#And I guess the Outcasts are pretty much dead in the water at this point

[whysamwhy123]

HOLY FUCKING SHIDA

SHE WOOOOONNNN PANDEMIC CHAMPION SHIDA GETS HER MOMENT GETS TO BE THE CHAMP IN FRONT OF ACTUAL FANS I’M SO FUCKING HAPPY SHE LITERALLY WON THE TITLE ON THE FIRST PANDEMIC PPV AND LOST IT THE SECOND FULL CROWDS WERE BACK BECAUSE THEY WANTED BRITT TO HAVE THAT MOMENT BUT NOOOW SHIDA’S THE CHAMP TWO TIME WORLD CHAMP TWO TIME DYNAMITE MAIN EVENTER I WILL NEVER SHUT UP ABOUT THIS EEEEVVEEEERRRRR

I TAKE BACK 30% OF THE BAD THINGS I’VE EVER SAID ABOUT TONY KHAN HE WILL NO LONGER PAY FOR HIS CRIMES

[dragoneyes618]

Strands into the Abyss

Shiro sat on the edge of the cliff, his legs dangling freely over the grey ocean.

No one ever came up here, because it was too dangerous. A short distance away, the steep drop began to level out, so the fall was not so dangerous. A little farther, and it was more a hill than a cliff. But this high up, a fall would almost certainly kill. Especially if it was during low tide, when there was nothing below but sharp gravel and pebbles and rocks. Even during high tide, when the tide was in, as it was now, it would be an unpleasant landing. Drowning, maybe. Or landing on the sharp rocks that were almost, but not quite, concealed beneath the water, the water not being deep enough to break a fall. Or falling in, surviving, scrambling your way out to the relative safety of shore, and dying the next week from hypothermia or pneumonia as you shivered your way into the shadows of death, your lungs full of water.

Couldn’t be any worse than your lungs full of smoke, could it?

Nothing grew up here. The land here was barren. Some scattered nearly-dead weeds and some scattered blades of dry, brown grass, that’s all there was. The rest was simply flat stone and pebbles dry, dead dirt. That was another reason no one came up here. There was nothing that could be of use here. There was simply no point.

So he sat up here, alone, in solitude, in peace.

Ha.

A murderer, he was.

The barrier shimmered in the distance. It looked almost beautiful, from here, almost pretty, sparkling in the rays of the sun outside, but Shiro knew from experience that it was as hard as glass, and even more impenetrable. Everyone on the Isle knew it. There was no point in even trying to break through it. Their parents had tried and failed in the early days of the barrier, over and over and over.

He’d been fifteen years old, half drunk on tiredness and hyperactivity and a stolen can of beer, and he’d had the brilliant idea: Why don’t I burn the barrier down?

It had seemed so smart and plausible. Of course it had.

Why hadn’t anyone thought of doing this before? He would destroy the barrier! Burn the barrier to nothing but shimmery magical ashes, and he would be free, everyone would be free, Auradon would be theirs-

It turned out that the reason no one had ever tried to burn the barrier was because setting a fire right at the very edge of the area enclosed by a magical barrier, leaving the fire nowhere to spread but inwards, was a terrible idea. Who would have guessed it? Not Shiro, it turned out. Oh, and it turned out that the barrier itself was indestructible, but the high concentration of magic right near fire turned explosive.

The force and the heat knocked Shiro backward, and he’d opened his eyes, his head throbbing, to see flames engulfing the Tremaine manor.

Sharp-tongued Lady Tremaine. Harsh Drizella Tremaine. Meek, iron-cored Anastasia Tremaine. Anthony’s sisters. Dizzy’s sisters. Diana and Debbie and Driffa and Daphne....

Every one of them, dead. All dead. In the fire he had started.

And now everyone hated Shiro. The Tremaines had been a large extended family. Almost every teenage crew or gang on the Isle had had one Tremaine girl in it. Now they were all dead, at his hand, so he was an outcast, a pariah. No one wanted anything to do with him.

It could have been worse, he supposed. Anthony Tremaine, one of the only two survivors, could have killed him.

(Would that have been worse?)

Anthony Tremaine had dragged a half-conscious Dizzy out of the fire as Dizzy’s father Hans had run in, attempting to reach his other daughters. Hans had been away from his nominal home as often as he’d been there, but when he saw the hungry flames devouring everything they could reach he’d run right in, intent on saving his daughters. And he’d died, without saving a single one of Dizzy’s sisters, for only moments after he had entered the house the beams holding up the roof had snapped, burned through, weakened so that the weight was too much for them, and the roof had fallen in.

He whispered their names to himself. “Anya Tremaine. Stacy Tremaine. Debbie Tremaine. Diana Tremaine. Daphne Tremaine....”

The grey waves below looked almost peaceful. Back, and forth, and back, and forth. He wished he felt like that.

He stared blankly downward, a turbulent mess of black guilt and misery and self-loathing strangling him from the inside.

The water could almost wash it all away, couldn’t it? And if not, there were the rocks.

A small hand slipped into his. The warmth startled him. He hadn’t realized how cold he was.

He looked over into the eyes of ten-year-old Dizzy Tremaine. She looked strange somehow, and it took him a moment to realize it was because she was the only person he’d seen in a while who wasn’t looking at him with hatred or disgust.

She looked unusually solemn. Of course she did.

Shiro withdrew his hand from hers. “Go away,” he said, his voice hoarse. “You shouldn’t be here. Go, leave.” It was too dangerous. She might fall into the water. Besides, if Anthony found out that his beloved cousin Dizzy, his sole surviving relative, had been anywhere within a hundred meters of Shiro, Shiro wouldn’t live out the day.

Dizzy shrugged and slipped her hand back into his. They sat there for a while, staring out over the grey ocean waves, both of them thinking of nothing.

The character of Shan Shiro, son of Shan Yu, was created by @hannahhook7744 

[superlinn02]

Polkadot man x fem reader (part 1)

Obs:this story doesn't contain any mentions of she or her but it is implied that you start at the female part of the prison just like ratchatcer

Info:this will probably have some spelling mistakes because English is not my first language. This story might not be great because it's my first in awhile. Thanks for understanding

You shouldn't be here, you didn't fit in here. Well at least that's what you think, the ones that put u in this God forsaken prison seemed to think otherwise. I men sure you killed a cupel of people but they were gonna kill you first they just didn't get the chance.

Either way now you were stuck in this shit hole, not that living in the streets of Gotham were much better but at least you where free there. Here you were still the outcast you were out in Gotham, no friends and people acted like you didn't exist but that was all you had ever known so you didn't mind too much.

But then the day came, Waller walked in and apparently you were now part of a team. They all looked like idiots in your opinion well at least the ones you have meet so far, peacemaker, bloodsport and king Shark you thought their names were. Cleo you already knew of, not that u had ever talked to her,and that was it you thought until Waller backtracked to the guys wing again.

The man in front of u looked sad and if the eyes truly were the window's too one's soul, his showed everything about him at least to you. The frown on your face was probably very visible when you realized that all the information you were gonna get about this man was that they call him polkadot man. How was that fair even you had gotten more of an introduction and their really wasn't much to say.

The debriefing came and went and now you were sat between cleo and Abner krill as you learnt his name was in the helicopter. It was pretty awkward and your social awkwardness didn't help at all so you let the others handel the talking.

"so what do we do when we land?" it was Cleo asking.

"we won't land, we are gonna jump into the water. Less noise." peacemaker answered fast. One could easily tell he wanted to be the leader but had to deal with not getting his way.

Abner hadn't really talked efter telling you all his name but then again neither had you. But hearing the word swimming made that change real quick.

"whoa! whoa! Hold up nobody said anything about swimming!" you quickly stated before anyone could change subject again.

"yes, you have a problem with that?" this time it was bloodsport that answered.

"no, I just don't like getting wet." you said while looking at your hands. You didn't really want anyone of these "super villians" to know you were a bad swimmer.

You didn't get to dwell on it for too long however because in the corner of your eye you saw a small movement. You shifted so you could get a closer look at what was happening only to see Abner trying his best to hide something on his neck.

You were about to ask him if he was okay but before you could get the chance it was time to get in the water. It went surprisingly well, at least thats what you thought. You probably looked like you were in fact drowning, but at least you made it. You all made it to the shoore and went on to make camp.

You were at the back of the group on the way to your camp spot and that's when you saw it. Abner neck had a bump, that wasn't the weird thing however, nope the weird thing was that it was glowing a in your opinion quite beautiful blue.

"hey, are you okay?" you wisper to him. You didn't wanna make a big deal out of it, but something in you at least wanted to make sure he was okay.

He seemed to freeze up before a quick yes escaped his lips and he continued walking without so much as looking at you.

It may have seemed rude to others but you didn't mind. He seems like a withdrawn kind of person but so were you so you completely understood. However, much to your dismay and probably Abners too the others in your little group also noticed what had happened to Abner.

"hey! What happened to your face?" peacemaker asked seeming more concerned over himself other than Abner.

"it's just a rash" it came out fast and quiet, as if Abner were scared that if he talked louder something bad would happen.

"that's a rash?!" it was peacemaker again seemingly more self concerned then before.

Not much more was said about the subject and that seemed to please Abner. You however was curious now and hade to at least try and get him to talk to you. There was something about him that was drawing you in, something that actually made you want to get to know him be his friend. Hmm a friend now that wasn't something you had a lot of.

The campsite was not much of a campsite at all but you felt it better to keep your mouth shut. But this felt like the perfect moment to get to know Abner or anyone in this squad for that matter. However when you turn to look for Abner he was gone, probably took the first opportunity that he got to get away a bit. So you decided to see what Cloe aka ratchatcer 2 was up too.

Not before long everyone except you seemed to be sleeping. You were sitting on a log staring at the scenery when a rustel startled you. Your eyes snapped to Abners sleeping bag only to see that the bumps hade been growing and started to disform his pretty face... Wait pretty? When was that something you thought about anyone? Maybe being doomed to die did something to you.

But you didn't get to dwell on it for too long because as quickly as he hade moved he had moved on to the bushes right besides your camp. You were thinking about going after him and make sure he was okay but you didn't even get the chance to stand up before a rainbow of sorts seemed to be coming frome the bush.

Without even noticing you where sneeking closer and closer to what you assumed was Abner. You got about halfway there before he came back out looking exactly like at the prison before you left,well expect he had his undershirt on instead of his costume.

"are you okay? And I don't want you to brush it off this time." in hindsight you maybe sounded a little demanding but you didn't like death so you wanted to make sure.

"yes, I comes with my powers. It won't infect you I promise." his answer shocked you. Had nobody cared about him and just asked because they were scared? That didn't sit right with you at all.

"I wasn't asking because I was afraid, I was asking because I don't want you dead." you said that and then immediately regretted it. You didn't meen to sound so concerned and scared but in truth you were, so you guessed that was the reason.

However neither you nor Abner didn't get to think on it, because one of your team mates tried to eat another one of your team mates. The shark still scared you a bit but he seemed to agree to not eat you so it was a step in the right direction. That didn't mean you weren't taking precautions, you took your sleeping bag and moved it to where Abner was sleeping.

In the morning you were surprised to wake up to brown eyes watching you. It didn't make you uncomfortable at all, it made you feel seen and in a weird kinda way you hoped he would look at you more. But he didn't seem the kind to like eye contact.

The moment however was quickly broken by bloodsport yelling to get up and get our asses on the move. Apparently we were to find someone named Rick Flag. The camp he was being held at wasn't to far away and when you got there you weren't surprised that bloodsport and peacemaker were having some kind of killing contest.

You didn't do much because of your dislike to killing people so while they were brutally making their way through camp you quietly followed after. But you got wreckless and when you though everyone was dead you went out in the open. That was your mistake because a second later you heard guns clocking and people saying stuff you couldn't understand. You really thought this was it your last time on earth your last living moment, and your eyes went to his. At the time you didn't know why but it felt right.

His eyes weren't on you tho, no they were focused on something behind you. Before you knew what was happening he moved and stretched out his arms. Out of them came what you could only discribe as polkadots, quite beautiful if you got to say so.

You could only hear the comotion behind you and then the world was quiet again. Your eyes never left him and you could only wagly hear peacemakers comment about the polkadots. You desperately wanted to thank Abner in whatever way you could. But the moment was cut short by Abner himself.

"sorry it's so flamboyant" was all he said still not really looking at anyone.

"I think it's beautiful" you heard yourself say. You wanted to smack your hand over your mouth but the words had already left so what was the point.

Everyone else didn't really seem too care and quickly went to check on flag. And when you also started to turn around and leave, you chought his eyes again but only for a moment. You could feel your cheeks getting warm at that, damn him and his pretty eyes! But that also when you heard it, so quiet but still there.

"do you really mean that?" it was Abner, still behind you but seemingly closer.

"Of course I do, I may be the bad guy but a lier I am not." you said while turning to face him again. When you saw his face again you gave him a smal smile but a genuine one, then turned around to meet this new person you had never herd of before.

[clickbait-official]

mbc

from @artwitch28's headcannons

masterlist

tw: implied/referenced abuse, depressive themes, and transphobia

---

Endeavor was a stuck up little bitch.

Not that a lot of people knew.

Oh well. He’ll get his revenge one day.

Touya sighs, setting his keys on the counter.

“Keigo! I’m home!”

The house was big- airy, if that was a word. Birdboy hated closed spaces. Touya couldn’t blame him, either; he couldn’t stand anything that looked like his “training” room.

There was a thunk upstairs as Keigo ran down to greet him.

“How was work? How was Dad?” He asks.

“Dad”, Atsuhiro Sako, was Touya’s adopted dad. They worked together under their agency, the League of Heroes. The League of Heroes were made up of heroes who were told they were villains, or considered outcasts.

“It was alright, Big sis Magne started asking people if they wanted interns.” Touya responds to his fiance.

Keigo comes up behind him, hugging him and wrapping his wings around Touya.

“Hmmm. Did you look for an intern, dove? You could get your brother~”

“I didn’t think about it, no. But there’s Toga already. Did you?”

Touya can feel Keigo smile into his shoulder.

“There’s one with a bird quirk.”

“Oh, I see.” Touya smirks.

His stomach rumbles as he does.

“Aww, does my little birdie need some food?” Keigo says, a twinkle in his eye. “I’ll go get you some.”

He grabs his hand and leads him to the kitchen.

They look through the fridge, then the freezer.

“Chinken nuggets?” Keigo asks, after a beat of silence.

“You did not just reference that, again.”

And Keigo laughs, loud and clear. Touya thinks it’s the prettiest thing he’s ever heard.

God, he’s in deep, isn’t he?

They sit together at the counter while they wait for the food to cook. They don’t talk for a bit, just enjoying each other’s company.

“Speaking of Shoto, how’s the family? Rumi’s been talking ‘bout Fuyumi a lot.” Keigo says, taking the pan out of the oven.

“Oh my goodness- remember that crusty kid I was talking to you about? He’s dating Natsuo.” Touya deadpans, and Keigo bursts into giggles.

“God, he could do so much better! And he chose the crustiest kid on this side of Japan!” He rants, Keigo staring from across the table.

“Hana’ll kill you for that.”

Touya sighs again, knowing that he was right. “Yeah, I know. I still don’t know why Natsuo chose her crusty brother, but he’s happy. And it gets him out of the house, too.”

Keigo nods. “Away from Endeavor.”

“Away from Endeavor.”

They sit for a while in silence at that. Touya knows Keigo used to idolize Endeavor, and he knows why.

God, out of all people, couldn’t Keigo have a good childhood?

At least he’s not hurting now.

The sun has fallen, and they’re laying on their bed.

The moonlight filters through the curtains. Keigo’s been asleep for a while now.

The slightest breeze drifts into the room.

If we lived in a harsher world, we’d be so much more cruel.

Oh, what a beautiful night to be alive with you.

---

Touya brings Keigo into the agency. He’d been curious about how it worked- the League was unprecedented.

Touya hoped he’d want to join too. He wouldn’t mind his soon-to-be husband patrolling with him.

Hero work is a dangerous game to play, after all.

The League of Heroes’s building is not very intimidating. It’s survived thunderstorms, 52 mental breakdowns (not by the same person), and now the prank the entire League is in on.

It’s time for the hero charts.

Showtime.

It had taken so much bribing, from the poor intern that worked for one of the higher ups, to one of the higher ups themselves.

Touya could only hope it was worth it.

Oh, it was worth it.

On live television, in front of nearly the entire world, Enji Todoroki, known as Endeavor, had gotten massively pranked.

First, it was the glitter. Then, the water balloons and the rainbow slime. After that, it was the chicken and the three fire extinguishers.

And of course, copious amounts of cheese.

And it was all filmed. It was all broadcasted to a live audience.

Oh- and everyone knew who did it.

But there was no evidence.

God, Touya loved trashing Endeavwhore (and that’s an insult to sex workers).

It was the night after when Twice suggested something Touya had never thought of before.

The night was young, fireflies just beginning to come out. They were on the balcony, drinking and catching up like family would.

“Hey,” He said, “Why don’t you sue him? Get your bro outta that place and over here.”

Twice was a genius.

Twice was a goddamn genius.

Headlines were all over the place. “Endeavor gets sued?” “Enji Todoroki- an abusive piece of shit?” “Endeavor loses custody!”

God, the journalists were having a fucking field day with this. Touya can’t blame them, though.

The day was beautiful. Birds were singing, flowers were blooming, and little kids were running around outside. Keigo was sitting next to him, listening to his music. Touya finished up some paperwork to finally, finally get his siblings out from under Endeavor.

Thankfully, there was enough evidence to prove he was at least neglectful. People could finally see just how much of an asshole he was, and how high his civilian casualty and endangerment rates are.

There was one teeny, tiny, thing.

The Commission.

The only reason Endeavor was still in the top ten is because of that fucking Commission.

God, he hated the Commission. The things they did to Keigo, the scars that still remain on his psyche.

Fuck the Commission.

It just- It made him so angry. The way Toga and Spinner were treated, how Twice wasn’t able to get help until he became a hero- God, he hated it.

And he didn’t even know how bad it was! He was sheltered from Quirkist attitudes. Well, as sheltered as you can be, living with Endeavor as a dad.

He only knew a little bit of how much they had suffered under this system. He knew there was something more to how Twice always stayed in his hero costume, or how Magne avoided that one part of town. How Toga stared at that one schoolyard for a little too long before walking away.

And he hated it. So, so much.

Fuck the Commission.

---

It’s Touya’s first free day. The hecticness of moving all of his sibling’s stuff into their house was crazy. Who knew that keeping a house was so hard? Not him, that’s who.

So, like any rational person, he goes out to catch up with a close friend.

He had met her during his time at U.A. Her name was Hana Shimura. They bonded through their shitty parents. She was the older sister of the crusty fuck, Tenko.

Why did Natsuo decide to date him? He'll never know.

Somehow or another, the conversation went from how their days went to when Tenko got his quirk.

