#Aio thought of the week

[missdrummond]

AiO Thought of the Week

The writers should have let Connie publish her book. At least that would have been something she could be proud to have accomplished. Too often when things are going Connie’s way the writers seem to get bored and wreck her life again.

Let her publish a book, let her get a counciling degree, let her one of her businesses take off, let her become manager of Whit's end, let her run for public office, cause why not.

If nothing else GIVE HER THE RECIPE FOR RASPBERRY RIPPLE

[sl33py-day]

Natsu Tenokami- Emperors Daughter

Nastu | Emperors Daughter | 24 years old | Manipulative + Clingy

There's a few things you need to know before we talk about Natsu in general. In 1635, Japan made a law called the Sakoku decree which limited foreign trade from other regions. Sakoku translated into English is ‘country in chains’ which basically means what it means. No Japanese citizen could leave the country without a really good reason to do so and even then it was hella difficult and expensive. The same restrictions have been happening way before 1635 but the sakoku decree made it impossible to even go anywhere near or anywhere out of japan.

If you're one of the traders you could only go to China and China only. This goes with foreigners as well, Nagasaki was the only port of which trade would be conducted and even then royal guards would watch over and make sure nothing of christian variety would go through trade. During this time southern Japan (Mainly Kyushu) has seen an increase of catholic converters which the imperial emperor found as a threat. Many catholic citizens were killed due to them not converting back or were killed if they didn’t agree to move to a small island off the coast of Japan.

Now that is done and explained in the best way possible let's move on to the main reason we are here.

Nastu was born before the sakoku decree, in the winter of 1611, where everything was still a bit strict with trading but wasn’t to an extent of murder on site. At a young age she would play with the children from the nearby village that laid at the bottom of her imperial fortress. The only issue with this is that her father, Kibishi Tenokami, saw this activity as horrifying and brought dishonesty to the imperial family. ‘No daughter of mine should play with that of commoners’ her father would say on the daily once he found out she went to play in the village. However she would still go down to play since her father wouldn’t dare hurt her in any physical way and only kept her in the fortress for a week max as punishment.

She had 1 older brother, Nobaru, who would be the heir of the throne once he came of age and a younger brother, Kibo, who would be the second heir to the throne if the original heir were to unexpectedly die. Her mother passed away after childbirth due to complications and blood loss. Her father as mentioned earlier is strict with who she talks with others and definitely controls what she does on occasions which is probably why she becomes manipulative towards her lover.

Here's a little side note about Natsu, while yes she did grow up without a mother doesn’t mean she didn’t have a mother figure in her life. That's where her personal assistant Aio comes into play. Aio was 20 when she took care of baby Natsu and was about 36 when Natsu had her first crush. To keep it simple, Aio wasn’t much help and probably didn’t tell her that she was doing something wrong.

At 16 Natsu fell in love with a boy in the village she used to go to as a child. At that time she hasn’t gotten much attention or affection from her father so she quickly became attached to this village boy. Her father heavily disapproved of this and banned Natsu from visiting him, going as far as threatening Aio into locking Natsu in her room at night as well as locking the windows.

Aio, feeling bad for having to do this to a child, she let Natsu visit the boy in the village every week for one night. This kept happening as the months went by and only did it stop when Natsu found out that the village boy she once loved didn’t love her back in the same way. She ended up telling Aio in broken sobs that her lover truly didn’t love her back.

“What am I supposed to do Aio? I-I thought he loved me! H-How could he just fall for some…some ragged village girl! I could’ve given him anything he wanted!”

She spent hours in her room heartbroken, her brothers didn’t know what was going on and tried to help but she refused saying stuff along the lines of ‘I hate this family, if i wasn’t his daughter I could’ve had him!’ which confused the two brothers since they didn’t know who this unknown man was that their sister had unknowingly fallen in love with.

It was only when Natsu came up with the idea to just get rid of the boy who was causing her so much stress and pain in her heart. So after a few days, the village boy disappeared and was never seen again by anyone. Aio helped hide any evidence in fear she would get caught letting Natsu out at night.

Years have passed since that fateful day, rumors came and gone like the morning breeze, none really stayed put into the solid ground in fear the Emperor would cause all hell to break loose. Natsu realized her mistake, even though she doesn’t really feel any guilt. It was the boy's fault for not loving her back.

In my view of the AU I have created I would imagine something like this to happen for Natsu to meet her Darling (Aka male reader)

It was early in the morning with just enough light to pass crates to one another and for the guards to watch everything. She didn’t really want to be there watching the transaction happen but she couldn’t stand Nobaru’s whines and begs for her to at least watch what happens behind the scenes. This was the fourth time he asked and ,to her very reluctant pleasure, she agreed. Which is why she sits alone in the cold morning air at this very moment.

She sat on one of the stone stairs with her elbow on her knee, her gray blue eyes lazily glossing over all the traders one by one with not a single ounce of interest. A slight frown stood on her face, showing how unhappy she was to be here in the exact moment. The chitter chats of the traders talking with the imperial guards filled Natsu’s ears. She couldn’t even pick out what even one trader was saying due to how hushed they talked. That was until something caught her eye. A small group of traders huddled around one of the crates in a bout of confusion. A small cloud of air showed right in front of the blackette’s lips as she sighed. Slowly standing up from the cold pebble stairs the soft clicks of her heels as she walked down the steps quickly quieted everyone near.

“What’s going on here? This isn’t a small party, we should be hurrying the produce onto land.” Her voice was strict but had the flow of sweet honey as she talked, all of the traders stuttered out a response only for one of the guards to walk over and randomly grab down into the crate and pulled out a H/c boy who seemed quite afraid.

Natsu’s eyes widen in shock, she hasn’t seen a foreigner in years if not decades since her father put the Sakoku decree in place. She was quite mezmorized at the exotic features of the man. Even though he was covered in dirt that soiled his commoner clothes his eyes were such a pretty e/c that Natsu couldn’t look away. His hair was covered in dirt and knots probably formed from the rough journey but Natsu didn’t care.

“Let me go!” The unknown boy yelled in both fear and anger as the royal guards held his forearms in a bone crushing grip so he wouldn’t escape. It was chaos as some guards ran to get the emperor while others stood their ground and watched the boy. Natsu knew what was gonna happen next, they would take the boy near the water and slice his head clean off with one of the sharp swords they had. She can’t have that, for some reason she felt compelled to do something to save this boys life.

“Hold your ground!” Natsu yelled above the roaring chaos making everyone stop and turn towards her in confusion and slight annoyance. Her brother Nobaru was even more confused as she walked her way to the unknown boy and ripped him from the guards grip.

“He’s the servant I have requested not to long ago, I wasn’t aware of when he would come. So I’m sorry for not informing you earlier.” Natsu’s grip on the boy loosened quite a bit as he stood confused but happy as he was dragged without further instructions towards the Imperial fortress.

If only he knew that life would’ve been much better if his head was chopped off then.

-Hello! How was the first Oc introduction? Some feedback would be appreciated as well as reposting! Have a good day/night-

[fantomcomics]

What's Out This Week? 8/23

Postin' ain't easy, but it sure is fun

After We Gazed At Starry Sky GN - Bisco Kida

It all started with a job. When wheelchair-bound Subaru Miyazawa decides to visit the planetarium after finishing its brochure design, he unexpectedly bumps into Togo Awase, the photographer involved in the project. Although he'd admired his work, he never thought he'd see the man himself-or that Togo would go so far as to carry Subaru down the steps to view the starry night sky up close. Subaru could only hope they would meet again...

All The Lovely Bad Ones GN - Mary Downing Hahn, Scott Peterson & Naomi Franquiz

Travis and his sister, Corey, can't resist a good trick. When they learn that their grandmother's quiet Vermont inn, where they're spending the summer, has a history of ghost sightings, they decide to do a little "haunting" of their own. Before long, their supernatural pranks have tourists flocking to the inn, and business booms. But Travis and Corey soon find out that theirs aren't the only ghosts at Fox Hill Inn. Their thoughtless games have awakened something dangerous, something that should have stayed asleep. Can these siblings lay to rest the restless spirits they've disturbed?

All Tomorrow's Parties: The Velvet Underground Story HC - Koren Shadmi

An exploration of the group The New York Times called "arguably the most influential American rock band of our time," The Velvet Underground, and the complicated creative relationship they shared with legendary artist Andy Warhol.

Archie Horror Presents Chilling Adventures Anthology TP - Robert Hack

Welcome to the chilling world of Archie Horror, where demons roam the earth and terrifying tall tales come to life. From robotic rogues and inter-dimensional interlopers to sinister sorcerers and macabre mystics, this anthology collection has everything your horror-hungry heart desires. Riverdale and its surrounding areas are known to be hotbeds of strange happenings and paranormal activity, but sometimes things get downright disturbing, and even the most pure-hearted of people can't be saved.

Join the masters of Archie Horror, Madam Satan and Jinx Holliday (plus everyone's favorite talking cat, Salem), as they act as our tour guides into the realms of the unknown, plunge us into the depths of Hell and send chills up our spines! Featuring a retro, distressed cover by horror comic master Robert Hack. Collects seven killer comics: Madam Satan, Chilling Adventures in Sorcery, Jinx: Grim Fairy Tales, Weirder Mysteries, Chilling Adventures of Salem, The Return of Chilling Adventures in Sorcery, Happy Horror Days.

Art Brut HC Vol 1 - W. Maxwell Prince, Martin Morazzo & Mat Lopes

Presenting here the first major work from the creative minds behind ICE CREAM MAN-re-lettered, remastered, and under its original intended name! The world of fine art is falling apart, and only ART BRUT knows how to fix it. Alongside the Bureau of Artistic Integrity, Arthur Brut the Mad Dreampainter (and his trusty sidekick, Manny the Mannequin) must dive back into the very paintings that made him insane...or reality itself might just crumble to pieces.

A colorful, gonzo romp through art and art history, ART BRUT is equal parts police procedural, hyper-fantasy, and psychological thriller-a veritable Pollock-splatter of comics genres tossed onto one giant pulpy canvas! Each chapter features new cover art, new design, and a new Silver Age-style backup story featuring the art hero that no one's ever heard of-until now! Originally published under the title The Electric Sublime, this special hardcover edition presents the NPR-lauded, critically acclaimed material in its intended form.

