#Artemis from Sailor Moon - he can try

[4typercent]

Maybe.

[the-broken-truth]

Yandere One-Shot: Yandere Queen Hippolyta

SUBTITLE: YOU ARE MEANT TO BE MINE, THE GODS SENT YOU TO ME. [PART ONE]

You arrived on the Island of Themyscira when the cruise ship you here traveling on was hit in a sudden storm, which was kind of ironic considering you made a joke about how the dark cloud forming meant you all were about to face Poseidon's Wrath.

While the captain wrestled with the raging seas, you were helping the passengers get to the door that lead to the cabins. You were about to head in yourself when you noticed a young boy near the front of the ship; refusing to leave anyone, you pushed against the winds and grabbed the boy before heading back.

You were almost there with him when a large wave came over the edge of the ship - acting on pure instinct, you pushed the boy to the sailor who caught him...but the wave caught you before you could do anything.

The raging water sent you flying to the edge of the ship, making your back come in contract with the metal rails, sending pain from the center of your spine to your entire body before sweeping you over the rail and into the water that consumed you. Your life flashed before your eyes before the air was cut off and you began drifting away into nothingness, but not before a powerful voice spoke to you from an unknown depth.

"You are perfect to stand by her side."

And then, you knew no more.

You woke up on an unknown beach, trying to remember what happened but there seemed to be a gap in your memory. You tried to stand but the pain in your back made you fall back to the sand. You managed to turn over to where your face was in view of the sun - you laid there, trying to let your back heal on its own when the sound of horses neighing and hooves hitting the sandy beach.

You opened your eyes and came face to face with numerous women, all wearing golden armor and armed to the teeth - and all wearing very pissed-off expressions on their faces. You tried to speak up they just snatched you up and tied you up before placing you on one of the horses as if you were a bounty.

You were thrown into a cell - still bound as if you were a bounty. The ladies glared at you before leaving you, all except one; you assumed she was going to watch you.

You knew it wouldn't be wise to try to speak - they were already angered with you and it wouldn't be wise to anger them further; you were already in enough pain as it was. You sat in the middle of the cell with your legs crossed and your eyes closed - if anyone saw you, they would assume that you were in meditation.

After a while, the door opened again and several people walked in - leading them was an elegant woman with a crown, she must have been the queen.

"What is this?" The queen asked as her blue eyes glared into your surprisingly calm [Eye Color] eyes.

"My Queen, this is the outsider our scouts informed you about. We found them lazing upon our beach as if it was their own." The guard said as she glared at you.

"Open the cage." The Queen ordered, the guard followed the order and she walked into the cage with a lasso in her hand, "I am going to ask you some questions - Are you going to be truthful or will I have to force the truth from you?" The Queen asked.

"I have nothing to gain but an enemy if I lie. You have my word that I shall be honest with you, Your Grace." You said.

"We shall see about that." The Queen said as she tied the lasso around your neck before holding it with one hand - there was a golden glow before the queen spoke again. "What is your name?"

"My name is [Your Name], Your Grace." You answered.

"Truthful. Well, [Your Name], how did you get here?" She asked.

"I was on a cruise ship with some other people when a massive storm it. I was aiding the people to get the safety but there was a boy that strayed from the group and was alone. I went to help him, I managed to save him but the waves swept me off the ship and into the ocean. When I came to, I was on your beach." You answered.

"Truthful." She looked into your eyes, "You risked your own life for a boy's - what reason did you have?" She asked.

"He has a life." You answered.

"What do you mean 'he has a life'?" She asked.

"He was young, no more than 6 - he cried for his mother, it was clear he was afraid. I've lived longer than him, I wasn't gonna let him lose his life when he hasn't even experienced much yet." You answered with a calm sparkle in your eyes.

The Queen looked at you for a while before taking the lasso from around your neck, "It's clear that you are honest. You really had no intention of finding this place?" She asked.

"No, Your Grace - I have no idea where I am, and I can see your people are not fond of outsiders. I would leave at once if I could." You explained.

'What's stopping you?" The guard scoffed.

"The storm damaged my back - that's why I was laying on the beach where you found me. And, I don't have access to a ship." You explained.

"There are a few ships that are in need of repair near the beach where you were laying. Once your back heals, fix a ship and leave our island." The guard ground.

"If that will please you, I shall." You closed your eyes and bowed your head. The Queen looked at you for a while before leaving the cell - which was locked right behind her - and she left the area with her guards behind her. Her blue eyes seemed focused but her mind was in a fog - she can't stop thinking about what happened the previous night...

When she prayed to the Gods for the perfect partner to rule Themyscira alongside her.

'Could they...be the one the Gods sent to me?' She wondered.

After a week, your spine was healed enough for you to move and you asked the Queen to show you the ships the guard spoke of. You, The Queen, and a few Amazon Guards went to the ship graveyard and you found a fishing boat that was mostly intact but needed a new propeller, some holes in the hull patched up, and some look at the digital map; the other ships would have the parts, you just needed the tools.

It would be another week before you got the tools you wanted.

The Amazon Hunting Parties - Lead by the Amazon Artemis, named after the Goddess of the Moon and Hunt, came back with nothing one time and wasn't sure what she was going to do. You offered your aid and she laughed at you then you made her a deal.

"I am certain I can come back with meat before the shadows blank at the land - if I am able to do this, then I am to be given the tools I need to repair the boat." You offered. She laughed up you before giving you a bow and sending you on your way - there was no escape off the island so they didn't need to worry about you running away.

Just before the sun's light faded from the sky - You returned with 3 wild boars for their dinner. Artemis was both shocked and angry to be made a fool of. You gave her the meat and she gave you the tools, you removed yourself from the city with no food to continue repairs but Hippolyta followed you and left a basket of fruit, bread, meat, with a canteen of wine before leaving before you saw her.

The longer you stayed on the island, the more the locals accepted you. When you walked into the city to retrieve some things for the boat, the women would wave or smile: You became Artemis' Hunting Partner and Diana loved to spar with you. There were some times you ate with the Amazons in the meal hall or sometimes, Hippolyta would invite you to eat with her and Diana; she almost felt like you were all a family.

"So, how is progress with the boat, [Your Name]?" Diana asked you one night during dinner.

"Well, actually. I just have to wait for the automated systems to finish drying and set them and making sure the holes in the hull are patched, then I can be on my way." You smiled but...Hippolyta didn't look happy at the news.

"I thought you said would take at least 3 months to fix the boat." She said.

"It has been 3 months, Queen Hippolyta." You said as you looked in the queen's eyes.

"But...are you certain you need to go back?" Hippolyta asked.

"What do you mean?" You asked.

"Well, you've been here for so long and everyone already sees you as one of us. I mean - look at you - you're more like an Amazon." Hippolyta said as she gestured at the outfit you were wearing.

"Your Grace, I have been here too long. I have a life that I must return to and I am not one of you - I have no right to be here." You said.

The rest of the dinner was in silence.

After that dinner, strange things were happening around you: You would find new damages or flaws with the boat or the Amazons were acting more like family than before. You didn't like it.

One night, you were working non-stop on the boat and had just placed the propeller on when you heard footsteps, your turned to look and saw...

"Artemis? Diana?" The 2 Amazons stood there with saddened looks on their faces.

"We didn't want you to find out like this." Artemis said.

"Wait - you two have been the ones that have been damaging the boat and keeping me from leaving?" You questioned, the silence was enough to answer, "You are... Why would you do this?" You asked.

"It's you who wouldn't understand - you can't leave, you belong here - on Theymscira, ruling the Amazon with Mother." Diana said.

"I'm not an Amazon, I have no right to be here!" You tried to make them see reason.

"You may not be Amazon but you do belong here. It's been clear to all of us and we shall not let you leave our queen. The Gods brought you here because you are meant for Queen Hippolyta - you are the one she prayed for." Artemis said.

"What? NGH!!!" You clenched your head as a splitting pain shot through your mind, making you fall to your knees in pure agony.

"They are remembering something. Diana, get them before the pain fades!" Artemis said. They didn't have to worry about the pain fading because it knocked you out again.

[End of Part One]

[arysthaeniru]

I got tagged by @omicheese, SO long ago, to write a list of 10 favourite characters, each from a different media! This is so hard!

1. Kira Nerys - Deep Space 9

One of the most complex, interesting characters in the show, who balances trauma, badassery and vulnerability really well. I adore how much thought Nana Visitor put into her personality; her struggles with religion, compromise and leadership are genuinely great to watch. Also she is such a closeted lesbian and it is a disaster to watch her date bland white man after bland white man, seeking a safe man after a lifetime of fear, not realizing she's been in love with Jadzia this whole time...

2. Haruka Sawamura - Yakuza

Although the writers never want to acknowledge her trauma, I find her people-pleasing and her forced happiness such a fascinating part of her. Having to deal with essentially becoming the emotional crutch to Kiryu at such a young age because Kiryu can't process his own emotions well, and then essentially being the second parent at the orphanage as Kiryu keeps running off to Kamurocho, and then becoming an idol in order to save her orphanage from debt, even though being an idol wasn't really her dream anyway... She's so interesting, and the way she swallows her trauma and takes in all the wrong lessons from Kiryu's arcs makes her genuinely so good and interesting!

3. Artemy Burakh - Pathologic

For all that I have...problems with parts of Pathologic especially when it comes to depiction of the Kin, Artemy really is such an interesting, nuanced protagonist. His journey of figuring out what it means to balance honouring his indigenous heritage while also navigating the racism of his society and also grief of losing his father while also acknowledging his father's mistakes, and managing this new family of children he's stumbled upon, as well as trying to revive old friendships....it really is such a great arc, and I love him. His arc is about love, even though he doesn't think he's worthy of it. (But also Taya and Capella are also here in spirit because I love them SO much).

4. Edelgard von Hresvelg - Fire Emblem

My little revolutionary meow meow! I love how determined yet conflicted Edelgard is as a person, certain of the arc of her story, but uncertain what the exact beats must be. When it comes down it, I love characters who think of themselves as weapons learning what it is to be human again! It's such a vulnerable, interesting process to entangle, and her friendships and her relationships are always so delightful to think about. Edelgard's arc in Three Houses is about the fallacy of red-brown alliances in leftist politics, actually, and how it can harm your own cause and compromise your vision ❤

5. Aino Minako - Sailor Moon

Mina-chan is such a fun supporting character. I love how ditzy and absent-minded she is for things she doesn't care about, and yet how determined and unrelenting she is about her dreams and ambitions. I loved her grappling with what she really wants from life, having been a Sailor Scout for the longest time and wondering what else she wants to be, who else she could become! I also LOVE her willingness to date four or five people at a time—she is the avatar of love, after all.

6. Riju - Breath of the Wild

My baby! I have no idea why she's in charge, nothing about the Gerudo politics seems to imply that they have a hereditary monarchy, so really, there's no reason for a 15 year old to be in charge, but logic be damned. I see a precocious child burdened with the weight of legacy and responsibility and I have to stan them. (It's why Taya and Capella were shortlists for my fave from Pathologic). The themes are too good and she's one of the best units in Hyrule Warriors. I wish she had better clothes though, she deserves a skirt that actually covers her legs.

7. Azula - Avatar the Last Airbender

My first crush ever, I continue to stan evil women with great senses of fashion!! I find her such an intriguing character and although the show often spends time telling us Azula is clever and manipulative instead of showing us (the Ba Sing Se arc made...zero sense), she's such a clear threat and powerhouse and yet so vulnerable and on the edge at the same time. She is the ultimate representation of how the Fire Nation's fascism has destroyed the idea of childhood altogether, and I think her menace is only added to by the fact that she's deeply emotional about her people, even as she cruelly manipulates them to do her bidding.

8. Anthy Himemiya - Revolutionary Girl Utena

It's about the cycles, it's about the victimhood, its about finding power in being reviled, even as it rips you apart, it's about taking humour in your imprisonment because what else can you do—and then the bright, blinding hope that comes from love and letting somebody in, giving them a chance to help set you free. I love Anthy so much, and it's so important that she's a brown woman. (Though Wakaba is close second because...Wakaba!!!!)

9. Dominic Ash - DIE Comic

DIE is genuinely one of the best comics out there, gutting and powerful and adult in all the best ways, and Ash is my problematic, manipulator fave right in the centre of it all. I love how often Ash uses their power to try and force their friends to follow their bidding and are unable to truly control the consequences of doing so, driving all but Isabelle away. I love how afraid they are of their power corrupting them, yet taking the plunge anyway, for the sake of the greater good. And I love their struggles with love, parenthood and the escapist fantasy of being powerful and desired within the role-playing game, and not necessarily wanting to go back to real life.

10. Glimmer - She-Ra and the Princesses of Power

Glimmer's such a fun character, desperate to be grown up enough to take on the revolutionary fight and desperate to get better at controlling her own magic and so desperately jealous of her friends' power and terrified she's inadequate and they'll leave her. I love her parallels with Catra and Adora, I adore her thrill-seeking tendencies and her extreme desire to be above-all-else helpful. I love how easily she pushes herself over her limits for the sake of her friends, and how disastrous those choices usually are... also her character design is top-tier.

With absolutely zero-pressure involved, I tag @iammissingautumn @ishtarstripdying @corvidfeathers @touchmycoat @ghostlyeris and anybody else who is interested and wants to do this!!!

[samwisethewitch]

Polytheism

Most pagan religions are polytheistic in nature, meaning they believe in multiple divine beings. This is one of the hardest parts of paganism for outsiders to understand. In a culture where strict monotheism is treated as the norm, it can be difficult to wrap your head around the idea of worshiping more than one god.

Ironically, monotheism — the belief in a single, all-powerful creator deity — is a relatively new invention. Zoroastrianism, the first monotheistic religion, is only about 4,000 years old. In the big scheme of things, that really is not a long time. Evidence for polytheistic religion dates back much, much farther (like, up to 40,000 years). We could argue that polytheism is the natural state of human spirituality.

Within pagan communities, polytheism is often described as a spectrum, with “hard polytheism” on one end and “soft polytheism” on the other. Hard polytheists believe that every deity is a distinct, separate, autonomous spiritual being. Soft polytheists believe that every deity is a part of a greater whole. As we’ve already discussed, extreme soft polytheism isn’t actually polytheism at all, but monism — the belief in a single divine source that manifests in different ways, including as different deities.

Hard polytheism is pretty straightforward. Norse paganism is an example of a hard polytheist system. Most Norse pagans believe that Odin is distinct from Thor, who is distinct from Freyja, who is distinct from Heimdall… you get the idea. Each of these gods has their own area of expertise over which they preside. If you’re dealing with a love matter, you’re probably going to seek out help from Freyja rather than Thor — unless you have a close, ongoing working relationship with Thor. (We’ll talk more about these types of close working relationships in a future post.)

Soft polytheism can be a little harder for people coming from a monotheist system to wrap their heads around. I think Jeremy Naydler describes it best in his book Temple of the Cosmos (here discussing Kemetic/Egyptian polytheism): “Shu and Tefnut are distinct essences dependent on Atum for their existence… The image often used in ancient Egyptian sacred texts concerning the gods in general is that they are the ‘limbs’ of the Godhead.” Shu and Tefnut, who are described in mythology as Atum’s children, are an extension of Atum’s creative power. However, they are also distinct beings with their own thoughts, feelings, and agendas. (It’s worth noting that we also have myths describing Atum’s birth. He is not a supreme being or a timeless force like the Abrahamic God.)

Monism is soft polytheism taken to its logical extreme. In her book, Wicca For Beginners, Thea Sabin describes it this way: “Think, for a moment, of a tree with a thick trunk that splits into two large branches. In turn, smaller branches grow from the large ones, and still smaller branches from the small ones, and so on. Deity is the trunk of the tree, and the God and Goddess are the two main branches. The smaller branches that fork off of the two big ones are the worlds gods and goddesses…”

If you’re not sure what the difference between soft polytheism and monism is, here’s a good litmus test: If you believe in the existence of a supreme divine force, you’re a monist. If not, you’re a polytheist.

Many pagans are somewhere in between hard and soft polytheism. For example, you may believe that Zeus and Jupiter are different versions of the same deity, filtered through the lens of Greek and Roman culture, respectively — but you believe that Thor is distinct and separate from Zeus/Jupiter, even though all three of them are gods of storms.

To make things even more complicated, there are some pagans (and some atheists, for that matter) who believe that the gods exist less as autonomous beings and more as archetypes within mankind’s collective consciousness. Their stories resonate with us because they serve as mirrors for different parts of ourselves. In this sense, we create the gods in our own image.

This belief is how we get “pop culture pantheons.” Some people work with fictional characters as archetypes in their spiritual practice. After all, if Sailor Moon is the ultimate representation of feminine power for you, what’s stopping you from putting her on your altar? Some pop culture pantheons have actually broken through into mainstream paganism — there are a lot of Wiccans who work with Merlin, believe me.

This interpretation is a bit different from polytheism, and could really be its own post (or several), so for the sake of keeping things short and sweet I’m not going to go any deeper into it. If this interests you, I recommend reading the work of Jungian psychologists like Clarissa Pinkola Estés and Robert A. Johnson. You may even want to check out The Satanic Bible by Anton LeVay for a particularly spicy take on the idea that we create our own gods and devils.

Just know that you can still practice paganism, even if you aren’t 100% sold on the idea that the gods literally exist.

Your take on polytheism doesn’t necessarily have to match up with the historical cultures you take inspiration from. For example, you may be a hardcore monist, but find that you’re drawn to work exclusively with the Norse gods. Or, you may be the hardest of hard polytheists, but find that the Kemetic gods are the ones who really speak to you. This is all totally okay! One of the benefits of paganism is that it allows for a lot of personalization.

Now that we’ve got the types of polytheism out of the way, let’s address the other big question that comes up when pagans discuss polytheism with monotheists: Does that mean you believe all those crazy myths are true? Once again, the answer depends on the pagan.

Just like some Christians are biblical literalists who believe that the Bible is a factual historical account, there are some pagans who believe that their mythology is factually true. However, many pagans accept that these stories have fantastical or exaggerated elements, but still convey a spiritual truth.

There are multiple Norse myths about men being transformed into dragons by their lust for riches, the most famous of which is probably the story of the dwarf-turned-dragon Fafnir. (Yes, Tolkien did steal that plot point from Norse mythology. Sorry.) These stories aren’t really about the dragons, though — they’re about the corrupting power of greed. The stories are true in that they teach a valuable life lesson that resonated deeply with ancient Norse culture. But did dragons really roam the earth in ancient times? Probably not.

This is one of the most important skills for any pagan: finding the spiritual truth in a myth or story. If you read a myth about Artemis transforming a man into a deer because he spied on her while she was bathing, what does that tell you about Artemis? Next time you read or listen to a myth or folk tale, try to find the message at the core of the story. You may be surprised by how this changes your understanding of the mythology.

If you’re interested in paganism but aren’t sure where to start, it might be helpful to gauge where you fall on the polytheism spectrum. Are you a hard polytheist, a soft polytheist, or somewhere in between? Are you a monist? Do you believe the gods function more as archetypes? Write it down so you can look back on it later.

When we talk about specific pagan traditions in future posts, I’ll point out where they fall on the polytheism spectrum. If you’re looking for a path that is compatible with your own beliefs, this is one thing to keep in mind.

Finally, know that your beliefs about the gods might change as you continue to learn and grow. That’s a natural part of religious exploration, so don’t try to fight it!

[sailormoonandme]

Why does Usagi think Mamoru might leave/cheat on her?

Occasionally during Sailor Moon R, S and SuperS Usagi seemed to have these moments of insecurity where she was concerned that Mamoru was either interested in other people or else other people might make a play for him.

The real life reason for this I suspect is simply because Sailor Moon has a lot of sitcom sensibilities alongside it’s romantic elements, so milking comedy from a romantic topic by having our lead act over the top or goofy is a logical writing tool to reach for. Especially when you have such a large quantity of episodes to produce.

However, I have a more in-universe explanation to propose.

In real life Usagi’s behaviour would most likely be connected to trust issues with her partner, with other people or else concerns about her own inadequacies. However, I don’t think that’s the case here.

Rather, I think it’s actually far more connected to the numerous times Usagi has loved and ‘lost’ Mamoru.

Back in the Silver Millennium days there was this low key implication that romantic mingling between the Moon Princess and Earth Prince was somehow forbidden. After all when Endymion came to the Moon and tried to warn Serenity about Metalia and Beryl the royal guards chased him away and he needed to disguise himself. So from Serenity’s POV the social system she was living in was limiting her ability to be with the man she loved and made their future together at best uncertain.  

Now, I admit that’s perhaps a bit too big of an extrapolation to draw from, especially for the anime version of the characters where we got far less info about their past lives. However, the more significant part here is the fact that Endymion was taken from her when he was killed by the Dark Kingdom. Seeing her lover murdered in front of her whilst her home were also being destroyed (and her friends killed) would obviously be very traumatic, particularly if Serenity was mentally and physically the equivalent of a fourteen year old like Usagi.  

In her next life she was crushing very hard on Tuxedo Mask who routinely showed up to aid her and then rarely lingered. That’s not exactly traumatic, but the early days of their relationship would’ve still been founded by Usagi seeing the person she wants to stick around and spend time with her leave her when she wouldn’t want him to.

She also feared Tuxedo Mask had died in episode 13 when Jadeite announced that he’d killed him. True, he was revealed as alive and well shortly afterwards, but the horror of that moment (however brief it may’ve been) could’ve stuck with Usagi.

Then, in the iconic 34th episode of the show, Mamoru was violently impaled right in front of her. We can debate if he died and was consequently revived by the Dark Kingdom or if he was merely close to death before his abduction. But either way that’d inevitably be an instance where Usagi once again traumatically lost the man she loved, or at least came extremely close to doing so if not for the emotion of the moment re-awaking her old memories.

Speaking of which, as episode 35-36 make clear, the mere act of abruptly regaining all her memories would be emotionally wrenching all on it’s own. When combined with the tragic and traumatic nature of those memories, it’s far from unbelievable that subconsciously this would further mark Usagi’s psyche.  

The reveal that her lover is alive but no longer remembers her and is actively a threat to her now would obviously compound this. As would the fact that in episode 36 he uses a rose to hurt her. It’s not a serious wound at all, but he still hurt her and used an object that up until then he’d used explicitly to help and protect her. Within Usagi’s mind his roses would’ve likely been ‘coded’ with positive emotions, so seeing them used in that way would’ve been further upsetting for her, in essence a perversion of what they should  mean to her mind. The roses now being black are an apt metaphor for this point.  

Of course during the final stretch of episodes in season 1 Usagi almost  restores Mamoru. But that’s the key here, she almost  succeeds. First it the ski episode where he briefly seems to break out of his brainwashing and then again in the episode where Ryo (and the other Rainbow Crystal hosts) returns. In the latter she actually succeeds in restoring him to normal but he’s abducted immediately once again. Not only did Usagi lose Mamoru a few more times but her active efforts to bring him back to her failed.

We then come to the most traumatic events in Usagi’s second life (up to that point), episodes 44-46.

In episode 44, not only did she once again re-experience the tragic destruction of the Silver Millennium, but she got a ‘bird’s eye view’ of everything that happened, including the specific moments she, Endymion, her friends and even her mother died. True, her sadness or trauma over everyone else isn’t specific to her losing Endymion/Mamoru, however because these events happen so close together and are connected it’s not unbelievable that Usagi’s mind might’ve created an association. So her pain over seeing her mother die is associated also with her ‘losing’ Endymion as well. By that same token, the death of her beloved friends in episode 45 might’ve consequently become associated with what happened next.  

In episode 46 Usagi is outright attacked by a brainwashed Endymion. First she sees him loyally serving her enemy who (by proxy) murdered her friends like an hour ago. Worse she might’ve picked up on the obvious romantic undertones between Beryl and Endymion, including him kissing her hand, and let’s not forget in the flashback from episode 44 Beryl clearly desired Endymion. Whilst intellectually Usagi might know he’s not in his right mind, emotionally seeing him like that with Beryl in that context could emotionally upset her, almost as though he was betraying their love in the worst possible way.  

