use of the word, as far as I can see, refers to “call (out)” or “bark” or “chirp” generally in reference to an animal noise or to make noise like an animal.  It can also mean “sing” as an extension of the same use but in reference to bird song.  But as a bit of colorful language it’s commonly used in the context of smut and romance to describe little gasps, whimpers, and yelps.

The “Scream” translation seems to have been taken from the Chinese use of the word, which is similar to the Japanese, but includes the additional animal sound “Howl” and by comparison can refer to “crying (loudly)”, “wailing”, and “weeping.”

A curious detail is that when Urahara first uses this to defend from Ichigo’s newly discovered Getsuga Tenshou technique, Benihime produces a red shield, and it’s actually hard to notice at a glance, but the blade of Benihime is dripping with blood as a result, even though neither Urahara nor Ichigo actually got cut by it.  However, when Urahara uses this a second time when defending Ichigo from Yammy, there is no bleeding blade effect.

This shield is also later given the name Chikasumi no Tate[血霞の盾] written as “Shield of Blood Mist.” This all works to reinforce the association with the “Crimson” aspect of the name specifically with blood.

With the same “Cry!” command Urahara can also use his own zangeki projectile, like Getsuga Tenshou.

Kamisori[剃刀] is just the word for “Razor,” it appears to produce the same effect as when “Cry” is used offensively rather than defensively.  It’s possible Kubo chose to retcon “Cry” into being defensive only and renamed the attacking move as “Razor.”  It was never made especially clear...

And Tsuppane[突ッ撥] which is a weird construction of “Stab”/”Pierce”/”Prick” and “Reject“/”Exclude” but it’s a homonym with Tsuppane[突っ撥ねる] meaning “Reject“/”Spurn“/”Turn down.“  These two can be tabled for now as well, but they’ll fall into place by the end...

Finally, Shibari[縛り] means “Bind“/”Restrain”/”Tie up” but it’s specifically the shorthand name for the Japanese method of rope bondage sex play.  And in conjunction with this Urahara uses Hiasobi, Benihime, Juzutsunagi[火遊 紅姫 数珠繋] which breaks down as 火遊: “Fire Play,” "Crimson Princess” again, 数珠繋: “Prayerbead Chain.”

So, if it wasn’t clear where we were headed with all of these, Blood, Crying, Razors, Spurning, Rope Play, Fire Play, and s Chain of Beads might seem all over the place if you take them at face value, but the central theme being evoked here is BDSM.  Which lend an extremely curious tone to Urahara’s character.  More over, there is the broken blade imagery I mentioned before.  Back in the day I had sort of wondered if maybe breaking his sword had been part of Urahara’s exile*, but the state of the blade never got properly addressed, and even the exile would just sit on the backburner for years...

*At the time, I associated it with Kuukaku and Ganju’s similarly severed blades, but they also weren’t ever addressed.  The impression I’d gotten from the overall designs had been that when the Shiba family were stripped of their shinigami nobility status their zanpakutou were all broken as a means of rendering them incapable of ever effectively fighting back against Soul Society.  I also just kind of assumed there would be a similar explanation for Yoruichi’s conspicuously absent zanpakutou.

But there’s an extra detail in this...  We know how zanpakutou work: a Shinigami imprints their own soul onto a blank sword, their sword spirit develops in their inner world, and through meditation they can commune, negotiate, and make peace with their sword.  At the highest levels of that mutual understanding they can summon their swords out into the world, first as shikai and then as bankai, increasing in power and finesse the better they understand their sword spirits and thus themselves.

We see distinctly, in the case of Yumichika, that an inability to make peace with their swords can result in sub-optimal powers: Yumichika has his intentional misnaming of his sword and partial release; Zaraki has his entire inability (at first) to call on his sword at all; and Ikkaku and Shuuhei both have disagreements with the attitude of their swords --Ikkaku calling Houzoukimaru lazy, and Shuuhei being uncomfortable with Kazeshini’s bloodlust.

