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golbrocklovely · 3 years ago

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sorry this took a while to get out. for some reason i just had no energy to finish writing this until now haha

okay, here's my review of episode two of snc's the attachment series

aka "The Haunting of Hill House (CURSED CASTLE)"

so first off, i've read a couple reviews that you lovely ppl have posted on here... and now i feel like i'm gonna be in the minority bc i did actually liked this video lol

i had higher hope for this video strictly bc the last one was so-so at best, and i think it surpassed it. but i definitely understand why some of yall didn't like this video.

the overall vibe of the video felt very... manic? to me. probably not the best word for it, but the energy was off the whole way through. idk if that's a good or bad thing, but something was a bit skewed.

also, again, idk why they go to these places where they can't get a full night to do an investigation. both past video felt very rushed, but this one especially. not to mention, you're trying to do an investigation in a place that has ppl/staff still inside. so how are you gonna use any noise as a sign indicator when there are ppl walking around still?????

the first half of the video (basically anything before the actual investigation): idk what they did differently about the opening for this video, but them explaining the history, exploring the castle, and talking to the medium was so much more interesting than in the previous video.

i think it's hilarious the way snc describe any sort of history. something about the way the two bounce off each other just sounds like two friends having to do a book report but one of them only read half way thru the book and the other read the spark notes so they both don't really know how the story ends. honest to god, if you would tell me that every single video where they do the "history" portion was all made up on the spot (like the history itself, not the speech), i wouldn't be surprised lmao

the castle itself, while very beautiful, was very hard to understand the layout. and it didn't help that snc didn't really explain it all that well either. so when we finally get back to some of these rooms for the investigation, it was hard to understand where they were and what level they were on (and this probably added to the level of the "manic" feeling i was getting throughout the video).

and as for the medium, i actually really liked her. it's a shame she wasn't there the whole time. but i think it was interesting what she said about how we all have abilities and kat especially having something, along with colby. literally like i've been talking about on here lol

tho i would have loved to hear her read colby and not kat, but that's a different story.

her saying that sam has a trickster spirit attached is interesting. i don't know too much about trickster spirits, but it's interesting nonetheless.

while it took them 20 mins again to get into the action, for some reason it felt faster so that's a plus.

my reaction to the rest of the video:

colby's phone randomly playing an xplrclub video... honestly, i don't think it's paranormal. that app is hella weird and i wouldn't be surprised if it would just randomly starting playing a video without even being open

colby continuing to call lady mary "queen mary" is kinda funny

no offense to joel, celina's brother, but like... if you're gonna be holding the camera, trying not to breathe like you just ran up a flight of steps. i noticed it in the last video too, but for some reason it was more noticeable in this one.

this is also a note to snc: get an extra mic to use and not just the one you connect to your camera !!

i expect nothing less from the group to get freaked out over a floor board settling... but again every time it happens, i have to roll my eyes.

random things that colby said during the video that were just hilarious:

"he had a hot wife... i think?"

"aren't quarantines those little oranges? *long pause* or a CLEMENTINE"

omg colby never change.

i also love no one paid attention to him saying that. everyone is just so used to his strange-ness lol

the mirror portions... idk why any of that was kept tbh. this is the type of shit you do at sleepovers when you're 12. they only have a couple hours to do an investigation and they are wasting time looking at themselves in a mirror. that unfollow button is looking mighty fine rn lmao jk

while i don't mind celina and kat exploring their possible psychic abilities, i don't think this was the video to try and showcase it in. like yeah, maybe use them to ask how the room feels to them, but to use their untrained and extremely newbie senses as if they are actual mediums is a bit much. again, i don't mind them exploring their abilities, but don't rely on them the whole way thru. fun fact, you can also use YOUR OWN :O

i love that they use the spirit box that just pops up words, but honest to god, i wish they would stop talking over each other trying to figure out or connect every word. it's so annoying. like let the box speak and then connect afterwards. sam has such a tendency to jump at every word and he's already trying to connect them, when i'm still trying to figure out what was said in the first place.

having a major reaction to every piece of evidence you get also FEEDS the spirits your energy, both good and bad. i implore them to try to relax, even a little bit, for the sake of their own protection.

celina and kat were very connected in this video. it's strange how many times they both would say something at the same time or being feeling the exact same way.

colby kissing the henry wax figure SENT me lmao

in sir henry's office: ...it was fine. nothing too weird. the flash light and the music box was cool. again, i just wish they would calm down and stop speaking over each other and just SLOWLY figure out who they may be talking to, instead of trying to jump down each other's throats saying who they think they are communicating with.

maid room: first off, why was the room extremely orange?? secondly, why didn't they use their thermo gun? it would have made sense to since kat was saying her legs were really cold. you could have at least got a base temp of the room and then if her legs were abnormally cold, then that could be more evidence.

so all the evidence they were getting in this room was really cool, and clearly they had a very active spirit there that wanted to communicate. that's great! i also find it interesting every time a flashlight went off, it was the one closest to whoever was speaking. like sam spoke, the one next to him lit up, colby spoke, the one next to him lit up. this spirit was very active, smart, and well aware of what was happening. that's great honestly.

what snc should have done afterwards is see if there ever was a jackie that worked at the castle. there's probably records of that and that would have been more evidence.

now the prayer part.... while i love the boys for trying to help the spirit, i don't think that prayer technically helped the spirit. clearly it was still in the room with them even after they did it. maybe the spirit felt some happiness from it, and that's fine. but i don't think that prayer actually helped it crossover. snc and the rest are not mediums, they can only do so much. it would have been better if they would have had someone there that could help the spirit crossover instead of them just saying the lord's prayer and thinking that's enough. idk. that whole part was just so... awkward to me.

i love the second they gotta do a prayer, christian colby comes out lol

the stables: while i genuinely love that they do the estes method a lot now, bc i think it's one of their more interesting pieces of equipment/ways to get evidence, they HAVE to find a way to show us what is being said. if elton can do it, so can you guys.

that being said, props to kat. idk why but i have a feeling that the estes method is scary. so good on her for doing it the first time. that being said, idk what it was but everyone talking over each other and not letting kat just say what was being said, or them trying to connect every word together was so annoying. i think snc (and co) have to realize that some spirits aren't "intelligent" aka they aren't aware of where they are or that they're dead. some are trapped repeating the same thing over and over again, and some are just energy bursts of moments in time (so in a sense they aren't even there). so they could be "talking" (or more like listening) to something that isn't there with them, that isn't answering their questions and is just going thru the motions. it's like having someone on the phone in front of you and thinking they're talking to you, but in reality they are talking to the other person on the phone.

what i'm trying to say is NOT EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED TO EACH OTHER. so, stop trying to make it all make sense in the moment.

so celina's ability is very interesting. definitely reads of someone who is clairvoyant, which is fascinating. the experiences i have had, i don't get flashes of images, so seeing someone who does is really cool. that being said, all the devices going off and then her brother's necklace breaking... that was kinda creepy, ngl. but personally, it wouldn't make sense for the necklace to break in the sense that an (assumingly) dark spirit would be like "fuck your necklace bitch" and break it off. that type of energy you FEEL. so i think it might have just been happenstance that it broke randomly. not to mention he did say "i was touching it when we were praying" so maybe it just randomly came undone??? the timing couldn't have been more perfect.

slightly embarrassing thing to mention but colby yelling at the spirits that they can't follow them... was kinda hot lmao

OVERALL: i think this video was pretty decent. again, i know i was in the minority comparatively to some of yall, but that's okay haha. i definitely plan to make a list of things i want the boys to incorporate or improve on in their coming videos (after season one obviously). i'll probably post that later at some point. i would rate this video like a 2.8/5. i was gonna rate it a 3, but that felt too high, and i rated the last one a 2.5/5 so... compromise lol

#sam and colby #sam golbach #colby brock #season one #personal #text #omg this is really long sorry about that lol

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marvelbbyx · 4 years ago

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Can I Be Him? (Carol Danvers x Fem! Reader)

Summary: You and Carol have been the bestest of friends for years and years, to you it’s simply platonic. Whereas for Carol, she tortures herself constantly pining after you. The situation only gets worse when you get engaged to your boyfriend of three years and Carol has to leave for a mission (that could more or less take her six years to get back from).

The day before Carol has to leave, she admits her feelings for you, giving you two choices: to leave him and go with her or stay with him and get married.

Who will you choose and what will be your outcome?

Author’s Note: Yeah, I’m gonna make this a two parter lol since I wanna be dramatic. But stay tuned for tomorrow’s add on! 😁

Fic inspired by James Arthur’s song Can I Be Him? Which was 1000% the reason I wrote this.

Warnings! ANGST

Part Two Here!

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You walked into the room and now my heart has been stolen.

You took me back in time to when I was unbroken.

Now you're all I want.

And I knew it from the very first moment,

'Cause a light came on when I heard that song and I want you to sing it again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Carol, stop! You’re cheating!” You shriek as her Mortal Kombat character starts to pummel yours into a bloody pulp.

“How is it that you’re the one that taught me this game, yet—I’m kicking your ass.” The blonde says with a cocky smirk. “Guess you just suck.”

“Or my controller’s stuck.” You shot back.

“Yeah, okay,” She rolled her eyes playfully.

You two were at your apartment, it was your day off and you wanted nothing more than to relax at home, Carol just happened to sweeten the deal with a case of beer and some pizza.

The Captain and the Avenger, or as the others like to call you—Bert and Ernie. You and Carol were about as thick as thieves and you were never really seen without each other hardly ANYWHERE around the compound. It all started when Carol had been assigned a partner to accompany her on a mission to The Garden back in 2018. Everyone swore that you two wouldn’t get along, with your ability to plan ahead and Carol’s ability to...not plan ahead it was bound to be a recipe for disaster. But after a few jokes here and there and a battle later on you two became inseparable.

Nothing could shake or disrupt the bond that you two had, all except for one thing...him.

Carol had beaten you three times in the past five minutes, she offered a final round after noticing your frustration only to win again within seconds.

“Well, well, well,” Carol throws her arms behind her head. “What’s my score again, four? And what’s yours, zip?”

The playful challenge in her gaze stirred your competitive edge, the one that hated to lose and absolutely hated being out of control. Especially in the game of your choosing.

You cross your arms over your chest and pouted like a child, “It’s only because you cheated.” You huffed.

“Yeah, keep on telling yourself that, babe. Don’t be mad because you’re a sore loser.” She teased.

“Re-Match then.” You challenged with a grin. “If I win, you’ll do whatever I say. Same thing goes if you win.”

Carol’s brows lift up in intrigue, “Oh yeah? Like what?”

“That’s something we’ll have to figure out on our own time.” You say. You extend your hand out for Carol to shake. “So, do we have a deal, Danvers?”

She takes your hand, shaking it firmly. “We do.”

Her grip on your hand lingers longer than she meant to, yours were baby soft compared to hers, each callus and dry patch were a layout of her life, each held a story and meaning.

You slid your hand out from her grasp when you heard the door open and shut. You turned your head in the direction of the approaching footsteps, a smile forms on your lips when you hear, “Sweetheart? I’m home!”

“Hi, honey!” You call out.

Kevin Davis, your boyfriend of three years. A man as sweet as they came, someone that would move Heaven and Earth for you. He was a doctor helping out at the compound and you just so happened to come back from a mission with some severe battle damage. Long story short, you two fell in love and moved in together.

Carol forces her best smile before her eyes met with your boyfriend’s. “Hey, Kevin.”

“Hey, Car.” He greets with a small smile.

Carol hated that nickname. Much more than she hated him.

Not that he was a bad guy. Kevin was actually a great guy, always able to help out and very friendly. She didn’t hate him for that though, she hated how you would look at him when he told a joke or how your eyes would light up when you talked about him. But what Carol had hated most of all...was that it wasn’t her.

A portion of her heart dies as she sees you stand up to kiss him, you two talked and acted as if she wasn’t there, which made her want to scream and cry until her throat went raw. These feelings began the first time she met you. After the Snap, everyone was expected to mourn and remember the loved ones who vanished. Carol was dealing with losing a loved one as well. Her best friend, her rock, and the only family she had, Maria Rambeau, who had passed away from cancer.

You were there when she went and comforted her immediately after. Your bond strengthened since that day, as well as Carol’s feelings for you.

“I should be heading out,” Carol drew herself to her feet. “I gotta get up early for a meeting.”

“No, Carol you don’t have to leave, we can continue our game.” You tried to convince her.

‘I’d rather chew on barbed wire than to be in the same room with him.’

But instead of saying that, she bites her tongue and simply shakes her head. ��It’s okay, Y/N, I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

You gave a soft smile. “Okay.”

