#(A lotta kinda STRANGE things even)

[gaymurdersalad]

David, do you have any opinions on Henry? Legacy seems to be…kind of obsessed with him.

> Pfft— Do I have any opinions on Henry!? Oh, Asker, yer funny! That’s hilarious.

> Uh, duh. Absolutely. Do I have any opinions on my own father? That’s silly…

> I only knew him as the kindest, smartest, lovable old man in the world. Jesus, the English language can’t even fit how I feel about him— he transcends language, his existence is that of a…— I dunno about a god, but damn, did he do a lot of good for us. As a humanity. A lotta good for me, too, as his son. That goddamn circus was like no other. The way people treated him for just trynna recreate some childhood magic was fuckin’ reprehensible. The way he constructed those robots in Fredbear’s, gah, he tried to do it all again and people still gave him shit for it! Why? Are people really that afraid to accept good into their lives? Henry’s too good to be true, Askers, that’s why people don’t seem to like him. I see, though, I see him for who he is, and I accept him. I love him. Ain’t nobody will ever convince me not to, nobody could even fathom to show me otherwise.

> I miss him. Every day, I wake up and there’s a Henry-shaped hole in my… uhh, I’d say heart, but Y’know.

> I’m so glad I let Sportsy— Err, Legacy— into the whole Henry thing. I can tell he’s taken quite a liking to him, at least from what I’ve told him. Those long nights in Bakersfield and Vegas, lounging around on some sort of illegal substance or another, tellin’ him all about what Henry’s done for me, it meant… Uh, it meant a lot to me that Legacy was willin’ to listen. Willin’ to engage. Encourage me, and predominantly, take matters into his own hands, that proactive bastard. If ya couldn’t tell, he’s kinda the one running the show around here. I’m not mad. I’m just glad I’ve found a soulmate who values a legacy like… Legacy. Heh heh.

> … Y’know… Somethin’ strange, though…

> … I caught a glimpse of a pink feller though the glass of Legacy’s arcade machine in the workshop. It didn’t look like Henry at all, but the hue was pretty damn familiar. Had some weird… discoloration on its hair, too— and glasses. Henry ain’t wear no damn glasses, nor is he dyein’ his fuckin’ tips hot pink. Not to mention how short that fucker’s hair was! The Henry I know had some killer locks, spillin’ over his shoulders all elegant and shit. That bein’ said, I haven’t asked Legacy about this. He gets cagey about that damn machine, I dunno why. Bastard’s slippin’ in and out so much you think he’d throw me a bone, but… No. No, I respect his privacy.

> … Just interestin’ to think about, I s’pose.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Cater, Ruggie: The Secret in a Smile

Caycay, bestie… I am so sorry that SSR Crowley stole your spotlight 😭 (Is that why Cater looks so Mean Girls in his groovy... He's seeking petty revenge against Crowley/j)

Some cute stuff from the vignettes that I wasn't able to include in this fic: Cater makes a reference to TsumTsums! He mentions being into this mobile game with cute round creatures. Cater also tells a story about a 5-year old girl giving him a flower after his club's performance at a cultural festival (omg, do they mean the one in book 5?!). Ruggie teases him and says Cater must have been that little girl's first crush 😂

A Tale as Old as Time.

“Ne, ne, Ruggie-kun! Check this one out~ It's all the way from the Queendom of Roses!"

Cater jabbed a thumb at a painting of a young blonde girl dressed in a modest sky blue frock and apron, a small black bow in her hair. She couldn’t have been older than 10 years of age, still petite enough to squish inside a glass bottle with a narrow neck. The bottled child was adrift in a sudsy sea, her face frozen in an expression of slight worry.

Ruggie took one look at the artwork, then wrinkled his nose. “Sure sucks to be in her shoes. What’s this even supposed to show us, anyway? Doesn’t make a whole lotta sense to me.”

"Not a lot from the Queendom does if you aren't already familiar with its topsy-turvy stories~" Cater placed a hand on his hip and leaned forward, grinning. "This one is pretty popular! It's about a girl that wants an audience with the Queen of Hearts. She gets lost on the journey there, meets strange people and experiences even stranger things on the way. This is just one leg of that trip!"

"Wouldn’t the castle be further inland? How'd she end up in the middle of the ocean?"

“It’s about the perspective of the shot.” Cater formed a frame with his hands, catching his underclassman in it. He pulled back, creating the illusion of sizing Ruggie down. “She drank this bottled liquid she found and that shrank her down—so really, the ocean isn’t that big.”

A grimace.

“Man, talk about no sense of self preservation. She just chugged an unlabeled bottle without a second thought. Must’ve been real desperate.” Ruggie paused. “Weeeell, not like I’m one to talk about being desperate. You really can’t afford to be picky sometimes. If it fills your stomach, it fills your stomach.”

“You’d drink it too, huh… I don’t think I could do that. I’d at least want to see how the menu describes it before I order—though I guess it also depends on how ‘cammable the drink is! And hey, think about all the cool pics I could grab from a worm's eye point of view!”

"Heh, you don't seem too pressed about living life as an ant."

"Cay-kun likes to look on the bright side of things!" he declared with a wink and a peace sign. "The lost girl... she worried so much about finding her destination, she forgets to stop and smell the roses. She overlooks a lot of the fun people she could have spent time with."

Hopping from place to place, missed people—familiar elements, resurfacing a childhood of being uprooted and dragged about. Never to fully settle.

A tea party here, a brief convo there. Just enough to keep him placated, but not enough to see beyond the surface of the looking glass.

His curiosity still left wanting.

She got into so much trouble, but didn't have any real friends to come and help her.

Sadness tugged at his heartstrings, but Cater's smile didn’t waver.

"... I can’t help but kinda pity the poor thing," he said quietly. Then, brightening in the next moment, "All her issues could've been avoided if she just looked before she leapt and made some connections."

“Yeah, she definitely should’ve played smarter, not harder. Maybe if she kissed up to the locals, they’d have come to her rescue." Ruggie shrugged. "It works for me and Leona-san."

“Right? A smile goes a long way to getting what you want!” Cater poked the corners of his mouth. “You totes get me.”

“Cuz it takes a trickster to know another one on sight.”

"Wow, it sounds so mean when you put it like that. We're not tricksters, we just know how to use our smiles to problem-solve~"

"Giving a word a fresh coat of paint doesn't make it any less shady. At least be honest with yourself," the hyena smirked.

“Eeeh, I’m always honest!”

They shared a laugh—Ruggie, a snicker. Cater, lighter, more bubbly, like a carbonated mystery drink. When the effervescence died down, he cast another glance at the painting.

Too big for her small world of the sea, too small for the big world that loomed beyond it. Trapped within glass walls. Curled into herself in her delicate chambers.

Her perspective and his, one and the same.

Poor thing, poor thing, poor thing.

Cater summoned his strength and bore the full brunt of his smile.

“I’m sure she’ll find what she’s looking for… one day.”

[snipsper]

ULTRAKIIIIIILL DAYCARE ATTENDAAAANT

Close-ups!!

Plus an extra practice Sun in the margins of my bio nb

I’m not sure where I’m gonna take this lads, I just wanted to practice drawing V1 and then it became Sun and Moon as the prototype V models from Ultrakill. Now I’ve got two (maybe three) killer robots fueled only by the power of fresh blood. These designs may change over time if I ever polish them up and make new additions!! But this was a lotta fun!! They’re rlly getting me outta my comfort zone with new things (I couldn’t even fcking draw anything like this before like whuh)

,,and maybe I’m contemplating on adding a reader kind of thing where you’re either a resident of Hell or an archangel kinda like Gabriel, but it’s more a rivalry-turned-relationship (enemies to friends(to lovers)) that comes from power death-matches you all participate in and it blossoms from the respect on one another’s skills as you best each other in every fight. Which, I still need to concept because, I’m tired and my wrist hurts

Me thinks I have a weird thing for love in strange places and among unlikely circumstances,, staring at my other wips (that’s yet to come to light cause I wanna work on em properly,,)

So yeah! Bye! See you soon!