Endymion’s efforts against her are also significantly more violent and active than anything he did before since episode 36. Dashing a rose across the back of her hand pales in comparison to ensnaring her and shocking her with his roses. Not to mention trying to slice her up with the very same sword he would’ve used to defend her in the Silver Millennium. Even if you don’t buy into my point about perverting these symbols of their relationship, the mere act of him hurting her and trying to murder her like that is going to obviously be emotionally arresting.

In a sense in those horrible moments for Usagi Endymion/Mamoru really was ‘lost’ to her, he merely looked  like her lover. This I think is why it was significant that she actually fought  back against him with her tiara. But since he still looked like her lover and intellectually she knew he wasn’t to blame (and emotionally hoped he was still salvageable) her own act of self-defence horrified her.  

Of course she does save him, but then he dies again. Depending on how you look at it, from Usagi’s POV this is at least the second  time he’s really died and that number climbs higher if you include his presumed death in episode 13 and the number of times she had to re-experience his death in the Silver Millennium. And that isn’t even counting traumatic dreams about him dying in the aftermath of episodes 34-35. It doesn’t help that his mortal injuries in episode 46 are eerily similar to the ones he sustained in episode 34, namely a violent impalement.

We might even argue this is categorically the worst  instance up until this point of Usagi watching her lover die or seemingly die. In the Silver Millennium she herself died seconds later. In episode 13 they weren’t nearly as close as they’d become by episode 46 and she at least had friends and family in her life she knew she could lean on. This equally applies to Mamoru seemingly dying in episode 34 and even his abduction in episode 35. In fact with Minako, Makoto and Artemis Usagi had an even larger support network than before. In episode 46 though her lover has died in her arms, she’s left to go on and the Inner Senshi are dead, Luna and Artemis aren’t around and the end of the world is imminent. She’s truly all alone in her grief and intellectually she knows that even if somehow she resolves the crisis her support network has been mostly gutted. THEN she herself dies  to defeat Beryl/Metalia and save the world.

She gets her fondest wish, to go back to a normal life, but that’s also taken from her due to the arrival of Ail and An. Yay for Usagi, she gets to have ALL of those traumatic memories from the Silver Millennium rerun through her head AGAIN. And this time they’re complimented by the Hell she went through in losing her friends, her lover and dying herself in the Arctic.  

But hey, at least now she and her lover can finally be together right? Nope. He literally doesn’t know her. He isn’t Endymion. He isn’t Tuxedo Mask. He isn’t the Mamoru she knew and doesn’t even want to know her. Meanwhile a prospective romantic rival is sniffing around him and for all she knows he may well be interested in her. She gets a tiny ray of hope when Moonlight Knight shows up but that’s abruptly squashed when she receives (seemingly) hard proof this guy who seems oh so similar to the man she loves definitely isn’t that man. So her tiny hope of maybe  getting him back is taken from her almost as quickly as it came.

After Ail and An depart Earth Usagi finally   has what she wants…until two episodes later. This time in the cruelest twist of fate for her, it isn’t external forces that tears Mamoru away from her. This time he  takes himself from her. From a certain point of view this is sort of worse than him dying. Usagi knows death and reincarnation are a thing and that magic exists. She already knows that, as traumatic as it might’ve been, the pair have been given more chances than most people to get together. But how is that to happen when Mamoru, in his right mind and fully possessing all his memories, clearly conveys he doesn’t want her. In the same way Tuxedo Mask pulled a disappearing act early on, now Mamoru in normal life begins actively avoiding Usagi and even saying hurtful things to her.  

It is in episode 61 (the break up episode itself) that we arguably first see this insecure side to Usagi where she questions if Mamoru prefers a child under 10 years old to her. From there we also see Mamoru try to hint to her that he’s seeing Unazuki.  

Of course Usagi eventually learns that it WAS another external force pushing them apart again (well sort of but that’s for another day). However, to lose Mamoru again after all she’d already gone through to be with him was emotionally going to be a serious twisting of the knife for her, in addition to his efforts after episode 61 to push her away. The fact that his own desire to be with her caused him to still help and even hang out with her on occasion would’ve further confused her.  

But even after  this mess is cleared up, in Sailor Moon R The Movie: Promise of the Rose Usagi has to witness Mamoru nearly die for her again. And like on other occasions it comes via an impalement right in front of her and a consequent abduction to boot. And the abductee happens to be someone she and her friends suspect might harbor romantic feelings for Mamoru as well, someone who actively insulted her, actively tried to dissuade Mamoru from dating her and who literally  pushed her away from him.  

When taken collectively, I think all these traumas associated with Usagi ‘losing’ Mamoru or otherwise being prevented from being with him would make Usagi subconsciously on the alert for the next  thing that might take him from her.

I propose that this is the actual reason for Usagi’s concerns that Mamoru might like Chibiusa more than her, for why she gets concerned when Ami and Mamoru chat together in S, for why she goes all ninja in SuperS, etc. Deep down she does  trust him and deep down she trusts her friends and doesn’t actually  feel threatened by anyone who might try to hit on Mamoru.

It’s in reality a case of her gripping too tight precisely because the object of her desire has slipped through her fingers far too many times in the past.* Or if you like, from Usagi’s POV destiny might’ve pre-ordained that she fall in love with Mamoru but she may well be concerned that it’s also pre-ordained that they be allowed to enjoy  being in love, not for too long anyway.  

However, I think this in turn set up a great example of character development for our heroine.

First of all, in episode 132 we have Chibiusa outright warning Usagi she has a romantic rival and that if she doesn’t shape up she will  lose Mamoru to her, and yet Usagi shrugs this off. 

Of course, we could argue that this is Usagi trying to simply one up Chibiusa in this moment, or else she is dismissive of the warning precisely because it comes from Chibiusa whom is both a child and someone who makes a point of trolling her. On the other hand we might view this as an example of how Usagi has in fact grown and is more at peace with the idea that she isn’t about to have Mamoru taken from her for the umpteenth time.  

Granted her over reaction in episode 136, wherein she dresses as a ninja to ensure Rei and Mamoru don’t get up to anything, goes against that idea. However, we could just as easily argue that Usagi’s reactions in that episode were an example of her backsliding precisely because of Rei and Mamoru’s history. She might not worry about Rei and Mamoru deep down, but the idea of them living in the same place when they used to date and when she knows how active  Rei was in pursuing him back in the day? It’s not beyond belief that in these specific circumstances Usagi’s resolve faltered whereas she’d have been less concerned if it’d been a stranger or someone with no romantic history with Mamoru.ffff

More significantly though is Sailor Stars. Once more Usagi ‘lost’/nearly lost Mamoru. This time this was due to Queen Nehelenia, whose efforts poisoned the Earth and by extension endangered the life of her lover. Then she did that AGAIN, this time outright brainwashing and abducting him. 

Even if this didn’t remind Usagi of her horrible experiences with Evil Endymion and Beryl, it would’ve still been disturbing and upsetting, especially when Mamoru developed a mirror fetish. Usagi went through Hell and physical torture to try and save her lover and this time the stakes were even higher. Because this time losing him would also mean losing the other person she loved the most, (Chibiusa) a horrible event that she eventually witnessed happen.

Sure, she saved the day and got both her future husband and future daughter back, but she still had to live through those horrible experiences to get to that point.  

And yet, despite these fresh traumas regarding losing her lover, in episode 173 Usagi handles Mamoru leaving for America surprisingly well.

It’s made clear she’s upset by his departure and doesn’t want  him to go. But she comes mere inches from seeing him off with a smile as she intended, demonstrating her increased strength and maturity. 

And despite her tears, despite her not wanting him to go, she still sees him off, she doesn’t try to dissuade him, she isn’t worried that he’ll meet other people or that their relationship will get torn asunder once more. She is sad because they are going to be physically separated by a long distance for a long time, but that’s the only  thing that’s of concern to her. And her reaction even then is relatively reigned in (by her standards) even in the privacy of her own home.  

And from a narrative/emotional POV it is almost like the universe rewards  her for that growth via Mamoru giving her a promise/engagement ring, saying he loves her and kissing her in the airport.

Whilst the significance of the ring is obvious (albeit not to Usagi) we shouldn’t undersell Mamoru’s words or the kiss. 

I’m willing to be corrected on this but I’m fairly certain that episode was the first time Mamoru (not Endymion, not Moonlight Knight talking about  Mamoru, etc) had ever told Usagi he loved her. Of course, his actions spoke louder than words on this front. Even before Usagi knew Mamoru was Tuxedo Mask she suspected the latter rescued her because he was in love with her. Nevertheless, having your partner actually look you in the eye and say the words can be incredibly emotionally significant for a lot of people. In a sense it is the ultimate unambiguous proof of the other person’s feelings (in theory anyway). Even if Usagi hadn’t been waiting to hear him say the words (personally I think her expression implies she had been) it would’ve nevertheless been a significant development in their relationship all the same.  

And as for the kiss, I admit I only vaguely know about Japanese cultural norms regarding PDA, but it is to my understanding that kissing in public is frowned upon. Even if I’m wrong about that, Mamoru (as evidenced by the R movie) certainly doesn’t like to kiss Usagi when anyone else is around. If you go back to check most of their kisses, either they are alone or else it’s obvious Mamoru doesn’t think anyone is observing them. The fact that he kisses Usagi not only in a public space, but an airport of all places (when there are crowds there for three big celebrities no less) is a huge deal for him. And in turn it’s a huge deal for Usagi because, whilst Mamoru might have more reservations, Usagi clearly cared a lot less about PDA, typically being the one to initiate their kisses.  

Consequent episodes further demonstrate Usagi’s growth regarding her old insecurities with Mamoru. Putting aside how we never once see her worried about him seeing other girls, in episode 181 Seiya outright raises the idea of him seeing other people. Usagi casually, without a hint of aggression, dismisses the idea.  

The irony is that it is Usagi  who’s in the situation she so often worried about regarding Mamoru. She is the person being pursued by  romantic rival to her lover, namely Seiya.  

The cruel  irony is that Usagi having matured enough to accept Mamoru leaving (despite being deeply upset and lonely about it) actually had  lost him yet again.  

She just didn’t know it.  

*Not to mention…she is a teenager. Those people tend to be ever so slightly prone to emotional over reactions at the best of times.  

[sailorfailures]

I fell in love with these postcards from the Girl’s Night Out popup cafe the moment I saw them! I knew I had to get my hands on them, and the lovely @blaze-rocket was able to help that happen.

I cannot get over how perfect these postcards are. To me, this is what Sailor Moon is; a testament to the little moments from the series that made us fall in love with the characters, especially how their personal preferences were reflected in their fashion choices. In a world of merch where it’s easy to just slap a random crescent moon on something pink and say “look, it’s Usagi,” the designer responsible for these graphics went the extra mile to take imagery from the show itself that needles its way deep into our nostalgia-cortexes.

How many references do you recognise? Quiz yourself against this comprehensive (image-heavy) list! 👇

The inners’ postcards all reference the eye-catching sign for Game Center Crown, the iconic arcade where Motoki Furuhata worked and the gang would all congregate to play games and share information.

Starting in R they switched to hanging out at Fruits Parlor Crown, a cafe attached to the arcade staffed by Motoki’s sister Unazuki, which the Inners’ postcards all also reference. They would often get brightly-coloured drinks there, but the drinks pictured on these postcards seem to specifically line up with the real drinks available at the Girls Night Out popup cafe.

Sailors Neptune, Uranus, and Pluto’s postcards all reference “Café Étrangère,” which was the name of the cafe they were seen dining at in the Sailor Moon S movie. Even the logo is replicated faithfully from a scene only a few seconds long.

All the girls’ clothes are hanging on coat hangers shaped like Luna/Artemis/Diana.

Ami / Sailor Mercury’s references:

Ami’s casual outfit is an unusual choice since she only wore it a handful of times over the entire series, and half the times she wore it, it was given a different colour scheme with a green jacket instead of the yellow version pictured here.

Her “mini data computer” is her most iconic tool/weapon/accessory, revealed in episode 009, directly after her introduction.

The pink package is how Usagi and the other girls wrapped up her transformation stick and communicator watch as Ami’s going-away present in episode 062.

The ice cream may be a reference to the same episode, as she shared a cone with Chibi-Usa before she left, and returned to the store to protect her friends from the Droid Nihpasu.

The flash cards are a method Ami commonly used to help her study, and are particularly similar to the ones shown in the SuperS short “Ami’s First Love”.

Rei / Sailor Mars’s References:

Rei wore her casual outfit fairly frequently, starting and most notably in the beginning of the Sailor Moon R movie.

The small red o-mamori charm is from Hikawa Shrine, seen frequently but introduced in episode 010.

The paper ofuda ward was used frequently by Rei to fight evil, even before she could transform, but most notably in the attack sequence for “Akuryou, Taisan” (“Foul Spirit, Begone”).

To my knowledge the purple bag isn’t a specific reference, but Rei did throw a similar purse at a Cardian as a makeshift weapon in episode 048 before she got her Guardian memories back.

The gift-wrapped shopping boxes are the exact same ones as carried by Rei in the Sailor Moon Sailor Stars opening sequence before she trips and falls, right down to the patterns on the paper...

... which in itself may be a reference/callback to Rei’s tendency to make Yuuichirou carry her shopping (maybe so she doesn’t trip).

The phoenix-shaped pendant is a reference to episode 183; it’s made of glazed ceramic, crafted by Rei’s cousin Kengo Ibuki, given to her as a child after she convinced him not to smash it even though he his pottery a “failure”.

Makoto / Sailor Jupiter’s References:

Makoto didn’t start wearing her casual outfit until around S, but she wore it frequently after that, especially as she became more confident wearing “feminine” clothing. They even remembered her iconic gold wrist watch worn over her sleeve!

Her uniquely decorated bento bag debuted in episode 026, her introductory episode, along with the rounded green cutlery. The pouch has been featured a few more times since and its design is a mainstay in almost every Sailor Moon canon.

The teal hairtie and the rose-shaped earrings are two of Makoto’s iconic accessories, some of the only non-magical fashion accessories in the entire series to stay the same whether the character is transformed or not (the other being Minako’s infamous red bow). Her earrings also served a dual purpose as makeshift projectile weapons in episode 025.

The blue book is 月夜の天馬 (Tsukiyo no Tenma, “The Moonlit Pegasus”), a novel which was written by Tomoko Takase and introduced in epsode 134. Makoto knew Tomoko from her old middle school, before she transferred, and was the first one to read her first draft after retrieving it from bullies. She encouraged Tomoko to try and get it published. Makoto meets with her again and helps her overcome her writer’s block to finish her sequel, 天馬幻想 (Tenma Gensou, “Pegasus Fantasy”).

Minako / Sailor Venus’s References:

This is one of Minako’s most-worn casual outfits, especially if you consider the additional outfits based off it. Despite its prevalence, she didn’t start wearing it until the beginning of S.

Minako’s red hair ribbon is her most iconic accessory, but did you know why she started wearing it? The Codename: Sailor V prequel manga explains that she started wearing the ribbon instead of her usual red hairtie on the suggestion of her “first crush” Higashi. But when he turns out to be an enemy in disguise, she decides she looks good with a ribbon anyway, and keeps wearing it for her own benefit.

The red mask is a reference to Minako’s role as Sailor V before joining the team as Sailor Venus. Sailor V was known as a mysterious vigilante superhero and a fictional video game character as early as episode 001, but in episode 033 Minako revealed herself to the rest of the Sailor Team, dramatically removing her mask one final time.

Minako was known to be a skilled volleyball player, especially in the manga, and it was especially relevant in episode 100 where she had to delicately return the serve of an energy sphere containing the Pure Heart of her old volleyball crush, Asai.

The sign with Minako’s name can be seen hanging off the front of her bedroom door in episode 192.

[Manga scan courtesy of Miss Dream.]

Usagi / Sailor Moon’s References:

Usagi wore this outfit in the Sailor Moon R movie, making it a memorable choice. Although the movie aired roughly midway through R, Usagi didn’t start to wear this outfit casually again until the S season.

Usagi is shown eating a lot of food, especially sweets, but she seems to have a particular fondness for crepes, snacking on them in several different episodes.

In episode 143 we can see that Usagi is very technologically trendy - for the times. She’s carrying that blue-and-pink pager which she and Mamoru use to contact each other by way of goroawase, that is, deciphering messages based on the different pronunciations of numbers, a precursor to modern texting. Mamoru pages her the numbers 84 51, which could be read as hachi yon go ichi; reading only the first syllables, and substituting go for the related sound ko, Usagi would interpret the message as hayo koi, which sounds a bit like “come quick” - she’s late for their date. Oops!

By the way, pagers were often called “pocket bells” (pokeberu) in Japan, and became so rapidly popular they even found their way into the lyrics of Rashiku Ikimasho, the ending song for the SuperS season; 「泣きたい時には ポケベルならしてよんで、戦士の休息」 [Nakitai toki ni wa POKEBELL narashite yonde, senshi no kyuusoku] “If you feel like crying, send a page thru the Pocket Bell, take a break from [being a] Guardian”

Chibi-Usa / Sailor Chibi Moon’s References:

Chibi-Usa doesn’t technically have a school uniform, but her casual clothes are often styled after sailor suits as a reflection of both her idolisation of the figure of “Sailor Moon” and of her desire to be seen as older and more mature than she appears. She changes “uniforms” every season, and this pinafore outfit is the version she wears in SuperS. She wore the other outfit in the SuperS premiere episode.

The handgun is from episode 060, Chibi-Usa’s introduction to the series and arguably one of the most iconic absurdist scenes in all of Sailor Moon. The gun itself is actually a toy, probably a transformation of the Luna-P sphere, which Chibi-Usa uses to try and threaten Usagi into giving her the Legendary Silver Crystal. When she “shoots” Usagi, the bullet is revealed to be nothing but a suction-cup flower, also pictured. (By the way, if you were wondering, Chibi-Usa’s fake gun is based on a real Colt M1911A1.) She transforms the Luna-P into a toy gun to shoot Sailor Moon again in the Sailor Moon R movie, this time as a way to motivate Usagi to fight.

The Luna-P sphere was a mysterious gadget Chibi-Usa kept with her for the duration of R and parts of S. It’s unknown where it came from, but it could be assumed to have been created from advanced 30th century technology. It was a combination toy and tool which could transform itself into a variety of objects, formulas, and even weapons, though none were shown to be particularly powerful. It could also be used to communicate with Sailor Pluto at the Time-Space Door. When Chibi-Usa was manipulated into becoming Wicked Lady in episode 085, the Luna-P sphere also transformed into an “evil” and much more dangerous version.

The Space-Time Key was a special tool given to her by Sailor Pluto that allowed her to travel between the past and the future, though it was difficult for her to wield effectively.

The sunhat was given to Chibi-Usa by Ikuko, so she treasured it greatly. In episode 112 it got blown away and was retrieved by Hotaru Tomoe, which allowed her to meet Chibi-Usa and marked the beginning of their close friendship.

The blue-and-red package was a gift containing two manga books (”Drop Drop” vol. 1 & 2 by Ukon Katakuri) which Chibi-Usa intended to give to her new friend Hotaru in episode 113.

In episode 127, Chibi-Usa returned home to the future, and the girls all made her some going-away gifts. Ami made her a floppy disk (lol) to help her study, Rei made her a casette tape (double lol) of her music, Makoto packed her a lunch, and Minako made her a photo album of their time together. Usagi hand-sewed Chibi-Usa the rabbit-shaped backpack using a real outfit she used to love when she was a child.

Michiru / Sailor Neptune’s References:

This is a somewhat unusual choice for Michiru’s casual outfit, as she only wore it for two episodes, and that’s only because they made up a two-part story. But perhaps because the episodes were so pivotal - with Haruka and Michiru almost learning Usagi’s true identity - the outfit itself became more memorable.

Not only do they include Michiru’s violin, but they included the lemon she bounced off the instrument as she played to show off her skills in episode 093.

The teacup, teaspoon and saucer are the same set Michiru was seen drinking from at Fruits Parlor Crown in episode 094.

Michiru and Haruka both reference episode 095, where they had to enter a “true love” contest as part of their investigation. The contestants were asked to find their partner’s hand in an anonymous lineup, and Haruka was able to identify Michiru’s hand immediately.

Michiru used Haruka as a model for an illustration in her green sketchbook in episode 106.

Michiru’s Talisman is the Deep Aqua Mirror, revealed in episode 110 and used in her attack Submarine Reflection. She could also use it to receive prophetic visions. Visually, it was based on real-life art nouveau hand mirrors, and symbolically represented the mirror from the Three Sacred Treasures.

Haruka / Sailor Uranus’s References:

Conversely, Haruka wore this outfit a lot. Maybe more than she should’ve.

The teacup and saucer is the same set Haruka was seen drinking from at Fruits Parlor Crown in episode 094.

Haruka’s postcard also references the lovers contest in episode 095 (see above).

The purple scarf is from episode 096; Haruka was wearing it as a necktie when she almost ran into Makoto on her motorcycle. Haruka used the scarf to bandage Makoto’s road rash, which she returned later, though now smitten.

Not only is Haruka’s motorcycle included, they also referenced (one of) her car(s), the 1968 Toyota 2000GT.

Haruka’s Talisman is the Space Sword, revealed in episode 110 and used in her attack Space Sword Blaster. Symbolically it represented the sword from the Three Sacred Treasures.

Setsuna / Sailor Pluto’s References:

Setsuna didn’t have a school uniform, since she wasn’t a student, so she got to double-up on her casual outfits. Her mauve outfit is her most recognisable, wearing it so often it may as well have been her uniform. In fact, she was rarely seen wearing anything else until Sailor Stars, where she started experimenting with other outfits, including the Time Lord-esque suit on the right.

The potted plant is a Tellun, the energy-draining plant created by Tellu in episode 121. Setsuna was investigating it when it attempted to attack her, but she was protected by her Talisman, the Garnet Orb (also pictured, representing the jewel in the Three Sacred Treasures). She then went on to destroy the remaining Tellun plants and defeat Tellu with the help of Sailor Moon, Sailor Chibi Moon, and Tuxedo Mask.

The teacup and saucer are the same set Setsuna is seen drinking from at Cafe Etranger in the Sailor Moon S movie.

In episode 182, the girls are discussing the mysterious arrival of Chibi Chibi while eating ice cream on a hot summer’s day. Setsuna appears out of nowhere to confirm their suspicions... carrying that popsicle of her own.

Hotaru / Sailor Saturn’s References:

Hotaru tended to wear the same thing, mostly all-black, but she did occasionally adventure into rich colours like this bottle green two-piece outfit and iconic raspberry beret.

The sunhat belonged to Chibi-Usa; it symbolises the beginning of their friendship, when Hotaru caught it after it blew away in episode 112.

Chibi-Usa gave Hotaru the rabbit backpack in episode 116, using it to pass a note inviting her on a picnic.

Hotaru collects lamps, and the two referenced here are seen in her bedroom, which she keeps dimly lit to manage her pain.

The window might seem random, but it was random in the series, too - it’s one of the curtained window which looks out from Hotaru’s bedroom, and when a Daimon experiment goes terribly wrong in episode 118 and transforms her house into a Bamboozled-like inter-dimensional maze, one window overlooks a vast ocean while the other overlooks a strange jungle.

Hotaru’s weapon as Sailor Saturn is the Silence Glaive. It’s said that she possesses enough power to destroy the world with a single drop of her scythe.

That’s it! You made it! How many references did YOU know? 🌙

[sushigal007]

It’s Monty time!

Patrizio: Can I put the cheese platters in a grilled sandwich or is this useless?

His age bar was looking a bit shit and we’re nowhere near completing his horrible LTW of raising 20 puppies/kittens, so! Elixir!

We’re also not making much progress with Isabella’s 5 top businesses, but at least she still owns the single one she has, so she doesn’t have to start out at level 1. (Honestly might do the cheaty thing of letting it get up to level 10 and then deliberately lose a star.) Isabella: I know, gnomes get stolen all the time. But when thieves are stealing your gnomes, you know what they’re not stealing? Everything else in your house! It’s basically burglar decoy! Amber: I’ll take ten!