“Bye, Kevin.” The words produced the taste of bile to spread on her tongue.

“Bye, Carol.” Kevin says with his unrelenting smile.

Carol manages to make it to the car before she bursts into violent tears.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I swear that every word you sing, you wrote them for me.

Like it was a private show, I know you never saw me.

When the lights come on and I'm on my own,

Will you be there to sing it again?

Could I be the one you talk about in all your stories?

Can I be him?

I heard there was someone but I know he don't deserve you.

If you were mine I'd never let anyone hurt you, no, no.

I wanna dry those tears, kiss those lips.

It's all that I've been thinking about.

'Cause a light came on when I heard that song and I want you to sing it again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Six years.

Six years on recon for a planet held hostage by some alien heretics, a distress call was sent and Carol was the only one who had answered. Six years and a million light years away from Earth, and a million light years away from you.

Carol had to leave early the next morning and wouldn’t have the chance to say goodbye to you before she left. So she decided to head over to your apartment for the re-match, once there; she found saying goodbye to be much more difficult than anticipated. Especially when you would greet her with such a smile that was now burned into her memory.

She tried not to think about it at all while you were playing the game, she tried not think of anything while playing.

“How are you beating me again?” You cried in disbelief watching Carol’s character slice yours in three parts.

“I told you I was good, you just didn’t believe me.” She smiles smugly. “Looks like I’m gonna win the bet.”

“You can try,” You challenged as you poked your tongue out at her.

Carol regained her focus back to the video game, having you on the ropes and your character’s life bar hanging on by a thread. It wasn’t until you lifted your left hand to tuck a piece of hair behind your ear that she caught glimpse of the gold engagement ring practically beaming up at her.

That was when she paused the game.

You gave a puzzled look. “What’d you do that for?”

Instead of answering you she stood up quickly, turning her back to you as she tried to fight the tears that threatened to slip down her cheeks. Engaged, how could you be engaged? And why with him?

“Carol?” You called softly.

“You weren’t gonna tell me...about the ring?” She asks, doing her best to hold off on crying.

Your eyes dart down to the gold band on your finger, fiddling with it gently. You yourself were quite shocked about it, the second that Carol left was when Kevin had proposed to you.

“I didn’t know how to say it,” You murmur. “I wanted to tell you first before I told everyone else.”

“So you decided to wear it and hope that I’d notice?” She chuckles.

“I was gonna talk to you after the game, ya know...if you hadn’t paused it.” You say as you awaited some form of a retort from your best friend, only to get no response. “Are you okay?”

Carol remained quiet for a few minutes, allowing the warm streams of water to fall down her cheeks. Burning as they did. Before you had the chance to ask again, Carol’s lips part to speak, the tears evident in her voice, “Why’d you say yes?”

“What?” You blinked up at her. “What do you mean?”

“I’m asking why him?” Her lip trembles.

“And I’m asking what brought this up?” You retort. “Because you’ve never said anything about this before and...and I don’t understand why now?”

She sighs before turning to you, her eyes pink and swollen. “Why now?”

You nod.

“Because I loved you since the beginning but I didn’t know it yet, and I especially didn’t know that it would hurt to love you this much.” Carol tells you, crying harder. “Especially when you talk about him.”

“Why didn’t you say anything sooner?” Your throat constricted as unshed tears stung your eyes. “Waiting until now to say something doesn’t change anything, Carol. You can’t just—“

“I’m leaving for a mission tomorrow,” She says abruptly. “...for six years.”

The words that formed on your tongue evaporated instantly, gazing up at her with quiet intensity. “When we’re you going to tell me?”

“Today.” She replies.

“And that was supposed to soften the blow?”

“I thought—“

“No,” It was your turn to cut her off. “You can’t just drop a bomb on me like this.”

“You’re one to talk, when were you going to tell me that you were engaged?” She shot back, your silence being the response that she needed. “I thought so.”

You fiddled with your ring again, the band was heavy now feeling as if it would constrict your finger. “I loved you too...from the start, and I still do. I waited for you—to step in at any moment. I pushed Kevin away multiple times because you’re the one that I wanted. And...I still want you. Only you, Carol. If you would’ve said something then I wouldn’t be engaged. But now it’s too late.”

“Come with me,” She cried. “Please...”

You shake your head slowly, your tears flowing down your cheeks with haste. “I can’t—“

“Yes, you can. Leave him. Leave him and...and come with me. Please, Y/N.” Carol begged. “You say it’s too late but you still have time. We still have time. Come with me...please.”

“Carol, I—“

And before you were able to finish your answer, the door opened and Kevin walked in, “Hi, baby! I’m home!”

“Hi, honey.” You reply quietly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To be continued....👀

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Tag list: @captains-simp

If anyone else would like to be tagged just let me know! ☺️

#brie larson #captain marvel #carol danvers #carol danvers x reader #carol danvers imagine #carol danvers angst

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froghwon · 3 years ago

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alright! here’s my general thoughts after just having watched the dreaming ^^

i dont really know what i was expecting going into this skndjfks the movie was like a monchannel+documentary+concert it was INTERESTING, but yeah idk what i thought it was gonna be :P

i was disappointed that shownu was hardly in it tho... u would think they would have planned this long enough in advance that they could have at least interviewed him for some parts ://// also i had the feeling that this would happen, cutting out wonho from old footage... i KNEW but it still feels shit, i’ll never shut up about this (my “let mx interact with wonho” agenda).

N E WAYS i really liked the “behind the scenes” parts, like when they showed mx5 in the studio rerecording songs for the “concert” and their antics :P and producer jooheon was really cool! it reminded me of the fighter part switch making video, which i was OBSESSED with and used to watch all the time :>

i honestly would have loved if they had gotten into deeper topics with the solo interviews, but i get that they’re idols, and they’re expected to only show certain parts of themselves to the public, but it all just felt... idk kinda surface level? kinda stuff i could have already figured. BUT i did get a lil choked up when they were talking about mbbs with cuts to their ments from the WAH tour, and internally i was like “dont do it u dumb bitch, SUCK THOSE TEARS BACK UP!!!!!!” so i didnt end up crying lmao

the “concert” portions were EXCELLENT 😌👌 i went alone and even tho there were other people in the theatre, that didnt stop me from singing along and enjoying myself :P i was even dancing in my seat for a bit during stand up lmao also i really liked the 80s style fits they had for you problem, wish i liked the song more 🤷 it was interesting to see how mx worked with the crew on stage design for the performances. the design/layout for whispers in the dark was really pretty!! OH YEAH and that clip of them looking dead beat tired after the performance WTF???? kdnjsfkjns i get that it was trying to illicit an emotional response, but i was like 🥺🥺 i just want my boys to REST D:

overall, i quite enjoyed myself! im glad i went to see it in theatres ^^ honestly, i thought the behind of them in the recording studio was the most interesting, even if there wasnt that much of it lol i’d love to see more of that kind of content come up in future monchannels. i wanna see what producer hyungwon and producer changkyun are like when they’re directing the others!!

#rambling #it definitely seems to be catered to mbbs tho #at least the interview parts certainly seemed that way especially towards the end :P #im curious what someone who isnt really a fan would think of the movie #this also reminds me that i wanna get my mx inspired tattoo early next year LMAO #i finally worked out the detials for it. i just need to reach out to the artist and book an appointment :P

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tar-oh · 4 years ago

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Pick A Pile!

A little bit earlier, I posted that I was working on a pick a pile and posted a picture of some books to choose from. Here it is! I got it done quicker than I thought, but they ended up being kind of specific? I didn’t really ask a specific question, just asked what the people who chose the piles needed to know. So here are the piles:

Just choose whichever book appeals the most to you! (Ha, I know most people probably don’t read books about shipwrecks, but that’s what I was feeling today.)

I got a new deck a few days ago that are these fortune cards. I tried to incorporate those into it, and it made it interesting!

Pile 1: If you chose Lost & Found

Your pile had the least amount of things pop out, sorry! Though, I think you guys had the most songs play?

Cards: Fixed Moon, a man, the garden, the key, mannaz, the hermit reversed, page of wands reversed, knight of pentacles, the magician

“I tend to focus on the past, and not the now.” - Curveballs by The Wombats

Group one, I didn't really except this to show up, but yours appears to be a love reading. Well. Sort of. First off, I don't really like doing love readings. Well, I mean, I don't HATE IT. In fact, I love love. Both my rising and sun signs are Libra and my venus is Libra, so like, I am the ultimate hopeless romantic. I just don't like doing them because I don't really want to give any false hope, especially since with readings, the energy can shift within a day, especially if it involves other people. So, I want you to take what I say, but not to get too excited.

First off, I'm getting that for some it may not be about love, and could just be about some work situation. For others it's about love. And yet still, with others, it's love inside a workplace. So, I have three things going on here. Whatever it is for you, it's stuck and has been for a little bit of time. Though, recently, or soon, you'll receive some kind of clarity about this situation.

If you're dealing with a job, I'm getting that there is a decision to be made and you're waiting to hear about it. There is someone you're waiting on, someone influential, possibly a boss. The decision will be made, but it will take a little bit of time still. My advice for the people in this situation is to just be patient and focus on what's going on in your daily life rather than the future, or what has and hasn't happened. Sorry I don't have any more to add for those in this situation. I don't really see any indication what you'll be finding out, though I do feel the need to tell you to make sure that this place knows what your capabilities are (especially if you're waiting to hear if you got a job).

For those dealing with a love situation (outside of the work), this is someone you probably met at some public place. Maybe a party, or even a park. I'm leaning more towards somewhere outside. For those of you that it's both work and love, I think you may have met someone at work (A boss maybe? or a co-worker who is maybe higher up than you?). For both situations, I'm getting that right now it's been a stagnant situation for a while. I think you possibly may not really know where you stand within this connection. You will be receiving clarity about this person, but I don't think it will be coming in soon. I pulled the Knight of Pentacles and that card is known for being the slowest of all the knights, so I do take this to mean the clarity you need, but slow clarity. However, it fell out with the Magician, which can talk about action, so I do see action. Just not tomorrow. So, my advice for you is the same as what I gave the people who have just a work situation (without love involved lol), is to just be patient and focus on you. Your daily life can serve as a good distraction. The lyric I pulled was from the song Curveballs by The Wombats, the line "I tend to focus on the past and not the now." You could be replaying all of your interactions with this person back in your head, maybe even thinking about what may come in the future, but what you need to be focusing on is the now. Your moonology card does suggest to be sure of your decision, so I think that you do need to know what you want and to hold on to it, but to also stay present and not get too daydreamy about the future.

Considering that the song I pulled came on while I was working on this pile, I think it's important for you. This song kind of hints at maybe there being more than one person involved in the narrators situation. I don't really want to suggest that maybe this person you're dealing is involved with someone (especially because pulling the man card with the key might suggest someone uncommitted), but I think this could be the case for some of you. I did pull two cards just to see how this person was feeling about you, and I got 6 of cups reversed and 3 of cups. The 3 of cups kind of adds to there being more than one person in this situation (though, it may not even be a person, it could be the job itself), but I think these are saying that this person feels that you're a breath of fresh air to them, someone like no one they've ever met before, as well as someone they feel like they could have a good time with. So, I do think that there is a mutual attraction here, I just think that currently this person is a little unsure themselves what they want, and that's why the Knight of Pentacles came up along with the hermit reversed. I don't like telling you what signs this could involve, since again, I kind of see energy as being fluid, but since your moon card was the Fixed Moon card, I see it could be a fixed sign, so Leo, Taurus, Scorpio or Aquarius. If they are a fixed sign, they're probably really stubborn so, like. Look out for that lol.

Overall, just try to stay patient. I know that's not always what you want to hear, but it's all you can do now (unless you want to make the first move and say something to get clarity). The best you can do right now is just focus on you.

The Songs:

Curveballs - The Wombats Second Life - Kitty Next In Line - Walk the Moon Left Arm - Sleepy Freak Overlap - Catfish and the Bottlemen Remember That Night - Grouplove I Am Easy To Find - The National Busy Bees - Silversun Pickups

Pile 2: If you chose Fatal Depth

Cards: New Moon in Aquarius, Supermoon, sun, child, anchor, death reversed, 2 of swords, 8 of cups thurisaz, algiz, sowulo

"I've tried my best, best to forget, but I can't, I can't I can't." - Be Your Shadow by The Wombats

For pile two, I'm getting two different situations.

The first situation is more general, the next revolves around love.