“Yeah, he decayed the dog! Thankfully he froze up after, so I got Mom. If he didn’t freeze up, I’d be dead.”

The way she had said it- so casually...She probably was terrified at the time.

“There was a UA student that helped him, too. Oboro? I think that was his name...Anyway, Oboro really helped him! He’s kinda a father to him, if I’m being honest.” She went on, telling Touya how proud of Tenko she was.

How he had become a search and rescue hero, which he already knew, and using his quirk he had helped so many people! Because he can decay the debris trapping civilians and rescue them!

They walk down the street, still talking about their siblings and generally how life was going.

They were gonna meet up with Twice. There was a new restaurant that he noticed during his patrols.

Touya heard it was pretty good from Fuyumi and Rumi.

It looked pretty nice, too. He’d walked by it a few times.

“So how is Twice, anyway? I don’t hear much from him these days.” Hana says, pushing open the door to the restaurant.

“Guess you’ll find out, huh?”

Twice is sitting at an empty table in a corner. He was smart enough to change out of his hero costume, just like Touya and Hana.

He lifts his head as they get closer to the table.

“Hey guys! How’ve you been!” He greets them as they sit down.

“Good, good. We were talking about my brother, Tenko.” Hana says. Touya nods in agreement.

“And also how he got to be a hero, too.”

“Did I ever tell ya how I got to be a hero?” Twice asks them, barely containing a smile.

He never told them, well, not Touya.

Turns out, when he was having trouble with his Quirk, one of his doubles went and got a hero license. At the time he was barely of the streets, so he became a hero, joining up with Mr. Compress and Magne to create the League of Heroes.

Because why not? It kept him off the streets and he could help people like him.

A win-win for Twice.

Touya hated how his weird uncle was treated before he became a hero.

Because he was a person, like anyone else. Just a person.

So why was he treated so differently? Why didn’t people help him when he needed it?

God, Touya was so tired.

---

It’s late one night. Touya is alone with his adopted father.

“Dad, why’d you decide to be a hero?” He asks out of the blue.

Atsuhiro’s eyes mist over, and Touya worries for him. Touya’s told him all about the horrific shit he’s gone through, and he can’t help but wonder if he had gone through something horrible too.

Atsuhiro takes out a silver locket, and gently pries it open. He points at the picture inside.

“Look! It’s them…My perfect little family... That’s them! There’s my little girl, and the most beautiful person to ever exist. There they are…”

It’s silent for a moment, the only thing one could hear were the cicadas far away from here.

Touya opens his mouth, “What...What happened to them?”

“A hero. He didn’t care for protocol. He killed- He killed them! And no one believed me…” Atsuhiro trails off, looking down at the floor.

Touya can’t help but feel sorrow, too. He could’ve had a mom, another sister...

He really needs to stop adopting people.

He can’t imagine the pain Mr. Compress must’ve been in. To lose a lover, a child? Oh, it must hurt- so, so much. To lose what was essentially a part of you?

Oh, it hurts to even imagine.

“...They’re really pretty, Dad.”

“They...were both so beautiful in this picture. Toga reminds me of her, y’know? They are both so pretty, so grown-up, and have that same sense of humor…”

Touya’s not sure to who he’s referring to, but nods anyway.

Who’s he to question grieving old men?

“And the days fly by so fast now, I can’t help but feel as though I’m supposed to be insulted by it. But I can’t bring myself to care anymore…It hurts, Touya, it hurts. Sometimes...I can hardly bring myself out of bed...I feel like a ghost…”

It’s silent for a moment, before Touya speaks.

“Dad, I think you need to get help. This isn’t normal. And…I think they’d want you to be happy too, Dad. Don’t you deserve to be happy, too?”

“...I don’t know.”

“You don’t...know?”

“I don’t think I am. But...I want you to be happy. And Tenko, and Hana, and Twice, and Magne...But it’s so tiring, being happy. And I don’t know what to do!”

His sobs seem to echo through the building.

“Come on, Dad. Let’s get you help. You can get some rest.”

He leads Sako back to his house, Atsuhiro being half-asleep by the time they get home.

Mr. Compress takes the spare bedroom, and falls asleep as soon as he hits the pillow. Keigo notices Touya, and walks over to him.

“Heya dove~ How was your day?”

“Worrying. Dad...Dad needs some help. He’s got some shit going on...He’s so tired, Kei. We need to get him therapy or something.”

“Oh, baby…” Keigo whispers, but Touya is too tired to hear.

He falls asleep in his fiance’s arms, safe and sound.

---

The house is abuzz with activity when Touya wakes up. Keigo’s laughter echoes around the place, filling the air with a sense of home.

What a beautiful way to wake up.

Touya gets dressed and walks downstairs. Keigo’s in the kitchen, talking amicably with his sister, Fuyumi. Dad was smiling fondly at the sight, picking at his food. Natsuo was talking on the phone with someone, blushing a little.

Keigo turns towards him, and oh, he was so handsome.

“Good morning, dovely~”

Unbelievable. It was too early for puns.

“Ugh, no. Don’t ever make puns this early. Dad, you doing okay?”

Atsuhiro looks over at him, the corners of his eyes crinkling.

“I’m doing just fine, sonny boy~”

“God, it’s too early for this shit. Keigo, get me some coffee, will you?”

“Language!” Fuyumi scolds.

Eventually the coffee is made, and tables cleaned. Breakfast is done.

Keigo helps set up an appointment with Fuyumi. She’s a part time therapist, part time substitute teacher.

Touya takes a deep breath. One day, Dad will be okay. He’ll be alright.

Time for work.

It’s a beautiful, sunny day when Touya goes on patrol again. This time with Magne and the new intern, Toga.

He already knew somewhat what the girls had gone through.

“Good morning, Magne, Toga.” He greeted them.

“Good morning!” Toga says, and then they go off.

Touya’s stuck in his thoughts as they walk to a coffee house while on break. He listens in as he reaches for the door.

“Yeah, my parents threw me out cause they didn’t think I was a girl.”

“My parents threw me out, too! I had to run away, they didn’t like my quirk very much...I got lucky, and Mom became my mom! That’s how I became a hero! How did you, big sis Magne?”

“Mr. Compress saved me from one of those fucking creeps. He let me stay with him for a while, and helped me get back on my feet. I decided to be a hero then, to help people like me.”

They sit down at one of the tables, still talking about their lives. Touya takes a bite of his muffin.

Ah, life was alright, if just for a little while.

--- requests & asks are open! (request em here) ---

@kirililbb

[duhragonball]

For the Ask Game: Son Goku

Give me a character and I will answer:

Why I like them: Goku is the main character in Dragon Ball Z, an anime that I have enjoyed tremendously for over 20 years.  He kicks aliens really fast and hard, and he eats wolves and bugs and clouds, and he’s very cool and good.   

That may sound kind of basic, maybe even borderline sarcastic, but I’m not sure how else to put it.    I’ve gotten so used to liking Goku that it’s hard to articulate why.   

Like, okay, you know that one episode during the Cell Games, where he’s gonna pick apples from his favorite apple tree?   And he does the special karate punch that makes the apples all fall out of the branches without really hurting the tree?    In the dub, he says to the tree “Ready for one more round, old timer?”  Or something like that, and then after he hits it, he’s like “See?  That didn’t hurt a bit.”  I’m not getting the lines right, but you get the idea.    That’s some choice Goku right there.    He’s friends with that tree!   

Why I don’t: hE gAvE mOrO a SeNzU bEaN-- ha ha just kidding, but can you imagine not liking Goku?   Because of something he did in some horseshit fancomic that doesn’t even count?

Lately, I’ve been hearing a lot of guff from people about Goku showing mercy to his enemies.   This is humorous to me, because I’d bet you dollars to donuts that they’re fans of Vegeta and/or Piccolo, and that only happened because Goku decided to have mercy on their stank asses.    “Well I like Vegeta because he kills people.”  He only gets to do that because Goku allowed him to live.    Best Green Dad doesn’t happen without Goku, period, end of sentence, new paragraph.   

I’m not a lore expert like that guy on Twitter who only watched DBZ Abridged, but here’s some cool trivia for you: Cell could have self-destructed and destroyed the Earth at any time.    It literally does not matter that Goku gave Cell a senzu bean before Gohan fought him, because Cell would have done the same thing no matter who beat him or how.     If Gohan had wiped him out quickly, that nucleus would have survived and regenerated, and he would come back even stronger.   The senzu bean just delayed the inevitable outcome, and not even by that much, because Cell wasn’t that worn out in the first place.   The whole thing with the senzu bean was Goku playing headgames with Cell and no one seems to understand that but me.   

But what about Moro, you ask?   Hey, come here.  

Closer.    No, closer.   

Listen to me.   I love you, okay?    But the Dragon Ball Super manga isn’t canon.   Hating Goku over something he did in Super is like hating Superman for something he did in a Mad Magazine bit.      

“Blargle blargle he doesn’t kiss his wife bad father, tournament of power--” I super mega don’t care about any of these ice cold takes.      Every day I go on YouTube and it recommends me the dirt worst Star Wars commentary videos.   “Maybe the SITH were actually the GOOD GUYS and the JEDI were the BAD GUYS!  Huh?  Did I just BLOW your MIND?   Be sure to like and subscribe!”  Every dope with a keyboard seems to think they can flip the script and pretend they’re some kind of genius.    “Thanos was right!”  “Magneto was right!” “Dr. Doom was right!” “Antifa are the real fascists when you stop and think about it!”  “Masks and vaccines are bullshit, COVID-19 is a hoax, but if it were real, maybe it’s the good guy in this situation!”

I didn’t mean to go off on a rant here, but the whole point of Goku is that he’s a pretty cool guy, and the hero of his particular adventure, and you see all these people trying to outsmart that somehow, like it’s not the premise of the character.   It’s like all those fan theories about how every show is really one character having a coma dream in the hospital.    It’s fake-deep, like when Will Smith’s kid goes on the internet and says something like “Water isn’t wet when you stop and think about it.”  

I’m not saying everyone has to like Goku, but I don’t get the hate-boner people have for him.    I don’t like cole slaw, it’s soggy and insipid and I don’t understand it, but I don’t go around trying to convince people it’s not made out of cabbage.  

Anyway, Goku’s awesome. 

Favorite episode (scene if movie): It’s hard to choose, but DBZ #248 always fucks me up.   I looked it up in my liveblog archive to get the episode number right, and the first line of that post: This one always fucks me up.

Moving on.

Favorite season/movie: In Dragon Ball terms, I guess this refers to the sagas, so I’ll go with Cell Games.    Goku goes into the battle with this flawed, touch-and-go plan, and it works.    He defeats perfection with imperfection, and it’s glorious.  

Favorite line: “What I represent can never be destroyed,” is one of the most metal lines ever uttered, anywhere.   It’s a threat and a moral lesson all in one.   

Favorite outfit: Two answers for this one.  

Shu’s outfit in the Fortuneteller Baba Saga was awesome.    I used to wear yellow T-shirts to work, so when I put on my blue labcoat I would see myself in the restroom mirror and think: yeaaaaahhhhhh.

I’m also big into Goku’s look during the Cell Games, classic orange outfit, blue shirt, with the Super Saiyan form ready to go.    That may sound obvious, since this is kind of Goku’s default look, but it takes a while to get all of this together.  For me, it was a big deal to see Goku in action as a Super Saiyan in his standard fighting gear, because the whole time he was SSJ on Namek his shirt was ruined.   Against Gero and 19 he was sick, but starting with the Cell Games, we get him fresh as a daisy, and it’s worth the wait.   Harder to stealth cosplay, though.

OTP: Gochi.   Come on.    I don’t even care that much about ships, but they’re adorable on the show, and the internet backlash against Gochi only intensifies my defiance.   

Brotp: I wrote a fanfic with Goku and Yamcha just joyriding in the desert, and that seemed pretty awesome, so maybe we need more of that.   

I dunno, maybe I’m giving this to Bulma.   They don’t get a ton of screen time together after a certain point in the show, but the bond between them is this really sublime thing.    In the same fanfic, I wrote Bulma and Goku interacting, and that was just a pleasure to write.

Head Canon: I think Goku being an alien orphan matters more to him than he lets on.   Early on, he knew he had parents but he didn’t know why they left him in the woods.   Pretty much every interaction he has with the outside world is about him being different.   Then he finds out he’s a Saiyan and all the Saiyans hate him for being weak and sentimental and so on.   He can kick all their asses, but that doesn’t make him any less of an outcast.   

I think becoming a Super Saiyan is a bigger deal to him than he lets on.   That moment kind of serves as this unspoken proof that there’s more to being a “true” Saiyan than Vegeta, Nappa, and Raditz ever knew.   That maybe, if his great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great granny could see him, she might approve.

Unpopular opinion:

Yukio Ebisawa is underrated. 

A wish: I always wanted to see Goku style on Broly ‘93.   It seemed unfair to me that they kept bringing Broly back, and even teased a rematch with Goku in Movie 11, only to not deliver on it.    I wanted Goku to turn Super Saiyan 2 and Broly’d be all “oh noes!” and Goku would look at him and be all “Yeah.   What now, bitch?    That green shit won’t cut it anymore.”

An oh-god-please-dont-ever-happen: I think my darkest fear about the Dragon Ball franchise is that it’ll get bastardized like Superman, where some giant multimedia corporation owns it, has no idea how to tell new stories with it, and refuses to let it lapse into the public domain.   I have no idea how public domain works in Japan, but “Disney Toei’s Dragon Ball KH” doesn’t sit well with me.    Hopefully I’ll be dead by the time that happens.  

Like, Rise of Skywalker wasn’t that bad.   But it did lead me to worry that they really have no idea how to make Star Wars work.    They got it right enough, but the part where Rose is going to stay and guard the base or whatever, it just made me realize they’re only guessing, and they just happen to guess right often enough to succeed.   And it’s not like you can jump over to some other studio and see how they handle a Star Wars movie.

5 words to best describe them: Ain’t nothin’ to fuck with.

My nickname for them: Geeko.    Ha ha, just kidding.  

[beautifulterriblequeen]

I’m really intrigued by Rayla’s moonshadow assassin peers. I especially am interested in Andromeda because I think she is the only other girl in the group? Do you have any headcanons in how these teen/young adult assassins interacted? Do you think Rayla isolated herself from them because she was always iffy about taking a life? Also TDP finally colored their map and I know you live maps, find any new cool stuff? I especially love how there’s a frozen sea north and a spinning sea south, imagine the powerful Magic’s that channeled to make them.

Okay, so I jumped straight to the map, did 80% of it, and wandered away for a few weeks. I apologize, anon. Let’s get this going again:

I’ve got a few headcanons on the Moonshadow assassins! It seems likely that they hang out mostly with each other, when they hang out, to reinforce their teambuilding and to give them some socialization, since assassins tend to keep others at arm’s length. So I kinda figure they tend to roam as a pack on their evenings out in the village, if they’re not married to a non-assassin like Runaan is.

I think that could be part of the reason that Rayla might not have hung out with the others as much, too: Runaan wanted to be either training or at home with Ethari, so Rayla probably spent a lot of time doing those things just because he did them. And when Runaan was doing more serious training or missions, that’s when Rayla had her free time to run around the forest and make adoraburr friends. 

Runaan could’ve probably insisted that she do something more assassiny with her free time. Shadow an assassin, do more studying, practice certain prescribed skills on her own. But he didn’t. He let her play. Soft assassin is soft!

Listen, anon, I have a fun headcanon for you about Andromeda--and by fun, I mean it’s really angsty half a second after you start thinking about it. Ready? 

What if: Andromeda is Runaan’s half-sister. If they’re both Lujanne’s children by different assassin dads who kept dying in battle, but a Moon mage needs an assassin leader partner to defend Xadia with, and Lujanne knew her son Runaan wasn’t old enough to lead yet, so she burned through three or more husbands protecting him until Runaan was well trained enough to lead the assassins himself and had fallen in love with a mage who adored him and would be his partner in her place.

 Andromeda looks a fair bit like Lujanne, too:

Along with Runaan, they all have long hair, side tails bound in silver cuffs, and some form of braids. Andromeda’s hair is sectioned in front similarly to Runaan’s. Her accent sounds more British than Scottish, though she only has the one line: My eyes for truth. And Lujanne and Andromeda are the only two Moonshadow elves we’ve met who have medium blue horns, while Runaan’s are dark blue. Almost everyone else’s horns have purple or pink as their base color.

But then, see, Andromeda went on Runaan’s mission, and she died. Her spirit was the most aggressive in TTM, usually closest to Rayla with her sword out, as if she hated Rayla the most. If she had a vested family interest in Runaan’s mission succeeding, and then it went pear-shaped because of Rayla, that would make sense.

No matter if she’s related to Runaan or not, she’s wearing horn cuffs, so she was in a dedicated relationship of some kind, and that’s so sad. Someone’s missing her the way Ethari’s missing Runaan. :’((((

Anyway, it’s just a headcanon, but since you asked, there ya go.

Okay, on to my thoughts on the map, of which I have a normal and healthy amount:

The Map Border: 

Everyone doodles in the borders. I love to see what they put there.

Starting in the upper left and going counter-clockwise, the five human crowns are cool

Cornucopia swirls center left look like an homage to Cabbage Man from ATLA

Bait is staring at Evenere. his home? Or maybe he just wants to eat the dragonfly on its logo

Human defender has a beard. Hairagorn. He's very heavily armored but has no helmet. Long hair is braided to rest on front of shoulder, like the blond elf in the painting at the Moon Nexus. Old timey hairstyle?

He’s defending Katolis Castle specifically. I wonder if the little white building is kinda random or if it’s supposed to represent the Banther Lodge. Nah, I have a better guess: that’s where Viren grew up

The crack in the map looks meta. It's been repaired somewhat. Makes me wonder if it's an in-world map, whose, who ripped it, and who fixed it. Sir Phineas Kurst seems like the kind of guy to almost shred his really cool map

The star behind Zym's egg has seven points

The two ships on the southern waters are western and eastern respectively. Tidebound elves from Singapore? Jack Sparrow would be proud

There is land just south of the Dragontail, wonder what’s there?

The leaves around the human figure are small and numerous while the Moonshadow elf has fewer but bigger leaves

The elf is standing in the way of one of the six leaves growing out of the rune rose and that leaf's curly tip seems to have been replaced with a curl of the elf's very long hair

The human pose is more offense and the elf pose is more defense. But the elf has two swords, and one has some wicked hooks in it.

Elf has 4 fingers instead of 3 so whether it’s in-universe or meta, they were drawn by a human :DDD

The elf's braid winds around their horn and I think that's clever

High collar shirt under protective layer, bracers and elbow gloves, bare biceps, complex shoulder getup, ornate hair that's butt long and partly braided, two long slightly curving swords... horn cuffs too. This is a Moonshadow assassin in the same gear Runaan's got, poised to defend the Xadian half of the map as the human is poised to defend his side

The rune rose isn't a compass. It has a two sided pointer and six primal runes. Just decorative I guess. ;)

More lettuces on right center.