Associate Professor Akira Takasuki's Conjecture GN Vol 1 - Mikage Sawamura & Toji Aio

Naoya Fukamachi is a university student whose ability to infallibly detect lies has left him friendless and isolated. When a paper of his piques the interest of his folklore studies professor Akira Takatsuki, a handsome and eccentric man, he soon finds himself dragged into Akira's research. Now, as the assistant in charge of common sense, he must help his professor interpret an array of unexplainable phenomena...

The Calvin & Hobbes Portable Compendium - Bill Watterson

Calvin and Hobbes is unquestionably one of the most popular comic strips of all time. The imaginative world of a boy and his real-only-to-him tiger first appeared in 1985 and could be read in more than 2,400 newspapers when Bill Watterson retired on January 1, 1996. This compact, portable new format is designed to introduce the timeless adventures of Calvin and Hobbes to a new generation of readers, and will fit easily into backpacks as well as on the collector's shelf. Featuring archival slipcase and cover art selected by the author, The Calvin and Hobbes Portable Compendium pays tribute to the strip's origin in newspapers while appealing to both new and existing fans. This set is composed of two 144-page paperback books, including over 500 comics from the strip's debut in Nov. 1985 through March 1987. It is the first of seven sets total to be released between 2023 and 2026.

Cat-Eyed Boy Perfect Edition HC Vol 1 - Kauzo Umezz

From the mind of Kazuo Umezz, undisputed master of Japanese horror manga and creator of The Drifting Classroom and Orochi, comes Cat-Eyed Boy! This deluxe edition contains five classic horror stories featuring a mysterious and dangerous cat-eyed boy who lives among humans, comes from the world of demons, and is despised by both. In four morbid tales, he interacts with humans and monsters to often-devastating ends. Then, in a final story, Cat-Eyed Boy must decide where his true loyalties lie-or if he has any loyalties at all.

Cuckoos Three GN - Cassandra Jean & Mosskat

Murry Summerfield, relentlessly decent son of the farmstead, meets Jacob Durris, charming but troubled new neighbor. When he discovers why Jacob has moved out to the countryside, Murry has his hands full keeping his friend happy and dealing with his own blossoming feelings.

Fantagraphics' Underground X-Amount Of Comics - Don Simpson

The most famous never-completed masterpiece in comics history- Image Comics' 1963 by Alan Moore, Steve Bissette, and Rick Veitch-is finally given the irreverent, and completely unauthorized 72-page climax no-one ever asked for! Written and drawn in an authentic Old School manner, X-Amount is just enough to satisfy! A comic for the ages that may finish off the Silver Age once and for all! For sophisticated readers.

Furry Planet: A World Gone Wild - Joe Strike

Furries are the creative subculture of people who identify with animals. You can find them at furry conventions, furfests, worldwide-tens of thousands of people donning their most elaborate fursuits. In costume, furries unleash the animal within, letting their inner beasts roar and their inner cats purr, aware of the power-and joy-to be found in connecting with one's animal spirit and encouraging others to do the same. In Furry Planet, long-time furry and a media staple for commentary on the culture, Joe Strike-a certified "greymuzzle," as older furries are known-dives deep into this compelling subculture to share its appeal and rewards.

Giant Days Library Edition Vol 1 - John Allison, Max Sarin, & Lissa Treiman

The school year is just beginning at Sheffield University, jam-packed with new classes, new professors, new places to explore...not to mention new clubs, new cliques, and new shenanigans, too. For first years Daisy, Esther, and Susan, they've got new friends on lock, forming a tight bond from their very first days as next-dorm neighbors. But learning to navigate life as brand new (almost) adults isn't as easy as it looks, between old nemeses popping up, academic struggles, and new crushes on the horizon. It's a good thing these three have each other to help survive Hall Balls, bantering lads, and drama vortexes (vortices?)!

I Don't Know Which Is Love GN Vol 1 - Oku Tamamushi

With high school graduation approaching, Mei Soraike tries to confess her love to her best friend for whom she had long harbored a secret crush...only for her hopes to be crushed. But a little heartbreak is fine-because she'll absolutely, definitely, without a doubt get a girlfriend in college! And no sooner does Mei set her resolve than potential prospects start sidling up to her one by one...?!

I Don't Need A Happy Ending GN - Mikanuji

From office workers to high schoolers to a mistress and her maid, dive into a collection of girls love stories from the author of Assorted Entanglements! Mikanuji delivers a tantalizing mix of sweet and spicy in this anthology-including a brand-new epilogue for her short story "I Don't Need a Happy Ending"!

The Illustrated Guide To Monster Girls GN Vol 1 - Suzu Akeko

In the world of monsters, where scaring and tormenting humans is a way of life, even monster girls need to pass their classes, graduate and get a job! Enter Class Z: a bunch of failures more likely to be frightened and bullied themselves. Can this rag-tag group of underdogs become successful full-fledged monsters?

In Search Of Gil Scott-Heron HC - Thomas Mauceri & Seb Piquet

CELEBRATING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF HIP HOP! DISCOVER THE GODFATHER OF RAP!

Singer, poet and writer; considered to be the godfather of rap, Gil Scott-Heron is a myth and legend in the Afro-American music scene. Through his personal experiences, Thomas Maucéri discovers the life of this genius, alongside the complex past and present of the America that Scott-Heron lived in.

The Infinity Particle GN - Wendy Xu

This thought-provoking limited palette graphic novel by the co-creator of Mooncakes explores big questions through the eyes of an aspiring inventor and the lifelike AI she finds herself falling for.  

Clementine Chang moves from Earth to Mars to start over. On the first day of her dream job working for Dr. Marcella Lin, an Artificial Intelligence pioneer, Clem meets Dr. Lin's assistant, a gorgeous, yet cold humanoid AI named Kye. Sure, Clem has built her own robot-a cute moth-shaped companion named SENA-but Kye feels almost... human. When Clem and Kye begin to work together, their chemistry sets off sparks. The only downside? Dr. Lin won't allow Kye to become more independent. And their relationship is causing Clem to question everything she knows about her work. After all, if Kye is sentient enough to have feelings, shouldn't he be able to have his own thoughts? Where is the line between AI and human? As her future and her past weigh down on her, Clem becomes determined to help Kye break free-even if it means risking everything she came to Mars for.  

Lost Boy TP Vol 1 - Jay Martin & Frank Cvetkovic

The comics debut of accomplished music video director Jay Martin in a beautiful and heartwarming tale of adversity and survival.

In the aftermath of a deadly car accident in the remote Wyoming wilderness, a young boy escapes as the sole survivor. Stranded, freezing and without anyone around to help him, he struggles to stay alive as he attempts to find his way back to civilization. Along the way, through extreme tests of will, courage, and endurance, he discovers what it truly means to be tested, and learns that the secret to survival isn't always what you think it is.

Magic The Gathering Planeswalker: Notorious #1 - Cullen Bunn, Rich Douek, French Carlomagno, Carlos Pedro & Jahnoy Lindsay

Two of the most popular Planeswalkers in Magic: The Gathering history- fan favorite vampire Sorin Markov and the incomparable necromancer Liliana Vess, come together for a team-up that's not to be missed!

On a mysterious, unnamed plane, the two must work together to prevent a diabolical figure from unleashing hell on not only the residents of their plane of imprisonment... but other planes as well.

Mieruko Chan Anthology GN - Tomoki Izumi

The creepy, the crawly, the grotesque-the daily lives of Miko and friends when ghostly monsters lurk around every corner! The official comic anthology, brought to you by a variety of guest artists!

Bone: More Tall Tales GN - Jeff Smith & Tom Sniegoski

Jeff Smith's bestselling, award-winning Bone saga returns with this hilarious sequel to Tall Tales! Smiley Bone, Fone Bone, and their Rat Creature pal, Bartleby, take a group of young scouts to a legendary landmark that the Bone cousins found when they were kids. They share stories around a campfire, spinning tales of trips to the moon, the delights of quiche, an imagined monster come to life, and an encounter with the two stupid Rat Creatures gone hilariously wrong!

Mother Nature GN - Jamie Lee Curtis, Russell Goodman & Karl Stevens

After witnessing her father die in mysterious circumstances on one of the Cobalt Corporation's experimental oil extraction projects, Nova Terrell has grown up to despise he seemingly benevolent company upon by the town of Catch Creek New Mexico.

The rebellious Nova wages a campaign of sabotage against the oil giant, until one night she accidentally makes a terrifying discover about the true nature of the 'Mother Nature' project and a threat that could destroy the entire town.  

The Never-Ending Party TP - Joe Corallo, Rachel Pollack & Eva Cabrera

Twenty-five years after losing her lover Lulu in a cult ritual for Dionysus gone wrong, Mindy Morrow is trying to live her life and put the past behind her. Unfortunately for Mindy, the past won't let her go. While she's taking care of her friend Flavia, her frenemy Kate is trying to lure Mindy back into the old club scene, and something more ancient and terrifying awaits them all. Collects The Never-Ending Party #1-5 from the ComiXology original digital series, in print for the first time.

Of Thunder & Lightening GN - Kimberly Wang

Debut author Kimberly Wang crafts a thrilling two-tone sci-fi graphic novel, growing the seeds of hope from the gravel of apocalypse. In a world where pop media meets military power, two idol-supersoldiers are locked in a world-ending conflict on behalf of their corporate nations. Battles blast across a dying land, both sides convinced of their own righteousness. Ragnarok looms on the horizon. Yet Magni and Dimo-young icons created for the sole purpose of eliminating the other-find their closest reflection in their opposite. Now, completing their mission means destroying the one who understands them most.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica The Movie: Rebellion Complete Omnibus Edition TP - Magica Quartet & Hanokage

With Madoka Kaname's sacrifice, the hopeless cycle that once bound every magical girl to a terrible fate was broken at last. Or was it...? All does not seem right with the world, and as Homura pulls at the loose threads of the girls' new reality, is it possible that an even darker destiny looms ahead? Revisit the complete manga adaptation of Puella Magi Madoka Magica: The Movie -Rebellion- in this deluxe omnibus edition!