Something about your life is changing, but you're feeling a little resistant. I think you're kind of stuck in this weird limbo phase, where you're still stuck in the past, but you also feel the pull of change. You may be a little uncertain how things will turn out, or you're even unsure of what decisions to make. So, in return, you've gone into yourself to think about it. The advice I can give you is that you should try to let go of the past, and be the one to bring forth the change in your life. When you do move forward, you will meet success. Seriously. Outside of you being resistant of change with death reversed and thurisaz, this is a really positive layout. You got 3 confirmations of success (sowulo, the sun card, and Supermoon). So, again, take action! If you are having trouble deciding, I do think you know what's best deep in your heart. If you're spiritual, I think I'd ask for a sign or something along those lines because two of your runes mean connecting with gods, and other parts of the spread seem to speak to that as well. So, listen to your intuition and take action!

The second situation is something to do with love. I think maybe someone is in a relationship and is at a crossroads. I think you can sense that this relationship is changing, and whether it's ending or evolving, I can't say, but something is shifting. I think you're in your head about what you need to do, stay or leave. I can't really tell you what to do, because I think you know it yourself deep down. I can say, like the situation above, I think you'll be happy with the outcome. Also, Cannonball by Grouplove came on, and honestly, this to me is a sign of a need for action. So, think about it, use your intuition, then act. Though, a lot of the songs that came on while I was doing this reading had a lot to do with figuring out whether or not it was worth staying in a situation, so I think some of you are really contemplating leaving. I really don't like telling people to leave something like a relationship, since it's not my business. I just tell you what the cards say. But, it's 11:33, so I'm kind of thinking SOMEONE reading this is thinking this. Look. If you're truly unhappy, then maybe you need to think about this. What are you getting out of it? New Moon in Aquarius asks you to think outside of the box and to detach a bit. I think it's kind of like the Two of swords where she's blindfolding herself. I think you need to try and see things from another perspective and that your answer of what you need to do will be within that. Everything about this spread says there is change coming, so I don't think you can avoid that (no matter how much you're resisting), but I do think that you have power with what is changing if you're able to act. Does that mean leave this altogether? Maybe! You'll know what's the right choice of action for you in your gut.

The Songs: Be Your Shadow - The Wombats (I really feel like only a small portion of this song goes with this, but idk, maybe you’ll find something) Lemonworld - The National (honestly, I don’t know if this really applies to this reading, but it came on and it felt like someone needed it) Spun - Household plastic door// - KennyHoopla Guilty Party - The National (yes, about 70% of my playlists are this band right now lol) Cannonball - grouplove

Pile 3: If you chose Mighty Fitz

You guys got a lot of stuff since it all just kept falling out? Cards: New moon, new moon in taurus, scythe, whip, rider, house, the hanged man, the well reversed, page of pentacles reversed, king of swords reversed gebo, wunjo, pertho ”Rylan, you should get some sun.” - Rylan by The National

First off, pile 3. Please go outside and take a walk. Please! And if it's late where you are, tomorrow, please make time to do so! Or, honestly, any exercise will do (but outside is best). A lot of your reading had additional meanings that called for exercise. Like A LOT, which is funny because I wrote those first two lines before I even realized what else I pulled since I'd pulled the song Rylan by The National for you guys. The line I pulled is saying they should get some sun, and I kind of glanced at some of the cards and was thinking, "I really feel like you SHOULD get some sun, Pile 3". So, that's what I'm going to say first. The next is that you're going through a change. I suggest maybe reading pile 2 once you're done with this, because I think it may apply to some of you. Not all, but to some. Also, maybe pile 1 as well. But that's if you felt called to them, but didn't choose them. They may have something in it for you, even if you weren't called to them. So, back to that change. I really seeing it more as a new start, since that's what New Moon suggests, and so do some of the runes. I do think it's going to be a sudden change, and for some, maybe painful. This change may come in the form of news. For some, it will be good news. For others, it won't seem like good news, but will end up being good in the long run. If it ends up seeming like bad news, then I think this may show up in the form of a person at your door. They may show up to argue. This person (or you) may have betrayed someone's trust, and wants to talk about it. If this happens, I urge you to be the bigger person and try not to be harsh. Don't let them walk over you, stand up for yourself, but do it with grace (as I said this, a song called Say Your Grace came on, so I know I'm definitely on the right track here). Like, this seems super specific, but I have a series of cards, along with the tarot, that just seems to me that someone wants to pick an argument with you. My advice, along with being graceful about it, is to maybe surrender. By that I mean, let it go. New Moon in Taurus says that envy and jealous attracts like energy, so I'm going to say that mean and angry energy attracts the like as well. So, I think you need to remember to stand your ground, but come from a place of love. I'm not really sure what this is really about, outside of maybe someone being immature or betraying someone's trust, but I do know that you need to be the bigger person. I think once you get past all of this, a new start will be coming. Outside of the series of cards that shows me this argument, everything else seems happy. Like you'll come through this okay. I had a song play (that I guess is 10 minutes long?!) that alluded to another song by the same band. The song it alluded to was Gentleman Caller by Cursive (which, damn, may very well be a "gentleman" caller, but one that goes sour, a meaning of the rider card and the whip can be that lmao). There's a part at the end of the song when he sings "the worst is over", and I really think that once you get past this argument, the worst will be over. It doesn't even need to be an argument. If you know who I'm talking about, then maybe you should just nip it in the bud and get it over with by having a civil conversation. I'm sorry I didn't have something better to say, and sorry it seems kind of specific, but hopefully this helps you out! Maybe the songs will be helpful! The Songs: Rylan - The National Dancing On My Own - grouplove’s cover Breathe Underwater - Big Scary Lonely Eyes - The Front Bottoms Staying Alive and Gentleman Caller by Cursive (warning, first ones like 10 minutes lol) Say Your Grace - F.E.A.T.S Don’t Give Up Your Ghost - Movements Let me know if any of these piles resonated!

#pick a pile #tarot #pick-a-pile #pick a card

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aharris00britney · 5 years ago

Photo

ASKS 19

It’s 6am and Brandon woke me up when he got up to go to work so now... i answer asks bc i cant sleep.

@mileyzangel said: Can you please make a Harley Quinn hairstyle from both Suicide Squad and Birds of Prey?

I went and watched Birds of Prey the other night and it was really good. Brandon went to sleep I think tfgvhb. But I doubt I’ll try doing her hair from either of the films. @enriques4 is working on one for her Birds of Prey look if you are interested in that <3

Anonymous said: is tiny living worth it? im leaning towards the gameplay although i love cas. is the gameplay as bad as people say?

I honestly don’t think the new beds do anything. They’re... there. Lmao I think the CAS and buy items are very nice. If we get some cc murphy beds then that would make them a lot more usable tbh.

Anonymous said: how do you and ayoshi keep making some fantastic collabs?? y'all are literally the first people i go to when I make a fresh install and I can't wait to see what you do next

Anonymous said: AxA CC KINGS!!!

Anonymous said: you guys didnt have to snap like that on AxA

Anonymous said: I LOVE EVERY SINGLE PACK U AND AYOSHI DO PLEASE KEEP MAKING MORE

Anonymous said: another iconic ah00b x ayoshi collab YAS LESSGOOOO

We put a bunch of cc ideas (hair and clothes) in a discord server we have together and then work on the stuff together on call usually so each item is the way we both want me. Like for example i’ll be meshing the Ivy top while he works on texturing the ribbed version. We also only do collabs when they happen, we didn’t plan AxA 2019 or this new set, mainly just made cc starting in May and wrapped it up in July to release in August. Then this time we started making stuff late December and got most of it done by the time I got done with my break. Having a planned collab/deadline makes stuff less stressful and the stuff usually turns out better imo

Anonymous said: hi! ur sims are so prettyyyy what skin texture and eyes do u use?

Anonymous said: hi! wcif the eyes of the sim in the edit that Dogsill edited for you please? thank you!

Anonymous said: Hi! I really love the way your sims looks so, I was what skin and eyes you use?

I actually am changing my default eyes so I need to update my resource page soon ;n; but the skins they use are all listed for each sim on the resource page here

Anonymous said: you always name axa packs by the year but this one was named after a season those that mean.... 👀

We are wanting to do something in the fall, just not sure how our lives will be then ya know? There’s a chance that this will be the AxA 2020. Since we weren’t sure I didn’t want to label it that if 2 AxA’s release this year lmao

Anonymous said: what game is the pokemon thing you're playing!? pls help a guy out i'm in love with the art style

Pokemon Sword and Shield (I have shield) for Nintendo Switch. I’ll prob post more pics once I get some new shinies :P

@kristabunny said: lol is it bad that when I saw your Santana hair I read it as Satan Hair XD

tbhhhhh it was lowkey referencing that lmao. I made the hair in October for a speed meshing video and since it was around Halloween I was like “lemme give her an almost demonic name” also Santana from glee is a queen

Anonymous said: Tbh I absolutely adore your female cc but I LIVE for your male cc!!!

Thank you! lmao the only thing I can take full credit for is the AxA male hairs. I mesh the clothes for packs but ayoshi does the texturing for them.

Anonymous said: Could you have a go at the updo Dua Lipa has on the cover of her Future Nostalgia? The high bun with a flick in it and the strands of hair down the sides. Thanks if so :)

I’m not the biggest fan of the hairstyle tbh ;n; but we will see. (Physical is a serve, just saying)

Anonymous said: So ive never played pokemon before until my friend gave me a copy of pokemon moon. I love cats so of course my starter was a litten, but i had no clue about evolutions or anything like that. I was heartbroken when my cute litten turned into some big man cat :(

omg noooo ;n; yeah Litten is a cutie... incineroar is... well I got used to him tbh and kind of like him now? I absolutely hate scorbunny’s evolution (and most of the SWSH starters final evolution) so I think that made incineroar slightly better in my eyes. My shiny litten will be staying a kitten however :)

@multifandom-slytherin said: Hello! I love your cc! Would it be possible for you to make the bangs from your Bree Hair a separate accessory that you can put with other hairs (for example the BG low ponytail)? Thank you so much!

Anonymous said: have u considered making or allowing someone to make an acc version of your handmade bangs?

I have thought of doing accessory bangs tbh, I just like... don’t like using accessory bangs myself. So I’m not sure if I’ll end up doing it. I might try it for myself and see how many hairs they work with, and if it is a decent amount I’ll release.

Anonymous said: First off I want to say how amazing all of your hairs and collabs are! Second I was curious if you ever thought of going back to your old hairs and updating their thumbnails / display indexes so they matched your stuff now?

I really really wanted to have all my 2019 hairs updated by 2020. It was only January 2019-April 2019 that needed updated (thumbnails and display indexes). But I just lost motivation for doing it. I will focus on it next time I have a big break from school. Also planning on updating select stuff from 2018 and 2017.

Anonymous said: please put Sophia Barker in the gallery. PLEASEEEEE it's the most beautiful sim I EVER seen! >:3 PLEASEEE!!!!!!!!!!

She should be on there? I think? Make sure you have CC enabled and if you can’t find me through the gallery her tray files are here

Anonymous said: Hi! After the recent patch I started having a small issue with Bree hair(without bangs), when I zoom out it looks like a completely different hair, something similar to that one basegame hair that's layered with tips pointed outward but longer. Thought I'd let you know, maybe others have had a similar issue or maybe I need to change a setting or something. Love your work so much!

Really surprised this is the first time someone told me about this lmao. The hair should be updated now on SFS/Patreon <3

Anonymous said: I tried to look around for this on your "Asks" portion before bothering you (so sorry), but do you have a link perhaps for all the lips you use on your models? Are they in game or a cc you create? Thanks so much! Love all of your work! I'm super new to cc stuff and I found yours like 2 days ago and have been going nuts with downloads lol

like presets? None of my cc models use a lip preset. I do use this slider on some of them though. For lipsticks, that is listed for each model on my resource page <3

Anonymous said: i’ve been looking for a hair like lexi that i actually like forever and now i find it but it’s for paterson peeps and i’m like actually broke and i’m like :/

im sorry ;n; at least it wasn’t too long of a wait? :/ I hope you liked the hair

Anonymous said: I can't find your jisoo ponytails in your downloads?

they’re in my retired section... may they rest in peace. scroll to the bottom of my downloads and youll see ‘RETIRED.’ click that for the retired download page.

@eclypt-0-sims said: Hi, I recently started making MM hair and I know you're probably an expert at this but; every time I go into CAS to test a hair, all of my accessories clip with the hair. Like the hair texture would cover some glasses if my sim was wearing glasses. I don't know how to fix it, someone told me to delete an eye weight in blender but I don't really understand weight painting that much, any suggestions? love your content btw

this is a late as hell reply i’m sorry. I think that you have texture where the glasses texture would be. Hair texture should only be in hair section or hat section (if you don’t want it hat compatible). Here is a UV map layout that I use for making hair textures. It shouldnt have anything to do with weights

Anonymous said: Do you use reshade when you take previews for your cc? and also is the tropical punch ombre overlay a palette or did you make it?