Maybe a portaling caterpillar on the center knot? Little bug pal, I see you

“The Five Human Kingdoms” lettered in red, “Xadia” in blue. Giving me Stratego flashbacks. Even the flowers on their banners are color coded

Banners in the corners are similar but Xadia has more fluttery tips

Thunder drawn all attacky top center, does he have anything to do with the Frozen Sea being frozen?

Compass rose under Thunder’s wing

Dick island near the compass. Well, Duren is the breadbasket of the human lands. A most excellent cartography joke! 10/10 would chortle wholesomely again

The Human Kingdoms:

Neolandia

Capital Eboreus seems to be a lake city below a mountain and I'm here for all the Lake Town refs. 

It's also the eye of the elephant shape

Not a lot of trees, mostly grasses or desert. Only borders Duren across a couple rivers/estuaries/sea channels

Heart shaped island next to elephant trunk

Land generally broken into several sections by sea/rivers 

If it’s rivers, they seem to generate from the capital’s lake and flow in several directions. And they say there’s no magic left in the western lands! ;)

But if there was exactly one source of freshwater in a desert land, it makes sense that you’d find a way, magical or mechanical, to spread that lifegiving water in as many directions as possible so your people can thrive so kudos to Neolandia’s ancestors/Tidebound elves/whoever managed that, it’s brilliant

I can and will make up explanations for anything on a map. I adore worldbuilding

Del Bar

Two named locations. Since Del Bar’s national symbol is a serpent, I guess Serpentongue is the capital.

Hinterpeak is a sweet name. Looks like Helm's Deep with that retaining wall. What’s it for? Are there dwarves in this land? Is it an Earthblood stronghold? Maybe it’s like the Mines of Moria, and the Earthbloods were chased out and/or killed inside and now it’s full of nasty orcses but someone left a MacGuffin down there so *nudges hero* Off you pop.

Nice forests around the southern mountain range but northern DB is more arid or grassy lands like Neolandia. 

Considering that crops grow well in Duren, which is farther north, I assume there is a massive meteorological gyre over the human lands, with a southern wind blowing down over the western realms and keeping them icy until the mountains of Hinterpeak block and divert them, protecting Evenere. The winds don't blow eastward without warming right up-- and causing thunderstorms in Katolis how about that-- because there is a warmer side to the gyre over Katolis and Duren, blowing tropical warmth and moisture north and providing rain for trees and crops alike. Most years, anyway.

How does the weather fail in Duren for seven years in a row, anyway? That seems like a Thunder issue. Unless it’s a Sunforge issue, which I’ll get to below.

Ahem.

Borders Neolandia, Duren, and Katolis across rivers, but most border is coastline.

Serpentongue probably got its name from the two river heads around it

Cluster of dead little cracks spawns a single river. Looks like someone cracked the tub and it drained away. I wonder how much of this landscape has been affected by the Mage Wars. Big watery basins have flooded and other spots seem dead. The lands may or may not actually touch depending on how deep some of these waterways are

Evenere

Looks like someone punched holes in the land with a giant pencil to make it a separate island. Broken outline with scattered islands

That Pawprint Isles has only four toes

Moon-shaped island is very crescenty indeed

Are these isles home to refugees or outcasts from Xadia? Listen, I want pirates and that sea looks pretty Caribbean to me

No capital city, hmmm what's that about? Is it underground, does it move? Maybe Fareeda’s capital is on the back of a world turtle and she’s constantly on tour around the island?

That arm of land ending in a peace sign, please can we get surfers

The hills emanating from that claw shaped headland look like something is sleeping under the island, hello yes I am here for giant immortal creatures please

Katolis

its capital is also called Katolis, the only human realm to use the same name twice

Weeping Bay could be a ref to the tears the humans shed after they reached the west. Or the Moonshadow elves as they left their forest for the east. Or both. Both, in this case, is bad but balanced

Boomerang island next to the Dragontail

The river the Dragaang rode on was going uphill

The watery slash in the land between Katolis and Del Bar is awfully straight. So is the one between Del Bar and Neolandia. I call magical warfare.

Katolis has a bunch of mountains in the east, part of an old natural border before the lava one appeared

Mt Kalik is probably volcanic. It's a standalone mountain and it's really tall. Rex Ignius maybe? Oh, probably not, I think I see him peeking on the other side of the map

The trees of Duren and Katolis are different then the western lands. Softer green, deciduous. And the land itself is yellower, warmer in tone

Forests centered on Mt Kalik

The Moon Nexus looks like an eye on a dragon head near the Dragontail, and Evenere looks like a severed wing (Yes I am still wondering where Luna Tenebris went, why do you ask)

Weeping Bay looks like the most natural body of water in the western lands

Three red little trees scattered around the Katolis map. Fruit trees? How very Moonshadow.

Duren

The only land border among all the human kingdoms is between Duren and Katolis. Maybe it used to be further south along the river?

Capital is Berylgarten, set on a lake. Beryl is a stone that’s usually green, blue, or yellow in color, very gardeny

Second smallest realm but the breadbasket of the human lands. Has several little forests and great tilled fields

Being a farmer in Duren is probably as awesome as being an assassin in the Moonshadow Forest; you do what you do for all your friendly kingdoms

Northernmost land is cold and craggy, named Skall's Hook along the sea

Third ship in the Frozen Sea is icebound and crushed. Looks western, indicating no possible passage

Lots of colored trees and shrubs as if fruitbearing, I keep comparing Duren to the Yakima Valley in Washington State

Where the lava reaches the Frozen Sea, it melts the ice next to Duren's mountains

Northern Xadia:

Lux Aurea

Most of the center lands of this map has warm tones for its ground. Maybe that’s because of the long reach of the warmth and light of Lux Aurea’s Sun Nexus, and only the lands that are just too far from it are truly cold and icy. It would explain why Duren is a breadbasket realm so far north--it’s just across the border from Lux Aurea.

If there’s anything to that, then I suddenly worry for the fate of all the human lands now that the Sunforge has gone dark. It’s early summer now in Xadia, and crops in Duren will be ripening soon... Unless the sun’s magic was helping them grow. This coming winter could be rough. Next winter, people will die. Unless they can purify the Sunforge again.

Also, I have to wonder if Duren’s seven years of famine had anything to do with Sunforge shenanigans. They’d have happened at Khessa’s command, and we know she despises humans. If she was responsible for all the struggles that humans had to go through without enough food for seven years, and then their desperate attempt to fix the problem by invading Xadia for a Magma Titan’s heart which extended and exacerbated the war, I can see why Aaravos might feel Queen Khessa deserved to die

The city’s shaped kinda like an Egyptian pectoral necklace on this map, and that’s super pretty and not at all ominous

Also that’s a lot of gold for a whole city and I wonder how they got it all

The Shiverglades and the Shards

These areas are north of Lux Aurea and seem cold but not very icy, even though the Frozen Sea is right there. More thoughtful glances at the Sunforge over this one. Is it warming the land, or not warming the sea? Both?

Shiverglades is a play on Everglades, so this is a cold swamp, which sounds super fun I’m sure. Permafrost, tundra maybe?

The Shards seem to be rock islands with ice mountains. Glaciers are cool. 

I wonder if something broke those islands off on purpose. Have I mentioned how much I enjoy worldbuilding? Yeah, well, I like world-wrecking, too.

Storm Spire

Has a good view on everything that happens for miles, including Lux Aurea, the Midnight Desert, the Shiverglades, the Black Tundra, the Uncharted Forest, and Drakewood. 

Defensible position, no other tall mountains nearby

Also able to alert others to danger, especially since Avizandum could teleport like lightning

The Midnight Desert

It’s pretty big! And it looks like it’s littered with ruins of columns and dead palm trees. Like something else used to be in that great space and then something Very Bad happened to it. Maybe there was one great city where all the elves could mix together, and then it got utterly obliterated and the elves all fled to their respective safe places around Xadia. A city of black stone, back when Aaravos wore a crown? Now pulverized to dust and surrounded by not one, not two, but three primal nexuses? Hmmm...

All the wisps could be heat from the sand, or spooky spirit hints, or just an ominous sign of danger from the snakes below, but the overall effect is that the land is unhealthy if not cursed

The oasis is marked, and it must contain a spring since it runs a river out to join the river that passes through the Moonshadow Forest

Also the actual oasis kinda resembles a blue lizard which is adorable and probably also terrifying

Moonshadow Forest

The Silvergrove is the only village marked in the forest, so in keeping with the other lands and general map legend rules, it’s likely the capital/central village for the Moonshadow elves

The village is marked by four round-roofed homes between two tall leafy trees that shelter and hide them. It’s a hybrid balance between the blocky manmade castles of the human lands and the actual forest around them, showing a blending with nature that even the Sunfire city of Lux Aurea did not embrace, with all its golden buildings

It’s a good-sized forest, and it kinda stretches thin to the east but there it tentatively connects to the Drakewood Forest

Moonstone Path to the west just chilling in the lava like a blank alignment chart. Moonstone Path is Chaotic Hot.

Southern Xadia:

Ruins of Elarion

Elarion is a city, and it’s been lost to the humans for a thousand years

The building outlines are squared-off towers like the more modern castles in the west, suggesting that humans in Xadia built for strength and defense as soon as they could. They felt vulnerable and created protections in their architecture. The three elven cities we see also play to their strengths, but those strengths include magic. Elarion’s humans had to find a different strength, and they went with craftsmanship and ingenuity

It seems to be the only human city from before the border was drawn

“Ruins” doesn’t necessarily mean no one lives there at all, but it’s been emptied of humans and no one else has maintained it since

It had a great position on a vast lake, with sheltering hills and easy sea access

Sea of the Castout

This inland sea has five inlets and outlets. It’s hard to be sure which is which with some of them, with the way the water is drawn on this map. But I’m kinda liking the idea that all the water swirlies are places where Tidebound magic has been placed over the millennia, so the water can do whatever it needs to do depending on circumstances. That goes for the human lands, too. Katolis backward river, you’re off the hook.

With a name like "Castout,” I wonder if it was some kind of universal toilet to flush away things you didn’t want--including humans--who might wash up near Elarion and start to build there. Yeesh.

The rivers that flow into this sea pass through or near the Moonshadow Forest, the Midnight Desert, the Storm Spire, Drakewood, and the Uncharted Forest. That’s a lot of drainage.

It’s pretty far from the Tidebound Archipelago, so maybe its name is referencing Tidebound elves who have left their home colony

Was this always a sea, or did something that Xadia wanted to forget get flooded and hidden in the depths?

The land around it seems open and hospitable. It could be a good place to build/rebuild in a time of peace.

The Far Reaches

Open grassland with low hills

Two of the hills look like giant boot prints

Several colorful trees which I hope are fruit trees

Bounded by two rivers from the Sea of the Castout

Looks homey tbh, great spot to retire to get away from everything if there were a war that really shook you up

Ocean Point

There’s a Star rune here, and it could mean many things

The closest other marked location is Elarion

If this was where Aaravos lived of his own free will, I can see why he’d take a shine to the humans. They were his neighbors.

If he is imprisoned here, it’s literally the furthest point in Xadia from the other elven realms, with the Moonshadow Forest being the closest one and Umber Tor not too much further but in a totally different direction. If they were trying to isolate him physically with a portable mirror to watch over him, that’s a good spot for it

Possible location that the cube is leading Callum toward? Portal to the Star Touch home plane? Aaravos’s seaside B&B? Trap street?

Eastern Xadia:

Drakewood

Umber Tor looks to be the tallest mountain in all of Xadia, save possibly for the Storm Spire. It’s more traditionally mountainy, with a nice snowcap. Since it’s labeled, I’m guessing it’s the Earth Nexus, under which an Earth Archdragon sleeps

Also there’s a giant yellowish-brown dragon chilling next to the Tor. Yeah, he seems nice. Rex Igneous, I presume?

Or maybe not, since the neighboring forest is called Drakewood. Maybe this woods is just where a bunch of Earth dragons hang out? Ezran and Pyrrah flew off and returned with a crew of Sun dragons from somewhere, so dragons must have communities too

The mountains that edge the sea are shaped roughly like a stone dragon in flight

Drakewood seems to be the forest closest to Umber Tor, with both deciduous and evergreen trees, though there’s a huge swath of wooded land here, to the north and to the southwest. I wonder what the locals consider the border where the Drakewood becomes the Uncharted Forest and why. The way the evergreens are drawn almost looks like a border, a sort of kingswood set aside for a specific use. Rex Igneous’s best toothpicks?

Uncharted Forest

Okay this is a properly magical name, very mysterious. But uncharted by whom? People with charts? This might be a Sir Phineas Kurst name, which is outsidery, and it makes me wonder if the locals/neighbors have their own name for it, which the human explorer never learned, a la “Thunder” for Avizandum

Maybe “Uncharted Forest” just means no one ever turned those trees into charts though, old growth ftw

If no one lives here, will someone move here? If someone lives here, who are they? Earthblood elves? Moonshadow elves? Humans? This mystery, it calls to me

the trees are mostly deciduous and fill basically all of this whole section of land, up against the mountains and the rivers, so it seems very fertile land indeed

Earthblood elves could live here, but there is no city marked. Maybe because we haven’t gotten that far in the show, or maybe that’s the wrong sort of descriptor for how the Earthbloods live and organize. Maybe the whole forest is their city, like Pando, the interconnected quaking aspen clone forest

The northernmost part of this forest lies right between the Storm Spire and the Tidebound Archipelago, so it might get a regular flyover route for migration or messages

Yes, this forest is the most interesting place in Xadia to me, I desperately want to learn more about it

Black Tundra

Yeah this place isn’t ominous

Similar to the Shiverglades, but where that has shrubbery, the Black Tundra has single dead trees and creepy curving spikes. Scorched? Poisoned? De-magicked?

The water north of this area isn’t frozen, and with a lake to the south and a river and a moderate mountain range, the whole area looks like it would otherwise be decently habitable, but instead it’s cold and black

Is climate change a thing here, or will we get a nice horrible disaster instead?

Tidebound Archipelago

These islands have dotted lines around them, like they’re submerged at high tide, or maybe made of shifting sand that literally moves around like sand dunes across a desert, or perhaps they’re exactly at sea level with half their civilization in the air and half underwater or in cool bubbles, or maybe the islands actually float

Maybe the Tidebound elves even sank them on purpose for defensive purposes

The archipelago is about even latitudinally with the Storm Spire Lux Aurea, Berylgarten, and Eboreus so they probably get pretty nice weather

There’s no ice in sight here in any direction along Xadia’s east coast, so presumably the prevailing current is a warm one

do they have bridges connecting the islands? Ferries, animals who give them a lift across?

the islands have quite a bit of space on them. I wonder if there’s a big population, maybe a shifting population? Do Tidebound elves migrate up and down the coast like gray whales and return to the islands for certain holidays or social events?

This is probably the hub of the Tidebound elves’ culture, but the sea surrounds the whole land and infiltrates it with many rivers and lakes. The Spinning Sea and the Frozen Sea are pretty firm Do Not Enter signposts, but a determined Tidebound could get around either one if they wanted to

What I’m not seeing here is a city. Either it’s not been marked yet, or that’s not a thing that Tidebound elves have in their culture. If they don’t have a city, they’re possibly migratory in family groups, or maybe they stick to small villages like the Moonshadows do, but with even less central leadership

[gravecinema]

Why Heathers is the Best High School Movie of the 80's - 06/03/2020

The 1980’s brought forth many a high school movie. The most famous movies were the John Hughes movies such as Pretty in Pink, The Breakfast Club, and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. These are all great movies in their own right, but it was a movie by director Michael Lehmann and writer Daniel Waters in 1989 that would prove to be the defining high school movie of that decade. That movie was Heathers.

Heathers is anchored by a career performance from Winona Ryder. Winona Ryder has said she was motivated to make this movie because of her strong feelings about girl cliques, the pervasive bullying that goes on in high schools and the "hellishness" of the high school experience. With a character name of Veronica, she is the black sheep in the group of four popular girls at school, with the other three girls are all named Heather, which is where the title of the film comes from. Unlike the more teen-friendly John Hughes movies, Heathers is an R-rated dark comedy covering the themes of body image, depressive isolation, date rape, murder, suicide, and toxic relationships. Veronica is just trying to be like one of the other Heathers at the start of the movie, even though she hates the peer pressure of doing things she’s morally against. All that is about to change though, when she starts a relationship with the new bad-boy student at school named JD, played by a young Christian Slater.

Christian Slater has a star-making performance in the movie, and his character of JD is the main driver of the plot. JD uses his influence on Veronica after hooking up with her to push her towards killing everyone whom he considers to be a bad element in the school, while having the idea of making them all look like suicides. Even though when they kill the first Heather it can be considered somewhat of an unintended accident, JD starts to like the idea of killing everyone that he feels deserves it. JD is an immensely tragic character, which is part of what makes him such a great antagonist. After witnessing the suicide of his mother when he was a kid, JD carries that trauma along with being an outcast wherever the next place his dad moves him to. He is also the only character in the movie to successfully commit suicide at the climax of the film. He’s a character that especially has a much deeper meaning today after school and mass shooting events such as Columbine in 1999.

One great strength of Heathers that always stands out to me is the memorable lines from the fantastic script by Daniel Waters. It contains great quotable lines such as “Fuck me gently with a chainsaw,” “Dear Diary, my teen-angst bullshit now has a body count,” and “Whether to kill yourself or not is one of the most important decisions a teenager can make.” The best and most memorable line of all though has to be when the father of one two football players who they believe were killed in an apparent gay suicide pact is giving a eulogy. “My son’s a homosexual, and I love him. I love my dead gay son.” You’ll be quoting Heathers for a while with friends long after you’ve seen it.

Heathers also has a memorable and distinct soundtrack with a score by David Newman. An opening and closing song of “Que Sera, Sera” also provides a nice theme for the movie. It bookends the start and ending of the film and gives the story a nice whimsical feel to it. The only other featured song used in the film provides the main message of the whole movie. The name of the song: “Teenage Suicide (Don’t Do It).” Fairly on the nose if you ask me.

One thing that always stands out to me when I watch this movie is the wonderful display of 80’s fashion. The blazers, designs, and hairstyles could only have come from the 80’s. The character of JD is the only one who looks the most timeless out of the bunch, since a dark trench coat never goes out of style. The most interesting costume choice though is whatever the hell the spirit of Heather Chandler was wearing in a dream sequence. I guess that’s the beauty of dream sequences. You can do weird stuff in them.