But we know that Ichigo took a short cut to forging this deep lifelong friendship with his sword, and the fact that the two aren’t in sync and don’t communicate with one another well is a repeated hurdle for Ichigo.  Thanks to Urahara’s special doll Ichigo just summoned Zangetsu directly into the outside world, requiring zero meditation or self reflection on his part.  And Urahara used this same method, to achieve bankai in just 3 days.

So, Urahara rushed his bankai training, his blade is broken, and its techniques all point to a BDSM theme.  The way I always saw this was that it sounded like Urahara forcibly subdued Benihime instead of ever negotiating with her.  His sword is broken because he broke it himself as part of asserting dominance over it. (not unlike how Mayuri broke his own shikai as a form of punishment after the Szayel fight)  And it lined up with a lot of the ongoing ominous tones surrounding Urahara all throughout...  At least until he just kind of vanished during the long drag of the Arrancar Arc, before being hurriedly shoved into the Arc finale.

So when we did finally get his bankai reveal in the Blood War Arc, some things fell into place rather neatly, but others felt a little out of sync with everything else...

Viz translated Kannonbiraki Benihime Aratame[観音開紅姫改メ] as “Opened Red Princess Neo” which isn’t strictly speaking wrong, but it communicates nothing of importance.   観音開: doesn’t really have a clean English equivalent, but it refers to what I can only think to define as “opening outward in two pieces from the center.”  Specifically this tends to reference double doors, or similar but not explicitly door structures like windows or shutters, etc...  It also refers to filleting a fish or dissecting a body in an accordant manner: with a central incision with two flaps peeled back from it. It’s the term used for a “Butterfly cut” in cooking.  Benihime is just “Crimson Princess” again, no alternate kanji or homonym play like some other bankai, plus 改メ: which is a suffix indicating “revised”/”modified.”

There’s also what I assume was intentional wordplay here where the  観音 in 観音開: “double-door” is the name of the Japanese Buddhist god(dess) Kannon.  Kannon (based on the Chinese Guanyin, who is a highly modified interpretation of what was the Hindu Avalokitesvara.) is worshiped as a goddess of infinite mercy.  So  観音+開: might imply something like “Opened Kannon”/“Kannon Unlocked”/”Empty Kannon” evoking imagery of the Goddess herself opened up on an operating table, tying back to the specific physical feature of being opened up from a center line, like double doors.

So the actual vibe of the full name is something like...

“Dissected Goddess-of-Mercy: Modified-Bloodred Princess”

Which has some wild and sinister implications, not dissimilar to Mayuri’s Ashisouji-jizo.  They share tones of corrupting or defiling the divine, and specifically gods of mercy and protection, distorted and mutilated.

[bexterbex]

A Soul to Mend His Own | Ch. 60

Chapter 60 WHOOT WHOOT! 60 days ago I started this journey with only 2 followers, and now I have 337! I can’t thank you all enough 😭It means so much to me that you all like my little world. 

Warning, PLEASE CHECK TAGS IF YOU SEE SOMETHING YOU DON’T WANT TO READ THEN DON’T READ. Tag lists are closed

Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Will tag as I go along, Will update tags, Slow Burn, Influenced by Star Trek and other Sci-Fi themes, References to We Happy Few, Tons of References and quotes to George Orwells 1984 see if you can find them all, The First Order is the new Big Brother,  but who is really surprised, Blatant Nazi Symbolism, Interrogation Themes, Eventual Smut, Eventual Romance, Really just drawn out Slow Burn, Don’t repost without permission, Torture themes, Suggestive Themes, Execution themes, Disturbing Themes, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Verbal Abuse, Controlling Kylo Ren, Physical Abuse, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Kylo Ren is Not Nice, Kylo Ren Has Issues, Supreme Leader Kylo Ren, Possessive Kylo Ren, A character shamelessly based on Zelda

A Kylo Ren x Modern! Reader in a soulmate au with canon divergence. —————————————SLOWBURN————————————–

He is already the Supreme leader, searching the universe to find you, his Empress. Your name on his wrist has been the only constant in his life, while you have doubts about his existence and his acceptance of you. He isn’t in the database and why did the name Kylo Ren cover Ben Solo?