I do use reshade when I take cc previews. It adds a bit of saturation to my sims and gives them some shadows under their chin/clothes. Nothing major. Also, myself and @imvikai came up with the tropical punch palette together.

@little-eris said: You probably have answered this before but who drew your tumblr icon? I’ve seen the same art style with other simmers 👉🏼👈🏼 it’s super cute!

thank you! here is their twitter

Anonymous said: The male sim in your Tiny Living review looks soo familiar; was there inspiration from anyone IRL? The person he reminds me of isn't even famous so I don't even know! He is very pretty though *-*

He was a gallery sim that I just revamped a bit so I’m honestly not super sure lmao. But he is very attractive yes I agree

that concludes this ask ceremony please collect your things and move to the exit to your left. fvghbjn if you sent something I didn’t answer and it was off anon I’ll get to you soon (person who asked what beards I used for AxA... I see you)

#asks #not me spending an hour doing this #im actually kinda tired now but do i sleep #or do i just stay up... i have class at 12 #it is 7am now

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kpopisthereasonihavenolife · 5 years ago

Text

Kitsune | i. demon

Jung Hoseok/Reader [F]

Genre: Demon Hunter AU, Action, Romance, Enemies to Lovers, Japanese Feudal Era

Warning(s): Contains Violence & Blood (Semi to Graphic Depictions)

Words: 8.7k

Summary: Demons: man-eating, murderous monsters who would kill anyone for the blood of humans: be it man, woman or child. They have no need for comrades. Known cannibalize and kill other demons if they so choose. Demon Hunters are tasked with eliminating any and all demons without question, but what would come to pass if they were told that a demon saved a human life? Views, values and relations become altered and absolutely nothing seemed human anymore. Never sharpen a blade too much, lest you become the wounded.

Series Index

a/n: It's finally here!!! Lowkey super hyPED to start this series. Pls pls pls let me know what you think of the first part. If you want to be added to the tag list for future parts hmu. (also lmk what you think of my attempt at action scenes LOL)

tag.list: @kathrynwynterbourne

Snowfall. It was the one absolute that was offered in the dead of the winter months. No matter who lives, who has died, what will be and what has been, snowfall will always occur. That was just a common fact. It was what lay beneath and beyond the snow and the walls of villages of homes that were secret.

What lay up beyond the mountains of wisteria and what was kept inside; held as a prison unless otherwise executed. The pure, beautiful snow the people know was far more dark and grim than the children who rolled in it realized. Not a single one of them knew just how crimson snow can become when soaked with the darkest shade of blood from something that isn’t man, nor animal. The blood of a demon is much darker.

The distant woods of Japan were tranquil in the season of winter. Thin bare trees, coated with the faintest layers of snow that could fall off their small, frail branches. The ground though would catch all that fallen snow and pile up until a sea of white would cover the forest floor. Green of grass dead and brown of dirt hidden under the pure white of the cloudy grey skies.

It was in these forests that echoed the sounds of battle.

Somewhere beyond those bare, endless snowy-white trees was a man. Running, weaving through the snowy abyss. Clothbound waraji on his feet and to his knees along with a black keikogi, a single matching obi around his waist. Covered over on top of his zipping body was a red, floral haori- fluttering behind him like a crimson butterfly. Two swords were strapped on top of one another slung around his hip. A hand of his resting on the tip of their dual hilts, steadying them in his rapid sprinting.

He was in pursuit. His head turned towards his right, following something with his eyes as he tracked them. His eyes flicked up to the tree line, following his target. He slid to a stop, drifting into a halt as his heels dug into the pact snow. The hand resting on his swords moved to grip a single one before quietly and steadily drawing his blade.

He stood completely silent, blade shining off the innocent snow. All was still for just a moment. He whipped around, a feral growl approaching as a creature sprung from the treetops above- descending upon him. It was inhuman.

Veins crawling- bulging- up to its neck and around its face. Barely covered in cloth, most unfitting for the cold of winter with stained claws. Claws that were aimed at the hunter’s throat. This mindless demon was looking for its next human meal before the cloudy-snowing sky revealed the sun.

The hunter remained ever calm- even with a demon after his head. A deep breath, a swift moment and a clean strike was all it took. Slicing his sword towards his attacker, he was soon behind the demon once again sheathing his sword after swiping it clean of blood. The demon’s body fell limply into the snow with a muffled thud. It’s head landing away from its body- cleanly decapitated.

The innocent white snow tainted with demon’s blood as its body twitched with its last moments of life. The hunter stood in front of the headless body as it began to disintegrate. The demon howled and cursed before its body and head vanished. Never even a bone remained of the corpse- everything into dust.

Then the hunter bowed.

Placing a hand to rest back on the hilts of his swords, he looked to the frozen rain of snow falling overhead with no sight of stopping. He took a deep breath, letting it out in the form of chilled fog before it dissipated.

“Winter in Japan is much colder than I remember,” was all he said as he stood alone. Setting his sights down- forward- he moved to proceed on. Making his footprint in the bloody snow that would soon be covered by a fresh new layer of white.

The hunter who tread through the woods soon entered through the gates of a village. It was a small one- well off the path that kept it firmly hidden from others. However, this village held a purpose for his visit. A manor that is kept hidden inside a barrier to keep demons from finding it, only Demon Hunters with specifically crafted talisman could see and enter it.

He stood face to face with a long stone wall that surrounded the village perimeter. Examining it, he pulls a talisman from the inside of his keikogi and a portion of the wall appears to distort in his eyes like a ripple. That distortion was his entrance. Stepping through the wall and into the front entrance of the manor.

A long walkway of stepping stone leading to the double shoji door of the large home. The hunter stepped from stone to stone until he was at the door. Ready to open it and head inside, he was stopped from a call above him. Stepping back, he looked up. On the second balcony hung casually over the edge was the body of a samurai he was more than familiar with.

“You are awfully bold. Not even bothering to knock- just entering a house that certainly is not your own.” The man above tutted with a wave of his hand.

“I was called here for business,” the hunter replied. “What reason do I have to announce myself if you all were already well aware of my arrival. I know Shiro knew the moment I arrived at the village gate.” The second balcony man climbed and hopped up and over the wooden railing before practically floating down on the wind. His bare feet hitting the stone landing of the entrance. Landing easy, gracefully next to the hunter as he tucked his arms together in the sleeves of his kimono.

His kimono was a pattern of white and fair yellow; patterns of lilies among the fabric. The obi bound round his waist a pitch black. His dark hair strung array as his eyes hid behind the fringe of his bangs. Having just enough hair to pull and tie into a ponytail at the back of his head with a hair string of yellow he favored. String whipping its ends in the winter breeze.

“Yes, she did. However, you should know not to be rude in any case. This still is not your home.”

“It does not belong to your either, Taehyung.” The hunter informed the casually dressed samurai. Taehyung just shook his head, opening the translucent door as the wind chime above it jingled. He invited the hunter inside to follow after him.

“You sure have been on edge ever since you came back from the continent. Can you pretend not to be insufferable for a change of pace?” Taehyung told him. The hunter slid off his waraji and followed behind Taehyung’s back- despite already knowing the layout of his manor due to his previous visits. Treading halls and tatami mat floors in his two sleeved socks. Taehyung soon arrived at a room, doors shut and stopped before it.

Both samurai and hunter dropped to their knees behind the sliding door. “My Lord,” Taehyung called, head lowered. “Your guest has arrived.” A small sigh came beyond the door.

“You two may enter.” A smooth voice called from inside. Both men stood and excused themselves before they slid the door open and entered.

Sliding the paper door, the room was large and nearly empty. A meeting or gathering room of sorts. Along the tatami floors were cushions for guests to sit. On one of those cushions in the back center of the room sat an elegantly dressed man- an equally elegant tapestry hung on the far wall behind him in the tokonoma. Appearing no older than his middle ages and keeping his true age to himself, not even his most trusted knew his age- aside from his wife.

Dressed in a kimono flattered in golds and reds with the bluest haori of silk on his shoulders, the lord of the manor sat peacefully. Running and taking care of the manor he occupied as well as the village he cherished and everybody that dwelled in them. Long black hair that reached his back and tied with a fine gold ribbon.

Taehyung and the hunter sat in front of him, legs tucked under themselves. The hunter replaced his swords from their place on his hip and removed them to rest them on the floor at his side.

The lord smiled. “Hoseok. It is a pleasure to be in your presence again.” The hunter- known as Hoseok- bowed his head slightly.

“It has been far too long, Lord Fuuta.” The lord waved off the formality. “May I assume Lady Shiro is well?”

“She is. She came to me the moment you arrived; though I am sure you are well aware of that.” Lady Shiro was the lovely wife of Fuuta; she was also a high standing priestess of spiritual power. She was both revered and discriminated- hence why she chose to hide in this home with her beloved. She was never one for public affairs- so her appearance to even the most frequent of guests was never expected.

Fuuta cleared his throat as he stood. His eyes dead set on Hoseok. The soft gleam of his eyes hardening a fraction as Hoseok’s body grew the smallest bit of tension.

“I will move along then. We have someone who was brought to us by Taehyung- a story of his is why we have called you here. I would like you to come and listen and from there I shall decide what I would like the two of you to do.” Fuuta was a man who had more power than just another standing noblemen. He was the center of a small unofficial organization of hunters that specialize in hunting down and killing demons. Consisting of swordsman and the rare swordswoman. From samurai, like Taehyung, and even skilled ninjas- Hoseok had only met one ninja however, as they were not people who enjoy much human confrontation.

Taehyung and Hoseok looked at each other. It was not often Fuuta would pair either of the two up with a partner, but to pen them both together as a single unit was something exceedingly rare. The last time Hoseok fought beside Taehyung was years ago when the two were just finishing up their training under Fuuta’s head branch of fighters. Many since then have resigned their position due to injury or age, while others have unfortunately died fulfilling their duties in cutting down demons. Out of the twelve leaders, only 3 spots of the original remain. The others have been replaced time and time again with new leaders.

Currently, Taehyung sat in one of those chairs himself. A leader of his kind; walking proudly as the top Samurai under Kurou and able to harness his body to any extent he sees fit. Speed and precision were the exceeding traits he possessed that were leagues above his fellow samurai and earned him respect beyond belief.

Hoseok hoped to be seated next to his friend one day; although he is powerful- his training to be able to sit proudly there at Taehyung’s side still has a long way to go.

The two both stood as Fuuta began to make his way to the door, heading out into his halls and onward still. Hoseok and Taehyung following behind as Hoseok had replaced his swords back around his waist- slipping them into the obi he wore.

Fuuta moved gracefully even in his steps. Making turns as he soon stood in front of a room, doors closed as he announced himself. Inside were two bodies, male and female opposing. The woman was none other than Shiro. Dressed in her priestess garb: red Hakan and white kosode. Her hair bound behind her in a long, red braided ribbon. A folded paper fan tucked into her breast.

The man looked feeble and malnourished to a threatening degree- despite his stay in the manor. Sat in tattered brown trousers and without a shirt so Shiro could examine his still healing wounds on his chest. She stopped when the door behind her opened revealing her husband and two hunters at his sides. Familiar faces to her.

Taehyung and Hoseok lowered their heads as Shiro remained silent. She stood from the man’s side and went to her husband’s.

“Has he progress at all?” Fuuta questioned. Shiro shook her head.

“He eats scarcely. He is insistent we find the woman he keeps requesting.” Shiro’s voice was as soft as a bell. Fuuta sighed as he dismissed his wife. Leaving the four men in the room, Fuuta moved to kneel at the dazed man’s side. Sat inside a futon he remained still and didn’t even meet Fuuta’s gaze.

“Once more,” Fuuta stated. “Could you tell us about the demons’ that attacked you once more?” The still man suddenly flew into a frenzy.

“It wasn’t ‘demons’!” He sprung to his knees, grabbing Fuuta’s collar. Taehyung moved quickly to detach him from Fuuta. He kicked and pulled as Taehyung restrained his arms. “I told you- a demon saved me!” Hoseok stilled at the impossible thought. “I-I was hunting around an old shrine when a giant spider trapped me in its web. I was going to die but another demon showed up. A woman. She freed me and sent me down the mountain. She sent me to the samurai in the area!” The man broke into weak sobs, his body slackening again- losing all its tension.

Taehyung released him, knowing his fit was concluded. Fuuta straightened out his kimono as Hoseok and Taehyung moved to sit closer to their Lord. The weak man left in his futon trembling with tears.

