#(overall it can tell i like dead by daylight but also seems to be under the impression that i smoke cigarettes.)

[ripadolin]

you would be stunned how many times i wasted a pallet and got downed anyway bc i forgot about the pyramid head attack -_-

i have 4 days off for labor day so im finally downloading the backwards dracula update

[dastardlydandelion]

my thoughts on fear street 1666 now that i finished scrubbing all the toilets, got to go home and watch it

holy shit. that movie. wow. 

it wasn’t as fun as the other two. didn’t employ the same campy tropes. didn’t present itself in a flourish of period typical style. while i enjoyed the first two films paying homage to classic horror tropes and making the most of the stylish side of their respective environments, i am v grateful and relieved that 1666 *wasn’t* as fun as the other two and actually presented the horror of puritan fanaticism and witch accusations more srsly. imo it portrayed that grave, twisting dread that the subject matter calls for. i appreciate that bc i think i would’ve been uncomfortable if they attempted to do smth more campy with the time period given what we already knew abt the circumstances of sarah’s death even before the film. 

more of me blathering on and on abt fear street 1666 under the cut: 

the twist actually worked on me this time. they actually got me on this one, u guys. i rly watched this franchise believing sarah fier was possessing ppl and wreaking her vengeance on the town, but this whole time it was the fuckin’ goodes. nick, i never liked u, i think ur more interesting than i did before before when u were a generic as generic gets asshole, so now ur somewhat more interesting but even bigger of an asshole than i gave u credit for. ur literally the worst asshole of assholes, ur a walking infected hemorrhoidal rectum of a human being. 

don’t get me wrong, i always thought sarah was going to be portrayed sympathetically. i never doubted that. my theory was that sarah was going to be a sympathetic villain. i thought 1666 would’ve revealed why she cursed shadyside. i figured she would’ve cursed her townsfolk for turning their backs on her, maybe, or hurting/killing hannah, or using her for her witchcraft and then getting angry if it backfired on them, or smth like that. i thought we were going to watch a story abt sarah’s descent into darkness and while she’d defo be a tragic villain, she rly would be the person behind the possessions...but it wasn’t even her. she and hannah were just vulnerable to the town’s suspicion and persecution bc they were queer women who didn’t behave the way society wanted them to behave. and they were blamed for evil actually wrought by heterosexual men in power, and when sarah realized there was no way out of it, she took the blame upon herself so hannah was spared and she cursed only the goode family?? 

THAT IS SO MUCH BETTER. FUCK. THAT IS SUCH A BETTER STORY. kudos to this trilogy for being more intelligent than it ever had to be, when it could’ve just skated on the notoriety of the fear street series, the style, and billing notable cast members. 

so yeh, i defo 100% appreciated the goode men from wealthy sunnyvale being revealed as the true villains. i actually got my wish of nick getting killed in the face. i love that sarah possessed deena to do it herself!!! and deena!! oh man, i love deena so much. she was wearing a homebrew vest to protect herself made of fear street novels + duct tape, u gotta love it. ig she wanted to prepare herself since sam stabbed her at the end of 1994. on that note, she’s v active in this film for someone who has a fresh abdominal stab wound and i mean, the situation defo calls for it, but i hope she remembered to properly dress it and take a couple ibuprofen or smth. shit, i’m gettin distracted again. okay!! 

i loved errything that went down in the mall. i adore that josh and adult ziggy got more time to shine. i was so! so! happy at martin’s inclusion on the action. he deserved that after the way nick treated him in 1994. our occupations are also p similar so i defo relate to martin on that front. i loved it all the neon and blacklight stuff at the mall. that part was v stylish, that was p cool. spraying the killers with the blood so they kill each other!! yes! that was perfect!! it was incredibly practical and enjoyable for me, as a gore fan, to watch. 

i liked the sticky note on the wall at the end from deena and josh’s dad, that he had a job interview. i wonder if this is bc the curse of shadyside has been lifted with the end of the goodes?? 

yk, i feel like now knowing what we know abt the actual evil, i gotta wonder how much re-watch value there is to be gleaned from this trilogy. for example, in 1978, nick liked ziggy and didn’t want her to die. he performed cpr on her even tho she’d been stabbed a fuck ton of times and tbvh, the chances of success of resuscitation depending on what exactly it is was ziggy succumbed to seem v slim. at first i attributed this to a suspension of disbelief bc this is fiction (and to be fair crazy do happen sometimes irl, ykw, sometimes reality can surprise u) BUT now i’m sittin here like...was the cpr successful bc nick’s deal with the devil gave him the power to do that?? did his bargaining of others’ souls and offering them up for possession grant him the ability to have some control in that situation somehow? at least more than a normal human being should?? idk. it’s a thought. 

what else, what else? 

i feel like outta the three, 1666 had the most tension overall. i was p gosh darn emo abt the relationships. deena and sam’s relationship i’ve cared abt since the beginning but the contrast of them getting the opportunity to have it and be together, in parallel to the way sarah and hannah’s ended just moves u. or, it moved me at least. sarah tells hannah they’ll go somewhere and kiss in broad daylight before kissing her in almost total darkness, and then the film ends on deena and sam kissing in the sun. i was also glad deena and josh’s sibling relationship got touched on a lil bit more. thought it was cute that she tried to cook for him and produced smth that just dead ass looks inedible. i also thought it was sweet that ziggy reunited with nurse lane. she can do that now, she can leave her house without fearing the return of the curse, and she deserves it. <3

i’m impressed with the trilogy overall. each movie easily could’ve been an r-rated goosebumps episode and imo all were certainly better than that. i feel like each film was better than the previous, but personally enjoyed each one. some things were p predictable but i think much of that is intentional. 1994 and 1978 were clearly paying homage to classic slashers and familiar horror tropes. i personally didn’t find the predictability off-putting bc i recognized what they were trying to do, and felt the quality in the other elements made up for it. i was genuinely shocked by the actual villain reveal, i personally didn’t predict that. again, i always thought sarah was going to be sympathetic and i never liked nick at all, but i didn’t suspect sarah was just. dead ass *not* going to be a villain or that he was going to be the big bad. 

really dug the style of these films. loved that we got an interracial lesbian couple who made it thru the trilogy without either the predatory lesbian trope or the byg trope happening. i liked most of the characters we got to know and the only character who *rly* grated on my nerves was the villain who got stabbed in the eye. 

gosh, i want more fear street movies!! if i had to pick one outta any of the slashers featured, i’d want to see ruby lane’s story. i would like to see this production team milking the most outta the environment in the 50s, the style of the 50s, music, and whatnot. i enjoyed nurse lane even tho she was super bad at murder, so it’d be cool to see her again and who she was before her daughter got possessed and killed 7 ppl. also, ruby sings when she kills?? 

that’s weird and creepy and neat. totally down for it. 

[shimmershae]

My thoughts on Episode 8--For Blood

As always, placed behind a cut for those of you that would rather escape my babbling, lol.  You’re welcome.  

Sadly, I don’t think this is anticipation I feel.  I’m pretty sure it’s dread but okay.  Here we go.  

This episode has to go up from the rock bottom boredom of last week, right?  

Let me preface what I’m about to say with the truth that I in no way hate Maggie.  She’s been with us since Season 2 and I have an emotional attachment to her, mostly due to my love of Glenn and the way he loved her.  She’s not my favorite by any means, but the fact of the matter is, I do like and appreciate her and don’t mind that she is back because it’s nice to have old familiar faces with us to take us into the final season.  That said?  Forcing Maggie front and center after her long absence ultimately, IMHO, has not worked in these first 8 episodes.  I can’t help but feel if ASZ had been the A story with Maggie/Negan and Daryl/Leah/the Reapers the B1 and B2 story?  These episodes would have been better received overall and not feel so much like they’re trying so hard.  Maybe lead me toward the water instead of shoving my head in it next time, Angela?  Hmm?  

Oh goodie.  They’re opening at Meridian.  Should I get my bathroom break out of the way now or give myself an out for later?  Call it Shae’s choice, lol.  

That flicker of a smirk Leah gave to Carver after their mini walk down memory lane had more spark to it than the entirety of her and Daryl’s toxic relationship.  In the future, maybe Angela will lean all in on them instead of Leah and Daryl.  Something tells me Leah knows this “brother” biblically.  

Daryl recognizes Whisperer moves when he sees ‘em.  Somehow, he realizes Maggie and Negan have banded together however reluctantly.  

Pope doing it “Dixon’s” way but not allowing Dixon to do the actual thing shows the level of distrust and paranoia the man still haves for outsiders. 

Look at Daryl chewing his lips with worry for his people.  If he and Leah know each other even a little bit, she has to recognize that as one of his tells.  

Ooohhhh.  Who took the first stab at Wells?  Maggie?  Negan?  Father G?  I swear.  I took my eyes off the “ball” one second and the whole damn play is halfway down the field.  Sorry.  If you cannot tell, I watched football with the fam yesterday, lol.  

The Walking Dead logo didn’t crumble this time.  Interesting.  Parts of it looked like it had been rebuilt.  With brick.  Wood.  Other parts of it looked reclaimed by nature.  Call me crazy, but that almost looks like an eye/part of a face on the first D.  

Okay then.  Babbling nonsense about the logo over, lol.  Tell me.  Please.  Anybody.  How do the events at ASZ line up with the events at Meridian?  Because it’s night and full-blown storming in ASZ and still daylight at Meridian.  But hey.  Thank fuck we’re in ASZ.  

All the babies huddled together giving me feels.  Sorry.  I know some feel they have no place on the show, but I personally enjoy their inclusion from time to time.  It usually plucks hard at my heartstrings.  

Connie tenderly comforting an injured Virgil is sweet, not gonna lie.  

Aww.  Is that Hershel petting a scared RJ’s hair?  Unless it’s a case of me not being able to pick out and place all the little hands, which it most certainly could be, I’m thinking Judith’s got her hand on her knee and that’s Hershel’s hand in RJ’s hair.  Regardless of whose hand is where, it was a sweet little scene.  What can I say?  I’m easy because Baby Glenn and Baby Rick, ya’ll.  

Oh snap.  The windmill’s on fire and pieces of the wall are blowing down main street ASZ like steel tumbleweeds, lol.  

Anybody else having flashbacks to the barn from Season 5?  Good times.  We still had most of Team Family with us then.  They were in a bad place, hurting and lost and just trying to survive--when are they not just trying to survive?--but they were together.  I miss them.  

Carol and Lydia holding each other.  These two, lovelies, have my whole heart.  

Wells is Walker Jerky, Shaw.  Stop wasting your breath.  

“She did.  My enemy.”  I mean, are we supposed to get the impression Maggie’s been a formidable adversary to Pope?  Because she feels more like a roach that simply knows the best rocks to hide under.  Granted, roaches are hard to kill but still.  I’m gonna need them to give us something better than Maggie being Pope’s enemy simply because she didn’t want to give up her home without a fight because this is frankly unbelievable and bordering on stupid.  

Alright.  So they’ve obviously been sowing the seeds of distrust and defiance between Leah and Pope because she doesn’t like losing family but Daryl?  Man?  You and Leah have differing opinions about how family operates.  Trust me on this.  

So.  Three teams, huh?  Aaron fighting the windmill fire, Carol repairing the breach in the wall, Rosita protecting the babies that represent their future.  Choose your fighters, lol.  Seriously, though.  Why do I have the sinking feeling only one group is going to be shown actually doing their thing?  

Listen.  Am I pissed we haven’t gotten the scene we deserve yet between Carol and Connie after all that’s happened and we’re getting crumbs mainly because Angela wrongly feels the Reapers/Maggie & Negan/Daryl & Leah need more focus?  Absolutely.  You bet your sweet asses.  But Melissa fucking McBride just took the crumbs allotted her and made a magnificent, work of art cake out of it trying all on her lonesome to feed us starving Carol fans.  

Bless Connie wanting wanting to go with Carol.  What a show of trust and sister-like solidarity that must have some hate-rotted guts about to turn themselves out.  

I love Kelly and Connie’s sister bond.  No ill will intended, but It takes the good parts of Maggie and Beth and elevates it beyond anything those two ever showed us.  I really feel like that’s a testament to Angel and Lauren’s real life ease with each other.  

Magna choosing to go with Aaron makes me wonder if it’s possible she feels some kind of residual guilt over Connie.  Not guilt for anything she’s actually done, but simply guilt over making it out.  

Virgil volunteering to help.  Okay.  Damn.  I’m honestly starting to like the guy.  

Judith offering to go with her aunt Carol had me all up in my feels.  I mean, granted.  It was a blink and you miss it scene.  We really deserved a longer heart to heart between that little girl and the woman that’s sacrificed so much to keep her safe and loved her for so long, but you know I’ll gobble any and all Judith/Aunt Carol content up.  Seems to me, Little Ass Kicker is just as afraid of letting Aunt Carol out of her sight as Uncle Daryl.  My heart.  

Gracie and Aaron are sweet.  And honestly?  I find them more realistic and true to what normal parents and children would be like in a ZA than Judith and Michonne no matter how much I love that bond.  I mean no disrespect, but I really do.  

“Why am I keeping you around?”  Pope asking the question we’re all wondering.  

Not Apocalypse Popeye comparing Daryl to a stray dog.  Joe from the Claimers already declared Daryl an outside cat that thought he was an indoor cat.  I did have to internally cheer when Daryl was like “I’m ain’t gonna lick it” talking about the helping hand Pope had extended him.  

“Somehow she has turned the dead against the living.  Oh, that’s impressive.”  The thing about Pope respecting Maggie so much as an enemy is I just find it hard to buy, lol.  Like if this had been Carol, yeah.  But Maggie?  Nope.  They’ve mostly shown her (with Gage being the bewildering exception) to be all bark and no bite.  

Has the house in ASZ really become that dilapidated that they can see through its walls?  Because its original owners dodged a bullet if so.  

Look at Grace hero-worshipping Judith.  It’s sweet.  

Virgil telling Judith Michonne would be proud of her is nice but doesn’t feel as earned as if someone like Daryl or Carol that actually knew Michonne well said it.  But maybe that’s the whole point--Judith needs to hear it from someone she knows isn’t going to just say what she wants to hear.  

Call me jaded, it was a touching scene, but also?  It felt designed to allow Judith to move beyond her very normal and realistic feelings of being abandoned by Michonne, even though she gave her the “okay” herself.  Like she’s still a kid.  Wants don’t always line up with feelings.  Anyway.  Cailey continues to be a bright, shining little star and I love how she’s managed to make Judith a true amalgamation of all the people she’s loved who have loved her in return.  Not just Michonne.  I know people like to overlook and cheapen the fact, but it’s taken a village and entire family to raise her from infancy.  

Gracie really should have known better than play in front of the windows during a storm period, but oh well.  Plot point, lol.  

Seriously, though.  I feel like they’ve teased poor Gracie’s demise in a multitude of ways since the beginning of the season.  I hope nothing ultimately comes of it but I fear it will.  All I can say if the worst comes to happen is poor Aaron.  

Where are Negan and Elijah though?  Ouch.  There they are, taking on shrapnel for the cause.  

Ready the what now?  

There’s ASZ’s Baby Sitter Extraordinaire!  Barbara, is it?  That lady’s been putting in the work since Season 5 at least.  

I’ve honestly grown to love Rosita.  More of her and less of Maggie, please and thank you.  

“Let’s stay away from the windows.”  I’m sorry but I had to LMAO at that.  Still a badass moment though.  

Gabe hobbling toward his assigned sentinel.  At least they haven’t forgotten he’s injured like they seemed to forget Daryl was near death last season before the attack on Hilltop, lol.  

“It’s hard to watch something you care about change.”  Listen, Leah.  Chick.  You and Daryl obviously never really knew each other.  It’s always been obvious but I have a feeling “DIxon” is finally going to show you, spoilers or no spoilers.  

WTF are they calling that thing?  Sorry.  I have just as hard a time understanding Pope’s accent as I do Maggie’s sometimes.  

That’s not love that has Daryl telling Leah she can come with him.  That’s care for somebody he used to know.  There is a distinct difference that’s obviously lost on so many.  How can you really and truly love someone you cannot trust?  Especially in Daryl Dixon’s case?

Why does Angela hate us so much?  Giving us all these Reaper scenes and leaving us to simply imagine Carol and Connie and Kelly working side by side to save the wall?  

I think I honestly could have enjoyed this whole Reaper storyline more, at least a little bit anyway, had they not retrofitted a half-assed romance between Daryl and the story’s weakest link and if only they’d made it the B storyline and given earned deference to the goings-on in ASZ instead.  

I wonder if Glenn taught Maggie how to hot write a car?  I miss my baby Glenn.

Apocalypse Popeye is several fries short of a Happy Meal.  What else is new on this show, lol?  

I care for Maggie.  Mostly for nostalgia’s sake and Glenn and Baby Hershel but damn, man.  She’s not actually proven herself got be worth killing your entire “family” for.  But are too far gone, so.  We’ll make allowances.  

I will say at least this episode is not as abysmally biring as last week’s episode.  

Leah finally giving Pope the throat punch he’s been asking for but I’m not fooled she’s on Daryl’s side here.  She’s always been on her own side.  

Look at Father G returning the favor for Maggie saving him in the tower.  Taking Deaver down!  Poor Deaver barely saw the light of day.  

Here comes that woman scorned part.  I can feel it.  

“Pope is dead.  Dixon murdered him.  He’s with the enemy.”  

Please, Angela.  I’m begging you.  Bring Carol into this story and ramp it the fuck up.  You been idling too damn long and the car is fast running outta gas.  

Bitch really has to die to framing Carol’s Pookie.  

Rosita and Lydia and Carol and Connie and Kelly and Magna have literally been holding up this damn show while Angela farts around with the Reapers bullshit.  Honorable mention goes to Aaron but these lovely, badass ladies been putting in the real work and not getting any of the glory.  You just know they’re tired AF.  

Not my babies Lydia and Judith being the cliffhanger!  Oh and Gracie.  Angela?!  A word.  

Listen.  Carol’s already done that fireworks trick.  That Reaper dude owes her royalties.  Granted, it was on a smaller scale but much more impressive for it because she was left to be the sharpshooter.  

Angela has a point.  It is kind of cool how Team Family have learned from their enemies and assimilated their useful points into their own cache of knowledge.  

I truly feel like the Leah/Reaper storyline would have benefitted from a much stronger actress.  Just saying.  

I know Judith annoys some with her precociousness but Cailey just keeps teeing off on what they give her and personally?  I feel she’s so very talented and light years beyond her little acting counterparts so it still works.  

“They’re never gonna choose each other over the people that they’ve loved and fought for because they simply cannot really trust each other.  There’s sort of, like a toxicity at the base of that relationship.”  Straight from Angela’s mouth.  

“At the end of the day, Daryl chose his family.”  Yeah, he did.  That “I belong with you” shit only happened when he felt they were all gone, including the one he loved above all others--Carol.  Fight me.  

Overall impression of the episode?  

On its own, disregarding how much I can’t help resenting how much time I feel has been “wasted” setting this story up, it was much more entertaining than Episode 7 which was only epic in that it was an epic bore.  There was still too much focus on the Reapers when I just just kept wanting to see what was happening at ASZ.  I mean, they cheated us out of Carol and Connie and Kelly working together. Of Aaron and Magna.  Call it personal preference coloring my opinions if you want, but the characters I care about feel like they’ve been shown the backseat for this self-indulgent exploration of Angela’s OC and her version of self-insert FF with Daryl Dixon.  If we can return to Team Family?  The whole Team Family and not just Maggie and Co. against the world?  You’ve got me.  If not?  Well.  You’ll keep losing me by degrees and you don’t want to do that on the final season.  

Anyway.  The ASZ parts were my favorites per usual.  The episode could have used a lot more of those.  

[bamon4bamily]

TVD 9x16 - What happens in Vegas... (part 1 of part 1) Enjoy!