The best thing about the costume design in Heathers aside from its 80’s-ness has to be the use of colors. The five major characters each have a prominent color and by extension a certain emotion attached to them. Veronica is dressed in pure blue, the alpha Heather Chandler is dressed in power red, Heather McNamara in innocent yellow, Heather Duke in secondary green, and JD in evil black. One thing I love about this is that it shows character transitions at certain points in the film. After Heather Chandler is killed and taken out of the top of the high school hierarchy, Heather Duke stops wearing green and adopts the color of red in her wardrobe to signify her stepping into the role of the new Queen of the colony. The red hairband that she takes after Heather Chandler’s demise also represents a sort of crown for this role. This symbolism is further cemented when at the end of the film Veronica takes the hairband off Heather Duke and puts it on herself proclaiming that there’s a new sheriff in town.

The real staying-power of Heathers rests in the major themes that it tackles. Even though the script plays the movie up as more of a satire with how the high school faculty is represented in their reactions to the suicides, the major commentary on teenage suicide and toxic relationships carry heavy weight. It shows how peer pressure can carry a heavy influence on the major social groups in school, and how being an outcast from that group can cause major depression and lead to suicidal thoughts. The scene where Veronica stops Heather McNamara from committing suicide in the bathroom is the main showcase of this. It tackles the questions of why a teenager would feel that they have no choice but to commit suicide, and also why doing so would be stupid. We also see the outcasted Martha attempt to commit suicide, only to later reveal that she was unsuccessful in her attempt, which prompts Heather Duke to mock her even more for being a failure at that.

The relationship that starts between Veronica and JD is a textbook example of how one partner can have a toxic effect on the other, leading them both down a path of self-destruction. They practically beat you on the head with it as JD literally self-destructs at the end of the film. Veronica is ultimately saved by her rejection of JD and his codependent bullshit. She sees the futility of the path JD is taking and is doing her best to get away from it. JD lost the love of his mother when was young and shows his disconnect with his dad. He then shows a need for the love of Veronica and her acceptance of him with his views and choices. When she stops giving him both, that’s the trigger that leads him down his final path of self-destruction. It was only through the direct actions of Veronica that he is prevented from taking the rest of the school and the people that he hates with him.

There were originally several alternate endings for the film than the one they ultimately decided on. The original ending from scriptwriter David Waters had JD being successful in blowing up the entire school, and then ending the movie with everyone getting together in a sort of prom in heaven where everyone got along and accepted one another just as JD proclaimed while trying to blow up the school. When that was rejected for being too dark since they all died, the writer then had Martha stab Veronica when she was trying to make peace with her at the end, claiming that she is a Heather while Veronica is denying it. In the end, we ultimately got the ending that was used in the film when Martha accepted the peace offering, and the movie ends on a more upbeat and hopeful note.

The more upbeat ending was a good choice, since the cult following that would grow with the movie over time would eventually lead a successful stage musical adaptation in 2014. The musical is great at expanding on the themes from the movie, using the power of musical numbers to help highlight them. The great and iconic line of “I love my dead gay son” even gets its very own song. I recommend listening to the West End version of the show, since that version replaces one song with a better one and adds two of the best songs in the whole show. Musicals always have songs containing certain emotional themes and the “Fuck you” song is always my favorite song in any musical, and “I Say No” is the best “Fuck you” song from a musical that I’ve heard in a long while.

Heathers will always be a great movie and one of my favorites to rewatch. The themes contained within will continue to resonate with high schoolers today. While there are other high school movies made during the 80’s that teens can also identify with, none of them quite have the biting satire and dark themes that Heathers provides. For me, Heathers will always be the best high school movie of the 80’s.  

[argonas]

The Tipping Point

[[ Co-written with @kidcatgemini​ / @raetos​ ]]

Argonas couldn't sleep. It had been a few days since he had. Anger, guilt, and frustration all tormented him as of late. He felt stuck; unable to make headway on anything, be it finding closure following the loss of his wife, or serving justice to that arrogant defiler, Avehi. He had too few people he could talk to about it. Few people he trusted. 

Sylaess was still nowhere to be found. He worried she had died. Again. Or… worse. Had the Old Gods consumed her soul? Had her final succumbing proved to be the end of his old friend? He couldn't say. He couldn't seek her counsel or even rely upon it if she were there to offer it. Her mind was lost… if not her, entirely.

Sinafay… wasn't an option. Not anymore. He felt a sickening tickle in his throat whenever he thought of that pale and shallow reflection of his beloved wife. And her orc partner. Disgusting! As much as he wished to have someone to talk to about all this… he had written her off. 

Khanaros, his mentor, still couldn't see reason. Mierne had her hooks deep, it seemed, and the High Vindicator was beyond help. Argonas tried to speak with him again a day earlier… but nothing changed. He told Argonas that Avehi's outlandish claims - that death was "broken" - were verified by the Auchenai. For all the reverence he felt for the Order… he didn't trust them one bit. Not after what had become of Exarch Maladaar. And Khanaros? He had lost his mind just as much, so ready to believe such foolishness.

And Mierne herself? She sought to manipulate Argonas, too! How long would it have been before she enthralled him, as she had Khanaros? He thought he could trust her. Confide in her. Their time together was a boon, following his loss on Argus. But no… she had shown her hand, even if no one else saw it. He did; he knew the games she sought to play to protect her precious friend.

That only left Raetos; a somewhat naive Lightforged, but pure and uncorrupted. Argonas felt he could rely on him, and seek his counsel on some of what it was he struggled with. But he was worried; it had been a while since the Scout reported in. Troubling thoughts that Avehi may have found and killed him started to set in. Had he sent the Scout to his death? He prayed such wasn't the case… but considered venturing out to find him and make sure.

For now, however, Argonas tried to relax. He soaked in the soothing springs in the Crystal Halls, hoping to be rid of the soreness in his muscles and the fatigue in his mind.

Raetos had arrived at the Exodar rather late. Chasing Avehi across the continents was a bigger undertaking than he’d expected. Even more so that everytime he managed to catch up with her, she’d ride him until he had nothing left to give, leaving him exhausted. He yawned as he made his way through the crystal halls, not really paying much attention to where he was going.

"--Raetos?"

It was a surprise to Argonas, seeing him here. More so, having just passed through idle thoughts about the Lightforged. Coincidence, surely. But a fortunate one at that. He sat up and waved Raetos over to the edge of the relaxing pool.

"Come, friend! Let us speak!" the Vindicator beckoned him, wearing the gentle outline of a smile on his lips… for the first time in ages.

Raetos froze. He had assumed arriving at the Exodar so late would mean avoiding Argonas altogether. But apparently, the Vindicator didn’t sleep!

“A-Argonas!” He exclaimed, finally turning to face the larger Draenei, “Hey! Yeah, so… did not expect to bump into you at this time!”

He walked over to the pool, but didn’t really make any moves to undress and get in himself.

“I’m actually super tired right now. Was a long trip home from Kalimdor. That Death Knight you have me tracking sure loves to travel!”

“--Ah, fortunate of you to find your way here, then.” Argonas stood, continuing to beckon Raetos further into the pool. “These pools will alleviate your fatigue. Come, join me. Tell me what that vile creature has been doing in Kalimdor!”

The scout tried desperately to think of an excuse to NOT stay and talk, but his tired brain came up empty. Besides, Argonas seemed rather insistent.

“I… guess I can stay and chat a bit,” he finally gave in, before going about undressing, “She actually hasn’t been doing much other than her usual stuff. Unfortunately no illegal activity to report other than the obvious raising fallen soldiers of various races. She got in a scuffle in the Barrens with some Orcs. She and a Tauren dude fought them off. Weird that he helped her. I’m thinking he’s some kind of outcast."

He finished undressing and slipped into the pool with a sigh. Argonas was right! The soothing waters felt great!

“There was a strange encounter in Arathi. She met up with some Lightforged Draenei chick on a farm. Looked like she was living there with an Orc. Oh man! I think they were a couple because they had the ugliest baby I’ve ever seen! Like... holy shit!”

The Vindicator relaxed back down into the pools. The more he listened, the more he frowned; his brief smile had vanished entirely. It didn't bode well-- Avehi was gathering allies for her despicable cause. He knew of no Tauren contact she might have, but presumed him to be another Ebon Knight. At least they battled a few orcs. Argonas couldn't be too mad about that. But the second part… he bristled immediately at the mention.

"Sinafay… and her Orc mate, Grakkar." he grunted, more spitting the words out in disgust than speaking them. "So they have hidden out in Arathi. Bold of them."

It was that moment that an idea struck the Vindicator. A plan to work around Khanaros' directive and still stop - or at least slow - Avehi's progress towards her abhorrent objectives. She couldn't do this alone, as the business with Mierne and her chokehold on the High Vindicator had proven. If he wasn't able to confront her directly..  he could at least eliminate those who harbored and aided her. And Sinafay and Grakkar were first on that list.

"Where in Arathi, Raetos?"

“They live on a farm way out in the north, near the mountains. It’s way out in the middle of nowhere. Wouldn’t have ever suspected it was there if I hadn’t followed Avehi there.”

He rambled on a moment, before turning his head to look at Argonas.

“Why? What did they do? Are they criminals? If so, I know this super cool Dark Iron Lady that’s all about Bounty Hunting!”

"--Bounty hunter? No, we have no need of their sort. We will handle this ourselves, yes?"

Argonas grunted, almost offended by the notion! He was far superior than any sellsword. And with the Light flowing through him, he had what no bounty hunter or mercenary ever could; divine purpose. He shook his head.

"Sinafay is a traitor to the Draenei. One who chose loyalty to the Orcs over loyalty to her own kin. They are not wanted; rather unwanted. Exiles." he explained, idly running his hands through the waters. "But if Avehi is meeting with them, they must know of her foul machinations. It can be presumed they are helping her, just as Mierne helped her by manipulating the High Vindicator. If we cannot strike out at Avehi directly… we can at least cripple her support network."

He nodded slowly, considering how best to go about it. Fighting and killing his former apprentice resonated as a sound enough idea to him, considering her treachery. But more than that, he wondered if it would perhaps bring him peace. It felt cruel, that his beloved wife was lost, and yet the tainted reflection of her endured. His mind turned to Kairei, his first real love; slaying the Sargerei variant of her after she passed helped him find closure back then. It stood to reason it would now, too. Such was a Vindicator's charge; to dispense justice.

"... I will handle them." he nodded. "You must continue your task, and follow Avehi. When next she meets another supporter of hers - that Tauren, or anyone else - dispatch them once they part from her. Burn the bridges in her wake, yes?"

Raetos couldn’t help but frown, a hand moving out of the water to rub at the scar Avehi had left on him in their first encounter together. 

“I mean… the war is over. We can’t exactly go around executing people at random like that. Not without proof of wrongdoings to back it up. What if they’re just friends of hers? Innocent in this whole raising the dead thing? And I thought we were going to wait until the High Vindicator looked into things first.” He shook his head, “No offence, Argonas. But you’re starting to talk about some extreme stuff here.”

“--You speak of extremities? Avehi is out there raising the dead! What is more extreme than that?!” Argonas snapped, scowling. “None who consider that villain a friend are innocent! If they aid her in any way, they are just as guilty of her defilements as she is! And it is our job to see justice met for such crimes!”

The Vindicator snarled at Raetos. He couldn’t believe he had to explain the Light’s justice to a Lightforged! This was not extreme, it was necessary! Why was Raetos speaking out against the plan in such a manner? Perhaps he was not as committed to seeing evil purged from Azeroth as Argonas thought...

“Remember your duty, Raetos.” he cautioned him, sternly. “We face a terrible foe. And while she may not be as destructive as the Legion… Avehi is every bit as dangerous. She has become a demon in her own right-- and the Light cannot abide such a reprehensible and shameful creature!”

“Whoa whoa whoa,” Raetos waved his hand, “Do you hear yourself, buddy? You’re talking Xe’ra-type shit, there! Trust me when I say I wasn’t super upset over her demise, alright? I’m Light-forged, yeah, but not Light-blinded.”

He reached over and placed a hand on Argonas’ shoulder.

“Listen to me,” he said, his golden gaze meeting the Vindicator’s, “There’s a huge difference between the Light’s justice and a personal vendetta. And honestly? Avehi’s a pretty cool person once you get to know her a little. Other than raising the dead, she hasn’t done anything illegal.”

The Vindicator's eyes narrowed dangerously. He didn't care for Raetos' tone, words, familiarity… he didn't care for Raetos altogether! He swatted the Lightforged's hand from his shoulder as he peered at him. 

"'Once you get to know her?'" Argonas repeated, as he rose up out of the soothing water once more. "Have you been watching her, or speaking to her?"

Brusquely, he gripped Raetos' head in one hand, turning it as his eyes honed in on that bite mark he had so readily dismissed before. He presumed some animal had done it-- a foolish assumption, now that he'd gotten a proper look. With a grunt, he stepped back from the Scout, scowling!

"Or more than even speaking, it appears!" he accused, pointing so at Raetos. "She has seduced you, you damned fool! You bear her carnal mark, defiled and beguiled by the witch, herself!"

“Psh! She didn’t seduce me…”

Restos moved out of the pool, not bothering to dry off before beginning to throw his armor back on. He could read Argonas easily enough at this point. 

“Okay, so the first time… maybe a bit of seduction was involved. But you know what? Doesn’t matter. She’s fucking hot and not at all gross like you’d said she’d be. And look at me! Still Lightforged! Still connected to the Light! At least she’s not out there killing innocent families over a HUGE assumption of a crime. What she’s doing is unconventional, and trust me, I was skeptical too! But she really believes she’s saving these people from a worse fate. I may not fully grasp what she’s talking about, but I do believe there’s something going on. At least look into the matter yourself if you’re too stubborn to hear it from anyone else!”

Raetos huffed as he finished attaching his armor. The way Argonas has been talking about killing Avehi’s allies, he didn’t exactly feel safe around the Vindicator himself. 

“I’m going to bed. Try not to do anything stupid.”

"There is nothing I could do more stupid than you trusting her, Raetos! Your naivety in this matter put you in jeopardy!" Argonas gave a final warning, fists clenched. "I am resolute in this cause. My calling! I will see justice dealt to Avehi; with or without you!

Argonas stepped out of the pool, but paced no closer to Raetos as he turned to leave. He knew well the cowardly traitor was retreating out of fear. Out of guilt. And rightly so; Avehi had implicated another into her ring of misdeeds, and Argonas couldn't abide it! He had lost enough friends as it was to the Death Knight's manipulations… this last one cut him deeper than any blade ever could. He was truly alone in this cause. Only the Light was with him, now. And he knew the Light's justice needed to be fulfilled!

Was this why he was brought back? Spared from death on Argus? Perhaps no one but he could resist Avehi's manipulative ways. Perhaps he, alone, was to save Azeroth from this next great threat!

"Reevaluate your allegiances, Raetos. I caution you…" he all but growled. "... I will not permit you to aid her. I will not permit anyone to aid her!"

“Yeah, you’ve made that pretty clear,” Raetos shot back, “Enjoy your crusade! The more people you can blame the better, right?”

He sneered, shaking his head. As disturbing it was listening to Argonas, it was more disturbing knowing he himself hadn’t been much different all that long ago… before Avehi had literally knocked some sense into him...

“I don’t know what your obsession with her is, but everything you’ve said about her is wrong. I hope the Light grants you clarity on that before it’s too late. Goodnight, Argonas.”

With that, he turned and walked off towards the apartments...

[[ Mention Tags: @sylaess​ @avehi-the-adamant​ @sinafay1​ @sinafay-the-defiant​ @grakkar-gorefang​ @miernethepersevering​ ]]

[xtolovers]

Wild Ember

Wild Ember Companion fic to The Anvil Pairing: Aloy x Erend Rating: M ( albeit in later chapters) Warnings: Graphic Mentions of Violence

Chapter 2: Ochrebloom Root

“If I might ask, what does this… device show you, Aloy?” It is Karan, not Erend who slips next to her. Careful, she studies his face, but can find nothing but friendly curiosity, and she relaxes. “It shows… well, everything, almost,” her brows furrow as she tries to find the right words. “It’s… like everything around me is covered in a net of light, and only the important things get caught in it so I can focus on them. People, animals, and most importantly, machines. But it doesn’t just show me where they are, it tells me what they are, shows me their weak points, the paths they will likely take…” “That sounds… “, Karan trails off, apparently unsure of what to say. “Unbelievable?”, she challenges with a laugh. He chimes in with a pleasant low chuckle, and grimaces apologetically before his curiosity returns. “Does it do that with humans too?” “Show me their weaknesses? No. Maybe because they’re either very obvious or not as palpable. Either we have them all, or each one of us has them individually. We’re not as easy to categorize as machines, I suppose.” “Oh, I have to disagree with that. We categorize ourselves frequently, firmly and with favor, and I would admit our collective weaknesses are very evident.” At her puzzled look, he continues: “ Well, the Carja’s weakness is their stiff adherence to protocol and their vanity. For the Nora… I suppose their rigid beliefs and maybe… their fear, though I can only judge that by rumors and reports of others. You seem to contradict that, as have the Nora I have met, but I suppose given the fact that I could meet them makes all of you outliers of the general rule.” He gives her a careful look, making sure that he hasn’t offended her, and Aloy gives him a grin. He isn’t wrong. Satisfied, he too, grins. “ And well, for us Oseram, it’s clearly a hearty drink- and being too strong and handsome for our own good.”