“There you have it,” Fuuta started. “It has been the same story day after day. There have been no difference or flaws as his story has been rehearsed exactly the same each time he’s asked to tell it.” He looked back at the man. “Do you still wish for this woman to be acquired? Taehyung was the samurai who was presented to you, so he would know around the location you were when this all transpired.” The man only nodded as Fuuta looked back to his men- specifically Hoseok and his hardened eyes. “He deeply wishes to offer his thanks. Taehyung can take you to the location and lead out this mission; however, the choice to kill or capture the demon is purely up to you. I will not demand she stay alive.”

Fuuta knew sending Taehyung alone would almost guarantee her capture and return as a warm body and not a corpse. However, Hoseok was not so compassionate towards demons even under Fuuta orders. There was a possibility of Hoseok completely rejecting the job completely; not wishing to be in a position to show any sort of mercy to a demon.

Hoseok had a hard time believing this sick old man’s story. Claiming to be saved by a demon? Demon’s don’t care about who they kill. So, why would one even think about rescuing the life of a human in the first place? Hoseok just didn’t- couldn’t- believe such a farfetch'd tale. Hoseok bowed to his leader before silently dismissing himself.

Moving himself outside, he sat among the garden, his swords off his hip as they rested against his shoulder. He sat in the snow, his haori resting behind him as the evergreen shrubs surrounded around him. The snow had begun to descend again as his breath left in white puffs. It wasn’t long before Taehyung had moved to his side, standing with his hands once again tucked into his sleeves in front of his chest.

“You know,” Taehyung started, “Lord Fuuta chose you specifically for this job. If it weren’t for my knowing the relative location, I doubt I would have been involved at all.” Hoseok looked at the snow sprinkled ground.

“You understand how I feel about demons,” Hoseok replied simply in a tone as cold as the snow he sat around. Taehyung just sighed, expecting no less.

“The lord isn’t asking you to change your views or beliefs. He’s trying to offer a new road for yourself. Seeing you fight and kill without hesitation constantly both bothers and worries him.”

Hoseok knew that, but having the job to not exterminate a demon and instead bring them back so they can be thanked? It was a lot to ask for. Taehyung left his friend’s side not long after their small talk- leaving him to his thoughts. After all, no one can decide Hoseok’s choices but himself. Taehyung knew the boundary between friend and subordinate and knew never to go beyond it.

When night fell the house gathered in the dining hall for dinner. Eating as they sat in a rectangular formation in zaitsu chairs- Fuuta at the head of the formation with Shiro to his right. Personal raised lacquer tables decorated with bowls of rice, dishes of grilled fish from the river and pickled vegetables. Chopsticks sat on lifted bamboo pieces.

They ate in silence as the dishes were cleared, thanks were given and soon one by one everyone was dismissed off. Hoseok sat in his room and board for any time he visits this manor. Perched on the wall-built desk of his tatami room. Changed out of his keikogi and haori hung on a nail of his wall. Replaced with a men-fitted kimono of white clouds. A thin sash around his waist with the chest pulled open. The open window brought the welcome cold inside.

He was disturbed only once more when a servant of the house intruded on his privacy to deliver a sharpening stone per his request. His sword had dulled in his battles leading up to his arrival. So, he sat in his lantern-lit room, sharpening the one sword he ever dared to draw, the other laying dormant and sheathed.

Just as always.

The next morning, Hoseok was woken up by Taehyung kicking him as he slept in his futon. He groaned now awake. Taehyung stood above him, arms tucking into his kimono in proper Taehyung fashion. Hoseok just nodded, a silent confirmation that he was awake as Taehyung left his room, sliding his shoji door shut.

Hoseok sat up, his hair a reckless mess as he looked out his still open window as gooseflesh rose throughout his skin. It was sunny today. No doubt the snow sparkled in the sunlight on the ground this morning. A new layer ready to be marked with fresh footprints.

Getting out of his futon, he left his swords by his small closet space and slipped on a pair of tabi over his feet before leaving his room. Fixing and tucking his kimono as he walked, he soon ran into a slew of morning servants. Offering bows and holding trays of seed for the garden birds who had not fled for winter and still bathed their wings in the stone baths made for them.

He soon sat on the outside landing of the gardens again, breathing in the winter morning air. It wasn’t long before his solitude was broken by someone joining him. Sitting to his left.

“Have you come to a decision on what our Lord asked of us?” Taehyung spoke without eye contact. Staring ahead at the morning scenery, same as his friend. Hoseok sighed.

“What about you? Will you go allow with what he’s asked?”

“I have no reason to oppose it. Unlike you, I have a fairly neutral opinion about demons as a whole species.” Hoseok remained silent. “As far as I believe, demons can choose just like people. What side do they fall on and who do they fight for. Though, it is, of course, an opinion.” Taehyung stood, tighten up his loose obi sash. He knew Hoseok felt nothing but hostility, so he wouldn’t tread on the topic any further.

Without a word, Taheyung left the hunter in his solitude once more. Hoseok sighed, moving to lay on his back. “What do you think I should do?” He asked up to the sun. Only semi-hoping it would answer back.

It was just brushing midday when Taehyung stood ready to depart the manor. Dressed in his appropriate samurai garbs and armor with his freshly sharpened sword on his hip. Sat up on horseback, he spoke with his lord before departure.

“Is Hoseok not joining you then, Taehyung?” Fuuta asked as Taehyung shook his head.

“It is a tough choice for him. Do not hold it against him, My Lord.” Kurou just smiled at Taehyung’s sincerity and defense of his underling and friend.

“Hold what against me?” Hoseok spoke from behind Fuuta. Both men now focused on him. He was dressed in his keikogi once more. Waraji strapped to his feet and straw wound up to his knees, binding cloth around his shins. His two blades once more at his side. Fuuta smiled as he faced the hunter fully. It was plain to see Hoseok had made his decision.

Taehyung steadied his impatient steed. “If you plan to run all the up the mountain, be my guest. However, might I advise a horse instead. We have plenty of them in the stables ready for departure behind the manor. I will not have you slowing down this operation without proper transport.” Taehyung spoke with a minor edge in his voice. With his rank it was obvious he was to lead out his mission; even though Hoseok leaped above him in age.

It was hardly no-time at all when Hoseok returned with a horse of his own. A brown coated mare he had taken quite a liking to. Although a female, she was a strong horse who rivals that of her male counterparts. He joined Taehyung at the village gates- already moving ahead and leaving the manor ahead of his underling. Fuuta thanked both men separately at their acceptance of this job.

He prayed for their safe, successful return.

It would be a day’s long journey on horseback to ascend the mountain. When night fell, the two would camp. Camping inside a nearby cave up the path, the horses and men rested. Taehyung only freeing himself of a few pieces of armor. Sitting around the fire of sticks and stones, Hoseok basked in the pulsing crackling warmth. Hoping his haori would take in said warmth through the night- wanting to weave it into the very fabric of the piece hanging on his shoulders.

Waking at dawn they head further up the mountain. The closer they got towards the peak, the wider the terrain became. Hoseok noticed stone statues and white talisman and ribbon taped and tied around and onto tree trunks and limbs. Enclosing further up sacred ground.

Ideally, demons shouldn’t be allowed passaged on sacred ground- the purity intoxicating to a lethal degree. With grounds endowed with protective mantras and barriers to keep the wicked out. Though, if not strong enough or long abandoned by their priest, priestess, monk, God, what have you- the spiritual power would weaken considerably.

Before long, the two breached the crowded forest and stood before the first torii gate leading to the long approach of a shrine.

“According to himself, the man was injured and attacked further in,” Taehyung announced before he jostled his stallion onward through the torii. Hoseok rarely visited shrines, rejecting most Gods’ people pondered on or prayed too. He stood without religion, so he wasn’t familiar with shrine setups if he were being honest.

Passing under the second torii he could catch a glance at the main shrine. Throughout the approach and beyond it, the lack of up-keep began to show more and more.

The sacred fence was frozen with ice and snow, the long approach road of gravel and stone coated with winter. The front worship hall was beaten and aged with poor conditions. Hoseok could only imagine the state of the main sanctuary past the inner fence that use to supposedly house a God. Even the so-called sacred forest littered with previous evergreens was baren with winter stripped limbs.

What God dwelled here before has long since left his shrine to decay into the mountainside.

“Go look around the sanctuary. I’ll scope around the approach further and check the shrine office. Tie your horse and continue on foot,” Taehyung instructed, lifting himself off his stallion as Hoseok left the back of his mare. Tying the steeds down to any firm part of the fence they could, the two broke off to search.

Hoseok grimaced at the overwhelming feeling of demonic tension that hung in the air like a bad fragrance. It made him on edge as each snow crunched step he took was guarded. A constant, ready hand on the hilt of his single in-use blade. The kitsune statues that looked over and acted as messengers were broken and eroded: a bad omen if Hoseok ever believed in one. It was as if a demon could appear from anywhere at any time.

Hoseok walked and inspected as instructed. Scoping out anywhere for any sign of a righteous demon woman. He couldn’t even find footprints in the snow to indicate anyone had been here recently besides himself. Perhaps she’s moved locations by now.

Eventually, Hoseok met back up with Taehyung of whom also turned up empty-handed when it came to any possible clues to locate the demon in question. Both men decided to stay inside the abandoned shrine for the night, tying the horses down at the main hall to keep them close and under shelter, in case more snow should fall throughout the night.

If nothing that could be of use to their objective could be found soon, they’d leave the mountain. There would be no use in staying if there is nothing to keep them there. If they were to go back empty-handed, Taheyung- as the acting superior warrior- would settle any following action that may be hurled at them in a negative manner.

Through the evening, the tense, thick air never lessened and the silent, uneventful atmosphere remained just that: silent and uneventful. Taking to the inside of the sanctuary as night began to fall, both experienced fighters reeled in their tense shoulders for a sliver of sleep.

Dead of night, Hoseok was forced out of restless sleep. The demonic intensity plaguing his unconsciousness with nightmare after nightmare. The sweat beading along his brow and the heat flashing between hot and cold along his skin made any further sleep a high impossibly and hopeless wish. Deciding to forego a time of sitting in an uneasy relaxation, Hoseok moved to leave the sanctuary to walk the perimeter once again just to make time tick by faster- albeit just barely- and hopefully clear his head.

Stepping outside, the snow had deepened to the point when he took a step, it hit nearly half the length of his shin. Hiking up his legs to take solid steps and drag his feet through the snow, he moved aimlessly. The shrine looked far more sinister in the nighttime than it did dilapidated in the daylight. The air was stagnant in its chill as the moon overhead became partially covered when clouds of swiped shape spotted over.

Maybe it was just the instinct in the back of his mind due to his everyday task of taking down demons, but he began to believe he should’ve brought his sword out with him. Instead, they both sat inside beside where he once lay in the room with Taehyung.

Stopping his trekking around in the snow, he turned to go back and stay inside the shrine until the chill running in circles on his spine simmered. He was three steps retreated when something slammed into his back. It wasn’t just an object that an animal may have tossed from the tree top; no. What hit into his back was alive and when he fell chest first into the deep snow, he felt it remain on top of him.

He felt it sit on his back, it’s feet pushing into the back of his thighs and it’s hand pushing on the center of his back and neck. He heard growling and hissing from behind him as he pushed his head back to lift his face out of the snow. Looping his arms behind his back, he grabbed the wrists of whatever was on him and lifted their hands off him just enough for him to gain ground.

Having mobility of his head- his neck now free- he pushed his forehead into the packed snow and forcefully twisted his hips to toss the thing off his back just enough to knock it off-balance. Hearing it hit against the snow in a series of snowy crunches, Hoseok quickly lifted himself up out of the snow, now on his knees as he shoved the wrists away from him completely.

Leaning back to gain more ground, Hoseok hissed at the sight of the demon leering at him. Shaking his head at the lack of a weapon, he had come to see the small hatchet lodged into the ribcage of the demon. Hanging there and moving with each jerked breath, along with a fresh leakage of ooze that seemed far too dissimilar to blood. The color was green and dim- thicker than the average human blood.

The demon itself was far beyond all comprehension. It was hardly human-like, thin and sickly to the eyes like a walking skeleton. Arms long and when hanging hitting their knees, it’s fingertips hidden in snow as the demon remain kneeled. Legs like a spider, thin and spindly, it was shocking it held the bones above it. The face was demented and pulled back, eyes sunken in and mouth wide and more of that like a snake.

By the looks of the monster, it was already close to death. All Hoseok had to do was find a way to yank the hatchet from its ribs and lop off its head and it would be all over for it. He had no doubt it would eventually wither away and die afterward. It was the only chance he had if he wanted to get back inside without leading the demon back to Taehyung’s sleeping body.