[moraysoiree]

homesick

Just my idea of what it feels like to be far away from home.

characters: Floyd Leech x gn!reader (platonic, could be read as romantic), mentions of Jade and Azul word count: 1134

Ramshackle dorm prefect’s life was in no sense easy. Sitting through classes and thinking how you can’t even put all this knowledge to good use because of your ‘magiclessness’ was, for lack of a better term, pure torture. Thank god the classes ended, finally granting you some freedom to wander off in hopes to lift your spirits by hanging out with one of the strange people that were in abundance here.

To your glee, on the way to the first floor you noticed a familiar figure on a terrace just a flight of stairs below: one of the eel guys was standing there, leaning against the guardrail with slumped shoulders. Given the idleness, figuring his current mood was no big feat. The chance was worth taking, though.

‘FLOOOOYD!!’ you started skipping down excitedly, not even bothering to get to the floor and jumping off the middle right onto the unsuspecting victim. ‘Shrimpie!’ wide-eyed, Floyd still managed to catch the falling anvil and laughed, spinning from the momentum. ‘Ye gonna kill us one day,’ he grumbled. ‘I wish I could kill you that easily,’ you pinched his cheeks, causing the displeased eel to click his teeth in a mock threat. ‘A point. You little fishies, on the other hand…’ he trailed off. Both went on to lean onto the banisters, laziness afloat in the sunny spring air. The mood wasn’t as bad as expected. Or, rather, improved rapidly, for that matter. ‘Sup with the classes,’ you tugged on the lilac ribbon hanging from his forearm. ‘Skipping, huh? What would Azul say?!’ you covered your mouth, appearing to be scandalized. Theatrical jests usually amused him, but not today for some reason. Or was it Azul’s name that got on his nerves? Either way, Floyd wasn’t really in the mood for talking, so the clue was taken and both stared off into the distance silently. And was there a lot to stare at, as college’s balconies had the best view onto the sharp cliffs, mercilessly slicing the rumbling waves into white foam.

Something occurred to you, and you asked, fidgeting with the very same ribbon still: ‘Say, don’t you ever get homesick?’. Floyd tore his eyes off the sea and gave you a thoughtful glance, ‘Mm-hhm… not really. There are a lot of things on land. I think Jade got it worse’. ‘Jade?! How come?’ It was hard to believe that Jade, who navigated human society better than the majority of humans, was, in fact, facing some trouble adapting. ‘S’ not like he doesn’t love it here, too, I mean. But y’know how he goes to wander by himself and chew on his plants or whareva-you-call-it. That’s different from me. Gets melancholic ‘nd all.’ Floyd sighed and stretched, crossing arms behind his head. ‘And you don’t? Like ever’. ‘Don’t think so? Lotta interesting things just keep happening around. This school is kinda special tho. Many fishies to squeeze, and jumping right into my jaws, too,’ he shut his eyes in delight, but his general expression shifted into something more sinister, something ascending from the murky depths, prowling and lurking. ‘Kinda like home. Ya kno’ it’s crazy down there. You can never stop or rest. Unless you wanna be eaten, ‘course. Same here,’ he waved at the Night Raven College’s walls. ‘So your bloodlust is what keeps you going? Should’ve known better,’ you scoffed, and Floyd rolled his eyes. ‘Mean! I like many of your things, like clothes, and phones, and the strange food you have. S’ not like I only care about beatin’ up some krill,’ you eyed his messy uniform doubtfully and pondered whether the eel really liked clothes as much as he claimed to.

‘But you’re like Jade, aren’t you, little Shrimp?’ Floyd snapped you from your thoughts forcefully, and you noticed he was staring at you sharply. ‘You get those sour moods and sigh a lot’. Look who’s talking about moods!? But he was right, although it came as a surprise that such things didn’t escape him. He’d always seemed too caught up in his own emotions. Or was it precisely because of it that Floyd had noticed the way his friend was a bit too quiet on one day and a tad too distant on the other... ‘I love you all, but I didn’t really choose to be here, and I don’t even know if there’s a way to go back. Even if there is, will I survive with people overblotting left and right and making it everyone’s problem?!’ Floyd laughed. ‘Nothing to laugh about in my life’, you sighed. ‘You would be shocked how hard it is to live without the little things, like my favourite songs, or the trinkets I’d collected, or the bakeries I’d always visited’. He was listening silently, letting you get it all off your chest. ‘I had friends back home, too. Will I ever see them again? Do they miss me, I wonder.. Maybe I died in my world and got isekai’d here so there’s not really a place for me to return to at all?!’ Floyd scrunched his face up at your outburst. ‘Now you sound just like Firefly Squid.’ Then, however, his expression became serious. ‘You know, Shrimpie. There are a lot of things in this world that are out of our control. You can have a down-to-the-minute detailed plan, covering the next forty years, but what use will it be if a shark gobbles you up tomorrow? You should value the ‘now’, or ya risking to miss all the fun n’ regret it later,’ his hand ruffled your hair. ‘I get that it ain’t easy for ya to be all gung-ho about it all the time, but that kind of thinking is just a waste. Say what, how ‘bout we go make Crowley get his game up with your homeworld instead? I can squeeze him real tight if ya wanna.’ You thought about it for a solid moment, seriously considering the offer. ‘I’m good. Spare the unfortunate soul, he’s got his plate served to him from people throwing hands last week’. ‘And who’s to thank for that ya think?’ Oh. Of course. ‘What a spectacular friend I have, rushing to avenge me before I even ask!’ The phrase might have been a joke, but you put your genuine gratitude for the so much needed reassurance into it. To that display of emotions, Floyd’s eyes glinted mischievously. ‘So you saying you owe me one?’ You regretted your choice of words instantly. ‘Come ooon, ain’t gonna eat ya, Shrimpie. Not yet, anyway. Speaking of food… What a rad way to repay me, huh?’ ‘Mostro Lounge?’ Floyd groaned. ‘Heell naaah if I see Azul today I’ll punch smn. Hard.’ So it WAS about Azul, in the end. ‘Canteen it is then. Takoyaki?’ ‘Ya know me best, Shrimpie.’

[krypticcafe]

How would Slashers (non DBD Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers, Bubba Swayer) comfort their partner after a nightmare? I thought it might be cute if it's not too much to ask for.

Slashers comforting their partner after a nightmare

rating: PG-13

character(s): GN!Reader, Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers, Bubba Sawyer

warning(s): sprinkle of angst, lotta comfort, no beta read

a/n: I love these types of requests so much, gahhhhh- also this probably has so many grammar errors, I write at late hours :')

Jason

Admittedly, you kinda spooked him as well when you shot out of bed and nearly screamed.

Oh, but the moment he heard you sniffle while apologizing, he's holding your hands and tracing question marks into your palms.

You try to tell him, but you can barely utter a word in all your hyperventilating. It has him pulling you into a hug and enveloping you with his big arms.

You let a few tears escape when he's rubbing circles into your back.

After a while, he shifts off the bed for a bit to grab one of his coats and urges you to put it on. You comply, albeit confused.

He scoops you into his arms with ease and, for some reason, starts walking out of the cabin.

Your suspicions of where he was taking you were correct, finding yourself in the nearby grassy clearing you two often escaped to for some peace.

It became clear that Jason wanted to take your mind off of things by taking you here and showing you something out of a dream, fireflies mixed with a clear, starry night sky, a full moon to illuminate the area, and a summer breeze that wasn't too cold.

You two spent the night laying together in the grass, stargazing and trying to tell apart the stars from the bugs.

Jason would listen closely to whatever you talked about, whether a topic to distract yourself or the nightmare itself.