But of course, last time I played this lot, I had Mercutio and Romeo to help out. Patrizio’s here, but he’s busy in the garden and at level 7, the shop is too much for Isabella to handle alone. So I hired some rando to do the restocking.

It’s been a long day, so Isabella snacks on coffee beans to give her enough energy to walk home.

Patrizio: You seem like a sophisticated fellow, what cheese would you recommend in a grilled cheese sandwich? Vampire: I didn’t even eat that rubbish when I was alive.

Patrizio: He wouldn’t even discuss Edam. Isabella: And neither will I.

Turns out dissing his favourite food has put Patrizio right off sex. Isabella: What if I let you eat it off my naked body? Patrizio: It’s the principle of the thing.

Remember Artemis? Probably not. Isabella: That’s right, dance for me!

Romeo brought Ripp home from school, which I’m sure is going to be the start of a beautiful friendship.

Or at least it would be, if I wasn’t kicking him out to uni. Romeo: Please don’t tell me you’re going to turn my room into a kitten farm. Patrizio: I won’t tell you.

We do need the space though. Diana might be tiny and adorable, but we need nineteen more of her.

I will regret this. Isabella: I already do.

There is no reason for me to screencap this other than it’s completely adorable, so here ya go!

Less adorable.

Isabella: Uhhh... didn’t we just plant like, 30 tomato plants? Shit, you’re right. Which one of you has the highest aspiration? Isabella: Patrizio just ate a grilled cheese sandwich, so he’s gonna be gold for at least an hour. Perfect.

Patrizio: Let’s get some sunshine over here.

But you know what would help his aspiration more? Kittens! And after about three days of trying, Artemis and Luna finally agree to do the nasty and by nasty, I mean the state of this pet house.

And Isabella got a job. The uniform apparently includes a wig.

Gardener: I hope you weren’t expecting me to do literally anything else in your garden today, sir.

Artemis wouldn’t be starving if Artemis had eaten the damn Jamma Hamma.

Oh look, it’s everyone’s favourite dolphin tank cleaner, Lazlo Curious.

I tried looking for a new bees gif and couldn’t find one. So here’s the bees gif. Because. Bees.

Much safer.

I can’t see what Artemis is trying to catch so I’m going to assume it’s even more bees.

And Diana grew up! Which means we have successfully raised 1/20 kittens and it’s time to evict her to make room for new ones.

Only it turns out Isabella is utterly distraught by this. When she first started bawling, I honest-to-God thought Patrizio had died.

Only he came running out to sob at the car as well. I very nearly quit without saving. But they do need the space.

Isabella: We found a way to deal with our grief. I’ll leave you to it.

Isabella: COUGH COUGH Uh... are you sick? You can’t be sick, surely, I never saw a pop-up. Isabella: Must be allergies.

Uh... free fertilizer, yay?

In genuine yay, we have three new kittens! Sticking with Sailor Moon, their names are uhhhhhh.... brb. SimPE: Jadeite and Kunzite. Where’s Zoisite? SimPE: shrug emoji OK... I’m sure this won’t ever be a problem, thanks!

And it turns out Artemis is the mother, not Luna, oops! Ah well, never mind, their kittens are no less adorable.

But as the creator of InTeen knew, where one life begins, another must end NOPE NOT REALLY PATRIZIO WAKE UP!

Secret Sue: Here’s an invitation to my secret kitchen, congrats! Isabella: *pained death rattle* Secret Sue: Is this a bad time? This seems like a bad time.

Patrizio: Pleeeeeease don’t take my wife! I need her help with the garden!

Grim: You know the drill.

Patrizio: YASS SUCK IT, DEATH! Grim: I don’t know why I give you lot second chances, you’re all such poor winners.

Patrizio: I’m hungry. Isabella: I’m alive! Grim: Even better, you’re cured.

Patrizio: You better be cured, I’ll be very upset if this hug kills me.

Patrizio wasn’t kidding about the garden though. He spends every waking hour out there, along with the gardener, and it’s still not enough.

Time to get some more hands on deck! Beatrice: A family reunion, what fun!

And after a few hours of influencing and weeding and talking the plants out of imminent death, we finally manage to harvest a few! Hurrah!

Isabella: We’re not doing this again until that greenhouse is finished. That’s fair.

UBERHOOD INDEX

[saiilorstars]

Ch.4: The Mind Intruder

Chapter summary: The mind is a very tricky thing but Mamoru seems to have the right abilities to get in.

Fandom: Sailor Moon (Crystal)  – – [Rewrite of season 2, AU-ish in that there’s new OCs and the fusion of plots from the manga, crystal and the og series]

Pairings: Eventual OFC x OMC, Usagi x Mamoru

Taglist: @ocfairygodmother @anotherunreadblog @maaaaarveeeeel @stareyedplanet @perfectlystiles

{If you’d like to be added to this OC’s taglist, let me know!}

// Story Masterlist //

~ 0 ~ 0 ~ 0 ~ 0 ~ 0 ~ 0 ~ 0 ~ 0 ~ 0 ~ 0 ~ 0 ~ 0 ~ 

"Miss Keena?"

"Hm?" Azula looked up to find her teacher, Miss Nano, standing impatiently in front of her desk.

Azula sheepishly hid her notes with an arm and watched as her teacher put down her last math exam. She nearly fell out of her seat when she saw the ugly red '30' at the top of the paper. "WHAT!?" she picked up the paper and nearly crushed it against her face from how close she looked at it.

Miss Nano went on to continue handing out the class exams back. Azula kept blinking as if the grade would go away in one of those. This had to be a mistake!

"Miss Nano, please!" she trailed after the tall blonde teacher around the classroom after school, begging for a second review of the exam. "I don't know what happened…" Well, actually she did know. She had been focusing on Sailor Hemera, Senka and the Shadow Crystal mystery…but Miss Nano didn't need to know about that. "I know I can do better!" Azula followed the teacher towards the door and quickly scurried outside first to block Miss Nano's way.

"Well you really should have," Miss Nano said like she really lamented having to grade the exam. She knew Azula to be a well studied student and couldn't understand what happened. "I expected better than this. I thought you understood the material-"

"-but I did!" Azula exclaimed, though she stuttered to give a reason on her poor work. "I-I just h-had a, um, a th-thing that I had to do that, um-" she gasped when the teacher returned to her classroom and shut the door. Azula blinked and stared down at her exam that really seemed to be burning her fingers the more she held it. "I don't get 30s!" she said just a tad loud for the passing students to hear.

"You got a 30? In Nano's class?"

This was truly the last thing she needed right now. She turned to Mamoru and violently pointed a finger at him, forgetting for a moment that he wasn't used to her usual behavior when she was upset."I don't need this right now from you!" she went up to the closed class door and continued to call for the teacher. "Miss Nano, please. The only way I'd get a 30 in my life is I was...dead!"

"Then I suppose you're the walking dead," Mamoru remarked smugly.

"Oh my God!" the red haired girl whirled around in his direction. "You're still here!?" Azula was very used to their old sibling-like relationship that the words and sarcasm just tumbled out of her mouth. It most certainly did not help that she was possibly at her worst moment right now.

"I was on my way out," Mamoru, surprisingly, remained calm and merely pointed at the doors at the end of the hallway. "But then I saw you shouting and I figured I'd like to see how this plays out. Heard Miss Nano can be difficult."

"You're not funny, and I'm not laughing," Azula stood with a straight face.

With such a straight face it would be impossible to feel anything. But then again not everyone was a reincarnated Earth prince.

"Usagi, c'mon, this is simple math!" Azula rubbed her face in frustration. The blonde in question had let her head fall to the table, over her math book to be precise. "Get up, c'mon!" Azula gently hit Usagi's foot with her own under the table.

Usagi slowly raised her head off the book. "Why do I need to know this again?" She was startled when Mamoru lowered himself beside her, having just entered the cafe. He put an affectionate hand on Usagi's back.

"So that business people like her-" he shot Azula a look, "-don't take advantage of you."

A sarcastic smile spread across Azula's face. They always joked Azula would end up taking over her family's business, except she didn't find it amusing. "You're not funny, and I'm not laughing."

Azula recognized that remembering face on Mamoru's face and was tempted to slip away before he came back to the present. Besides, Miss Nano would have to see her tomorrow anyways. But just as she turned away, he called out to her.

Crap! she thought with eyes shut before she turned back. "Yes?"

"Th-the blonde girl who was...who was with you the other day…?" Azula was sure that not even he knew what he wanted to say. It looked like he was still trying to process whatever he saw.

He probably means Usagi. She's the only blonde I know. And Azula severely doubted he meant Minako. Though that would make it easier...

"What was her name?" his question pulled her back to the present.

Azula cleared her throat and whispered the answer so low it almost seemed as if she didn't want to answer. "Usagi…"

"Have you ever tutored her at the Fruits Parlor Crown?" Mamoru seemed afraid to even ask the question.

"W-well, yeah…" Azula wasn't sure what the hell was going on but she knew he was starting to remember things. She had tutored Usagi on several occasions on her math in that cafe and many times Mamoru had come in to see how things were doing. Azula thought it was more to distract than to help. Usagi was all for distractions.

"Okay, I-I…" Mamoru rubbed his face, frustrated with himself. What the hell was he doing? Was he really asking a random girl about another random girl?

"Are you okay?" Azula felt the need to go check up on him. Whatever was happening to him she was sure wasn't meant to be happening. She walked up to him and reached to touch his arm. As soon as she did they both saw something.

"Here," Azula set a pink milkshake in front of Usagi and sat down right across from her. "It's exactly what Mamoru would order for you right?"

Usagi whimpered and buried her face in her hands. Azula sighed when she heard the small sniffles.

"If it's not right then I can ask Unazuki for something else, or…" but Azula trailed off knowing this wasn't the problem. She rubbed her forehead and stared at Usagi for a moment in silence before speaking up. "Look, Beryl might have taken Mamoru but he will come back, alright?"

"How do you know?" Usagi lowered her hands for a second, her sparkly blue eyes now red and glossy. "I couldn't save him…"

"Give yourself a break, Usagi, you just realized who you were in a previous life. You're not God. But you are a fighter and even though you spend half your days crying over something as petty as a broken cup, when the going gets tough...I have confidence you get tougher."

"You think I can be strong?" Usagi's lip quivered, doubt etched all over her face.

"Mamoru does," Azula said softly. "And though I like to purposely disagree with him just to annoy him, in this case he's actually right. You are a strong girl and I know you will get through this."

 Azula gasped deeply and pulled her hand off Mamoru's arm, the latter quite stunned by what they saw.

"How did I…?" but he didn't get to finish the question because Azula began to back away, and fast.

"I-I have to g-go!"

"Wait!" Mamoru called in vain. Azula was gone in a flash and all he was left with were strange feelings and new images in his mind.

~ 0 ~

"No you don't understand - he was in my mind!" Azula flopped on a park bench. Luna and Artemis hopped the bench and each rested on one side of the girl. "I-I felt him actually in my mind! I didn't even know he could do that!"

"Well, Mamoru isn't a Sailor Scout but he was the guardian of Earth and thus given powers he might not have developed yet," Luna said, rather reasonably and calm too. It was nothing to how Azula was reacting.

"He's remembering," she said, truly destroyed just by the thought. "You two said they wouldn't remember anything."

"Minako and the girls remain the same…" Artemis said thoughtfully, "...but none of them have the psychometric abilities that Mamoru does. Rei does, in a sense, but she's another story-"

"Not helping, Artemis," Azula cut him off. "So you think because of Mamoru's powers he'll be more likely to remember?"

"He's connected to the Earth because of who he was in the past and so by extension he's connected to everyone on the planet. This memory wipe works best on humans, specifically…" Luna trailed off, leaving Azula to make her own conclusion.

"Sailor Scouts," Azula finished with a small sigh. "So, basically, because Mamoru was the prince of Earth back then he's more likely to figure things out. That's just...great," she gritted her teeth together.

Luna affectionately pawed at Azula's uniform coat. "Don't fret, Azula, please. You are taking this far too serious-"

"Luna you don't understand," Azula calmed somewhat. A despondence slowly took over her facial features. "Back when Sailor Moon and the Scouts were active my only job was to look at the perimeters, stay on the computers...I couldn't help them out there. When they went off to fight Beryl and Metaria I had to stay here and just...wait. My job was to literally wait and see if they would come back alive."

"That wasn't your fault. You would have put yourself in grave danger if you accompanied Sailor Moon and the others…"

"It doesn't make me feel any better," Azula said glumly. "I was useless to them. I thought - I thought that now since everyone lost their memories and Usagi wanted to be normal...that this could be my job now. I would make sure they were all normal and safe. It's stupid, I know, but...it was my job this time to protect them." Azula paused for a full minute, her sadness overflowing. "But now Mamoru is beginning to remember and...now there's a Sailor Hemera and a stupid shadow hellbent on getting a crystal no one knows about."

"Azula," Artemis hopped off the bench and turned to look up at the girl, "Luna and I can keep an eye on the girls and certainly on Mamoru, but you can start to live your normal life as well. You shouldn't burden yourself with problems that we can solve. You just live a normal life..."

Azula snorted at the idea. "Normal? I'm at the park talking to cats - yeah, that's normal."

"Azula-" Luna began but Azula had gotten overwhelmed and rushed away.

"I'm going to go check on Minako," Artemis said after a couple of seconds. "And maybe we should patrol the other girls tonight just to see if any of them are remembering anything too."

Luna acknowledged his idea but preferred to stay back a little while longer. It was crazy to think that even now things still hadn't gone back to normal. Usagi was living her life as she wanted but outside of her blissful bubble things were beginning to get worse again. This time there were no Sailor Scouts to defend the planet from the evil trying to find the Shadow Crystal. Sure there was a Sailor Hemera but they still didn't know who she was and what her intentions were. Luna didn't know whether to feel grateful that Mamoru was remembering little by little because then that would mean he would be able to help a little...or should she be further concerned because now a second person had managed to avoid the memory wipe - it was still a grand mystery how Azula did it first.

Luna thought about this as she hopped off the bench and started her way back to Usagi's home. Usagi had been questioning lately where her dear old cat kept wandering off to and Luna didn't want to jeopardize her close position with Usagi. It was simply a challenge having to act like a true Earth cat all the time. It was why she often found Azula to keep conversation and her personal mind stimulated besides Artemis.

As Luna went off, a tall girl with long, brown and straight hair walked up to the bench where Azula and Luna had been. Her dark brown eyes glimmered golden for a second. "So you know where the Prince is…?" a smirk tugged at her pink lips.

~0~

Azula shivered as cold wind drew into her room from the open window. She went over and closed it then turned back. There were various newspaper clippings on the grounds with her own notes attached to it. Sailor Hemera and Senka needed to be stopped at all costs. Azula felt like she didn't have the luxury to get emotional. She took a seat on the floor, in the middle of the papers, and began sifting through them to reread what she already knew.

One hour later, her step-sister Keiko opened the door. "Hey, Azula, dinner's read - woah," her green eyes landed over the mess of papers around Azula. "What are you doing?"

"Homework," Azula supplied the excuse quick as she reached for another clipping.

Keiko caught site of some of the headlines and made a small whistler. "About that weird cloud thing and the Scout? What class is this for?"

"Communication - uh, intro to communications," Azula glanced at her sister with a small smile. "Journalism might be fun."

"Though you always wanted to work in something related to space, or something...?" Keiko left the door open so Azula could follow her out. "Sorry, you talk a lot sometimes and I tune it out so-"

"-Dad?" Azula blinked at the sight of her father already sitting at the kitchen table. "What are you doing here?" he was usually tied up with the business that he was rarely home for family meals. Kaito Keena was a man of business, and since he owned the Game Center Crown which was very popular in the neighborhood...he had a lot to do.

"I live here, remember?" came the black haired man's answer. His sarcasm made her playfully roll her eyes. "I'm also the one who pays the rent, so..."

"Okay, okay, I get it," Azula took her usual seat at the other end of the table. "I just didn't hear you come in, that's all."

"You never hear anything when you get into your work," Keiko pointed out.

"Oh, a lot of homework tonight?" Kaito asked.

Before Azula could answer, Keiko cut in with what she'd seen. "She was looking into that creature and the mysterious Sailor Scout who've been making appearances around the city."

Kaito's eyebrows shot upwards, making Azula dread what he would say about it. "Really? Well, makes sense since you always talk about the galaxies and whatnot. You think they're aliens, then?"

"Um..." Azula cleared her throat and put both her hands on the table. "I mean, the Scout looks humanoid. But that shadow thing probably is."

"Oh, but you know what I learned today?" Keiko excitedly asked. "It's actually funny what they name themselves. Hemera is a Goddess of day and light while Senka means 'shadow'. Can you believe that?"

"No, I...I hadn't considered the etymology of the names," Azula blinked rapidly.

"I just wonder where these aliens come from," Keiko went on, "And I'd definitely would love to know what a Shadow Crystal was."

"Yeah, that would be nice," Kaito agreed. "It would certainly help get the two out of the city before anyone gets killed."

"I should have asked that cute little fortune teller at the shrine…" Keiko said wistfully.

Azula raised an eyebrow. "What fortune teller?"

"Oh from the local shrine," Keiko leaned away from the door. "What was her name? Hino Rei? I went in to ask whether or not I'd get the school secretary job I applied to a couple days ago."

Azula blinked. Rei. How could she forget about Rei and her mind abilities? Mamoru wasn't the only one with mind tricks - Rei could sense danger! Sure Rei's mind was cleared of anything Scout-wise but her ability had come way before she awoke as Sailor Mars.

It was a stretch, but Azula would take it.

[catgrump]

Gundham x Sonia x hajime for the ship ask?

Someone’s trying to earn Brownie Points with me by asking about my Favorite Underrated OT3, huh?

How much I like it:

Actual cause of global warming | NOTP | Don’t care | It’s okay | Cute! | OTP | MY BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN

I really love all 3 of them together based solely on Sonia & Gundham’s FTEs lol Sonia is clearly interested in Hajime and Gundham trusts Hajime enough to let him touch him, which is HUGE for Gundham! I do think about other ships for these characters just a bit more, but I’d love to see more content for all of them together.

Their Song:

Give Me a Try by The Wombats

It’s about hoping someone can be the joy and spark you want in life and how feelings of attraction can make you kind of silly and loose

Who does more housework:

I think it ends up being Hajime lol but I bet Sonia always wants to learn! Gundham steps in every so often but I think he gets a bit too preoccupied with his own stuff to remember to do it, so Hajime is teaching Sonia how to clean a lot lol

What couple cosplay they should do:

Sonia would be ECSTATIC if she got to do this with her boys. She wanted to cosplay Sailor Moon but Hajime & Gundham kept arguing over who’d be Tuxedo Mask and so Sonia gave them cat ears and said “no more fighting” so now they’re Sailor Moon, Luna, and Artemis lol

Who cried watching Toy Story 3:

They all shed tears but Sonia was the most openly weepy

Who hogs the blankets at night:

Tbh with OT3s I always imagine them living in a situation where they have individual bedrooms and can join each other as they please instead of 3 people sharing a bed every night... but when they all are together I’d say Gundham lol he just seems like the type

What they fight about:

Hajime gets irritated when Gundham & Sonia don’t do “normal stuff” right. Like they’re grown-ass people and still don’t know how to cook or clean without help. Hajime has to remind himself that they have different life experiences and he has to be patient with them.

Who has more Facebook Friends:

Hot take: Gundham. He runs a Facebook group for Animal Care and Pet Advice and gets requests from members all the time. (But Sonia has the most IG followers lol)

One Headcanon:

Hajime also introduces Sonia & Gundham to Internet culture! He shows them memes and stuff and helps them understand the humor

Send me a ship and I’ll answer these questions!

[keyofjetwolf]

Bonus Question Answers! (anime heat 2)

I asked a silly question! You gave me incredible answers. SO VERY MANY INCREDIBLE ANSWERS. Now, I present my favourites! And really, they were ALL favourites. Mmm, headcanony goodness.

Oh, special shoutout to this unattributed one, which I suspect fell prey to someone submitting early, but as phrased, made me snort laugh: “one of my longest held headcanons is that ami“

SAME, FRIEND

Anyway, If your answer is listed below, you’ve earned an entry in a random draw to win a GIFTENING liveblog OF YOUR CHOICE

—

Q: Senshi headcanon time! Intrigue me, humour me, crush me, FEED ME.

* Michiru actually did have a guardian cat, once. It was silvery grey with dark blue eyes. It did not speak, but it was always there to provide support and comfort in a life which had little of either. The first time Michiru had a strong vision, which left her cold and senseless on the floor of her room, it was the small warmth from her cat that brought her back to the world of color and light and solidity. The cat was a friend and confidante in those early days, when Michiru was unsure if this experience was real or the beginnings of schizophrenia. The fact that her mother could see the cat, and regularly make comments about the uncleanliness of such creatures, was proof of Michiru's new reality. So when the cat entered the fray to distract a youma, saving Michiru, but being killed in the process, it became one more thing that the Moon had given her, only to steal away. Michiru promised herself to never rely on another again, or to allow the Moon to have her heart again. And she had done fairly well at this. Haruka, for all her charms, was a plaything, and not something to sacrifice herself for. But pausing outside the Marine Cathedral, Michiru found herself looking into dark blue eyes, so different, but so similar, and knew that she would do anything and everything in her power to keep from having to watch them close, again. -- @incorrecttact  [YOU ARE ALSO KILLING THESE QUESTIONS. This hit me right in the kokoro, and I welcomed its sweet sweet pain.]

~~

*  Mako teaches Hotaru, Chibiusa, and the Amazon Quartet to cook and bake as a bonding activity. Hotaru LOVES making cakes and decorating them. Chibiusa likes cooking with noodles and even making her own; it doesn’t sound special, but the food she makes is DELICIOUS. Ves, the red one, finds cooking easy, but doesn’t like it and so never does outside of being coaxed into it. Jun, the green one, finds baking easy, but also doesn’t like sweet things, which limits her repertoire. Cere, the pink one, has no natural talent, but she very much WANTS to be good at it, so she turns out to be the best cook of her Senshi group. Palla takes to neither, but she is very enthusiastic about eating their experiments.  --  Jules  [I am an absolute slut for Mako and moments with the kids, and including the Quartet was a brilliant stroke.]

~~

*  A Serenity is not supposed to be reborn. They are born, they live, they die, and they are done. They are not like the Senshi, whose souls reincarnate, carefully bound to Serenity blood. They are not supposed to be reborn, so when Queen Serenity sees everything fail and decides to send their souls to the future, the Senshi are easy. Serenity is not. In desperation, Serenity does something she would have never considered in any other circumstance: she ties Serenity's soul to the Senshi. What was once a one way tie, has now become an equal bond, and so everything changes.  -- @madegeeky  [Ooo, this is some lovely twists on my own reincarnation headcanons, while still keeping the “this is a mistake” flavour. IT TASTES GOOD.]