The Schlub #1 - Kenny Porter, Ryan Stegman & Tyrell Cannon

Failing dentist Roger Dalton blames the world for his problems until he is body-swapped with the world's greatest superhero. Can Roger save Earth and finally prove to his family he's not a loser? Or are we all doomed?

Stolen Sharpie Revolution: A DIY Resource For Zines & Zine Culture SC - Alex Wrekk

The go-to guide for all things zine related, this book contains everything you need to get started creating your own zines and participating in zine culture. Includes thoughtful lists and step-by-step guides on everything from definitions of a zine, where to find zines, and why zines are important. Brand new sixth edition published by Silver Sprocket.

Stuntboy: In Between Time HC - Jason Reynolds & Raul The Third

Portico Reeves is the greatest superhero a lot of people have never heard of. He likes it that way-then no one can get in the way of him from keeping other other people safe. Super safe. He's Stuntboy. He's got the moves. And the saves. Except. There's been one major fail. He couldn't save his parents from becoming Xs. Which is a word that sounds like coughing up a hairball. But don't talk to him about the divorce, because of the hairball thing, and also, it gives Portico the frets. What's also giving him frets is his parents living on two separate floors in their apartment building. He's never fully with one parent or the other. He's in-between, all the time. The in-between time. And the elevator is busted, so to get between floors means getting past the bullies who hang in the stairwells. So when Portico and new friend, Herbert, and best best friend, Zola, discover an empty apartment, unlocked, they are psyched. It's a perfect hideout, and hangout, and it's not half anyone's... it's all theirs. So they decide to make it their own...let's say with stunts of the drawing kind. Problem is, that gives some Grown Up People the frets, which leads to double frets for Portico. And he's not sure his arsenal of stunts can combat that.

The Naked Tree GN - Keum Suk Gendry-Kim

Critically acclaimed and award-winning cartoonist Keum Suk Gendry-Kim returns with a stunning addition to her body of graphic fiction. Adapted from Park Wan-suh's beloved novel, The Naked Tree paints a stark portrait of a single nation's fabric slowly torn to shreds by political upheaval. Fleshing out the characters in fresh, imaginative ways, and incorporating the original author into the story, Gendry-Kim breathes new life into this Korean classic.

Togue Oni: Primal Gods In Ancient Times GN Vol 1 - Kenji Tsurubuchi

In the ancient kingdom of Yamato, between the era of the gods and that of men, there was a time when the two coexisted. Miyo is chosen to serve as a human sacrifice to her village's god, Kippuuson-no-Mikoto, but she's not ready to die! Can Ozuno, a monk with the special ability to speak one-on-one with the gods, save her life?

Whatcha scooping up this week, Fantom Fam?

[madillhethen]

So many things have happened since August that I feel I owe an explanation for essentially disappearing (mostly). So basically university resumed for me but outside of my usual work/university is that my sister, Aio, is going through cancer treatment. It was found that she has a cancerous tumor in her chest that none of the doctors really understand why as it doesn’t run in our family and her age is rather young. Nonetheless, they want to take preventive measures so it doesn’t spread. Due to my own schedule, our family decided it would be better for her to return to our family home in AZ to have more care there where our family and family friends could help care for driving to and from hospitals and if she needs anything after chemotherapy. The plan is 6 months she will be back so estimating by Spring/Summer after the surgery for removal.

Essentially it means, I’m here up north by myself with the animals which means the time we usually split for chores etc is all mine which means I have way lesser time to do the things I usually do. It’s been a bit since that decision and it’s still very much hectic on my side but it’s easing up as I only have 3 weeks of university left before winter breaks.

The cancer part is a big scare for my family because our dad passed away from lung cancer (Aio was diagnosed with breast cancer) so…chemotherapy is not something we’re unfamiliar with but it is still hard to see/deal with.

On a different note, I never updated on Myla the little corgi that was from an abusive household. (The one in my pinned message)

Myla was officially adopted by her foster mom! So Myla and Pretzel the corgi are now sisters AND the vets said they believe Myla can keep her leg. So after 8 weeks of being in a cast, cone, and somewhat crate rest, Myla is living her best life. Her leg is still healing, but she’s been microchipped and spayed, and been playing with her sisfur. Donations for her GoFundMe are still being used for her vet visits as the vets are still monitoring her health and the repercussions of the abuse she received but thank you everyone again for keeping her in your prayers/thought and/or sharing/donating!

I’m going to remove the pinned message now and pin this for a bit as you are all still welcome to donate if you’d like! GoFundMe

[odyssey-owl]

TGTB&B Rewrite Scene 12

(Note: This is a rewrite of the AIO episode "The Good, The Bad, And Butch." The original episode dialogue was written by Marshal Younger. Any added/removed/altered dialogue and actions were written by me!)

The boys sat cross legged on top of Sam's bed, a chess board in between them. It was their third game that afternoon. Sam won the first within minutes, but they called off the second game because it had turned into a stalemate. It seemed that Sam would win the third game, too.

"Check."

"Where?"

"My bishop."

"Oh." Butch stared at the board, calculating his next move. "You know, there was something I wanted to tell you, something funny." He blocked with a pawn. "I can't remember what it was."

"If it's a dirty joke, I don't want to hear it." Sam slid his knight two spaces up, and one to the right. It hit the same space as the pawn, so Sam removed it from the board. "Check. Again."

"Look, I'm sorry." Butch shifted his king a space backwards. "We usually don't do that at our meetings."

Sam looked up from the board. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"Why are you in the Bones of Rath?"

Butch folded his arms, and leaned back. "What do you mean?"

"Whenever you're with them, you just get into trouble. Why do you want to do that?"

He shrugged. "I dunno."

"How can you even stand being with them?" Sam shuddered. He moved the knight again. "I couldn't wait to get out of that meeting yesterday. With you guys telling those jokes..."

Butch cut him off. "I quit."

"W-What?"

"I quit the Bones."

"Really?"

"Yeah, yesterday," Butch stuttered, "After the meeting, uh, I quit."

Sam nearly leapt over the chessboard. "Butch, that's great!"

"Yeah," He laughed nervously, "I don't need those guys."

"I didn't even know you were thinking about quitting."

"Oh, sure, f-for a while now. A couple weeks, even months. Months."

"This really changes things."

"Yeah." Butch looked back down to the chess board. In their excitement, neither of the boys had noticed that Butch was now in checkmate.

Sam didn't even seem to care about the game at that point. He slid off the bed and walked past Butch, to the bookshelf on the opposite side of the room. "Hey, listen, I found something I wanted you to see."

Butch wished that Sam would turn around, holding the tickets. If Sam brought up the banquet in conversation, Butch wouldn't even need to ask.

No such luck. Sam ducked down to the shelf below the tickets, searching for something.

It was now or never. Butch stood up and moved behind Sam. "Look, I gotta go, but I wanted to ask you about the banquet?" He took a breath and talked quickly. "Do you have any extra ti-"

A Bible was shoved into his hands. "Here," Sam's eyes hovered on the Bible for a moment. "Look at this."

"It's... a Bible."

"Do you remember it? It's mine, but I let you borrow it for a while 'cause you lost yours." Sam reached over and flipped open the front cover of the Bible. On the paper was scrawled a short prayer in Butch's handwriting. "Read it."

"Dear Jesus," Butch started. "Thanks for the trees and the sun and the water and dogs. And for my best friend Sam. Thank you for moving him next door to me." Butch looked up as he finished reading the prayer. "Amen."

Sam met his eyes. "After I found it in there, I read it over and over. Memorized it. You were the best friend I'd ever had."

There was a long pause between them.

Sam finally broke eye contact and cleared his throat. "Anyway, I thought you might like to see that." He walked towards his bed to put the chess pieces away. "Now, what did you say about the banquet?"

Butch was shaking. When he didn't answer, Sam turned around. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing," Butch was deathly pale. "I-I just..."

"You look like you're going to be sick." Sam dropped the chess pieces and rushed over. He held Butch by the shoulders.

Butch froze. "I'm okay." He let Sam take the Bible and guide him to a chair, in which he sat down, then pulled away. "Sam?"

"Yeah?"

"I was wondering..."

"Wondering what?"

Butch took a deep breath. "Could I go with you to the banquet tonight?" He tried to play it off, although his voice wavered. "I mean... You still got an extra ticket, right?"

Sam hesitated, thinking. He made his way back over to the shelf. Placing the Bible on top and reaching for the pair of tickets, something dawned on him. "Why?"

"I just... I want to go." Butch's eyes stayed glued to the floor. "I've never been to one."

Sam shrugged. "It's not really that exciting."

"That's okay."

"It's two hours long."

"That's fine, I wanna go, okay?"

"Okay," Sam handed Butch one ticket. "You can come."

"Fine, I'll see you tonight. I'll meet you here." Butch squeaked the chair back. "I gotta get out of here." His hand reached for the doorknob.

"Okay, well..." The door closed. He didn't even look back. "Butch?"

He was gone.

[cyberfairyblog]

Why Jillian Sucks

Hi, welcome to Odyssey Mystery Hour! I'm your host @gritsandbrits and today I'll be talking about a hot topic in the AIO fandom! Wanna know the tea? Keep on reading!

In the weeks I started getting back into the radio series, the newer episodes have started to irk me, mostly because of one of the more annoying additions: Jillian. Marshall. 😬😬😬

Even though I ship Jason with my self insert OC this not going to be about her. There's a lot of reasons why I do NOT like the idea of Jillian x Jason becoming a canon thing on the show. I hope to describe these feelings as best I can.

Who is Jillian you might ask?

Well to put it simply, Jillian is what happens when a Soccer Mom and a TikTok boyfriend mate and spawn an unholy baby and name them Rachel Berry. Out of the aspects of Nu!Odyssey I dislike, Jillian is the one thing I truly despise. Thankfully I've met fans who share the exact sentiment! 😁😒

Double-N Annoying, Double-O Nincompoop

Making her debut in 2018, Jillian is described as lively and upbeat, if a little high strung and immature; the perfect recipe for Kid Appeal! Before she moved to Odyssey she lived in different cities and worked nineteen jobs before becoming roommates with Connie and her sister Jules.