You appreciated that about him, how attentive and always had an ear out for you. He'd never interrupt and always respond in some small way even if he wasn't the most talkative. And he never, ever made you feel ashamed for rambling either, no he adored it.

When you've managed to keep the fear and memory of the nightmare at bay, you find yourself drifting into a deep sleep as he carries you back home.

Michael

Okay let's be honest, Michael wouldn't really wake up immediately when you jolt out of bed, your mind reeling with fear. He's a heavy sleeper, but he'd probably notice when the bed feels weirdly lighter and colder.

On the other hand, he might not be there initially, taking care of business as per usual.

There was a time when he wasn't home and you were alone. You went to the kitchen to grab yourself some water and that's when you heard a noise at the door.

Judging by how heavy the footsteps were, you knew immediately it was Michael standing at the doorway of the kitchen.

Just the sight of him standing there like some big oaf had you a bit humored. On the other hand, Michael was wondering what you were doing up at this hour.

You got the message and welcomed him home, letting out a small shaky sigh, "Just got a bit of a bad night's sleep, Mike, that's all."

You wanted to keep your composure, after all, your partner had come home after a supposedly long night, and you didn't want to burden him with your issues.

Unexpectedly, Michael dropped his weapon on the counter and walked over to you and grabbed your wrist, pulling you into him, and bringing you into a hug.

Was he a bit rough and clumsy with it? Yes. Was it comforting? Also yes. At least, you were 99.99% sure it was intended to be.

Usually after doing "business", Michael tended to be distant for a bit of time, for what reason you were unsure, but you had always respected that boundary of his.

Needless to say, this out-of-character effort of his to comfort you was a much needed and much welcomed surprise. And to you, it seemed like a big step in the right direction for your strange relationship.

Bubba

You wake up with a start, immediately clasping your hand over your mouth to keep anyone from hearing your gasps and sobs because you'd rather not wake the others right now.

It takes Bubba a minute to get up since he's a little sleepy-eyed, but when he feels you trembling and sees you looking scared, he's grabbing the knife on the bedside table and getting up to look for an intruder.

Putting a hand on his arm, you let him know that there isn't one, you just had a nightmare.

He sets the knife down (safely) and immediately scoops you into a hug, letting out concerned clicks and chirps.

You find yourself grounded in his arms, the way warmth radiates from his body and how his heartbeat gently reverberates in your ears. His hugs are what remind you most of home, safety, and comfort.

Unfortunately, he parts for a moment, gently squeezing your shoulders to reassure you that it won't be for long, he'll be right back.

And while you don't want to let go, you resign yourself, having full faith and trust that your partner wouldn't just leave you there. He would never dream of doing so.

Moments pass until the sound of wood creaking draws your attention as your lover walks into the room with two mugs in hand.

Based on the smell that had your stomach instantly rumbling, he had made you fresh, homemade hot chocolate. This sweetheart found marshmallows to put in and even brought you your favorite mug, too.

You almost want to sob at that. But instead, you press a kiss on his lips and thank him.

Even with no exchange of words, you bask in the comfort of simply enjoying a rich drink with your partner in bed, your mind finally at ease.

When you go back to sleep, Bubba makes sure to hold you even closer and you know he won't budge even in his sleep and that alone is enough for you to know that you'll be safe to sleep again, especially with him to protect you.

[nerves-nebula]

Talking about incest under the cut

Kinda strange to me the way some ppl think about incest. A lotta ppl have this idea that incest and even SA in general is about attraction instead of control.

I never got the impression that my siblings were attracted to me so much as they wanted something I could do for them and badgered me into doing it with bargains or games or bribes or threats.

(Which, side note, honestly wasn’t too different from our normal interactions so it didn’t even super click in my mind that anything out of the ordinary was happening. It was just another instance of me being bullied into doing something I was anxious about and then feeling bad afterwards because I didn’t do it right or something.)

So I mean even in media where incest is like explicitly a thing and its meant to be explored in a dark or realistic way i still often see it portrayed as two siblings having a forbidden or depraved attraction/lust for each other (or at least one of them does, which I find more interesting from an obsessive ownership kind of perspective), which is weird cuz although I’m sure that’s a thing that happens I don’t really know how much incest is like that.

Cuz it really wasn’t about that, it was kind of more mundane I guess. From what I can remember it was about feeling a weird/good way and wanting to do it more and using someone else for that purpose cuz it feels better than doing it alone. And sometimes it was just an extrapolation of a more innocent kind of game.

At MOST it was a codependent obsessive relationship between abused children who needed to be able to trust someone, at least it was on my end. I really needed them, but I don’t think anyone needed me back, so I did what I could to be useful :p

[rayofmisfortune]

YES YES PLEASE let Eclipse be his own person now. He's served his purpose, he doesn't need those directives anymore! (...unless?? kinda strange how ruin installed MAGIC of all things in Eclipse. Eclipse hasn't used it for anything more than threatening the creator so far. Makes me wonder if Ruin isn't done yet...) Btw it's so funny how Ruin included puzzles as one Eclipse's directives. Can't think of anything else to use as a distraction apparently lskdfjl (1/?)

AM I'M SO SORRY FOR TAKING SO SO SO LONG TO ANSWER

I wanted to answer it the evening of it being sent but was too busy and then FORGOT AND OH MY GOSH I'M SO SORRY THYME AH

Uhm anyway- I think this was sent after the Eclipse showing up at Earth's doorstep video?? SO IT'S BEEN A LIL BIT HAHA

Since this being asked A LOTTA STUFF'S HAPPENED AND i haven't really been keeping up as much as I probably should but oh well eheh

Oh my Gosh WE NEED THAT RUIN FLASHBACK EPISODE NDJRFJ CAN YOU IMAGINE??? Like yea sure since then we got them kinda talking about their experiences BUT THE VISUALS OF A FLASHBACK SCENE PLEASE

Oh killing Ruin would HURT frankly I like this spin on them a little, hqve come to terms with their acts being just facades but now we're seeing THEM, and... yeah some bits and pieces from their personas are still there

Honestly atp it's a race between Moon and Eclipse abt who brings solar back first jfjfjf Eclipse disabled the portal FOR SOME REASON maybe he needed something from it for this plan of his? Unsure

OH MY GOSH SINCE THAT MEETING ECLIPSE HAS GOTTEN PROTECTIVE OF EARTH??? The show's taking eclipse places and I can't wait to see the end product of this slow change of character. The way they repeatedly brought up the fact Eclipse had been copied off of SOLAR'S CODE not and Eclipse's, that he's a clone and not the ACTUAL ECLIPSE. Oooooh i'm still waiting for that breakdown jfnfnfnf

[twilightmalachite]

Raison d’être - A Premature Burial 5

Author: Akira

Characters: Shu, Mika

Translator: Mika Enstars

"(…Ah, Nazuna-nii sent me a message sayin’ somethin’ like, “you haven’t replied, what’s happening?” Sorry to worry ya…)"

[Read on my blog for the best viewing experience with Oi~ssu ♪]

Season: Winter

Location: The Itsuki's House Cellar

Several hours later. In the storage cellar of the Itsuki household villa…

Mika: Zzz, zzz…♪

(…Nnah? Oh shoot, I fell asleep!)

(I’m a bit jet-lagged from travelin’ back and forth between Japan and France, huh… It’s also strangely dim an’ quiet here, so I got sleepy.)

(Ummm, ahh, looks like several hours have passed already. Anyone other than family was too much in the end, so I had t’stay back.)

(Are ya doin’ okay alone, Oshi-san?)

(But well, I am nothin’ more than jus’ a freeloader, I honestly don’t have any right to meddle into family affairs…)

(I remember this, this feelin’ slightly alienated.)

(Nothin’ I can do about that, though. I’m not Oshi-san’s family.)