Standing off with the demon as it twitched and growled, it’s pulled back skin and lips showing the rotten, carnivorous teeth that were no doubt ready to tear into Hoseok’s neck. There was silence before a pile of snow slipped from a tree limb and landed in a mound on the ground before the demon lept without consciousness leading its way.

Lunging forward, Hoseok rolled and stepped around in the high snow the best he could manage. Tucking his knees up in a roll, he spun around the body of the front buried demon who missed in its leaping attack.

Spinning around its skeletal back, Hoseok lay in the snowbank, his back sinking in it as he pulled his knees to his chest. Feet flexed and flat, he stomped his heels into the demon’s back; feeling its ribs vibrate and move under the sheer force of his stomping.

Rolling back up, he took advantage of the momentary distraction of the demon due to Hoseok’s back stomping, he reached from around the long eerie arms of the demon to grasp the handle of the hatchet. Taking a breath through his teeth, he yanked the hatchet backward and ripped it harshly out of the ribcage of the demon.

The piercing shriek of the demon’s sudden gash in its chest vibrated the air. Screaming like a woman turning ghost, Hoseok could only focus on the green blood coated on the cold hatchet blade. The scream blurring his vision and throwing his balance. The wooden handle of the hatchet was lightly frosted as his warm skin melted the frost; damping the wood.

The demon whirled, swinging its arms without hazard, angered and disturbed at Hoseok’s infliction upon it. In those unaimed, meddling whirls of arm swings, Hoseok successfully avoided and even lopped off one of the demon’s arms. Cutting it off with a swing of his newfound hatched at the elbow, the arm fell into the snow with a dull crunch as it continued twitching despite its removal from its body.

The demon howled once again. It’s anger and desperation to kill Hoseok spiking.

It was instant when the demon pinned Hoseok’s shoulder into the snow as he somehow found himself on his back again, sinking into the white of winter. Demon face to face with the hunter as it screamed into his face, making him wince- the cold on his skin the only thing keeping him from losing his consciousness.

The severed arm leaked large, disgusting blobs of green, sick blood as it bled into the snow beneath Hoseok, tainting it. It shrieked once more, Hoseok feeling it in his bones before all was silent once again. The demon vanished.

Gaining his senses and realizing the demon was no longer on top of him, he felt the hatch being ripped from his grasp. He gasped as he sat up, watching the back of someone else run off ahead. Rushing towards the body of the demon who was suddenly lying in the snow several feet away.

Thrashing around like a headless dog, it found its way to its feet as it became ever more feral. Thrashing and screaming like a mindless husk, the new body nimbly avoiding any and all spastic movements aimed their way.

Hoseok watched the back of the- what he can only assume was a defender- as they moved cleanly around and through everything. He wasn’t sure how it happened, but with every single correct movement, restriction of the only attached arm left, and a swing of the hatchet, the demon’s head rolled down it’s back and into the snow. Facedown in a mouth open scream that would never sound again.

The body collapsed to its knees, green blood spurting from the stump of it’s elongated neck, mimicking that of a disgusting fountain. Standing on its knees a moment longer, it crumbled into a pile of bone as the skin disintegrated away like ash into the moonlit wind.

Hoseok had come to trust his instincts, and what his instincts were screaming at him was the pure, unadulterated fact that whatever just killed that demon, wasn’t human either. It moved to nimbly, to quickly and far too supernaturally to be any kind of human. No humans possessed all those qualities without having to sell some part of their humanity away.

He moved to his feet, knees bent and ready to evade or attack with any given reason to. Hoseok silenced his heavy breathing when the defending party turned to face him. He was correct, it was not human indeed.

Dressed loosely in a stained yukata, ripping at the knees exposing their legs, this demon looked more human than others did. Barefoot, and covered in snow and caked on dirt stains with hair tangled around their neck and back. The open kimono chest revealed far too much breast clearly revealing the gender of the being to be female.

Its eyes remained narrow and they held tightly onto the hatchet that had just lopped off the head of another demon. Their eyes glowing similar to the reflective green of a fox's. Hoseok's eyes narrowed right back at them.

A demon who killed another demon to- supposedly- save the life of Hoseok, a human. This she-demon had to be the one demon Hoseok and Taehyung were dragged up the mountain looking for. Hoseok decided to try and at least attempt to swallow his pride.

“Put the hatchet down,” he spoke over the quiet snowy ground. The demon- you- only gripped the handle of it tighter. Hoseok bit at his tongue, trying not to insult you and accidentally set you off when he wasn’t supposed to really start a fight. He began to second guess his choice on coming up here with Taehyung.

He couldn’t do this.

Talking and trying to disarm a demon? Not to mention doing so without using violence and using the strategy of persuasion? He wasn’t cut out for this- not with demons. Not with monsters.

“Why are you here?” You hissed. Grip relentless on the weapon in your palm, strong enough you were sure you could snap the handle in two. “Sleeping defenseless in an abandoned shrine. You ask for death!” You yell. Hoseok bit at his tongue once again.

Scowling, he took a step forward trying not to deter himself from the confirmation he sought. “Are you the demon who saved the life of a man before?” You remained silent as Hoseok rolled his eyes. “He was wondering the mountain, attacked by a spider demon. That was you, wasn't it?”

“Humans have no reason to interrogate us,” you spoke back with venom. Hoseok would agree on that. He had no business asking questions. If he had his way, he’d be rushing inside, getting his weapon and sending you to an early grave. However, that was not his task- as he drilled over and over inside his head.

“If you do not answer me, I’ll be forced to take your words as confirmation.” Hoseok watched your eyes scan the area and he moved to get up fully as he could tell that you were ready to run. Willing and ready to abscond from the situation at hand. In your distraction for a quick escape, you were suddenly disarmed.

Your arms were seized, pulled behind your back before your wrists were pinned upwards, arms folded up behind you. Knees kicked out, you were soon front first in the snow, an elbow between your shoulder blades that somehow cut off your breath and halted every sense of movement. You looked behind you, seeing a long-haired man in only half his armor as he kneeled, pinning you down.

When had he gotten behind you? You hadn’t heard him approach you at all. Hoseok was as shocked as you looked. He hadn’t even seen Taehyung exit the shrine, let alone see him get close enough to you to restrain you at all. His speed really was nothing to underestimate.

You began to squirm as all you did was jostle Taehyung’s body as he forcefully held you down with what looked like ease. He looked to Hoseok.

“We descend the mountain tonight,” were the only words out of Taheyung’s mouth. Picking up the hatchet at your side, lying in the snow, Taehyung picked it up with his free hand and flung it far off out of the way of reach. Now no one had access to it. Bringing the back of his hand harshly onto the back of your neck, you fell limp into the snow- the samurai stealing away your consciousness. He got off you as you remain where you were. “Gather your things and we leave.”

Hoseok was given his orders as he went in and did as he was told. Attaching his swords back to his side- sighing at the comfort of having them back on his person- and dressing fully again.

Taehyung had tied your arms behind your back as well as looped rope around your ankles, pinning them together. He also placed a shoot of bamboo between your lips, pacifying your mouth as it was tied around your neck. In case you woke and put up a fight, you’d do little to no harm restrained.

Dressed in his full armor once again, you were lifted over his stallion on your stomach as he sat in his saddle behind your limp body. Taehyung figured it’d be best for all of you if you were placed under his supervision on the trip back instead of with Hoseok on his mare. Hoseok would be far more violent on instinct if you woke.

Resting a hand on your back to keep your overthrown body in place on his horse, he was met with Hoseok on his mare. Then, that night just as Taehyung instructed, the two men descended the mountain- leaving the shrine behind and taking a demon with them.

Hoseok wasn’t entirely sure how Taheyung did it, but he somehow managed to keep you unconscious the entire journey back to their Lord. Anytime you even began to twitch, Taehyung would simply press the length of his hand on the back of your neck, squeezing. You’d always instinctively flinch away, but afterward fall limp once again. Even when the two stopped to rest the horses, or rest themselves, you remained just a still body.

When they both re-entered the village, Taehyung draped a cloth over your back. Hiding your body and shabby appearance that was hardly covered decently. With that, he would pass you off as simply an injured woman he found on the way inside the village to spare any inquisitive villagers the fright of knowledge about the demon breaching their village perimeter.

Taehyung was popular among most any village he entered. Liked nearly instantly, he charmed anyone in his path. Elders, children, men and especially single, unmarried women. Hoseok was sought after as well for his professional attitude and dedication to his specific trade, but the samurai was in an entirely different league when it came right down to it. It was practically at every turn someone was calling up to him on the back of his stallion. One hand on the reigns, the other flat on your back to keep the cloth over your back in place- preventing any chance of it slipping from the trotting of his steed.

Accompanying Taehyung back to the manor took twice the amount of time it would if Hoseok just came alone. Only leading to Taehyung making an unnecessary jab at Hoseok to be more social. A tease he could- and did- ignore.

Once more stepping through the hidden wall entrance, your body jolted passing through. Taehyung pressed his hand firmer on your back. The barrier around the manor was to keep anything evil or demonic out, so a demon passing through would be just as negative as one would think- even with a talisman of passage with them.

You began to stir, the spiritual barrier igniting small sparks of sheer rejection around your covered and restricted body. Stopping at the front, Taehyung climbed down, leaving you weakly wiggling on horseback. Consciousness finally coming back to you. Hoseok followed Taehyung in dismounting his mare as Taehyung was soon grabbing under your shoulders and pulling you off his horse.

Two servants stood, waiting to take both horses back to the stable to care for them and give them their needed rest- but remained back. Refusing to get close to the demon they knew Taehyung just slung over his shoulder like a sack. The demon who just happened to be you and to gain full consciousness.

You began mumbling and presumably cursing beneath your bamboo gag. Kicking your legs up like a fish due to your tied ankles and persistently pushing or hitting his back or shoulder with restrained wrists. You wiggled and grew louder in sound before Taehyung had enough and dropped you purposely. You rolled off his shoulder, hitting stone back first on the ground, knocking the wind from you.

Next thing you knew, there was a knee pushing painfully into your breast and a knife at your neck. Taehyung glaring down at you.

“Consider yourself lucky you are not dead,” he started, tone direct and cold. “We have business with you, human-saving demon. Don’t make me kill you,” he threatened.

You breathed out your nose, muffled noises much quieter than your refusals passing under bamboo earlier. Scowling at the samurai above you, his knife was lifted, sheathed and he stood, removing his knee from your breast.

“Hoseok,” Taehyung called. He yanked you up by your bicep as you were moved to stand on your own two feet- still barefoot and bound, however. “Take the left,” he instructed. Hoseok, Taehyung and you entered the manor as you stumbled inside with one man on each of your arms. Forcing you towards whoever it was who demanded your capture.

Hoseok watched as you kept your head down, no doubt the spiritual energy around the manor making you weaker. Your skin was cold as he made a mental note to wash off the demon staining the skin of his hand later. Pulling you along, you hissed at him when he shoved you forward. Only to hiss at Taehyung who yanked you back out of Hoseok’s space.

The three of you stood in front of the same shoji door that the hunter and samurai know so well. Your constant hissing and stomping kept either man from announcing themselves, the lord inside inviting them in at your loudness.

When the door was opened by Taehyung, he released you as Hoseok shoved you inside. Stumbling with small, rapid-tied steps, it wasn’t long before Hoseok was kicking out your knees and forcing you down. Pushing his forearm over the span of your back, you glared over your shoulder. You feared this man far less than the samurai who followed- shutting the door at his back.

“Did you truly need to restrain her so heavily?” The voice of a face you hadn’t seen yet spoke in a light voice. Tearing your eyes from Hoseok, you quickly caught Fuuta in your sights. Your eyes widened as your glare faded. You didn’t know why or what it was- but the man’s calm demeanor and overall unfazed aura terrified you.

You couldn’t relate more to ensnared animals caught in traps until this very instant.

Hoseok felt your body lock up. He wasn’t shocked- be it human or otherwise- Fuuta had an undertone of such superiority anyone shakes at their core upon first meeting him.

“You both did well in bringing her back to the manor. I thank you for your efforts. You both are unharmed I hope?” He half-jokingly asks, knowing well and good the two were perfectly fine.

“A little skirmish is good for the body,” Taehyung replied. Hoseok bit back a comment of ‘speak for yourself’ as his shoulder was still sore from the demon attack he suffered in the snow not even over a day ago. He just sighed as Fuuta stood.

“Shiro and I shall take it from here. You both may retire and rest for the evening.”