Cut to - The Salvatore mansion family room, present day. Damon is watching Bonnie sleep. She wakes up slowly…

BONNIE: Ian?

DAMON: Ian? Who the heck is Ian? And tell me where he is, so I can kick his ass!

BONNIE: (Smiles) Sorry, had the craziest dream… And your name was Ian, for some screwed up reason…

DAMON: Oh, okay… then Ian is cool in my book! (Smirks and gives her a kiss).

BONNIE: What time is it?

DAMON: Almost 3pm…

BONNIE: What! Oh my god! I had to be at the airport an hour ago to meet Elena! Shit! Shit!

DAMON: Uhm… Bon… don’t you remember?

BONNIE: Remember what?

DAMON: About Elena…

BONNIE: What about Elena?

DAMON: Her flight got canceled; she got another one straight to Vegas. You don’t remember?

BONNIE: I do, I do… Told you, strange dream… I’m still a bit drowsy.

DAMON: Well, she won’t be able to help you bring all that “bachelorette” stuff. But the bachelor boys are heading the same way; I’m sure we can fit some of it; just promise me there’s nothing illegal in those bags.

BONNIE: (Mischievous smile) I can’t promise you that…

Cut to – Two days later, somewhere in the middle of the Mojave desert. Damon, who looks like hell, is dialing on his cell. Behind him, a crashed police car with Alaric, Iker, and Kai inside; also looking like crap. They are wearing nothing but their underwear.

 DAMON: Care, it’s Damon… Listen ...The bachelor party got a little crazy and, well...we lost Stefan.

BONNIE: Uhm…think we might have a problem of our own…

DAMON: Bon?

BONNIE: It’s me, I think… Anyway; the bachelorette got a little crazy too, and, well… we lost Caroline.

Cut to – A couple of hours earlier. A Sky Villa at the Palms Casino Resort. 

Damon wakes up confused, he is lying on the bathroom floor, drool coming out of his mouth, brain drilling headache. His vision is blurry, but he manages to recognize a familiar face, lying inside an empty bathtub, completely passed out. The familiar face is Kai, dressed in what seems to be a ballerina tutu. 

He stares at him for a minute, wondering why he is there… not in the bathtub, but in Vegas; he hadn’t been invited. Oh well, he’ll figure it out later. For now, he needs to do an overall casualty assessment. He gets up slowly, holding on to whatever is at hand. He eventually gains the balance to find his way out of the bathroom, and into the living room. The place is a war zone, the hotel bill won’t be cheap! Amongst the debris of the previous night, he searches for other survivors… 

Soon enough he finds Alaric, also passed out, half of his body hanging over the piano, which, to Damon’s surprise, a monkey seems to be playing.

DAMON: What the…  (shushes the monkey away from the piano, shakes Alaric to wake him up, no response… He hears a sound coming from a mount of sofa cushions and clothes; someone is under there… it’s Iker, who slowly fights his way out).

IKER: (Looking messed up and disoriented) Hey, man… (looks around, grabs his head) What the hell happened last night?

DAMON: Beats me… I can barely remember my own name… 

(Alaric wakes up suddenly, holding his hands up in a cheer).

ALARIC: Jackpot, bitches!!!!!!!!!!! (He realizes he has no idea where he is, or making any sense). Hey, guys… where am I? What are we doing here?  

DAMON: (Sarcastic) Oh, boy… I have a feeling this is gonna be fun!

(Kai walks out of the bathroom, passes them by, but apparently doesn’t notice they are there, and goes into the master bedroom, throws himself on the bed. Just as he gets comfy, he realizes something is very wrong… 

There is an elephant in the room; literally. Jumps up, screams like a little girl, runs out of the room and shuts the door).

KAI: Holy shit! There’s an elephant in the room!

DAMON: I’d say you’re right, stalker boy. What the hell are you doing here?

KAI: … I have no idea, but I swear, there is an elephant in that room!

DAMON: Are you sure it isn’t Stefan? He can look pretty scary in the morning…

(Goes to check it out, vamps back about a second later) Nop, that ain’t Stefan… and there is definitely an elephant in the room... (takes a drink).

ALARIC: So, where is Stefan? And, why the hell is he (referring to Kai) here!

DAMON: Ric, I think we have more important things to focus on right now… Like, for example, there is a freakin elephant in the room! It’s a baby elephant, yes, but still, a freaking elephant! Those things are dangerous! Oh, and I’m pretty sure there’s also a loose monkey somewhere around here! What the hell did we do last night? Rob a zoo?!

IKER: The only thing I have a vague memory of, is a steakhouse, a casino… a strip joint?

KAI: That pretty much describes all of Las Vegas, so, not a lot to go on.

DAMON: Okay, okay, I’m sure we can figure this out.

ALARIC: Let’s just find Stefan and get the hell out of here, before they put us in jail.

DAMON: Fine. Shouldn’t take too long. Ric and I will check every corner of the villa. Iker, you and psycho boy check around the hotel… restaurant, pool area, casino, etc.

IKER: (To Kai) Think you can keep up, princess?

KAI: (He hadn’t noticed he was wearing a tutu until this moment; he looks at Damon) This was definitely your doing! (Takes the tutu off).

DAMON: (Sarcastic smirk) Probably… Okay, let’s move.

 (They search everywhere, Stefan is nowhere to be found. They teamback at the villa).

 ALARIC: Well, we’ve searched everywhere, he’s not here. (Sarcastic) This is great! The wedding is tomorrow, our plane leaves in a couple of hours, and we are missing the groom... 

We should call Caroline, maybe he ditched us and joined the girl’s party.

DAMON: And if he didn’t?

ALARIC: They can help us find him.

DAMON: Did you get brain damage last night?! 

No way we are calling Caroline! I’d like to live a long and happy life with my Bon-Bon, so, not an option!  Just chill, we’ll find him. He couldn’t have gone that far… it’s Stefan, he’s probably hunting bunnies. All we have to do is retrace our steps from last night, and we’ll find him.

ALARIC: The main issue being… none of us seem to remember anything about last night!

KAI: (Coming from another part of the room) Okay, I just called reception, they assure there is no Stefan Salvatore at any of the area hospitals, morgues, or police stations…

DAMON: No shit, Sherlock, he is a vampire! Of course he wouldn’t be in any of those places…

IKER: Wait… a police car… I remember we were in a police car!

DAMON: Ooh, that can’t be good…

KAI: Oh, oh, oh, no, no, no… (looks at his hand) This can’t be good either (shows them a very tacky ring).

DAMON: Come on, that’s just your daylight ring.

KAI: No, no… I don’t need a ring for that… which means this is … (takes the ring off, sees it’s engraved) most definitely a wedding ring!  

ALARIC: Who the hell would be crazy enough to marry you?!!

IKER: (Cracking up) Shit, this too funny…

DAMON: (Takes the ring from Kai, reads the inscription) “To my knight in shining armour, from your damsel in distress” - Cupid’s Wedding Chapel. Well, boys, I believe we have a lead… 

We need to go to this chapel, ask them if they remember us; and if Stefan was with us.

KAI: And who the hell I married!

DAMON: (Sarcastically) Oh, I’m sure she’s a lovely gal.

ALARIC: I’ll get us an uber…

Cut to – Cupid’s Wedding Chapel. 

As soon as they walk in, the receptionist recognizes them.

RECEPTIONIST: Oh, shit! You guys are back!? Please, just no stealing the “King’s” costume this time!

DAMON: You remember us?

RECEPTIONIST: Of course I remember you! You guys are crazy! Specially you, damsel (winks at Kai). Where are the other three?

ALARIC: What other three? We are only missing one…

RECEPTIONIST: Uhm, no you aren’t; there were seven of you. You four… the wolf man, the cop, and the handsome hero hair guy.

DAMON: So Stefan was here with us, that’s a start!

ALARIC: And, apparently, Matt and Tyler too… So, not only did we lose the groom, we managed to loose two members of the wedding party. (Sarcastic) Fantastic!

KAI: Listen, I really need you to tell me who I married last night...

RECEPTIONIST: Sure, you married Whitney Houston; you lucky bastard!

KAI: What!? I mean, I love me some Whitney, but, really? She married me?

RECEPTIONIST: (Looking confused, and a bit sorry for him) 

Well, an impersonator, obviously. The real Whitney has been dead for a while. Boy, your hang-over must really be screwing with you.

IKER: Don’t these places usually offer packages? Like photo albums and stuff…

RECEPTIONIST: We sure do.

IKER: Did we, or he (referring to Kai), buy any?

RECEPTIONIST: The whole nine yards. I thought that’s why you guys came back. (Takes out a box of wedding souvenirs and a photo album) Look… mugs, crystal balls, pins, key chains…

DAMON: Let’s go straight for the album… (They go through the photos. Some are “somewhat” normal...

Others, go along these lines…  Kai, dressed as a ballerina, and the bride dressed as a noble knight. Stefan, wearing an Elvis outfit, mastering every single one of his iconic poses. Iker and Damon playing catch with the bride’s bouquet. Alaric, sneaking about, in full Indiana Jones mission. Matt, riding an inflatable unicorn, role-playing to be the Lone Ranger. Tyler, on all fours, howling).

DAMON: (Terrified at the pics they just saw) Oh god… I don’t even want to know...

ALARIC: (Sharing the sentiment) Oh, fuck no... apparently, I was the one to walk Kai down the aisle… Those pictures really need to be destroyed….

RECEPTIONIST: I’m telling you… you guys are totally insane!

ALARIC: You don’t happen to know where we were heading when we left here, do you?

RECEPTIONIST: No. But you did mention something about settling a debt; getting Britney Spears back for something…

ALARIC: Britney Spears?

RECEPTIONIST: Yep; the hero hair guy kept going on and on, about her owing him big time; and that he was going to collect… And you (referring to Damon) kept saying “It’s Britney, bitch!” That’s all I got, hope it helps. (Alaric looks at Damon to see if he remembers anything from hearing that …)

DAMON: Sorry, man, I’m at a blank…

IKER: Wait… I think I’m getting a flashback… of you (referring to Damon), strip dancing to “Gimme More”?

DAMON: No… I’d never strip dance to that! Britney Spears? Nice try, but nop.

KAI: Oh, come on, everyone loves Britney!  

ALARIC: I think I remember that… God, please, take that image out of my head! Of all things, that’s what you chose for me to remember?! Have some mercy!  

DAMON: If I did… I probably rocked it (winks and smirks).

IKER: Okay, I’m definitely gonna need therapy after this trip.

ALARIC: Well, we got all the information we are going to get from this place; and I don’t think I want to find out more. So, what’s next?

DAMON: I say we pay Miss Spears a visit…

ALARIC: First, no one would ever let us be less than 300 feet from her. Second, that’s ridiculous; she is obviously not involved, aside from you stripping to her songs. What we need to find is that strip joint we apparently went to after, or before, this place.

IKER: (Who has stumbled upon a box of matches in his pocket) Maybe this can help… (shows them a very tacky match box, which reads: Mystic Divas.

Cut to – Mystic Divas strip joint. The place, given the hour, is obviously closed. Just as they are about to leave, a woman, wearing Whitney’s “Queen of the Night” outfit, spots them as they are about to leave.

 LADY: My princess! (Runs to hug Kai and kisses him) Why you bail on me last night?! Thought we were having fun!

KAI: Uhm… I’m guessing you are, my knight in shining armour?  

LADY: Sure am! Till death do us part… (Sees Kai’s terrified face and laughs) Don’t worry, it was only pretend, honey, nothing permanent. We were both really drunk and thought it would be fun.

DAMON: (Sarcastic) Aw…what a love story! (To the lady) Sweetheart, you think you can help us put some dots together?

LADY: I can, but there is no way I’m letting you on my stage again. And, don’t call me sweetheart.

ALARIC: So, we were here last night?

LADY: Physically, yes. But I’m not sure any other part came along. Y’all were completely wasted.

IKER: All, meaning us four; or were there more?

LADY: Shit! You really don’t remember anything?

DAMON: (Trying to avoid the whole Britney strip thing) Nop!

LADY: Well… you were all here; plus the other three dudes.

ALARIC: I’m assuming that was before “the wedding”?

LADY: Yes. This is where (looks at Kai) we fell in love. But we came back here after the reception. Well, only me, my hubby; you fine looking thang (referring to Iker), and you, the ultimate party pooper (referring to Alaric). Don’t know where the rest of you went. All I know, is that my princess here, pulled a runaway bride after he got a call, and you two (referring to Iker and Alaric), left along with him.

ALARIC: Do you know around what time that was?

LADY: I’d say three-ish? Anyway, I have to go (kisses Kai on the cheek) It was lovely being your wife for the night. Good luck boys! (Leaves).

IKER: Not bad, psycho boy, she’s hot!

KAI: (Proud smirk) Totally hot!

ALARIC: Kinda reminded me of…

DAMON: (Before Ric says the name, he knows he’s going to say, he changes the conversation) Kai, check your phone…

KAI: (Rubbing it in his face) What... she remind oyu of someone, Damon?

DAMON: Please, you wish! 

Now, check your freaking phone!

KAI: Fine, fine… (looks at his received calls; sure enough he has an inbound call, from an unknown number, at 3:13 am) Well… Yep; I received a call, clueless about the caller, but seems like we had a lot to talk about, call lasted 20 minutes…

DAMON: (Sarcastic) Gee, I wonder how we can find out who the mystery caller is?

KAI: We could try to hack into the local police system, they have a huge database. Except, we’ll need a computer, preferably a stolen one so it’s untraceable…

IKER: (Also sarcastic) Or, maybe just call the number?

KAI: Of course I was gonna do that first! I was just thinking ahead, in case we get no answer. Amateurs! 

(Calls the number…) What a surprise… no answer! Oh, wait… (someone answers: Rawson Neal Psychiatric Hospital, how can I help you? Hangs-up immediately).

DAMON: So, who was it?! Why did you hang up!!

KAI: Ooh, I’m getting a bad feeling…

ALARIC: Give me that (takes the phone from his hand, calls the number… Rawson Neal Psychiatric Hospital, how can I help you? Hangs-up immediately) Shit…

DAMON: So, who the hell was it?!

ALARIC: Not who, but what…

DAMON: Ric, I’m too hung-over to be playing guessing games.

ALARIC: Does anyone remember anything about a psychiatric hospital?

DAMON: Now, that’s definitely a place Stefan could be at…

KAI: Specially if he was found hunting bunnies…

DAMON: Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go one flew over the cuckoo’s nest…

ALARIC: I’ll get us another uber…

IKER: Wait… 

Uber! Of course! I can’t believe we didn’t think of that! Everyone, check your phones for any trips we took last night.

DAMON: Duh! Man, we are really out of it!  (They check their phones…) Well, I have one at 5:30, from the hotel to the Andiamo Italian Steakhouse, downtown. And another one at 7:40, from the steakhouse to the Bellagio… That’s it.

IKER: I have one, from the Bellagio to Mystic Divas at 1:06am.

KAI: As for me, one, at 3:33am, from Mystic Divas to the Rawson Neal Psychiatric Hospital…

ALARIC: I don’t have any from last night.

DAMON: Okay, so far, our best bet at finding Stefan is at that psych hospital. Let’s move.

 TVD 9x16 (part 2 of part 1) coming very soon! Hope you stop by, read, and enjoy! =)

P.S Had to split it into more parts otherwise it would be too long for one post per part. 

[imagine-darksiders]

Would make a short of Strife rescuing a tiny human? Please ?

Short?

Hi guys, so I was writing this reply when it suddenly occurred to me that I’ve been neglecting you and I owe you, at the very least, a 6000+ word, Strife centric Christmas present. So although it’s isn’t a Christmassy piece per se, it all I have at the moment. 

Thank you so much for being patient with me. XXXX 

—

The photograph stands on a tiny, pink dresser, its edges cut back just enough so that it fits inside a silver frame, out of which peer three humans, their grinning faces never changing as they keep a quiet vigil of the bedroom and its otherworldly visitor, who – in turn – finds his sharp gaze frequently returning to the little, paper snapshot.

A pair of eyes, golden and glowing in the lightless bedroom, screw themselves shut tightly for a moment as their owner heaves a sigh and tries not think about what had happened to the trio of humans. He especially refuses to dwell on the youngest; the little boy in overalls and wellington boots who rides happily on his father’s shoulders in the photo, but who also so, so closely resembles the tiny, emaciated corpse twisted up in a wardrobe nearby.

These are the moments during supply runs that Strife hates the most – where he stumbles across the sad, broken remains of humans, all whilst he rummages through their homes and helps himself to what was once theirs with his only consolation being the humans back at the maker tree, who would survive just a little longer thanks to his pilfering.

If he thought too hard about it, he would be troubled, and the horseman could not afford that. Best to put it from his mind and move on, as he always has. As experience has taught him.

Peeling his eyes open again, Strife turns his back on the photograph and continues stuffing a dishevelled, cuddly pony into one of the leather pouches that hangs from his side.

’Just the essentials,’ he reminds himself before every supply run. ’Food, water and ammunition being top priority.’

But then, Ulthane had brought that kid to the tree and she’d cried all night, asking where her caretakers were and complaining how she couldn’t possibly sleep without a ‘Mister Bear’ and…

The horseman strokes a finger over the toy’s stringy mane before he withdraws his hand and fastens the pack up again, safely sealing it inside.

’In this instance’, he reasons, ’a soft toy is an essential.’

Besides, he’s already gathered plenty of food for today at least, and if he doesn’t get back soon, Ulthane and the other humans will start to worry where he is.

“Where Jones is,” he corrects himself aloud with a bitter frown.

He’s beyond the point of believing they’d care about Strife the horseman in the same manner they care about his human disguise.

Casting one last, solemn glance at the corner wardrobe, Strife once more finds himself fighting to put the humans’ fate from his mind.

It was so much easier when he thought – as many other species still do – that humanity was little more than a savage society with no ambition beyond killing and consuming to survive. Then, he actually met the little species and found everything he thought he knew about them to be a lie. His eyes had been opened, and he’d been left sadder, but wiser.

Humans had been treated like dirt for so many centuries.

And he hadn’t really cared.

Deciding that he’s spent more than enough time among ghosts, Strife steps back over the bedroom’s threshold. 

Moving towards a set of rickety stairs, he reaches out to place a hand on the banister when he suddenly freezes in his tracks, his keen senses honing in on a sound coming from somewhere further down the landing.

A scuffle, then a snort followed by the scrabble of claws on a hard surface.

For several moments, the horseman remains at a standstill as he listens with rapt attention to the pants and growls he’d pin to a Goreclaw, if he had to take a wild guess.

The damn thing sounds as though it’s stuck. That, or it’s looking for something. Either way, it will be sufficiently distracted and chances are likely it doesn’t even know a horseman is in the vicinity.

Mercy’s grip sticks invitingly up from within its holster and Strife runs a thumb over the smooth surface, thinking.

He could just leave. It is only one demon after all.

But then…

The horseman’s mind drifts back to the little body in the wardrobe and his jaw immediately sets.

No way in Hell is he about to let that thing get at it. Dead or not, a kid doesn’t deserve to be reduced to marrow by a hell-dog. Strife could spare him that, at the very least.

Shaking his head and wondering when he’d become so sentimental, he draws his pistol and steps back onto the landing. Following the sounds of guttural snarls, he stalks through the crumbling apartment until he comes upon a broken doorway, torn off its hinges at some point by a hand greater than a human’s. Strife halts just shy of the entrance and presses his back up against the wall before inching his head around the corner, golden eyes narrowed dangerously as he scans the room beyond.

Far be it from him to err on the side of caution but he is curious to know what the demon is up to. His earlier assumption had been spot on. It’s a Goreclaw alright, currently in the midst of trying to shove its long talons underneath a chest-of-drawers, teeth snapping and drool flying from its snout.

“What the Hell are you doing?” he wonders quietly, observing while it retracts its foreleg and presses its nose up to the slim gap beneath the furniture.