~~

*  How about more Rei whistle antics? You headcanon Usagi would use the whistle for every mundane thing and Rei would come. Usagi would do this at 2 AM in the morning too and Rei would still be woken up and still come even in pajamas if she need be because Usagi had a spooky nightmare or "Rei-chan I fell off my bed and now my face hurts". Knowing Rei whistle antics can be funny for us and maybe aggravating for Rei at times because "Usagi you blew the whistle because you fell off the bed?" what if we can make it a pinch sad? Like what if Rei can tell what sort of peril Usagi is in by the way she blows the whistle in tone? Like when it's a sad somewhat weaker whistle, even if it's just a tiny subtle tone, Rei can IMMEDIATELLY tell "USAGI IS SAD AND NEEDS ME" and she will RUSH over in 5 seconds like in her Rei way, she might even have the mind to bring snacks, cocoa and plush to hug for the comfort.  --  Mrs. Duckling  [HOW ABOUT INDEED. I hadn’t thought about the different ways the whistle can be blown and what it might say, what a wonderful addition. THANK YOU FOR CATERING DIRECTLY TO ME AND MY NEEDS]

~~

*  PGSM!Sailor Mars - [REDACTED] Oh. Right. You're not there yet. Awkward... Anime!Minako is a huge fan of romance manga, but for all the wrong reasons. She tried drawing doujinshi of crack ships before realizing that A) she's not really a writer and B) she's REALLY not an artist. She plans on using some of her rich idol singer money to commission really bizarre romance stories. The sort that make you go WTF?! Of course, step one is "become a rich and famous idol"... Meanwhile, Rei also buys the romance manga that Minako gets into, (partially so she'll shut up about it) but mainly just analyzes them for mood and the characters, and gets frustrated when they inevitably devolve into nothing but sappy kissing and mooning over each other. She's trying to see why Minako gets so obsessed, but doesn't want to flat out admit that she doesn't get it and have to ask. -- Peter "Pigeons!" Svensson  [I had nothing but fun with this, fantastic. ps: THANK YOU FOR THE PIGEONS NOMINATION]

~~

* If these four* Senshi were to meet you, I think they'd each also be meeting some of their best qualities: Usagi is love, and that love is infectious as HELL. Much like a certain blogger who has amassed an international following on the strength of her love for her favourite media, wouldn't you say? Ami is very impressed by your office set-up! But when she sees you re-enter the room with a sprightly little black cat riding on your shoulder, she knows she has discovered a kindred spirit. Where can Rei-chan possibly begin? From your passionately informed and encyclopedic knowledge of their interactions ("She has RECEIPTS, Usagi!"), to your, let's call it tenacity ("She stirred that sugar for TWO HOURS, Usagi!!"), Rei finds so much to admire. And while no one could ever possibly love Rei as much as she loves herself, she magnanimously allows that you are a close second. As for Haruka, well! World Shaking? More like Toilet Breaking! You wrecked that shit and unleashed the sea. She can certainly relate *eyebrows, eyebrows* *would that i had time to write out blurbs for the others! but we're heading back into lockdown today, and i need to get to the post office to mail you a package. PRIORITIES! xo  -- @rasiqra-revulva​  [Okay look when I said “crush me” I didn’t mean WITH NICENESS. Also thank you for the huge laughs. *eyebrows, eyebrows*]

~~

*  Minako manages to write a tell-all book (anonymously, of course, and with names changed to protect the relevant,) about their first few years as Senshi in the lull between Stars and Shit Escalating Again. Even more astoundingly, she manages to get it optioned as a film and play Sailor Mars without blowing her cover! Rei seethes. Minako’s annoyed because she tried out for Usagi. Usagi’s just happy Minako’s successful. The film manages to pick up nominations come award season, and Michiru even arranges for the rest of the Senshi to attend. Minako loses to some film from a really overrated director that manages to out-award bait her reenactment of D-Point. She’s silently fuming through his acceptance speech when he’s Burning Mandala’d mid-sentence. And that’s how the Senshi discovered that Jadeite survived getting run over with planes, joined the entertainment industry after Beryl’s defeat, and had been using it to drain energy ever since! Sailor Mars’s speech about how he disgraces the passion of filmmakers everywhere and her comrade’s hard work goes viral. -- Regalli  [LOVED THE TWIST ENDING, also Rei basically stealing the awards show stage, as we all know she would]

~~

*  Not Senshi, but cats! One day, when Usagi is queen, she's going to decide to knight the cats. Luna thinks it's silly and figures Usagi is just acting on a whim, but Artemis has his chest puffed out and is glowing with pride. They're given tiny medals made by Endymion. -- RibbonFinale  [Oh I DID want this. I wanted this very much, THANK YOU.]

~~

*  Makoto can't culture bonsai trees. It's not a matter of ability, or scale — she can work with tiny tools with equal facility as large ones — but she can't bring herself to push the things down, to cut and twist and bind them to grow the way _she_ wants, not the way it wants to grow.   The tiny pine she bought to try it out, years ago, is in a pot in the corner of her apartment; it's just now grown taller than she is. -- Taperwolf  [I didn’t expect this one to hit me as hard as it did when I started reading. Love it, love it, love it.]

~~

*  You know those 'meetings Usagi doesn't know about'? the ones where the girls dive into the nitty gritty about being senshi, the ones where they decide who will take up being the Disguise Pen Decoy if Minako is killed? Usagi knows about them. it was one of those 'character A eavesdrops and hears character B talking about them' setups, but instead of hearing Ami call Usagi a ditz, she hears Ami saying 'I'm the weakest fighter, if Minako is assassinated and we need someone to be decoy it'd be easier to explain away my absence than Rei's or Mako's' In these meetings they speak very coldly about themselves, Ami is always first to call herself the weak one, Minako calls into attention her showboating, Mako will openly remind people she doesn't think things through on the battlefield, and Rei derides herself on her inability to keep her cool (heh) and they all come up with contingencies to cover for eachother to the minutest detail. Usagi only ever evesdrops on one of these meetings, but now she knows they happen. and she can't un-know.  -- Vega  [OOOOOOOOOOOOOO.]

~~

Manga Sailor Pluto has picked her nose 2,013,417 times. -- too ashamed to say  [WHY THE SHAME THIS IS CORRECT  AND NOW RIGHTFULLY CANON]

---

I’ll be drawing for the bonus liveblog around the start of THE GIFTENING 2020 (currently looking to be Monday, 11 January 2021). Each bonus question is another chance to earn an entry! I CAN ABSOLUTELY AND SHAMELESSLY BE BOUGHT.

[veritylane7]

+mydecember+ Twilight ver. 13

( 10:50 PM )   Math-class doodle of Rukura (Raphael), airbrushed. Came out nicely. ^.^       ( 10:07 PM )   John's suggestion for a feel-good song that Mr. Rozario (school principal) should play over the PA system in the morning? Children of the Damned by Iron Maiden.... how I agree! ^____^

We're sick, sick people. Can you tell we're related??

song of the moment: "Genocide" by the Offspring. I really gotta get some of the Offspring cds... I want Smash, Americana, and Conspiracy of One.... *sulks*

( 9:57 PM )   Ribby-chan... s'all being taken care of. Mike and Matt be lookin' after me closely, and if Dan does anything else, he's in for some serious trouble. *heh* Mike or Matt my soulmate? Dooood, Mike's a pal, and Matt's like my older brother (he's actually my most recent ex-boyfriend in a way). Thanks for the concern, tho! And don't worry... I beat Dan up nice. If I have my way, he'll be singing soprano come next week.

*heehee* I think I've FOUND my soulmate, anyhoo. *pointed look at someone who's screen name rhymes with punkin' pie* *heartheart* ^__^

( 9:49 PM )   *runs around screaming fangirlishly* YUMMY! YUMMY! I GOT A CUTE, SCAAAAAAARY DOOD FOR THIS TEST!!!

Ideal anime guy test...

# 1 Zagato from Magic Knight Rayearth # 2 Ashitare from Fushigi Yuugi # 3 Chichiri from Fushigi Yuugi # 4 Hotohori from Fushigi Yuugi # 5 Kiryuu Touga from Shoujo Kakumei Utena # 6 Taikoubou from Senkaiden Houshin Engi # 7 Hayama Akito from Kodomo no Omocha # 8 Kyoichi Saionji from Shoujo Kakumei Utena # 9 Morisato Keichi from Ah! My Goddess # 10 Nakago from Fushigi Yuugi # 11 Ohtori Akio from Shoujo Kakumei Utena # 12 Ryohji Kaji from Neon Genesis Evangelion # 13 Eagle Vision from Magic Knight Rayearth # 14 Gabriev Gourry from The Slayers # 15 Ikari Gendo from Neon Genesis Evangelion # 16 Nagoya Chiaki from Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne # 17 Chiriko from Fushigi Yuugi # 18 Li Shaolan from Cardcaptor Sakura # 19 Tsukishiro Yukito / Yue from Cardcaptor Sakura # 20 Eriol Hiigarizawa / Clow from Cardcaptor Sakura # 21 Ikari Shinji from Neon Genesis Evangelion # 22 Kinomoto Touya from Cardcaptor Sakura # 23 Shiirou Kamui from X (X/1999) # 24 Tamahome from Fushigi Yuugi # 25 Monou Fuuma from X (X/1999)

( 9:46 PM )   Ideal anime girl test... how'd they know that I adore Skuld, Ami-chan, and Misato? o.O

# 1 Skuld (Oh my Goddess) # 2 Amy (Sailormoon) # 3 Misato (Eva) # 4 Belldandy (Oh my Goddess) # 5 Kari (Digimon) # 6 Rei (Eva) # 7 Lita (Sailormoon) # 8 Mina (Sailormoon) # 9 Fuu (MK Rayearth) # 10 Serena (Sailormoon) # 11 Hikaru (MK Rayearth) # 12 Sora (Digimon) # 13 Bulma (Dragon Ball) # 14 Mimi (Digimon) # 15 Misty (Pokemon) # 16 Rei (Sailormoon) # 17 Umi (MK Rayearth) # 18 Videl (Dragon Ball) # 19 Asuka (Eva) # 20 Urd (Oh my Goddess)

( 9:44 PM )   Slayers kyara test... now THESE results are good.

# 1 Gaav the Demon Dragon King # 2 Beastmaster Zelas # 3 Luna Inverse # 4 Valgaav (Vally-girl! ^_^) # 5 Xelloss Metallium # 6 Zelgadiss Greywords # 7 Gourry Gabriev # 8 Lina Inverse # 9 Rezo the Red Priest # 10 Filia Ul Copt # 11 Martina Whatever-Her-Last-Name-Is # 12 Amelia Wil Tesra Seyruun # 13 Naga (Wil Tesra Seyruun? I think so) # 14 Kopii Rezo # 15 Prince Phil

( 9:41 PM )   Sailor Moon test results... scary. O_O

# 1 Nehelenia # 2 Setsuna/Sailor Pluto # 3 Artemis # 4 Galaxia # 5 Haruka/Sailor Uranus # 6 Taiki/Sailor Star Maker # 7 Hotaru/Sailor Saturn # 8 Michiru/Sailor Neptune # 9 Minako/Sailor Venus # 10 Rei/Sailor Mars # 11 Yaten/Sailor Star Healer # 12 Luna # 13 Makoto/Sailor Jupiter # 14 Princess Kakyuu # 15 Ami/Sailor Mercury # 16 Chibiusa/Sailor Chibi Moon # 17 Seiya/Sailor Star Fighter # 18 Mamoru/Tuxedo Kamen # 19 Usagi/Sailor Moon # 20 Chibi-Chibi/Sailor Chibi Chibi Moon

( 9:39 PM )   Pokemon test...

# 1 Satoshi/Ash # 2 Shigeru/Gary # 3 Nyarth/Meowth # 4 Kasumi/Misty # 5 Pikachu # 6 Takeshi/Brock # 7 Kojiro/James # 8 Musashi/Jessie

I'm Ash and Gary... isn't that damn close to weird?

( 9:37 PM )   *laughing again* CHECK IT OUT!!

CCS Kyara test results:

# 1 Kero-chan # 2 Syaoran Li # 3 Touya Kinomoto # 4 Tomoyo Daidouji # 5 Eriol Hiiragizawa # 6 Sakura Kinomoto # 7 Yukito Tsukishiro

I'm Kero-chan!

( 9:35 PM )   EEEEEEH!!! O_O; For the X/1999 test... I'm Satsuki! O_o

# 1 Yatouji Satsuki - dragon of earth # 2 Kuzuki Kakyou - dragon of earth # 3 Sumeragi Subaru - dragon of heaven # 4 Monou Fuuma - dragon of earth # 5 Nataku - dragon of earth # 6 Shirou Kamui - dragon of heaven # 7 Kishuu Arashi - dragon of heaven # 8 Shiyuu Kusanagi - dragon of earth # 9 Kigai Yuuto - dragon of earth # 10 Sakurazuka Seishirou - dragon of earth # 11 Aoki Seiichirou - dragon of heaven # 12 Arisugawa Sorata - dragon of heaven # 13 Kasumi Karen - dragon of heaven # 14 Nekoi Yuzuriha - dragon of heaven

( 9:32 PM )   *laughing like a total idiot* CHECK THIS OUT! HOW FUNNY!!! I find that the results for my taking the Eva kyara personality test are very well done!

# 1 Asuka Langley Sohryu # 2 Gendou Ikari # 3 Ryouji Kaji # 4 Misato Katsuragi # 5 Touji Suzuhara # 6 Kaworu Nagisa # 7 Kouzou Fuyutsuki # 8 Ritsuko Akagi # 9 Aoba Shigeru # 10 Makoto Hyuuga # 11 Shinji Ikari # 12 Maya Ibuki # 13 Hikari Horaki # 14 Rei Ayanami # 15 Pen-Pen

( 5:56 PM )   Speller!!! You owe me Mickey ears, and I want Lance's underwear!! AND FEEL MY WRATH!! *wraths Speller* MWAHAHAHAHA! JOYCE IS DEAD! MWAHAHAHAHAHA!       ( 7:36 AM )   Morning Blog!

Nah-nah-nah! Riot Ink business caaaards! *heehee*

I'm okay, really.

I am headachey!!! As Amy would say... my head is doing the achey brakey dance of PAIN. So, I imagine I will get nothing done in class. Ms. Fotinos is gonna kill me for skipping anyway... *sighs*

Querida! I shall continue my efforts to make dad buckle!!

Meagen-san.... really, I know what you mean. Technically, I can draw, but I kinda lack depth in my art (from what I can see). There are very few pictures that turn out with the emotion or realism I want them to come out with..... and funny enough, that kyara that I tend to make look how I want is good ol' Lucas.

Lucas: What can I say? I'm perfect. *mutters* Yeah, right...

And yes, you're getting fanart. Now if only I can manage to scan it....

Meg's Art Corner! Raphael-chan, or as I refer to him in RPs, Lian's Rukura. This is a fine example of what I draw in math class on scrap paper. And querida? It's not THAT good. ^##^;;;;

That's all from me!

Over an' out!

( 10:48 PM )   Of course my idea is good, querida! I'm so smart after all! *tosses away IQ test scores that say only 142* Lucas with blue hair.... streaked with green!!!!!! Yeeaaah, baby!       ( 3:23 PM )   Warning, incoming rant!

STUPID! GODDAMN FLIPPIN' STUPID!! What a GOOD way to get yourself killed! Doing f*cking drugs! STUPID STUPID!!! Goddamn it! I mean, pot, okay that's bad. Bad and STUPID. But 'shrooms?!! HOT DAMN IS THAT STUPID!! And not only that, getting yourself into a situation where you get thrown out of your mom's house?! F*cking stupid! *fumes*

(note: never mind, needed to vent.... friend issues)

( 2:00 PM )   At home and skipping civics class.... *whistles and rocks back on her heels* 9.9

You know what's scary? It's scary when a dood whom you eat lunch with even jokes about wanting to rape you. That's scary. Even scarier is when he pins you against the wall and you have to fight him off, and when he comes back, your best (guy) friends beat the living sh*t out of him. Not quite sure what to make of this.... big super duper hugs and thank yous to Mike and Matt, my new bodyguards. Dan, touch me again, and they'll kill you for sure. I'll see to it. *sweet smile*

( 7:32 AM )   Morning blog!

Querida: Yep, the Mark plot is similar to our dj idea... except a bit more profound. *heh* And seriously, tho, a good plot would be something to the effect of Mark goes baaaad-niichan and tries to end the world, and you gots to stop him. There's a plot. Hooray for plots! Cam's efforts on trying to get Mark to put some sort of value on his own body should start working someday. I mean, HOW many times has Cam explained it? Not to mention, Mark has a nice idea of how Cam thinks now that he's been inside his mind. Mark-niichan's a slut.... but I love him anyway!

Cam: *pounds the living daylights out of Meg for calling Mark such a thing*

*heeheehee* Animal comparisons! *heehee* I gotta try that! Rukura = gecko Poya = otter Yuken = viper Lucifer = duck Michael = horse Zachariah = pot-bellied pig (personality wise) Gabriel = peacock Kanson = crocodile (someone patch in a call to australia, let's get the Crocodile Hunter in here, please... *crosses fingers*)

Meagen-san: I'm working on a fanart for you of SailorM. I shall prolly CG it tonight or tomorrow, okie?

School blows! I don't wanna go to school! WAH!

over and out.

( 6:35 PM )   For fun, and just to annoy him... Rukura's stats!

Name: Raphael Harrison Nickname: Rukura Age: 17 Date of Birth: February 28th Hair: purple Eyes: green Height: 6'4 Occupation: student Descent: Angel Family: human family includes Jacob [father, deceased] and Mary-Anne [mother, deceased]. Original family includes Kanson [father], Europa [mother, deceased], and Uriel {Yuken} [half-brother] Friends: Lucifer, Pandora {Poya}, Michael, Zachariah Current Residence: Atlanta, Georgia Likes: music, reading, daydreaming, being anti-social Dislikes: homework, unwanted attention, medication, and fighting Skills: singing, getting weirdly good grades Setbacks: has a rather serious heart condition, which despite medication and various attempts, is damn near impossible to treat, suicidal, and generally miserable Notes: reincarnation of the Messiah. Human mother died in childbirth, human father committed suicide a few months later. Is considered a "problem child", as he usually gets into fights at school. Been shifted around to foster homes all his life, never staying in one particular home longer than 1 1/2 years. Most recent foster family died in a car crash, leaving him the only living "relative" to claim his foster father's fortune. Lives alone.

( 6:24 PM )   Chris-kun: Dood, a meant the person playing as being Mark... ^__^;;

Meg-chan's on net restrictions, lalalalala... she's gonna get in trouble if she gets caught on the internet, lalalalala... she's rewriting stats for LotM, lalalalala.... she's TOO attached to Raphael-chan, lalala--

Rukura: *belts Meg in the head* Don't call me that! Meg: It's your legal name, isn't it? I like it better 'an Rukura...

Dan wants me to hit him. In the eeeeeew kinda way. Do I really come across as that much of a dom? @_@

( 7:16 AM )   Morning blog!

This is bound to be a short enrty, as mom is home. Sooo...

I had a really funky dream last night, but I don't remember it. All I remember is waking up a lot, upset, and trying to recall where I was. Bennett was curled up to me most of the night (good spiritie dood ^_^), but I don't think it helped much.... ah, well, it's the thought that counts.

Yesterday, I blew $44 on prismacolor pens. I got the box set of cool greys, plus a replacement 60% warm grey as mine is running out. That's me broke for another month now.

BMB is cuuuuuute today. *giggles* I want my verra' own Mik! I *heartheart* Mik! Rach, you better get me a Mik for my birthday! Or else!

I can't draw worth beans lately. *cries*

to Chris-kun: Thanks for the comment on the layout... and maybe now I'll bug querida to do an AH game (I honestly didn't think about that @_@).

*ponders* Yeah, you could go arouns as Mark in the game, and you could sleep with every second person you run into---

Cam: SHUT UP! *thwacks Meg* Meg: Hey, it's not my fault that your hubby is a total sl--- Cam: *throws a table at Meg* Meg: Itaaaai. X_X

Otaaay, enough out of me. Over and out.

( 11:44 PM )   Hal is GOD... lalalala! Hal is thy holy master!       ( 11:27 PM )   Purple is a nice colour! It's the colour of hentai. ^__^;       ( 12:30 AM )   BEHOLD THE NEW LAYOUT!!!

....very purple, isn't it?

( 3:58 PM )   This close >< to shooting myself...       ( 3:56 PM )   I WILL get this to work.... I swear I will.       ( 3:53 PM )   HTML is annoying. Background image, where are you?       ( 3:50 PM )   Let's hope for the background image now.... *crosses fingers*       ( 3:45 PM )   Playing with the layout...       ( 3:25 PM )   This is the temp layout, as I'm altering this puppy to look how I want it to. New version should be up tonight.       ( 2:43 PM )   Chris-kun: the Boa cd has two names. One is the japanese release, the other is for the international market. It's either called Race of the Thousand Camels or Twilight (like this here blog!). And the Limp Bizkit cd is called Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavoured Water. And Hannibal is a lot different than the Silence of the Lambs, isn't it? I liked it, but I stand by the fact that Jodie Foster made a much better Clarice Starling than Julianne Moore could ever hope to be.

Anyway.

My Bennett still isn't home... Dora, is he still with you? If not, you'd think he'd be home by now... *sighs*

Okay, time for me to book it outta' here for a bit afore dad calls and has a fit 'cause the line is busy.

( 8:05 PM )   Interlude...

Meg: Cain and Yuken! KAWAII!!!! Yuken: *giggles and twitches his neko-mimi, looking all innocent* Rukura: ICK! Who the HELL would touch HIM!? *points at Yuken* Meg: Well, you 'touched' him once... Rukura: NOT BY CHOICE, GODDAMMIT!! .... *sneezes* Yuken: *eyes Rukura venomously* Rukura: I'll be running off to Lian now... *heads for the hills as fast as his (verra' long) legs can carry him*

( 8:00 PM )   Querida, thank goodness it's not bronchitis. That's something I get a LOT, and it's not fun at all. And ten pounds? ALRIGHT! You GO, girlfriend!! *tackleglomps* You'll be okay.... I know so! ^.^

I got the "Play" cd (Moby), which came with the edit of South Side for free. Bonus, baby! ^_____^

( 7:24 AM )   Morning blog!

Well, I feel mighty stupid this morning. Yesterday, I kinda pulled a muscle in my left leg (riiight in my calf), but it stopped hurting. Woke up from a funky dream and got up to find it hurt. Now, being the idiot I am and not usually restricted by physical pain (hey, that's what ended up breaking my ankle), I went for a shower. Feeling headachey and cramped, I worked my way down the stairs, only to pull the same muscle again and fall about halfway down and land on the cat at the bottom. ^___^;;; <---- feels very dumb

*falls over* Meagen-san, you had me scared a minute there! If you had MEANT Mark, I would have had to call in paramedics and stuff to make sure you weren't doped up on anything!!!! @_@

List of kyara and colours this blog is gonna be themed on in order of layout updates: Cam/purple (this weekend, hopefully) Lucas/red (whenever) Mark/blue (whenever) Sybandial/pink (whenever) Jesse/green (whenever)

Each layout will have a background featuring the kyara, too! ^_^

I really need a life. Over and out!

( 9:51 PM )   Song lyrics... one of Cam's most recent themes! "Learn to Fly" by the Foo Fighters

Run and tell all of the angels This could take all night Think I need a devil to help me get things right

Hook me up a new revolution Cuz this one is a lie We sat around laughing And watched the last one die

I'm looking to the sky to save me Looking for a sign of life Looking for something to help me burn out bright I'm looking for a complication Looking cuz I'm tired of lying Make my way back home when I learn to fly

I'm done nursing the patience I can wait one night I'd give it all away if you'd give me one last try We'll live happily ever trapped if you'd just save my life Run and tell the angels that everything's all right

I'm looking to the sky to save me Looking for a sign of life Looking for something to help me burn out bright I'm looking for a complication Looking cuz I'm tired of trying Make my way back home when I learn to fly Make my way back home when I learn to

Fly along with me, I can't quite make it alone Try to make this life my own Fly along with me, I can't quite make it alone Try to make this life my own

I'm looking to the sky to save me Looking for a sign of life Looking for something to help me burn out bright I'm looking for a complication Looking cuz I'm tired of trying Make my way back home when I learn to

Looking to the sky to save me Looking for a sign of life Looking for something to help me burn out bright I'm looking for a complication Looking cuz I'm tired of trying Make my way back home when I learn to fly Make my way back home when I learn to fly Make my way back home when I learn to...

( 7:06 PM )   Tay, I've decided the theme for my next layout... good ol' Bennett and the colour purple. How... fitting. ^__^

Now if only I can get this stupid HTML editor thing to work... *binks it*

( 11:05 AM )   Morning blog (late again)!

WHOO HOO! I GOT INTO THE ADVANCED VISUAL ART STUDIO CLASS!!! BIG HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA ON MR. HALL!!!!

Yeaaah, I just went to first period class this morning and got my classes for next year reviewed. Then I came home because the muscles in my abdomen are spasming and it hurts like bugger all.