At this, she has to laugh. He hasn’t struck her as very Oseram until now, with his more mild manners and thought out answers, but now she can see that it is experience, not lack of temperament that subdues the Oseram nature in him. “Or their famous humility, and how stealthy and fast their armor makes them.” With a laugh, she raises her hands in surrender. “Alright Karan, I’ll give it to you. But that only proves my point: I don’t need my focus to point out our weaknesses.” “I suppose not. But how did you find Ersa then? Erend tells me you… read the land and it showed you what happened.” “That’s not exactly what happened. The focus shows me a lot of things- I have had it for some years now, and I still feel like I have only uncovered a tiny bit of what it can do. There are a lot of things I still do not understand. But it does show me trails of blood to follow, path someone has recently taken, things that have been disturbed. It helps me identify things. But it does not tell me what has happened. It  shows me… clues, and I can only try to put them together. What happened to Ersa was a guess— one that was luckily right.” “Then we are even more indebted to you than I thought.” The words make her stiffen a little. “You are not indebted to me, none of you. Erend helped me, and now I help him— and because it is the right thing to do.” Karan is silent as he thinks about her words, then he nods, more to himself than to her. “I see what you mean, but I think you might underestimate another Oseram weakness: stubborn honor.” Aloy snorts. “We’re chasing a pretty dishonorable Oseram right now.” “As I said: outliers.” Karan shrugs good-naturedly. She wants to ask if he is an outlier too, but ahead of them, the path winds down towards a river-bend in a small valley, and their conversation stops as they make their way down. The Vanguard spreads out and pull their packs down as Erend stomps over to her, a scowl on his face. “Do you mind clearing the perimeter?” She frowns at the frustration in his voice. He knows she can easily check their surroundings from here, but she trusts he has a reason. With a shrug, she jogs away, following the edge of the valley for a little bit before she crosses back and over the small river. There she stops and gathers the cool water in her hands to wash her face. It’s a new, fresh relief she hadn’t experienced before she had left Daytower three weeks earlier. Sure, the summers were warm in the embrace, but nothing compared to the soldering heat of the desert. With a huff she brushes the thick tangle of her hair from her neck, slick with sweat, and sighs with relief as she dampens it with fresh water. A quick swim would be a relief, but Aloy knows better than to wet her new leather armor with hours left on the road before she can take it off. Instead, she dips her hands back in, letting them drift in the slow current. When she returns to camp, all of the Vanguard are sitting down, silently bowed over their food. Karan hands her a package of burlap. He gives her a small smile, but turns around and sits down next to Oren. Inside the satchel she finds a small loaf of dark bread, a piece of hard cheese and small links of dried, spicy boar sausages, some dried fruit. Nothing fresh that needs to be hunted or gathered. No time wasted away from the forge or a fight. They eat in heavy silence, the soft rush and the occasional roar of a few faraway Tramplers the only sounds to be heard. She glances over to Erend, but he’s staring at his food, shoulders tense. He’s probably calculating the progress they have made this far, and how long it might take them to get there if they kept their pace. Calculating how the northern weather might stop them probably, just like she is. Worse, probably. Aloy can still hear his voice break over the word face. It had turned out it hadn’t been Ersa, but until they find her alive, he’s likely still imagining her that way. It’s unreasonable self-torture and doesn’t help them, and so she’s sure Erend is doing it. If it were just the two of them, she would make an effort to distract him, but there are five men sitting around them, that haven’t — save for one— made any effort to talk to her. She mulls it over as she slowly chews her food, until an unbidden thought that had been chewing on her the whole day breaks through and settles in her stomach like a stone. Maybe he’s not thinking about Ersa, maybe he’s just avoiding me because he’s embarrassed to talk to me in front of his men. She’d heard the names they call her in Meridian now, the Vanguard most of all, now that she’s deciphered Ersa’s disappearance. The Nora Outcast. The strange Redhead. Machine Huntress. The All-Seeing. Who knows what else they thought of her. Her gut tells her that is not what’s happening, but the years of exclusion and banishment have sunken too deep in her bones. The helpless anger is gnawing at her, trying to wind its way back into her head. She knows that’s likely not what is happening, and she knows that even if it is, it doesn’t change anything. Erend has helped her. Ersa might be alive. And if she can save her, she will. But she can’t drown out the voice inside her that wonders if it will be like this wherever she goes. It’s a quiet hour that they spend resting beside the river. Aloy lies back on the ground and closes her eyes, trying to forget about the heat, the silence, the thoughts. Partly she succeeds, and by the time they gather their things, she has resolved to look for mounts to speed their travels. She wants to think it’s because she’s the bigger person, but there’s a small voice inside her head that can’t help but think that if they’ll shun her for it, at least she’ll be rid of them faster. Without a word she pushes back to the front of the procession, happy to pretend there is only herself and the trail before her. The sun arcs across the sky as the miles disappear beneath her feet. Her whole body clings with sweat. Behind her, the men chat in low voices. After a while they cross a small herd of Tramplers. Aloy watches them through her focus, but they do not seem to be moving out of the way. With the river to their left and the rise of a mesa to their right, and not much cover between them, she decides the easiest will be to just take them down. She warns the Vanguard, and Erend signals them to form up to the right of her. The herd is evenly split, so Aloy stalks to the right, and draws out two Chillwater Arrows. Four seconds later, the two Tramplers on the left are roaring and covered in frost as she lets lose two more Chillwater Arrows toward the two machines on the right, while the Vanguard starts to rush in. Aloy rushes forward, and switches to Hardpoint Arrows. Two quick strikes and the processing unit of one Trampler explodes. She runs past it and dodges the fire blast of the other one, nocking two arrows at once. There’s a boulder two her left, and in three quick steps she’s on top of it, launching herself into the air, sending the arrows straight down into the other Trampler’s power cell. She lands and rolls away, barely dodging the now burning Trampler that is coming for her with its last steps. The machine staggers and tries to turn around, before it sinks down in a shower of sparks and flame. The second one follows seconds later, as she sinks her spear into the cords and wires of its neck. She stands back up and looks over, spear gripped tight, adrenaline drumming in her ears. Erend is standing next to a dead Trampler, a look both incredulous and amused on his face as he keeps looking between her, and Andrik and Enoch, who are both standing next to her and staring at her. Behind them, the other three are just taking down the last Trampler. Uncomfortable with the attention, Aloy turns around and starts to loot the machines. Behind her, she can hear the loud Oseram elation of a won fight, their dissection of the fight and who played what part, and surprisingly, easy praise for her skill. Irritation buzzes in Aloy’s head, and she pushes all the guesses and thoughts aside, telling herself that it doesn’t matter what they think or if they approve. She’s got better things to do than worry herself with what’s going on in an Oseram’s head. Back on the road she is looking out for possible mounts, but luck is not on their side. A herd of Grazers is all they cross, worthless for her purpose. So they put one foot in front of the other, and continue their slow procession north. It is late afternoon when they decide to make camp at a river bend next to a cliff, a position easily defensible, with fresh water, cover and, as her Focus tells her, no machines but two geese nearby. The purple lines vanish around her as she taps her Focus, and there are heavy footfalls behind her. “So what is it this time? Machines to take down, or killers to track?” It’s the first time he sounds like himself today as he refers to their discussion back at Red Ridge Pass, and she can’t help but smile. “No machines except a few Glinthawks south of here, but they don’t worry me,” she points in the direction, and Erend stares at the mountain, confused, before shooting a glance to her focus. “ There are some geese downstream however.” Before they can escape she hops over the river and sinks into the tall grass. It’s an easy hunt:  a quick stalk through the underbrush, two quick arrows and their dinner is settled. Only when she gathers the birds does she realize that she just left Erend standing there. She feels a little guilty, but there’s no way to change it now, so she starts gathering Ridgewood on her way back to the men, to replace the arrows she has used earlier. Aloy can hear them way before she can see them. It makes her a little uneasy how loud they’re being, but they have shown her that they are capable enough to hold their own. They’re just so different. But that doesn’t mean she can’t adapt— for now at least, until they’re actually close to Dervahl and his men. Then, she hopes, they’ll forget their Oseram blood for a little while. Enoch and Oren look up as she steps out of the grasses and crosses the river. The others are raising tents, and Aloy sees they have made good progress on their makeshift camp while she was gone. No one acknowledges her, but they don’t avoid her eyes as they did earlier anyways. Without any further comment, she sinks down to the ground and gathers the birds in her lap, gripping a fistful of feathers. As she pulls them out, a large shadow slips infront of the low sun as Oren approaches her and stretches his hand out towards the geese. “Let me handle those. You did the catchin’, I do the cookin’.” His voice is deep and booming, slow, but deliberate. Aloy studies his face, but can see no hostility or afterthought in it. She mulls it over, but her gut stays silent, so she gives him the birds and a smile. “Never been much of a cook myself, anyway.” “But an excellent huntress, I can see. Straight through the head.” “Can’t afford to waste the meat when you’re the only one feeding yourself,” she adds, wincing a little at how… savage that must sound, but Oren doesn’t bat an eye. “And good training for aiming at anything with even bigger heads,” he retorts. She laughs. “That, too.” Oren steps away and reveals Erend, who is across the camp, building her tent there. A strange feeling settles in her stomach, equal parts warm and reluctant, and she gets up and walks over to him. “You didn’t have to do that.” She isn’t exactly polite, but Aloy is not used to people doing things for her, and it makes her uncomfortable. She knows that it is a normal part of life, of company to do these things for each other, but it’s just so weird to her. Once Rost had shown her how to build her own tent, she had had to do it herself. Because in the end, he might not always be there to do it for her, so she needed to be able to rely on herself. He was right, in the end. “Eh, had nothing better to do, and you were already making yourself useful, so I thought I should do the same,” Erend grins sheepishly. She’s noticed that tendency in him, to put himself down, and it irritates her just a little bit. Aloy never had time or leisure to doubt herself, because doubting could easily mean dying out in the wilds. Erend had all the leisure in the world to doubt himself. He was showing her a kindness, but all she could see was how different they were. She did her best not to judge that too harshly. With a soft smile and touch to his shoulder—  a silent thank you— that is easier to give than to accept his help out loud, she gathers the straps out of his hands and finishes what he’s begun.

From then on, it’s easier. As they sit around the fire and eat the geese that Oren has cooked way more expertly then she would’ve ever managed, the men chat with enthusiasm. After the first occasional lull, Erend starts telling stories of the Vanguard, each one more silly or outrageous than the other. Aloy has to think back to the day she met him, easily dissolving the Nora’s misgivings and capturing their attention and trust. He makes her laugh, makes them comfortable, and soon they all have tears in their eyes as he relates a story about Andrik’s misguided attempts to seduce what Aloy can only assume was probably Talanah. She isn’t directly part of the conversation, but not excluded from it either. Whenever there’s a story that she can’t quite follow, one of them throws in a short explanation for her benefit. The sun vanishes behind the cliffs, the sky above them drifting from blue to orange, and Karan declares that he will take the last watch. Aloy offers to take the first watch, sure that the men who are used to walking the streets of Meridian and not miles and miles of desert would be glad to get the sleep. She’s used to it, and she’s sure that the men will gladly accept her offer. Given her “second sight” as they call it, she can easily cover a shift alone. But they surprise her, insisting that she and Erend take first watch together. Aloy can see him blushing and sending sour looks towards his men. She assumes they want to keep him company so he won’t think too much about Ersa, but staying up with either of the men would only result in drinking. She’s the logical choice. Erend, however, doesn’t look happy. He probably resents seeming weak in front of his men. They banter as they gather their things, and Aloy grabs the Ridgewood she has gathered. She bows over the task, thinking of tomorrow and mapping the parts of the way that she knows in her head, trying to think of the closest spot to get a mount. Silence settles over them as the evening slowly swallows all daily noise. Aloy figures she should ask him about the mount situation, but as she looks up, Erend his staring into the flames, stoking the fire and lost in thought. She wonders what he’s thinking about. Ersa, probably. Drinking. Or maybe his new situation. Maybe something else entirely. Since she came to Meridian she’d seen his moods shift swifter than the winds out on the planes. Raging, shouting, when he thought his sister was dead. Now, where she’d expect him to be foolishly hopeful, he is silent and brooding. Two weeks ago she thought that he was rather… straightforward in his thinking, but now, Aloy’s not so sure. “How are you doing?” He looks up at her just a second before the words leave her lips, and she can see she’s taken him by surprise by breaking the silence. Erend takes a second to respond, looking away from her and back to the fire. “Haven’t had a drink in nearly a week, so could be better. It helps that I don’t have to mourn Ersa now, but the worry isn’t exactly better.” Aloy is glad he isn’t drinking anymore, but it hasn’t escaped her notice that he has barely touched his food. Sure, he was busy telling stories and making them laugh, but she knows there is more to it. While she can’t blame him for it, she needs him strong and capable. She doesn’t have a way with words like he does, but she’s good at surviving. If that’s all she can offer, she’ll do that. “You didn’t eat a lot.” Erend brushes it off with his easy smirk that she doesn’t entirely buy. “Eh, I’ll eat better once we have her back, and once I can have an ale with it. Before that, my stomach is denying me its work.” “Are you in pain?” “Nah, just… queasy. Happens to the best of us, right?”, he pauses briefly, then his lip twitches slightly. “ It does happen to you, right?” Aloy can’t help but roll her eyes. Always evading, always playing it cool. Well, she can help with that, too. As she rises to her feet she orders him to boil some water. With a tap of her finger, her focus flickers to life and she turns and walks out into the darkness, looking for the familiar ligneous stalks surrounded by dozens of red blossoms. It doesn’t take her long, and she starts to dig, pocketing the blossoms and stalks before she rips off the roots. She jogs to the river beside them and rinses the dirt off it and returns to the camp where Erend has complied to her request and his expecantly looking out into the darkness, waiting for her. “Ochrebloom root. The tea will help your stomach,” Aloy explains at his quizzical look. She slips the knife from her boot and slices the root into pieces and throws them into two cups before she pours the hot water in them, Erend silent next to her. He murmurs a quiet Thank you that sounds too gentle for the Erend that she knows, and with a nod they sink back into silence. The thick, slightly bitter and spicy steam that rises from the cup envelops her, the scent both comforting and upsetting. It’s a smell that reminds her of Rost, of grief and strangely, the passage of time. Rost had prepared this brew for her a couple of times when she was a child, but she hadn’t known what it was back then. He’d only explained to her when she had started to get her monthly blood, and the accompanying cramps, to boil the roots of Ochrebloom stems to help alleviate the pain. Naturally, the whole thing had sparked questions from her, and he had sat her down to explain that she was growing up. Becoming a woman. And, consequentially, what all that was for. Told her that she could become a mother now— and how. For the Nora, the first blood was a sacred thing. The threshold to becoming a woman, and thus the threshold to motherhood. Had they been of the tribe, Aloy would have been celebrated that day, blessed with gifts— necklaces, carvings, braids and beads, and blessings of the High Matriarchs. Because they weren’t, there were no blessings. But because Rost was Nora to the bone, he had carved her blue beads in anticipation of this day. That night, he wove them into braids as he answered all her questions. It was one of the few times she’d seen him unsure, as he’d explained what happened between a man and a woman. That part hadn’t concerned her that much then— she has grown up in the wilds, she has seen animals mate, and once or twice some Nora couple that had stolen away into the bushes, while she was out hunting with her focus on. What had concerned her was that now, she was on another journey that she hadn’t anticipated. Of course she’d known that she was a girl, and by logic, also a woman. But because of the lack of any female examples in her life, she had never thought that that meant she would change. That night, she couldn’t sleep, plagued by questions about womanhood, about what that meant for her identity, about her place in things, questions that she still had no answer for, and for the first time she had felt the passage of time, that she was aging, that her journey was stretching far beyond what she could guess, past the Proving, and how the change and answers that would come with it were only the beginning, and that her identity was comprised of more than just being an  outcast. And most of all, that night, she truly felt motherless. Rost came over then, and silently placed a cup of the purple tea on her bedside, sensing her quiet struggle, but leaving her room to deal with it on her own terms. From then on, the taste of Ochrebloom tea was one connected to pain, but also with comfort. Until the Proving, and the following weeks, when it started to taste of grief and explosions and blood. Now it upsets her stomach as much as it helps settle it. There’s the faintest reflection of her face on the surface of her cup. Aloy can see the blue spots of the beads in her hair, and wonders if she has become a woman yet. An awkward cough pulls her from her thoughts as Erend shifts next to her. His contrite expression catches her off guard, but less so than his words. “I… have something to confess.”

[viridian-angel]

Black Pearl [Chapter 1]

Series: Original [Sara]

Genre: Thriller

Characters: Original [Rights Reserved]

Wordcount: 2,306

Prologue to this chapter here 

“Boss, you’re back!”

A round of cheerful hollers rose from the room as Sara entered, followed by a few confused mumbles and curious glances.

Held close to her chest, a frazzled-looking, skittish, scruffy black cat trembled in her arms, eyes darting around the room. Everybody gave it at least one look before returning their gaze back to Sara, who was currently more stone-faced than her typically charismatic and cool self.

“Uh… Boss? What’s with the cat?” one of her yakuza clansmen asked, scratching the back of his head.

“Ain’t that typical, goes out on a hit, comes back with a stray,” another joked, laughing to himself and stretching in his chair. The man behind him scooted closer in his chair, letting out a not so quiet whisper of “Isn’t that how she found you, dipshit?”, prodding him and laughing.

A massive man, about as tall as her and twice as wide approached her, reaching his arms out with palms open. “Here, I’ll take it, Boss. You still got blood on yer hands, you outta wash up.” Sara stared him in the eyes, conveying a silent message that he nodded in response to. She carefully offloaded the cat into his arms, the man holding it close to his shirtless, tattooed chest.

Sara took a deep breath and took a moment to stretch, clearing her throat. Everyone else in the room immediately fell silent and all eyes fell on her.

“Matano’s dead. Be on the lookout for retaliation– anyone loitering around the building, cars parked a little too long outside with no one coming out of ‘em. So on and so forth, you know the drill. As far as a lot of people are concerned, we’re even now. He put out the hit, he got hit back, no extra collateral racked up in the process. It’s about as cut and dry as you can get, we should be good– but you never know.”

Everyone in the room began to chatter quietly to themselves, picking straws as to who would be doing what and when. One of them spoke up above the rest, idly flicking the toothpick held between his teeth.

“’Grats Boss, but where’d the cat come from?”

“Heard it mewling from a janky old abandoned lot after I finished my business. It’s way too cold and wet out there right now for a stray to survive, so…”

She scratched the side of her head, just sort of ending the sentence there.

“Anyway, I need to wash up.” she continued, preemptively rolling up her sleeves. “Kentaro,” she addressed the large man, “Bring the cat to my room and just take care of ‘em for a little bit. As soon as I’m not covered in dry blood I’ll pay a visit to a convenience store and get some cat food for them.”

He nodded without another word, letting the cat have some wiggle room and shift back and forth between his massive hands.

Sara scrubbed her hands thoroughly in her bathroom, the dried blood on her hands flaking off and falling down the sink drain. She splashed some water into her face for good measure, drying her eyes with a hand towel and staring into the mirror.

“You’ve been dealt a real shitty hand–”

She shook her head. What could he have even meant by that? The implication was that something big was about to go down– but she hadn’t heard so much as a little blip on the radar regarding anything huge in the works. Then again, her clan was very much detached from any huge alliance– she was on her own, an outcast followed by punks. No one to answer to– but no one else on her side beside the people who pledged their loyalty to her. So, no one tended to give her friendly tidbits advice. Mainly, they just flung lead and shrapnel her way.

Cupping her hands, she gathered and poured water down her thick, silver hair. She worked little specks of red out of it the best she could, meticulous in her cleaning.

“All eyes are on you now, kid.”

More than usual? She was always going to be viewed as an unstable upstart to every other clan, and that much wasn’t new to her. What could she have possibly done? Something that he was going to do instead of her… something that he was sure of. What could he possibly be sure that she’d do?

She did a quick comb through her hair, pulling a hair-band from her pocket and tying it up into a neat ponytail.

“Guess I’ll just have to bide my time and find out…” she muttered quietly, stepping outside and walking into the main room again. Quick count– two, four, eight, sixteen… and Kentaro makes seventeen, in her office with that cat. Everyone here. Two of them were on relaxing back in their chairs while watching multiple camera feeds set around the surrounding streets and buildings. Five of them were playing cards and laughing together, waiting for their turns to do the basic tasks the others were currently taking care of. Three were doing routine check-ups and tune-ups on their small cache of weapons, four of them had taken point at the only reliable ways to enter the building, just out of view. The last two were hanging out in the kitchen attached to the main room, cooking a large meal for the rest of the group.