He’s only ever seen the dogs get this excited when they’re on the trail of prey.

For a split second, the horseman’s blood runs cold at the thought of a human being trapped under there, though he soon shakes that notion off. No matter how tiny, there isn’t a human alive that could stuff themselves underneath there. Not with barely two inches of space between floor and wood.

Through the window, he’s distantly aware that the sun is no longer shining through a gap in the curtains, having sunk well below a building on the opposite side of the street, heralding the swift approach of night.

Aware that he’s burning daylight, and desperate to put a bullet in something, Strife obnoxiously clears his throat, rounds the corner and aims a cocksure grin at the startled demon when it whirls about to face him.

“Sorry to interrupt,” he says cheerfully, “Just wanted to stop by and tell you, there’s something on your face.”

A roar of outrage shatters the relative peace as the demon crouches, ready to pounce. It barely manages to plant its hind legs however, before a bullet tears out of Mercy’s chamber and buries itself directly in the Goreclaw’s skull.

“Ope, never mind, I got it,” Strife gloats, a smirk lifting his lips. The demon crumples to the ground, gurgling and twitching for a moment until it eventually lays still, dead on the floral print carpet. “Huh…I was hoping that’d be a little more satisfying.”

With his grim duty taken care of, the horseman turns on his heel to leave. However something nags at the back of his mind and he stops mid-stride, a frown pulling at his brows.

Just what had that demon been so desperate to get at?

Beneath his helm, Strife chews pensively on his lip, turning back to face the unassuming chest of drawers. After a moment’s deliberation, he gives in to curiosity, a newfound trait he wholly blames on the humans he’s been sharing a tree with for the past several weeks. Every one of them has a penchant for sticking their noses into strange situations, and it seems their behaviour has rubbed off on the horseman somewhat.

An obnoxious huff escapes Strife as he grabs each side of the dresser and picks it up effortlessly, as if it weighed no more than a feather and moves it aside to peer down at the dustless rectangle that had been left in its wake. It isn’t long before his sharp gaze lands on something out of the ordinary, a patch of colour in the otherwise murky grey.

“What the?…” Dumping the chest of drawers down to his right, the horseman squats to get a better look at what appears at first glance to be just another child’s toy.

“All that fuss for a doll?” he wonders aloud, reaching slowly down with a finger to prod at it.

Just then, before he can utter anything further, he almost jumps out of his skin as the ‘doll’ springs to life.

Rather, it suddenly leaps to its feet and darts sideways, gunning straight along the wall’s skirting with two, little legs pumping along like a steam engine.

“Hey! Woah there!” Caught off guard, Strife doesn’t think before he shoots out a hand towards the fleeing creature.

It can’t quite skid to a halt in time to keep from colliding with the horseman’s gauntleted palm that abruptly slams to the ground in front of it, and with a soft ‘plink,’ the human-shaped thing collides with his hand and falls back onto its rump so jarringly, Strife can’t suppress a wince. “Oooh, sorry about that,” he says, wasting no time in pinching his thumb and forefinger against the collar of a thin, brown shirt and plucking it up off the floor. “Now, what do we have here?”

Dangling his prize in front of his silver helm, he squints, head tipping to one side so he can get a good look at what he’s caught.

He very nearly drops it again when he realises what he’s peering at.

It’s a human. A boy, to be precise, and a fairly young one at that, clothed in nothing more than a ratty shirt and a pair of equally dishevelled shorts that hang low on his waist, too baggy to fit on his near skeletal form. They’ve even been tied in place by a strip of green twine.

Hanging limply from the horseman’s grasp, the little human tries to work his shirt loose, twisting this way and that but impeded by violent trembles that wrack his body. Realising that thrashing is doing him no good, he opts to reach up with miniature fists and attempt to tear the shirt free, tiny grunts leaving even tinier lips.

“You’re a human!” Strife blurts out, eyes flashing interestedly.

At the sound of his booming voice, the boy flinches and cries out, abandoning his prospects of escape in favour of clamping both arms over his head and curling in on himself, a meagre method of protection against his titanic captor.

Standing back up to his full height, the horseman continues to study his handful whilst planting his free hand on a cocked hip. “Well damn me, I didn’t think human kids could get this small,” he murmurs. Suddenly, his ears perk up at the sound of a diminutive squeak that emanates from the boy currently hanging from his fingers. ”What was that, kid?”

Shivering, his arms still shielding his head, the tiny boy swallows and raises his voice loud enough to be heard. “I-I ain’t a human!” he claims shrilly. Then, after a small pause, he adds, “And I ain’t no kid neither!”

“Not a human, huh? Well, you sure look like one.” Strife chuffs and raises a claw-tipped finger, prodding the boy in his stomach and eliciting a squawk of indignation. “Sure sound like one too…Kind of on the skinny side though, aren’t you?”

His words cause the boy to turn rigid and his arms peel back slightly to give Strife a view of ebony hair and wide, brown eyes. “What…what’s that s'posed to mean!?” he whimpers, “You’re not gonna…you’re not gonna eat me, are you!?”

“Mmm, haven’t decided yet,” the horseman playfully responds, tapping his chin in mock thought. “Doesn’t look like you’ve got much meat on you…Then again, I am pretty hungry.”

Behind his mask, he grins, though the expression promptly blinks out of existence when he notices a wetness has gathered on the boy’s cheeks.

“Uh oh.” That wasn’t supposed to happen. He’d been sure human kids loved jokes! Hell, Ulthane had playfully threatened to eat some of the younglings back at the tree and they’d all thought it was a great game, even laughed their heads off when he made a slow swipe at them with one of his meaty paws.

“Oh, hey, no – I – Ah, damnit.” Like a flipped switch, Strife’s tone loses its teasing lilt and slips to something gentler. “Hey, ease off the waterworks, okay, pint-size? I was kidding.” Borderline desperate, the horseman lowers his catch into a sturdy palm and lets go of his shirt, even smoothing down the back of it with the pad of a careful finger for good measure although as he does, he becomes aware of just how prominently the boy’s spine protrudes. Human anatomy varies, sure, but that doesn’t feel right.

Jerking away from the encroaching finger, the ‘not’ human swipes furiously at his eyes, smearing tears across reddened cheeks. In spite of the horseman’s reassurance, he doesn’t appear convinced, eyeing the palm beneath him with about as much trust as he’d give a hungry snake, half expecting it to spring to life and squeeze the soul out of him. Truthfully, he hasn’t seen much of the world, even before monsters fell out of the sky, but he knows enough to tell that this metal-clad behemoth is most assuredly not human.

Human eyes don’t glow like liquid gold.

In the meantime, Strife gives himself a mental kick for making the child cry.

“So, uh,” he clears his throat awkwardly, “You… got a name, kid?”

“What do you care?” the boy sniffs, all pretence of bravery made redundant by his trembling, “You’re just gonna drop me or – or squash me or something.”

Drawing his head back, the horseman frowns. “C'mon, you’re like – what? - three inches tall? Be kind of a dick move for me to hurt someone smaller than my thumb.”

Cautious surprise flickers across the youngster’s face and he swipes the back of a wrist under his nose, chin lifting to shoot a suspicious squint at his captor. “But…but ain’t you one of them demons?”

Strife bristles despite his best efforts. “Do I look like a demon to you?”

Ducking his head, the boy gulps but still balls his hands into fists and squeezes out, “Well, I dunno… You big'uns all look alike from down here.” He risks a mistrustful glare at Strife’s luminous eyes. “Like monsters.”

Apparently the Horseman has been spending too much time around humans because that sent an unpleasant pang bolting through his chest.

“Yeah, well…Speaking from experience, not everyone who’s bigger than you is a monster, kid,” he murmurs gently.

The boy blinks, caught off guard by the sober tone of voice he hadn’t expected to hear from this gargantuan, metal man. All his life, he’d had drummed into his head the mantra that if a big one caught him, they’d more than likely kill him. And those that didn’t would shove him in a jar or underneath a microscope - that last one had happened to his great, great grandfather. Or so he has been lead to believe.

And yet so far, there’s no jar, no microscope, and although he knows it’s far too early to be letting his guard down, the longer he goes without becoming a sticky mess under the heel of a boot, the more his nerves relax the strangle-hold they have on his heart.  

Outside, the city grows steadily darker and with the absence of sunlight, a chill seeps its way through the broken window.

Drawing up his knees and hugging them to his chest, the boy falls victim to an involuntary shudder.

“Cold?”

The suddenness of the giant’s voice reverberating overhead causes him to jump and snatch his gaze up from where it had wandered down to his shoeless feet. On impulse, he blurts out a stubborn, “No,” and clenches his jaw shut again to stop it from quaking.

Strife raises an eyebrow and though his skepticism is hidden under a helm, it manages to saturate his voice. “Uh huh. I can see you shivering, kid.” Slowly, his fingers creep a few centimetres closer to the boy. 

“I told you, I’m not a kid,” his handful mutters, “I’m nearly eleven.”

A snort of laughter bursts out of Strife before he can catch it, earning himself an icy glare. “Now, I’m no expert,” he chuckles, bouncing his hand slightly, much to his passenger’s horror, “But I’d’ve said eleven was well in the range of what a ‘kid’ oughtta be.”

“Kids can’t take care of themselves,” the boy explains, agitated, “I can.”

Strife draws his head back in mock surprise. “Oh hoh! Can you now? S'that why I found you seconds away from becoming a demon’s snack?”

Huffing, the boy averts his gaze from the dazzling yellow eyes overhead and mumbles, “I’d have been fine.”

“Whatever you say, half-pint.” The corners of Strife’s lips tilt up as he inspects the boy’s grumpy pout. “You know, you’re pretty feisty for such a little guy. Didn’t your parents ever teach you not to go picking fights with demons a hundred times your size?”

Despite his far larger stature, the horseman can pinpoint the exact moment he’d said the wrong thing. The word 'parents’ has barely slipped off his tongue before the boy’s eyes suddenly clamp shut and his back goes rigid against Strife’s fingers. Understanding dawns at once and the horseman’s eyes lose some of that preternatural glow as he exhales softly through his nose. “Oh….Your folks’re not in the picture anymore, huh?”

Face now pressed into his knees, the boy shakes his head.

“Was it a demon?”

This time, Strife receives a slow nod, confirming his suspicions.

Blowing out a puff of hot air, he scratches at his neck and offers, “Damn. I’m…. sorry, kid.”

What else could he possibly say?

“…Hamish.”

Strife blinks, lifting the youngling closer to his eyes and peering down at him. “What’d you say?” he murmurs, giving the boy a gentle nudge with his thumb in the hopes of coaxing the words out again.

Luckily, he’s rewarded when his passenger finally looks up at him with a pair of drooping, brown eyes, their edges tinged red. “My name,” he tries, louder this time, “It’s not kid. It’s Hamish.”

The metal mask does little to conceal its wearer’s pleased grin.

“Hamish, huh?” He decides not to make a fuss about the tears rolling down the kid’s cheeks. “S'good to meet you. Name’s Strife.”

Confusion sweeps across Hamish’s features and he carefully extracts himself from his knees, scrubbing away the fresh teardrops. “Strife?” He hesitates for a moment to scrunch up his nose even further, and the horseman can’t help but notice that when he does, he bears an uncanny resemblance to Yarin after the humans tried explaining the concept of a computer to him. Strife’s grin widens of its own accord at the fond memory whilst its wearer waits patiently for Hamish to finish scrutinising him.

Eventually, the boy appears to come to some sort of conclusion as he huffs and rubs tiredly at one of his eyes, though Strife suspects it has more to do with not wanting to meet the horseman’s gaze when he says matter-of-factly, “That’s a weird name.”

Glad that his little acquaintance has at least stopped crying, Strife feigns offence. “It’s a Nephilim name,” he explains, “and - for the record - how do you know I don’t think Hamish is a weird name?”

The boy gulps, apparently mistaking the giant’s playful banter for real displeasure, after all, he had just insulted an unstoppable behemoth’s name. Eager to move the conversation along, he stammers out, “U-Uh, what’s a…a nephilim?”

The horseman, making note of Hamish’s renewed trembling, softens his tone. “A Nephilim is…It’s, uh…” Something stops him mid-sentence. Is he really about to tell this kid about the Nephilim? A brutal race of bloodthirsty, world-conquering titans? Of which Strife himself was a member? The horseman clamps his mouth shut. What if explaining who the Nephilim were prompts Hamish to start asking questions? Creator forbid the boy discover that the man holding him in his palm was one of four responsible for the total eradication of their own species.

With a hard blink, Strife focuses back on Hamish and notices the boy’s eyes are nervously darting all over his mask. The suffocating spell of silence had lasted longer than the horseman intended. Thinking quickly, he stumbles over an answer that he hopes will satisfy the boy. “It’s…Well, s'just what I am.”

Perhaps it’s only because Hamish has spent his entire life keeping his existence a secret, but the giant’s vague response doesn’t bother him half as much as it ought to. He gets it. The man probably doesn’t want anyone knowing about his existence. Hamish finds the feeling is mutual.

So, instead of calling Strife out on his blatant avoidance, the boy simply offers him a nod and says, “I knew you weren’t human.”

“Ha, only when I need to be,” the horseman chimes secretively, and before Hamish can ponder what he means by that, he’s unexpectedly bounced up into the air, letting out a startled yelp before he lands in the centre of the giant palm again.

“Anyway,” Strife begins, shooting a cursory glance out the window and wincing upon finding it utterly obscured by the ink of night, “There’ll be plenty of time to get to know each other once I get you to safety.”

Hamish’s fingers twitch against the tough gauntlet, a trickling cold slipping into his stomach. “Wait, what?”

“Well, today’s your lucky day, kid!” Strife puffs out his chest and jabs it with a thumb, proudly declaring, “I am gonna take you someplace safe.” Pausing for a moment to let that sink in, he watches the boy’s eyes grow wide, feeling a sense of accomplishment at seeing what he imagines can only be excitement, so he carries on, “It’s warm, away from demons, there’s lots of humans and enough food to last you a lifetime.” He stresses his point by poking Hamish’s belly with a careful fingertip. “By the looks of things, you could use a good meal. So, what do you say? How’s that sound?”

The boy remains silent for several seconds as he processes what he’s being told.

Then, to the horseman’s shock, rather than elation or relief, he’s met with a face full of horror and before he can ask what’s wrong, the boy leaps unsteadily to his feet and bellows, “NO!” at the top of his lungs.

Taken aback, Strife snaps his other hand up to close Hamish in a loose fist when it looks as though he’s about to jump off the horseman’s palm. “Hey! Easy there! What’s the matter?”

Hamish begins pounding ardently on the fingers holding him hostage, kicking his legs to no avail. This hulking stranger wants to take him away from his family home – the place he’s lived and loved and known his whole life - and dump him with a bunch of humans? Not a chance. “Let me go!” he cries, terrified at the prospect of being uprooted, “I’m not going with you!”

Baffled, the horseman tips his head to one side and frowns at the ferocity behind each blow on his metal gauntlet. “Stop that, you’re gonna hurt yourself!” He reaches up and catches one of the boy’s arms, holding it gingerly between two fingers. “Why don’t you want to come with me?”

“Because! This is – It’s my home!” Hamish all but sobs, pushing furiously at Strife’s metal thumb.

“Kid, this is gonna be your tomb if you stay here much longer,” the horseman tries to reason, “I mean, look at you, if a demon doesn’t get you, something else will. You’re skin and bone.”

“I’d rather take my chances out here than be surrounded by humans!” Hamish gives a final heave before collapsing over the enormous thumb, with one arm still held above his head, caught in a firm but gentle grip.

“That’s what you’re worried about?” Strife almost laughs aloud at the thought of the humans at the tree hurting anyone. Three of them had actually cried after they discovered a dead bird outside the entrance. But even still, he has to put the boy’s mind at ease. At last relinquishing his hold on the skeletal arm, he sighs, “Listen, kid. Nobody’ll hurt you, okay? They’re good people. Besides – no offence – but I think they’ve got more important things to focus on than antagonising you.”

Unfortunately, Hamish either isn’t listening, or he just doesn’t care.

Glancing up at the giant, fresh tears streaming in a never-ending torrent down his face, he puts on the bravest voice he can muster and yells, “I’m staying here!”  

“No, you’re coming with me.”

“No, I’m not! You can’t make me!”

Golden eyes flash brightly at the challenge. “Oh, you don’t think so?” Strife smirks, and without warning, begins to lower Hamish towards one of the pouches on his belt.

As soon as he spots where he’s headed, the boy’s struggling becomes increasingly wild. “No, no, no!”

“Sorry, kid,” the horseman murmurs, steeling his heart against the frightened wailing, “M'not leaving you here.” Using his free hand, Strife fumbles with the pouch’s leather strap and is just about to get it open when Hamish suddenly cries out, “Wait, wait! Just – I’ll go with you, okay? Just stop!”

The horseman pauses, considering the boy for a moment before lifting him back up to his helm. “What’s up? You claustrophobic or something?”

Little fingers dig imploringly into the gaps of Strife’s gauntlet as Hamish shakes his head. “No, I – I just…If you have to take me, then….at least let me get my things first.”

“Your things?” he echoes, squinting down at the kid and noting, with some semblance of relief, that he’s no longer putting up a fight. “Where are they?”

Shrinking underneath the giant’s dazzling stare, Hamish swallows noisily but manages to raise a shaking finger and points it over his shoulder. “In the walls.”

Puzzled, Strife glances to where he’s indicating. “You….lived in the walls?” He sees Hamish nod from the corner of his eye.

“There’s an, um…like a little crack in the skirting board, over there.”

Once again, the horseman follows a tiny finger as it points down to the bottom of the wall, where there is indeed a hole, just large enough to grant entry to a mouse, or perhaps someone else who stands just a few inches off the ground.

For several seconds, Strife deliberates the situation, his gaze flicking between the dark window, the hole and Hamish until eventually, he blows out a huff and shakes his head, turning back towards the doorway and lowering the boy to his hip once again. “Sorry, kid, but whatever it is, it can’t be that -”

“There’s something in there that belonged to mum and dad!”

Strife’s steps falter and he squeezes his eyes shut with a sigh.

Sensing his captor’s hesitation, Hamish prods, “Please? I don’t want to leave without it! It’s all I have left of my family…”

Family. The word plucks insistently at Strife’s heartstrings and he briefly laments the younger, colder version of himself that wouldn’t have flinched if he’d heard it. For some time, the horseman wrestles with himself, teeth grinding together until at last, he lets out a groan and stomps over to the hole in the wall. “Alright, fine.” Pausing to lift the boy up to his mask again, he levels a stern glare at him and adds, “But you gotta be in and out of there in one minute, okay?”

Hamish’s face brightens and he squirms restlessly as Strife lowers himself onto one knee and places his hand on the ground.. “O-okay, mister!”

Barely even waiting for the appendage to stop moving, Hamish all but dives off as soon as the fingers uncurl themselves, landing on the ground and haring for the wall, but before he can get too far, he finds himself jerked to a halt when the waistband of his trousers is pinched between two, enormous fingertips. Craning his head back, he stares anxiously at the horseman, flinching when a gruff voice booms, “I mean it, kid. In and out.”

“I-I got it!” Hamish replies hurriedly, desperate to put some distance between himself and the metal giant.

After giving him one last, calculating look, Strife finally relents, letting the boy go and leaning back to watch him scurry into the wall as fast as his little legs can carry him. Snorting softly, the horseman eases back onto his haunches, content for the time being to wait for his discovery to reemerge. “And here I thought I’d seen everything,” he muses.

——-

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Strife, a similar thought is occurring to Hamish as he races through the intricate maze of tunnels his ancestors had dug out of the house’s stone foundations. Spiderwebs threaten to catch the boy’s flimsy shirt and hold him back, but a lifetime of memorising every twisting, dust-choked tunnel meant that Hamish could navigate his way through each obstacle without even having to slow down. In almost no time, he’s scaled up the wall’s interior and burst through the tiny, wooden door that leads to his family home.