MASTERLIST

Chapter 60: First Lady

The general was waiting for you as you both sat down. Kylo and the general sat opposite of you. The lieutenant came up to join you. The general looked at Kylo, who nodded and began, “We are here to discuss your duties as First Lady of the First Order. An inaugural role that has not been done before in the history of the galaxy.”

He paused to make sure you were paying attention and understanding the gravity of the position. You nodded to signal him to continue.

“As the First Lady of the First Order, you have many duties, some more obvious than others. First, you act as the identity of the First Order, the face in which our people will rely upon and trust. You are the focus of unity and pride. The person who gives a sense of stability and continuity to the First Order. You are the official recognition for success and excellence. And you are to support the ideal of voluntary service.”

You were to be the complete face of the First Order. Not Kylo, who is hidden behind his mask, but you. “So you are asking me to be like the queen of England,” you asked trying to make sense of your role.

“Yes, in many ways, except you have actual power when you want it. While she is unable to make decisions for the United Kingdom in its entirety, as that power now belongs to parliament, you do. The only person who can override your decisions is the Supreme Leader himself.”

You watched as Kylo nodded along to what the general was saying.

“You shall be in charge of official First Order Social events like the formal dinner that we just had, and ceremonial events like commissioning of new destroyers and bases. You shall present titles of high honor within the First Order Military, and any civilian titles. You may also preside over military ceremonies such as remembrances of historic galactic battles, and major retirements.”

Your eyes grew wide at the list of things you would be responsible for. The general could see the look of hesitation on your face as you were processing everything.

“Of course you won’t have to do everything alone. You shall have a team of people to help you, one of which is the lieutenant,” he then gestured to Mitaka sitting next to you. “And a few others, you shall not have to handle everything yourself, but you will essentially be supervising it all. You will also be handling many correspondences which will go through your team, and you will be a patron of many charities. We will need to announce a charity today as a start. That is a decision we can make together, so you do not have to make it alone.”

You sat back in your chair as you started to process everything. Your life has shifted from working a 9-5 job, to doing very little with your time, to now being a head of state all in the matter of a month. Less than a month ago you were wondering who Kylo Ren was and now you were to be leading the largest government in the galaxy with him. Leading a group of people you had no idea existed. Being a face to the galaxy when you were perfectly content to just be friends with your match and living a life alone.

You felt his hold on your mind once more, the worry that you felt dissipated. You don’t know whether or not you should be comforted by this or horrified. He was in your mind messing with things.

‘There is nothing to be afraid of Kitten. You will do great. This is one of the big steps in becoming an empress, my empress.’

Something about the way he said that you would be his empress made your belly warm. A spark of desire to be something powerful to him.

You could feel his tendrils of hold swirling with that desire in your mind. Playing with it, caressing it. You closed your eyes at the feeling, your body welcoming the touch. The tiny rational portion of your mind was screaming, but the feeling was so nice that you ignored her.

You felt a hand touch your face, which shocked you out of your bliss. It was Kylo’s hand. His eyes told you that he was just as spellbound as you were.

Both the lieutenant and the general didn’t seem to know what to make of the moment as they both shared a confused face at both of your actions.

Kylo’s hand caressed your cheek before he withdrew it. His eyes never leaving yours. No words were spoken between you, not even in your mind, but you knew what just happened changed something.

You could almost hear the rational part of your brain whimper in pain at being ignored, whimper because of his grip on your consciousness. That rational part being afraid at what just occurred, but the rest of your existence being overjoyed at it. You could feel the tendrils recede slightly and the rational part slowly coming out of the corner that it had been backed into. Still very much afraid of the dark mass that just took over.

The general spoke first, “M’lady shall we go over what will need to be decided today?” He hesitantly looked between you and Kylo, trying to figure out your next course of action.

Without breaking eye contact with Kylo, you responded, “Yes. I think will be best.” You examined Kylo’s face as if it were a rare piece of art. Going over every last detail.

“We should decide what charity you should patron first. Is there anything, in particular, that strikes an interest in you m’lady? Any topic that you would prefer?” You could hear some unease in his voice as you failed to look at him. Your eyes still locked on Kylo.