Now this is actually a fairly interesting set up: a new character struggling to find purpose only to discover it in a quaint small town. But as it turns out her going through that many jobs seems to be more than just struggling to find purpose.

When I first saw her design my thought immediately went to the smarmy classmates I went to school with.

We're introduced with this iconic line: "Hi!! I'm Jillian Marshall, double-L Jillian, double-L Marshall! It's so nice to meet you!"

With that one sentence I knew I was about to die.

The following episode has Jillian bumbling through every job interview much to Connie's duress after which she conveniently ending up working at Triple J Antiques...the same place Jason works!

A little backstory on Jason: he is the adult son of John Whittaker, one of the show's main character, and a bit of an Ensemble Darkhorse. He was introduced as a secret agent meant to bring action and intrigue into the show. He was set up as a charismatic and reckless sort of guy clashing with the calmer Jack Allen. After the Green Ring Conspiracy Saga, Jason officially retired from James Bonding and settled down to work at the Allen's antique shop.

Given his immense popularity there's understandable concern for how he is written and who he gets paired up with. So what does that have to do with Jillian.

Well, the idea of Jillian working at the same exact place as Odyssey's resident bachelor and calling him cute raises a few eyebrows.

"B-but Grits all she did was call him cute! You're reaching too far into this!"

Am I? Look I know this wouldn't be much of a big deal too but that is a subtle tactic the writers threw in to get the cogs turning for Jillison. Jason is clearly uninterested and even implied to dislike her. Jillian bemoans this but Connie reassures her that that's not the case. But hey at least she called him cute so OF COURSE she's going to end up being his love interest!

To me removing a character's core trait to justify a romance means you do NOT know how to actually write a compelling romance. It's trite, it's forced and painful to listen to.

It's also obvious she's a replacement for Bernard, given they have similar personalities and her brief stint on TV (which she also failed at lol). But whereas Bernard was actually endearing, Jillian seems more of a cliche womanchild with zero self awareness and tact. No actual depth, just a personality that is incredibly dumbed down and even insulting. Seriously they made her the dumb blond stereotype in an era where we should've moved on from that! 🤦

Did I mention she goes to church?

Yep she's gonna be one of those Christians.

Literally Loveless, Literally!

Oddly enough the narrative frames this as a rivals to lovers thing, where Jason is both the charismatic friendly guy and the super uninterested Straight Man. The constant twisting the turning makes him go OOC. See we know he's fit better as the former because that goes in line with his canon personality. But when they make him the latter he just comes off as unnecessarily mean. This is turns frames Jillian as someone we should pity: "Oh the attractive male doesn't like me because I went into his office without permission!!"

Wouldn't it make more sense for Jillian to be the one uninterested in a romance since her focus in to find a job/better purpose and romance might distract her? That would make a fun subplot...IF SHE WASN'T OBNOXIOUS!

A pattern I noticed and several fans pointed out: Jason's previous love interests were consistent in that they were strong minded women who challenged him in different ways. Their personalities bounced off creating a fun dynamic that was entertaining to see. Even though they didn't end up with him, you can still see and hear and feel their chemistry which is my goal for Jason x OC. Tasha doesn't make Jason OOC & they had a bittersweet arc, so their interactions were organic. Monica only made him OOC because she was a villain actively manipulating him. So again that worked in terms of story and led to Monica's redemption if my memory serves.

However, Jillian's dynamic is not that fun to listen to. You can feel her annoying Jason through the airwaves. She's strong but only in the sense of feeling something hard underneath your back laying on the bed and realizing that's just your earbud. She's vibrant yes but what else? She doesn't have any unique traits to contrast Jason, and any attempt at a contrast would mean making him act out of character. Adding her bumbling clumsiness and annoying voice, Jason would get tired of her very quickly. He's the type to go for people to have intelligent conversations with, not make him lose braincells. She could very well bring out the worse in him, it'll be an unhealthy relationship.

Here's a tidbit worth mentioning: the VA for Jillian actually auditioned with Jason's VA Townsend Coleman. Now that is big ass red flag right there! No hate towards the actress, just throwing that out there. There's also a facebook page dedicated to Jillison. Typical FB stupidity ramped up to eleven, or AIO fans who see something in Jillian; or at least THINk they see something worthwhile in her.

It doesn't help the writers keep insisting that these two go well together. The audience knows they do not work well as a pair but the narrative keeps insisting they are anyways. I recall an episode that had them pretend to be married while undercover and it was bad. Like REALLY humiliating to see Jason put in that position. He also told her to shut up much to my joy because she could NOT stop being irritating for five minutes. Alas the show still tries to justify Jillian being the Perfect Woman for Jason when she's anything but. And not even endearingly imperfect.

Follow Up

These tags I wrote on one of the AIO posts describes how I feel about Villain Marshall and the Jillison coupling as a whole. It just wouldn't work because Jason needs someone that can actually CHALLENGE him, have their own personality that can bounce off his (without being forced), and most importantly DOESN'T AGGRAVATE THE FANDOM!!

I have not met a single person anywhere that say they like Jillian. It's a different story apparently on the Club App - they like her for reasons I'm too cowardly to find out. But no, she sucks as a character. She makes a annoying friend, and is not a good addition to the show, much less a good love interest.

The only good thing she brought us are the nicknames we gave her 😌

That's all for now thank you for tuning into the Odyssey Mystery Hour. Next week I'll be talking a bit more about my OC Vanessa and her role in the world of Odyssey! Goodbye and make sure to lock your doors to prevent Jillian from coming in!!

[sparkythehappygiraffe]

Hey y’all

I had the chance to talk to Lee over on AIO Audio News yesterday and we had a great time!

We talked Morrie’s motivation, Whit’s potentially skewed moral compass, and the reality of Emily’s trauma and how we want to see it dealt with. I’m linking our little interview down below if you want to give it a listen, and I definitely recommend you check out all of Lee’s stuff, he’s got some great content 😁

Let me know what you thought of our ideas and opinions! I’d love to discuss it some more (as if we haven’t been talking about it for weeks now 🤣)

https://aioaudionews.com/2020/08/11/hannah-kate-was-morrie-right/

(Also peep our little AIA promo heheheh)

[applesauce1131]

Fishing for Trust - AiO Fic

Fandom: Adventures in Odyssey

Characters: Buck Oliver & Jason Whittaker

Words: 1278

Ao3 Link

This was supposed to be a short scene but here we are. I thought that since AiO was my first love I owed her a fic. Based off of this thread. 

Please enjoy :)

"Do I have to go? I mean, I can stay by myself. Right?" Buck bit his lip nervously, glancing between his guardians. 

Eugene sounded hesitant, "I'm sorry, Buck, but I'd really be more comfortable if you went. Katrina and I have been planning this outing for weeks and I’m sorry, I’m just not comfortable leaving you home alone right now. "

"And it's only for a couple of hours." Katrina added, "And it's fishing! You'll have fun! I know you don’t know Jason very well, but he’s really nice and I think you’ll enjoy yourself!”

Buck shrugged, "Yeah I guess. I just-" he looked up at Eugene and Katrina and sighed, "Your right, I'll go."

"Buck," Katrina started, slightly unsure.

"Really, it's fine. I just... Don't know him very well. But you’re right, this is a great opportunity to get to know him better. I... should go get ready, he’ll be here soon." He offered a half-smile before hurrying up the stairs.

Once in his room, he began to pace. The room wasn’t all that big, but it was certainly bigger than any room he and Mr Skint had shared, hotel or trailer alike. 

He did not want to spend any time alone with Jason Whittaker. The man made him uncomfortable. And he was familiar for some odd reason. Come to think of it he looked a lot like… no. He had only ever heard a description. A beard was easy to get rid of after all, hadn’t Mr Skint done the same thing the day of the auction? And he had heard his voice on the phone… it was impossible. But it wasn’t, was it? 

Jason had returned to town not long before Buck had been released and… and he could tell that Jason didn’t trust him. He had heard that the infamous Jason Whittiker had previously worked for the government, but it was all too strange to be a mere coincidence… And if Jason was a government agent it didn’t ease his mind any.

Buck didn’t trust him and he had a nagging suspicion that Jason didn’t trust him either. That was fine, but he was going to have to be careful around him. Even more than he was around everyone else. Buck didn’t trust anybody, but he really didn’t trust Jason Whittaker. 

~AiO~

They had been fishing for a couple of hours in heavy silence, Jason felt it was clear that Buck was uncomfortable, though he was trying to hide it. When he had offered to take Buck fishing for a few hours, he had hoped to get to know the boy better. Of all the kids who visited the shop, Buck was the one he knew the least. Buck seemed to almost avoid him. Even now the kid was distancing himself and had barely spoken two words since he had picked him up. The kid seemed to have some serious trust issues. That was something Jason could understand. He wasn’t so sure he trusted Buck completely himself. He’d always been suspicious of people but ever since his time in the Green Ring, the same one Buck had been apart of, and the aftermath in London, he’d found himself even less likely to trust. 

"You don't trust me very much, do you?" Jason asked, glancing over to his right. Buck was staring straight ahead, a look of false contentment on his face.

"Who would you think that, Mr Whittaker?" He shifted slightly, not turning his head but allowing his eyes to fall to the left.

Jason gave an amused look, "Jason. And well for one, you seem awfully tense for just fishing. I'm pretty sure you’re not going to lose your pole if you loosen your grip."

The young man didn't respond, "Also you keep eyeing me," Buck began to protest, but Jason put up a hand, "Ah ah, don't deny it. I know when I'm being watched. For another thing you’re only close enough to be polite. Any further away and people wouldn't know we were supposed to be fishing together."

Buck finally turned his head, only to go back to looking straight ahead. "It's nothin'."

"Oh come on, we both know that's not true. Now, what's wrong? Why don't you like me?"

"I never said I didn't like you. I just... Think it's better to be spread apart. I don't want to fight over the fish."

Jason sighed, "Buck-"

"Okay, fine." Buck turned and his expression had twisted into something angry. As disconcerting as it was, Jason was relieved to see that it was finally a genuine expression. "You answer me a question. Why did you volunteer to take me fishing today?"

Jason blinked in surprise, "I, well, I wanted to get to know you better."