To all my blogging friends; I'm gonna change the layout of this blog in the next week (I have a LOT of links to add). I'm gonna theme it around an AH kyara, so lemme know who you think would be best, please. Just post your opinion in your blog, as I read most of them daily anyway. ^__^;

( 8:23 PM )   Yeah, I've neglected my duties as a blog-person lately... I have a life, you know. (Hey, the LEAST you can do is smile and nod! T_T)

Not much is happening, really. My civics class keeps getting cancelled, so I think I'll skip it tomorrow and come home early. What else to say...? Ummm, not much.

Song of the moment: "The Kids Aren't Alright" by the Offspring. I'm on a REAL Offspring kick right now... dunno why exactly. Maybe 'cause they just amuse me. ^_^;

Grammy awards. Bleeeek. *makes a face*

Amy, kids who don't like cheese are stupid! HA HA!

( 3:33 PM )   ...afternoon.... blog!

This morning I spent the whole time trying to get my scanner to work, so thus, no morning blog. But I've got some stuff say for a change!

Today, lunch period was spent bothering Dan for the most part. He really ticked me off yesterday, and I'm extracting my revenge. So, I was making him jealous by glomping Matt at every opportunity (Matt doesn't mind too much, and he's nice to hug 'cause he's always warm.... and no, Mike, he's not my boyfriend! JUST A FRIEND!! T_T). It was rather comical. Civics class was cancelled, since Ms. Fotinos was at the Raptor's game with the people who signed up to go... the half of my class that was at school for the last three periods of the day got transferred to a Grade 12 geography class, in which was SO awkward that the teacher took pity on us and sent us all home. Redoing Angel Hunter again. This time, on the right sized paper... I'm sticking with the page layouts, tho, as I think I've got the look I want.

And, for fun! Rukura's theme song lyrics!

Home by Depeche Mode

Here is a song from the wrong side of town Where I'm bound to the ground by the loneliest sound That pounds from within and is pinning me down

Here is a page from the emptiest stage A cage or the heaviest cross ever made A guage of the deadliest trap ever laid

And I thank you for bringing me here For showing me home, for singing these tears Finally I've found that I belong here

The heat and the sickliest sweet smelling sheets That cling to the backs of my knees and my feet I'm drowning in time to a desperate beat

And I thank you for bringing me here For showing me home, for singing these tears Finally I've found that I belong...

Feels like home I should have known From my first breath

God sent the only true friend I call mine Pretend that I'll make amends the next time Befriend the glorious end of the line

And I thank you for bringing me here For showing me home, for singing these tears Finally I've found that I belong here.

( 7:11 AM )   Morning Blog!

This song is tripping me out right now, but goddamn, do I love it! *grooves to "Home" by Depeche Mode* It's a really dramatic song... and it's sooooo making me think of Rukura. >_<;

It's very cold this morning. At least I think so, anyway, so I'm sitting here wearing the couch blanket as a cape. I feel like a doooork.

Meg's Art Corner (Freckle-chan, you copycat! T_T)

A special little picture; Lucas in his newest style of dress. Drool factor, out of 10? 12.

What else to say... ummm... Mom didn't leave me lunch money again. T_T;

Over and out!

( 2:12 PM )   Cam: EVERYONE RUN WHILE YOU CAN!!!! THE END IS NEAR!!!!!

....yep, for the first time in YEARS, I'm the proud owner of twp pairs of blue jeans. I've not worn blue jeans since I was about 5... and these ones fit niiiiice. I have hips and a waist.... @__@

Anyway, mom and I went to Sears and then to Curry's Art Supplies. I got my two pairs of jeans, two men's dress shirts (one white, one black), a new sketchbook, 4 new warm grey prismacolors, and a new 05 pigment pen. I am a happy Meg-chan!

Blue jeans that fit... *in shock*

( 9:09 PM )   I have officially started rewriting the Chronicles of Benjamin Carter! WHIHAI! Here's a bit of what I've written so far.

Frail. Benjamin was frail. He was about 5'4, fifteen years of age, and pale. He was small and slight in build; a boy and not yet a man. Right now, he looked more fragile than he really was... curled up under the blankets of his rather small bed, bruised and crying. It was a familiar scene.

Benjamin wiped at his eyes with the back of his hand in a vain attempt to push the tears away. However, it was pointless since more just spilled down his cheeks as if to spite him and his efforts to stop them. He hated crying. Hated it. But at times like this --- only at times like this--- he couldn't help himself. He was so tired of being forced into the clutches of rich men; predators that liked their pleasure taken out on the young boys who could be bought if the price was right. He was sick of the violation and the abuse. Most of all, he was sick of his father pushing him into it. His own father. He hiccupped in his efforts to restrain his tears.

Benjamin wanted more than anything to run away. Run away to another city, another country, anywhere but where he was. Just out of the clutches of the people who hurt him so much. But he was trapped like the birds his father kept in the iron cages that lined the back yard. He was a prisoner, shackled to the bars of his perpetual cage. Derkshaw would catch him if he ran. Derkshaw always caught him.

"Damn him to hell," Benjamin thought bitterly, though he regretted thinking it for reasons he couldn't quite explain.

There was a tap of boots in the hallway, and Benjamin closed his eyes, breathed deeply, and pretended to be asleep. The heavy, even steps stopped outside his door. The door squeaked as it opened slightly.

Benjamin tried to keep his breathing slow and deep, tried not to flinch. He felt Derkshaw's gaze on him. It burned.

'Go away, papa, go away....'

The door opened a bit more, and the tap of boots carried into the room.

It would be a good half hour before Derkshaw left, the blood on his hands and shirt not his own.

( 2:28 PM )   Man, am I grateful for mom. She just brought me the most wonderful little care packet of a bottle of ibuprofen and a Terry's Dark Chocolate Orange bar. *sniffles happily* Thank you, mommie!

Amy, Amy, Amy.... you have no idea how much stress is gone already. *heavy sigh* I can't thank you enough.

Spellleeeeeeerrrr, next weekend is go for coming over to my house to watch movies! You like freaky movies, I'll make you watch freaky ANIME movies! On the roster so far: Perfect Blue and X. Maybe I'll make a trip to Roger's Video and snag Devil Man or something. But I will get you hooked. I will. Your time will come (*sings* thy will be done!).

*laughing at BMB* Yeah, Mik, you dirty minded cutie! You think those nasty thoughts about Harley! *laughing*

Oiiii, Freckle-chan... you posted a nice list of couples you like. I think for fun, I'll do the same!

Cardcaptor Sakura Touya and Yukito - kawaii! KAWAII!!!! Sakura and Tomoyo - so sue me!

Oh My Goddess! Trobadour and Urd - they were cool! Too bad he's such a dork. Keiichi and Belldandy - well, DUH!

Magic Knight Rayearth Ascot and Umi - I'm a sucker for Ascot. What a little cutie! Clef and Presea - ditto that, 'cause Clef is so cute and so short!

Dragon Half Mink and Lufa - not likely, I know, but still.

Bakuretsu Hunter Tira and Carrot - feh on Chocolate. She's not half as cool as Tira. Marron and Gateau - I don' like Gateau too much, but Marron is so hot. *_*

Ranma 1/2 Ranma and Shampoo - not likely, either, but I think Mousse is too wussy for her. I've always been a Ranma/Shampoo 'shipper.

Shamanic Princess Kagetsu and Tiara - it's a sad relationship... Sarah and Tiara - um, don't ask.

Slayers Lina and Gourry - he's so funny around her... ^__^

Sailor Moon Usagi and anyone but Mamoru! T_T; Chibi Usagi and Pelulu [Perelu, Perele] - *heehee* Cute fae-ish boy with white hair!

Neon Genesis Evangelion Shinji and Asuka - I think she really does like him. She just doesn't know how to show it. Misato and Koji - funny funny! She's a player, tho.

RPing kyara [involving mine] Cam and Mark - for obvious reasons. Rukura, Lian, and Gabby - yes, a yaoi threesome. They're all so cute. Sola [Soren] and Sybandial - so innocent and sweet. ^_^ Jyrian and Quoik - I don't talk about these two much, but their relationship is really cute. Jesse and Rach - how can I not like this? He's cute, she's cute (haha, Rach!) Lucas and Lila - I liked this possibility... too bad she's dead and we won't find out what woulda' happened. Lucas and Carter - this is a slightly more demented relationship. Cadence and Lexiel - a more intellectual relationship... even if Lexiel is kinda big on sex for sick reasons. ^_^; Cadence3 and Cam - I'm a sick, sick girl. Lucifer and Setsuko - if we get Setsuko back, then we can resume this. They're cute too. ^_^

Other Stories Kiih and Ro (from Dora's "Three O'Clock") - I don't really know why... these two just kinda hit it off in my mind. Len and Yuri (see above) - ditto the above again.

Book Series Ron and Hermione - need I explain? Sirius and Remus - again, need I explain? Lestat and Louis (Anne Rice's VC books) - strange but yummy relationship Lestat and David - intellectual and alluring. Marius and Amadeo - Stokholm syndrome. Cal and Meg (A Wrinkle in Time) - KAWAII!

That's that done. ^__^;

( 10:41 PM )   Sap warning ahead!

I have the best best friends in the whole world! My best friends are Speller and Amy!

Speller, who I know I don't mention on here too much (I'm sorry! ;_;), is the smartest person I know. She's also one of the most talented writers, too. How many people can write a whole novel before/during high school? Aside from Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, not many. And her poetry kicks ass! She has a lot of it published. She can also draw better realistic stuff than I can, which makes me mondo jealous. It's not fair, I tell you! And she must learn to watch out for Hannibal. Beware him. Speller likes pudding. And pears. Damn those pears.

Amy and I have been friends since 7th grade, when she was the "new kid". We actually first met in drama class. She ran over a possum on her way to work. Yeeeah! She, too, is an amazing writer. It's not FAIR! She came runner up in the story writing contest a while back. I was proud. And I SCREEEEEEAMED the loudest when she won the Todd Bayless award. I live to embarrass.... ^_~

I am grateful to have such good friends. I love them. This concludes the sap. ^___^;

( 9:04 PM )   Querida, you're cooler than Simon and Milo! (Personally, Milo's a tad too butch for my liking, but Simon is a cute little brit guy with the sweetest little sentiments!) ....anyway.... yes, you have a neck. I hope. ^_~

And to complete the phrase you know you have problems when...you obsess over a cartoon with no neck, no nose, and huge eyes!

( 7:29 AM )   Morning blog!

I watched Perfect Blue last night. It downright scared me! Seeing Hannibal didn't scare me, seeing the Rage; Carrie 2 didn't scare me.... but Perfect Blue DID. The "real Mima" (the one who's forever in the Cham costume) is SCARY!!! And the Mimaniac is pretty scary too. o_O Iffen you haven't seen this movie, get it. Especially if you like stuff like Neon Genesis Evangelion, X, or Serial Experiments Lain. I warn you, there's nudity, a rape scene, and a lot of gore. This movie freaked me out more than Eva did.

In other news... going to the art store tomorrow!!! And, I'm also skipping 5th period today. Maybe even 3rd, 'cause I'm stuck doing NOTHING all class anyway. -_-;

Hopefully they have the 10x15 paper I want... 'cause, you know, that being the traditional dimensions for comic drawing. Y'all knew that, right? *gives you a loooooook*

And I best be off to get ready... JA!

( 7:02 PM )   Blogger hates me.

OH! OH! EVERYONE GO READ TODAY'S BMB!!! CY AND SKIDS FOREVERRRRR!!!!

I'm having a hell of a lucky streak this week. Today, in the mail, I got an AUTOGRAPHED Simon and Milo picture, FRAMED!!! *swoons*

And I got Perfect Blue!!!!

( 5:14 PM )   Gonna go see Hannibal with Mike and Chris in about half an hour! ^__^       ( 7:21 AM )   Morning Blog!

Last night, began a really angsty RP with Cam and Mark (well, it was angsty on Cam's end). Now, I only just realized that I think up really weird stuff that follow pretty much all the major time/space/reality laws. And all on a whim and at random. It's strange. You know you study this stuff too much when.... Yep, it's not every day when I come up with plots like that puppy. Using the imprints left in the reality weave to reconstruct a Mark.... that's some strange stuff (but it actually makes sense, which is what throws me). Huh.

I feel guilty... I got mad at Amy last night. She was being a little more depressing than usual, and I just couldn't stand it. I'm sick and stressed and I don't need to boost her ego all the time.

I've had this urge for the past couple of days to draw Cam shaking Lucas by the shoulders and looking very upset while Lucas looks blank. I don't really know why.... the caption for it has been running through my head, as it is this: "What am I to you?!" Trippiness.

Well, being the idiot I am, I didn't do my civics homework. My group is gonna love me for that.... then again, they're sticking me with the job of reading the presentation on Spain because I'm the only one that knows how to speak some Spanish. *sweatdrops*

I'm having urges to draw the weirdest things.... I hate it when Cam angsts at me from his little spot in my mind.

Meg's Art Corner A really weird little picture of c3 and a Chibi Cam. C3 is drawn more in my gothic anime style than my normal one. Turned out quite well! ^_^

Over and out!

( 7:16 PM )   Neeee, imouto! If you're not gonna be doing Yunga Neko for a while, you should get a guest artist to do, like, weekly panels just until you can work on it again. *volunteers*       ( 7:14 AM )   Morning blog time again, kids!

I'm feeling okay this morning, so school for me. *sigh* School is so boring. Lunch is okay, mind you, because I have (as Speller said) "so many male bitches that work" for me. ^__^

I've been doing a lot of drawing since I got those pens. It's scary... can't wait to get more! ^__^ I also gotta get me some 10 X 15 paper, 'cause that's the standard comic size. I don't feel up to fighting with printers because the size ratio on 8.5 X 11 is uneven. Screw it. I'll just redo it all on standards.

I'm having the straaangest breakfast. Pork chops. Don't ask me, it was the only thing I could find...

Song of the moment: "Cruel Angel's Thesis (Harmonia Remix)" from Evangelion. *slobbers* I forgot what a COOL remix this is!!!

Meg's Art Corner Ben Carter, looking cute and vaguely distant! (Hey, he's a Blink fan, too!) Mark makes a scarilly cute girl. o_O Appearently, so does Lucas. Onna-Cam makes me think of Rally from Gunsmith Cats for some reason.... How cliché.

Over and out!

( 5:30 PM )   Nah nah naaaah! Meg has Sympatico access!!

Anyway, Meg also got herself some niiiiice grey prismacolor pens yesterday! Meg drew some pretty pretty pictures with them, too! Meg is happy, so she is!

Meg's Art Corner With her new prismacolors in hand, Meg is proud to present her latest creations! Angelique, the evil evil bitchy whore of a Demon from AH. She's pretty, tho. ^_^; "Legacy of the Messiah" cast shot; Rukura, Lucifer, and Pandora as kids! Carter and Lucas, a strange relationship these doods have. Carter looks somewhat like Cam, doesn't he? Quoik, Meg's only fae kyara!!

( 2:25 PM )   Tiredtiredtiredtired....

At the Office Place, they have a set of 24 prismacolor markers for about 40 bucks. I WANT THEM, but mom says "no, I don't have that kind of money right now". So, what we're gonna do, is I'm gonna drag her to Curry's Art Supplies store in a few hours and see how much THEY'RE selling them for.... maybe she'll buckle and take me back to the Office Place. ^_~

I need grey markers...

...oh, note to all who talk to me at night online. I won't be on until really late 'cause the network will be down. Unless mom hooks us up with Sympatico tonight, I'll be on around 2am. *sniffles* I'm gonna be without my querida fix! *snifflesniffle*

( 8:34 PM )   Lack of bloggingness today, as you all may have noticed. Dunno why, I was home again....

song of the moment: "Under the Bridge" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I *heart* Flea.... what an AMAZING bass player. Too bad this song doesn't showcase him much. If you want good bass by the dood tho, "Californication" is an order.

*cheers* The restrictions to see Hannibal have been changed from R to AA! In other words, I can get in to see it! Heeey, Dan, Amy, Speller, anyone? Wanna come with? I warn y'all, tho, it's been said that this movie is grotesquely violent.

Tomorrow is gonna be a very busy day. I'm going into town with my mom and brother for most of the day, then it's home for a few hours (like, two), and to the mall where I shall meet with Quinn-chan and Chris to go for our ritual Riot Ink business meeting. Then I shall return from the depths of Quinn's anime/transformers shrine of a home and return to my humble lair around midnight. Then I'll prolly talk to my baaaaybeeeeee (aka: querida) for the remainder of the dark hours of the evening.

Oh! Celeb Jeopardy! Two of my faaaaavourite doods were on there! Seth Green from various shows such as Buffy, and Steven from the Barenaked Ladies! DOOD! And Seth has his hair buzzed in sooooo damn short that he looks bald. 0_o

Kick ass! 3 Doors Down are playing at the Warehouse on March 11, and tickets are only $27... man, I wanna GOOOOO!!!

( 12:37 PM )   For Whom the Bell Tolls by Metallica Make his fight on the hill in the early day Constant chill deep inside Shouting gun, on they run through the endless grey On the fight, for they are right, yes, by who's to say? For a hill men would kill, why? They do not know Suffered wounds test there their pride Men of five, still alive through the raging glow Gone insane from the pain that they surely know

For whom the bell tolls Time marches on For whom the bell tolls

Take a look to the sky just before you die It is the last time you will Blackened roar massive roar fills the crumbling sky Shattered goal fills his soul with a ruthless cry Stranger now, are his eyes, to this mystery He hears the silence so loud Crack of dawn, all is gone except the will to be Now the will see what will be, blinded eyes to see

For whom the bell tolls Time marches on For whom the bell tolls

( 12:17 PM )   Okay, today's guest BMB is quite good. ^__^

*points out the window* Heehee, a mini-plow!! *giggles*

song of the moment: "Sunny Came Home" by Shawn Colvin (so sue me, I like this song... ).

( 12:08 PM )   Why is it on days that it's not supposed to snow, it snows the most? We've gotten about 13 cm since last night and it's still coming down... -_-;

song of the moment: "For Whom the Bell Tolls" by Metallica. Heeheehee....makes me think of AH. I shall post the lyrics on here later.

( 7:42 AM )   The Wheel of Excitement on Neopets loves me... I just won another 10 000 np. O_O       ( 7:35 AM )   Morning blog!

Here I am, killing time while I wait for either mom to call me or for me to call mom. Stupid morons in Wal-Mart, you call the main office and ask to be patched through to Electronics, and they put you on hold and hang up on you. Figures, it was mom's boss that just did that to me. Moron.

I got slim to no sleep last night due to sickness. Man, do I hurt... I feel like my guts are being put into a dryer's spin cycle constantly. And after drinking 3 L of cranberry juice, I'm not too good right now. I'm kinda waiting for mom to call so I can ask her what to do... I dunno if I should stay home or go to school. I bet I'm missing a fair bit. Well, there's always Fiona and Harpreet to ask. ^_^;;

I bet Dan's gonna kill me if I'm off another day. Mike's prolly beaten him up a few times by now without me there.

*drums her fingers* Mom, I asked you to phone me... you've got 10 minutes, and then I phone YOU....and hope I don't get hung up on...

Oh! BmB's on it's guest week. Y'know, with guest artists doing the panels. I'm not liking it too much. Yesterday's was a tad too blunt, with not enough joke 'ahind it. Maybe next time, I'll try for a guest spot on there. I'd be sure to do something involving Cy and Skids. I love Cy and Skids. ^__^

I'm running very low on straight kyara. Querida manages to turn them all gay! *shakes her head* Bennett, Lucas, Rukura, Sy.... who next? *turns to Tiirak* Dood, you're not gay are you? Tiirak: No way. Meg: You sure?? Tiirak: Yes, I'm sure. Meg: *looks suspicious*

Mommie bought me the Silence of the Lambs yesterday. It's such a good movie, and all the better if you've read the book. The casting for the movie is very good, too... Jodie Foster makes such a cute Clarice Starling. It really pisses me off that Julianne Moore is playing Clarice in Hannibal (which comes out tomorrow, check your local listings ^_~). She is SO not Starling material. But as long as Sir Anthony Hopkins is still good ol' Hannibal Lecter the Cannibal, I'll watch it.

*calls Mom* Wow, I got through....!!! Maybe that's because I cheated and used the associates-only code. How would I know THAT? 9.9

Looks like I get to stay home again today... *feh* Boredom and a half. Amy, if you're home, feel free to phone me or something.

Over and out!

( 10:50 PM )   Yeeeeeeeee! Querida can read my mind and alter my dreamstate!!!!

No one should have to drink 2 litres of cranberry juice in 5 hours. x_X

( 9:21 AM )   Morning blog!

I'm home sick! And it's only the 4th day of semester 2. Seems that whatever the hell was wrong with me before is wrong with me again... pain hurts, you know. T_T;

I've not much to say today... doesn't that suck when you wanna say something but you're outta' stuff to say?

OH!!! GOOD NEWS! AH Issue one is officially coming along WELL! Looks like I won't have to go to version 16... ^___^

( 9:32 PM )   Rukura and Lian... I got bored and messed around with PC Paintbrush...       ( 6:41 PM )   *looking from her cat CC to her mug of hot chocolate* CC is staring at the marshmellows like they're evil..... *inches away*       ( 6:29 PM )   The Angel Hunter church stainglass window...?       ( 4:00 PM )   Okay, I know.... I didn't blog this morning. I was running mighty late. I had to hop fences to get to school. ^_^;;;

What did I do today? Not much. I got yelled at three times and nearly booted out of my history class (why? for drawing! >.<;;), and I nearly fell asleep in comm tech. Thankfully, Mr. Dewitte let us out early.

The layouts for pages 1-4 of AH have been redone. This is version 15... and I'm LIKING it! FINALLY!

Heeey, imouto! Mercutio was the best kyara in that play. I also liked Benvolio, he was cool too (my once-best-friend Brittany took to calling me 'Volio 'cause I liked him so much). Mercutio, tho, had one hell of an attitude, and he was interesting and VERY funny. Too bad he had to die... I'm glad you liked the little snippet. Allow me to post another, just for you! ^__^ This is another bit I quite like.

Benjamin found it facinating to watch him, he was so calm and so... well, he was the very picture of freedom as far as he was concerned. Yes, that was it. Benjamin admired Lokistrant's blasé attitude towards life. Envy, almost.

When one night, Lokistrant was late on his ritual visits to the plantation, Benjamin worried. Could he have been hurt?.... no. This was Lokistrant. He didn't GET hurt. But maybe he just didn't want to see him anymore?

Abandonment. A reoccurring issue. His throat felt dry suddenly. He curled up on his bed, blond hair over his eyes, and wished for morning, when he KNEW that Lokistrant would not come. No second guessing when daylight was involved.

Minutes passed. And quite unexpectedly, Lokistrant was there, startling the boy. Leaning against the far wall, watching quietly, decked out in his usual dark reds and silvers. Benjamin sat up. "How long have you been there? You scared me!"

Lokistrant smiled his usual enigmatic smile, the impression of fangs something no longer unexpected. "Carter, deepest apologies for being so late." The smile was kind, but the voice was final, the tone stating that there was to be no questions asked. Lokistrant held out his hand to the boy. "Care to come with me into town for a while?"

( 7:45 AM )   Morning Blog, part II

Oh! I saw Cast Away over the weekend! It's SO good! Tom Hanks is a surprisingly good actor... I mean, who else can get away with talking to a volleyball so convincingly? And we all know that Amy likes to imagine him naked (Tom, not the volleyball). You should all go see it! NOW!!!! That's an order!

Heehee, now a little quote for fun from a story I am going to re-write.

Benjamin stared across the table at the stranger, worried. The man seemed in his twenties, if that, and had long brown hair that spilled over his shoulders and down his back. His eyes were an unnatural ruby red, and they were very intelligent eyes. Benjamin had learned early in life to be cautious, especially with the smarter ones.

The man crossed his hands on the table in front of him, casual. "Benjamin Carter, correct?"

Benjamin could dect a vague, though unrecognizable, accent. "Yes sir."

"You're fifteen?"

"Yes sir."

"Such a shame to see someone so young forced into... what you're familiar with."