Slightly winded, Hamish takes a moment to collect himself, peering about at the candlelit kitchen and trying to decide where best to hide because he has no intention of going back to the clutches of that giant. To do so would be in complete violation of everything his family had ever taught him, and if he could do nothing else, at least Hamish could carry their lessons with him. Perhaps his mother would even be proud of him for tricking the giant into letting him go free, had she still been alive. Pressing his lips together, Hamish slumps heavily against the doorframe and exhales roughly through his nose, determined not to cry again.

All of a sudden, his whole world shudders as a thunderous boom hits the wall beside him, threatening to knock him off his feet. Crying out, Hamish drops instinctively to his knees whilst two more booms follow the first, one after the other, rocking the entire foundations of his home and raining dust down into his already grubby hair. Fear of being crushed by falling debris compels him to move, so he crawls across the still shivering room, every now and again having to doge pots and pans that are flung from their hooks on the ceiling until he gets close enough to the kitchen table to throw himself underneath it.

Then, as soon as they’d begun, the booms stop and everything grows silent, save for the clinking of a cup that rolls across the ground before coming to a stop just beside Hamish’s hiding spot.

“Hey, kid! You get the stuff yet?” Strife’s muffled voice calls from outside.

To his irritation, the horseman sounds entirely oblivious to the abject terror he’d just put him through – is still putting him through. Unaware that he’s balled his hands into fists, Hamish aims a harsh scowl at the wall, behind which the voice had come from and, in as brave a tone as he can summon, yells, “GO AWAY!”

There’s a pregnant pause, a heavy stillness that hangs in the air like a lead weight over his head and Hamish is just beginning to wonder if Strife had actually obliged him, when the horseman’s voice cuts through the brick again, considerably softer this time. “You know I can’t do that, little man.”

The boy scoffs aloud. “Yes, you can,” he retorts, “You just have to turn around and leave.”

“Hamish.” The pointed use of his name isn’t lost on the boy. “I am trying to look after you. Now would you come back out here so I can actually do that?”

The voice sounds closer now, as though Strife is speaking directly next to the wall outside his hiding spot and Hamish realises too late what a stupid move it had been to shout and give away his position. So, with lips pursed and arms crossed, he offers the horseman a stubborn silence. A full minute passes before he hears a low sigh from the other side of the wall.

He expects Strife to continue banging on the wall until the sound becomes so annoying, it drives him out. He expects the horseman to at least pretend to leave, then snatch him up again the second he steps from the mouse hole. What Hamish doesn’t expect, however, is for the wall of his kitchen to suddenly explode inwards.

A cacophony of sound beats on his eardrums and in a desperate bid to avoid being deafened, Hamish throws his arms over his head and presses himself into the floor, his scream swallowed by chunks of plaster and brick showering down all around him. When the dust settles, he still doesn’t move, not even when silence is all he can hear aside from the blood pounding through his eardrum.

Then, movement. Not from Hamish, but from the gaping hole that has appeared in the brick and cement, exposing his kitchen – his home – to the world outside. Choking on the fear that weighs down on him as surely as the ceiling above, Hamish raises his head and peeks out between trembling arms to see a colossal fist slowly dislodge itself from the tight confines of his kitchen wall, fragments of which tumble down around it, plinking off metallic plating and leaving a coat of dust in their wake. With a final tug, the fist breaks free, retreating enough so that what little light is left can spill through the gap and illuminate the hovel. As Hamish watches, too rigid with anxiety to move his limbs, a familiar pair of luminous, yellow eyes loom out of the dust and peer inside, swiftly finding him cowered underneath the kitchen table. Their gazes lock and they stare at one another, the boy’s eyes widening as a direct contrast to Strife’s, which narrow at the sight of him.

“You know, I don’t appreciate being lied to,” the horseman grumbles before adding curtly, “I thought we had a deal?”

Pinned helplessly beneath that glare, Hamish attempts to shuffle backwards further under the table, though his limbs have locked up and refuse to cooperate with his intentions. However, his mouth hasn’t suffered the same petrification. “I-I don’t make deals with giants!” The words tumble out before he can catch them. “I’m not going, so just!- Just leave me alone!” As he speaks, he continues to shimmy away until he emerges from beneath the table, all the while his every move is followed intently by an unwavering, yellow gaze.

An entrance to one of the many tunnels his family had built into the walls is just to Hamish’s left – shrouded in darkness and invitingly safe. If he could just reach it, he’d be able to disappear into the brickwork.

Taking a fairly solid guess on the boy’s next course of action, Strife growls out a warning steeped in thinly veiled concern. “Come on, kid. Don’t make me do this.”

With the deliberate slowness of one who doesn’t wish to provoke a predator, Hamish gets to his feet and in utter silence, they stare each other down, one defiant and the other dejected.

Then, the horseman eyes squeeze shut just for the briefest of instances, as if in pain.

It’s all the opening Hamish needs.

Like a rabbit with a fox at his heels, he bolts sideways in a mad dash for the tunnel entrance, his mind fixated on one thing only: Escape.

Although he’d always been the youngest family member, he could boast an impressive swiftness, outpacing even his mother and father as they raced through the apartment in playful capers.

His father had once said that Hamish’s speed would keep him safe.

His father was wrong.

The enclosed doorframe comes within reach and another round of adrenaline fizzes across his brain at the the tantalising prospect of freedom, so close it puts a hopeful smile on his face. He would not be made to leave his home. Fingers grasp the wooden edge of the door and Hamish readies to propel himself those last, precious few feet through the gap. He’s so focused on where he’s going, he doesn’t notice the rush air that whizzes past him, nor that it’s soon followed by a large, ominous shape sliding past his body in the darkness and curling into his path. However, he does notice when he slams against a solid wall of metal and leather - a wall that begins to gently scoop him backwards, away from the door, away from the safety of the apartment’s labyrinthian tunnels and straight towards a home-wrecking giant.

“No!” he shrieks like a banshee as strong fingers fasten around his midsection, ensuring him that this time, there will be no escape. The horseman will not be duped again. All too soon, Hamish finds himself dangling back in front of that avian mask and shying away from the palpable disappointment radiating from beneath it.

“Okay,” the low, unimpressed voice chimes, “I can tell there’re gonna be some trust issues between us.” Before continuing, Strife holds an admonishing finger up right in front of the boy’s face. “But you need to understand that you can’t just run off like that, kid! What if you’d gotten hurt?”

Reflecting on what he’d said, the horseman has to suppress a shudder. ’Shit, I’m starting to sound like Death.’  

“What do you care if I get hurt!?” the boy challenges, “You’re the one who’s kidnapping me!”  

Bridling at the accusation, Strife sets his jaw and snaps, “You got duskwings in your belfry, kid? I’m trying to protect you!”

“I don’t need you protecting me! I was doing just fine on my own!” Hamish bellows, balling his hands into fists and throwing them wildly in the direction of Strife’s mask, more as a show of defiance than anything else. He’s borderline hysterical now, barely sucking down enough air to keep himself conscious during the throes of panic.

Meanwhile, the horseman watches his display, taking in the boy’s skinny frame, the shorts that barely cling to his narrow hips, the dark bags hanging under his eyes and the grime covering his skin and clothes. “No,” he says with an air of finality, “You weren’t.”

There’s no further opportunity for Hamish to retort because he’s promptly swept in a downwards arch towards the horseman’s pouches once again. No amount of pleading, thrashing or crying garners a reaction out of the stone-faced giant who has turned a deaf ear to his tiny captive. Only when he lifts the flap of his frontmost pocket and lowers Hamish inside does he speak, simply to say, “This is for your own good.”

The boy’s backside touches something soft and fuzzy and he balks, inadvertently grasping at the fingers that unfurl from around him, as though they would pull him out of the very prison they’d slipped him into. The last thing he sees before his world is plunged into darkness is a now familiar pair of amber eyes gleaming down at him and pulling a whimper off his lips.

—

Strife expels a hot breath as he fastens the clasp on his pouch and finally allows himself an indulgent second to relax. Then, giving the bottom of the pouch a few, gentle pats, he turns once more towards the pitch black hallway, smirking when a minuscule foot kicks against his palm. 

[im-the-king-of-the-ocean]

For the Halloween asks, could you do 1 with the child being familiar!Zelda and/or Reya? I'll leave the others up to you

Since I got to choose, I decided to tie this fic in to a part of what I’m doing with Pieces.  This story is (currently) canon to the overall Piecesverse.  I intend to have Reya, Kanjigar, and Nomura appear in the larger story.

I didn’t plan on giving the au that name, it’s just the one that stuck and I rather like it.

(also I wrote a trick or treating fic with familiar!Zelda and barbmura already last year)

A few things you need to know:

Reya maintains her origins as the bio daughter of Draal and Nomura whose birthstone was the result of their drunken shenanigans one night.

Draal died offscreen prior to any story starting.  I will not go into details on this (it’s still under development).

Reya is being raised by Kanjigar for the most part.  However, she has once a year visits with Nomura on Halloween.

The Amulet of Daylight and the role of Trollhunter do not exist in the Piecesverse.  Thus, neither are the reason anyone is alive or dead.  I will also not go into more detail on this.

.

The man dressed as a young Obi-Wan Kenobi halts.  His puts a firm hand on the shoulder of his charge, keeping her next to him.  His eyes narrow as he surveys the neighborhood.  Nothing seems out of place (and he’s been through enough of these Halloween Nights to know what constitutes normal for them).  He determines that they’re safe (or, as safe as they can be) and removes his hand from his granddaughter’s shoulder.

She looks up at him.  “Is something wrong, grandpa?”

Outside of the fact they shouldn’t actually be here?  No.

Kanjigar shakes his head.  “No, Reya.  I was simply getting my bearings.  Remember, we have to be careful on these nights.”

Reya nods her head vigorously.  “I know the rules.”

Stay close.  Be careful to maintain her disguise, no matter how uncomfortable she finds her glamour mask.  Don’t interact much with the human children.  Especially don’t say anything to them that could be construed as odd, off, or wrong.  It is of the utmost importance that no one realize they don’t belong.

The two start walking again.  Reya sticks close to her grandfather’s side, but she can���t help but glance at the human children rushing about the streets, approaching houses in the hopes of receiving candy.  They’re so different from herself, from trollkind in general.  It’s hard to believe she shares a relation with them.

Half a relation, Reya reminds herself.  She’s not fully part-human, after all.  She’s part changeling, which is half-troll, half-human, which makes her half-half-human.  Reya thinks for a minute, remembering her fractions.  So, that means she’s roughly a fourth human?  She keeps forgetting.  It doesn’t seem important most of the time.  At least, not to her.  She kicks a pebble along the sidewalk.  It’s certainly important to everyone else.

For as long as Reya can remember, secrets have been a part of her life.  There are things she knows.  Things she can’t ever tell someone about.  Ever.

She can’t tell anyone back home in Trollmarket about her shape-shifting abilities.  She can never let them see her change her colors.  She must always have the exact same coloration out in public.

She must never let slip that her mother is still alive, instead of gone like her father.  If she ever talks about her mother, she must stick to the story Grandpa Kanjigar taught her.  If anyone were to find out her mother is a changeling, horrible things will happen.

Reya doesn’t really understand all of it, though she adheres to the Rules regardless.  She doesn’t see how she’s so different from the other whelps, just because she’s part-changeling.  Changelings are trolls, too.  They started out as trolls.  Sure, they were changed a little, but they are still themselves deep down.  It’s like how she can change her coloration or make slight alterations to her appearance.  No matter what she alters, she will always be Reya.

Other trolls, they don’t see it that way, Grandpa Kanjigar told her over and over again.  His face would always shift to a solemn expression.  A long, long time ago there was a war and, he usually hesitated there, changelings did horrible things.

Because they were bad?  Reya asked once when she was very small, scared that that meant she was destined to be bad too.

Because that’s what they were taught to do, Kanjigar reassured her.  You are nothing like them, Reya.  He always hugged her close during these moments.  You are kind, curious, and good.

But, my mother?

Is complicated.

Reya and Kanjigar reach the safe house.  Its windows are dark.  No candy-seeking children approach it, but the two of them do.  Kanjigar knocks.  A special knock that was agreed upon a long, long time ago.

A woman with green eyes opens the door.  Her green eyes are the only constant trait Reya knows about her mother.  Every year they come to visit her, she looks drastically different.  Reya knows her mother has to have lots of disguises.  Like Reya herself, she must hide her true nature from troll kind.  But, unlike her daughter, Nomura must also hide from other changelings, who would seek to harm her if they ever found out that she was in contact with Reya and her grandfather.

Nomura squats down in front of her daughter.  Her eyes search Reya, looking for the true appearance behind all the magic concealments.  Reya knows her mother isn’t the most affectionate person, but she does love her.  If she didn’t, Reya believes Nomura wouldn’t try to really see her.

“He teaching you well?”  Nomura asks.

Reya nods.  “We had a lesson on throwing knives yesterday.”  She pouts.  “But I’m not allowed to dip them in poison yet.”

Nomura smirks.  She tussles Reya’s hair between her bony horns.  “That’s my girl.”  She stands back up, and makes eye contact with Kanjigar.  “Do they suspect anything?”

“No.  Yours?”

“Nothing.”

“Good.  Let’s get going.”  Kanjigar gestures.  Nomura exits her safe house and locks the door behind her.

She hands Reya a large pillowcase.  “You’re going to need this.  The houses around here are giving away a lot of candy this year.”

Reya takes the pillowcase.  She smiles at her mother.  “We’ll get even more since our costumes match.”  She’d planned it herself.  Her, her mother, and her grandfather are all costumed as Star Wars characters.

After a troll traded Kanjigar old tapes of the films, Reya had become obsessed with them, with the idea of an entire galaxy full of strange beings that all got along with each other.  More or less.  Sure, there was technically fighting in the movies, but no one batted an eyelash at how a lot of background characters were different species.

Reya, quietly, wants to live in that galaxy.  

Also to have a lightsaber and pretty much all of Padme Amidala’s clothes.

Since she can’t have any of that, Reya settled for dressing up as a mashup of Leia, Luke, and Han Solo (hair like the first, with a stone crystal cut to glow like the second’s lightsaber hanging from her belt, and the general aesthetic of the third).  She’d badgered and prodded her grandfather until he agreed to set his glamour mask to give him an appearance like Obi-Wan Kenobi’s.  Then, Reya got Kanjigar to contact Nomura ahead of time to make sure she dressed up as Padme.

Reya reaches the first house.  She knocks at the door.  Her breath momentarily catches in her throat as it opens.  She wonders if this is going to be the moment she, and her family, are found out.  But then the human smiles, says “aren’t you just the most adorable thing”, and gives her a fistful of candy.

She gets to move on, return to her grandfather and mother, and pretend for the rest of the night that they live a happy, peaceful life with none being the wiser.

[spoopy-moose]

I know I said I wouldn’t but...

SPN episode review + anti-Destiel sentiments + MAG158 feeling dump and how it is so much better than stupid Supernatural

Let’s go 

Spoilers for Supernatural up to S15E2 and spoilers for The Magnus Archives up to MAG158 under the cut 

Also anti-Destiel, just in case I wasn’t clear enough 

Overall, I just really didn’t like this episode, just the mood and the feeling of it in general, it just doesn’t convey the feeling that they’re trying to convey. First off, having ghosts in broad daylight, just why? Why on earth would you do that? It doesn’t make the audience feel panicked or anxious or scared, it’s just straight-up stupid. Seeing the bunch of “ghosts” they tried to dress up just looks bad, they don’t look like ghosts, they look like actors and they aren't supposed to look like actors.

Secondly, everything just feels really bland and uninteresting, they’re trying to do too much with the episode and it just jumps all over the place. Especially on the boys’ front, to be honest, I didn’t really pay attention half of the time and an episode like that is just filler. Like what did they even do? Made a soul catcher or whatever and then tried to stretch it all out with the reintroduction of Kevin and Ketch. If you ask me, both of them should have stayed dead. 

“What’s dead should stay dead,” a young Winchester once said, well, certainly don’t apply to people that the writers like. 

And don’t even get me started on the weird Rowena x Ketch shit. Just seem like buckenlemming just see Rowena and any other specimen of the male species and smushed them together, no matter how ill-fitting it is. The whole scene was just straight-up stupid and pointless, like back in season 13, the whole Gabriel x Rowena. Like no, stop, we get it, she’s a massive thot who wants to get into everyone’s pants, we understand, you can stop now. 

But there are a few good things, no who am I kidding, only like...two good things. The dynamic between Amara and Chuck were pretty good and the connection that Sam is making Chuck weaker, well, that makes me a weak woman. 

Now, let’s address the elephant in the room, who will it be this time? Will it be Rowena? Will it be Sam? Will it be Jack? 

No of course not who am I kidding it’s fucking Destiel again. 

There is, of course, a right way to write and interpret underlining romance without explicitly stating that these characters are together. Jon and Martin from the Magnus Archives are a perfect example (here comes the feeling dump, spoilers for the entire show up to 158). Martin has harboured a crush on Jon for years, he’s the only thing that gave him a will to live, he’s what kept him going. Jon was rude to Martin at first, but survived multiple events together and started to bond but he was ripped from him after he woke up from his coma. Martin was the first person Jon approached about leaving the archives, Martin is trying to keep Jon safe from Peter and Jon is going after Martin to save him from the Lonely. 

That is how you write subtextual romance, Destiel is how you don’t write subtextual romance. Or rather, how you don’t interpret subtextual romance. 

Let’s talk about the Scene and let me just give you a brief rundown without the shipper glasses getting in the way. Cas goes to apologise to Dean because Dean is mad at him for no reason, Dean snaps at him (again) and talks about how sad and confused and angry he is (you know, the usual angst fest), he talks about how there’s no point in life anymore and nothing is real because God made it all up and then Cas said “excuse me are you denying out existence” and that’s pretty much it. 

I won’t deny that I don’t have a bias, but you’ve got to see that Cas is just referring generally, as in everyone, and so was Dean. This is not a “we’re the only real thing in this universe so let’s run off together”, this is a “please stop questioning life we’ve got bigger problems to deal with right now”. Why can’t people just see that maybe it’s not canon, maybe it’s not ever going to be canon, so stop trying to tell me that it is.

Just stop, please. You can theorise all you want but at the end of the day, it’s just a theory.

A GAME THEORY.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk 

[artificialqueens]

Under Her Eye - Chapter 6: Shatter (Branjie) - Gab

a/n: Sorry for the delay! I decided to split this chapter into two thus a shorter update. Uni has been an absolute whirlwind and I’ve been adjusting to the workload, but I think I’ve gotten into the groove of writing a little bit every day. @artificialmeggie is a wonderful beta and overall human being as usual and I HIGHLY suggest giving her all the love. As always, you can find me @gabby-writes! I’m also writing a much lighter, much less angsty Chicago au if that’s your jush. With that being said, enjoy!

Chapter 6: Shatter

Word count: 1852

Vanessa didn’t know how long they stayed there, their figures illuminated by the stage lights. It could’ve been anywhere between two minutes and two hours—she hasn’t seen a clock in so long that it barely mattered.

All she could feel, see, think was Brooke.

How she moved on the stage as though she had never stopped dancing. How she had hugged her so warmly. How her lips tasted like tea and honey.

How she just made sense.

How they made sense together, even though they shouldn’t.

They broke apart after a couple of attempts, prying their lips away as one would split a magnet. Though it was still dark outside, the pitch black of the night sky had begun turning a deep blue, as though the sky was warning them of their fading hours.

Vanessa’s smile matched Brooke’s perfectly as they made their way back to the house, tracing their fingers over their lips when they thought the other wasn’t looking, deep blushes concealed in the shadows.

Their hands were linked the whole way, daring the world to break them apart.

The block was quiet as they darted across the streets, both women charged with electricity and adrenaline and possibility.

They did it.

Escaped, even if it was just for a moment.

They could do it again.