"You mean so you could watch me!" Buck's pole had been abandoned on the ground. Jason wasn't sure what aspect was more prominent, the anger, the mistrust, or the hurt.

"Buck I'm not here to watch you. Where would you get an idea like that?"

"I notice things too, Mr Whittaker. Every time I'm in the same place as you, you watch me. You don't trust me any more than I trust you!"

"Buck, I-"

"You know I'm right, Mr Stilleto." came the pointed response. 

Jason froze, unsure of what to say. "Why, why would you call me that?"

"Because I notice things. I may have never met you, but I know enough people who did. I don't know how familiar you are with the carnival, Mr Whittaker, but people talk. So is that why you're watching me? Is it because I used to work for you? Don't want me to turn you in or wanting me to do another job for you?"

"Buck, it's not," he ran his fingers through his hair, trying to find the right words, "it's not like that. I'm not watching you. And you never really worked for me. I'm not the Stilleto."

"Sure. And I'm not a convicted con artist."

"Listen, it's not like that, I'm sure you've heard by now that I work for the government. I was..." He really shouldn't tell him, but yet again. He didn't really have a choice. It was better than the kid thinking he was a criminal. "I was undercover."

The boy let out a harsh laugh, "Is that supposed to make me feel better? All the more reason for you to spy on me! Infact, from the sound of it, you w the doing it long before I even moved here!"

"Buck-"

"Save it." Buck turned away only to swing back around. Regardless of who you are or what you’re doing, my entire life I've survived on my ability to read people. And you don't trust me. Admit it."

Jason considered for a moment, he could lie, tell Buck that of course, he trusted him. But he didn't. Buck would see straight through him.

"No, Buck, in truth, I don't trust you."

"There," Buck practically spat out the words, "at least we're in agreement."

"Buck-"

"Thanks for your time, Mr Whittaker, but I should be getting back now, don't you think?" He picked up his fishing pole and began walking towards the parking lot. 

"I can give you a ride back," Jason answered, feeling oddly resigned.

"Don't bother," he said darkly, "I can manage. Unless of course, you don't even trust me that much."

Jason silently watched Buck go, feeling a pit forming in his stomach. There was little he could do to build their trust. He would just have to wait things out and hope they got better. Heaven knew the last thing any of them needed was for this to get worse.

[essary07]

What's the most over hyped episode of AiO in your opinion?

I️ think the club episodes are overhyped. The club in general, really.

Are there good episodes from the club? Of course!

Here’s ones I️ did listen to & really liked:

Thirty Jays Hath September

Pinocchio

One More Name

There & Back Again

(Ahaha. Most of them are Jay-centric episodes. I️ started collecting Elvis records because of this kid.)

There’s more, but back to my point:

The club episodes have little bleed over into the “normal” AIO episodes. I️ had NO IDEA who Renee Carter or Horus were. They’re rarely (if ever) mentioned in the regular radio-aired episodes. There’s such a tiny trial period now- two weeks compared to months in precious seasons. Maybe it’s because people were taking advantage of it & using multiple emails to have months of AIO for free...

I️ digress.

What are y’all’s thoughts?

[missdrummond]

AiO Thought of the Week

Is it safe to use the imagination station if you have epilipsy?

Right now, I'm landing on yes because I don't think it uses any actual visual components. The prototype also only used sound if I'm remembering correctly.

However, that being said I think Whit would need to change the settings on the imagination station if he wanted to accommodate someone sensitive to sensory overload because I don't think the standard programing regulates for this.

[thelazyeye]

hi!! i just read the new update and i loved it!! your writing always excites me. i have a question because im a bit curious. i don't know if im allowed to ask this (sorry if not!!), and it's totally okay if you can't/don't want to answer, but will the timeline of AIO end with them still in high school? or is there going to be a time jump in the story (that exceeds the high school years)?

Hello hello hun!! Thank you SO SO MUCH you are literally so kind! I’m absolutely thrilled you’re enjoying the story, especially now as we reach the final chapters. What a fantastic question that I am more than happy to answer. 

The story follows, and will remain set in, Richie and Eddie’s junior year of high school, specifically the spring semester. We started the fic in February and the current month is now May. The final 2 chapters will end sometime shortly before the end of the school year, so late May. 

BUT, there is going to be a short epilogue (that I haven’t included in the chapter count on A03). This is basically a brand new edition that I came up with probably 2-3 weeks ago while I was thinking about the ending of the story. And I share it with you now bc you asked so nicely and bc I’m bad at secret keeping (and because I’m not even sure how many people will see this ask so does it really matter? I’m legit not hiding anything on purpose lol). The epilogue will have a time jump and will likely be taking place sometime during their first year of college, so about a year and a half later. However, please take this with a grain of salt because I really haven’t decided exactly what I want to do and this could change. I might make it take place during their senior year. Because it’s not in the outline (that I basically live and die by) it’s super subject to change. I suppose we won’t actually know until I write it. 

I hope this answers your question and whatever thoughts/predictions you have about the rest of the fic!!

[fanfiction-abyss]

TBHK SONGFIC

This is my gift for my fellow ___ for a discord gift event! Hope you enjoy it!!

Akane Aoi x Hikari Minamoto:

STUPID CUPID

For all his life, Akane Aoi found himself struggling. He struggled to gain the love of his childhood bestfriend, struggled in his balancing order between his life and responsibilities as vice-president of the student council and keeping his duties as School Mystery No. 1. As his first year of high school started, he thought that he had it all in check, until he met her. Hikari Minamoto. Their meeting was by chance, he bumped into her while she was walking out of the student council room. She quickly bowed, spewed out an apology and ran off before he could blink. At first he thought she was a brave fan of Teru's who came to bother him, but the thought was quickly crossed off his mind as Teru explained who the girl was.

"That was my little sister. She was just dropping me off my lunch that I forgot. Usually it's Kou, but he's busy with his own mission." Akane nodded, busying himself by filing some papers, sweating under Teru's intensive stare. After finishing his filing, Akane nodded at Teru before heading to the door.

"Aoi." His sharp voice made Akane stop.

"Please be good to my siblings, if you ever see them around."

"I will, President Minamoto." The redhead silently cursed the president in his mind.

It wasn't until a week later that Hikari and Akane made contact once again.

"Ao-chan! I'd like you to meet someone! She's interested in joining the Gardening club!" Nene pulled a familiar blonde in front of Aio's desk, one thing Akane noticed was that she was wearing a middle school uniform.

"P-pleased to meet your acquaintance! I'm Hikari M-Minamoto, a third year in t-the middle school division and I'd like to join the club, as Senpai just explained!" Her voiced was rather meek and she had a rather heavy blush on her cheeks. Aoi, who Akane was standing next to, clasped her hands excitedly, sparkles bloomed as she cutely titled her head and smiled.

"That's great to hear, Minamoto-san! I'm Aoi Akane, thank you for showing interest in the club! We really need new members!" Hikari rubbed her arm and gazed at the ground.

"Y-You can call me by my first name... I don't mind. It's just... it's just that I don't want any unwanted confusion or attention, so..." She trailed off, her eyes swirling with embarrassment.

"I see, then you can call me Ao-chan, Hikari-chan!" Akane tensed, pushing up his glasses.

"... to think she's already in nickname basis with Ao-chan..." His mutterings grabbed the girl's attention.

"Is something wrong, Akane-kun?" Aoi asked sweetly, to which Akane shook his head.

I must stay poised and collected in front of President Minamoto's siblings or I won't hear the end of it from him...

Akane respectfully bowed towards Hikari.

"Pleasure to meet you, Minamoto-kohai. I'm Akane Aoi, if you don't know, I work with President Minamoto. " Hikari immediately bowed in respect, hitting her forehead on the top of the desk.

"I'm incredibly sorry for bumping into you last week, Aoi-Senpai, I didn't even formally apologize! I'm so, so sorry! Please let me make it up to you in some way or another!" The first years jumped, not expecting the sudden outbursts.

"Minamoto-kohai! It's quite alright-"

"Uwah! Hikari-chan are you alright?!" Nene had her hand up to her mouth in horror. The young girl, straightened up, showing a rather painful bruise of her forehead. Tears were welling up in the corner of her eyes.

"I-I'm fine, Senpai!"

"But-but you're crying!" Hikari covered her face and turned away.

"It's just that... I'm so embarrassed! I made a fool of myself in front of the upperclassmen!" Aoi patted the younger girls sibling in the back rather comforting.

"It's okay, Hikari-chan! You were just nervous, but for now, let's take you to the nurses office and check the bruise out."

"A-Ah! It's fine, Ao-Senpai! I'm, I'm used to worse, so this is nothing!" Aoi's and Nene's face visibly darkened with worry.

"W-worse?"

"A-Anyways, umm... about the club..." Face brightening, Aoi picked up her bag.

"If you don't mind, we can introduce you to the gardens! You can see what type of plants you want to take care of and you can meet the others as well, but first we have to change out of uniforms so they don't get dirty! Did you have an extra set of clothes?" Hikari lifted her bag and nodded, gaining approval from Aoi.

"Then, let's get moving! See ya, Akane-kun!" Akane watched the girls leave before making his way down the garden, hiding in his usual spot where he was able to watch what was going on. It took a few minutes before the girls came outside. Aoi was wearing her cute white sunhat, a pink tshirt and discolored shorts. Akane watched the new member with eyes of a hawk. She was wearing a white long sleeved shirt, black track pants, and her hair was pulled into a ponytail, allowing a purple good-luck amulet piercing in her left ear. It looked rather delinquent-like on her, which as far as Akane could tell, was not much her style. Aoi left and Nene walked with Hikari, touring her around, and stopping in front of Akane.

"And this is the decorative plants we take care of..." Nene trailed of, seeing the horrified expression of her junior, looking at the bush and letting out a terrified yelp.

"A-Akane-kun?! What are you doing?!" Akane's face was popping out of the plant, his glasses hid his eyes, but he was smiling.

"Oh, Nene-san, I'm just watching over Ao-chan, that's all!" Nene nodded, pulling Hikari close.

"Forgive him, Hikari-chan! He has a condition!" Before an answer escaped her mouth, Hikari tensed and turned, feeling dread.