Benjamin sunk down in his chair. "Why are you here? Why did you pull me away from papa?"

To match Benjamin's withdraw from the table, the man leaned forward, and smiled. Benjamin could have sworn he saw fangs. "You remind me of someone."

( 7:22 AM )   Morning blog!

Man, do I feel WEIRD this morning. I'm not sure why, exactly, but I just feel weird. I dunno. I think a certain spiritie dood slept in my bed with me last night.... *points at Bennett* 'Cause I actually slept.

Last night, during a particularly good RP, my ISP died and wouldn't let me back on. I wasn't happy. It was getting SO good, too... *pouts*

I'm so quickly out of things to say.... ^____^;;

O'er an' out!

( 11:17 AM )   Meg's random contemplations I'm considering re-writing Carter's story, which ties in with a fair bit of Lucas' story. Been considering it for a while... Carter's got some serious problems, and he's fun to write because he's so screwed up. He's got a really weird past. His dad was SUCH a jerk.... and up until becoming a vampire, Carter was good little Bennie; never had the nerve to fight his father. *ponders* It's an interesting story. Maybe I'll start on it again after I get home from seeing Cast Away....       ( 10:56 PM )   Okay, people, special announcement!!!!!!! Congrats to Bennett and niichan on the birth of their daughter, Candra Arael Bennett! ^___^       ( 3:32 PM )   Woohoo! I got switched from Casement's class to Apostolou's class! Hooray!!! And I am already SO ahead of all the people in my comm tech class. I seem to be the only one who knows how to use Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Publisher, and Premier, as well as Quark and a few other programs. Damn, am I ahead. *_*       ( 7:36 AM )   Morning blog!

Wow, I only slept 3 hours and I feel okay.... *falls out of her chair laughing at today's BmB* Cy and Skids are a riot! I hope they do turn out as a couple! *laughing*

New semester starts today. I'm not too happy about this, as I have history and math this semester, and history is my homeroom class. With Mr. Casement. *cries* NOOOO!!! If I get called by my last name ONCE in his class, I'm gonna commit suicide (okay, not really).

My room is now a nice shrine of large wall hangings. On the walls around my bed, I have three Card Captor Sakura wallscrolls (two anime, one manga), and one kick-ASS Prozzak Saturday People promo poster. Thank you, John. *smilesmilesmile*

On Neopets, I am neopoor. Looks like my pets are gonna be eating at the soup kitchen a lot. -_-;

Meg's Art Corner! I know, I've not done much in the way of art lately. You know what's weird? I tend to draw more in school than at home. I think it's because I'm around so many people. Cam's SD Panther form, doodled in MS Paint. I was bored, okay? And it DID turn out cute. Part of my MS Paint family portrait. I still have to finish the pictures for John and Dani, and the kids too if I have enough willpower after screwing around with the stupid program afterwards.

Song of the moment: "When Doves Cry (Fatboy Slim remix) by Depeche Mode and Prince. I love this... don't ask me why. ^_^;

Quote of the moment: "Listen sister, if I want your opinion, I'll BEAT it out of you!" -- Elvira, Mistress of the Dark

Okay, that's it for now. Ja matta ne! *disappears in purple smoke*

( 12:38 PM )   Song of the moment: "Misere by Andrea Bocelli and John Miles. I have a very....expansive taste in music. So sue me. *sings along*       ( 11:45 AM )   To Chris-kun: Dooood, I don't hate you, and I'm not mad at you..... jus' chill, man. S'your blog, you can say what's on your mind...

I got my pretty pretty new cladagh ring in the mail yesterday! *kisses said ring* Mi querida gave it to me!! Isn't that sweet? ^__^

I have come to the conclusion that Cam would make a really scary bad guy. Like, not c3... but if CAM were bad. He'd be scary. I mean, he's already got some issues with where his loyalty lies... and he's pretty much infinite in power. Not to mention, after being killed about 200 times, I think he knows the painful ways to kill people. Wonder if niichan (currently my neechan) sees this? Well, at least now he knows about Cam's possibilities for becoming nothing more than a lethal weapon.

I have three neopets! My blue wocky named Cadence, my green shoyru named Lokistrant, and my yellow eyrie Poyania! ^__^

"My December" is © Linkin Park. The art is mine. Don't take. Information on the layout is thus; this is Damien McKinnley, a character of mine whom I've been roleplaying for a little over a year now. He's Simon McKinnley's oldest child, and he's kinda angsty and depressive. Art done in paintchat and added some snow in Photoshop.

Name: Meg Graham AKA: DJ Rabid Armadillo Age: 17 Birthday: May 1st Identifies as: a depressive and obsessive compulsive bisexual artist and writer Hair: black Eyes: grey Bands: Depeche Mode, Iron Maiden Movies: Fight Club, Velvet Goldmine, Hedwig and the Angry Inch Books: As I Lay Dying, Harry Potter, Fight Club, A Clockwork Orange, and the Repairman Jack series. Anime: Fruits Basket, Kare Kano Manga: Fruits Basket, Kare Kano Artists: Takaya Natsuki, H.R Giger, Tony, Firefly Family: Tony, Julian, Dora, Poe, Mina Lives for: Firefly, art, music

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Brittany Deanna Lisa Firefly Dora Becky Dan Julian Tony (blog) Alex Heidi Megan Hana Gerrad Kiran Amy Zalina Katarina Matt Ribby Chris Meagen Poe Tsua Frecklegirl Rikki Mina Blair

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[carewyncromwell]

Left you all on a cliffhanger last time, so let’s just jump right in! Previous part of the POTC AU here, the whole tag is here, and Jules Farrier is @cursebreakerfarrier’s! Let’s go! <3

x~x~x~x

It took a moment for Orion to recover from Carewyn’s “confession.” It took a little longer still before he felt brave enough to make any movement toward her, though he still found himself oddly uncertain of how to proceed. For, believe it or not, the dashing pirate Orion Amari had never been in love with anyone else, nor did he have much instinct of how best to express affection. He’d encountered plenty of pirates who were “ladies’ men” in Tortuga and the like, of course -- but not only did Orion find they often gave off unpleasant vibes, but he knew for a fact that not one of them could have ever caught the eye of someone like Carewyn Cromwell.

And so Orion found himself hesitating, his hand resting just over Carewyn’s shoulder just shy of her cheek, as he watched her face for her reaction. Carewyn fortunately picked up on Orion’s shyness immediately, and she inclined her head in a muted, encouraging nod as she brought her own hand up to lightly trail over his cheek. The gentleness of the gesture made a shudder ripple through Orion’s shoulders, and he soon found himself mirroring her, smoothing a piece of her bangs from her eyes with his pointer and middle fingers. Her lips spread into a smile as she leaned in, her hand securing itself on his jawline, and placed a chaste kiss to his lips.

That kiss lasted three seconds.

The warmth of her lips on top of his seemed to fill Orion with a wonderful lightness, as if he were coming up off the ground -- and when it ended, there was a strange feeling of withdrawal. It felt like he’d gotten only a small taste of some sugary sweet, and it just wasn’t enough to satisfy him.

And so, almost as soon as she’d pulled away, Orion found himself bringing both hands up to her cheeks, cradling it as he slowly leaned in and kissed her again.

That kiss lasted fifteen seconds.

When they broke apart again, both of them were smiling. Carewyn leaned her forehead against his, and for a moment, all they could do was hold each other, reveling in this bizarre new feeling of closeness. It was so warm and fulfilling, and yet peaceful and soothing at the same time. Orion was more off-balance than ever and yet...all seemed right with the world.

As happy as the moment was, however, they both knew it couldn’t last. Carewyn was the one who woke up from the dream first.

“...What do we do now?” she murmured.

Orion’s face became much more somber seeing the sad glint in Carewyn’s gaze as it fell away. He considered her carefully, his dark eyes narrowing slightly.

“...I don’t know,” he said at last, very softly.

His eyes trailed over her face even though she still couldn’t look up at him.

“...I know I cannot ask you to come with me. You could never be a pirate, Carewyn Cromwell. Your spirit’s free as one, but your heart is too noble. Too heroic and selfless...”

His gaze softened sadly.

“And as long as your family -- your found family as well as your brother -- is out on the high seas...I know you would never abandon the position that gives you the power to protect them. ...Nor could I ever ask that of you.”

Carewyn met Orion’s eyes again. Her blue eyes were rippling to the brim with emotion, raging and turbulent as the sea itself.

“And I can’t ask you to stay with me,” she said. “As long as the East India Trading Company is obsessed with hunting down and killing all pirates...it would never be safe for you in Port Royal...or near me.”

She leaned her forehead against his again, closing her eyes.

Orion wished he knew how best to comfort her. Tentatively he secured his arms around her and brought up a hand to cradle the back of her head, the way he’d seen a woman hold her beau’s head while kissing him goodbye at the dock, when he was a boy.

“The world does indeed seem to be against us,” he said softly, “but the world in itself is not meant to be static. It, and fate, is constantly moving. Fate brought us together once, long ago...and it also demanded we separate. It brought us back together, and then we had to separate once more. Like the sun chases the moon...they do see each other every morning at dawn and every night at dusk...even if they must be apart so much of the time.”

Orion adjusted slightly so that he could look Carewyn in the face more easily.

“...Even if we must do that pattern several more times over,” he whispered, “I would cherish every time we met in the sky again, even if it’s only fleetingly.”

Carewyn looked up at him, her eyes full of pain. The movement made their lips suddenly only a hair’s width apart.

“You’d be all right with just that?” she asked.

He could feel her breath against his lips. It was enough to make his heart rate spike, and he had to take a stabilizing breath before answering. 

“It seems to me that this...is something that most people could go their whole life never knowing for a moment. With that perspective...those precious moments where we could cross paths would be a gift, not an injustice.”

Carewyn frowned. “I understand, but...in this world we’re in, we should not want to collide at all. I’d have to arrest you, and we’d have to fight. There’s only so much we can pretend...so much I can pretend.”

She closed her eyes again, but this time, she didn’t just look sad -- she looked focused. When she opened her eyes again, it was full of a new kind of fire.

“If the world is meant to change...then I’ll make sure it does,” she said firmly. “I’ll fight for a world where you don’t have to run, and I don’t have to lie -- where Bill, Charlie, and Jules don’t have to be criminals just because they were determined to save my life. Where the Navy protects its citizens more than the East India Trading Company’s bottom line. ...Where people aren’t automatically branded criminals with no chance of reprieve or proper justice.”

Orion considered Carewyn for a moment, his expression rather unreadable. Carewyn’s confidence flickered ever-so-slightly.

“...You don’t believe me?”

Orion’s lips spread into a full, soft smile.

“I learned when I was still a boy trying to argue against eating and staying the night in a stranger’s house never to doubt the convictions of Carewyn Cromwell.”

Carewyn’s eyes softened as her lips also spread into a very small, warm smile. Then she leaned in to close the gap between their mouths once more.

That kiss lasted only a second, but there were about five more of them in rapid succession, a little longer and deeper each time.

The following day, the Artemis found a deserted island on one of the rum runners’ routes where they could drop Carewyn off. The crew was a bit disappointed to see her go -- sure, she was a bit too paragon to be a pirate, but she was a capable sailor and her singing voice was pleasant to listen to. Most importantly of all, they could all sense how much their Captain had taken to her and hated the thought of him being unhappy without her.

Carewyn and Skye exchanged a respectful handshake and farewells. McNully shook Carewyn’s hand too, but both she and he ended up using both hands in the end -- Carewyn lamented that she wouldn’t be able to work with such a talented tactician back with the Navy. Then Orion escorted Carewyn ashore on his own, the crew staying behind so that they could exchange their proper farewells.

Both of them stayed very stoic for most of the hand-off. Orion could only give Carewyn a jug of water and a pistol with one shot, as per the rules of marooning, as much as he’d also wished he could give her a bottle of rum and some food for the next few days she’d no doubt be on the island, waiting for someone to pick her up. But as Carewyn pointed out, she wouldn’t die of thirst in that time, and she honestly shouldn’t look in great shape when she was recovered anyway. And so, reluctantly, Orion turned to go.

He’d made it about twenty paces when he paused, looking back at Carewyn on the beach. She was standing in true Commodore fashion, with her arms behind her back and her posture perfectly straight, and yet despite her brave expression, he could see the sadness in her eyes she tried so desperately to hide.

It was in that moment that Orion did something completely off-balance and impulsive. In an instant, he’d barreled back across the beach at the run and, when he reached Carewyn, he threw an arm around her, pulled her in, and kissed her. It was deeper than any of their other kisses had been, with both of them holding onto each other’s back and head and touching each other’s faces as they tried desperately to communicate the depth of their feelings in that tragically short time they were allowed.

That kiss felt like it went on for days...and yet it still wasn’t long enough.

Part of Carewyn wanted to just grab Orion and never let go of him again -- to shield him from anyone and anything who tried to harm him...but she knew she couldn’t hope to protect him from the entire world. And so, very reluctantly, she and Orion separated, and Orion returned to the Artemis. Carewyn watched the pirate ship sail out of sight, her heart full of every prayer she could think of to ensure his safety.

Within two days, Carewyn had been found by a merchant ship, and within the week, she was back in Port Royal. Percy had been beyond relieved to hear of her safe return, though it broke Carewyn’s heart to lie about what had gone down with Bill, Charlie, and Jules. McNully had decided it’d be best if Carewyn claimed that she and the two eldest Weasleys had had a huge falling-out when she’d heard what they’d done (rather like Percy had) and that they’d been the ones to maroon her, rather than Orion. It would give a good explanation about why she was in such good shape, since even if Bill and Charlie were now criminals, they were still “his brothers,” but it would also make them seem rather heartless, to maroon their own brother on some barren island supposedly with no chance of rescue. When Carewyn met Governor Farrier again, however, she refused to say that Bill was holding Jules prisoner, as he’d originally presumed. 

“She took the Revenge and rechristened it as her own flagship,” said Carewyn solemnly. “I’m afraid Miss Farrier -- pardon, Juliette Weasley is as much a pirate as my brothers are.”

What she did not add was that she believed that was “not at all.”

In the time Carewyn was gone, Percy had been promoted to Captain of his own ship, the Clearwater. He was incredibly proud of it -- as happy as Carewyn was for Percy, it proved difficult at points for her not to get a little irritated about how much he was puffing his chest out in the new fancier blue and white uniform he’d been given. He also couldn’t stop talking about the man who had “suggested” he be promoted, after meeting him.

“Lord Beckett really has his finger on the pulse of things,” said Percy one day as he walked with Carewyn around the newly repaired wall of the fort together. “He was thoroughly dismayed when he’d heard you’d been captured -- he’d actually wanted to meet you when you first got promoted, he’s heard all about you...”

‘Lucky me,’ Carewyn couldn’t help but think. The memory of Orion telling her about his time on Beckett’s slave ship rippled over her mind again, and it made her feel a bit ill.

“...Said your ingenuity would be a valuable asset. Lord Beckett is a businessman first and foremost, you see, so he tends to see people in regards to how useful they are...”

“‘Useful?’” Carewyn couldn’t help but repeat, raising her eyebrows primly. “Seems like a harsh way to judge people -- I reckon everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses.”

“Well, yes,” acknowledged Percy, “but again, he is a businessman. One has to make calculated risks, in that kind of a position. And his judgements seem rather sound -- he even mentioned having a woman on his payroll, helping him track down pirates.”

He shot Carewyn a rather meaningful look. She could surmise what he was thinking -- if Cutler Beckett allowed women to work for him, perhaps Carewyn could too and not have to hide her gender anymore. Being sure to hide her disgust at the thought of working for the man who had branded Orion a pirate, she gave a light shake of the head.

“As much as I respect the man for his inclusivity...I am a Navy officer, and I take pride in fighting for the crown.”

‘More than I ever would fighting for a private citizen whose moral code seems to be distinctly self-aggrandizing.’

She placed a gentle hand on Percy’s shoulder and gave it a light squeeze.

“...And really...what I want first and foremost is to look after my home and my family -- namely, you. I feel a soldier is better equipped to do that than a pirate hunter.”

Percy smiled slightly, clearly touched by her caring, but he tried to stay serious.

“...Well, that’s a noble thought, Carey,” he mumbled, “but I daresay Lord Beckett would be a bit disappointed.”

“Most assuredly.”

Carewyn turned around, startled.

A man only about two inches taller than her had arrived up on the wall of the fort. He wore a white powdered wig under a black velvet tricorn hat and a gold-embroidered vest with his suit, and his face on first glance gave Carewyn the distinct impression that this was a tiny man who fancied himself to be a lot bigger than he actually was. Carewyn herself had always been on the small side, but she made up for it with her confidence, strong moral code, and work ethic -- this man seemed to be the sort to puff himself up through very different means.

“Lord Beckett!” said Percy, startled.

“Captain Percy Weasley, good to see you,” said Beckett in a breezy tone that indicated to Carewyn he didn’t truly believe the sentiment at all. His eyes had fallen on Carewyn, narrowing slightly as he gave a rather stony smile. “Commodore Carey Weasley -- we meet at last.”

[vergilthelibrarian]

Kitten.

Johnny x Male!Reader

Johnny titled his head in curiosity.

What is he doing? He thought to himself as he heard sounds coming from somewhere in the apartment.

Taking off his shoes at the door, he rubbed the back of his neck, his body aching from practicing all day.

Poking your head out from the corner, your eyes lit up as you saw your boyfriend.

“Johnny!” you said excitedly.

Johnny eyed you suspiciously.

“Y/n… What’s going on?”

You bit your lip trying to hide a smile.

“Nothing.” you said cutely.

“Y/n wha-” he was interrupted by a meow and Johnny knew exactly why his boyfriend was acting funny.

A little kitten came wobbling from the corner you were hiding behind.

“Nooooo! I told you to stay on the couch!” “It’s a cat, not a dog Y/n.” Johnny chuckled and you rushed over to the black kitten, picking her up.

“She’s actually a kitten smarty pants.” you stuck your tongue out at the tall man before turning around and walking to the living room.

You took a seat on the couch, petting the kitten who rubbed her head against your palm.

Johnny sat next to you, looked at you and the kitten and asked “So, what’s her name?” You smiled brightly at him.

“I was waiting for you to come home so we can name her. I was thinking Luna, ya know? From Sailor Moon.” you said, your attention going back to the kitten.

“If we name her that then we have to get a white male cat named Artemis.” Johnny suggested.

You looked up at him with hopeful eyes.

Johnny sighed in defeat.

“Fine. We’ll name her Luna and get another cat.” “Yay!” You pecked his cheek before setting the kitten on the couch and getting up, going to the kitchen to order dinner.

“What do you want for dinner?” You called over your shoulder before looking back at all of the restaurant menus sticking to your refrigerator.

“Chinese would be cool.” “Chinese it is!” you said, taking your phone out of your shorts pocket and dialing the number to the Chinese place. You ordered what you 2 usually ordered. As you were ordering you jumped as you felt strong arms wrap around your waist.

“You know I like it when you were short shorts and thigh highs.” Johnny whispered into your ear causing you to blush.

You didn’t purposefully dress this way to arouse him. You simply wanted to look how you felt today which was cute.

Once you were done on the phone, you hung up. With his arms never leaving your waist, you turned around, placing your free hand on Johnny’s chest, pushing him slightly.

“I wore this outfit cause I wanted to look cute today Johnny.” “Well, mission accomplished.” he smirked.

“Aren’t you, like, tired or something?” “I was...” “Is that so?” “Mhm.” he hummed, his big hands sliding up and down your sides.

“Can we at least eat first?”

[mysterioh]

panacea - b.b.

Summary: Bucky Barnes was a disease. His hands were stained with blood and had a thousand sins burdening his shoulders. It goes without saying he didn't have a reason to stay. That is until he gets a dose of your infectious smile and healing laughter, a cure-all in the form of a bubbly Avenger, did Bucky think to himself it might not be so bad to stick around.

Transferring over from my AO3. It’s just seven short one-shots of domestic fluff. 

Words: ~5800 

Password : noun. a secret word or phrase that must be used to gain access to something. 

"Babe, what's the password?" You asked, lounging against him on the sofa.

"Password to what?" Bucky asked, his eyes glued to the baseball game on TV.

"Your phone, you dingus, what else?" You questioned, with his iPhone in your hands.

The screen was on, displaying the picture he had taken of you at the beach a few weeks ago. You were wearing a striped romper with a sunhat while sitting on a rock near the ocean. You held your hat in place with your hand as the wind blew in your direction. The picture had captured your radiant smile and Bucky made it his wallpaper as soon as he took it.

Bucky snorted. "Keep on insulting me and I'm not gonna tell you."

"Alright, sorry," you replied bluntly. "So what is it?"

"I don't remember."

You clicked your tongue at him. "Seriously?" You questioned incredulously. "You don't even know you're own password?"

"I try to stay away from that thing as much as possible." He replied curtly, trying to keep track of the game.

"You sound like my grandpa."

Bucky smiled. "I don't mind that. He's pretty cool."

"Well, I do," you said typing random numbers into his phone. "I don't wanna date a grandpa."

"Should've thought of that before dating a guy who's over a hundred years old."

"Should have," you hummed and he rolled his eyes. "Good thing you're hot though."

Bucky chuckles at the screen. "Thanks, doll."

"So you remember it yet?"

"Nope," he popped the "p".

You groaned before reaching for his hand. "Give me that thumb."

You took his hand and placed his thumb against the home button of the phone instantly unlocking it. Bucky groaned at your impertinent behavior as you smiled in victory.

You looked through his apps to find nothing out of the ordinary. "Goodness, Buck, you don't even have any games. What do you do all day long? Stare at your emails?"

"I hardly ever go on it," he replied.

"You're horrible I'm telling you. I have the most boring boyfriend on earth," you wailed dramatically.

"You don't say that when I-"

You cover his mouth. "Don't finish that sentence." You warned. "There's an AI listening," you pointed towards the ceiling, reminding him of Friday's presence and Tony's annoying recordings.

"This world is too technical for me," he sighs.

"Don't worry, sweetheart, that's what I'm here for." You smiled, taking a seat in his lap as he grins.

He was forever indebted to you. He would've been lost if you didn't come to find him. He would've drowned if you didn't come to pull him out. And he was forever grateful to you for saving him.

"So that's why I'm going to download a bunch of games onto your phone," you grinned mischievously.

"Don't you have a phone?" He asked with a grunt.

"I do but it's all the way in my room and I'm too lazy to get it."

"What am I gonna do with you?" He shook his head while chuckling.

"Love me for the rest of your days," you replied while downloading your favorite game, "and let me play all the games I want."

Bucky's lips curl into a big smile with his cool blue eyes looking at you sweetly. "As you wish, my love."

He lowers his head, his lips reaching for your own, but instead, they feel a soft hand against them.

"Uh, uh," you wagging your finger in front of him. "What's the password?" You asked with a teasing tone.

You feel Bucky's lips curl into a smile against the palm of your hand. He pulls back just a little to speak.

"Password is: love you for ten thousand years." He answers in earnest, but he knows it's partially incorrect.

"Hmm?" You hummed with your finger tapping gently against your cheek. "Just ten thousand?"

Bucky let out a hearty laugh as he pulled you closer to him by the hand. "Guess I gotta change my password to forever."

"Mmm, sounds good to me," you replied, before bringing his lips onto your own.

Abrodietical : adj. to be dainty of picky

"Sweetheart," Bucky called sickeningly sweet from the hallway of your shared apartment.

"Yeah?" You answered scrolling down your phone with a cherry lollipop in your mouth.

"You wanna explain to me why there are six kittens walking around my house?" He said with a small white kitty in his hand.

"Oh," you smiled at him from the couch, "I found them outside so I brought them home."

Bucky looked at you incredulously. "You just brought them home?" he repeated slowly.

"Last time I checked I was speaking English."

Bucky rolled his eyes at you. Your sass could've matched Tony's. Possibly even surpass it.

"You can't just bring home six cats," he nagged.

"Well, I did. What're you going to do about it, Barnes?" You questioned.

He huffs with the kitten in his hand trying to get down. He placed the soft being on to the floor gently with a smile displayed on his face.