She couldn’t help but smile a little at it all. Despite not having any real instructions from her, they always managed to settle into the natural rhythm of work to keep the place safe. Sara knew she could trust each one of them, and it was the kind of peace that she always doubted she’d ever really be able to have.

“Boss!” one at the table shouted, reaching to the ground and flinging a raincoat up at her in one smooth motion. She instinctively caught it in her hands, earning a little dramatic “Ooooh!” and applause from the rest of the table.

“Figured you’d want to actually be a little dry when you go out there this time.”

“Yeah. Thanks, Michiya.”

The woman stepped into the rainy streets, now properly protected from the downpour the weather had turned into. Not cold enough for snow, but cold enough that this would turn pretty dangerous for anyone just trying to hang out outside. It was really late at this point, so most anyone would simply be sleeping at home. Anyone with a more… typical job, that is.

Sara looked around, eyeing the surrounding area for anything suspicious. Almost like clockwork, she saw a car parked across the street start up, lights flaring up.

She didn’t flinch, merely walking forward with an unsettling, unblinking glare focused on the car’s tinted passenger window. Within a few steps, the car’s tires begun to spin and screech against the street, quickly speeding off into the wet roads.

“Great. That’s real reassuring.”

Sara put her raincoat's hood up, taking more relaxed steps out into the rain. Whatever the case for someone to be watching her currently, she’d have to trust her crew to be able to handle themselves for now. She did have a hungry cat she needed to take care of right now.

There were few times in her life she had been happier for 24-hour convenience stores. It was a true boon to the people who didn’t typically get to live out their lives during the day– such was true for her now, and it was back when she was a temporarily homeless teenager. It didn’t take long for her to pick out a decent amount of cat supplies, pay for it, and get out.

From the crowd of people waiting for her outside, it looked like getting back home would be another matter entirely.

A large group of fourteen men formed a semi-circle a couple of meters away from her, all equipped with a range of close-range weapons from bats to katanas. Her eyes narrowed, observing all of them and making mental notes to herself.

“I don’t suppose you guys came to help a lady carry her groceries, did you?” she commented, forcing a laugh and shrugging her shoulders.

The most nicely dressed one of the bunch attempted to light a cigarette, not offering a response as much as his frustrated noises over the rain.

“Tsk. Real shitty weather tonight, huh?” he said dryly, giving up and tossing his now soggy cigarette onto the ground.

“Yeah.”

A tense silence fell over them before the man started to speak up again.

“So, Matano finally bit the dust, huh?” he muttered rhetorically, leaning against his car and sighing. “Well, I suppose that’s what he gets. Not really a smart idea to go starting shit when we got more important things to be doin’.”

Sara remained silent, keeping her eyes trained on everyone she could to be ready for an attack at any moment. The man straightened himself up, walking with a casual pace up to Sara. He stopped about half a meter in front of her, hands in his pockets. Looking her up and down, he let out a short whistle. Sara’s left eye twitched.

“Well, they weren’t kidding when they said you were big, huh?”

“Am I supposed to know who you are?” she said, an unsettling grin spreading across her face.

“Nah, not really.” he replied, looking past her at the bag of cat supplies she was holding. “Just Matano’s soon to be replacement. You really opened up a spot for me on the ol’ corporate ladder. Say, what’d you got there in the bag–”

The second he began to reach for the bag, Sara’s free hand lashed out and tightly wrapped around his throat. He let out a startled sputter and wheeze, his hands instinctively latching onto Sara’s to try and pry it free. No matter how hard he attempted to, he didn’t get so much as a budge.

The men behind him stumbled a bit in place, quickly readying their weapons and inching closer.

Sara squeezed tighter, eliciting another pained grunt from the man in her grasp. “Name.” she commanded, her eyes hard at work keeping tabs on each yakuza as they moved forward.  

“N… Noboru…” he managed to choke out, relinquishing his grip on her hand and waving hurriedly at the men behind him. “F-Fucking stop moving you idiots! She could break my throat right now…”

“Okay, Noboru. I’ll fill you in on any details you might’ve missed. Matano died because he tried to kill me. I’m not looking to start shit, but when people try to hurt me, I can’t help but lash out. I don’t care if you’re his replacement, or you end up being the big bad boss of your clan. You don’t piss me off, stay out of our turf, and leave us alone, we’ll get along just fine.”

“G… Got it…”

Sara stared at him in silence for a few moments, before unceremoniously letting go of his windpipe. He sputtered and coughed, massaging his throat with a hand and stepping back. “J-Jesus, alright then… you really outta loosen up, lady. I thought you were supposed to be the goody-two-shoes pushover of the patriarchs around here…”

“I’m nice to those who deserve it. People who come up to me with their entourage of goons to small talk don’t really fit that description.”

“Fair enough,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. “I didn’t come here for a fight anyway. They’re just protection, really. More specifically, we’ve been searching around her for something…”

He scratched the back of his head, a knowing smirk on his face as he eyed Sara’s bag. “More specifically, Matano was around these parts looking for a little stray cat… it was pretty important, actually. I don’t suppose you happened to see one after you, uh… offed him, right?”

Sara kept a calm poker-face and shook her head. “No. Do you think I’d be looking for a cat in this weather?”

“Nah, I guess not. Just, you know… you happened to have a bunch of cat food and whatnot in that bag, and it seemed a little late to be going shopping for that kind of stuff.”

“I ran out of food. My cat’s hungry and yelling about it, so I went out.”

“Oh yeah? What color is it?”

“White.”

“What kind of cat?

“Persian.”

“What’s his name?”

“Yuuto.”

The rapid-fire exchanged paused for a moment, and he scratched his chin.

“Huh… so, a white Persian cat named Yuuto… how old is she?”

“He.”

His smirk widened, scratching the back of his head again and laughing. “Ah yeah, I’ve got a bad short term memory, sorry.” he said, casting Sara a cold glare despite the smile plastered on his face. “But you’d remember that for your own cat, of course…”

Sara returned the glare, but any trace of a smile was absent on her face. “Yeah. Are we done here now?” Sara hissed between clenched teeth, gripping her bag tighter.

“Yeah, I wouldn’t want to hold you from you cat any longer. Youta, was it?”

“Yuuto.”

“Right, right, sorry, sorry. I’ll getting out of your hair now.”

He opened his car door, taking a step inside before stopping. “Oh, and Miss Reighs…”

Sara didn’t offer a response, merely staring him down instead.

“… Might want to get indoors soon. Heard this weather was going to get even worse later tonight. Heh.”

He stepped fully into his car, sitting down and shutting the door as his crew begun to wander in different directions, offering her silent scowls.

Sara waited in place until all of them were out of sight, then let out a long, deep sigh. She tilted her head up, staring at the stormy sky and blinking through raindrops.

And then, a quiet, almost inaudible,

“What the fuck?”

[diotesyus-blog]

The Lightning Thief: Chapter 1: I Accidentally Vaporize my Pre-Algebra Teacher

So, here’s where we begin. I should probably explain a few ground rules before I begin. As I said in my introduction blog, I’ll be reviewing the Rick Riordan Percy Jackson universe books chapter-by-chapter. I’ll be scoring them on a scale from 1 to 10, and, though it would likely be rare, 0 is in fact a possibility, depending on how much it strains credulity or messes with mythology too much. When I finish each book, I’ll average out the scores, and see if the score fits the quality of the book.

I’ll do my best not to be too spoilery with my reviews for the uninitiated, but I may occasionally reference something that comes later, though I’ll try to make sure that such a reference would be for something not completely plot-essential.

Anyway:

The introduction is actually pretty good,  given that it’s from a first-person perspective. “Look, I never asked to be a half-blood. If you think you might be one, my advice is, put this book down, believe whatever lie your parents told you about your birth, and live a normal life.” Going on to the end, “My name is Percy Jackson. I’m 12 years old.” 

That’s a pretty solid setup, and a good hook for potential readers. It raises a question for me that honestly would be better suited for asking later, but I do have to wonder if it’s a little weird that he’s only 12, but I do have to remember the audience, which, starting out with this book, was in fact mostly readers about that age. I’ll put a pin in that for now, but nonetheless, it’s a really solid setup paragraph.

Immediately following that, however, it goes deep into the troubles Percy has dealt with, even stating, “Am I a troubled kid? Yeah. I guess you could say that.” That’s an understandable comment to make. It’s honestly something that Harry Potter (get ready for more comparisons to that franchise, because we’re far from over) could easily have said about himself. It doesn’t help with his whole, “We could start at any point of my short, miserable life” line. Dude, seriously. It’s fine to go into how your life has been tough, but that’s veering deep into self-pity territory.

We do get a examples of how he can’t seem to make it through a school year without getting expelled or told he can’t come back. A school trip to the Saratoga battlefield, where he somehow blasted his school bus with a Revolutionary War cannon, which begs the question, why the hell was that cannon both functional AND loaded with live ammunition? I know that sounds like a nitpick, but seriously, I think Riordan could have just left half the stories to the imagination. Hell, Another character does that later, in way that really works.

Another mention that’s little funnier is the one where he somehow dumped himself and his entire class into a shark tank on another field trip. Though it does beg the question of why his mother would keep signing permission slips for him to go on field trips. Maybe I’m thinking too much, and this won’t keep that pattern going. As Percy himself put it, “Boy, was I wrong.”

Apparently he goes to Yancy Academy, a boarding school for misfits, outcasts, and delinquents. And Percy couldn’t possibly describe the place in less flattering language if he used the “wretched hive of scum and villainy” line from Star Wars.

He goes on a field trip to a museum for a field trip, dealing with Nancy Boba Fett-I’m sorry, I mean Nancy Bobofit. So anyway, Nancy Boba Fett is picking on Percy’s best-and only-friend Grover Underwood, pelting him with the most disgusting sandwich I’ve ever heard of. Seriously, peanut butter and ketchup? 

However, it’s kind of a dead giveaway who is going to be more significant in the story, since she’s only described to the extent of how ugly and unpleasant she is, while Grover is described as both kind and wussy. And crippled. With a weird gate in his walk, though apparently super fast on enchilada day. I guess he likes those. I hope that’s an interesting quirk for people, because that’s not going anywhere. SPOILERS!

Grover keeps Percy for getting into trouble, as he’s on probation, and if his opening line of dialogue of, “I’m going to kill her” didn’t tell you that he has a bit of a temper, well, he kind of does. Luckily they make it to the museum before Percy could pick a fight with a girl and lose some likability points, so he can go on a tour with Mr. Brunner, his wheelchair-bound Latin teacher. He’s supposed to be a really cool teacher, who apparently was allowed to take live weapons to class. Taking a cool-liking sword, yelling “What ho!”

Wait. Percy’s HOW old? Oh yeah. 12 I totally remember when I took Latin when I was that age. Wait. No I don’t. 

Brunner, like Grover, is given a lot of description, which seems to be a hint that both of them are more than they seem. Both have handicaps that they seem to transcend in one way or another. Also, I can’t help but think that Riordan is kind of using that to express that he likes to think of himself as the cool teacher Percy thinks of Brunner as.

He’s not the only teacher there. Ms. Dodds, Percy’s pre-algebra teacher, is also there. Hmm, can’t help but think that there’s just maybe a spoiler in the chapter title, but I digress. She wears a leather jacket “even though she was 50 years old”. Not sure why his assumption of her age matters, but whatever. She seems to have it out for Percy, and likes Nancy, even though, Nancy is apparently a bully, and a kleptomaniac, and I’m sure if there were more books about her she’d be an arsonist as well at some point.

Brunner leads them through a tour, and calls on Percy to describe a stele of Kronos eating his children, which fortunately he was able to remember. Brunner weirdly asks Percy to much further into the story to the point where he gets disappointed when Percy can’t answer how that story applies to him in real life, as if he’d know that at this point. 

Also, and I hate to be THAT guy with this , but Brunner’s description of Kronos’ defeat was flat out wrong. He was never cut to pieces. He was merely imprisoned in Tartarus, along with most of the other Titans.

But Brunner chides Percy, telling him that he needs to think about how that applies to him. Unless Percy intends to be a classist, that’s a more difficult answer than they’re making look.

As Percy expresses his frustration at a teacher actually expecting him not to be stump stupid, Nancy Boba Fett decides to dump the rest of her sandwich on Grover.

That’s just wasteful.

Percy’s mind goes blank and Nancy gets pulled into the fountain. She screams that Percy did it, while other students claim that water pulled her in. It’s a good moment. It really reminds me of the moment when Harry Potter made the glass disappear at the snake exhibit and made Dudley fall in. A hint at what Percy might in fact be. Though, I do feel the need to point out that this the first of many hints that aren’t terribly subtle as to what Percy truly is.

Ms. Dodds calls Percy out, which prompts Grover to try to take the blame for him. Dodds isn’t convinced, and takes Percy back inside, seemingly teleporting back. Hmm, I wonder if there’s a reason for that. 

Inside she tells him that she’s not a fool, and to confess under threat, and then, turns into a horrifying beast with bat wings. She has glowing eyes, and razor-sharp claws. This is a deadly monster. Attacking him with murderous intent, Percy then gets surprised to see that Mr. Brunner shows up and throws a pen to him, yelling “What ho!” At this point, that’s his catch phrase apparently. Suddenly the pen turns into the sword he’d seen in class. He swings it at Ms. Dodds, and she explodes into powder, leaving only the fresh scent of pine.

Okay, umm, Percy should be dead. Without reading ahead, there are two things Dodds could be, and the less dangerous kind would be a harpy, which should be able to easily kill a 12 year old. And killing them? Not that easy. In fact, the only times weapons killed monsters that easily in mythology was when they were dipped in poison. 

Confused as a person could possibly be, Percy goes back outside only to find out that no one else remembers Ms. Dodds, though Grover acts weirdly hesitant about it. So yeah, apparently, on top of all of this, they end the chapter with Percy either having a psychotic episode, or his favorite teacher and best friend gas lighting him.

Honestly, I think that was a bit early for Percy to actually have a fight in this story. He doesn’t even know what he was up against, or how he could do it even. It might have been less of a problem had he not bested his foe, but since he did, it means that there’s going to have to a lot of information relayed to him, and this kind of makes it a bit of a disjointed way to do that, and that’s in spite of the fact that it definitely was guilty of some monster nerfing. 

The chapter started pretty strongly, even if it did telegraph who’s going to be supernatural in nature with the level of description. The hint at Percy’s power is also a good thing to see. Unfortunately, the fight with Ms. Dodds seemed way too easy and too early for this story, and I can’t let that go. It’s kind of split down the middle. There’s a lot of ground to cover, and plenty to work with. I just think that they rushed a scene too early. 

Score: 5:10 The start was strong, but the finish was rushed and confusing.

[exid-though]

EXID members as Valar aka I need a life and some friends this is actually a long cry for help thanks

Solji - Nienna and I almost had Nienna for Jeonghwa but idk anyway Nienna is “acquainted with grief, and mourns for every wound that Arda has suffered in the marring of Melkor.” which sounds depressing but this isn’t just a long joke about Solji crying too easily and too much okay listen “But she does not weep for herself; and those that hearken to her learn pity, and endurance in hope.” AND THEN Nienna goes to the halls of Mandos so like the dead person place and “all those who wait in Mandos cry to her, for she brings strength to the spirit and turns sorrow to wisdom” like what did Solji’s unstoppable ass teach us when she got pushed back so many times when all she wanted to do was be a singer? People were like “yeah be a singer here’s 23 albums and a duo partner. oops none of these are gonna be successful at all”, “oh you’re not gonna give up? You’re just gonna be a vocal coach on the side so you can make money to continue to be in this unsuccessful duo? here’s a coworker guy to tell you it’s basically too late for you to be an idol because you’re not pretty enough to be your age and a newly debuted singer” AND THEN “you’re gonna join another group now? okay that group is gonna be unsuccessful for 2 years then you’ll have success for 2 years but then you’re gonna be diagnosed with a life-altering condition and be left to rest on hiatus another 2 years. have fun” like girl never gives up and remains grateful and gorgeous. and she cries a lot moving on. 

Elly -  Ulmo? Idk if Ulmo is more Elly or Lini but I’m picking Elly rn. Ulmo just kinda goes with the flow pun intended I’m so sorry but like that’s funny okay shut up so um? anyway okay Ulmo like is obviously a good guy, powerful, like only behind Manwe level cool dude you know but he kinda just chooses to be wherever he wants in the moment and doesn’t only stay with other Valar and it’s not like because he’s some emo “I’m an outcast” person he’s still very much with the rest of them and is super involved obviously when it’s very necessary with everything but he prefers to just be in his ocean and come and go as he pleases. He “never abandoned” elves/humans “not even when they lay under the wrath of the Valar”. So pretty much when I picture Ulmo it’s just this dude that wants to chill in the ocean and obviously be there for his friends when he needs to but he’s not about to like obsessively watch or follow anything or anybody and he can make his own decisions he’s just independent and wants to live his life making pretty water music and helping out when he needs to. Elly “I go with the flow” (pun intended once again) Ahn  is Ulmo until I change my mind. I mean she set this up when she literally said “I like to live freely, go with the flow, I’m like that” I mean she was talking about her AND Hyelin but like still

Hani - Aule which might seem kinda odd but like hear me out read me out Aule is the “craftsman/smith” of the Valar and he loves making things and creating things. Also he “desired to make things of his own that should be new and unthought of by others, and delighted in the praise of his skill” but also he “did not envy the work of others, but sought and gave council”. Even if Heeyeon isn’t really I guess the inventive type really I think she fits this one more than others because of how she is with her projects meaning her dancing/singing/studies/etc. She’s a major perfectionist yeah but she also just has a lot of fun learning stuff and she also loves sharing the information she takes in and she gives pointers anytime like how she helps the other members with their facial expressions on stage/during performances and talks with Elly while Elly makes music. Idk if I’m making my point very well I don’t think I am at all but like maybe you get what I mean anyway like even if she’s not really the “craftsman” and more the of studious scientist nerd lmao she kinda still fits personality wise I think. 

Lini - Tulkas not only because Tulkas is “greatest in strength and deeds of prowess” and ”delights in wrestling and in contests of strength” and Lini is weirdly strong for being so tiny but also because Tulkas “laughs ever, in sport or in war, and even in the face of Melkor he laughed in battles before the elves were born” like this dude not only just runs instead of rides a horse cause he’s quick like that anyway, not only, and I quote, are his hands his weapons, he’s just generally a beast of a dude and he laughs at what some might say are inappropriate times and like I’m sorry I went through some other options but Lini’s purely chaotic neutral energy cannot be matched by any Valar other than the guy that showed up to fight and laugh in Melkor’s face and these are facts. 