You could feel the tendrils shift as a thought presented itself, “Something for abused or neglected children.” You watched as Kylo’s eyes phantom fluttered for a moment. His eyes then roaming your face as yours did his.

Both of your breathing is in sync. Two halves of a whole as his hold on your mind made itself at home. The tendrils tucking themselves in the corners of your skull, occasionally skimming your brain when needed, but mostly just there watching.  

“There are many orphanages throughout the galaxy shall I choose one for you,” asked Hux with his voice wavering. You could hear how uncomfortable the whole situation between you and Kylo was making him. You could not see nor hear the lieutenant, but you guessed that he was worse than the well-seasoned general.

Kylo answered for you, “Yes.”

You heard the general stand, “Well sir, m’lady we best be off to our luncheon. There is much to discuss.”

Kylo stood first, holding out his hand for you to take. Which you did. He then tucked your arm under his. Never breaking eye contact as you walked down the stairs and to the entrance of your chambers. You paused as Kylo put on his helmet, breaking your stare and trance. He then faced forward as you walked down the winding halls to the conference room.

You entered arm in arm with Kylo; he guided you to your seat, you never took your eyes off of him. Still enrapt in a trance. He walked with power around the room as he reached the head of the table where he chose to stand.

All around you were the High Command members, most of whom were holograms as they holocommuted in. Luckily for you, Pryde was also holocummuting in. You were relieved at his lack of physical presence. You also noted that there were several other officers standing along the opposite wall to you.

Kylo addressed the room, “Today is Lady Ren’s official first day as First Lady of the First Order,” he paused and you could hear a small applause coming from the High Command, both those who were physically present and those who weren’t. “She has many responsibilities in her new role, you are to do what she asks of you as if it was an order from me.”

You watched as chins raised in acknowledgment. You could see that some were not happy about having another person ruling over them. Kylo sensed this too as his head cut to an older male admiral, “I sense unease Admiral Berand.”

What shocked you was that the man wasn’t even here, he was holocommuting. Were Kylo’s Force abilities that strong?

“No, sir,” said the admiral.

You watched as Kylo marched around the room and came up next to the holo projection of the man. Even though they were technically a galaxy apart, the admiral shrank away from Kylo. “Good, keep your thoughts under control or I will do it for you.”

You could feel the tendrils in your own mind flex with excitement. They apparently wanted the admiral to mess up, so they could arrange his thoughts for him.

Kylo then spoke again addressing the room, “You have all given candidates for Lady Ren’s staff. Her chief of staff will be Dopheld Mitaka, now a captain, but there still remains her press secretary, correspondence secretary,  social secretary, her advisor, and her spokesperson. Five positions to fill. And after General Hux’s initial weeding of the candidates, there are 15 applicants. We shall now proceed with the filling of positions.” Kylo then gestured to the Allegiant General to start. Hux then waited patiently for your signal, waiting until you were ready.

You broke your gaze from staring at Kylo to look to your side. You gestured to Mitaka to come forward and join you by your side. Which he gladly did. You then nodded to the general to commence the application process.

You picked out your press secretary, social secretary, advisor, and spokesperson with ease. You took into account the opinions of Kylo, Hux and Mitaka. The final position of the correspondence secretary was being considered.

Unfortunately, Pryde’s recommendation was still in the running. The young officer that he had put forward as an applicant gave off similar vibes to the man himself. Almost a younger version of himself. You quickly denied his choice. The officer had a look of disappointment and anger on his face as he was forced to step back. You could tell your decision also displeased Pryde as you had a feeling that this officer was going to be some sort of informant to him.

Across the room, you could see Kylo’s body stiffen as he was probably monitoring both men’s thoughts. He barked at the officer to get out and to return to the Steadfast as he was no longer needed here. You watched as he left the room. He was the only rejected officer that was asked to leave before the meeting was over.

Next up was General Parnadee’s choice, a nice young lieutenant with a kind face. Parnadee introduced her, as the other generals did with their recommendations, “This is Lieutenant Amala Graven. She has an impeccable memory. The ability to recall voices and has a knack for routines. She is quiet but very decisive when it comes to printed languages. She has been my trusted personal secretary for two years and I can think of no one better for the position of correspondence secretary.”