Mika: (… …)

(…Ah, Nazuna-nii sent me a message sayin’ somethin’ like, “you haven’t replied, what’s happening?” Sorry to worry ya…)

(I’ll reply sayin’, “All is good~, I’m a lil’ jet-lagged and slept”.)

(“Right now, Oshi-san’s talkin’ to his family about what actually happened with his Grandfather.”)

(“From what Oshi-san’s sayin’, it doesn’t seem his Grandfather’s actually passed away, or anythin’ that serious.”)

(“Simply another of his lies, so t’speak.”)

(“But, it’s been a while and he’s still not back yet, I wonder if there’s trouble. I’m kinda worried…” …Hm, writin’ somethin’ like this will have Nazuna-nii worryin’ too.)

(“Seems like everythin’s all good here, so don’t worry too much.” …There. ♪)

(“Thank ya fer carin’ about me. Even though you have nothin’ to do with us anymore, Nazuna-nii.”)

(…Wait, treatin’ Nazuna-nii like a stranger like this might get him depressed.)

(Nnah~… I’m no good at this no matter how hard I try at it. I just wanna give a normal reply.)

(Well, that’s good, I’ll send… There. ♪)

(…I have nothin’ left to do.)

(Oshi-san told me to pass the time by rummaging through the things here as I wish…)

(But what kinda place is this? A storage room? Though I heard that when Oshi-san was a child, he sorta made it into his own room at his convenience.)

(Originally, the cellar was made for his madman Grandfather to toss any junk he collected elsewhere into. There really are quite a lotta strange things in here.)

(I also have a habit of pickin’ up and collectin’ junk too, so I feel like I understand his Grandfather a bit more…)

(Or maybe, that’s why Oshi-san told me to wait here.)

(Heheh. Allow me t’appreciate the collection of a “like-minded” fellow!)

(Ahaha, all the junk here’s is splendid… At the Antique Market, I heard somethin’ about how they often sell off valuables here.)

(Hm? Whats this, a book with a lock? Is this somethin’ like a diary?)

(What an unusual dial lock… It’s inscribed with letters instead of numbers. So it’ll open if ya spell out a certain word?)

(It’s like solvin’ a riddle! That’s interestin’. I’ll use my spare time tryin’ t’solve it.)

(Though it’s someone else’s diary, so I shouldn’t look at it. Even if I do unlock it, I won’t be able t’see what’s inside, but… Hmmm, I wonder if I can find any hints anywhere.)

(Hm~… There’s ain’t anythin’ written on the cover.)

(Oh, but there’s a book over there with the same type of bindin’ as this (alleged) diary!)

(Let’s see, this one has a title of sorts written on it… “The Taming of the Shrew”[1]?)

(I wish I were more educated, I can’t get a hint from this at all.)

Shu: —What are you messing around with?

Mika: Nnaaah!?

Y-y, ya scared meee! Don’t suddenly talk from behind me like that, I thought my heart would jump outta my mouuuth!

Shu: Hmph. If you don’t want to lose your vital organs, you better sew your mouth shut, then.

More importantly, Kagehira, things have gotten a bit troublesome… I’d like to ask for your assistance, if you don’t mind.

Mika: Nnah? Of course I don’t! I’ll always be of use to ya, Oshi-san~♪

Hm, huh? I just realized yer holdin’ Mado-nee in yer arms.

Don’t ya keep her somewhere safe whenever you gotta hurry back home like this, so ya don’t scratch her when movin’ about? Usually?

Shu: Hmph. I thought you had grown, but you’re still lacking when it comes to aesthetics.

This child here is not Mademoiselle. Although, she does look quite similar, doesn’t she?

I’d like to discuss some things with you, including that, so let’s move elsewhere. It’s unbearably dusty here.

It reminds me of when I was a child, when I was foolish and helpless, you see.

Mika: … …

[ ☆ ]

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1. A comedy written by Shakespeare. The plot depicts the story of Petruchio, the male lead, and the female lead Katherina, a stubborn "shrew" who is unwilling to respond to his courtship. The plot involves the "taming" of her through various methods to try to turn her into an obedient bride. I recommend reading a more detailed synopsis if you want to catch the small hints/references throughout the story!

[000yul]

so i love the ak lonetrail event. i really do. this isn't a post about it but reading it did prompt me to think about a bunch of things

this is more about how strange i feel when i read fictional stories about fictional scientists, and sometimes they're celebratory stories, but much more often they're stories about hubris, how science has gone too far.... and regardless, i'll see responses to the story that are like.. damn.. science/scientists powerful!!!! woah!!!!!!

and whether people are saying that positively or negatively—either can make sense in context, i'm not really criticising these responses—it feels so strange, seeing the state of science irl. i've kinda been in and around a bunch of STEM institutions, briefly debated joining academia, still kinda do vaguely researchy things sometimes, still know a lot of people in STEM... and among my friends and I there's been this sense of disillusionment. not just in the sense of oh, science is being used for terrible things (there's plenty of that, yes, and that IS important, but)—also the sense of. wow. there sure are a lotta .... plain ass fraudsters.....

it's this latter thing that's giving me so much dissonance when i read scifi these days. in fiction: scientists are punching holes in the sky! irl, well. two scientists are suspected of separately, independently, falsifying data... in their papers about honesty. you can't make this shit up. the entire field of psychology has been going through a crisis because so many results are just not reproducible. knowledge be damned when there's a publication count to worry about. (not to single out psych as a field, i think it's a bigger problem than that.) on the tech side, crypto... exists, and we are all the worse for how much time it's collectively wasted, that's the nicest thing you could even say about it. and even apart from crypto, silicon valley isn't really driven by tech, or engineering—like the tech is there but that's not what's pushing things along, it's money doing that. not any pretty ideal like the "pure pursuit of knowledge/invention." just the next shiny grift that can shake ass well enough, speaking the right buzzwords to get that sweet sweet VC dollar. and then starve some existing industry via attrition, and cash out when everything's in ruins.

i don't mean to exaggerate how doomed things are. i still work in stem, and i do think there's plenty of good to be found still. but when i think about how the fraudsters hide behind this Science! Wow! trope, and how they invoke the image of genius for their own actions it's just. wow. "omg science" starts ringing hollow, in that way where if you see a word too much it starts not looking like a word any more?

fiction about these dull, basic bitch kinds of hustlers is maybe less entertaining than the ones about super smart scientists/inventors, i get that. but it's probably a good thing to just keep in the back of the mind, to, idk, watch out for the people who'd really love for you to believe they're sooo hypercompetent.

just like in the stories.

[opalimagines]

Can I request something with reader being the Shade's daughter and dating Rick? With a lotta theatrics from the Swifts, if you please 😁 and maybe some spicy with Rick 😜

Characters: Rick Tyler/Hourman and Platonic!Richard Swift/The Shade

Requested by anonymous

Reader: Neutral

Warnings: None

Notes: Did this as headcanons because it fits better and I've thought about this scenario way too much to condense it into one imagine. But I have a lot of story ideas based around this that I'd like to play around with for sure. Some of it is discussed below.

First of all, we gotta talk about how Shade ended up with a kid. I don't think he could even have a biological child anymore (nor do I see him having one if he could), but they could be his orphaned great great great grandchild from when he was human, or the orphaned great great great grandchild of his beloved sister. Or something similar to his adopted daughter in the comics where you have powers or something and definitely could not have been raised by normal humans, so he takes you in.

My personal favorite is him adopting the child of one of the dead JSA members. Say, The Flash (IYKYK 😉)

No matter how he ended up being your parental figure, he's not a strict one. Shade has cared for you to the best of his ability, made sure you're well educated, and tried to keep the darker parts of himself from rubbing off on you (that didn't completely work though)

I see there being a lot of periods where you're sort of left to your own devices within the limits of Opal City. And I think that, as well as being different from other kids your age, makes you a little lonely by the time you arrive in Blue Valley.