Jeonghwa - I kinda wanted Jeonghwa to be Nienna cause like girl has so much empathy and Nienna fits her too I think but also Jeonghwa’s lowkey fits too many like Yavanna loving all that grows from the Earth and miss “in light is her power and her joy” Lady of the Stars, Varda. She could also be Este very easily? Like idk about Jeonghwa she’s just a sweet heart that wants to enjoy life but also wants everyone around her to enjoy life a lot like it’s not so simple as just saying she’s the youthful bright one or the wise one like she’s just??? both? idk bro anyway 

[yuananas]

Loki, Prince of Asgard, Odinson, rightful King of Jotunheim, God of Mischief, Bringer of Chaos, Brother of Thor…

... is so damn tragic, and such an interesting character who is mentally and morally and emotionally challenging, and deserves development... and is killing me. In this essay I will... be fangirling over him, basically...

His main skills:

He’s the God of Mischief. Master of Chaos.

He’s observant, he thinks before acting, strategic but flexible. Very “perceptive about everyone” (except for himself). That enables him to be highly manipulative through words or magic. To hide his true intentions and get people to do what he wants.

But he’s also causing chaos. With whatever he does. It’s a boon and bane. For he always adds just the pinch of chaos and destruction that is needed for development. It’s probably Loki’s “prank” leading Frost Giants into Asgard, that saves them all of a terrible and immature King Thor. It’s Loki who saw Thor’s inability to rule yet, way earlier than Odin realized himself – but of course it’s him to be blamed for Thor’s exile and everything that happens in the first Thor movie. Actually they should be thankful Loki enabled growth…

Also when he’s attacking earth. He’s the one bringing the quarrel to the Avengers but isn’t that the catalyst for them addressing their concerns and teaming up? (Ok, beside Coulson’s “death” but actually that’s also been Loki…) And isn’t it causing them to prepare for even worse (Thanos)?

He’s also a Frost Giant.

 His main motives are to get the appreciation and love of his family. To be accepted and loved for who he is and everything that comes with it – for them (Thor, in the end), to see he is not doing all of this with evil intentions but to also see what good comes from chaos.

He strives to become Thor’s equal. Not for a throne or power (that would come with responsibilities).

He’s also trying to get the best out of everything for himself. And oftentimes he just wants to stay alive.

And he never learned to cope with the consequences of his actions in a functional way – no one ever gave him the chance to, probably. So his answer is mostly to run away, hide and play dead or to overreact and being a Drama Queen. (Calm waters are the deepest, right? And he’s staying calm and hidden so much, sometimes it HAS to break free, right?)

 His development…

So what we have in the first movie is a very clever boy who somehow always felt like he didn’t belong… like sth is wrong with him, somehow inferior to his brother, mistreated by his father – and probably it’s not only his feeling but, to some extent, the result of their actions.

He’s seeing a Thor, unfitting for the Throne but no one else seems to notice and no one will listen to him anyway, but: he knows tricks. He knows secret passageways, he knows how to cause chaos (well everyone just takes him for a party trick and not taking his magic serious) so he wants to show them all! He is to be taken serious and he will prevent Thor from getting on the Throne so easily, while Loki strives so hard and getting nothing. So he tricks a little and he talks Thor into something a little and it’s probably also very satisfying, seeing what he is able to do.

But it somehow gets out of hands… it becomes bigger than he intended, Thor being cast out, Odin asleep. But isn’t that also a chance for him?

But he learns he’s a monster. He learns the reason why all his life he felt so wrong and everything just becomes worse: his frustration, his rage… he’s totally losing himself: everything he believed in turned out to be a lie. (Probably not everything, I guess Frigga’s love for him isn’t, but Loki is seeing it that way)

And he strives again, he’s shooting in every direction, keeping Thor away (not killing him, never killing him, though he had many chances to do so but with killing Thor he would lose the family he wants to belong to, the ones he actually, deep down, loves), showing Asgard (and Odin) how vulnerable they are, at the same time trying to destroy the Frost Giants and Jötunheim (the parts of him he despises so much for making him different) and also getting Odin’s appreciation with doing so.

And when it comes to the worst, when Thor comes back, being the glorious hero and Loki finds himself in the role of the inferior again, the one who has to fear blame and punishment instead of love and appreciation, he is running away. He lets go, let himself float into the universe – he plays dead.

(What other choices does he have, oftentimes, than running away and playing dead? He doesn’t expect to be treated fair or to be forgiven by those people who – he thinks – think so little of him and who he can’t trust, no more…)

 But what does he find? Even more torture, being made an instrument of Thanos. No Thor coming to search for him. No Odin is trying to bring him back… so what else is left for him then to somehow show he is still there by causing trouble. If I don’t get your attention by trying so hard to be good (all my life), then maybe I get your attention by being bad. And btw, he doesn’t stand a chance against Thanos, so he’s gotta do what he’s told. Kind of. He doesn’t really do it in a very successful way, even if he surely would be able to do better. But being successful isn’t really his intent. He probably just wants to be saved from the abuse of Thanos, knowing he can get Thor’s and Odin’s attention and get them to bring him back. And the Tesseract and Scepter are pretty interesting, too.  

But remember what he says to Black Widow? About so much red on the ledger? How will she ever be able to wipe that out? Well… it’s also about him, isn’t it? It’s a question he asks himself: will I ever meet forgiveness for what I’ve done, for what I’m doing here, for who I am? Or am I doomed for the rest of my life cause I messed up? Can I really run from it?

 Well he ends in the dungeons of Asgard. Finally meeting consequences for his actions. He’s at the very bottom there – save from Thanos, yes, but stuck. Stuck in his personal growth, also. So he needs the time there. He needs to be pulled off the track, to be put to a place where he can think about everything, figure it out. At first you just see ongoing hatred against Odin and Thor. He’s still blaming them for everything that went wrong, hiding himself away behind (false) justifications for his actions (like him being born a king). He isn’t really growing but stuck in self-pity and blind hate – it prevents him from really facing what he has done. Which would be very painful… and not bringing him anywhere, cause Thor and Odin are, too, not facing what they have done to him and in which points they are doing him wrong.

He is at the very bottom when Frigga is killed. Cause in his (partly self-chosen) prison of hate he is also unable to be there for the ones he loves. And again: his actions (not only his, but it will be blamed on him) bring pain and destruction…

But he has to think now. He has to reflect now about his shares on all of this. And I guess he’s on a point where he’s so torn between the blame and hate he himself holds for Odin and Thor and the pain of the guilt he feels himself… he’s gotta be such a chaotic mess of self pity, guilt, hatred, still not knowing who exactly he is or wants to be and the traumatic experiences he suffered in the time with Thanos… abandonment even… loss…

And then Thor comes… mighty, glorious Thor finally lowering himself to see him down there at the bottom, needing his help. Help only he can give him: the outcast, the trickster, the sneaking God of Mischief. How relieved he must be, but how bitter, too. Thor only comes when he needs him, not cause he cares about him. But: he finally learns why Loki is to be appreciated for his skills. And then again: he is promised to be facing his cell again, after doing his duty.

So: no real forgiveness in sight. No real appreciation, no Thor seeing it’s not all Loki’s fault, no love and redemption… not yet… but I guess a beginning is made?

Thor also rather gets the help of Loki than obeying Odin. And they already are combining their skills and powers. A beginning of a change for Thor, Loki and Asgard?

 But what other chance does Loki have than to escape, faking his death? (To escape lifelong prison, to make Thor sorry, to show him he will suffer his loss, despite of Thor telling/showing him how little he thinks of him. To sacrifice even to be finally redeemed… alive he would not get that chance, for sure. But now again: he escapes in faking his death, also giving him the chance of inventing himself new. Without having to face consequences. But well, the consequences he’d have to face would not be fair, for Thor and Odin still ignoring their shares on all the catastrophes they blame on Loki.

Also there is a chance to come back at Odin for his ignorance and for what he was doing to him all his life. In parodying him. In mocking him. In playing him as the arrogant, self-righteous, unable ruler he saw in him. And also kind of destroying the power Odin built up – in ways that had been more gruesome than anything Loki has ever done, but that are forgiven – contrary to Loki’s doings.

Now that Frigga is no more, no one will notice. And also no one is there to keep Odin in check. He shows he’s now making terrible decisions, neither Thor nor Loki, not even Heimdall would approve. They are all better off without Odin on the throne but Thor won’t take this responsibility himself. He can’t. At least not without betraying his wish to be a good / wise / worthy man rather than a king. He’d need to fall into the same patterns as Odin, probably, keeping Asgard alive in the old ways. Which also would keep him from giving Loki a fair chance of becoming himself and being appreciated for it.

The old Asgard has to fall.

Thor probably senses that it’s Loki on the throne, not Odin, when he doesn’t take Mjolnir. But probably he doesn’t care or doesn’t want / isn’t able to face it or mutually agrees about Odin not being fit for the throne anymore?

So they stay in a kind of vacuum of uncertainty? Of unsaid and unworked things…

 Then in Ragnarök, Thor falls back at the old patterns again: blaming Loki for everything that happened. Ignoring the shares each one of them has. But Loki doesn’t buy this shit anymore. Thor’s the one at the bottom now, all rules are shut off at Sakaar, also there is someone they have to actually fight (Hela, but it’s superficially just Thor who wants to fight her, not the same situation as against the Dark Elves) and it gives them the chance of evolving. A co-dependent evolving, though: Loki can only grow if Thor is growing to understand and appreciate him. And Thor needs a grown Loki to team up with – cause a suppressed Loki won’t stay with him… and Asgard also needs a king who’s found his own way of reigning…

Odin is dead, the old Asgard and old rules are torn down, giving them chances to reinvent themselves, their roles, Asgard and their relationship, teaming up to be the most powerful couple in the Universe. And imagine how powerful they’d even be if Loki does not only use his powers as God of Mischief to the fullest, but also as a Frost Giant!)

 They are still at the beginning with this developmental process, which would enable Loki to be himself and be loved and appreciated as God of Mischief and the way he deals with things – that’s different from Thor’s – when Infinity War happens.

 Why Loki is taking the Tesseract, we don’t know. It wasn’t actually a bad idea. Who knows what Hela or Surtur would have done with it? Or what it had caused in an exploding Asgard? And who knows what Thor, Loki and Asgard could have used it for?

Maybe it was also Loki not being able to resist the temptation – he still is the God of Mischief and Chaos, he doesn’t have to do “the right” things just for the sake of them being noble and right – there’re great chances in this, as there are in chaos. (But of course this fact is not easy to bear, so all respects to Thor if he really does appreciate and respect Loki for being the God of Mischief and endures causing trouble all the time and learns to see what it’s good for.)

We maybe see some kind of “fuck… again everything’s getting worse cause Loki could not help himself” and a “I’m so sorry…” in Loki, but I want to assume Thor maybe knew. Or he at least doesn’t blame him. That “You’re really the worst, brother” means he hoped for Loki not giving Thanos the Tesseract. Or is some kind of “you’re so mischievious again, I hope you have a plan for this… / I know you’re that way… I still love you but it’s a heavy burden you put on me.” Like saying to your best friend: “I hate you, you’re the worst” for dragging you into a new fandom but of course you don’t mean it in a really bad way...

Or course none of this would have happened if the Tesseract/Space Stone would have been destroyed? Would it even be possible to destroy it with an exploding Asgard? Of course Thanos would not have gone for the Asgardians if Loki wouldn’t have had the Tesseract. But doing so brings Thor (and Loki) into the game against Thanos and without them, the Avengers wouldn’t stand a chance. And you don’t see Thor blaming Loki even once during the whole movie. (Except for “You’re the worst, brother”…and I want to interpret this differently! Because I’m a sucker for harmony and happy endings and it’s so heartbreaking seeing him suffering and struggling all the time...)

And last but not least: he’s clearly stating who he is. Loki, Prince of Asgard, Odinson, the rightful King of Jötunheim, f*ing GOD OF MISCHIEF! (Yes, he’s talking to get time and to distract Thanos, but he’s also looking at Thor and he could have told everything, but nope, he’s reciting his whole title, his whole identity.) So this might be a clear message: this is me. I’ve found myself. And my place. Trust me to get us out of this... my way.

I’m still convinced they will defeat Thanos in the end and I still hope Loki will have a role in this. Or he had a plan to stay alive and therefor somehow getting away. Him dying like this is not an option. (And I won’t accept him being oh so sorry or oh so beyond redemption that he has to die.)

What I really hope for him, actually, is having a plan. Taking part in defeating Thanos, in his very own chaotic, mischievous way. Finding a way to accept and use his Frost Giant form. And in the end, on the throne of Jötunheim, reigning the Nine Realms together with Thor, causing just enough chaos to keep everyone busy with evolving^^

[I’ve done this in such a quick and dirty way, sorry if there are parts that are very abridged or don’t make sense...and I will definitely regret this when I rewatch the other movies, too ... I just need... to get over this now and face my own problems...]

[duhragonball]

Dragon Ball Z 110

Piccolo’s awesome.  He shows up in the Garlic Junior Saga, and he just throws a thousand gallons of shade all over him.     “Garlic Junior, huh?   I seem to recall a shit-tier movie villain by that name.    But it coudn’t be the same guy as your boss, Spice.    No, the Garlic Junior I’m thinking of was a total loser who got beaten by a toddler.” 

Maron starts freaking out.   The talking pig wasn’t so bad but then Chi-Chi tried to fight her, then all of Krillin’s friends went bonkers, and now the demons in slutty costumes showed up, and now this.   

Krillin’s like, “Honey, you knew I had brass balls when you started going out with me.   You must have known that I’d get into insane super-adventures all the time.”

Meanwhile, Piccolo wants to know how Garlic Junior escaped from the Dead Zone, since the Spice Boys are clearly too weak to have accomplished this themselves.  Piccolo’s not taking any prisoners today. 

Spice points straight up, because Part 4 was his favorite JoJo.  

The answer, as it turns out, is the Makyo Star.    Well, actually, it’s a planet, but I’m pretty sure the Japanese words for “star” and “planet” are kind of interchangeable?   I always assumed this was due to early astronomers lacking a distinction between the two.    The word “planet”, as I recall, comes from a word meaning “wanderer”, because they looked like stars in the sky, except they followed different paths through the night sky from all the real stars.  

Anyway, the Funimation dub calls it “Makyo Star”, while the subtitles translate it as “Makyo World”.   “The Planet Makyo” probably would have made more sense, but whatever.    What’s funny is that I know English has words to distinguish planets from stars, but we end up mudding the waters anyway, because “Makyo Star” sounds cooler.  

Spice’s point is that Makyo is the homeworld of the Mazoku, or Demon Clan, and it approaches the Earth once every 5000 years.  When it does, it empowers every demon on Earth, including Garlic Junior, who used the boost to muscle his way out of the Dead Zone. 

The weird thing is that he points out that Piccolo ought to have already been aware of this, since Piccolo once identified as Mazoku when he was a villain.  And this is why the Mazoku/Demon concept is so confused in this show.    Piccolo’s clearly not a demon, he’s a Namekian from the Planet Namek.   He was never not a Namekian.   I always assumed that King Piccolo called himself Daimao (demon king) because he was evil and had no idea what else to call himself. 

But then we got the lore about how anyone killed by the Mazoku was unable to find rest in the afterlife, so there seemed to be real consequences for being a demon.   This wasn’t just a throwaway line either.   Kami mentioned this rule again when Piccolo killed Raditz in DBZ.   Raditz was able to proceed into the afterlife, suggesting that Piccolo had ceased to be be a demon somehow.

This suggested to me that being a demon in Dragon Ball was more about a state of mind, or a corruption of the soul.   It was something you could inherit or succumb to, but you could also stop being one if properly motivated.    Like voting Republican.  But now, Spice is pointing to the Makyo Star, basically revealing that he’s an alien, and wondering why Piccolo didn’t already know about it.  

Confusing the issue even more, let’s not forget about the demons in the filler episode from the Fortuneteller Baba Saga.   Those guys were led by Shula, and they seemed to live in a cave.   Are they Makyans as well?    And what about the bad guys in Movie 4?   Lord Slug was a Namekian, but his henchmen called themselves Mazoku?    Were they Makyans?    And why were they vulnerable to sunlight.   

Oh, and there’s also Dabura from the Buu Saga, and all the demon lore introduced in Xenoverse and Dragon Ball Heroes, but there’s no sense getting into that.  

I guess what I’m driving at is that you’d think Spice would accuse Piccolo of being a poser.    He was never a “true” demon in the first place, because he’s from Namek and he didn’t even know what the Makyo Star was.    Instead, Spice seems to buy into him being a demon, if only a former one.  

Oh, also, while Spice tells this story, the video shows evil spirits floating through the cities, because the Makyo Star is making them stronger.    So are these Mazoku as well?   

Of course, Garlic’s whole plan this time around involves converting everyone into a demon, using the Black Water Mist.    I mean, Oolong sure as hell wasn’t a demon before, but he is now, according to the bad guys.  

And Spice is even offering to let Piccolo join them, since he used to be Mazoku before.   So it feels like the bar is pretty low for becoming a Mazoku.   You inhale cursed mist and become one against your will, or you come from the planet Makyo, or you can just be a disaffected jerk like King Piccolo or Lord Slug. 

I like the way the dub handles this scene.   Spice’s pitch is that Piccolo really has nothing left to fight for, because the battle’s already over, and Garlic won.   The Lookout has fallen, every living thing on Earth has become a loyal subject of Garlic Junior, and they really don’t seem to mind.   And wasn’t this sort of what Piccolo had been meaning to do before the Saiyans showed up?    Would it be so out-of-character for him to just accept this state of affairs and throw in with the bad guys?    Maybe this is the way it ends.    Maybe Piccolo should just take this as it is.

Yeah, right.   

Piccolo tosses off his weighted cape and turban, and everyone’s like “Is that your answer, you want to fight?”  I like that they know what’s up.   When Piccolo takes off his gear, it’s time to throw down.   

Maybe once, Piccolo might have gone along with this, but I doubt it.   Even as a villain, he was motivated by his nature as an outcast.   Spice just dared him to take on the whole world, and Piccolo’s like “wouldn’t be the first time.” 

Also, why should this dude sweat anybody on Team Garlic?   Piccolo’s faced the Saiyans and Frieza, and he’s still here.    He’s not King Piccolo’s assassin anymore.    He’s a proud son of Namek, and he’s going to honor his heritage the only way he knows how: whuppin’ some demon ass.

Of course, Piccolo can’t just fight the Spice Boys, because Yamcha’s working for them now, and he can fly and fight too.    So the Spice Boys just stand back and let Yamcha do their dirty work for them.   Gohan really doesn’t like this, and that seems to be a major theme for him in this arc.    Garlic is putting him in a position where he has to fight his loved ones, and he just can’t handle it.    As strong as he is, he lacks the will to fight back in these situations.

Oh, hey, Yukio Ebisawa is involved in this episode.     Like I said before, he’s harder to spot without Vegeta around, but when he has Maron morph into some sort of triangle monster to defend herself from Bulma and Chi-Chi, it’s hard to ignore.  

This is what Vegito dreams about...

Fortunately, Icarus shows up to save Maron.    Also, Yukio Ebisawa has her swimsuit grow to cover more of her body.    Normally, I’d complain about the continuity flub, but I’m grateful to Ebisawa for this, since his Maron would look even worse in a thong.    