"Babe, you can't just pick up random cats from the street. What if they have rabies?"

You snorted at him. "Please, do you think these sweet little angels have rabies?" You picked up the tabby cat on your lap from underneath his arms.

"He didn't mean it," you cooed at it, "he's just a grumpy ol' grandpa."

Bucky rolled his eyes as he walked over to the couch trying not to step on any of the tiny friends that were inspecting your home. He sat down on the couch next to you as you played with the kitten.

"Where did you even find all of them?"

"In a box outside of the grocery store."

"So you decided to bring them all here?"

"It's cold outside and it was going to rain. I couldn't leave them there," you replied. "Why? You don't like them?"

"No, they're cute," he said making you smile, "but I don't think we need six of them."

You roll your eyes. "The more the merrier in my opinion."

"Crazy cat lady," he smirked.

A scowl forms on his face when you kick him in the side.

"You just have to disagree with me on everything, don't you?" you asked, pointedly.

"Doll, I'm just being practical here," he stated. "We hardly have the time to take care of ourselves, let alone six cats."

You pouted at him and he bit his lip by how cute you looked. It was taking everything in him to not come over to your side.

"Fine," you sighed. "I'll guess I'll just take them back," you got up with the kitten in your hand and picking up another on the way to box. "Back out there in the dark, cold, and rainy world." You emphasized while picking up another walking by and placing it in the box. "Don't worry, guys, it's going to be okay, I'll stay with you through the long, dark and rainy night," you sniffled loudly while looking over at Bucky.

Bucky rolled his eyes while groaning in annoyance and mild guilt. He knew what you were doing. He knew it all too well, but he couldn't help himself from falling into your poorly set trap.  

"Fine," he gave in and turned his head around from the couch. "We can keep the cats." Your smile grew big and his heart grew tenfold. "But only until we find good owners for them." Your smile went down south.

"Oh come on, can't we keep one?" You pleaded with your pretty eyes.

Bucky sighed. "Fine, one."

"Actually let's make that two," you offered.

"No," he deadpanned.

"But these two have to stay together!" You exclaimed, holding up a black kitten and a white one.

"And why is that?"

"Because they're Luna and Artemis!"

"Luna and who?" He asked with brows furrowed.

"Luna and Artemis." You repeated. "They're these two cats from this cartoon I used to watch as a kid, it's called Sailor Moon. I'll show you someday. But the point is we can't split them apart! They're destined to be together!"

"Like us?" He smirks with his pretty blue eyes.

You giggle at him. "Just like us," you agreed.

"Fine, we'll keep those two then," Bucky accepted. "But the other's got to go."

"Don't worry about it, Sargeant, leave it to me." You nodded.

Bucky chuckles as he gets up and sits on the floor next to you. A kitten with patched black and white comes up to him and jumps into his lap. He smiles at the gentle creature and slides his fingers across its' soft fur.

"I think we should have names for them?" You suggested. "At least until they get adopted." Bucky nods in agreement just to entertain you.

"What do you have in mind for him?" You asked, pointing to the one curling around his arm.

Bucky shrugs. "I don't know, how about Patches?"

"Patches? You couldn't find a more generic name than Patches?"

"So what do you have in mind?" He countered.

"Cookies and Cream," you stated.

"That's too long," he deadpanned.

"It's better than Patches!"

"As if," he snorted, "it suits him because of his fur!"

"So does Cookies and Cream!"

He picked up the kitten for display. "If you didn't notice these are patches," he pointed to its' fur. "So Patches it is."

"Patches it isn't," you snapped back.

"Why not?"

"Because it's' boring and stupid."

"Don't say that to Patches!" He gasped, covering the poor kitten's ears.

"That's not his name!"

"It's okay, kiddo, Mama didn't mean it." He assured the cat.

You rolled your eyes at him. "Why are you so difficult?"

"Why are you so picky?"

"It's called having good taste. A luxurious palate." You huffed, looking away from him.

"Picky," he said slowly in a teasing manner.

You groaned at him. "I hate you."

"Baby, don't lie I know you don't," he chuckled.

"I speak the truth and nothing but the truth," you reply as he leans in closer to you.

"You wanna test that?" He asks with a devilish smirk. "Cause if I do remember clearly, you were telling me just how much you love me last night."

"I don't remember that," you replied, still not looking at him.

Bucky smirks as his lips hover over your neck. "Then let me help?" A shiver crawls down your spine as you whip your head over to look at him.

"Not in front of the kids!"

Nurse: noun. a person who cares for the sick and infirm. 

“Ouch!”

“Doll, I haven’t even touched you yet,” Bucky said, with a cotton ball dipped in alcohol pressed between his fingers and hovering over the cut on your face.

“I can feel it stinging though,” you whined.

“Some earth’s mightiest hero you are,” he snorted.

“Oh shut up.”

Bucky pressed the cotton in his hand against your wound making you hiss in discomfort. You came home from a mission littered in cuts and bruises. They weren’t fatal so you had decided to skip the trip to the infirmary and stick some bandages on when you got home and call it a day.

But Bucky wouldn’t allow it and had forcibly placed you on the kitchen counter to tend to your cuts himself. He felt like a mother patching up her child after a rowdy day of play and honestly, you were such a child at times.

Bucky was deeply immersed in his work that he didn’t notice you smiling at him. Your eyes scanned over the details of his face.

His brows were knitted together as his azure blue eyes were focused on cleaning the cut on your cheekbone. His hair was tied back in a messy bun with loose strands shaping his well-defined features. He was shirtless, having come out of the shower just as you had arrived and it gave you a crystal clear view of his chiseled muscles and glorious abs.

Your eyes wandered over to his bare neck with your lips begging to meet his soft skin and line kisses over his sharp jawline until you finally reached his soft pink lips.

Bucky noticed you staring and shook his head as he gave you an embarrassed smile.

“What?”

“Nothing,” you shrugged, “nothing at all.”

“You’re weird,” he shakes his head as he takes out a bandage. He sticks the bandage onto your face and chuckles. “There,” he smiles, “all done.”

“Thank you,” you reply, “I feel better already. You’re a natural at this.”

“All I did was clean you up and put some ointment on,” he replied, putting things back into the box. “There’s nothing to it.”

“Still, I think your hands have this healing touch in them.”

Bucky shook his head in denial. “I don’t think my hands were made for that kind of work. They were only made to ruin things.”

“You just fixed me up though,” you pointed out.

“That’s not the same thing, doll.”

“It is,” you affirmed, pulling him by the hands towards you still sitting on the counter. You take his hand into yours, one flesh and the other metal, and rub his knuckles in a gentle circular motion.

“You can tell a lot about a person by their hands,” you said, “and when I look at your hands. I see strong and calloused hands that have been tested time and time again. That fight to protect not only those they love but even those they don’t even know and the ones that tried to hurt them. They’re rugged and tough, but at the same time they’re gentle and warm and I get this feeling they’ve always been like that.”

You look up at him smiling with twinkling eyes. “Your hands are by far the most beautiful I’ve ever seen.”

Bucky smiles quietly as he looks down at your fingers intertwined with his, then back up at you through his long lashes. He really didn’t know what he did to deserve you.

“Did you get that out of a Hallmark movie or something?”

“Screw you, Buck,” you sneered with a contrasting smile on your face as you pulled him into a hug.

“I love you, you moron,” you said kissing the side of his neck then resting your chin on top of shoulder.

“Love you too, sweetpea, s’much,” he replied his body rumbling against you as he chuckled.

“Now take me to bed, Nurse Barnes.”

He looks at you with a flicker of mischief in his eyes.

“Get your mind out of the gutter, you pervert”

Absence: noun. state of lacking something usual or needed. 

Bucky groaned loudly for the fifth time in the past thirty minutes and Sam was ready to use his head for a basketball.

“Quit it, will ya?” Sam hissed at him.

“Quit what?” Bucky asked in the same indignant tone.

“All the…” he groaned as an example, “I’m sick of it.”

“Then go somewhere else,” Bucky turns to his side towards the inside of the couch he was laying on.

“I was here first so you get out,” Sam said, pointedly.

“Leave him alone, Sam, he’s sad,” Wanda said from the other side of the room at the table.

“He’s always sad. What’s new?”

“Go to hell, Sam,” Bucky murmured from his couch.

“You go to hell,” he countered and Bucky threw a pillow at him which Sam quickly dodged. “Missed jerk.”

“I’m about to come over there and kick your ass.”

“Yeah? I’ll show you who’s boss around here, white boy.”  

“Sam, just leave him alone,” Wanda butt in.

“He started it!”

“He’s sad today so leave him alone.”

“I’m not sad,” Bucky stated, slightly peeved.

Wanda chuckled at him. “You’re not fooling anyone, Bucky.”

“I’m fine,” he murmured, returning his focus back to his phone.

“What’re you so bummed out about?” Sam asked, “[Y/N], finally dump you?”

“Honestly, Sam, I’m going to kill you.”

“You’ve been saying that for five years now and here we are.”

Bucky groaned as he swiped his finger across in a game of Mario Kart. You downloaded the game onto his phone and he opened it one day out of curiosity. He got addicted even though he’d never admit that to you. He didn’t know why he liked it so much. Maybe it had something to do with Bowser’s rambunctious personality, he was weirdly cool to him.

Wanda rested her arms on top of the couch while looking down at him. He had a scowl on his face with his blue eyes focused on getting to first place.

“Hey, there,” she said with a smile.

“Hi,” he replied, curtly.

“You doing okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“Miss her?”

Bucky looks up at Wanda at the mention of you, forgetting he was falling back in the game. He let out an exasperated exhale and nodded.

Wanda chuckled at him, looking like a lovesick teenager. Bucky’s cheeks burned a bright red as he returned to his defeated game. She was definitely going to tell you about this later.

“She’s coming back today.”

“I know.”

“Of course you would,” she replied, “You’ve been counting down the minutes since she left.”

“Have not.”

“Have so.”

“It’s only been a week, Bucky,” Wanda reminded him, “What are you going to do when it’s a month?”

Bucky looks up at her, contemplating her words. “I guess I’ll just die then.”

“You are so dramatic,” she rolled her eyes in amusement. “Wait, till I tell [Y/N].”

“You will not tell her,” he ordered

“If she doesn’t I will,” Sam snickered, reminding the two he was still there.

“You say anything and I’ll cut your arm off,” Bucky threatened.”

“Nothing wrong with missing your girl, man,” Sam chuckled and Bucky’s cheeks heated at his words.

“Only a few more hours, Buck,” Wanda assured. “She’ll be back.”

Bucky groaned again much to Sam’s annoyance as he looked away from Wanda’s inquisitive eyes. She was right, he had been counting down the minutes since you had left on a week-long mission. It felt strange without you. He felt out of place and alone. It made him wonder how his life would be if you weren’t in it, but his mind never lingered too long in those thoughts. He never wanted to imagine a time when he wasn’t with you. Your absence in his life was something he never wanted.

Bucky’s ears perked up at the sound of Friday announcing the landing of the quinjet and he jumped over the couch in a swift motion. Wanda and Sam chuckled at his eagerness as he headed towards the hangar. He ran outside to see you standing near Natasha while talking to Maria about the mission.

You look over to him with a cheerful smile and run past the two of them and into his arms. He takes a few steps back from the impact of your literal jump into him and it feels so nice to hear your jubilant giggles.

He pulls apart from you just a little to get a good look at you and begins to panic at the bandages around your hands and head.

“Are you okay? What happened here?” Bucky asked, touching your forehead gently.  

“It’s no-”

“And your hands?” Bucky asked, “What did you do?”

“It’s just a little-.”

“Does it hurt, doll?” He asked, frantically.

“Bucky.”

“Oh my God, what if you’re bleeding internally? We gotta get you checked out.”

“Buck,” you said his name again, but he was too worried to listen.

“Come on, let’s get you med bay!” he said, pulling you by the wrist.

“Bucky!” you exclaimed and he stopped in his tracks.

He turned around, his brows furrowed with urgency written on his face. You give him a bright smile with a chuckle. He was just so cute sometimes.

“I’m fine, Buck, you don’t need to worry about me,” you assured.

“But you’re hurt.”

“It’s nothing too bad. Just a few scratches and bruises,” you informed, but he didn’t believe you.

“Are you sure?” he asked doubtfully.

“I’m positive, so stop panicking, okay?”

He remained doubtful and you let out a deep exhale. He knew you hated the infirmary and would do anything to stay away from the vicinity.

“Don’t worry, Buck!” Steve called from behind you. “We kept your girl safe!”

“Not good enough!” he said, lifting your bandaged hands to show them making Steve chuckle along with Nat and Maria.

You turn back to look at Bucky. His lips reached the tips of his ears as did yours.

“Miss me?” you asked.

“So much,” Bucky exhaled deeply, “You don’t even know. It felt so empty without you.”

You wrap your arms around his neck and his snake their way around your waist. “Yeah?” you asked with your cheeks displaying a pink blush, “Well, I’m back now and you’re stuck with me for life, Sargeant.”

Bucky chuckles at your playful remark. He leans in closer, his lips aching to meet yours after so long.

“I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

Cauldrife: adj. susceptible to the cold; chilly 

Bucky didn't mind the cold. The cool air that nipped at his nose and cheeks or the feeling of his hands growing numb due to frigid temperatures never bothered him. He had grown accustomed to the cold over the years of being frozen over so many times. He was the Winter Soldier after all.

Although he had grown indifferent to the cold, his desire for all things warm never ran cold. Especially the warmth he received from you.

"Alright, Buck, I'm letting go now," you said, your gloved fingers loosening their grip on his.

"No, don't let go," he replied quickly, "don't you dare let go!"

"C'mon, you've got this," you assured him as if he was a child.

Bucky looked down at his skates sliding across the smooth ice in slow motion. Winters in New York weren't complete without a trip to the Rockefeller Center Ice Rink and how he got you to convince him to go with you was beyond him. You had a way of making him do things he didn't want to do, but he always ended up liking it in the end. Although he'd never tell you that.

"[Y/N], if you let go of my hands, I swear-"

"Oh come on, what kinda Winter Soldier can't even skate?" You cut him off.

"One that never needed to do something so stupid in his life," he complained.

You rolled your eyes at him. "I'm letting go now whether you like it or not.”

“You just wanna see me fall on my ass.”

“Buck, you’re gonna be fine,” you replied, pulling him along by both hands, trying your best to not laugh at his posture. He was hunched over with his hands holding yours in a death grip. He gave you an evil glare, warning you not to do anything he’ll end up hating. But oh how much do you love to do the things he hated or at least annoyed him.

“If that kid can do it so can you,” you motioned over to a little boy a few feet away skating like a pro.

“That kid’s got practice and I clearly don’t.”

You huffed while yanking yourself out of his grip.

“[Y/N]!” he shouted, trying to balance himself.

“See ya, Buck!” you chuckled as you skate away from him.

“Don’t leave me here!” he shouted, quickly holding onto the railing on the side.

“Catch me if you can, loser!” You goaded, sticking your tongue out at him as you skated away.

Bucky grumbled at the side of the rink, staring at you skate your way around the rink in ease. He huffed again this time irritated by himself.

“Come on, Buck,” he whispered to himself, “how hard could it be?”

Bucky slowly moved along the rim of the rink while holding onto the railing as a balance. He started to go a little faster by bending his knees to maintain his balance and slowly parting from the rink. He eventually let go of the railing and smiled to himself for his small accomplishment. His short moment of satisfaction was ruined by you skating by him.

“C’mon, Gramps, it’s gonna be 2150 by the time you get to the other side,” you teased and as quickly as you came you left, leaving him more annoyed and determined to catch you.

Bucky furrowed his brows with a determined scowl formed on his face. He was going to catch you even if it took all night. He placed his right foot in front of the other and bent his knees to make him go faster. Bucky smirked as he finally got the hang of it and became more free with his movements, gliding along the ice swiftly. The cold air hitting his face and blowing his hair behind him was oddly refreshing.

You were skating at your own pace with your hands folded behind your back. You turned behind you to see how Bucky was doing and cursed when you saw he was speeding towards you with a devilish grin plastered on his face.

“Shit,” you said under your breath, picking up your speed to get away from him.

Bucky chuckled in amusement at you. He quickly caught up to you and wrapped his arms from behind making you yelp as he cheered in victory.

“Gotcha!” He shouted, lifting you off the rink just a little.

“Bucky put me down!” you shouted, your face burning a bright red.

He places you down on your feet, keeping you in arms’ length, basking in your warmth.

“See I told you, you could do it,” you poked him in the chest.

“You abandoned me,” he deadpanned, “you’re the worst teacher ever.”

“But hey, now you can skate,” you defended, pointing at him.

“No thanks to you.”

You clicked your tongue at him. “You’re so ungrateful,” you shake your head in mock annoyance.

“Yeah, yeah,” he said, pulling from you, “race me around the rink?”

You nodded with childlike excitement. “Loser buys the other hot cocoa,” you bet.

“Deal.”

“Jeez, why is it so cold?” you shivered, rubbing your arms.

“I don’t know, maybe it has something to do with it being December in New York,” Bucky replied, walking by you in the park.

“Thanks, Captain Obvious, I didn’t notice.”

“No problem, Sailor Sarcasm.”

You grumble at his remark and he stops in his tracks. “Come here you,” he says, grabbing you by the arm and pulling you into him. You giggle against his chest, wrapping your arms around him, absorbing the heat emanating from his body.

He takes off his scarf and wraps it around your neck. “Why didn’t you bring your scarf with you?”

“I forgot to,” you mumbled through the wool knit scarf, loving the way it smelled just like him.

“Of course you did.”

You chuckled at him, your eyes twinkling under the night sky. Your arms were wrapped around him tightly with your body taut against him. Your cheeks were red as was the tip of your nose from the brutal cold nipping at them for too long. Even then you looked so beautiful, radiating with warmth. One that he would never get enough of.

“You’re so damn pretty,” Bucky said, his hot breath vaporizing in the cold air. “I love you so damn much.”

You smile at him, warm and bright, enough to melt ice. “I love you too,” you said before getting up on your tiptoes to plant your lips against his.

Your lips are cold, slightly chapped due to the cold weather, but he didn’t care. The feeling of you against him and the taste of hot chocolate on your lips was more than perfect to him. He didn’t mind the cold at all, but he sure did love the warmth that came from you.

Bucky parts from you to catch a breath. He smiles at you as the two of you remained there, sharing the heat of your bodies.

“Baby,” he said.

“Hmm?”

“You wanna tell me why your hands are in my back pockets?”

“They’re cold.”

“So it has nothing to do with the way you're squeezing my butt?”

“Of course not.”

Ethereal: adj. extremely delicate or light in a way that seems too perfect for this world.

"Bucky!" you called, shaking him gently and wildly all at the same time.

An unexpected bomb blast had thrown him into a heap of rubble and ash knocking him out instantly. You ran to him as fast as you could and now trying your best to wake him. Besides for any small scrapes and bruises littered on his face and hands, he was alright but unconscious.

You were a writhing, worried mess in fear that he wouldn't wake up. That he'd leave you all alone and that was one thing you couldn't handle. Your hair was a mess from a spat you had with a crazy ninja sword chick. Where she got the sword from you didn't know, but her skill was unparalleled and she had you stuck with only two choices. Your head or your hair. So you took the most practical option.

Bucky opened his eyes just a little. His chest was throbbing in pain making it hard for him to breathe. Your blurred form started to become more defined and he was so glad you were okay.

You smiled in relief that he was awake. Broken and battered for sure, but awake and alive.

"Hey there, handsome, how's it going?" you asked with tears falling.

“Y/N,” he whispered, cupping your face in his metal hand with his fingers sifting through your frayed locks. “Your hair…” he said weakly, with confusion dwelling in his eyes, “What happened to your hair?”

You chuckled, pressing your cheek against his hand and holding it with your own. “I got a haircut. Do you like it?”

Bucky chuckled with a gentle smile. “It looks good,” he said, “you look pretty.”

Without hesitation, you fall onto Bucky, wrapping your arms around his neck and starting to cry into his shoulder.

“I’m so glad you’re okay. God, I was so worried. I thought I lost you,” you rambled on, “I love you, Bucky, I love you so much.”

Bucky smiles at your words while wincing in pain. “I love you too, doll, but you’re crushing my already crushed ribs,” he informed, his words oozing with pain.

You quickly jump off of him. “Sorry, I forgot," you said sheepishly, hovering over him with your horrible haircut falling to his sides.

You bring your hand to his face, brushing off the matted dirt on his face with your thumb. Bucky's heart was going to burst at the sight of you. Eyes glimmering from the tears brimming at its' edges with the brightest smile on your face, relieved and happy that he was alive.

Bucky never thought he could have this again. Someone to worry for him. Someone to care for him. Someone to miss him if he didn't wake up. Someone that loved him until their dying breath.

After all the cruel, inhumane acts he had committed he didn't believe he deserved this nor did he think he would ever get it again. It felt so good to be wanted, to be loved; especially to be loved by you.

You were so perfect in his eyes, too good for him and this world. An ethereal being that didn't belong on this bloody, chaotic battlefield. But you were here and most importantly you were with him.

He wanted to reach up and kiss you until his lips were swollen and he was out of breath, but his current state restrained him to lay flat on the ground. You lean into him as if you knew what he wanted. His fingers weaved into your uneven locks as you pressed your sweet lips against his, giving him a taste of heaven.

Maybe he didn't deserve you, but he had you and he knew he wasn't going to let you go anytime soon.

"Bro, we are literally on the battlefield," Sam deadpanned from behind you. "Can y'all not make out right now."

Steve shook his head with a sigh. "I don't get paid enough for this."

Adoration: noun. deep love and respect.

Bucky was nervous as he led you to the dance floor. This was his first dance with you. His first dance with the newly-wed Mrs. Barnes.

Never in a million years did he think he would get married. Maybe he thought about it a couple of times back in the forties, but after seventy years of the crap he had gone through not once did he believe he'd have this life again. But life always had a way of making the unexpected happen.

He wrapped his arm around your waist gently with his other hand holding the other. He stood enamored by your beauty and grace feeling the urge to cry again. Just like the way he did when he saw you walking down the aisle. But he held it back with a smile as he began to dance with you in his arms.

Your dress flowed with you as Bucky led you through your first dance. Unlike him, you weren't much of a dancer and had spent hours practicing for this very moment.

Bucky chuckles to himself.

"What is it?"

"I'm surprised you haven't stepped on my foot yet," he commented.

"That's because I've stepped on Steve's too many times. I'm a pro at this now."

"Dancing with other men, huh?" Bucky asked in a teasing tone. "I don't think you're husband is going to appreciate that."

"It's good to keep him a little jealous," you replied in a whisper.

"You are going to be one very troublesome wife."

"Should've thought about that before putting a ring on it, Barnes."

"I didn't need to think twice. It wouldn't be anyone but you."

You blushed in the dimly lit room at his words. "And I'd never want to imagine not being with you. I love you, Bucky, more than anything."

"I don't deserve you," he confessed.

You shake your head in denial. "You deserve all the good things this world has to offer."

"Then you may just be the best out of everything," he replied with a heartwarming smile on his face as he lifts his arm allowing you to twirl. Your dress fans out in elegance as you giggled quietly with inexplicable joy. The corners of your eyes were crinkled as your face sparkled with happiness. Bucky marveled at the sight before him, creating a memory he would keep forever.

He pulls you back in this time closer than before. His sweet blue eyes adoring every little thing he loved about you.

"I love you, Mrs. Barnes," he said earning a sweet smile from you as his forehead rested against your own swaying to the music. "Till the end of this earth and forevermore."

You look up at him through your lashes and just the thought of getting to see those pretty eyes pooling with love, admiring his every imperfection for the rest of his life had him giddy on the inside.

You lift your head ever so gently and plant your lips against his in a searing kiss. The first in a string of many others. An initiation into a lifetime with you.

His beautiful wife with her infectious smile and healing laughter. His partner-in-crime. His danger-prone, game-loving crazy cat-lady. The source of his happiness. The solution to all his problems. 

His Panacea.

[grimtwin]

How do you think an Interaction between the Sailor Scouts from Sailor Moon and Team Urameshi would go? I read both Authors of them are married.