From what you knew of Parnadee, even after entrusting your home planet to her, you knew that if she was recommending someone, especially someone, she trusts that you should highly consider the person. You then looked over her file, which was a clean record. She came highly recommended from the academy and she had been promoted quickly into Parnadee’s trusted and highly coveted secretary position.

After sharing a look with Mitaka, you made your decision. You looked at the female lieutenant in the eyes and said, “I believe you will make an excellent correspondence secretary and I would be honored if you would join my staff.”

The lieutenant thanked you and joined the group of others that had been selected. Your attention then shifted back to Kylo as he dismissed them and Mitaka while you were to have the luncheon portion of your meeting.

Everything went by rather smoothly after that, Hux telling those who holocommuted in that they were free to go as no official business was going to be discussed. You were thankful because you were sick of Pryde’s holo eyes watching your every move.

You watched as slowly every hologram was disconnected. Pryde getting in one last final creepy stare before disconnecting. You were relieved when Kylo took a seat next to you instead of his official unused one across from you.

You were in a large conference room filled with only a few generals and admirals. Lunch was served and Kylo relented in taking off his helmet so he could join you as you ate. Small pleasant discussions popped up around you. The Allegiant General giving his opinion here and there to the different conversations.

Meanwhile, you and Kylo ate in a comfortable silence between you two. There seemed no need to say anything as you could feel the tendrils exploring your mind. Seeing how far they could go before hitting a wall or turning around. You could feel them warmly caressing your happiest memories and completely covering those that caused you pain. You felt light-headed but in a way that didn’t make you sick, but as if a weight had been relieved from your consciousness.

You felt as if you could stay in this moment forever. But soon you would have your lesson with the general and soon you would have to move on with real life. But for now, you chose to be stuck in this moment. This little piece of forever.

A/N: Note that I see every comment and reblog w/ # and I love them so much! Tumblr is kinda hard to respond with just note that anything coming from @justanotherhockey-blog​ is from me!

[yueqqi]

Beta Reader Request

I have no idea what I’m doing bc I’ve never asked around for beta readers before considering I usually edit on my own when it comes to fanfic, but I also don’t have other MDZS/general xianxia/danmei writers and readers in my DMs to bother for knowledgeable critiques and writing direction suggestions. Why I’m only finally getting around to this? It’s not for fanfic, but for an original series I’m working on. Details are below.

Series: Water Runs Clear | 水流清

Novel in Question: Romance of Winter and Spring | 冬春演義 (working title)

Genre: xianxia/danmei/sci fi/archeological adventure/mystery

Tags: war, referenced genocide, major character death, angst (but with rewarding fluff), murder

Status: Unfinished, projected word count to be over 100k with what I have of the plot so far

Published?: Hell no, not yet. I’m still researching the best platforms to host the webnovel on.

What I’m looking for: someone with a better Chinese background than my overseas ass who knows an equivalent amount of written Chinese as a literal child would (I do speak though), who can point out confusing parts and give suggestions for character development/plot transitions/potential good character interactions/idioms I can incorporate. Also someone who is okay with me being on the slow side to finish chapters and being in for the long haul. If you are also able to translate into Chinese or know someone who’s interested in translating English-Chinese, that would be a plus, but that’s asking a lot so I can always figure that out later.

Working summary: “The Mortal Realm has seen its crests and troughs of jianghu upheavals, imperialism, the rise and fall of dynasties, and frequent tensions between races ever since the apocalyptic Great Convergence—but, ever so unfortunate, for a plain-looking guy with plain-looking robes and a plain-looking wallet, one Yang Xinxuan spends his days cultivating, frequent flying across the Great Hong Empire, and handling the mundane supernatural inconveniences before humans, mo, and yao could kill each other over rage. However, as busy as he is, his old research into the casted-away god, Chunzhan-jun, continues to haunt him...”