You follow Shade there because he was acting strange when he told you he was leaving, and you make it there right around when he does. Naturally, you end up meeting the JSA and initially just think Rick is cute.

Nothing ends up happening during season two's events, but you stay in Blue Valley with Shade and a friendship begins to develop between you and the JSA. And something more slowly forms with Rick. You enroll at the high school so you're spending even more time with the team than before.

Shade can absolutely tell that the two of you have feelings for each other, and he really doesn't mind it. While he does value your safety very much, he's not the type of person who's going to control who you might date. And besides, after getting to know Rick better while attempting to resurrect Grundy, Shade's not concerned about the possibility of the two of you dating. If it takes too long, he'll end up planning some dramatic thing to get you and Rick to finally figure things out 😆

Anyway, you stay in town when Shade leaves and things with Rick continue as they are. Until he's deep in his hourglass addiction and says some very personal, hurtful things to you when you're trying to help him. You leave to join Shade and the twins, and once Rick starts coming back to himself, he thinks he screwed everything up and pushed you away for good.

But you make your dramatic entrance during the fight against Ultra-Humanite and the Icicle family, saving him in the process. He apologizes to you afterward, and you accept. I see feelings also being admitted at this point, but it's all kinda taken slowly because Rick's still going through some things after how messed up he got.

When you and Rick are official, Shade's glad for you. He trusts you and knows that Rick is a good young man, and as long as the two of you are being safe about things and you're happy, he doesn't insert himself in any way. Overall just pretty decent for Rick to have as his partner's parental figure (and future in law). He could be terrifying, but Rick would never do anything to bring that upon himself anyway.

Rick's pretty much accepted into your family of two before too long. He spends a good amount of time at your Blue Valley home, which Shade doesn't mind as he knows he still lives alone. You even take him back to Opal City at some point to show him your real home there. And all of your favorite places.

Dates at the diner, drive in movies, stargazing, hanging out in the woods with Grundy, and just enjoying one another's company.

You're so very happy with Rick, and that's all that a father can ask for.

And in a decade or so, Shade totally officiates the wedding

[resurrection-of-soul]

Flashback | BIOHAZARD 6

Writer: Akira (日日日)

Characters: Koga, Keito

Keito: Oogami! The least you could do is respond! What are you doing on the roof of the bicycle parking lot? I don't know if you're copying Sakuma-san or what, but don't do such strange things! Koga: Hmph. Even though there's a noisy, beaten dog barkin' at me at the moment, this is usually a nice, quiet spot with a lotta sunlight, so it's a nice place to get some sleep! (Wha? My mouth just moved on its own! The hell is with this? So gross!)

NOTE: From here on out, the story sporadically dips between the real world and a dream world being shared by all the members of UNDEAD. To visually separate the two in text, I will be using italics to indicate speech from real characters inside the dream world.

[ For the best viewing experience, please read directly on my blog! ♪ ]

Time: Later that night.

Location: Inside UNDEAD's shared dreamscape.

Koga: (…...) (…Nn? Huh?) (No way, mornin' already?) (The sun's so damn bright... Guess the pills they made us take for the experiment made me fall into a deep, dreamless sleep.) (I just closed my eyes n' the whooole night's already gone just like that, huh? Feels like I barely got any sleep.) (Wait, hold on? Even if it's mornin', ain't the sun way too bri— Huh!?)

Koga: (The hell!?) (Where the fuck is this? Didn't I fall asleep in that ryokan-like room...?) (Why the hell am I suddenly outside? This makes no sense!) (And, wait, huh? I can't move a muscle!?) (Is this sleep paralysis or somethin'? I don't understand a fuckin' thing!)

Keito: ...Oogami!

Koga: (Ah, this voice is…!?)

Keito: You there? Get down here, we need to talk!

Koga: (It's Hasumi-senpai— I mean, that shitty four-eyes, ain't it? Damn, you're still wastin' that nice, clear voice of yours on spoutin' bullshit like always, huh!?)

Keito: Oogami! The least you could do is respond! What are you doing on the roof of the bicycle parking lot? I don't know if you're copying Sakuma-san or what, but don't do such strange things!

Koga: Hmph. Even though there's a noisy, beaten dog barkin' at me at the moment, this is usually a nice, quiet spot with a lotta sunlight, so it's a nice place to get some sleep! (Wha? My mouth just moved on its own! The hell is with this? So gross!)

Keito: Who are you calling a beaten dog? Bastard, learn how to speak to your upperclassmen properly. Though, I suppose it's better than being weirdly hung up on formalities. And…hup.

Koga: Woah, you just casually got up on the roof like it's normal. Even though you're a monk who's always actin' like an honor student, you're surprisin'ly rowdy, huh?

Keito: Heh. I might seem straitlaced now, but I used to be a problem child who would climb up into the rafters in the main hall and kick the Buddha statue without permission, and every time, my father or older brother had to give me a smack before I'd stop.

Koga: That ain't the kinda thing ya oughta be actin' proud of, y'know.

Keito: Exactly so. …Imitating Sakuma-san's wild behavior will not benefit you in any way, as you'll simply be shunned and blamed by those around you.

Koga: Wh-who's imitatin' that guy?! This just so happens to be the perfect place to catch some sleep!

Keito: Is it difficult for you to sleep at home? Do you have a bad relationship with your family?

Koga: I-it ain't like that! It's just that they're always scoldin' me for hangin' out at underground live houses.

Keito: Those kinds of places are hotspots for delinquents. I can understand how your parents feel. They aren't scolding you, they're just worried.

Koga: G-geez, I ain't some lil' kid who needs my parents fussin' over me.

Keito: No matter how much time passes, in a parent's eyes, their children will always be children.

Keito: That aside, I see… The view from up here is surprisingly good. Look, Oogami. What's that, moving on the horizon? A ship?

Koga: Shut uuup, hell if I know. I mean, seriously, what's the matter with you… Hasumi-senpai, did'ja actually need me¹ for somethin'?

Keito: "ore-sama"?

Koga: Wh-what, you got a problem with the way I talk?

Keito: Not at all, I just hope you don't feel embarrassed of yourself when you look back on this behavior in the future.

Koga: Says the guy who goes around usin' "kisama,²" seriously.

Keito: Details. … Anyway, I did have actual business with you. For reasons unknown, Sakuma-san has called for us, the members of DEADMANZ, to gather as soon as possible. He wants us to go to the underground live house after school.

Koga: Hah? DEADMANZ? Wasn't that a "temporary unit" meant to be used just for that performance³ the other day?

Keito: I believed so as well. However, due to the circumstances it was necessary to establish it as an official unit, and we have yet to go through the proper procedures to dissolve it. To summarize, you and I are both still members of DEADMANZ. However, the others who helped us during that abominable "Dead Man's Live," such as Kiryu, were treated as guests and are not officially counted as unit members.

Koga: Oh yeah, that kinda scary lookin' guy… Hold on, does this mean I'll get to stand on stage with Sakuma-senpai again?

Koga: Woohoo! Ya shoulda said that right away, you guy with the stupid-lookin' glasses!

Keito: Don't speak ill of glasses. I'll get angry, since it reminds me of the way Sakuma-san and Eichi teased me relentlessly when I first started wearing glasses as a child. Anyway, to be perfectly honest, I don't really want to do this... Now's the time to switch up my thoughts and strategies in order to embark on the reform of Yumenosaki. There's a lot to take into consideration, and a mountain of things that need doing. I'm very busy. Getting called out by Sakuma-san at a time like this is definitely not going to lead to anything good... If I could, I would just pretend I didn't hear him and head on home, but... That's not an option. I'm the one who came up with the rule saying that the members of a unit should do their best to follow their leader's instructions, after all.