Also, Evil Paur jumps in and saves Evil Yamcha from Piccolo.   This looks pretty disturbing, like Puar is eating Piccolo’s face.  

Gohan and Krillin try to help, but Piccolo sends them to Kami’s Lookout, since their only chance of fixing this mess is to get the Ultra Holy Water and use it before it’s too late.    He’s going to stay behind and hold these buttholes off.

That’s a tall order though.    Well, the Spice Boys and Yamcha are the real threat here.     Chi-Chi and Roshi, not so much, and frankly Evil Oolong looks more funny than threatening.   

Oh, then they start biting him.   Hot damn.

Goku looks like he’s pretty happy that he’s not in this episode.    “Hey, guys, it’s me, Goku!   Boy I sure am glad I’m on Planet Yardrat right now.   Yamcha looks pretty messed up!”

Back from the break, everyone jumps on Piccolo and starts bitiing him.   That’s just kind of sick how they dangle off him like lampreys.    What made them decide to do this, exactly?    Did the Spice Boys tell them to?  Did they come up with it on their own?  

Gohan was pretty reluctant to leave Piccolo in that mess, but he eventually did as he was told, and now they’re on their way to the Lookout.    So is Maron, apparently, because she doesn’t know any better, and Krillin’s too afraid to tell her no.

#squad goals.

Vinegar wants to kill Piccolo while he’s down, but Spice reminds him that if they do, the Dragon Balls will be rendered useless.   Besides, if you get bitten by someone infected with the Black Water Mist, you end up the same as if you inhaled it yourself.    So Piccolo should now be just like Bulma and the others. 

And yeah, that’s exactly what happens.   

Meanwhile, oh hell yeah, it’s the Vegeta part.   This saga rules.   

So if you’re wondering where Vegeta’s been during all of this, he left Earth in Episode 107.   Here, we see that he’s been hunting for Goku.   For some reason, this has led him to an army of Litts, the same species Vegeta mentioned when he was handing out Frieza Soldier uniforms to Krillin and Gohan.    Geets beats them all, then interrogates one to find out where Goku is.   This episode is kind of notable for being one of the few times Vegeta refers to Goku as “Goku”.

The Litts don’t know anything about it, though.   Apparently they don’t even know that Frieza’s been defeated, which seems odd, considering that he’s been gone for ten months now.   Vegeta tells this dude to pass along a message to Frieza in hell   Vegeta’s going to surpass and defeat Goku, so Frieza ought to feel grateful for this.   

Back on Earth, Krillin and the gang reach Korin’s Tower, and are relieved to find Korin and Yajirobe are unaffected by the Black Water Mist.    Korin has no idea what’s been going on, so he reads Gohan’s mind and flips out.   

So Gohan and Krillin head up to the Lookout, and leave Icarus and Maron behind.  

But when they arrive, they find the Spice Boys already waiting for them, along with their new buddy, Piccolo.    Uh-oh...

[hannahindie]

If I Could Start Again

Characters: Dean Winchester, Reader Word Count: 2,387 Warnings: A little angst. Just a touch. Some language and alcohol consumption, which shouldn’t really be a surprise. A/N: I wrote this for @meg-wayward-af’s Blues Challenge, and my prompt was Hurt by Johnny Cash. I’ve had this particular idea for awhile now, and when I got this song, I decided to combine the two. I think it turned out pretty well, and I hope you enjoy it!

Beta’d by @trexrambling, who is the most encouraging water bear on the planet. “I love this description on a level that runs deeper than the grand canyon.”

As always, tags are at the bottom. If you would like to be added, please let me know.

The bar is quiet, although that isn't unusual. We don't get many visitors here, and they never stick around for long. I take a deep breath and look at the clock. It says the same thing it has said for as long as I can remember; five ‘til midnight. Time doesn't really matter here, it's more of an aesthetic rather than an actual concept. It's quiet… No one has come in for awhile, and the jukebox sits silently, the records like blackened teeth in their neat rows, waiting for their time.

I wipe down the counter, though it doesn't really need it. The worn wood shines dully in the muted light from the frosted glass globes hanging just above it. Years of visitors have given it character; the tell tale signs of elbows as they leaned forlornly against it while they told me about their lives, their losses, unsure of where they were or how they got there. I already knew the story. I know everyone's story that passes through here. But that's the whole point of this place...for them to figure it out.

My eyes roam across the empty tables, and I feel a little sad. I know I shouldn't, but I've come to think of this place as a second chance for people, a way to start over. If there aren't any people, there aren't any second chances. Something about that is fundamentally sad, a bone crushing realization that either no one deserves it or there's no belief in people anymore. I grab a book from under the counter and settle onto my barstool, anticipating yet another quiet night.

That is, until I hear the quiet whirring of the jukebox as it comes alive, the arm clicking into place as it swings around and selects a record from the seemingly impossible amount of choices, then drops it softly onto the turntable. The needle scratches for a moment, cracking as it seeks purchase on the vinyl, then finally transitions into a low acoustic intro. My chest aches before the voice even starts, before I see who walks through the door. There's only one person this song would play for.

I hurt myself today To see if I still feel I focus on the pain The only thing that's real The needle tears a hole The old familiar sting Try to kill it all away But I remember everything

The door swings open, and footsteps cross the threshold, heavy boots against hardwood. Despite knowing who it is going to be, seeing him is still a shock. There are certain exceptions to the rule, and those exceptions never make it here. They have an entirely different path to take, one that doesn't involve sitting in a bar and talking about their feelings. I like to think of it as a VIP pass, no waiting, no fuss. Something is...off.

What have I become My sweetest friend Everyone I know goes away In the end And you could have it all My empire of dirt I will let you down I will make you hurt

He makes it to the bar and sits down, his arms folded on the counter. He looks at me and raises an eyebrow, “A little heavy for a bar, isn't it?”

I clear my throat, “What?”

He nods towards the jukebox, “The Man in Black. I'm surprised you have this on vinyl, though.”

I shrug, “It's better than the Nine Inch Nails version.”

He smiles, though it doesn't reach his eyes, “Fair enough.” He’s looking at me, but it's more like through me as he searches the shelf for what he's looking for. I already know; his is a simple request, a hunter’s request, but he's getting the good stuff this time. I turn and grab a bottle of whiskey off the shelf above me, the highest shelf we've got, and I turn to see him looking at me with what appears to be amusement. “That’s gonna be a little pricey, isn't it?”

I shake my head, “Nope. It all costs the same.” I forego the ice and tip the bottle directly into the glass, then slide it across the smooth wood. He sips it slowly as the music plays on.

I wear this crown of thorns Upon my liar's chair Full of broken thoughts I cannot repair

He closes his eyes, and for a moment I allow myself to stare at him. I never expected to see him in person, much less this close up, and I find myself drawn to this sad, tired man who has given up seemingly everything. The crinkles in the corners of his eyes are deep, and I wonder what it would look like if he were to laugh. He hasn't shaved, and I'm tempted to reach out and trace his jawline, curious as to how rough his five o’clock shadow would feel against the soft pads of my fingers. I'm not accustomed to feeling things this strongly. Obviously, I was put here for a reason, my curiosity being a strong contender, but mainly I think it is because I have a strong connection with those that are outcast, different. But this is far more than that. The longer I stare at him, the more I wonder...why is he here? This was never his destiny, so why?

Beneath the stains of time The feelings disappear You are someone else I am still right here Slowly, his eyes open. The bright green is startling in the low light. They search mine, his brows knitting together as if he were thinking about something. “Why...how did I get here?”

There it is. The question they always ask, though I'm surprised he's asking. I thought he'd know. I tilt my head, “What were you doing before?” I avoid directly telling him; he’ll get there, and I imagine he’ll get there faster than most.

“I was with my brother, we were...we were on a job. We got separated, and then…” he trails off, but looks down and runs a palm across his stomach. “Aww, shit.” I smile gently at him, and he looks back up at me. It surprises me to see that he almost looks relieved. “Am I dead?”

“Well, I suppose it depends on your definition of dead. Are we talking dead dead, or Winchester dead?”

“I guess either...both...I don't know.” He throws back the rest of his whiskey and slides the glass back to me. He isn't upset, he isn't trying to barter or make a deal. He just watches me, his expression one of curiosity more than anything.

“You're not really either...yet. Not permanently, anyway.” I pour another glass and he takes it, but doesn't immediately drink. He just tilts his head and looks at me questioningly.

“What's that supposed to mean? What is this place?”

I grab a beer from the cooler and pop the cap, “Consider this a type of...in-between.”

“You mean I'm in the veil?”

“Nah, not quite.” I take a sip of beer and lean against the back counter, “This is the in-between of your life and the veil. It's not a common practice, but some people are afforded an extra stop. Those who are uncertain, or maybe deserve a second chance. There are many reasons; each person is different.”

He frowns, then takes a sip of his whiskey. He's silent for a moment as he slowly twirls the glass in his fingers, watching the reflection of the amber liquid that is being cast onto the bar.

“People who deserve a second chance, huh? What about a seventh, eighth chance? Anyone else get those?”

I shrug, “Not usually. But it's also not up to me. I'm just here to greet and help those that are unaware come to terms with their fate, and for those that are allowed to go back a chance to talk it out.” I take a swig of beer, savoring the earthy flavor.

He smirks, “What if I don't want to talk it out, huh? What if I just get up and walk out?”

I shrug again, “Dean Winchester not wanting to talk about feelings, color me surprised. As far as I'm concerned, you can walk out that door and not come back. But I think you need to decide if you truly want to go back. Do you?” He is silent, his eyes on his hands, and I suddenly realize why he's here. “You don't want to go back...you want to die.” I say it softly, mostly to myself, but he looks up, and I can see the tears trapped in his lashes.

“How do you know who I am, anyway? Are you an angel? What did you do to end up with this gig?” His voice is tight, but he manages to blink away his tears, and his air of carelessness returns.

“I’m not...I’m not an angel.” This is where it gets tricky; no one has ever asked me what I am, not even the hunters. I guess they're always so worried about themselves and their fate, my presence is just a side note that gets them on their way.

“Then what are you?” he asks quietly, his eyes on my mouth as I take another swallow of beer and lick the stray droplets from my bottom lip. I can't say anyone has ever looked at me like this, either.

“I'm a reaper.” And there it is, out in the open. I brace myself for his reaction. I know his past with reapers hasn't always been pleasant, and I'm assuming meeting yet another one under the guise of the friendly, neighborhood bartender is not high on the list either.

He just snorts in surprise and drinks the rest of his whiskey, “A reaper? You think you've seen it all, then you die and end up at Cheers with a reaper. Where's Diane?”

“Wouldn't you like to know?” I'm feeling a little ballsy now. The great Dean Winchester is more personable than I’ve always been led to believe. I walk around the end of the bar and hop up to sit on the counter next to him.

He looks at me with an eyebrow raised, “You still didn't say how you got stuck with a job like this.”

I lean back on my hands and cross my legs, “No other reaper wants to do it. They think what's dead should stay dead. They think it's a waste of time.”

“Don't you?”

“No, I don't. Humans are...they're amazing. They're full of faults, and conflict, but they keep trying. They keep loving and caring and protecting, and they try to be the best self they can. I've spoken to so many people who question that about themselves despite the good they've done. They question if they deserve to go back, or if they'd be a burden to whoever they're going back to. There's always the handful that beg to be sent back, but the behavior is usually the same.” I turn sideways and cross my legs under me so that I can look at him straight on. “But then there's you.”

He looks up at me then, the curiosity replaced with something else, “What about me?”

I sigh, “Do I really need to point it out?” He continues to look at me silently, which doesn't surprise me. “You aren't questioning it. You aren't torn. You truly believe that you don't deserve another chance and that you're more of a burden than anything else. You think the world is better off without you, that Sam will be better without you.” I break my own rule and reach out to lay my hand over his.

He looks down at where our hands are and shakes his head, “How do you know that? You just met me.”

I smile sadly, “Because you're Dean Winchester. It might be the first time you've been here, and I might not be high up on the list of reapers, but I hear things, I observe things. I can feel it.” I squeeze his hand and he looks up at me, and the desperation and sadness in his eyes is almost too much for even me to handle. How does one person hold that much inside and not implode?

“So, this is where you have a choice. You can stay here, make the decision to move on. You have that option. If you do decide to take that route, you'll leave behind a legacy, legends of the man who saved the world. Your brother will be lost without you, your friends will mourn...but life will go on. If you go back, you'll keep the world safe. And I know that isn't fair, but good things will happen for you too. You'll be with Sam, and Castiel...you'll be with your family. I can't choose for you, I can’t push you towards a specific end...well, I'm not supposed to. But Dean...there's a reason you ended up here. No one comes here when the decision is already made. If anyone knows that, it would be you. So what will it be?”

“I don't...I don't know. I'm just so tired. I'm tired of fighting, tired of letting people down...I'm tired of losing everyone. Sam needs to learn to live without me...we’re just crutches to each other. He's gotta learn to survive on his own.”

I nod, “Fair enough. But are those things reason enough to give up?”

Dean sighs, “No, they aren't.” He stands, and I reluctantly pull my hand back from his and turn so that my legs are dangling over the edge of the bar. “Thanks for the whiskey…” he trails off, and I realize I never told him my name.

“Y/N. It’s Y/N.”

He smiles, then leans in and brushes his lips against the corner of my mouth. “Thanks, Y/N. Maybe I'll see you around sometime.”

I laugh quietly, “I hope not, Winchester. I don't want to have this conversation again.” He chuckles and gives a small wave as he walks towards the door. He disappears through it as the jukebox fades out, and I wonder if I'll ever see him again.

If I could start again A million miles away I would keep myself I would find a way

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[acharlescoleman]

I think I’m done with watching Female Trouble for a while. I feel like I’ve seen it like five times or more within the last four years and that’s too much for a comedy. It’s still a great movie though. The whole cast is great in their own way especially for top billed cast for remembering all that Waters dialogue and nailing certain punctuated words when needed. They’re all great. I think rewatching it again I really narrowed into Mink Stole’s performance again as the Hare Krishna brat and really getting glee from the Baltimore accents, that’s like the best way to hear Divine’s Earl in the movie. I feel like the first time I saw the movie I didn’t know Divine was both Dawn and Earl so he has sex with himself literally in the movie early on, it’s hilarious when Earl goes down on Dawn.

Also, at point Edith is offered eggs, I think it was when she’s in the cage and Mink asks her if she wants eggs and she says no, she hates eggs which is a fun nod in reverse from her Egg Lady character in Pink Flamingos.

It’s wild they shot in an actual prison and I believe that was a real electric chair which seems super spooky to me.

I think the only thing that grossed me out with that movie was when the photographers shoot up Divine with something that I don’t think it was real but it looked like they used a real needle and that stuff just gives me shivers. Other than I wasn’t grossed out and I feel like a lot of people won’t be grossed out either, maybe I’m just used to that movie but overall that movie feels less gross than his other early ones. It’s def not a PC friendly movie and def of its time (the R word is said a lot) but if you know all this I think one would have fun.

Desperate Living is something else though. I think I’ve only seen one other time, although I have seen Mink’s (Peggy) rant at the beginning out of context a bunch of times for pleasure. It’s a wild movie, it starts right away with Mink having a breakdown at her second store bedroom yelling at children outside. Not long after that there’s naked children (you don’t see anything inappropriate which was a relief) and then at some point Mink’s husband is dead and she and her lesbian nurse Grizelda (Jean Hill) are on the lamb from the police. One cop catches up with them and Mink and the nurse have to give up their panties to the cop who then proceeds to strip to his underwear and he puts them on. Next he demands that they give him a kiss, they oblige and this leads to the cop laying down on the ground, making weird noises.

The rest of the movie is set in a shantytown Mortville (except for one quick moment outside of like a liquor store and one scene at a hospital where a character demands at gun point to get a sex change, that whole sex change bit is all done distastefully as expected and borderline lazy but it’s the 70’s!) where Edith Massey (Queen Carlotta) plays an evil Queen who rules the area so the movie is the two characters adapting to this place and we’re introduced to even more whacky characters!

There was so much nudity in the movie and not female nudity but male too. It was a real boob and dick and ass fest! (And some vagina too) Susan Lowe (Mole) and Liz Renay (Muffy) kind of becomes the co-leads couple of the movie during this part of the movie along with Mary Vivian Pierce’s Princess Coo-Coo (daughter of the Queen) and Mink. Grizelda has a house fall on her during the movie (spoilers) and that was a bummer because she was a fun character. Anyways, Queen Carlotta declares a backwards day, everyone in Mortville has to walk backwards or they’ll face death. Very harsh, this leads to Mole to start a rebellion. And that’s pretty much the movie. I’m sleepy so it’s not the best description.

It was fun recognizing all the lesser known Dreamlanders in this movie from Female Trouble.

The other real highlights for me were:

- Mole’s flashback as a wrestler

- Mink dressed up like the wicked witch, cooking up a rabies brew.

- the dual lesbian sex sequence where Peggy and Grizelda have loud sex while Muffy and Mole also have loud sex.

- twice Queen Carlotta has loud hetero sex with her guards, I think she’s fully clothed in these scenes and the guys are all naked. Like I said lots of dicks!

- the four pals go to Mortville’s nudist colony where Mole has a regular conversation about her day with a naked woman and all the whole during their conversation we see like naked guys on pogo sticks and naked guys and gals playing like sports. It was wild. Def not something you see in most movies.

Not a great movie but still all these moments added up to a good time to me.

Just being in a movie theater as the city feels like it’s on the verge of lifting even more mask policies was interesting. I think I would’ve been more off put by seeing people without masks if I wasn’t used to seeing that on the bus, work, eating in fast food places and so many other places. It’s not for everyone for sure. The rules are just so odd. I’m repeating myself but it bears repeating you must wear a mask to go inside but when you’re in you can take your eat popcorn or sip a drink so idk! Like I said I’m already kind used to be around people who aren’t wearing masks even in indoor places, it is a little different being in a semi-packed movie theater but it seemed like 60/40 of the people in the place were pretty good at keeping their masks on, not the people around me though, I guess Waters movies brings out that rebellious spirit in people even if it’s misguided. It didn’t bother me enough to leave though so again, I just have to get used to it if I really do want to go to the movies again so yeah it is what it is.

Overall I had a pretty fun night, I’m glad I saw these movies and I wish I was more knowledgeable about the Fast and the Furious movies. And I wish I was a good writer because both John Waters movies and the Fast & the Furious movies are kind of about outcasts becoming a family, not in the traditional sense but like a real supportive community. And there’s a link that crime is totally involved too. I feel like I’d need a third thing to tie them together too but there’s something kind of there, right? I don’t know the Fast movies well enough to even try to write a piece like that but I did think of it as I contemplated when I’ll go to the movies again which will probably be the next Fast movie which I hope will be good, fun trash!