They entered the house like giggling school girls that just cut class, smiles impossible to remove from their faces. The house was silent as ever as they returned their coats and sat by Vanessa’s bed.

The room felt different now, more temporary. As though they wouldn’t have to be there for much longer.

“You kissed me.” It was strange to Vanessa. Two people in their situation, sharing a moment so pure and happy. She should be conflicted, confused even, about where she stood in Brooke’s life, but her mind and eyes kept drifting back to Brooke’s lips and she let the light feeling in her chest take over her thoughts.

“Yes,” Brooke answered softy. They were on Vanessa bed, legs winding together in order to fit. Neither seemed to mind as the dawn came in through the window.

Maybe they were pushing it, letting the sun catch them like this, holding each other close in the daylight. The thought had crossed their minds surely as the room grew brighter, but Brooke’s lips were on Vanessa’s again and maybe it didn’t matter.

The haze of the late morning set in as Vanessa woke, not even realizing she had fallen asleep, soft touches of lips on skin being the last memory she could conjure in her mind. She stretched out her limbs, finding herself alone in her room.

They weren’t so bold as to stay together all night, perhaps not yet. That didn’t prevent the pang of disappointment from hitting her chest.

She sat up, recharged despite the few hours of sleep. There was no way she could let this go now, no way she could allow herself—allow them both—to stay here, to act as if they could stand Gilead for one more second.

The ceremony would be the next day.

We have to leave,

Tonight.

Vanessa felt a surge of fire through her body, something she hadn’t felt since she had led riots on the streets, since the night she was taken. A boldness she’d lost over the last few months, renewed overnight.

All because of her.

And maybe she wore it too proudly, a skip in her step as she made her way down to the kitchen, following the smell of the maple syrup over warm pancakes, just as Nina promised.

Brooke was already there, smiling warmly at Vanessa, her fork halfway towards her mouth.

“Morning, dear,” Nina called out cheerfully, flipping the last of the pancakes on her pan and placing it on an empty plate.

“You do too much Nina,” Vanessa said fondly as she gratefully accepted the plate and doused it in maple syrup, making Brooke giggle beside her.

“Commander left real early this morning,” Brooke provided, somewhat explaining the cheerful mood Nina was in.

“Hey, I promised pancakes, didn’t I?”

They laughed, ate pancakes, lazed around like a group of friends after a sleepover. In the early afternoon light they washed up together, as though they could’ve lived like this in another life.

Brooke must’ve thanked Nina a thousand times, held her hands, kissed her cheeks, drunk on happiness she hadn’t felt in months. They stayed like that for the rest of the day, only interrupted by the ringing of the doorbell.

“I haven’t seen you so happy.” Nina squeezed Brooke’s hands before releasing one to cup Vanessa’s cheek. The younger woman leaned into it, a happy sigh escaping her lips. “And maybe… Maybe you’ll leave someday, yeah?” Nina’s voice dropped to a whisper as she said this, a hopeful tone to her voice.

The door bell sounded once again.

“Maybe we all will.” With one final squeeze of her hand, Nina went to answer it. Once Nina had left, Vanessa turned to Brooke, a new fire in her eye replacing the sated, dazed look she had on all day.

“We should.”

Brooke looked at her for a moment, not fully grasping the words.

“Should what?”

“Leave. We should leave. Tonight.”

“‘Nessa—” The endearment slipped through Brooke’s lips before she had a chance to think. It was so much, the words hit her like a jolt of electricity cutting through the slow morning happiness that had settled into Brooke’s stomach. Still, she found herself agreeing to every word, and her mind spun at the dizzying possibility of freedom.

“I know it’s a lot, and I can’t risk—I can’t ask—I know you’re safe here. But you need to be out there. And I need to be out there with you.” She paused for a moment, allowing Brooke to absorb each word before delivering the final blow. “I can’t do another ceremony, Brooke.”

Guilt clouded Brooke’s vision and Vanessa winced as she said it, but then the blonde nodded, taking Vanessa’s hands into her own. She had a look of understanding in her eyes, and maybe they could do it.

Maybe this was it.

A sound from the front door caused Brooke to look up.

It was Nina.

“Please, what are you—”

The sound of a body being pushed over.

A door slamming into the wall.

An angry cry from the living area that sent chills down Vanessa’s back.

It was too late to run, to hide, to do anything other than watch as two figures in black rushed into the kitchen.

—

It happened so fast.

One moment Brooke’s hands were warm in hers, possibility and excitement coursing between them, then Vanessa was being dragged away—by her hair, by her elbow—and Brooke felt all the warmth Vanessa had imparted to her drain into a cold chill. Her feet followed automatically, unable to say a word, unable to stop her lungs from freezing in her chest as she watched Vanessa shake, shout, plead.

The two figures dragged Vanessa out the door, slamming her into the concrete.

There was blood on her face, on her hands, and she was shouting at them.

Still fighting.

But Brooke was silent.

All the screams she wanted to let out were dry in her throat as she watched a small crowd forming in front of their household, watching the scene unfold as if it were some kind of pantomime.

As she watched her worst fears materialize in the form of Vanessa’s body being thrown into the ground each time she moved to get up.

As she watched the men in black pull out firearms and aim them at Vanessa’s head.

Brooke had never felt fear like this before.

“Stop.”

Brooke’s hand came up to her mouth in surprise, not knowing how in the world she was capable of speaking.

But it wasn’t her voice, and the men were facing away, looking at a man standing in the street.

George.

The commander had walked up to the scene, glancing at Vanessa for a moment before tilting his head towards the van, a signal for the men in black to drag her inside, shutting the door with a deafening slam.

His eyes were cold, focused, deadly,

And trained directly at Brooke.

Something in her had snapped—all quiet, logical thought completely gone from her mind as she moved on instinct, grasping at every sensory input her mind could comprehend.

Vanessa isn’t dead.

Vanessa isn’t dead yet.

The van is leaving.

Where are they taking her?

Should I go with them?

George is here.

George stopped them from killing her.

George is looking at me.

George is coming towards me.

Will he kill me?

He’s in front of me.

He—

A sharp pull on her shoulder caused her to gasp in pain, and she was being dragged backwards into her house, unnoticed by the crowd outside.

Nina is on the floor.

Is she bleeding?

She’s not moving.

The same two men in black had followed them inside, locking the door behind them. Brooke’s shoulder stung as the grip on it tightened and a sudden, sharp pain in her back caused her to cry out.

Fuck, what is that?

She fell over as soon she was released, the sudden rush of blood searing through her body, a cattle prod pointed at her from behind.

“Get up, Brooke.”

George’s voice was severe as he stood over her. Her eyes darted around, recognizing the bare surroundings of her sitting room, the curtains drawn. When she finally propped herself up on her shaking arms, she saw something burning—furious—in his eyes.

Brooke had never seen that before.

“What—” Her mouth was dry, cold. She wrapped her arms around herself as if it would stop her from trembling. Whether it was caused by the cold, fear, or anger, she couldn’t tell.

“I ask for one fucking thing, and that’s for you to behave like your father told you to.” Each word hit her face as if he had spit on it. “Look what you’ve done.”

“What I’ve done? You called the guardians on us, in your own fucking home!” Brooke lashed out, shocked at the volume of her voice before her outburst was rewarded with a hard slap to her face from the guardian to her side.

“You could’ve cost us everything, my job, my life.” “Hang me then.” Brooke’s voice was filled with spite, her anger working faster than her thoughts as each word spilled from her mouth.

He smiled, a smug look in his eye.

“I’ve got a better idea.” He made a move to leave the room, allowing the guardians to knock her down one more time before they locked the door behind her.

Brooke’s mind had gone quiet again, barely registering her surroundings, solely focused on a single word.

Vanessa.

She didn’t notice when the sun began to go down.

Vanessa.

She didn’t notice the faint click of the door behind her.

Vanessa. She didn’t notice the sudden darkness that surrounded her.

Vanessa.

She didn’t notice the needle pricking into her skin until suddenly she couldn’t hear the voice in her head saying the one name that mattered most.

[365daysofsasuhina]

[ 365 Days of SasuHina || Day Two Hundred Fifty: An Emergency ] [ Uchiha Sasuke, Hyūga Hinata ] [ SasuHina, blood ] [ Verse: Oil and Blood ] [ AO3 Link ]

Insomnia is a beast she just can’t tame.

Lying awake, an arm slung over her brow, Hinata stares up at her apartment ceiling. A small strip of light cuts across it from the gap between her curtains that she can never cover no matter how much she finagles with them. The neon city just outside her window doesn’t help her inability to sleep when she should. Part of her thinks to move to a quieter street, but...this one’s so close to her job, and actually has decent rent despite its great location.

...but one of these days, her sleepless nights are going to catch up with her. She’s already starting to make minor mistakes at work, and her supervisor is going to notice sooner or later.

Sighing, she lowers her forearm over her eyes. Maybe she should just...get up and go for a walk. This city quite literally never sleeps, so the action might be enough to wear her out enough to catch a few hours of rest before having to make her way to the office tomorrow.

Such a joy working in the claims department of the largest medical bionics insurance company in their city. There’s always something going wrong with someone’s biocomponents. A locked-up limb, a joint that squeaks, an eye that shorts out. As amazing as she finds the unity of biology and technology...it sure makes for a plethora of headaches.

But then again...it’s those flaws and claims that pay her salary, so...maybe she can’t complain. It’d just be nice to have a quiet day in the office. But so long as someone’s tech is on the fritz, she’ll be there to walk them through the claims process.

Not exactly how she pictured spending her early adult life, but...well, sometimes you have to compromise a dream to pay the bills.

Making up her mind, she swings her legs over the side of her bed, feet planted on the cool floor as she stands and grabs some basic clothes. Tank, sweats, sweatshirt, shoes. Just something to decently dress herself while she tries to run her brain and body a little closer to empty.

Tying up her hair in a makeshift bun, she heads out, a swipe of the chip in her palm locking the door behind her as she heads down a few flights of stairs to the ground floor.

Some things, at least, she likes to do the old fashioned way.

As soon as she steps out onto the sidewalk, it’s an assault on all her senses. Bright lights, flashing and dancing, announce the ever-present night life of a city with little need to sleep. There are just as many businesses - if not more - open for customers at night as there are during the daylight hours. Hinata’s only ventured into the city nightlife a time or two - mostly because of work and needing to be up early - but also the lingering view that only vagrants and the lifeless waste their nights being awake and active after midnight.

She herself doesn’t necessarily believe it - the streets are mostly just as safe at night as they are during the day. While the introduction of the human-machine hybrid has resulted in a slow, steady climb in crime, she lives in one of the more decent parts of the city. There’s rarely any incidents, and most revolve around the tech itself. And beyond her palm inplant for accessing her valuables and her private cellular implant for hands-free communication, Hinata’s refrained from any major modifications. Her lackluster appearances helps her blend in with those deemed less profitable in the grand scheme of things. Her mods are the most basic of the basic, and hardly worth the time.

So, hands in her pockets, she just...picks a direction and starts walking.

In a way, she really does find the nightlife and its lights pretty. The sound is a little obnoxious, but her building is new enough it’s equipped with the best sound muffling tech there is. She barely hears any of it. And she’s grown used to the scents of the city. It’s not as pleasant as a flower-filled field, but...well, the smog’s been fairly managed since new laws were passed a few years back. Otherwise, she has little to complain about on the sensory front.

As she meanders, she peers into shop windows, watching displays shift and change. Rail-thin girls model clothes next to ab-clenching guys, all with some kind of mod visible. New tech shines and glows. She’s not really interested in any of it, has no intention to buy. But it gives her something to look at and think about as she goes. If she wants to tucker out her brain, overstimulating it is probably her best bet.

Passing a small gap between buildings (a rarity these days with the demand for space), something...makes her pause. A kind of inexplicable feeling that something is wrong.

The space - a few feet wide - is nearly pitch black despite the neon lights just beyond. Refuse is piled near the mouth. Overall, it’s a typical alley beyond its narrow size. And yet…

Brow furrowing, Hinata glances back over her shoulder before looking back to the alley. This feels all sorts of stupid, but...her gut is telling her she needs to investigate. So, she carefully steps over the boxes and bags, thankful to feel concrete under her feet. Lifting her access palm, a light shines out from the tiny lens.

For several feet, there’s nothing. Just more cardboard and plastic. But as she lets the light go further...she sees feet.

...ohhh crap.

Gut tightening, Hinata weighs her options. If this is a body...she needs to report it. But if they’re alive...they probably need help. This isn’t exactly a place for someone to just...be. This is where someone ends up.

Hopping over more trash, she comes up closer. Legs bent at the knees and slumped forward with his back against the alleyway wall...is a man. Dark hair is a mess, and once she gets close enough...she realizes his left arm is missing.

It’s not as much of a shock as it might’ve been a few decades ago. Limbs are replaced all the time. Carefully crouching, she shines her light at the stump and finds a socket for a mod. As she suspected. Seems he’s one of the unlucky ones beaten and stripped for parts. But to be this close to a major city street...it’s a bit unnerving.

“...sir?” she murmurs, not daring yet to touch him. “Are...are you all right…?”

For a moment...nothing happens, and she fears he really is dead. But then his remaining hand twitches, and she hears a small groan.

He’s not doing well.

“Sir, um...do you -? Do you need some help? Should I take you to a medical facility?”

With great effort, he manages to loll his head back, and Hinata can’t help a gasp. His left eye socket is empty, clearly missing a mod as well. And given the damage...it’s obvious it was stolen in the same beat down. A bit of blood leaks from a corner of his mouth, staining his shirt.

So engrossed in the sight is she...she almost misses the tattoo just below his collarbone, the collar of his shirt ripped apart, likely from a grip along his shirtfront. A trio of tomoe stand out darkly in black ink against his pale skin...and it all sinks in.

This wasn’t just a robbery...this was yakuza activity. He’s an Uchiha…!

This...complicates things. She can’t bring him to a typical hospital. He’ll be arrested on the spot!

Nibbling her lip, Hinata glances behind her. No one else has found them...yet. In truth...she does know somewhere she can take him to get looked over and avoid the police. It’s just not...wholly legal. A partially underground operation she only found out by accident while working on a claim years back. She’s used it a few times since for her most desperate cases.

“...come on,” she murmurs, buttoning his shirt to hide the ink. “I know somewhere you’ll be safe. Just...just come with me, okay?”

Breaths short and curt, he watches as she stands, offering her hands. Grunting in pain, he manages to grip them with his remaining limb, letting her pull him up only to nearly collapse.

...this isn’t going to be easy.

Maneuvering him against a side and looping his arm over her shoulders, Hinata avoids the main street and instead follows the alley further down. Thankfully it’s only a few blocks to the little medical clinic. One versed in both the biological and technological sides to human health. Hopefully the woman who runs it is awake...or won’t mind being so in a few minutes. Hinata’s already called in quite a few favors, but...none like this one.

“Hold on...it’s n-not too far. I know a place that works...u-under the table.”

The Uchiha gives her a weary glance, clearly at a loss as to why she’s helping him in the first place...let alone going to such extremes. But...well, this is a bit of an emergency.

They’ll figure out the details later.

                                                           .oOo.

     Cyberpunk AU! Something I've actually wanted to do for a while, but I'm shy over the genre cuz I've written VERY little of it, and not with either of these characters lol      Poor Hinata...she goes out for a simple walk, ends up getting tangled up with a gangster xD I kinda wanna do more of this...we'll see if any other prompts fit down the road!      But for now, that's all I got. Tomorrow's gonna be VERY busy, so I better go sleep! Thanks for reading~

[thesetales-archive4]

what song do you associate with each muse?

okay so this took me forever lol, and i didn’t do it for ardyn, hannibal or blaine bc i ended up getting tired of looking for songs, but... here you go. i also put the parts of the lyrics to each song that i associate with each muse underneath the cut, for those who might be interested in why i picked the songs i picked. anyways, here goes:

ARTHUR FLECK:  smile - jimmy duranteJOHN DOE:  down with the sickness - disturbedJACE HUNTER:  monster you made me - pop evilJOHN WINCHESTER:  hurt - johnny cashNEGAN:  hail to the king - avenged sevenfoldEDWARD NYGMA:  numb - the cover version by jonathan youngJAMES GORDON:  healing begins - tenth avenue northHARLEY QUINN:  i’m gonna show you crazy - bebe rexhaSEAN MACGUIRE:  my old man - zac brown bandARTHUR MORGAN:  running gun - marty robbinsDAMON SALVATORE:  whiskey fever - dorothy   

ARTHUR FLECK:  smile - jimmy durante

smile though your heart is aching, smile even though it's breakingwhen there are clouds in the sky, you'll get by. if you smile through your fear and sorrow. smile, and maybe tomorrow you'll see the sun come shining through, for you. light up your face with gladness, hide every trace of sadness, although a tear may be ever so near. that's the time you must keep on trying. smile, what's the use of crying? you'll find that life is still worth while, if you just smile.

JOHN DOE:  down with the sickness - disturbed

it seems what's left of my human side is  slowly changing in me (will you give in to me?) looking at my own reflection, when suddenly it changes, violently it changes. there is no turning back now, you'vewoken up the demon in me. 

get up, come on get down with the sickness, open up your hate, andlet it flow into me. get up, come on get down with the sickness. madness is the gift, that has been given to me. 

i can see inside you, the sickness is rising, don't try to deny what you feel (will you give in to me?) it seems that all that was good has died, and is decaying in me.

JACE HUNTER:  monster you made me - pop evil

take a good look at me now, do you still recognize me? am i so different inside? this world is trying to change me. and i admit i don't want to change with it, and i admit i can't go on like this anymoreerase this monster i've become. forgive me for all the damage done. it's not over, say it's not over. i'm begging for mercy, i’monly the monster you made me.i'm better alone now. see i'm torn from my mistakes. and i stop believing that i could ever make things change. how much can i take, when i know that it hurts you? how long can i wait, when icant go on like this anymore?because who i am isn't who i used to be. and i'm not invincible,i'm not indestructible. i'm only human. can't you see the beauty in me?take a good look at me now, can't you see i've changed?

JOHN WINCHESTER:  hurt - johnny cash

i hurt myself today, to see if i still feeli focus on the pain, the only thing that's realthe needle tears a hole, the old familiar stingtry to kill it all away, but i remember everything

what have i become, my sweetest friendeveryone i know, goes away in the endand you could have it all, my empire of dirti will let you down, i will make you hurt

NEGAN:  hail to the king - a7x

watch your tongue or have it cut from your head. save your life by keeping whispers unsaid. children roam the streets now orphans of war. bodies hanging in the streets to adore. royal flames will carve a path in chaos, bringing daylight to the night. death is riding in to town with armor. they come to take all your rights.

hail to the king, hail to the one. kneel to the crown, stand in the sun. hail to the king.

blood is spilled while holding keys to the throne. born again but it’s too late to atone. no mercy from the edge of the blade. dare escape and learn the price to be paid. let the water flow in shades of red now. arrows black out all the light. death is riding in to town with armor. they come to grant you your rights.

there's a taste of fear, when the henchmen call. iron fist to tame them iron fist to claim it all

EDWARD NYGMA:  numb - linkin park cover by jonathan young

i'm tired of being what you want me to be, feeling so faithless, lost under the surface. don't know what you're expecting of meput under the pressure of walking in your shoes. every step that i take is another mistake to you

i've become so numb, i can't feel you there. become so tired, so much more aware, i'm becoming this. all i want to do, is be more like me and be less like you

can't you see that you're smothering me. holding too tightly, afraid to lose control? 'cause everything that you thought i would be has fallen apart right in front of you. every step that I take is another mistake to you. and every second I waste is more than I can take

and i know i may end up failing too. but i know you were just like me with someone disappointed in you

JAMES GORDON:  healing begins - tenth avenue north.

so you thought you had to keep this up. all the work that you doso we think that you're good. and you can't believe it's not enough.all the walls you built up are just glass on the outside

so let 'em fall down. there's freedom waiting in the sound, when you let your walls fall to the ground, we're here now

this is where the healing begins, oh this is where the healing starts.when you come to where you're broken, within the light meets the dark.

afraid to let your secrets out. everything that you hide can comecrashing through the door now. but too scared to face all your fear, so you hide, but you find that the shame won't disappear

sparks will fly as grace collides with the dark inside of us. so please don't fight this coming light. the light meets the dark.