This feeling... is it an apparition? Not to mention, didn't Ao-senpai head over there!?

"Eh, Hikari-chan, everything alright?" Nene's question was answered with a familiar shriek, causing the trios eyes to widen.

"Ao-chan/Ao-senpai!"

Hikari was the one who ran first, the other following close behind. They reached the toolshed and Hikari held her hand, stopping the others.

If it's an apparition, my upperclassmen will be in danger!

"I-I will go in there, you guys stay here! I'll go check and see!" Nene and Akane couldn't stop her as she dashed inside the tool shed. Stepping inside, Hikari felt the presence of a spirit, but she spotted Aoi first and kneeled next to her. It seemed that she was just passed out, the shards of a broken pot, probably dropped in surprise, thankfully didn't reach the older girl. Hikari focused her attention on the corner across from her, where the dark aura came from. A shivering child was huddled in the corner, its arms around its legs and head buried between its knees.

"I don't know what past you've lived, but that gives you no right to harm a human, so... I must exorcise you." A child's voice spoke out.

"Mother and I... used to play in the gardens all the time... are you my mommy?" With furrowed brows, Hikari clenched her hand, a spear made of lighting molded within. She took aim and threw the spear towards the corner, a gentle light and clean breeze fell upon the toolshed.

May you find peace in the afterlife...

"Senpais! Akane-senpai has fainted!" Akane and Nene immediately rushed in, both looking disheveled.

"We should take Ao-chan to the nurses, Akane-kun!" Akane nodded with Nene and picked Aoi up.

"Sorry to cut the tour short, but..."

"D-don't worry, senpai!" Nene smiled brightly at the young exorcist.

"Thank you for helping, Hikari-chan!" Blushing, Hikari waved goodbye to her seniors before making her way home.

Stupid Cupid you're a real mean guy

I'd like to clip your wings so you can't fly

I'm in love and it's a crying shame

And I know that you're the one to blame

Hey hey, set me free

Stupid Cupid stop picking on me

Ever since that day, Hikari began getting Akane's attention no matter where he went. It was only natural, after all, she saved his beloved Aoi. He would catch glimpses of her as he would walk the halls, or greet her whenever they made eye contact. He noticed details about her. Her eyes were always gentle no matter what, though she rarely talked, she had an energy that attracted people to her. And, another thing he noticed was that she would never judge others no matter what.

"Oh, hi, Aoi-senpai!" His hiding spot had been compromised once again. Akane sighed and crawled out the plant.

"How do you do, Minamoto-kohai?"

"I'm d-doing well... how... how about you?"

"I'm doing perfectly fine, Ao-chan is as bright as the sun, so everything is fine!" The girl giggled at his response, but quickly covered her mouth.

"Sorry... I wasn't laughing at you, I-I just think your affection for Ao-senpai is quite cute..." Akane shook his head, squatting next to her, watching as she dug up wholes in the soil to plant beans.

"It's alright." They stayed in silence, before Akane spoke out.

"What made you interested in the Gardening Club?"

"U-umm, I joined because... I just wanted to make my brothers jobs easier." Akane said nothing and stared at the girl, encouraging her to continue.

"W-Well, Teru-nii is always busy with student council work and keeping peace in the school. Kou takes care of the housework himself and won't let me help, so... I was thinking if I could at least plant veggies and fruits, I could make their life easier... plus just in case Tiara's interested in gardening, I could teach her..." Hikari's fond expression quickly turned into one of embarrassment.

"But now that I say it out loud it doesn't make any sense!" Akane huffed, fiddling with the red student council band on his arm.

"No, I think it's nice that you think about your siblings and the fact that you try to take care of them, it's admirable." Akane didn't know what went through his mind as the words spewed out of his mouth. Hikari stopped patting the dirt, her face turning redder than the tomatoes on a nearby vine, her eye were wide, but they didn't convey any negative emotion.

"I-I see, thank you... for thinking that..."

"Oh and Minamoto-kohai, you could call me by my first name, so that's in not confusing."

"Then you can call me by my f-first name too..."

"Alright, Hikari-san."

I can't do my homework and I can't think straight

I meet her every morning 'bout half past eight

I'm acting like a lovesick fool

You've even got me carrying your books to school

Hey hey, set me free

Stupid Cupid stop picking on me

After their conversation in the garden, their usual greeting turned into full blown conversations with each other. It wasn't noticable, but they began getting closer. Hikari thought about her new friend most of the time, even though it distracted her from studying. Akane who used to hate having to collect files and papers from teachers of the middle school division, began enjoying his walks, seeing that as soon as Akane and Hikari made eye contact, Hikari would join him and help him on his quest (or so she liked to call it). It wasn't noticable to anyone, until Akane stopped confessing to Aoi everytime he saw her. He would still watch her with loving eyes, but Aoi noticed something was different with Akane. It was one morning, where Aoi's suspicions were confirmed. It was early in the morning, when Aoi stepped into the sunlit classroom, Akane was already there, ruffling through a pile of papers.

"Goodmorning, Akane-kun!" Aoi smiled at her childhood friend, who looked up with a bright smile.

"Ah! Goodmorning Ao-chan! You look as beautiful as always!" He then turned his attention to the papers in front of him. He didn't even notice her scrutinizing gaze, until she was literally in his face. He leaned away in slight shock.

"Something wrong, Ao-chan?" The indigo haired girl put a finger on her chin and hummed.

"I don't know how to put it, but Akane-kun, are you over me?" Akane tensed and blushed.

"O-Of course no-" The image of a smiling Hikari flashed in his head, causing him to stop mid sentence. The vivid image caused him to relive the memory. It was when the beans she planted finally sprouted out of the ground. She quickly called him over and showed him the accomplishment with proud smile, her usually gentle voice was filled with excitement.

"Look, Akane-senpai!"

"Akane-kun?" Akane snapped out of his trance, gazing at Aoi.

"Ao-chan, I still love you, but it's not the same love as before!" Aoi giggle, putting her hands behind her.

"Thought so! So do you like Hikari-chan?"

"Huh?! Ao-chan how did-"

"It was quite obvious Akane-kun! You're never to good at hiding your feelings if you like someone! Plus, I wouldn't be called your childhood friend if I didn't notice!" Akane sighed and rested his forehead on his arms.

"I see..."

Thank god President Minamoto hasn't noticed my change of behavior, yet... I can only imagine what he'll do to me!

Akane revisited memories of being tied up like an animal and shivered.

"Then, Akane-kun, what do you plan to do...?" Aoi's unanswered question stuck with him throughout the day. What was he going to do? It felt weird thinking of Hikari all the time instead of Aoi. His affections now differed, he wanted to stay the same with Aoi, but with Hikari it was different. It felt as if he'd been struck by a cupid's arrow, which made a warm feeling resonate within his chest. It wasn't until he stood in front of Hikari's classroom door afterschool, that he had the answer.

I want to ask her out!

The classroom door opened and out came a blonde boy, the thing the caught Akane's attention was the red traffic-safety amulet on the boys right ear.

"See ya, sis!" He ran off the opposite hallway from Akane and Hikari ran out of the classroom looking the way Kou ran off.

"W-wait Kou!" Kou was long gone by now, making her slump her shoulders in defeat.

"He forgot his spirit staff... and here he was boasting about taking down the school mysteries..."

"Hikari-san?" Surprised, the girl yelped before covering her mouth.

"Akane-senpai?!"

"U-um... about what you were talking about..." She tensed, before clenching her fists.

"C-can we go somewhere p-p-private..."

"Sure..." Akane followed Hikari up the roof and gulped as she stood in front of him with a bowed head.

"A-A-Actually... I've been putting off this confession for a long time... but can you promise me that no matter what... you won't look at me differently..." Akane stood paralyzed, with a heavy blush and without waiting for an answer, she took a deep breath.

C-Confession...?

"I-I'm actually an exorcist! I come from a lineage of exorcists, so I'm not the only one! My older brothers are also exorcists, t-that's why you heard me talk about supernaturals and all that gibberish..." A cold wind blew past Akane as comical tears ran down his cheeks.

A-Ah, that type of confession..

Quickly composing himself, Akane put his hands on her shoulder and looked into her eyes, which were full of uncertainty.

"Don't worry, Hikari-san, if anything, it makes my view of you grow positively!" He gave her a sweet smile, that made her feet go jelly.

"C-can I h-hug you..?" Akane didn't hesitate to give approval and he felt warm arms wrap themselves around his chest, her head was rested near his heart, which now, the redhead realized, was pounding rapidly.

"T-thank you, senpai!" Akane slowly wrapped his hands around her frame, pulling her closer, if that was possible.

I'm content with this...

You mixed me up for good right from the very start

Hey now, go play Robin Hood with somebody else's heart

About a few weeks later, Akane realized that he was not content with how the relationship was progressing. He managed to get a grip on himself and managed to not gush about the girl that kept his mind busy, seeing as he was scared that he would scare Hikari off. He tried to be sensitive, but like someone flipped a switch, he couldn't contain himself. He was tired of hiding his affections from the girl that deserved it the most. Making up his mind, he decided to confess to her, and told Aoi, who cheered him up. As he walked through the halls, ignoring the gossiping whispers of another supernatural at school, he planned on confessing the next time he sees her.

You got me jumping like a crazy clown

And I don't feature what you're putting down

It was lunch, when he saw her, but not in the exact situation he preferred. In fact it was the opposite of an ideal situation. He was walking, passing by an abandoned music classroom, when he heard a low piano note resonate, the sound of the door slamming open and someone being thrown against the wall followed the sound. Akane turned, horror on his face when he saw Hikari crumpled on the ground, cuts and bruises on her skin. She shakily picked her head up, reddish eyes clashing with blue eyes.

"A-Akane-senpai, get out of here! It's supernatural!" A black, gooey hand held the doorframe, and a shadow loomed over the girl, causing her to scramble back on her feet. A goey hand was raised, ready to strike, but gloved hand kept it in place.

"A-Akane-senpai...?" Hikari took in his appearance, his outfit had changed black and white suit, a pocket watch pinned on his chest. His hair had slighty gotten longer and a low ponytail swayed behind him. With a growl, Akane clenched his hand, breaking off the supernatural's hand off, getting the black substance on his face.