They are married indeed! They even worked side by side and assisted one another!

I’m not super knowledgeable on the Scouts personalities, but as for how they and Team Urameshi would interact:

Botan would be a large supporter of the Scouts! They’re all about girl power, and Botan would be totally down with that. I feel like she and the scouts would naturally get along great, and do typical girlfriends stuff like romance gossip, shopping, and gaming with Serena. And on the flip side, I imagine the Scouts would be mighty impressed with Botan’s healing and flying abilities. Moon and Botan would probably get along best though since both are a bit excitable and spunky.

Kuwabara I think would be very kind and respectful toward the ladies, but after seeing the talking cats, would be more obsessed with Luna and Artemis more than anything. In addition, I believe that both he and Venus, being “The Warrior/Soldier of Love”, would get along super well, with Venus even giving Kuwabara advice on how to get closer to Yukina!

Yusuke would definitely eyeball the fine legs and short skirts of the Scouts. Which would probably draw the ire of Mars and Jupiter, but after Yusuke calms down, I think would get along great with Jupiter. Jupiter is the tough girl of the group, which I think Yusuke would naturally gravitate towards, and they both have a fondness for cooking and martial arts. (I once even modeled a child of Yusuke’s after Jupiter for a story lol.) They’d probably trade recipes and talk about favorite action flicks and fights. 

Mercury and Kurama would probably gravitate toward one another, being the more calm, and studious type of their groups. I could see them delving into a long, intellectual conversation and getting the others opinion on some topic, and wind up talking for hours. And given how attractive Kurama is, she and a few of the other girls might find themselves drawn to him more lol.

Mars can be a bit cold and hot tempered, especially towards men…so I feel she’d bump elbows with Yusuke and especially Hiei at first. She’d probably keep her distance a bit more than the others, and maybe even trade some spicy quips with Hiei, maybe even challenge him to a battle of fire power. Literally of course.

Other than these main things, Moon and Yusuke would totally get along great as well. Both are kinda slackers away from their super powered lives, and would game and chow down on snacks. Botan and Venus would absolutely try to spy on lovers or try to get people matched up. Maybe Kurama could get Mars to ease up a bit, given his more feminine appearance and more calm, level headed personality. 

There’s tons that could be said for this really! Maybe some other readers will add some of their own thoughts.

I don’t know why the spacing was screwed up on the bullet points, but I fixed it!

[master-ray5]

Fairy Tale Challenge: Miwako’s Bedtime Story

I finally got around to finishing my entry to the @fairytalechallenge​. This is one of my last few fanfictions. I have other projects which need my attention and sadly fanfiction is a bit of a distraction. Enjoy this little cute story. 

Picture source: http://fanartsailormoonbythaiartistfan.tumblr.com/post/135649421834/kunzite-his-child-he-embraced-his-daughter

Fanfiction link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13631011/1/Miwako-s-Bedtime-Story

***

First off, here is the‌ ‌guide‌ ‌for‌ ‌the‌ ‌names‌ ‌I‌ ‌use‌ ‌for‌ ‌the‌ ‌Shitennou‌ ‌in‌ ‌this ‌story.‌ As they are now married men, they have taken the names of their beloved wives. Jadeite=Hino ‌Taito‌ Nephite=Kino ‌Masato‌ Zoisite=Mizuno ‌Saitou‌ ‌ Kunzite=Aino ‌Shinn‌

Also, I’m using the daughters of the Senshi introduced in the “Parallel Moon” story but I will change their names. Frankly, I find adding Jr. at the end of the names was a tad lazy writing (not even addressing how the girls all look like tiny cloned versions of their moms). So the names I use will be: Minako Jr.=Miwako Ami Jr.=Mami Rei Jr.=Reina Makoto Jr.=Makino Kousagi is still the same as it fits in the style I’m going for.

O.o.O.o.O Miwako’s Bedtime Story O.o.O.o.O       Royal Advisor and Leader of the Shitennou, Kunzite had just finished a long day of diplomacy and aiding King Endymion. His wife, Lady Venus, was helping Neo-Queen Serenity with an ambassador, who was known to be very dry and boring, so his only concern for her safety was if she somehow managed to die of boredom. Despite his long day, he had managed to return to his wing of the place just in time. He had to see the other woman in his life.     He opened the door to the sitting room of his wing of the palace. Upon entering this area, he no longer thought of himself as anything other than Aino Shinn, a man like any other. He was surprised to find Hilda, the housekeeper, slumped out on the couch, looking exhausted as if she just climbed Tokyo Tower with her bare hands.     “Are you alright Hilda-san?” Shinn asked as he dropped his briefcase on a table and moved to check on the woman.     “Sir, I thought you and I had an arrangement,” Hilda began, draping her arm over her eyes as if facing the world was too difficult. “I would continue to assist with watching the young miss when you and Lady Venus worked late but in return, you promised me you would reduce said girl’s sugar intake.”     “We did,” Shinn chuckled, realizing the housekeeper was exhausted from attempting to keep track of his daughter. “She is just naturally full of energy. She gets it from her mother.”     “She is exhausting is what she is,” Hilda insisted as she pulled herself off the couch and began to head towards the exit. “I highly suggest you find a convent to send her, or else she will be nothing but trouble when she is a teenager.”     “Then she will be exactly like her mother. Good night Hilda-san,” Shinn snapped as he took off his jacket and undid his tie. He could tolerate Hilda insinuating his daughter was a handful but to insinuate she was anything more than a spirited child was where he drew the line. He knew very well Miwako was the spitting image of her mother and the energy she possessed would be one of her greatest gifts. Somewhat comfortable for the evening, Shinn made his way through the halls until he came across his daughter’s room. He knocked on the door before turning the handle and stepping in. “Miwako-chan, how are you?”      “Venus Love Me Chain!” A voice shouted before the snap of a whip slapped against the wall and inches from Shinn’s face. Before the weapon could recoil, Shinn stepped on it and kept it in place.     “Daddy! I’m trying to fight the evil guys!” Miwako insisted as she tugged at the whip to free it from her father’s foot. The comparisons to her mother were apt, as Miwako looked exactly like when Minako did as a child, even with her own red bow in her hair. Though her outfit didn’t look much like Sailor Venus, as the young girl had cobbled together a makeshift Sailor costume with an off-color skirt, part of her school uniform, and large sunglasses. “I need my weapon back!”     “That will be enough of that. Where did you find this?” Shinn asked as down looked at the whip, already knowing the answer to the question.     “In your and mommy’s room,” Miwako replied with a proud smile. “Do you have it in case some monsters show up before mommy can transform?”     “Yyyyyyyyyes!” Shinn lied through his teeth. “That’s exactly it, honey. You are so clever.”     “Ain’t I,” Miwako glowed as she continued to tug at the whip, still hoping her father would let her play with it. “Come on, let me play more.”     “Sorry my little love,” Shinn insisted as he reached down, grabbed the whip, and tugged it from her hands with ease. He vowed to find a better hiding spot for the item when he had time later. “Now, why don’t you get your pajamas on and I’ll tell you a story.”     “Really? MMMM….okay,” Miwako agreed before letting go of the weapon and rushing into the bathroom. In no time at all, Miwako had slipped into her pajamas, brushed her teeth, and hopped into bed. “I’m ready.”       “So you are,” Shin began as he pulled the covers over Miwako’s legs and took a seat on the bed. Making sure she was comfortable, Shinn reached up to her hair and untied the bow on top. “Once upon a time, there was a little girl who wore a…”     “Red riding hood,” Miwako interrupted with a smile. “I heard it before. What else you got?”         “Okay…,” Shinn groaned. “There was once a selfish prince who...”     “Beauty and the Beast!” Miwako yawned. Not from exhaustion but because she was not amused. “Next!”     Shinn did his best to maintain his composure but just like her mother, Miwako had a way of pushing his buttons. “A girl trapped in…”     “Rapunzel,” Miwako answered, not giving her father an opportunity to continue. “You need to learn some new stories, daddy.”     “Fine!” Shinn hissed before taking a deep breath and managed to regain his cool. “Let’s try this. I’ll make up a story for you. Feel free to just interject any suggestions you have as I go.      “Yeah,” Miwako agreed with a smile. “That does sound fun.”     Shinn cleared his throat and began. “Once there was a lady named…”    “Mommy!” Miwako blurted out. “Make mommy a part of the story.”     “Sure why not,” Shinn smiled, admiring how much his young daughter looked up to her mother. He couldn’t help but remember how when Minako was pregnant she had been worried that her daughter would have the same strained relationship she had with her own mother. Instead, Minako was blessed as Miwako had nothing but love and respect for her. “A woman named Minako who was working as a…”     “Housekeeper,” Miwako suggested. “Like Cinderella!”     “So you want me to tell you Cinderella except it stars your mother?” Shinn chuckled. “Now, who’s not being original”     “I’m sure we will find a way to change it,” Miwako replied as she snuggled into the covers and looked up at her father with a warm expression. “Just keep going.”     Shinn shrugged, leaned against the headboard of the bed, and pulled his daughter close. “So, once upon a time, there was a woman named Minako who was working as a housekeeper for her wicked stepmother. What should we name her?”     Miwako thought for a moment before she volunteered, “Beryl?”     “Beryl?” Shinn’s heart skipped a beat when his daughter said the name. “Where...where did you hear that name?”       “Mommy said it was the name of an evil queen who once kidnapped you, daddy,” Miwako answered as she snuggled closer to her father when she mentioned the word “kidnapped.” “They must have been really bad to kidnap you, daddy.”     “You have no idea,” Shinn agreed, his heart

O.o.O.o.O     The ringing of the bells of her alarm clock woke Minako up. It was a new device but the only reason she had been given such a high priced gift was to ensure she got up in time to get everything done before her stepmother, Beryl, awoke. With her father no longer around, Minako had become a slave to her widowed stepmother.     “Meow” Artemis called as he jumped on Minako’s bed. He was an old pure white housecat known for keeping the mice problem at bay. He nuzzled Minako in an attempt to get her to wake up.     “Oh Artemis,” Minako “How I wish you could talk, perhaps even give me a magical item which would allow me to turn into a warrior and fight for love and justice and someday even reunite with my soulmate. Oh well. I have no choice but to serve my wicked stepmother.”       Minako went to work getting herself ready for the day. She combed her hair, dressed, and put on her shoes. She made her way to the kitchen and after a breakfast of crusty bread and a glass of wine, she began her duty of servitude to her wicked stepmother. She cleaned the kitchen, prepared breakfast and made sure the tray was lined up  as she pushed it towards her step mother’s room.     She was just about to knock when she heard a voice on the other side.     “The prince is looking for a bride. I intend to use this opportunity to brainwash him,” Beryl cackled as she talked to her subordinate. “Soon Prince Kunzite will bow to me and then you will give the reward you so rightfully deserve.”     “Excellent plan my lady,” Adonis Danburite commented. He had been an advisor to the Kingdom but had become sick of the way the royal family seemed to ignore any of his advice lately. Adonis had feared for his livelihood and had decided to reach out to Lady Beryl, a woman known for her sinister ways, for advice.     “Oh no,” Minako gasped as she heard what her evil stepmother was planning. “I have to warn someone!”     “What was that young lady?” Adonis asked as he opened the door and stared at Minako with cold eyes. “Lady Beryl. I do believe your stepdaughter has been eavesdropping on our conversation. You discipline her better.”     “Your right!” Minako admitted. “I have heard what you are planning to do to Prince Kunzite and I won’t let you.”     “You have been nothing but a pain since your father died!” Beryl shouted, grabbing a vase from the nearby table. Minako ducked at the last minute as the vase shattered on the wall behind her. “And I never cared for your spinach puffs! Never! Now lock her in her room so we can go take care of the prince.”    Before Minako could make a break for it, Adonis grabbed her wrist and restrained her. With the help of Beryl, the two locked Minako in her room and left for the Castle. Minako tried to break down the door but no matter what she tried, it wouldn’t budge. Tired and discouraged, Minako fell on her bed and began to sweep.     “Oh Artemis!” Minako cried as she felt the cat jump onto the bed. “What am I going to do? The prince is going to be corrupted and I can’t do anything about it!”     “There is something you can do,” Artemis announced before he leapt into the air. In a flash of light, Artemis transformed into a man in a white suit with white long hair. “Hello Minako. I am your Fairy God Cat.” O.o.O.o.O     “This sounds too much like Cinderella,” Miwako interrupted as she shifted in bed. “Change it up a bit. Also can I have a drink of water?”     “Sure, one second,” Shinn replied as she got up, filled a cup in the little girl’s bathroom, and returned to the Miwako’s bed. “Also, did Cinderella have a Sailor scout in it?”     “No,” Miwako answered as she took a sip of the water.     “Then you haven’t heard this story before,” Shinn commented as he sat on the bed, leaning against the headboard, “Now where was I?” O.o.O.o.O     “My Fairy God Cat?” Minako wondered, still shocked by Artemis’ new appearance. “I wasn’t aware that was a thing.”     “Well it is. I am here to give you the power you need to defeat your stepmother,” Artemis explained as he snapped his fingers. In the palm of his hand, the transformation pen of Venus formed. “Here, take this. Holdit over your head and shout “Venus Power.” It will allow you to become a warrior capable of defeating Beryl. Or at least help you break out of this room.”       “If you say so. Venus power!” Minako shouted as she was surrounded by a shower of light. In the blink of an eye she transformed into Sailor Venus, but not one most people knew. Instead, she wore a yellow Sack-back gown, white gloves, white stockings, and orange glass slippers. “Incredible!”     “You have become the warrior of love, Sailor Venus. Now,” Artemis clapped his hands together, getting Minako’s attention. “Point at the door and scream, “Crescent Beam!””     “Crescent Beam!” Minako yelled, A blast of energy erupted from fingertips and created a giant hole in the center of the door.     “Impressive,” Artemis complimented, seeing how strong Minako was. “Now use one of the horses in the stable and ride to the castle as fast as you can.”     “Wait, aren’t you coming with me?” Minako asked, stopping herself before she ran from the room.     “No, I’m going to stay here,” Artemis commented as he shook his head. “That way it’s easier to tell this story. Less characters to keep track of.”   O.o.O.o.O     “Dad,” Miwako whined as she tugged at her father’s arm.       “Well it is,” Shinn shrugged. O.o.O.o.O     Making her way out of the house as fast as she could, Minako saddled her horse, Bbuttercup, and rode to the castle. When she arrived, she found the place on high alert with guards at every possible entrance. As she rode up, she was stopped by a guard with a spear.     “Halt who goes there?” The soldier asked, captured by the beauty of the rider.     “I am Sailor Venus, a warrior of love,” Minako announced. “I have come to save the Prince from a wicked witch who wishes to control him for her own gains.”     “You are too late,” The soldier announced. “The witch was here and made off with the Prince’s...with the prince’s…” O.o.O.o.O     “His smile!” Miwako suggested.     “The prince’s smile?” Shinn asked, unsure of where his daughter got such a suggestion.     “Yeah, I actually asked mommy once if a witch stole your smile,” Miwako admitted, as she snuggled closer to her dad. “You don’t smile that much daddy. When I asked mommy my question, she said “its because daddy is trying to be strong to protect us and only smiles when we are around.””     “Well yeah, I guess you're right,” Shinn agreed, a bit disheartened. He had heard the comments by social media and online articles. “Lord Kunzite is so cold.” “What does a warm person like Lady Venus see in someone like Lord Kunzite?” “Instant credits to anyone who gets a picture of Lord Kunzite smiling.” Saito had made the joke once, “You have a resting angry face.” He didn’t do it intentionally. It often became focused when at work and often forgot to smile. “Daddy will try to smile more around you and your mother.”     “It’s okay daddy,” Miwako insisted, resting her head on her father’s chest. “I don't mind. I know you have to be strong because you have to protect me and mommy from monsters.”     “Your mother has fought even more monsters, little Miwako, “ Shinn lamented as he thought about how many battles his wife had fought over the years and how it seemed he could only do so much to help. Yet, through all of it, she somehow managed to keep a smile on her face. It was part of what made them so strong as a couple. Kunzite helped his wife stay focused and Minako helped her husband find joy. “I will find a way to try and smile more. Anyways, let’s see, after she heard about the Prince…,”   O.o.O.o.O     “She must have escaped to the family cabin on the coast,” Minako announced as she rode as fast as she could towards her destination. “I will make sure to save the Prince.”     Minako made it to the coast in less than an hour and dismounted the horse on a hill which allowed her to look down at the cabin. She noticed a light in the window.     “Time to bust in and save the day,” Minako announced to herself.     “I hate to burst your bubble,” Adonis growled as she snuck up behind her, grabbed her wrists, and bound them with a chain. “But you are caught.”     “Oh come on,” Minako groaned as Adonish dragged her to the cabin. Soon, Minako was kneeling in front of her stepmother who sat in a chair by a roaring fire, holding a glowing pink gem.      “Welcome dear stepdaughter,” Beryl called as she caressed the gem with her fingers. “This is what you came for. The emotions of the young prince. His youthful energy and his very happiness is here in my finger tips.”     “Give it to me,” Minako demanded as she tried to struggle against her shackles.     “What are you hoping?” Beryl asked, shaking her head at Minako. “Give this back to the prince and he will fall in love with you at first sight? Such a way of starting a relationship will only end in dirovce or having a relationship with your riding instructor     “Well I thought I would use returning his happiness as more of an icebreaker, then maybe go for tea,” Minako speculated. “Take it one step at time, might try wine tasting,”     “Silence!” Beryl roared, “I don’t care to hear about your ridiculous plans which are never going to come true anyways. Now turn to stone!”     With a wave of her hand, Beryl cast a spell on Minako causing her body to slowly turn to stone. The spell started at her feet, moved to her legs, and had soon turned her lower half into stone. It looked like she was at the end of her rope. O.o.O.o.O     “Oh no!” Miwako cried as she sat up in bed and looked her father in the eyes with concern. “How is she going to get out of this?”     “Yes, how would she get out?” Shinn wondered aloud. Truth be told he never was one for creative works. He was more the logistic one of the group. Saitou had written a few novels and Taito managed to fill an entire wing of a museum with his work as a painter over the years. Shinn’s most creative work was when he had a chance to enjoy photography every once in a blue moon. Even then, they were mostly landscaping shots and times Minako felt photogentc. He was at a loss of how to save his wife in this imaginary story he was telling. “How would you end the story?”     “Well she needs help,” Miwako decided, putting a finger to her chin like she was truly contemplating what should happen next. “Someone who could save her. Um..I know! What if Mini Sailor Venus came to help.”     “Mini Sailor Venus?” Shinn chuckled, realizing Miwako was talking about herself. “So you are going to save your mom? Sure, why not.”   O.o.O.o.O     “Hold it right there Beryl!” A voice announced from the entrance to the cabin. Standing there was a smaller version of Sailor Venus. “I am Mini Sailor Venus! In the name of Future Venus, I’ll punish you with the power of love! Catch mom!”     “Mom?” Minako wondered as the smaller version of her threw a bottle. The projectile hit her stone legs, broke, and covered her with a glimmering blue liquid. The liquid instantly turned her legs back to normal. Able to stand, Minako leapt away from Beryl and Adonis and stood close to Mini Sailor Venus. “I never gave birth to you.”     “Not yet you haven’t,” Mini Sailor Venus explained as she pulled out a key she just happened to have on hand and unlocked Minako’s manacles. “I have come from the future to not only help you escape and return the prince’s happiness, but also I have come to help to tell you Beryl’s secret weakness.” O.o.O.o.O     “Secret Weakness?” Shinn asked, unsure of what his daughter was talking about. “I wasn’t aware Beryl had a secret weakness. What is it?”     “Shiitake mushrooms!” Miwako shivered at the thought of them. “She’ll eat them and immediately pass out because of the bad taste.”     “Shiitake mushrooms?” Shinn smirked as he shook his head. “You are so your mother’s daughter. Okay, Mini-Sailor Venus, having brought shiitake mushrooms, threw one into Beryl’s mouth with a single elegant toss. Beryl, overwhelmed by the terrible taste, fainted and was no longer a threat. Wait, how would they beat Adonis?”     “Simple! Twin Crescent Beams!” Miwako cried, bouncing to her feet, and recreating her mother’s attack. “Crescent Beam! BOOM! And then he explodes into a billion pieces!”     “Okay, okay settle down,” Shinn appealed, pulling his daughter to the bed and tucking her back under the covers. “So with Adonis and Beryl defeated, Sailor Mini-Venus returned to the future and Sailor Venus returned the prince’s happiness. Back to normal, Prince Kunzite was ever grateful to Minako. The two started dating, eventually leading to them getting married, and having a beautiful girl named Miwako. The end.”     “I liked that story,” Miwako admitted as she slowly started to fall asleep. The sudden burst of action to recreate the Crescent Beam had been the last of the energy the little girl had in her reserves. Her eyes fluttered in a desperate attempt to stay open. “Hey, papa...How was the real Queen Beryl defeated?     “She…,” Shinn stopped himself as he remembered witnessing the incident through a psychic sensation despite being locked in the form of a stone. The image of Minako plunging her sword into the witch's stomach. O.o.O.o.O     It was not until years after his return, on the night of their wedding she confessed her dark secret. After making love and consummating their marriage, a dark expression crossed his new wife’s face, as she felt the need to confess to her husband.     “There’s something I promised I’d tell you when we were married,” Minako admitted as she looked down and buried her face in her Shinn’s chest, a bit afraid of how he would react. "The fight with Queen Beryl. I...I was happy I killed her. I still am and I hate that I am."     “Never feel a shred of guilt or shame for ridding the world of that monster,” Shinn answered as she wrapped his arms around his bride. “You did what you had to. We are warriors. Our hands have to be dirty so the innocent will not have to suffer under the darkness. Also, I want you to remember, there is nothing you can ever do to make me stop loving you.”   O.o.O.o.O     “They beat her with teamwork,” Shinn answered with a little white lie. It was as much of an answer he felt Miwako was able to handle. It was half true as part of how the Sailor Senshi had been able to defeat Beryl. “All thanks to your mom leading the way.”     “Hmm, Mommy’s awesome,” Miwako hummed as she laid her head on her father’s chest and drifted off to sleep. Shinn stayed by the girl’s side and gently stroked her hair. He was so lost in the moment he didn’t even hear the door open or see a familiar figure approach until the newcomer was at the edge of the bed.     “I go away for the evening only to find you in bed with another woman,” Minako teased low enough so as not to wake Miwako. “Did you two have fun?”     “What can I say she has a hold on me,” Shinn admitted, as he admired how good his wife looked in the dinner gown she had worn when she aided the Queen. Part of him wanted to have some alone time with his beloved, but he didn’t dare move and disturb Miwako’s sleep. “A power over me I can’t and don’t wish to fight. Just like her mother.”     “She’s adorable,” Minako whispered as she slid into bed and snuggled against Shinn’s other shoulder. “She’s the only woman I could ever see sharing you with.”     “That makes you a better person than me,” Shinn whispered back as he wrapped his other arm around his drowsy wife and pulled her close. “I could never share you with another man.”     “Actually there is another man,” Minako sighed as she took a hold of his wrist. She brought his hand to her stomach and rubbed it affectionately in circles. “And you’ll meet him in a few months.”     Shinn’s eyes became wide as he realized what his wife meant but he made no response. He dared not wake the sleepy blondes in his arms. Instead, the stoic man laid his head back, pulled his family close and smiled wide, feeling blessed he lived in a reality where he was able to tell them Fairy Tales. O.o.O.o.O     In “Parallel Sailor Moon'' a few things were added to the mythology of the franchise. First off the girls getting married and having kids who look a lot like them (the Juniors). It is also implied in the comic, all of the men who married the Senshi took part in Mukoyoshi (Adopted son in law”) and took the family name of their wives when they got married. Hence, Shinn would become Aino Shinn. Also, I wanted to try and recreate that family picture that exists online of Minako, Kunzite, Minako Jr., and a tiny boy with white hair standing together as I really think it’s the ending Minako always deserved in the end.       Thanks to Knowall7 for being my Beta.