HARLEY QUINN:  i’m gonna show you crazy - bebe rexha

there's a war inside my head, sometimes i wish that i was dead.i'm broken, so i called this therapist and she said, "girl, you can't be fixed, just take this"i'm tired of trying to be normal, i'm always over-thinking. i'm driving myself crazy. so what if i'm fucking crazy?

and i don't need your quick fix. i don't want your prescriptions. just'cause you say i'm crazy, so what if i'm fucking crazy? yeah, i’m gonna show youloco, maniac, sick bitch, psychopath, yeah, i'm gonna show you, i’mgonna show you. yeah, i'm gonna show you mental out my brain, bat shit, go insane, yeah, i'm gonna show you

i've been searching city streets trying to find the missing piece like you said. and i searched hard only to find there's not a single thing that's wrong with my mind.

SEAN MACGUIRE:  my old man - zac brown band

he was a giant when i was just a kid. i was always tryingto do everything he did. i can still remember every lesson he taught me, growing up learning how to be like my old man

he was a lion, we were our father's pride, but i was defiant, when he made me walk the line. he knew how to lift me up, and when to let me fall. looking back, he always had a planmy old man, my old man

feel the callous on his hands and dusty overalls. my old man, now i finally understand i have a lot  to learn from my old man.

my old man, i know one day we'll meet again, as he's looking down. my old man, i hope he's proud of who i ami'm trying to fill the boot of my old man. my old man

ARTHUR MORGAN:  running gun - marty robbins

i rode out of kansas city, going, south to mexico. i was, running dodging danger, left the girl that i loved so. far behind lay kansas city and the past that i had earned. twenty notches on my six gun marked the lessons i had learned. 

many times i sold my fast gun for a place to lay my head. till the nights began to haunt me by the men that i lay dead. couldn't stand it any longer with the life that i'd begun, so I, said good-bye to jeannie and became a running gun. i rode into amarillo as the sun sank in the west, my thoughts in kansas city and the girl that i love best. as i smiled and kissed her gently and then turned around to go, said i'd send for her to meet me when i reached old mexico. i had barely left the saddle and my foot just touched the ground, when a cold voice from the shadows told me not to turn around.said he knew about my fast gun, knew the price paid by the law. challenged by a bounty hunter, so i turned around to draw. 

i knew someday i'd meet him for his hand like lightning flashed, my own gun stayed in leather as his bullet tore it's path. as my strength was slowly fading, i could see him walk away, and i knew that where i lie today, he too must lie some day. now my strength is slowly fading and my eyes are growing dim, and my thoughts return to jeannie and the home that we had planned. oh please tell her won't you mister that she's still the only one, but a woman's love is wasted when she loves a running gun.

DAMON SALVATORE:  whiskey fever - dorothy

woah mama don't you leave me alone, no tellin' what i'll do on my own. woah mama there's a pit in my soul, so deep i gotta fill it up now, fill it up now, fill it up now.whiskey whiskey whiskey fever, you're my evil, you're my evilwhiskey whiskey whiskey fever, you're my evil, you're my evil love

woah mama can't you say that i'm wrong, bad habits been busting my bones. hell mama’s gonna swallow me whole, god knows i gotta fill it up now, fill it up now, fill it up now.

[takaralegacy]

Not dead!

School just took over immediately after Onslaught. Typical. 

Thoughts under cut!

Played expansion with my JK (loyal) and SI (saboteur). 

Factions combined/overall thoughts:

- I love the scenery in all the locations. Onderon and Mek-Sha are pretty and detailed AF, though the narrow alleyways and tunnels are pain to play at times. I might've also gotten killed like an amateur after running straight into opposing factions' area on Mek-Sha lol - Is it just me, or is the plot of this expansion a nod towards The Last Jedi, with fuel issues and everything? - C2-D4 and Jakarro are back! And they banter like an old married couple.

REPUBLIC ONSLAUGHT

- Poor Arn is so excited and Tau as his master is so awkward. They're both traumatized yet I think the expansion (especially the Brothers mission) handles it well. - Darth Savik's droids have pretty neat design! - Lana and Gnost Dural chatting about stuff. 10/10 yes please gimme more I live for this stuff - K, we REALLY need a cutscene of Commander, Gnost Dural and Daeruun having tea. Just sayin' - NEW SUPREME CHANCELLOR IS MIRIALAN HOLD MY BEER - That scene where you walk up to Anri on Mek-Sha and she gets shot really pissed me off, as I thought they just killed her off like that. Thankfully I was wrong.  - After fighting Malgus on Corellia, you just kinda abandon Tau and Arn and flee?! I mean they’re safe but it’s just so random lol. - Knight reuniting with Kira and Scourge. What can I say?! INCOMING FEELS TRAIN - Kira and Scourge bromance is the best and I love it. - The chat with Scourge is adorable even if you don't romance him. Like, he's just awkwardly admitting Knight and their crew means a lot to him and I just asjhdghjsgdjhsgdhjsag

IMPERIAL ONSLAUGHT

- Vowrawn as the Emperor is... very Vowrawn. 'Nuff said. - I kinda like the new Dark Council, they act like a dysfunctional family. - "You mean MY Silencers." LMAO - I don't know why, but Inquisitor dealing with Malgus gives me so much joy. - Anri is so cute when she’s excited.  - Savik has the patience of a saint dealing with the king of Onderon. - Killing the said king being a DS choice makes sense, yet I ended up doing it, though my SI is LS. Also, the discussion that follows is poetic cinema and fits my SI way too well.  - I love the rest of new Imps too, yet I can’t help but feel like they’ll betray my ass when they get the chance.  - Inquisitor. Talking. About. Slavery. With. Anri. Massive feels.  - Boss fight with Tau is epic. Just watching Tau and Malgus beat the living daylight out of each other is way too cool looking.  - I’m slightly sad they didn’t offer my SI his seat back. I mean, he wouldn’t have taken it back, I would’ve just loved to decline the offer! - Theron giving SI hard time about not doing more, even though he was doing everything to ruin Empire’s plans seems bloody rough. Like, Dark Council is dumb as hell for not figuring out what went wrong.  - The “new” Malgus seems pissed af and that scares me - Again, Scourge and Kira bromance. - Scourge telling that Kira will “grow on you.” Bioware, pls, give me something telling more about the two bonding during Zakuul’s reign! 

TL;DR Yes, I liked it very much, can’t wait for more. 

[nerdyfangirl-3647]

Okay I've heard of people wanting a Marauder's TV show in their Hogwarts years, but consider; a Marauder's sitcom in the afterlife

Hear me out:

- They live together so there's lots of petty arguments to the tune of "the toilet paper goes over not under!"

- Looking down at the stuff going on on Earth like "the fuck is this shit???" And getting offended when Harry names his son Albus Severus and just overall watching what's going on like it's their favorite TV show and they're just always exasperated that Harry always takes the most roundabout, dangerous option. >"You know where he gets that from Potter? Huh? It reminds you of a certain someone, doesn't it?!!" >"Oh my god, he’s just like you!" >"Well yes, but that's not who I was talking about!"

- They're no longer limited by death, so they spend their time messing around and getting up to insane antics that definitely would have killed them if they were still alive

- They've adopted Fred and he complements the group perfectly

- Snape, having "redeemed" himself, is in their heaven, but it's his purgatory, since he has to be their neighbor. He's sorta over things, but is still salty, so he spends his time bitterly trading sarcastic remarks and putting all of the fallen leaves onto their side of the lawn and stuff •It doesn't faze the Marauders in the slightest; they use them to make an absurdly large pile of leaves and jump into it

- There's an ongoing joke that Peter Pettigrew keeps trying to sneak into heaven •like swiper from Dora the Explorer •the whole episode, the Marauders are preoccupied with something really stupid but are dead serious about (like using magic to make an enormous staircase, so they can mattress surf down it) while the camera just focuses on Peter overdramatically tiptoeing in the background •Peter is all like "Haha! Finally I will triumph!" •the Marauders are totally aware he's there, they just have more important things to worry about (ie. mattress surfing) •everytime Peter appears, they just come up with increasingly ridiculous ways to yeet him out •he starts his nefarious plan, then the Marauders look directly at him, and one second later, it cuts to him being strapped into a catapult •they always send him off with a "pEtEr YoU RAt!!!" And a mock look of disapproval

- Tonks and Lily live with them too, of course, and Sirius uses the opportunity to monologue about how he's literally "forever alone" and how he is secretly in love with either James or Remus, depending on who is displaying more public affection at the moment, but they broke his heart by choosing someone else

- Also Dumbledore makes Stan Lee esque cameos •he's the cashier at the grocery store that is definitely blitzed out of his mind •he's the homeless man on the street mumbling about lemon drops •he's the bus driver who's pointing out everything on the street like it's a tour bus (this is especially funny because the whole show takes place on just one street and there's like one person on the bus) •all of these appear in consecutive frames but no one notices or looks any closer at the multiple Dumbledores •it's later revealed that sometimes one of those Dumbledores is Tonks, but that doesn't nearly account for all of the Dumbledores

- Whenever Sirius and James are acting especially stupid, it just cuts to Remus looking directly into the camera like he's on The Office

- Endless puns about dogs, werewolves, and stags

- Since they all died before the 2000s, they never really experienced our current technology so they make up for it by making (even more) low-budget, campy parodies and recreations of vines and memes

- Dobby's also their neighbor, and he's (obviously) pure and precious •He bakes his neighbors cookies!!!! •(but not Snape) •Snape goes crazy trying to get his hands on one because the rest of the characters make a point of loudly raving about how good they are just to spite him •once, Snape and Peter team up to try and steal the recipe, but even Snape knows when he’s beat, so he switches sides at the last minute, helps the Marauders stop Peter, then claims he was on their side the whole time •imagine girls nights with Lily, Tonks, and Dobby

- Also! Lupin’s not as affected so he doesn’t lose control and turn into a werewolf every full moon! Because he’s precious and deserves better!

-Adding on to that, once they learn about furries, you can bet they never shut up about it and are always bringing it up around bewildered passerby in increasingly awkward situations, until it becomes a competition to see who can make people the most confused and/or uncomfortable -ALSO: in this hypothetical show, Dumbledore must canonically be gay. With actual evidence. As in not just stated after the fact in an attempt to increase representation. *cough* Joanne *cough* And one of the background Dumbledores goes totally Queer Eye on random people, but it's not planned, he just approaches random people on the street and suggests to them how they can fix their style while they awkwardly try to go about their business -Before the opening credits on one of the episodes, there’s a gag scene where the Marauders are seen in front of Robert Pattinson who is VERY clearly supposed to be playing Cedric Diggory •like head to toe Hufflepuff merch •a literal nametag that says “HELLO MY NAME IS Cedric Diggory” •but the Marauders are like “you look familiar” •and they do that thing like in that one episode of Wizards of Waverly Place? You know where the Russos are at wizarding school and Alex says something to the tune of “this seems familiar. Like it reminds me of Larry something? Barry something? Oh never mind” while staring at Justin in his wizard robes and round glasses in clear reference to Harry Potter? But with Twilight >one goes “oh you’re the actor from that movie!” >“oh yeah! Starlight, right?” >“it’s Daylight, you ignoramous!” >“stupid much? It’s obviously Moonlight!” >“wait, isn’t it Night Light?” >“it’s definitely gotta be Starlight because the other one is called Supermoon!” >“oh my god! You complete doofus! The other book is called Blue Moon!” •eventually he interrupts and deadpans, “you know, people tell me I look like that kid who was murdered by the Dark Lord. Cedric Diggory?” And he’s somehow ended up with the nametag like on his forehead or something by this point •they consider for 0.1 seconds >“that can’t be it” >“nah I don’t see it” >“really? Who thinks that?” •throughout the rest of the series, you see ads and books and movies in the background that are clearly supposed to be Twilight but have those knockoff titles and covers that you would see in like the background of Poptropica or something? Like it’s clearly referencing the thing but using language that won’t get them sued? But it’s super obvious? And they appear in every episode and it becomes a thing like the pineapples in Psych? •And whenever Cedric appears in the background, that Benedict Cumberbatch thing happens (to a lesser extent) for Robert’s name? •just a casual “hey Roger” or “s’up Ryan” or “Hey look! It’s Rodrick!”

Does this not sound glorious?!!!

[jadekitty777]

Are you waiting to be asked about Team STRQ? I'll bite. Team STRQ for the character ask meme.

You know it! Although I’mhaving a lot of fun with all of them.

Unsurprisingly doing four of my top favorites all at oncegot long, so I’m putting it under a read more.

Taiyang Xiao Long(YEAH BABY THAT’S WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT!)

·        Favorite thingabout them: Everything. Alright,alright – anyone who has spent five seconds with me knows he’s my ultimatefavorite, I’ll try not to be TOO biased. I think what I like the most about Taiis that, while he has a bit of a fiery nature to him, overall, he seems like sucha gentle soul. He’s not afraid to be a little cheesy when it comes to praisinghis girls. He loves doting on them if the opportunity arrives (breakfast in bedfor Ruby, anyone?). He’s also not afraid to push them, yet still tries to be kindin his methods.

·        Least favoritething about them: To be honest, while it’s absolutely understandable and realisticto how many parents do act in these situations, I wish Tai had been moreforthcoming about Raven when it came to talking to Yang about her (granted ifhe was, it would certainly lessen the impact of Yang’s own character arc, but Idigress). Keeping her completely in the dark is part of what leads his eldestinto her obsession with knowing more.

When the conversation finallydoes happen, I do like that Tai does his best to not badmouth Raven, which willallow for Yang to make her own decisions on what she thinks of Raven as aperson when she ultimately finds her – as he knows she will.

·        Favorite line: Oooh Taiyang’skind of a walking Chinese proverb, so it’s a little hard to pick. I’m going togo with: “You’re right, it’s not coming back… but that doesn’t have to stop youfrom becoming who you want to be.” The message basically comes down to ‘don’tlet it be you who holds yourself back’. I’m sure all of us have faced being ourown worst enemies at times, wherein we never even try because we’re too focusedon saying “I can’t”.

Honorable shout-out to RWBY chibiand “I make a home for this family, that’s what I do all day! And it wouldn’tkill you to show a little APPRECIATION”.

·        brOTP: No one gasps insurprise when I tell you it is Qrow. When it comes to actual canon, I like tothink these two are best friends that are as close as brothers in everythingexcept blood. They’ll always be there for each other when the worst of timeshits (Emotion-numbing depression vs. Blackout Binge Drinking).

…They’ll also pants one anotherin the middle of broad daylight for a cheap laugh (Cargo shorts really are easyto get down. One of these days, Tai might just go commando just so he cantraumatize Qrow once and for all).

…And argue over stupid shit likewhose turn it was to do the dishes (Hint: It’s always Qrow’s turn).

…And do irritating shit justbecause they know it annoys the other (Qrow has a really obnoxious singingvoice, so he makes sure to sing EXTRA loud when he knows Tai’s trying to gradepapers).

And yes, Qrow is absolutely theyounger brother.

-On a smaller, but no lessimportant note, I absolutely believe Taiyang had close friendships with Summerand Raven as well.

·        OTP: As with all myfavorites, I will multi-ship the hell out of Tai, especially any that can fallunder the friends-to-lovers requirement.

Absolute top OTP will always beTaiqrow (A true shocker, I’m sure). The biggest drive I have for these two hasalways been the amount of emotional support available between them. There’s somuch potential simply on the lengths Qrow may have had to go through helpingout at the house after Summer’s passing or Tai’s rigorous efforts to try andpull Qrow away from his drinking habits. They’re also just… really sexytogether. Like hot damn.

I do remain rather fond of bothof Tai’s canon ships too though. Oh yeah and I will also polyship the hell outof Tai and you will have to tear STR-Crossed out of my cold, dead hands.

I’m also happy to throw him inthe ring with James and really enjoyed my little writing session withJames/Qrow/Tai.

·        nOTP: Other thananything that puts him with one of his children, nothing that tends to botherme too much? Even Ozpin/Taiyang, while a little out of nowhere, is still prettysexy to read.

·        Randomheadcanon: *Holds up 20* Which one do you want?

-Contrary topopular belief, it’s actually Tai thatRuby and Yang get their daredevil behavior from. Though he’s mellowed out overthe years and as he’s gained wisdom, when he was the girls’ age he could bejust as reckless. Many times, that had gotten him into trouble and, not wantingthe girls to make the same mistakes, tries to ward them from the same flaw hehimself had. (He’s secretly a little proud about it too).

-The sunflowers are either torepresent Summer Rose or they were originally tended to by her and Taicontinues caring for them to keep the memory of her alive. He always cuts freshflowers for the girls whenever they’re sick or hurt, so that their mother canwatch over them.

-Taiyang is either estranged fromhis family or lost it at a young age. He spent most of his childhood inisolation or feeling like he didn’t belong anywhere. When he became apart ofteam STRQ, he finally felt like he’d found a new family and it was one he neverwanted to give up – that was why losing Raven and Summer eventually crushed himand led to his mental breakdown.

-True to his name, Tai fucking loves dragons and if he ever gets luckyenough to see the Gods’ true forms, he’s going to flip out.

·        Unpopularopinion: So maybe it’s just the generation I grew up in, but the ‘joke’Tai gives Yang about her arm? Yeahthat one didn’t even hit on my Richter scale as bad. These kinds of ‘off-color’jokes were pretty common place when I was a kid. I think it goes back to what Isaid about the Sun and ‘stalking’ thing. Intent is extremely important, and Taimeant nothing by it… except to make his daughter laugh.

Could it have backfired? Oh yeah,and he would have probably tripped over himself to apologize. But that wasn’twhat happened – nor was it what the writers’ intended to make that happen.  Otherwise, they would have led Yang’sresponse in another direction or gave the animation team a specific expressioncue to work in.

·        Song Iassociate with them: Going to continue picking random songs, because this isdefinitely not my strong suit. I probably went through all my playlists, but I’mgoing with Chris Daughtry’s “It’s Not Over”. If you read the verses as stages ofTai’s life with those important in it, it lines up fairly perfectly.

-The first twoversus are for Raven and their failed love (“You’ve taken away everything/And Ican’t do without, I try to see the good in life… This love is killing me”)

-Then the next two verses are forSummer and the loss of her (“I cannot wait/We’re wasting too much time… My lifewith you means everything/So I won’t give up that easily”)

-Finally the last verses are forQrow’s losing battle against his alcoholism and depression (“We can’t let thisget away/Let it out/Don’t get caught up in yourself”) and Tai’s own resolve to getback up and start again for his girls (“It’s not over, let’s start over!”)

·        Favoritepicture of them:

Never been so attracted to a picturebefore.

Summer Rose

(Our dearestflower, born white and bled red in her final hour)

·        Favorite thingabout them: For now, simply that it’s implied she was both a kickasshuntress and an incredible mom. Now, if only we could SEE that in action.

·        Least favoritething about them: Well. Being dead’s kind of a drag,ain’t it? I feel my least favorite thing about her is the same thing we’re allkind of feeling at this point – that we know virtually nothing about her.  I washoping she’d be brought up when the whole ‘Silver-eyed’ thing got addressed –BUT NO. I’M STILL STARVING RT, GIVE ME SOME CONTENT PLEASE.