“But, my Lord,” Hoseok started. Unsure if he should really release you and leave or not. Even bound, you could still try and start something.

“Do not worry, Hoseok. After some time, this demon will be no threat to any one of us.” Taehyung was soon doing as instructed. Leaving the room and calling Hoseok after him. Slowly and unsurely he released you. You remained on the tatami- unmoving. Even as the two men cut off sight of the room and you and their Lord by closing the door they stepped out of, you didn’t once move even a single muscle.

Fuuta, now alone with you began speaking.

“The man you managed to rescue from the web of a spider demon is here in my manor. although he does not know it, he may have been saved- he will not be spared. A poison runs through him and will kill him in a matter of days now.” You sat staring up at him. His kind face fallen to that of no emotion at all. Shaking you. “You may already know, but I- along with my loyal fighters- detest demons. Hating them from our very core. That is the sole reason I dedicated time to put my expansive movement of demon hunters together. You must realize how lucky you are that my men showed restraint. I told them if they couldn’t resist killing you- there would be no repercussions.”

You remained silent. Partially due to the bamboo between your lips. Your fangs bit and gnawed against your gag. Both out of anxiety to leave and the yearning to somehow remove it. You slowly twisted your wrists and ankles, so slowly to not alarm Fuuta of your movements. Wanting to just be freed again.

You jumped when the shoji door slid open again and glared- growled even- at the sight of the priestess Shiro in front of you. Shutting the door behind her, she had with her staff. Solid, strong wood with metal ends. The top was circular as small rings encircled the top of the staff’s head. Three on both left and right- six in total.

As you were focused on her, Fuuta moved somehow without detection to be directly behind you. He had taken the back of your head and shoved. Pushing you down, folding you in half at your waist as you instinctively thrashed and kicked. You were exceedingly tired of being pinned down as much as you have been the past twenty-four hours. Not to mention restrained constantly.

You gasped and screeched when the thin, already torn, yukata on your back was ripped open. You heard the fabric flutter to the tatami floor as the chilled air of the room wafted over your skin.

You picked up on the footsteps of the priestess as you continued your struggle. What were these people going to do? Vanquish you after the hassle of bringing you here? Kill you just like this- bound and gagged? Was that the way of human warriors? Stripping the enemy of even their boasting pride and mercilessly slaughtering demons?

You cursed beneath the bamboo but stilled and silenced when someone touched your back. Running her nails over your skin, Shiro quietly prayed. You hissed at the sensation. Her hand removed for only a second before you gasped when she slapped something onto your back. You could feel it stick to your flesh.

It felt like paper.

You began to squirm more, louder curses escaping in mumbles of rage. You knew Shiro just stuck a talisman onto your back. What was going to happen to you?! Were you truly going to killed right here?

You heard the priestess tap the metal bottom of her staff. “Reckless spirit of the demon,” she began to chant. “Turn of your wickedness. As of now, hear the sound of my staff.” She was tapping the end of her staff with each end of her sentences. “Feel the sting of my talisman. Offer us no further harm.” As she finished, adding another pound of her staff- the metal rings clinking against each other as the sound vibrated in your head. “Recognize your true power and revert back.”

You then began to scream. Shrieking out from under your bamboo pacify- you screamed. Screamed and kicked as tears stung your angry, narrow fox-like lime eyes.

The talisman began to burn into your skin. Sinking the ink into your very being like a virus- you could feel your very core shift. Threads of holy wrapping and strangling your soul like a doll. Paper burning away as the ink was transferred to your flesh fully as a talisman coded scar. A scar of spiritual restriction. You fell limp as Fuuta finally released you. Falling to your side, shoulder hitting the floor, back bare and burned as you sucked in uneven, labored breaths through your gag.

Shiro pounded her staff once more- her husband now at her side. Both then prayed over your body. Your body began to emit a cloud of smoke before you changed. Your human-like body was replaced with that of a small two-tailed fox. A pure white coat of fur with scarlet spirals on your forehead and the ends of your two tails. The talisman mark sat on your back even now.

The first demon to be blessed by a priestess and actually survive. As your small animal body twitched, the rope and bamboo that bound you to lay untied and vacant as your body in this form no longer had what it took to be bound like a human would. Your clothes lay under you as the two humans who reverted you back to this state stared down at you.

You will either die by humans or fight alongside them to kill demons- you no longer had the freedom to choose; that's what the voice in your head decreed. The mark placed on your back was no blessing- but a target someone will always be aiming at. Ready to strike you down even before you could even think about rebelling.

“Fox demon,” Fuuta started, “we shall see to it that you become a true Kitsune.”

-TBC-

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cullxtheherd · 4 years ago

Note

“There’s only one bed.” //sorry, couldn’t resist, lol//

hey Ghost!!! how are you?? and ksjdnkdf absolutely no need for apologies, I love filling requests or making starters/etc. which ?? ? ? please feel free to continue this if you’d like, just? If you don’t mind please send me a link to it if you do. my notes are broken and mostly the @ just doesn’t work lately - thank you in advance (just in case)!!! also skjfnkdfg i hope this is ookay!

There are many things Jacob Seed is prepared to deal with at the proverbial drop of a hat. Unexpected fight with enemy forces? A walk in the park on a light, breezy day. Escaped pack of Judges making meals out of his men? Not a problem. Out of the blue blizzard at the peak of summer in Montana? He is more than prepared to start a fire and hunker down in anything suitable, but? Having company on this little prospecting expedition?

Not so much.

When a deep, dangerous grey had taken over the skies he had immediately been scanning the horizon for sustainable shelter. Miles out, hiking the rigid peaks of the Whitetails and without an all terrain vehicle would leave them more than vulnerable if they weren’t quick to act. And, so, he did.

“Cabin up ahead,” Mussed hair from nearly an entire day’s worth of trekking is covered in a fine layer of accumulation and, as the temperature drops his beard begins collecting as well, “Way this storm’s kickin up we should stop for the night.” It isn’t an idea that he is immediately comfortable with, but? What other viable choices are there?

Hand sawn logs are a welcome sight and the porch is cozy, a pair of adirondack style chairs and a matching table sit under the windowsill of surprisingly still intact panes. Cupping a hand around his vision makes it easier to see into the darkness of the cabin and, as usual, he is a wealth of conversation, “Doesn’t look occupied.”

A tiny, miniscule part of him - a bit of the frightened boy inside feels bad for infringing, but the Herald he has become holds no remorse for what he has to do to see his part of the Project through to the end. Although he knows it is futile he checks the door anyways: locked and assumably bolted. From the scant look he had gotten through the pane the place didn’t look like it had been rummaged through yet- at least, not by his men.

“Gonna check the back, see if any windows are open, “ Of all the days to not bring a set of picks it is, of course, this one. Although he knows from first hand experience both at war and within the Project that women aren’t any less than men he does have an almost overwhelming portion of Southern Boy left in him and the idea that she likely also has the skills to let them in doesn’t bother to cross his mind, “I’ll come open the door.”

“Elvis, bleib,” The wolf obliges, sitting on the porch and not in the mood to waste any time getting a fire started he jumps the rail, crunching down on a thin layer of powder that has accumulated over the past hour and a half. It takes several tries before he arrives at a smaller cut of window that is likely the restroom he is pleased to find it open. Thankfully the wood storage at the rear is close enough for him to hike himself up and haul his comically large body through to the other side.

Despite being agile for his size he is less than graceful at this moment in time and Jacob dumps his entire being onto the cold, tile floor. Partially out of breath from the tumble he grumbles, “Am gettin’ too old for this shit.” Elbows bent, his forearms pause, hanging in the air for a moment while he catches his breath. When he is steady on his feet again he makes his way across the unfamiliar layout. Thankfully a lot of the cabins in Hope County follow a similar, basic and open floor plan and he is at the door, fiddling with the locks relatively quickly.

Even though it is much warmer inside than out the winds outside are picking up audibly and he can only wager that the snow is as well. “I gotta get some wood and start a fire, GiGi have a look around.” Peeking his head out the door he manages a smile for his judge, “Elvis, komm.” A palm presses between the wolf’s ears, rubbing, “Braver hund.” Without commanding the canine follows him back out, past the porch to the wood hut.

For the most part what he finds is not promising. At some point the hut has leaked and the sparse logs that are left are very damp. “Fuck,” This will likely only last a few hours- that is if he can manage to get it started. Elvis bumps his elbow with his snoot and Jacob responds, patting him reassuringly, “It’s okay boy, we’ve been through worse, huh?” This seems to hit the spot and the canine pounces at the snow playfully, agreeing.

Grabbing the measly bundle he goes back inside, securing the door tightly with the deadbolt. GiGi isn’t immediately in view and he assumes she is likely scavenging for supplies to last through the night. The small kitchenette table holds his spoils for now and he, with the use of his heel, begins breaking down one of the four available chairs for a viable fire starter. It doesn’t take incredibly long and on the last strike he has to turn and clarify, “Hmm?”

“There’s only one bed…”

“I’m sorry,” Both brows raise and although he has heard her, his mouth moves anyways, “What?”

German/English “Elvis, bleib.”/”Elvis, stay.” “Elvis, komm.”/”Elvis, come.” “Braver hund.”/”Good dog.”

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macklives · 5 years ago

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homestuck recap

i hated this so fucking much bc my 2 am bitch-ass didnt want to read a recap thats probably longer than any slowburn out there

anyways here it is

also, uhhH sorry im using this as a end of session discussion bc that shit gets explained in her as well. and im not writing up more recaps of a recap so this is where im done for the day. (by done for the day i mean last nights session, im still doing a liveblog soon. i just wrote this yesterday)

also that this is long

you dont have to read it, theres nothing of importance

ive been coping with humor to get me through it

neato.

have fun with what i suffered through:

why was “beta” the only thing unhighlighted?

like did i miss a page???

OH its the beta version of HS thats why

damn its like 5 pages and thats it

mmh

well youll all be happy to know im clicking every single one of these links again bc i like looking back like ahh i remember that. good times. also in case i forgot some shit existed.

do you think andrew had fun writing this? or was he like “fuck”

thats a lot of fucking package talk. good thing im not confused as of now and remember it pretty clearly. of else, this early on in the recap, id be screwed.

god remember when i did an analysis on each item and what it did

i feel as if i have the technology engrained inside my head right now

cruxite, alchemeter, all that jazz

flashbacks are starting up already

yeah, that was the good part in homestuck where i knew 100% that i probably would continue on this liveblog in its entirety, ngl

that one explosion scene. bc it kept me going.

OH W A IT SHIT

i just realized how the intermission spades probably fucking foreshadowed the whole jack revolts thing and gains the ring, which was also technically JOHNS fault considering he slashed up the doll in the first place

my god, i guess thats the only good aspect of the recap. looking back at things and realizing the missing pieces.

oh that makes sense for the whole “this prototyping had no effect on the enemies, since he was already in the medium” i didnt actually think about that

little did rose know where that would get her right now

oh yeah

there’s still the whole entire lab terminal thing and how mom basically knows the place exists. i guess we’re still venturing onto that and itll come up later when we find out how mom knows SO MUCH about the game.

still think shes some weird spy or secret agent

i kinda love her ngl

anyways, theres literally no reason for skaia to produce a cloning machine. so technically, they only sent the meteors in, right? so who put the cloning machine in if not mom?

oh yeah that impact was nerve wrecking asf

and still at this point in the comic i called dave fuckboy red

huh, how times change

i hated reading that whole paragraph ngl, the frustration just kicked me in the boobs again

yeah nobody else got tornadoes, huh?

OH that makes also much more sense

bc she did prototyped them before she entered the medium.

i gotcha

man one of my favorite edits i made, rose hitting that meteor with a bat

are you

telling me

the exiles structures they arrived on were in the form of the items the kids used to enter the medium?