[ ☆ ]

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ore-sama, of course. A combination of the informal, masculine first-person pronoun ore and the honorific -sama, which is typically used to show great respect (ie, you'd use this honorific when addressing, say, the emperor). Ore-sama is therefore one of the most obnoxiously self-important ways a man can address himself. Please note this is the first time Koga actually uses a first-person pronoun in the JP script during this convo. That's relevant because Keito is about to comment on it.

Japanese pronouns are a whole thing. The short explanation is that, first off, it's already considered a little rude to directly address someone as "you" rather than using their name/title/whatever. Then, there's a whole hierarchy of pronouns you're meant to use depending on gender and a person's familiarity with/social status relative to yours. The immediately relevant bit here is the fact that Keito's preferred second-person pronoun, kisama, is rude as all hell. It used to be formal and respectful (hence the -sama honorific), but gradually came to come across as sarcastic in an insulting sort of way. People do not use this in real life unless a fistfight is imminent. (Well. People don't use it in real life regardless because it's fairly archaic and pretty much only shows up these days in works of fiction as a character quirk, but. You get the point.) Keito's tone is difficult to properly convey into English in general, because he uses a lot of big, fancy words and quotes a lot of proverbs, but he also conjugates sentences in a really direct and informal way, which makes him sound like a delinquent. Imagine someone who talks like a posh scholarly type, only to casually drop "fuck" into half his sentences.

A reference to Crossroad. I won't be marking every reference to Crossroad made in this story, as there are many. If you haven't already read it, I highly recommend doing so before returning to Flashback as, in many ways, Flashback can be considered a sequel to Crossroad.

[aeoki]

Phantom Airship - So I Raced Through The Sky: Chapter 2

Location: ES Meeting Room Characters: Izumi, Sora & Aira

Aira: Huh? Where am I…?

Wait! Why am I at ES!?

Did the game bug out and forcibly send me back to reality? But I should be in the prop room if that’s the case. I don’t know what’s going on…!

Sora: “HaHa~ What a disaster that tornado was, huh, traveller~?”

“Sora doesn’t blame you for being surprised. This is ‘Science Island’ – the island with the highest level of technology on the ‘Phantom Airship’.”

Aira: “Science Island”...? Oh, so is that why it looks so modern?

Sora: “There’s also a budget for 3D assets and a realistic-looking town, but that’s basically the gist of it~”

Aira: What~? It’s not every day that I get to experience VR and I’m the only one that’s sent to this realistic place… It kinda feels like a waste, you know?

Don’t you have something else for me? Like using magic or strange encounters that you’d never have in real life…?

Sora: “Unfortunately, we don’t have any of that.”

“This ‘Phantom Airship’ is a stage to improve idol abilities, so it’s made to ban cheating.”

“And everything on this ‘Science Island’ is made using science!”

“It’s very different from magic and fantastical islands, so please do your best in an honest manner~♪”

Aira: Y-You’re kidding. Then, how is that any different from what I normally do in real life!?

Uuu~ I guess I’ve got no choice. It looks like the footage from the “Phantom Airship” will be broadcast online or on TV, so I should do my best to show myself doing some cool things.

Umm. So what’s the trial on this “Science Island”?

We’re in a meeting room so like a quiz? Something that uses your brain? It’s not really my forte, but I’ve come all the way here, so I’ve gotta do something…!

Izumi: “Hey, Ai-kun~? You totally skipped today’s practice session, right?”

“You’re one of the idols I acknowledged, so you should get your head on straight. Otherwise you’ll just embarrass me!”

Aira: W-What…?

Izumi: “Geez. You’re still not getting it even after all I’ve said?”

“It makes me anxious practising on my own. You’re one of the idols I’ve acknowledged, Ai-kun, so you have to be with me!”

Aira: W-Wait a minute, Harukawa-senpai! What kind of trial is this!?

Sena-senpai is being weirdly needy. I mean, this Sena-senpai seems like a fake…! Did you eat something bad!?

Sora: “Oh, it seems someone appeared before Sora could explain.”

“This island is a bonus stage! WIth the help of technology, this world can grant your wish~☆”

“Anyway, all the NPCs in this world love you, Ai-chan!”

“You can stay however long you like on this island, so please have a lovely time ♪”

Aira: Really!? Yay! This is such a ravely turn of events!

(I see. We weren’t really bathing in the spotlight because of our newbie status.)

(But maybe it’s because we took part in the “SS” main battle, so we’re getting more opportunities where others spoil us with attention…!)

(If I work as an idol, they’ll also respect me when I’m not acting as an idol… Two birds with one stone is truly what this situation is like ♪)

Izumi: “So? What’re you gonna do now? If you’re gonna make me feel better, then I don’t mind joining you on some practice sessions.”

Aira: Ehehe. That sure makes it hard to choose…♪

I know. I’ll put the practice session on hold for now, but how about we go shopping instead?

I’ve always wanted to know the cosmetic products or the clothing brands you use, Sena-senpai… And there’s a lotta stuff I wanna talk about ♪

Izumi: “Really? Anywhere’s a blast with you, Ai-kun!”

“WIth that said, let’s go outside. I’ll pick out something for you ♪”

“...And you don’t have to keep calling me ‘Sena-senpai’.”

“We’re besties so isn’t there a better name you can call me?”

Aira: O-Oh, right! Sena-senp– I mean, Izu-kun!

I’m so happy you acknowledge me, Izu-kun. Let’s be good friends forever ♪

Ehehe. I was really worried when we were hit by that tornado, but I can’t believe I got to wake up in this paradise…♪

Thanks, Harukawa-senpai! I’m gonna enjoy this bonus stage for a little while longer!

Sora: “HiHi~♪ Looks like you’re making good use of it right away, Ai-chan!”

“This ‘Phantom Airship’ is a video game where you can enjoy wonderful illusions. Sora hopes you can have a lot of fun on this ‘Science Island’ before you get sick of it~♪”

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ← Previous Chapter ᠂ ⚘ ˚⊹˚ ⚘ ᠂  Next Chapter →

[winns-stuff]

Honestly why does Hades even have like 7 dogs?? Why do we almost never see Cerberus, you know the Actual hell hound of Hades who guards the underworld? (Where's Charon, the Stygian boatman? I guess because the gods have cars and can fly theres no need for souls to cross the river styx anymore?)

But back to the dogs. Hades even mentioned at one point his therapist telling him to stop getting dogs and he blatantly ignores his therapists advice. So he has zero self control and even in telling Persephone no, still often gives into her demands, which isnt healthy either.

Also Hades' personality is a bit strange. Hes simultaneously really mean and callous to his employees yet gift giving is his love language (which I guess is supposed to paint him as sympathetic?). He loves his dogs and despite being a king he can't put his foot down and actually assert some boundaries in a relationship and is seen as a pushover and a victim of Minthe... Despite having control of all her finances and job.

And then we have Persephone "cinnamon roll" goddess whos supposed to be super nice yet a lot of her personality traits kinda contradict? She's also mean and callous to people who she think has wronged her (Tori). Doesn't know how to take no for an answer. Is somehow naive as all hell (doesn't know internships aren't paid) yet is supposed to be super smart and have a buncha wisdom which is counteracted by her growing up in a secluded area and apparently this makes her a good fit for being a queen. Is a vegetarian and is supposedly down to earth village girl yet loves all the expensive gifts Hades presents her with. Etc. I'm probably wording this badly so apologies.

Also, with one of your other posts, yeah why is hades portrayed as sad and lonely in the underworld when he has a team of people and a support network? (Hecate, thanatos techncially, Minthe etc?) Then it just seems like RS is trying to go for "Hades technically has everything but hes still sad and tragic cause he doesn't have a waifu".

Again, sorry this rant got wayy off track. There's just a lotta weird contradictory things in LO character wise and setting wise (having a monarchy yet Apollo is running for president for ex).