·        Favorite line: *Saves thisspace for when we get any*

·        brOTP: I particularlyenjoy the dynamic Summer and Raven may have had. Like Qrow and Tai, I often seethe girls growing close during their years at Beacon, the two eventuallydeveloping a mutual respect for one another that turns into friendship. Theyboth start to realize just how much they care about each other when Raveninadvertently makes a portal to Summer to save her life. Summer is secretlyhappy whenever she manages to get Raven to confide secrets to her – one ofwhich was her growing feelings for Taiyang.

·        OTP: Speaking of Tai,of course I rather enjoy that Summer and he had fallen in love. Just like with Taiqrow,the emotional support factor really drives this one in deep for me. I know thisone gets a lot of flack as a ‘rebound’ on Tai’s part (And equally should getflack on Summer for being a ‘Hero’s complex’, since she’s literally swooping into ‘fix’ what Raven broke), but I personally feel like their love was genuine, simplybecause of how significant an impact losing her had on Taiyang. Just because ithappened quickly after one loss does not immediately discredit it from beingtrue and powerful.

·        nOTP: Absolutely herand Qrow. And yes, I know someone is going to call me out for this one because ‘I’vewritten it before’ – AND YES, I KNOW. It’s not that I don’t see the potential inthe ship because I absolutely do. It’s that I’ve come across it just one timetoo many that to put them together, it’s often done at the expense of villainizingTai, Raven, or both, which has soured my ability to enjoy it – one person inparticular does this so well that seeing her work actually turns my stomach. Ialso really think it weakens in-canon Qrow as a character, since I can’t fathomhim lying about being Ruby’s dad and most arguments that try to explain why hewould feel flimsy at best. Also, just, this: “Don’t lie to him Ruby, we’rebetter than that.”

(I will however accept PolyQrow/Summer/Tai in which neither of them know who impregnated Summer and Qrowjust goes by uncle because it was easier for the kids to understand).

·        Randomheadcanon: -Summer Rose was first attempted to be killed by then lateractually killed by Marcus Black. The first encounter I see happening sometimein her school years, in which on a mission he comes after her. Taiyang has tointervene, maybe at the cost of his own semblance, and eventually they’re both savedby Raven and Qrow who portal to them just before either are killed. In thesecond, Summer is alone and is being hunted down both by Marcus and his wife.Though she calls Qrow for back-up, he never gets there in time. In the last fewminutes, she manages to kill Marcus’ wife, but is in turn killed by him. I particularlylike this because this would make Qrow and Marcus foils, both who startdrinking heavily from loss but have different responses to those around them.

-HAVE I EVERTOLD Y’ALL ABOUT MY EVIL SUMMER IDEA? I have said it once and I will say it again:black magic and curses are criminally unused in this fairytale inspired show.The idea that Summer was ‘brought back to life’ by Salem to use for her ownpurposes is deliciously fun – or, seeing as we don’t know what it can do yet,being brought back by the relic of creation. In ether scenario, it brings backthe body but not the heart. Her reveal would be devastating to _TRQ, especiallyif they are forced to fight her. If they did I see the scenario going inmultiple directions –

A. In a team fight: Either theyare all killed by her or they kill her

B. In single fights:

+Raven is killed by Summer or theykill each other. I see Summer giving out a lot of passive-aggressive quips overRaven running off and maybe even goads her about her powers and her fears.

+For Qrow, I never see him dyingto her in a one-on-one fight. Getting heavily injured, yes, but never dying. Ido see them being fairly evenly matched, actually. And maybe even Summergetting super offended if he uses his scythe on her.

+Tai fights her, but spends themajority of the battle on the defensive, trying to remind her of who she reallyis. Just as he’s got her hesitating, another villain either injures him orstrikes him down.

That’s not even touching on whatit would mean for Ruby and Yang to encounter her.

·        Unpopularopinion: While I do think she probablyhad a habit of being socially withdrawn, I really don’t see Summer as painfullyshy-mannered as some of the fandom portray her as – at least not to a debilitatingextent. I don’t think it’s a bad character trait for her, per say, and it worksin some contexts especially when it’s balanced well. It’s just hard to see hermanaging to survive as team leader with such a submissive personality traitwithout the twins or Tai completely eclipsing her.

·        Song Iassociate with them: Mostly because I once envisioned an entire fight scene leadingto her death to this song, I’m going to go with “Heroes” by Zayde Wolf.Surprisingly though, it fits fairly well. Being a ‘hero in the darkest of times’really does exemplify what a huntress is and what Summer herself is meant torepresent.

·        Favoritepicture of them: *Saves this space because she stubbornly refuses to put up theteam STRQ photo we’ve all seen ten thousand times*

Raven Branwen

(The sexiestpsychobitch you ever will meet)

·        Favorite thingabout them: Her character potential. With the end of volume 5, it feels likeshe’s been left at a crossroads, in which she can choose to continue to lookout for herself like the coward she’s been, or choose to attempt to redeemherself when her daughter gets into trouble again. The fact that we haven’t quiteseen the result of her visit to Tai (or if it ended up being a visit at all)tells me the team is holding back on that decision for now; but, I have absolutelyno doubts that we will be seeing her again.

·        Least favoritething about them: Can anyone say manipulative bitch bordering on total sociopath? Thatfirst conversation Raven has with Yang made me jerk back a bit and go ‘Whoa,crazy alert’. It’s definitely a trait that is um… a little hard to like. It hasmassive amounts of writing potential though.

·        Favorite line: “Two childrenyou’ve tricked into following you, a disgraced Atleasian scientist, and a FallMaiden with a surname so appropriate, she probably picked it herself. Thatabout right?” Vol 5. Chapter 9 gets a lot of flack for not being veryinteresting, but I could not get enough of Raven’s snark throughout theconversation.

·        brOTP: How about withher literal brother? I’m a total sucker for inseparable twins and I’ve alwaysliked the idea that, growing up, the two of them were extremely close. Raven’sa teeter-totter of opposites for me, so I can also see that relationship goingin the exact other direction – BUT FOR NOW…

·        OTP: Speaking of teeter-totters,how about that relationship with Tai, huh? Was it toxic as hell or did they trulylove each other and just had an awful falling out, wherein the bitterness wouldsettle in much later on? Who knows! I don’t! But I love exploring both anglesto their fullest extent. I’ll also drive the pain all the way in: If Taiyangends up dying in canon, the break of their bond is powerful enough it causesRaven to cry.

In AUs, I ship the hell out ofSummer and Raven. In-canon, I’ll always go the STR-Crossed route in which allthree of them are just hopelessly in love with one another and in which Ravenpretends she doesn’t regret leaving them behind.

·        nOTP: Honestly, beyondthe obvious incest ships (like with her daughter, wtf?), there’s not really anyships with Raven that make me squelch. Even a crackship like Cinder/Raven hasthis weird, sexy angle to it.

·        Randomheadcanon: -Like everyone else, Raven used to have a copy of the team STRQphoto. Much like her brother, she kept it on her, even after she left. But shortlyafter Summer died, she burned the photo in the camp’s firepit, cutting off herfinal ties to them.

-Qrow and Ravenwere never sent to Beacon to ‘become huntsman and return with their skills’. Itwas what they were told but they were sent there because the leader at the timehoped they’d die in the process – in Raven’s case, to eliminate her dangerouslyambitious nature. Qrow always knew this was the real reason, but Raven didn’t acceptthis until much later. Upon her return to the tribe, she eventually confrontedand ultimately killed the former leader for that act.

-Though it relies on help fromone of her teammates, Raven can cut things in half with her portals if shecloses it when it’s only halfway through, and has done so on multiple occasionsto cut right through Grimm.

-Raven is either going to die acoward… or a hero.

·        Unpopularopinion: I don’t really think Raven left because she got pregnant; ifRaven was so intent on abandoning her, I don’t feel like the show would tell usthat she visits her daughter enough that Yang is able to recognize her birdform. I think it’s an interesting angle, but I think her fear of Salem is thegenuine reason she left but she only really knew one other home: The Tribe. Herdecision to leave Yang behind either was forced from her by the rest of her teamor was her own choice at the time, knowing her daughter would be more at risk ifshe came along.

·        Song Iassociate with them: Alright, I scoured around for a bit for this one. I’m going tosettle on “Heaven’s a Lie” by Lacuna Coil. Though there’s not much to actually workwith, it rather matches well with how she feels she was given false promises byOzpin (“Destiny of a lie/Set me free, your heaven’s a lie”) and how sheultimately left her team behind and returned a life of corruption (“I need toknow when I’ll fall into decay… I need to know why did I choose to betray you?Something wrong with all the plans of my life”)  

·        Favoritepicture of them:

God damn she’s hot when she’sabout to wreck people’s shit.

Qrow Branwen

(The man whowas Emo before it was cool)

·        Favorite thingabout them: There’s a lot to love, from his dashing good looks to hisendless sass, but I especially like his emotional vulnerability. I think it’s thesadist in me, but I get endless amounts of joy from him letting down his wallsand being more open: talking about his semblance, panicking whenever Ruby is indanger, his fury and sorrow over Ozpin’s half-truths – yeah, I live for thisshit. If he cries in the show, it will almost definitely become my new favoritemoment.

·        Least favoritething about them: So, fun fact: I hatedQrow at first and simply because of this fact -he’s a drunk. Now, this is superpersonal, but I grew up with addiction in my family, so characters like Qrowalmost never make it high up on my list, if they make it on at all. It’ll alwaysremain my least favorite thing about him, but I do like how the show isexploring the issue and, in fact, have enjoyed exploring it myself in mywriting. It’s therapeutic.

·        Favorite line: As far as linedelivery goes, got to give it to “Look, this has nothing to do with trust. I- …It’s a long story, okay?” The amount of emotion put into those simple words is frankly,just beautiful. Got to also give proper appreciation to “I DID IT!” and “Well…that’s unfortunate.”

I’ll always be most fond of “Youtwo? You’re gonna go far. But only if you keep learning. If you never stopmoving forward.” Not only as it’s a homage to Monty, but it really shows Qrow’skinder, more loving side when it comes to his nieces.

·        brOTP: So whileshipping them is generally off the table, Summer and Qrow being best friends isalways my jam. I can see these two having little drinking sessions together or gettingcompetitive over two-player video games. Perhaps they even geeked out togetherwhen they both realized they loved the tale of the Grimm Reaper. I also stronglybelieve that it was Qrow who encouraged Summer to admit her feelings to Tai, advisingher that to wait could mean to lose her chance entirely. And then, when sheactually did, teased her endlesslyabout it.

·        OTP: Can I just fillout a second paragraph about how much I love Taiqrow? Because, I really love Taiqrow.I can see it happening entirely on accident. One night, Taiyang and Qrow aresaying good night and, without thinking, Taiyang just dips down and gives him akiss. He freaks out, not because of the action insomuch that he was afraid hejust ruined their friendship until Qrow just rolls his eyes and drags him infor another one.

On a side note, I’m really startingto get a soft spot for OzQrow and I blame the rest of the fandom for this. Ironic,that I ship them now that Ozpin has technically died and it’s TOO LATE.

As for James/Qrow, I see thehighlights of it, and in small measures like it myself, but it’s not very highup on my list.

Winter and Qrow is a total guiltypleasure ship and I’m not sorry.

·        nOTP: Again, beyondthe obvious choices? Eh, I’ve noticed Tyrian/Qrow is gaining some traction and,while it definitely doesn’t give me the heebie-jeebies some ships do, that oneis definitely not my cup of tea.

·        Randomheadcanon: -Qrow likes to bestow nicknames to people he likes, as nicknamesare terms of endearment to him. For people like James or Oz, who are Jimmy andWizard respectively, he uses them sparingly; whereas, for family, he tends touse them much more frequently. Especially with his nieces. They often can tell whenhe’s being serious or when they are in trouble if he starts using their actual names.When he was a teacher, almost all of his students got nicknames, since he wasterrible at remembering them by their actual names.

-Qrow’ssemblance caused him to be sent to Ozpin’s office. A lot. It gave everyone,except for the very few who actually knew what his semblance was, theimpression that he was nothing but a troublemaker.  Eventually, Qrow started paying Glynda on theside to use her own semblance to fix whatever his would break.

-Qrow’s drinking actually startedin school. He’s generally a happy, reckless drunk, and people tended to likehis company more and, craving both that feeling and the attention, he continuedto seek out social events for an excuse to drink. When he was young, he wasalso extremely choosey on the brew he would have, as a bad mixture often hadthe effect of making his mood plummet instead. As he grew more dependent on thealcohol, he stopped caring as much.

-Qrow isabsolutely bisexual and no one can convince me otherwise.

·        Unpopularopinion: I really don’t think Qrow sleeps around as much as the generalfandom believes he does. I get why the archetype is there, especially with how flirtatioushe can be, but with how insecure Qrow actually is, I feel like he’d actually bepretty hesitant when it comes to getting intimate, especially with strangers. Accidentalpregnancies, anyone?

·        Song Iassociate with them: Okay this one was actually an easy choice: “Breaking the Habit”by Linkin Park. It really highlights the current struggle Qrow’s going throughin this volume (not knowing what is worth fighting for) while it also can relateback to his addiction and self-worth/depression issues (Not feeling all rightand hurting a lot more than ever before).

·        Favoritepicture of them:

Just your resident bird man, looking badass as shit.

[eggoreviews]

Nintendo Direct Feb 2019 BREAKDOWN

So, that direct was pretty okay right? If you missed it or even if you didn’t, I’m gonna be taking a look at everything announced and giving it a vague excitement rating! Enjoy!

Super Mario Maker 2

This was a pretty great way to kick off this direct. With the promise of a host of new features coming in this entry to build upon the first, including the introduction of slopes (finally) and a new texture pack based on Mario 3D World, I reckon this is definitely one to mark in the calendar. Mario Maker 2 is slated for a, gratefully soon, June 2019 release.

Excitement Rating: YEEHAW

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order

The long awaited third entry in the MUA series, to the surprise of many, is in fact a Switch exclusive. For those who don’t know, this is a hack-and-slash fighting game, of course tied heavily to Marvel comics. This entry seems to be riding in off the back of Infinity War, with Thanos and the Black Order showcased as central villains. Honestly, this game looks like it could be fun, especially with friends, though I don’t think it’ll turn out to be anything special.

ER: Sure, why not!

BOX BOY! + BOX GIRL!

This adorable little puzzle platformer is making its debut on Switch this spring, with the promise of local multiplayer and more levels than ever before. Looks to be a goodun for fans of cute, minimalist art design and box-based puzzles and the like.

ER: Cool! Those boxes can move!

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - Ver. 3.0

Nintendo sort of slapped us in the face with a lovely, welcome announcement of a new Smash update! Oh boy! New features! And then they turn around and say they aren’t gonna tell us what they are.

Oh.

Kind of makes me question the point of putting this in the direct a little, but I’m sure whatever they’ll add will be cool! On top of that, a tentative release window for Joker was given (before the end of April this year) and we got a cheeky look at some of the new spicy amiibos, being Snake, Simon and the Pokemon Trainer lot.

ER: Yay?

Captain Toad Treasure Tracker Updates

Here’s one that definitely caught me offguard, but I’m more than happy with it considering I just picked up the game. Part of the new Captain Toad content is free, adding in proper 2 player co-op where you can both play as Toad. The paid ‘special episode’ stuff struck me as a little odd, considering this game was already a Wii U port that’s now getting even more paid DLC. Regardless, it’s not too pricey and you can even pick up the first DLC course now, with the rest coming March 14.

ER: That’s cool! 

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night

This not-quite-Castlevania game could easily be mistaken for a knock off of that franchise, but seems to have some defining elements of its own. The art style is bold enough to make it unique and the game seems to have an interesting variety of puzzles and side quests to make this more than just a run of the mill 2D platformer. An obvious choice for those with a Castlevania shaped hole in their hearts.

ER: You go bouncy vampire lady

Dragon Quest Builders 2

What is basically just Dragon Quest Minecraft with a story mode apparently, this oddly charming sandbox game was seemingly popular enough to warrant a sequel. And I won’t lie to you, it got me a little excited. As a fan of Dragon Quest its art style and general building-ness, I think I might have to pick this one up. And it’s got a cool retro map!

ER: I’m not excited, you are

Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age: Definitive Edition

In case you hadn’t guessed, I literally adore Dragon Quest. The bright colours, the developed characters, the expansive world, awesome monster designs, great soundtrack and lame sense of humour, it all just gets me. It just sort of sucks I already own this on the PS4, where I can’t access all this new content. Oof. But yeah, pick this up if you can. You won’t regret it if you’re a JRPG fan.

ER: More like echoes of an exclusive age amirite

Disney Tsum Tsum Festival

Oh.

I won’t lie to you right now, nothing screams ‘soulless’ to me more than small Disney plushes with all the personality taken from them being stuck into totally random minigames. Don’t get me wrong, I love Disney (mostly through Kingdom Hearts but that’s besides the point) but I don’t think this elicited much excitement in anyone.

ER: I guess this exists, huh?

Starlink: Battle for Atlas - Spring Update

This was another one that surprised me. Considering how mind meltingly badly Starlink bombed, partly down to its odd reliance on the whole ‘toys to life’ craze that died out in 2013, I really didn’t think there’d be any further support for the game and they’d just sort of slip it under the rug. But nope, we’ve got some more Switch exclusive missions involving some more Star Fox characters, as well as the introduction of Wolf’s buddies. Honestly, I think Nintendo needs to do themselves a favour and just release a new Star Fox game.

ER: Great, if for some reason you bought this!

Rune Factory 4 Special & Rune Factory 5

Here’s a series I’d literally never heard of until last Wednesday, but the only way I can describe it from what I’ve seen is it looks to be a cross between Animal Crossing and kind of also Dragon Quest. You cook stuff, you farm stuff, you fight things and you can get married if you want, so definitely cool if you’re a fan of the series. But also cool if you’re someone who wished Animal Crossing was a bit more JRPG. Alongside the announcement of a remastered Rune Factory 4 later this year, as well as confirmation of Rune Factory 5 sometime in the future.

ER: Cool! Plants and stuff!

Oninaki

An action RPG with an intriguing premise and a rich, dark colour scheme, Oninaki seems very eager to set itself apart from other JRPGs on the market and still manages to stand out just a bit, even in a direct that’s basically been packed with JRPGs. Oninaki explores themes of reincarnation and grief, following the story of one grey-haired dude saving lost souls from a place called the Upside Down the Beyond to stop them from turning into monsters. Another one to add to the list if you like edgy RPGs!

ER: Edgy and cool

Yoshi’s Crafted World

Another update for this adorably cardboard entry into the long running Yoshi series, we’re finally getting close to actually being able to play it. Nintendo showcased some of the more interesting variants of gameplay, with the use of rafts, cars and planes definitely making this seem that there’s some substance here to go with the style. Alongside this, a demo released on the eshop so go play that if you haven’t already and decide if it’s for you!

ER: Wow, this game has a Labo costume! I’ll definitely grind for that!

Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Finally some more info about Nintendo’s latest instalment in their anime Game of Thrones series Fire Emblem, we got a big ol infodump about some of the stuff to do with the game. While the video itself will explain everything better than I can, this time players will be able to interact with three kingdoms and three main protagonists, all of this centralising around one academy the game is set within. Overall, this game certainly looks interesting to play, but one I’m not quite sure I’ll be picking up just yet. Basically, if you’re unfamiliar with the games but love a tactical RPG, this one is a no brainer.

ER: Edelgard’s design is pretty cool. If one of them has to get into Smash, I hope it’s her.

Tetris 99

The game many have been calling Tetris Battle Royale, this is the very first Nintendo Switch Online exclusive offering and it’s totally free if you’re a member. It’s Tetris and you have to win against 98 other people, also playing Tetris. Nice!

ER: Tetris block for Smash

Dead by Daylight

As a game I got for free through Playstation Plus, it should be fairly obvious that this port isn’t one that excites me greatly, especially after seeing the quality of the graphics in the trailer the direct showed us. While the concept of an online match with several survivors and one killer sounds good on paper, it seems as if the quality of this port may leave a lot to be desired. But still, this could still only be early development footage and we really have no idea how it’ll look by the end.