"You filth! Don't ever touch Hikari-chan with your dirty hands, ever again!" With his other hand, Akane stabbed through the supernatural's main body, making it go limp before dissolving into this air.

"Akane-senpai... you're a school mystery?" Akane turned his attention to the girl and gave her a closed eye smile.

"Yeah, sorry for keeping it a secret from you... but more importantly, are you okay?" He took her face into his hands, rubbing his thumbs over her cheeks in a gentle and loving manner. His red eyes gleamed with adoration.

"We need to take you to the nurse's, don't bother resisting, it's best if your brothers find out." He took her wrist and began pulling her along, stopping when he felt her other hand tugging on his white vest.

"Thank you for saving me Akane-senpai..." Blue eyes were filled with warmth and the genuine smile dancing on her lips made Akane snap.

Well since I kissed her loving lips of wine

The thing that bothers me is that I like it fine

Hey hey, set me free

Stupid Cupid stop picking on me

With a hand under her chin, he gently pulled her chin up, closing his eyes, he leaned in and pressed his lips onto hers. Hikari tensed into the sweet kiss, before relaxing and softly pressing her lips back. A small smile sneaked its way on Akane's face through the kiss, before the two pulled away and looked at each other's eyes.

"If it's you, I wouldn't mind have to save you no matter how many times it is... "A moment of silence was shared between the two, as Hikari slid her hand into his and he wasted no time to gently grip it into a secure hold. Akane stroked her cheek once more, and pressed his forehead upon hers. He realized that for once, he felt at peace. Hikari squeezed his hand.

"After all, I love you more than anything else in this world..."

You got me jumping like a crazy clown

And I don't feature what you're putting down

Well since I kissed his loving lips of wine

The thing that bothers me is that I like it fine

Hey hey, set me free

Stupid Cupid stop picking on me

Hikari remembered when she realized she was in love with Akane. It had been a few weeks ago, she had complained about not having enough fertilizer for the soil, and the very next day, Akane showed up to the Gardening Club with a wheelbarrow full of it. It was a grand and sweet gesture, and just the memory of it let a few giggles escape from her mouth.

"Akane-kun, I love you too."

Hey hey, set me free

Stupid Cupid stop picking on me

I hope you like it and I'm sorry if any characters seem OOC! Also apologies for any editing mistakes!

[raitrolling]

some oc 12th perigees gifts:

aislin made batches of sugar cookies for everyone at the office, and a batch for campir as well. her decorating is getting better every year, but she still worries people will make fun of her wonky candycane stripes or christmas tree lights that came out blobbier than she was wanting (no one ever does)

eichio bought mugs for his boss and co-workers, and filled them up with store-bought candy canes and christmas-themed chocolates. his co-workers all got mugs with cute designs and positive sayings on them like these, while viltau got one thats a lil fancier

callan got some silly novelty kris kringle gifts for gerrel, which he put a good 0.5 seconds of thought into. of course he’s gonna love this $10 mix-your-own-martini cocktail kit and a baseball cap with reindeer antlers, they’re gifts from the coolest guy ever, callan!

amarys bought her boss a nice and expensive bottle of wine, and also insisted on cooking dinner for him if he hadn’t made any other plans for 12th perigees. hopefully damath can stomach the ‘’’fun’’’ twist she put on a classic roast lamb (read: picked whatever random herbs and spices she could find in the cupboard and also attempted a dark chocolate pepper sauce because she saw it online and it sounded interesting)

ashell fretted for literal weeks over what to buy cheran, but he eventually settled on some books (a medical textbook and two novels). and also some toys for his cat

as per their yearly tradition, velour and aiolos regifted each other some older gifts they didn’t want. aiolos got some chocolates and a pair of ugly hand-knitted socks a fan sent velour, and vel got a candle and some soaps he had already regifted to aio two sweeps ago

aiolos also gave a few vintage comics and some custom-made hoodies for poludi based off some of his favourite Nerd Things, and sent skreia some stupid horror games and two tickets for some ghost tour that’s supposed to be the most haunted location closest to her hive. also, liiore received a giant squishy ditto plush on his doorstep

mikiel remembered lyvere mentioning how he wanted to try making a certain dish, so he did his research and found a cookbook of The Most Renowned Chef who specialises in that particular dish

lusien tried to make a ceramic mug for anirus using the coil pot technique they taught him, but unfortunately it was a victim of sharing a kiln with the town’s local art class group. so he improvised and made some jars of different jams and preserves, and also bought them a nice handmade blanket from the town market

daimon wanted to buy nice and expensive personal gifts for his friends, but thanks to his bad luck the orders got lost in the post and are probably sunken to the bottom of the ocean by now. so he had to rush out before the shops closed on 12th perigees eve to buy whatever was left. hope dismas and fukkau like boxes of cheap chocolates and some christmas keyrings

viltau bought movie vouchers for his employees, as well as booking some restaurant outings and other recreational activities specifically at times they were supposed to be working because he cannot trust those idiots to actually take breaks unsupervised. he also set up an elaborate murder plot and anonymously sent out clues for kitaer to solve and he’s absolutely certain he won’t be able to crack this one for at Least two weeks. enjoy not having a 12th perigees-new sweeps break asshole :)

[odyssey-owl]

TGTB&B Rewrite Scene 7

(Note: This is a rewrite of the AIO episode "The Good, The Bad, And Butch." The original episode dialogue was written by Marshal Younger. Any added/removed/altered dialogue and actions were written by me!)

"Okay, so, Wednesday we're beating up Todd, right?" Rodney gestured to a monthly calendar nailed to a wall. Scribbled plans littered the squares and notes overflowed into the margins. Just because the Bones were a tough gang, didn't mean their scheduling had to be.

"I thought you said Thursday." Rusty leaned against the doorframe and looked up from a handheld copy of the planner.

Butch, seated on the wooden clubhouse floor, sorted through several loose leaf papers on his lap. "No, Thursday we're egging the nursing home."

Rusty pointed at the planner. "I put Todd down for Thursday. I can't make it on Wednesday."

Rodney folded his arms. "Well, why not?"

"I gotta go to the dentist."

"What time?"

"5:30." Rusty made a note with a pencil and tucked it behind his ear. "So, if we beat up Todd," he glanced between Butch and the planner, "Wednesday, we have to make it a half an hour later."

"Nah," Rodney whined, "Todd's dad gets home early on Wednesday."

"So, what about Friday?"

"The night of the banquet?"

"We could do it before." Rusty shrugged. "Banquet doesn't start until 7."

Rodney confirmed this using the wall calendar, then replied. "Nah, if we get caught, it'd spoil the whole thing." He paused, thinking. "Speaking of the banquet, Butch, where are the tickets?"

Butch hesitated.

"What, did'ya lose them?"

"No."

"Then where are they?"

"I..." Butch shuffled the papers together and stood up. "I didn't get them yet."

"Why not?"

"I just... I haven't had a chance."

"You've been with Sam every day this week. What do you mean you 'haven't had a chance'?"

"Actually, I was thinking," Butch stalled, "Maybe we should get the tickets from someone else." He thought of the trading card, still in his back pants pocket. "I don't want to take them from Sam."

"Why not?"

"He's not... fun to pick on. He's not a geek like we thought he was." Butch realized he'd been talking too much. "I'd just rather pick on someone else."

Something dawned on Rodney. "Are you becoming friends with him?"

Yes.

"No."

Rodney saw right through the cover-up. "You are!" Rodney made eye contact with Rusty across the room, and the two burst out laughing.

"Get outta here, Rodney."

Rodney leaned toward Butch and put an arm around him. "Little Butchy has a new playmate."

'Butchy' flushed crimson red and shoved him away. "Cut it out."

"Wait a minute, wait a minute," Rusty stood next to Rodney, across from Butch, and joined in. "I have a test to see whether Sam's been rubbing off on you. Answer this question: How much time have you spent in his treehouse doing any of the following," Rusty counted as he spoke, "Finger painting, making baby snowcones, or pretending to be any type of crime fighting team?"

Rusty snorted and high-fived Rodney, and the two boys cackled and fell to the ground.

"Look, you don't know what you're talking about, okay? Sam's okay!"

"Yeah?" Rodney mocked. He and Rusty sat up. "Well, if he's such a cool guy, why don't you bring him here? Maybe he'd be a good Bone."

Butch scoffed. "He doesn't wanna be a Bone."

"Why wouldn't he?" Rodney stood. "I mean, if he's such an interesting, fun-loving kid, why wouldn't he want to expand his horizons and join us? At least for a meeting."

"I'm not gonna do that."

"Why not?" Rodney paused, waiting for an answer, and receiving none, continued. "Because you're going soft. Are you a Bone, or not?"

"Yeah." Butch seemed to be convincing himself, more than anyone else.

Rodney took a step forward. "Okay, if you're a true Bone, you'll bring him here for the next meeting."

A moment passed where Butch reasoned with himself, then he replied. "I will."

[youtubetheories101]

Roman Analysis

If I am going to be doing analysis of the sides why not start with the noblest Roman of them all! Let's go plebs.

We're going to analyze and sort things into 4 different categories which. They'll probably overlap like a lot but it's fine. (ihope) So the categories are going to be

Moral Alignments/Standards

Social Standing/Interactions

Personal Issues

Use/Goals for Thomas

Ready? No? Me neither but let's dive in.

Moral Alignment/Standards

Neutral Good

I debated with this and Chaotic Good a bit, however, Neutral Good fits better.

Roman would prefer to follow the law but only if the law is just and upholds to his moral standards.(kinda funny he was a judge.) He wants to help and while he can be self righteous at times and prideful, he generally tries to treat people well and uphold a standard of purity.

He may have moments of doubt such as in SvS. He was the judge because he was the one who was in the most agreement with Deciet, however he chooses what he believes is best for Thomas in the end.

Social Standing/Interactions

This one is an interesting one for Roman. He is generally respected among the other sides, however he is somewhat antagonistic. He tends to but heads with Virgil and Logan most, because of their criticisms of his optimistic attitude, and at times his input will be ignored.

His antagonism to the other sides has improved however it seems. He's genuinely making an effort to be more understanding, lessening the nicknames and trying not to judge people because they don't agree with him.