It’s completely fine! I enjoy reading the opinions of others since it gives me insight and helps me realize/understand things better and you worded everything fine, I understood everything. But you’re right there’s a lot of things that are missing with LO that connects to greek mythology, like yes I know it’s a retelling but there shouldn’t be so many elements taken from the original that it’s completely unrecognizable? I’ve seen this from a lot of people who talk about how Americanized Lore Olympus is and I can’t help but agree, there’s no greek traditions or clothing. Barely any greek phrases or any signature dishes, nothing connects Lore Olympus back to Greece even though it’s their myths and I think it’s a huge letdown. Being modernized doesn’t equal to Americanized, there should at least be some sort of connection even if it’s small you know? I feel like it’s not exactly my place to go into too much detail but that’s just been on my mind for a while and I’ve noticed it a lot lately.

I’m guessing Rachel just thought that Hades was a huge dog person since Cerberus was always with him in the myths? I’m not sure. But it’s insane that she included so many dogs yet only showcases about four in total. Me personally I would’ve liked to see Hades get emotional support dogs or something, then we can take a dive in his other traumas besides Kronos, because that seems to be the only terrible thing that’s happened to him. The emotional support animals could’ve also helped him with his emotions and helped regulate them better so he wouldn’t be lashing out on everyone, it would also be good representation about the importance of emotional support animals and the seriousness around them. There’s a bunch of people who still think they’re regular dogs and the people having them are just using them as “an excuse”, this could’ve easily showed people more about them and educated them more in my opinion.

And Hades’ personality is very weird, he alternates from different personalities every few chapters and also even every few panels. You see him wanting to be understood by his peers and not wanting to be a tyrant like his father, then you cut to him being an absolute madman and causing chaos to those beneath him. He doesn’t want to include Persephone in his life because he has too much baggage but then you cut to him trauma dumping on her when she was telling him about her own. You see him not wanting attention or to make things about himself and then cut to every single conversation he’s engaged being transformed about him by him. Then lastly, he says how it’s terrible for Persephone to be lied to/it’s disgusting to cheat, then you cut to him keeping information from her and cheating with his sister in law (in this comic). There’s so many contradictions with him that you never really know who he truly is and it’s irritating trying to play the guessing game with him. Is he mean and cruel or sad and lonely? Which is it?

Same is said with Persephone, nothing about her character makes any sense. How is she going to dumb as rock one scene and then oh so smart in the next? I’m so caring and I care about not hurting Minthe’s feelings and then play house with her boyfriend knowing that they’re with each other? Feel guilty about breaking them apart but continue to go after him? It’s really stupid. And then she claims that she enjoys him because he’s nice to her yet everyone else that is nice to her doesn’t get half of her attention like Hades does, she doesn’t do anything nice for any of her friends or family or even coworkers only for Hades. Not only that but we’re supposed to believe she doesn’t use him even though whenever they’re together Hades is giving her all types of gifts, many of which she’s never offered back even with her money, and taking her places/making her feel better and such. We never see Persephone putting in any effort to do the same yet she’s not using him? Funny story.

Their whole relationship is one sided on both ends and it’s insane how people think it’s romantic, a relationship is between two people one person should not be doing all of the work while the other one lounges around and allows the other to bend over backwards for them. It’s very sad that Persephone not respecting Hades’ boundaries is fine when it’s Persephone but if Hades did the same thing (which I know he has but I mean actually clearly, like intentional and not having the comic tell you otherwise) it would be terrible. I do feel bad for Hades being taken advantage of like this, he’s just too up Persephone’s ass to even realize it.

[shinygoku]

Please Please Me (1963)

Part 1 in the CutCat Reviews Beatles Albums series, and what better place to start than the beginning?

Dang... they were sure Baby Bugs back then!

I ain't yet listened to every song on this here album, so this'll be interesting and strangely new, haha (Though I should disclaim that I'll be listening to the highest quality versions I can find on YT, so some will be innately more advantaged than others)

SIDE ONE

I Saw Her Standing There: One, Two, Three, FAUWH!! While part'a me raises eyebrows at "Well she was just 17, and you know what I mean" part (which is also somewhat mitigated by their own youth at the time! lol), the rest is such a fun, high energy bit of Rock n Roll that I enjoy this quite a bit, and it makes a great energetic opening to the album to boot!

Misery: A sad song set to jaunty music, if I didn't understand English I'd prolly miss that detail XD - Though I defo prefer said upbeat instrumentations to the otherwise kind of stock breakup song

Anna (Go To Him): Ahh, our first cover! Not keen on their harmonies here, something sounds Off. The song itself is fine, but as they didn't write it I won't be going into much about the words :P

Chains: Harmonica! Another cover so I'm gonna skip the lyrics, but the instruments and harmonies are on good display here~ I'm sorry to say I didn't notice it was George on vocals until I checked though, sorry! ^^;;

Boys: Ringo's turn with a cover!! He puts a lotta energy into this, and I like that they didn't change it to Girls or something instead lmao - His range works well for this, there's great guitar and Paul screaming in the background too, but the lyrics themselves don't stick in my mind much, it seems to be mostly "Talk about Boys, [Yeah Yeah Boys]"

Ask Me Why: We leave the sea of Covers for this side, for a lot of stringing out single words lmao, it kinda feels like an inverse of Misery, being much lower key but being Glad, though again the lyrics ain't really making a strong impression on my memory so when I get to the next side I doubt I'll be able to recall it well

Please Please Me: NOW WE'RE TALKING, BAYBEE! The words may be cheeky and arguably shallow, but it's got such energy and rhythm that I really do feel motivated to stand and move in response! The instruments all do a strong job here, and I think I actually first heard this as an instrumental and knew I needed to check it out more lmao. I can't think why Love Me Do got the #1 and this didn't, man!!

SIDE TWO

Love Me Do: I do not care for this song! Objectively it has a lovely bass, nice steady drums and impressive harmonica. But URGHHHH I cannot stick the vocals saying such inane, repetitive words! I feel like this is the only Beatles song that Beatle Haters hear, and form their entire opinion on. I can't fathom how it reached a #1 slot, other than it having been an exceedingly slow period for Tunes, or maybe the mouth organ really WAS that novel?! But when playing the Number Ones CD I always, always skip it, and even the newest version with the Now and Then release fails to win me over. And Ringo ain't even the drummer here!!

P.S. I Love You: Really benefits from following LMD, lmaoooo. It's a nice little tune with some instrument I can't identify (castanets?). I feel like From Me To You kinda does the long distance thing better, but there's a nice rhythm and harmonies that make this pleasing. It's also not Ringo drumming, again - no offence to Andy White, but y'ain't one'a the Lads! :T

Baby It's You: We're back in the Cover Realm. This song is nice. When I first heard the "Cheat" I thought they were saying "Shit" though, which I think woulda made it better XD ...15 mins after listening to it I have no memory of how it sounds :v

Do You Want To Know A Secret: In original and George territory! Gotta say the "secret" was extremely predictable :P The music is perfectly nice, but it doesn't strike me as Beatles Standard, ya know? That applies to a fair few on this album, not just this, but it's now that I really Am Thinking it ^^;;;

A Taste Of Honey: Cover! Less to say! They do good! When I listen to it my brain tries turning it more into a meme song, like it goes "A taste of Honey! Tasty!!", so idk what that says about the song itself but it's not the most glowing of reviews lmao

There's A Place: Ahh, the last Original on this album~ Sounds oddly modern in the sense of maladaptive daydreaming...! They really WERE ahead of the time (or having a Mind Palace is old as Hunter Gatherers maybe, both work lol). It's another inoffensive but hard to really talk about number, musically.