ER: Tentative

Deltarune

Undertale is one of my favourite games of all time, so of course it excited me to find out I’d finally be able to play the sort of sequel, Deltarune, which Toby Fox has taken in the interesting direction of splitting the game into chapters. The first of these chapters will be free (yay I like free) and it certainly seems like the same abstract sense of humour and charm present in Undertale has been carried over to this sequel. Definitely one to watch.

ER: Always excited about cartoon doggo

Daemon X Machina

This mech-fighter has been floating around in various Nintendo directs for a fair while now and it’s encouraging to see the game come close to release. In a commendable move, the producer of the game has offered a free demo of the game allowing you to pilot your own custom mech and experience a boss battle in the demo known as ‘Prototype Missions’. The aim of this to gain feedback from potential players in order to make the game as good as it can be, which is amazing! It’s honestly a bit of a dream world where every game developer and publisher is as open and transparent as these guys, so kudos to them. As well as this, the game looks pretty heckin’ fun so it’s definitely worth picking up the demo off the eshop and giving these guys your feedback!

ER: Big ol’ robots hell yeah

GRID Autosport

As of yet, the Switch has lacked a realistic racing game. Enter Grid Autosport, which seems to be packed with a variety of cars, tracks and game modes, including all DLC from the original release of the game. Not one for me, but I’m sure there’s plenty of Switch owners out there whose racing fix isn’t quite satisfied by Mario Kart.

ER: V big if ur a car person

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice

This game was notably created in collaboration with neurologists and those who experience psychosis in order to properly portray the main character and her mental health struggles. Following the quest of Senua as she fights to save the soul of her dead lover, this game created a huge wave through the industry when it first launched and won major awards for its artistic design and performance. While this isn’t one I’ve had the chance to try yet, it certainly looks as if it provides a brilliant, emotional experience from beginning to end.

ER: A lot

Mortal Kombat 11

This was one everyone basically already knew about, but this direct gave us a reminder of the release date and various features such as custom characters. For fans of this long running, brutal fighting game, get April 23 in ur brains.

ER: Cool

Unravel Two

This adorable puzzle platformer sees you and, optionally, a friend take control of two little creatures made of yarn as they navigate a colourful world and help each other pass various obstacles. For those fans of platformers like the Yoshi series, Unravel is definitely one to consider.

ER: Cool

Assassin’s Creed III Remastered

This is the iconic stealth fighting series Assassin’s Creed’s first outing on Switch, but if this footage is anything to go by, it’s not looking brilliant. While this once again could be put down to unfinished development, the first look at a game is often the most important, and a slow frame rate shown during the direct could mean this game isn’t what fans want it to be.

ER: Tentative

Final Fantasy Release Dates

For fans of the legendary and slightly intimidating JRPG series, several games in the series both new and old will be coming to the Switch in 2019:

Final Fantasy VII on March 26th

Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon EVERY BUDDY! on March 20th

Final Fantasy IX is out now!

ER: Cloud is my favourite twink

Astral Chain

Admittedly, at a first glance, this title in a brand new franchise didn’t particularly excite me. But after having another look, I can definitely see where all the hype is coming from. This looks to be a hack-and-slash sort of action RPG with all the edgy story elements and setpieces of that ever so popular steampunk genre that players seem to love these days. With all these mechs, explosions and edgy voiceovers, it makes me think that Xenoblade Chronicles and Deus Ex had some kind of torrid love affair. On top of this, with a dev team that has Bayonetta, The Wonderful 101 and NieR: Automata under their belt, this is a game that will almost certainly impress when it finally comes out on August 30. Platinum Games might just have another winner here.

ER: Big yes

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening

oKAY, let’s be real, this is the one that really knocked it out of the park. At least for me it did. As the final reveal, this made me scream a little tiny bit. I think we’d all heard the rumours of a 2D Zelda coming to Switch, but I was highly skeptical to say the least. But a wonderfully charming and artistically bloody P E R F EC T remake of Link’s Awakening?? HHHHHH. They even kept all the Mario enemies for some reason! Oh boy, whenever they release this in 2019 apparently really can’t come soon enough.

ER: AAAAAAAAAAAAA

That was all for this direct! I hope you enjoyed my silly, unplanned breakdown of all the cool things that happened. Til the next direct!

Oh and if you’ve got a craving for more game news, be sure to check back on my blog March 1st for the second ‘issue’ (lol) of my monthly viddy game mag!

Stay hydrated my dudes.

[atopearth]

Hakuoki: Edo Blossoms Part 2 - Toudou Heisuke Route

It’s kinda ironic that a part of the reason why Nagakura and Harada left in Saito’s route was because Kondou kept partying and drinking sake to get new recruits without focusing on the goal of the Shinsengumi, and yet now in Heisuke’s route, they’re doing the same thing as Kondou in order to try and save the Shinsengumi from the lack of members….

Lmao at Heisuke having checked out Chizuru’s house in Edo already and she’s concerned whether he went into her room and he’s like, he wouldn’t go into a girl’s room🤣 They’re so silly hahaha. Chizuru always thinks that she’s not useful, but I can really see how important she is from Heisuke’s perspective, really, her words, her presence is just so important to him because she understands him so well and can help him stop trying so hard to keep up a tough front when he doesn’t need to. She really helps him let out all his feelings and thoughts and keeps him sane, and you can really see that. I think it’s so important to have someone like that support you from behind, sometimes even more so than someone that can physically fight beside you. Whenever I see Heisuke’s new look though, ughh, he looks like such a little boy! He looked much better with the long hair and everything, sighhh. He’s still cute though I guess lol. I love how depending on Chizuru’s reaction to his new clothes and hair, Heisuke’s attitude towards it changes, he was so much more accepting of it after she called him handsome🤣

The Shinsengumi moving to Edo only served to allow the Furies to go on a rampage there instead! It’s disgusting that they’ve lost all sense of humanity and reached such depravity to kill townspeople for blood! There’s no point of keeping up the Shinsengumi if they just allow these guys to rampage at night! They’re there to protect people, not allow such senseless killing! The poor people! No one deserves to be so mutilated and killed beyond recognition just because these guys desire blood! I don’t like Kazama but it’s good that he and Amagiri are going around at night checking up on these deaths, because the Shinsengumi needs to control the Furies and really not create any more! It’s quite saddening to see how everyone handles being a Fury. For Saito, it was so difficult for him to accept having to drink blood and rely on such a fake power, whereas for Heisuke, not being able to hang with Chizuru in the daylight to simple outings such as looking at flowers torments him, the fact that he’s alive but also not alive hurts him….

Despite everything though, it seems that Nagakura and Harada will still leave because they question Kondou’s ability to lead when during the time they needed to capture the castle, he spent too much time in his hometown for no apparent reason and refused to retreat leading many men to their deaths.. I always find it saddening to see Nagakura and Harada leave the Shinsengumi, but I think it’s even more so this time since they asked Heisuke to leave with them, and when he couldn’t bear to do it considering how much the Shinsengumi had done for him after he got a second chance at life and how much he would be worried about leaving Chizuru here and leaving, the three of them could only drink until morning reminiscing of the past instead. The thought of that scene was just so heartbreaking but also beautiful. Since I do think about the little scenes of the past they shared in Kyoto. I guess this shows that although they’ve all changed and are going to go on different paths, there are still things that haven’t changed, regardless of whatever is happening, Nagakura, Harada and Heisuke would still share drinks together. The only depressing thing is that this could be the last time they can do that anymore…

When Heisuke avoided Ryunosuke (former Shinsengumi member back when Serizawa was the chief), it was so difficult to watch that Heisuke has to hide away from everything and everyone he knows and can only show himself to few people. But I guess he also hid away because he didn’t want to remind Ryunosuke of those days since Serizawa (previous chief of the Shinsengumi) would always beat him up, especially since he seemed rather satisfied with his life now. Back then, Heisuke was worried about him, but now, it seems like things have turned around, Heisuke is the one with all the worries now. Maybe in the end, things would have been much better if he left the Shinsengumi back then too… Then Heisuke would have been able to experience a normal life, he wouldn’t have to think about how unpredictable his life would be, whether he would succumb to the lost of his mind from bloodlust, whether he would continue to be a monster constantly drinking Chizuru’s blood or whether he’d just up and die tomorrow without having achieved anything… There are just so many fears oppressing him, it feels so terrible…

I can’t believe Sanan’s aim is to make a Fury kingdom and prove their worth as the strongest beings! To think he even made Sen drink his blood through a kiss when she was distracted so that he could control her because his blood has such capabilities… He wants her as the Queen of the kingdom since she’s a pure blood Demon but omg, Sanan has really been working behind the scenes, he’s already started his whole kingdom by hiding all these Furies, which are actually innocent people he killed in Edo! How dare he… How could he do something so disgusting… I’m even more disappointed in him this time around! I agree with Heisuke, he can’t be forgiven, he’s lost all his previous purposes and humanity, he’s lost everything that made him who he once was, he’s nothing but a monster living to bring chaos to humans and Demons. It’s so terrible that Heisuke had to be the one to kill all these innocent people that had been driven mad from turning into a Fury, but I guess now they can rest in peace that they’re not killing other people…. But, Sen has been captured…. Seeing Heisuke so desperate to save her but being blocked by so many Furies was just so disheartening to see….

To think that Sanan ran off and got the trust of the Sendai Domain that are all trying to band together with other people and domains to overthrow the Empire of Japan… It’s true that since the Shinsengumi is under the Aizu Domain now, they can’t so blatantly go to Sendai, but since Heisuke is supposed to be “dead”, he can go and deal with Sanan. It’s true and it’s cruel that Heisuke has to be the one to deal with this alone but there’s no other choice and I’m sure Heisuke doesn’t want to leave Sanan like that as well. Sometimes, you’ve gotta slap your love interest to show him how much you care🤣 Chizuru’s right though, he’s not a monster and she will not abandon him. It’s kinda cool to see Heisuke, Kazama and Kimigiku ally together to destroy the Furies and save Sen. Their motivations may be different but the goals and results they want are pretty much the same, so I thought it’d be cool if Kazama joined them, but to see it really happening is nice. Seeing Heisuke mature, grow and acknowledge his weaknesses and the detriments of their situation was really, I don’t want to say nice but he’s really grown, even though he laments the situation, he also acknowledges that he needs to handle it and will do so, he’s very strong, that’s for sure. It was pretty funny when Kazama and Heisuke started arguing like little kids hahaha.

I feel like the thing I love about Heisuke’s route is that it has a great balance between story and romance. You can really feel the love between Chizuru and Heisuke and you can really see how precious they are to the other and how well they support each other, and the story is engaging as well! I mean, going to defeat evil Sanan is very interesting! I’m sure Kimigiku wouldn’t mind sacrificing her life to save Chizuru and Sen since Chizuru was Sen’s first true friend and so she would never want the mind controlled Sen to do such a thing. At least Sen woke up from that I guess, and she won’t necessarily die since she’s a Demon! But yeah, when Heisuke successfully killed Sanan, it was impossible to feel happy. In the end, Sanan was a comrade, he was a friend and whether they’ve gone down the wrong path or not, that fact will never change, so seeing it have to end like this is just so difficult to stomach. It’s so touching that because Chizuru was there, Heisuke could realise that there’s so much more to life than to dedicate it to the sword and to fight, he’s got a second chance at life, so no reason to give it up like that again! It was sad to see even Heisuke leave Hijikata and the Shinsengumi but I do want Heisuke to enjoy a better life no matter what, so I guess my feelings are similar to Hijikata’s. Sad but happy for them.

As usual, the bad endings are pretty meh, besides the unrequited love one where the love interest dies. I mean, seeing Kazama step out alone acknowledging Heisuke as a warrior but only to tell Chizuru that he had turned into ashes after exerting everything was just too cruel….

Overall, I loved Heisuke’s route. I loved it so much because I love how supportive Chizuru was to Heisuke throughout all the pain whether it be physical or emotional. They both tried their best together, talked to each other and communicated their love for each other. It was pretty depressing since Heisuke always feels like he’ll break apart, but with Chizuru there, it gave him hope and made their life a bit more happier haha. I think their relationship was portrayed really well and Heisuke is such a great guy. Initially very happy and optimistic turned serious and carrying burdens out of his control, but nevertheless he is who he is and I loved every bit of his route. I can see why so many people love Chizuru with Heisuke haha.

[kdtheghostwriter]

SNK #107 Recap

Not a prediction. A spoiler.

I’m going to get the criticism portion of this post out of the way first. This is mostly gonna be writer’s mumbo-jumbo until we get to the cut, so if you want to know my thoughts on THAT panel, click the link now. Everyone else...shall we?

It’s easy to tell when and how much editors are involved in a certain update. Turns out, they like exposition even less than some of you all do. Makes sense; exposition is quite hard, but in so many ways I felt like this chapter was what 91 should have been.

It’s a reset. A needed one. I’m telling you now as a scribe myself - after running for our lives for a full volume, we need a moment to stop, save the game, check our inventory, etc. I’m glad Isayama at least gave us one more chapter before launching into the next (and likely final) story arc.

Reiner should have opened the chapter. I say that purely based on how these last few chapters have been structured. Every shot is framed like a movie still. The movie buff in me is incredibly pleased by this, but the movie reviewer in me isn’t far behind, either.

A big problem with Suicide Squad - besides, well, everything - is that there isn’t any natural flow. The editing is terrible. I won’t call 107 terrible in that regard, but it is very sloppy. Reiner should start this chapter, because if we’re only going to Marley long enough to see Reiner check the plumbing, we should get it out of the way, and then cut to the kids, because he asked for them.

-Reiner wakes up, Porco offers booze, Reiner asks for Gabi and Falco -Gabi murks the guard, escapes with Falco from prison -Cut to Big Boss Eren, who is also in prison

It’s just basic sequencing. I get that 106 ended with Eren, so you’d like to see 107 start with him, but cold opens are a thing, and they don’t take that long. I actually start most of my own stories this way.

Paradis Island has three options presented to them that give them the best chance of being not-dead. Given that one of those options includes the End of the World, I can’t say they chose the worst option necessarily but, damn did they come close. It’s a really bad idea.

I’ll stop here and keep all the serious talk under the cut. It gets personal and some of you might not agree with what’s said, but I feel I need to say it, so I’ll give you the option of stopping here. I like this chapter overall, even if I didn’t like everything that happened.

Stray Thoughts

-Eren is still totally not cool for going AWOL and killing everyone in Liberio but...just what did Paradis plan to do as Zeke’s term wound down? How were they going to get to him?

-Keep your eye on Gabi. She’s going to have a heap of development shortly and it will be very satisfying.

-Armin is sulking in a dungeon; Eren is fuming in a cell; Mikasa is crying on a grave.

-Kiyomi greeting Mikasa with comments on how “healthy” she looked gave me major Get Out vibes. I don’t think she’s evil, but I doubt she’s genuine.

-Sadly, not even Zeke and Levi’s hike into the Forest of Big Ass Trees was enough to distract me from how very screwed everything is; but, it was still very cute.

Part of what makes fiction difficult is the reaction. We project so many things onto whatever it is we’ve consumed; that’s what we’re supposed to do, after all. But the author is, usually, an autonomous human being that creates of their own volition which always leads to feelings of some sort. Hurt feelings, happy feelings, outraged feelings.

I say that to say this: it’s okay to stop.

I say this earnestly as a friend and with zero snark. The best you can hope for from this story now is a bittersweet ending. It will not be happy. Not in the classic storytelling sense. I don’t like seeing people in any fandom struggle through a piece of work that clearly makes them uncomfortable. I like, even less, people hate-read something or feel like, they’re near the end so they might as well. Not so!

Historia’s fate is very distressing. Her complacency with this awful idea just because the Survey Corps couldn’t be assed to come up with one goddamn plan is upsetting to put it lightly. No one is happy and the story presents it that way. Which is good because-

I think I should get this one off my chest. I feel like it’s warranted, as well, since SnK joins the X-Men as the other most famous racism allegory. The discourse I’ve seen floating in the tag, while not incorrect, is overlooking a key undertone in this series (which wouldn’t be a first for this site ayy).

In Ferguson, MO and Baltimore, MD: two young, unarmed African-Americans were betrayed by the people sworn to protect them. In one case, a man died in police custody after egregious abuse. In the other, a teenager was murdered by an officer in broad daylight. Both cities burned for days on end.

And then I see people talk about how we should change the way we dress and talk and how we should be civil and I laugh and laugh. Because literally the only thing we want to know is: How many more of our people have to DIE before we can be seen as human?

The answer in Real Life and Fake Life is: I DON’T KNOW.

Fuck.

Any followers of mine have no doubt seen my comparisons of this story to Metal Gear Solid. (I don’t just write about SnK, it’s just what everyone reads.) It feels weird because a) Hideo Kojima is a much better writer than Hajime Isayama and b) the stories themselves are very different. However...

How could I not?

You see, Jack was the world’s finest soldier, but his mentor defected to Russia and nearly plunged the world into nuclear war, leaving Jack as the only one who could stop her.

Only NOT. Joy was undercover and was compromised, but sacrificed herself and died in infamy to protect Uncle Sam from taking the heat for a horrific war crime (because our record is squeaky clean as we all know).

This breaks Jack and he spends the next four decades trying to fulfill The Boss’ Will, not realizing that his unending anger and unchecked PTSD has warped this ideal to suit his need for blood and violence.

Kojima-san has a relatively hopeful view of the human condition despite the suffering that occurs throughout his series. Metal Gear Solid ends with two lives converging on one another as they reach their apex. Jack finally gets revenge on his oldest enemy and dies alone on the grave of his mentor. His son, David, walks away from the battle and lives a quiet life with his otaku husband and their adopted daughter.

Kojima’s message is clear: you aren’t where you’re from. The theme comes up often. As Logan bleeds out in his daughter Laura’s arms, he tells her not to be the weapon they made her. Going by the recent updates, it seems that SnK is just a tad more cynical. And that’s fine.

I saw Ant-Man and the Wasp recently. Compared to the sheer density of Avengers 3, this was a light and airy jaunt. It had a happy ending. A very happy ending. And I did not like it. The movie was fine, but the resolution to the conflict (no spoilers) was so rushed and involved a deus ex moment that would make Steven Moffat blush. I don’t need a happy ending (I’ll still take one), I need a satisfying one. Now, what does that mean?

The best chance Shingeki no Kyojin has at a happy(ish) ending is for Reiner Braun (Solid Snake) to infiltrate Paradis (Outer Heaven), track down Eren Jaeger (Big Boss) and beat the shit out of him until he wakes from his living nightmare and says, “This is a terrible idea! Why didn’t anyone tell me?” wherein everyone responds, “We DID!!!”

I feel like only half of that is going to happen. Eren’s mind is fractured and the world continues with it’s awful machinations. And whenever I feel I should even half-heartedly dispute the idea that everyone sucks forever, I remember that the “Land of the Free” is currently holding toddlers in cages and...welp. I got nothing.

Then, I think about my younger siblings and my goddaughter and how I love them all so much - more than I love myself. I just want them to find a happy life somehow, someway in this crazy world and I know I can’t give up, because they’re watching.

That’s why I still write my stories the way I do. I may be emotionally busted, but I still believe in the message, and just need someone to take the baton. The message, in almost every story I write, is that you need your fucking friends, because finding another human being (or multiple!) that can stand your presence for more than thirty seconds at a time is a gift that must be treasured.

Chances are slim of this happening in the world of SnK, and that may not be the worst thing. A satisfying end for me is one that makes sense.The gymnastics required to get to an ending where one of the main characters doesn’t die a horrible, cursed death would be worse than the gymnastics that got us here to begin with. No two writers work the same.

The official mood for the latter part of this series is EMA facing the ocean in Ch 90. Eren asks if they’ll have to kill everyone on the other side of the water and his two mates each have an expression that says, “Shit, man, we thought maybe we’d build sand castles instead.”