(ex: SvS "Are you seriously so close-minded to think that everything said by someone you don't like is automatically untrue?" and DWIT "Oh, shut up, Nerdy Wolverine. No! Ugh! I mean-*sighs* I'm sorry, Logan. I didn't mean that.")

Now to analyze interactions with specific sides:

Patton & Roman: A friendly interaction, mainly positive, however Roman has belittled Patton before. They do care about each other which has been shown and will often agree on matters of Romance and Dreaming. There doesn't seem to be any antagonism between the two of them besides sometimes not taking each seriously.

Roman & Logan: Friends however, they argue plenty. They can be annoying to each other, and fight over ideas over Thomas's future and what he should do. That is also, oddly enough what they agree on the most, even creating alliances against the others when arguing over it. They are both critical of each other but will support each other in some of their pursuits. They have been trying recently to understand each other and be more kind.

Virgil & Roman: They started off really rocky. Really rockily. However over the episodes they get better, and are friends now. At the beginning they mainly fought and didn't find a common ground until The Dark Side of Disney and even then it didn't really relive the tension between the two until AA. They tentively became more aware of each other, and Roman even started including him more in videos such as the Christmas episode.

Roman & Deciet: Roman and Deciet actually seem to get along fairly well. Deciet plays to Roman's sensitivities and desires, advertising to his ego I suppose. Roman even comes to Deciet's defense, probably because he's trying to be more... trusting? Less judgemental? Not sure which exactly but he's trying. They're an odd duo but they seem friendly.

Remus & Roman: They have literally interacted twice and Remus knocked him out twice. They're definitely more of Cain Instinct siblings than anything else. And from what Roman has said on Remus, he dislikes him, due to him being like a mirror image of everything he doesn't want to be. I want to see more of them because I love sibling dynamics and I want to see if they could ever be nice to each other but I don't think we will. :(

Personal Issues

Oh this is going to be fun because Roman still hasn't had his issues resolved. We've had an episode on his issues (Am I Original?) but it didn't really address what was wrong and it's ending didn't really... fix anything. Roman was still dissatisfied. And it didn't address all of them. But I think it's coming up because at this point it's been lead up to for so long that if it doesn't I will be very surprised and riot. Help! Him! So what are these issues?

Well the one addressed in An I Original was his dissatisfaction with his own work and perfectionism because he can't let Thomas down and while it was,,, handled? Sorta, it felt like it was putting a bandaid on a bullet wound. Roman still seems to be disappointed in his work and instead of well, dealing with said issue, internalizes it.

He also seems to be disappointed in... well himself and Thomas's relationship status. He's lonely, and his view of his own worth seems to... be lacking.

Examples of said thoughts:

Am I Original?

[Roman]: No! If I can't think of an original idea, what would you think of me? I can't.... let you down.

[Roman]: It's just... I only ever pushed you toward your dreams, Thomas. And I never said a bad word about you. Why don't you want to listen to me more? This whole thing could've been avoided if you did.

Moving On Part 2/2: Dealing With Breakups

[Roman]: Possibly because it reminds you of a time when you felt... worthy of someone.

Crofter's: The Musical

[Roman]: Roman, you dunce! You made a joke and now they'll think that everything is fine.

Learning New Things About Ourselves:

[Roman]: I'm sorry that everything I make isn't the Creation of Adam...

[Roman]: Earlier. I made you angry. I do that quite a bit actually... I provoked you and you retaliated with violence. (Under breath) Like a stupid caveman.(Aloud) But! I am responsible for my actions and my actions alone...So, I'm sorry

[Virgil]: You feel low.

[Roman]: That's not true!

[Patton]: It's okay!

[Roman]: Don't assume!

[Thomas]: You don't need to save face.

[Virgil]: In almost any case,

[Patton and Virgil]: We'd embrace you.

[Roman]: That's rich...

[Roman]: -sighs- It's so hard to create anything that I'm proud of when it's critiqued, so harshly... by you.

[Logan]: What?

[Roman]: Nothing ever seems to be good enough, professional enough... Serious enough for you.

Selfishness vs Selflessness:

[Deceit]: Wow, guys, it's so cool how you never listen to Roman.

[Virgil]: Why is he still here?

[Roman]: Why am I still here?

[Deceit]: Wooow.

[Virgil]: I meant Deceit!

[Roman]: The one and lonely! What? Freudian slip.

[Roman]: It's my sworn duty to help Thomas achieve his hopes and dreams.But Thomas wouldn't dream of attaining his hopes through deceitful means.

[Deceit]: Sure, and you want that stuff that makes you happy, right?!

[Patton]: Do I!

[Roman]: Do I...

Dealing With Intrusive Thoughts

[Roman]: *sighs* Yeah. It's a little like looking into a funhouse mirror, but instead of a giant head, or, like, long legs and a tiny torso, ... it shows you... everything you don't wanna be.

His self worth is... lacking in many aspects. But I don't think it's what's going to be addressed next, I think that's going to be Virgil being an ex-darkside. So hopefully it's soon but... I'm not sure. And I'm not sure if the others are noticing this issue.

Use/Goals for Thomas

He is "Good" Creativity, Ego, Dreams, Romantic aspirations, and Passion. He also is the embodiment of his femininity and masculinity at the same time? Fuck gender roles is what I'm getting from this. Of course he is still a "Manly man, a man who is Manly!" but Thomas has said he represents femininity in a Q&A. So.... fuck gender roles. That's the answer right? Probably.

What he aspires for Thomas to do is to be able to persue his dreams and goals, as evidenced with "I only ever pushed you toward your dreams, Thomas." (AIO) and "It's my sworn duty to help Thomas achieve his hopes and dreams." (SvS) Roman typically goes after this by pursuing a new role, a new romance, or encouraging Thomas to try things to expand his career. Since Thomas is an Actor/Youtuber, Roman is able to influence a lot but seems to be willing to take the side line if Thomas doesn't feel comfortable following said dreams in the way he intended.

He's a dreamer, through and through, complete with the idealization factor. He encourages Thomas to accomplish his dreams but only if Thomas is willing to do so in the way purposed. Which makes sense seeing as he is,,, Thomas.

So that is my Analysis for this week, and until next time, it's just a theory.

A SANDERS SIDES THEORY.

Thank you for reading. Peace out!

[amerraka]

i didn’t have internet or a ship when i was 12

i did, however, have internet when i was 13 on an old clunky computer mom got for her work. i got to look at it after my school work and her work. i didn’t look for anything about any ships... but I did look for x-files fanfiction, which I was really into. i mean i loved x files. my uncle introduced me to it, that one with the vampires with buckteeth... i mean that one where mulder and scully tell dif versions of the same story. i found some random site, it had a good x files fnafic, i still remember it was about lightning. and some more. i wasn’t into shipping at all, romance was barely on my radar. i mean it was barely on it til ... i started writing aio fanfic only a few years ago. then suddenly this romantic side blossomed in me somehow, along with shipping jason and connie out of the blue. i mean, in the process of writing Fallout.

idk if i’ve ever been OK... as a kid i was. or thought i was, except for the times i had to talk to strangers and my bossy ‘friend’ would come over after school when i’d rather play imaginary horse games, and my dad always had depression and would yell at me for keeping the fridge door open too long and call himself a lump on a log...

i would listne to aio and read read read and watch PBS shows like arthur and carmen sandiego and reading rainbow and play my imaginary horse ranch game roping my sister into it, i would do school work and go to parks.

as a teen, tho... got Angst. i rmember getting a white in the fair for my 1st horse show, 3rd place, and i was so mad/sad i went and cried in the car for like an hour. i mean-- not just 3rd place but it’s the danish system where ppl who are most worthy get blues no matter how many there are... and lots got blues and reds and i was like the only one who got a white. that was a first emotional episode

actually the 1st was when i had to go to camp to teach kids bible clubs and mom wanted me to and i didnt want to and cried against it but went anyway. mom said she didn’t force me but she was the director and it was Expected .... and it was horrible. supershy kid gahh i hate thinking of that time... hate hate

ok

then at my 14th birthday we went to New York through canada wiht my grandparents and we stopped at a hotel and i wanted to watch tv. bc they had cable! but mom wanted me to go walking on the beach not stay cooped up in the hotel. but it was my birthday, why shouldn’t i get to do what i wanted? so i was verrry upset then...

and most of teenagerhood was shoving anything down and doign what mom said and going to horrid youth group where i had nothing in common with anyone, and having to talk to Strangers and that horrible time when i went to church convention for 2 weeks with my youth group and the person i had most in commmon with ws the 7 year old daughter of one of the youth leaders. who is married now and has a life unlike me.

then college was... fun. studying the things i liked. hard but i got good grades, graduated... and was adrift adn still am. writing, writing fanfic occasionally, have a lovely cat and warm family... but i’m not ok. bc i have no place in the world and its getting later and later and.... i have nothing to show for being alive.

so i immerse in imaginary games, just like i did as a kid, bc i don’t know how to do anything else. i know how to hide, not cope. I mean-- i love fiction. it’s more fun and interesting than real life, at least the life i’m capable of. i wish i could exist solely in it. unless i can possibly have the life i want... and i dont know how that’s possible even tho i’m trying but trying my best i fear will never be enough...

so i immerse in fanfic and tv shows and it doesn’t get better in the outside world and i get less and less compatible, lol, if i ever had any chance in the first place, an extremely sensitive extreme introvert, can’t even make and keep friends online, get freaked out by every mean word some random person says...

retreat into stories. when my story should be ruling my world. at the top of my game... writing my life story.... moving toward something grand. what i imagine each day for myself but seems to get farther and farther away as my sisters get closer as they are normal....  not some weird obviously homeschooled awkward socially inept person who failed her internship out of college and crashed cars 6 times before she learned how to drive decently.... um...

i could go on forever bc this story has no solution and isn’t a good one.

fiction is my only salvation, such as it is, only temporary, til i’ll have to go out into the cold world that i don’t fit in, don’t want to fit in such a harsh manipulative thing, and probably fade away as a homeless person

"are you okay" girl i am on ao3 looking for fanfiction from my comfort ship when i was 12 what do you think