Twist And Shout: I've been pretty Cool to all the covers here, but this is quite the exception, and OOOOH IT'S SO RAAAAW (Infamously so, we all know John had to save this one for last as it shredded his vocal chords somewhat!). Another one that actually makes me Move, which is impressive, and it closes the Album on a very strong note~

CONCLUSION

Best 3: I Saw Her Standing There, Please Please Me, Twist And Shout

Blurst 3: Love Me Do, Anna (Go To Him), Baby It's You. [To be honest I kinda wanna put LMD here three times instead, but myeah]

Overall Quality?: It's Decent! In the context of it being their debut album, it's more impressive, but knowing how much the songwriting and music would develop does rather cast this in a long shadow. My 3 faves here are also the only ones* that got Red Album remasterings by the looks of it, and I sure see why they were chosen over the rest (*Though Love Me Do's omnipresence baffles me!)

🪲🪲🪲🪲

Neeext Time on my Bug Music reviews, we shall be With The Beatles ;3c

[radama-zard]

Dungeons & Drabbles 2023

Day 6 - Sanctuary

(Fell a lil' behind there, oops!!!)

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FCG/Imogen - ModernHuman AU

It was strange how great a difference two doors, a janky box of a lift and a little fresh air could make. Away from the hustle and bustle of the nightclub below, Imogen felt free to just be. And she wasn't the only one who seemed to feel that way, judging by the sigh of relief dropped by her sweetheart beside her.

“Glad to be free of the storm too, darlin’?” Imogen playfully asked, dropping down into one of the waterproof beanbags that the owner of Spire By Fire so graciously provided for their less than… wild patrons.

And by wild she meant the kind of people that enjoyed getting shit faced, surrounded by like, one hundred other drunk idiots, with music blaring so loud she could feel it in her teeth, as one stumbled around, blinded by the colorful, flashing lights.

If Fearne and Ashton hadn't insisted upon a ‘double date’, then neither of them would even be here. Clubs had never really been their thing.

“I’m still not sure I really get the appeal of it,” Fresh Cut Grass retorted, wheeling over to join Imogen with a soft little chuckle. Wordlessly he extended a hand, which she took in a heartbeat, steadily helping them to their feet before helping her date-mate to settle down on the beanbag beside her. “It's a whole lotta noise and strangers gettin’ too close without sayin’ so much as hi! And I’m sayin’ this as a people person.”

“I think it takes a particular kind of people person, or just person in particular to enjoy this kinda scene. You know, the kind that enjoys… grindin’ on strangers who smell like cheap whiskey. And not havin’ workin’ eardrums the next morning.”

Fresh Cut Grass hummed, shuffling just a tad before Imogen felt the familiar weight of his head resting upon her shoulder, drawing a tender smile to tug at her otherwise tired lips.

“You know, I think I’d like comin’ back here!” Fresh Cut Grass chirped, feeling Imogen's surprised scoff as she slipped an arm around his waist, fingertips tracing languid swirls as her hand came to rest upon their hip.

“You gotta be shittin’ me, Letters. You looked about ready to snap down there! Not that I’m blamin’ ya, I was damn well ready to start throwing fists after the third guy ’accidentally’ bumped into me.”

“Oh. No. Not down there! That’s a sensory and navigation nightmare!” They quickly assured her, hands waving nervously for just a moment. “I mean… up here. It's real nice. The moon’s out, we can barely hear a peep outta all the noise downstairs, and… it’s just the two of us. It's kinda like we got our own private sanctuary!”

The fairy lights that decorated the railings and trimmings all about this rooftop hideaway twinkled sweetly around them, reminding Imogen of the stars of her hometown. The big city was awful for stargazing, something she had whined about countless times to Laudna.

Right now though, light polluted sky hardly phased her, drowned out potted shrubbery and little trees, by the rainbow of blossoms and blooms that surrounded them, all only made that much prettier by the way they reflected in Fresh Cut Grass’ bespectacled baby blues.

The world had always looked so much prettier, shimmering back at her through his ever sparkling eyes.

“A sanctuary, just for you and me,” Imogen whispered, low and sweet. “I like the sound of that. Our own lil’ slice of heaven.”

A tender hand cradled Fresh Cut Grass’ cheek, and Imogen’s heart went absolutely aflutter as she felt them lean into it… and then began to race as he shyly turned to lay a press a fleeting kiss upon her palm.

“Bein’ with you always kinda feels like this…” Came his own whispered reply, an admission just dripping an adoration that left Imogen’s face hotter than the fenced off little firepit that flickered just a few feet before them.

“I guess… bein’ with you is kinda like a sanctuary all of its own!” Fresh Cut Grass finished with a warm, easy laugh, before dipping in and dropping a kiss right to the tip of their girlfriend’s burning nose.

A kiss that she swiftly stole, her lips upon theirs in an adoring mess of a sudden kiss.

Not that Fresh Cut Grass minded.

No, they didn't mind this at all.

[delafiseaseses]

You probably don't care, but people earn my respect through actions I approve of. Acting in a way I think is a good way to act. The way I intend to act.

Those actions am quite simple, these am in the order they pop into me head:

Not letting people walk all over you.

Knowing when to drop a topic and move on.

Learning from and admitting your mistakes and shortcomings.

Practice self-examination. Nothing is more dangerous than refusing to scrutinise oneself.

Don't dismiss other's struggles. Even if they sound strange to you or you think you've suffered worse.

Oh, that's a big one. Suffering is not a contest, don't treat it like it is.

Not starting fights over personal taste differences.

Understanding not everyone is like you and being good with that.

Understanding that people know themselves better than you know them.

Not expecting apologies to be accepted (I don't actually believe an apology you expect to be accepted is a real apology).

General politeness (you can be rude with people who aren't being polite themselves, there's leniency here).

Not name-calling and otherwise insulting people (again, leniency for when the other side isn't followin' this rule).

Slurs are a no-go (this don't apply to self-identification, words with numerous contexts that can be slurs or using terms when discussing said terms in conversation).

Basic respect is a big thing with me. Respectin' pronouns, gender, sexuality, nationality.

Be considerate of others.

General weariness of generailsations (especially of immutable things like ethnicity, place of birth, etc.)

A subcategory of that: Be very weary of being nationalist, even as a joke (I dislike people who insult French people for instance, nationalism is not quirky or funny).

Just don't be bigoted in general. You'll fail at this, because this is a very bigoted world, but strive for reduction of bigotry from yourself everyday.

Don't put words in other people's mouths.

Giving benefit of the doubt to a reasonable degree (there's a lotta nuance there to what 'a reasonable degree' is).

Just, generally don't jump to conclusions.

Don't dilute terms and generally try and use things properly (example: using the term 'TERF' as just 'transphobe' since that's a specific category of transphobe and transphobic ideology).

Knowing when to argue and when to simply block someone (like when you see a TERF, for instance, just remove 'em from your sight).

Listen to a wide-variety of people, hear numerous sides of a discussion. Then form an opinion. Gut instincts and knee-jerk reactions are often unhelpful (and full of bias).

Understand that nobody speaks for everybody in a category and treatin' people as ambassadors for their demographics is a bad thing to do.

Don't make assumptions about others lives or capabilities.

Oh, don't act like your views are all unequivocal 'objective fact' and everyone else is 'subjective' or use 'subjective' as a negative.

At the same time, both sidesing is not always sensible. There are sides that are just plain wrong (TERFs are a good example of this)

Generally think before you speak.

Know you don't need to share your opinion on everythin' or act like your views are somehow better than other people's views.

Don't be mean about spellin' mistakes or poor-wording. At best you'll be being mean, at worst you'll be being ableist or nationalist.

Uhh... I can't think of anythin' else of the top of my head. Why did I even write this? Felt like it. I know basically nobody is gonna be like "Oh boy, I really don't want to lose the respect of Delafiseaseses.". Now, living up to all these standards is kinda impossible, but striving for such things is a good idea. We're all everchanging, complex and contradictory creatures.

And that's good.