Excerpt:

“Peace in the Mortal Realm was seldom to be found—except, technically, in the case of the rise of the Mei Dynasty. It was so only because, like other nations but one of the first to do it, its rise ended the Hundred Years Of Seven Sects, Seven Kingdoms period, where the laws of wulin ruled over all and constant warring led to instability for the citizens residing where the Great Mei dynasty stood for almost seven hundred years—and worse horrors, when one of the Seven Great Sects, Taiyue Chen, was slaughtered across all bloodlines and its land conquered by the bloodthirsty Eclipse Pavillion sect to the northeast.

When the Mei family came into prominence from the ashes of the Taiyue Chen sect with the unwavering loyalty from the surviving remnants of the Chen family that led it in the past, the sects that refused to ally with them could do nothing else but to bend their knees to the first Mei Emperor and his right hand man in the end.

Political upheavals would continue for centuries, though it would never unseat the Mei dynasty, until finally, the Great Mei crumbled with the rise of the Great Hong dynasty within the last century. Unsurprisingly.

As for the cause behind the dark ages preceding the shaky period of peace? No one else could be to blame except for the gods!”

Just reply or DM me if you’re interested in reading some original xianxia and helping out!

[silvermalkin]

Okay, cats and kittens, it’s been a little bit since I’ve read through In Keeping with Kaiba. I want to go through it again, thoughtfully, to help me remember those little details before our hiatus ends. As I go, I’m going to be writing a... director’s commentary, if you will. So, if you’ve been meaning to read it again as well, now’s a good time to follow along. Note: I will be referencing future events, so it’s best to save this until after you’ve caught up.

IKWK Read-Along

The title: In Keeping with Kaiba? It doesn’t mean anything. I mean, technically “in keeping” means “ in (or out of) harmony or conformity with” so it works but like... meh.

Chapter 1: Maita, who?

Ugh, so first off… at this point I was… not looking up actual Japanese names? Maita was just me making things up using Japanese syllables. It’s actually a Spanish name, haha, oh dear.

And this author’s note: super embarrassing. This is my first fanfiction, please forgive me my hedging ways. It calls me back to the old fanfictions of yore. “That’s what happens when you try to write them in character!” 2012 SilverMalkin, can you just chill a little? Please? For me.

“I hesitate to call this a Seto Kaiba x Reader because there won't really be romance in it for a while.” Well, you can’t say you weren’t warned! But not even I knew that it would take almost 30 chapters to get any substantial hint of intimacy.

SilverMalkin, let’s move on to the actual story already.

Oh, no Mokuba is kidnapped again. Oh, no, it’s Hakato (originally Hacato) our very own bad guy, campy and themed as a proper Yugioh villain should be. He’s food themed and actually says, “delicious” lmao.

Let 👏 Kaiba 👏 Swear 👏

Second-person POV begins…. Now! Here we have me trying to balance exposition on how much the Reader knows without just telling all of you, the actual readers, things you already know about the Kaibas!

I use the word “ministrations” trying not to think about all of the lemons I had read it in before. In a sentence about Mokuba? *sigh*

The Reader is forced to wear a revealing outfit by Hakato’s gang, with only a long jacket to cover up with. This is purely because Short Skirt/Long Jacket by Cake was a song I used for inspiration when endlessly daydreaming this story.

Niyama, the guard she selfishly plays for information, was originally supposed to show up again later! He was going to meet the Reader at KaibaCorp, she suspected for revenge, but then he would apologize, ask for forgiveness, and talk about her past. Kaiba would be jealous that she was talking to him. But, Niyama got scrapped because the truth about her situation and Kaiba’s jealousy would work better coming from other people. Byeeeee. Darling? Killed. Literally? Maybe.

Was anyone surprised that the man who came to rescue Mokuba was Seto? I hate when the Reader’s knowledge and Your knowledge don’t match but, I know, that’s just not how these things work.

The end of this chapter feels really final, as if it was only ever supposed to be a one-shot. Well, I wasn’t sure if I’d actually continue to write In Keeping with Kaiba. This is my first fanfiction, after all, and at the time I was using it as an escape from a stressful time in my life. I was worried that I wouldn’t write any more and I’d have this one, dangly chapter out there. Apparently I needn’t have worried. Kind of.