THE EGG

THAT EXPLAINS “EGG”

of course it was 413 years ago. that was never explained. simply vague “many years in the future....” but i expected no less from this

man serenity is the most wholesome character in hs no doubt

damn thought andy here was really gonna spoil us jade’s planet

okay cool, im glad i now have the layout to the whole “their stations went to the coordinates of the home button” shindig

man i honestly dont know what else to say besides “yeah cool recap” when i already pretty much know what went down? ofc im looking into each link and shit and adding in things when i see fit, but otherwise its just me going “ah good times” yknow

the whole meteor thing kinda makes sense now?

we’re still missing a few pieces of info but we’re getting there, folks

oh yeah that reveal

god jade and dave have it in the shits for parents huh

bro isnt the best and jade has a fucking dog

who lowkey

is doing better than bro

who knew a fucking dog is a better guardian than bro lmfao

dreambot = terminator. im telling you.

sorry im still on that idea and it will never leave unless i have the actual proof in front of me that its not going to become a thing. meaning, ive finished hs and theres still no terminator dreambot or either andrew himself gives me a canon letter with “the robot is not arnold, mackenzie, pls just let it be”

why is the entire game session highlighted

i swear to god if this is like to a second recap or smth of the whole game session i may fucking CRY

okay thank god its just a design of the skaia layout

which is honestly cool

idk why its blurry tho but i can at least see the layout now. which is honestly how i pictured it anyways.

yeah, john did make a huge impact in his friends’ life and i find that so fucking touching

yep. got that. everything loops around. cool.

especially when the trolls come in. god we havent even gotten to that recap portion yet, we havent even gotten to the INTERMISSION

pls can this be the halfway point to the recap

AT LEAST

so they were exiled after the whole jack: ascend thing, right? considering theyre way in the future. man no fucking wonder.

speaking of jack

man that whole dad and jack interaction was gold, ngl

OH THAT EXPLAINS THE RING THEN

and wow, andrew’s really giving us the best female content huh. andrew is the true god of equality and diversity.

also hey, i didnt realize that wow. so PM tricked the queen in showing the parking ticket to be able to take the present from jack. she’s a smart cookie, that one..

she and PM basically snitched on jack and it was the best thing that has happened to me so far

oh yeah okay

but why did AR panic over bec? bc thats something we havent learned yet, right?

anyways

exile town, the only town which should exist. facts. i dont make the rules.

noice

i love PM being queen. like.. thats canon now. shes an actual queen.

yeah that was a fun game and the consorts were cute

fuck yeah the dick head

hate them even more now that i know john was killed because of them

anyways, i wonder what dick move dave’s denizen did? maybe thats why its filled with lava bc the denizen was like “fuck it. make the land red. kill them all”

UH WHAT

WHAT

OH MY GOD HOW DID I JUST FORGET NANNAS LETTER LIKE THAT LMFAO

THEIR TITLES WERE THERE THE WHOLE TIME!

so i still dont know what they mean but i can gather it has something to do with the game giving them abilities. considering dave is the “knight of time” and he can go back in time. whack.

which means john can either control someones breathing or simply wind. and rose is... like that one girl in the winx club who does the sun shit. bc whenever i think of light powers, i think of stella.

and jade is space. witch of space.

nice

i have no idea what that means ngl

okay finally

we’re at the trolls

maybe this recap will end soon

i remember when i thought they were internet bullies

yesss

someone asked if i basically knew the trolls were on a different veil than the kids, so not presently with them, and i know lol. i was making a joke before btw. jsyk. dont think im incompetent to forget these things when sometimes i choose to forget it so i can add in a joke

it be like that, i annoy many

then again, pls dont assume im trying to say im not incompetent bc im also a fucking dumbass and DO forget shit and i have no excuse

imagine being so bored on the meteor, your last resort is speaking to aliens

ngl me if i was ever trapped on a meteor and could potentially do that

nah ik its bc its their only hope at helping with their session or whatever tf CG said to john. but there was BOUND to be a conference meeting between them like “okay guys. humans. that needs to be sorted out” and you just hear CG screaming in the background

i cant wait to meet them honestly bc im growing on all 4 of the ones we’ve seen already. and on top of that, i know what they look like and i know theyre not THAT bad, just a little on the crayy zee side sometimes

but theyre trying

OH MY GOD

I GET IT

FUCK

DOES THAT MEAN THE INTERMISSION IS *APART* OF THE MAIN FUCKING STORY??

AND SPADES IS WV FOR THE TROLLS

GOD D A M N

wow

i didnt expect that. but maybe the signs were there and i was just willingly choosing to ignore it or smth bc “haha couldnt be, right”

flashbacks to how i thought the trolls were humans

anyways, i guess he got his revenge on the kids version of “snowman” ie the black queen. but really

he did not have to do that. he could have cut off the finger and fled. but he decided “nah, lets implode her” so the loml is dead and all i got was a catchy song

i knew they were different types of “bullies” but now i just have to replace bullies with uhh

trolling strategies

anyways, this is cute. i love how they’ve come to be friends through mutual frustration. good part in the comic.

i wonder why it explodes

more importantly

....

terminator time?

this was my favourite sequences of dialogues in the whole entirety of homestuck. that is to say the back and forth thing that the kids went through to become a sort of wingman for the other.

absolutely gold.

all except AT’s rap.

GC was the only smart one with the linear shit

anyways fuck he still has to kill the denizen now but apparently its hard to beat for a sleeping dick head so

that will be fun for the future

john will probably need to kill A LOT of imps to get there

yeah rose is a badass bc she slayed that thing with needles of all things

OH and the white queen was the cursive

damn did AR ever do the whole guide process to a kid yet? maybe he will with dave, idk

oHHH

i fucking SEE

thats why he said DNA

to use it and replace all the life forms in the ocean

fucking neat wow

man that sounded sarcastic but im genuinely impressed bc all i got was bullshit as i read jaspersprites log

so thats the secret. it was “meow” bc that somehow translates to the genetic code she needs then. and that code apparently took fucking years to write as well. sick. whack. oh man.

derse is very pretty, ngl

and wow shit

“dave had already been awake in his tower all along without realizing it” how tf does someone just

do that, awake in both places at once

i didnt even fucking realize that fact as i read that pesterlog wow

ah yes, around the time things got confusing

okay so the capsule makes sense bc at first i didnt know it was a fucking time capsule so i got confused as to how it just apparated the game lmfao

the more you know i guess *twinkle*

i find that a neat concept tho

like the whole whatever you prototype affects the imps and shit

yeah so that whole “he had no advice” basically impacted his future

no shit dave wanted to reset things bc he probably thought he caused some sort of bad butterfly effect and killed his best friend

fuck calsprite thats all im gonna say

i read that first sentence and i think i got an aneurysm

and then everything else just made me sad again

i mean good thing he fucking did amirite?

we got pain at first but now we got cool shit like idk

fucking DAVESPRITE

damn idk how that works

will rose have like two minds now? or will this be some steven universe fusion shit?

“and understood their meaning” course well i fucking didnt so could you pls elaborate, rose?

okay but then what the fuck did he use that was inside the fucking box

bc i thought he used his knife?

im only every going to refer him as that now, thank you andrew

alright okay..

god that was a lot

i dont know what will happen once i click on those links but i am going to see that for myself bc i refuse to add ANYTHING ELSE

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missguomeiyun · 5 years ago

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dinner @ Gyu Kaku

Had dinner @ Gyu Kaku on Jasper Ave last night for my friend, Mike’s birthday.

Gyu Kaku is a global franchise for Japanese BBQ. This Jasper Ave location is the only one in Edmonton so far, & it opened this summer. This meal marked my 1st visit here!

Interior. I didn’t expect the restaurant to have 2 floors. Being right next to Dagu Rice Noodles, I was expecting a similar layout/design - 1 floor only. That being said, it wasn’t a full 2 floors bcos the upper level was about half the size of the main floor. So the style was more like a loft.

The thing is.. . even thought the main floor had 2x the area of the upper level, the useable seating space was similar bcos a large portion of the main floor was dedicated to the bar. There were some chairs for seating around the bar but not many.

We got the end table upstairs bcos the reservation was for 12 ppl. This was the largest table they had, & I would say .. it can comfortably seat 14.

View from the corner of our table- you can see the bar as well as some tables.

My view. This was the entire second floor: a handful of tables, with a staff desk.

The menu~

I didn’t take photos of each page but their menu is online & easily accessible. I didn’t see any difference as I was flipping through. In addition to BBQ, they have regular dishes you can order as well. The variety of items was decent.

On the table was a stand-up flip menu of their specials. The above is the family dinner for 8.

We were a party of 10, so we ended up with this Matsuri Course for 10 ppl. It was recommended to us by our server, & we went with her recommendation. I didn’t get photos of everything bcos our table was long & I was busy catching up.. . but I managed to get *most* of them :P

The salad. I really liked the salad for the dressing. I’ve been doing salads without dressing these days (personal preference/choice); the dressing they used here was light & slightly sweet. It was rather appetizing~

We’ve got.. . a little corner of the gyozas, edamame, chicken karaage, & a cabbage slaw that I didn’t even try.

Gyozas were *mehh.. Personal preference thing: I like my gyozas to have some texture to it but the filling & the wrapper just kinda all.. . became one & the exterior wasn’t crisp.

Edamame: I did not have one.

Chicken karaage: it was fair; it wasn’t great but it wasn’t bad. Fried chicken is fried chicken haha hard to mess up.

Beef garlic noodles. Where was the beef?! I liked it for “garlic noodles”. The flavour was excellent (garlicy & savoury) & the noodle texture was a bit chewy. It was served in a stone bowl (the kind you get for bibimbap) so some strands of noodles had the semi-burnt/crispy texture to it. Loved that! I was actually order this if we weren’t doing the family-style dinner. Glad these noodles was a part of it so that I could try it! This was my fav from everything we had last night.

The beef bibimbap. This was alright. The texture reminded me of the clay pot-cooked rice you get from certain Chinese restaurants. The flavour was blander than I had anticipated given the colour was kind of dark-ish. I was indifferent about this.

The meats. I couldn’t tell what was what after a while. Not bcos I was awkwardly sitting between the 2 grills (so I was being fed the entire evening lol) but things just started tasting the same. If you go back to the menu, you’ll notice that the meats are marinated differently. The only difference I could tell was the meat type (beef vs pork vs chicken) - the taste was just all.. . blending in! They have 3 sauces on the table (sweet soy, ponzu, & chili) & individual sauce holder/dishes, but tbh, it was not needed bcos everything had flavour to it - sadly, the same flavour =/ It was good but it felt too much for me. I’d rather have unmarinated meat & flavour accordingly/try out diff sauces than everything pre-marinated.

The grill. The grill is different than K-BBQ, which is what I’m more familiar with. I can’t say I prefer one over the other bcos both fulfill their purpose of cooking meat. Our server told us numerical values for how many seconds we should cook each slice of meat lol I actually missed the 1st part of the instructions & I caught “this plate is 45. These two are .. [insert another number]”.. . I asked my friends what she was talking about after, & they were like, “the cooking time for each cut/meat type”. I don’t know. .. but it’s fairly easy to tell if something is ready or not =/ not sure if makes a difference. But that’s the info we were given.

My drink: the 50/50 (sake + plum wine). It was alright. I don’t know much about sake / Japanese plum wine. For myself, I was indifferent. I didn’t think it was good but it was refreshing.

*Not in photos = the veggies. It was almost in equal amounts of the meats: zucchini, eggplant, corn, red bell pepper. The garlic mushrooms were good but . .. overall, was expecting more meat in comparison for $300.

In all honesty, I was ok about this meal. I enjoyed the company & service. The meats were good & over marinated, in my opinion (again, personal preference), & my fav “side” of the beef garlic noodles! Come to think of it, it has Shanghai noodle vibes, if you know what I mean.

Do I prefer this or K-bbq? At Baekjeong several months, I had K-bbq with the same group of ppl & also ordered a large family-style combo. & the price was comparable. But from the most bang from your buck perspective, Baekjeong>Gyu. The quality of meats was also comparable but I liked the preparation of the meat at Baekjeong as it gave the opportunity to experiment with diff sauces & condiments. *shrugs* that’s how I feel. If I were to choose between the two shared combos: Baekjeong.

#YEGfood #japanese food #japanese bbq #food #dinner #friends #sunday dinner

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parkshead83-blog · 6 years ago

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Seo Rates From Specialists in Search Advertising and marketing

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the-firebird69 · 3 years ago

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we have some winners and there are bunch of them and a huge portion here. they all keep saying the same thing we are God and Goddesses, and we say no you are not and they blab in space and use it up. it is ridiculous and systemic, and the forg too have it. and demand it. and we say demanding it is a bit odd dont you think. and tehy say he acts this way and he is found out and you are not..and we say ok you go with it. and they demand it for hours... some say we demand our lives back most we are Gods let us have it all..and we say what does that mean they say our goods and things. and we say your nuts. they leave to get help. and here now and at Hardknock Kikker in Punta gorda and we dont ahve much here, they want the act but its no act..and the cops seek them now heard it. they also say it as macs. and are not. and really, bja had moms torso on caa in the car and he was taken by us. that one is gone. a loser ok. dee of course revived and questioned, and back to health of course, and then under and up shortly...all go there and flood the place and are out as is corka nd others. lots of macs. but here it is hell, and yes i want out and get him a bike he can do it...lol..ahahah more attention it is nasty too. and we get it now..cant shut it off he yells, we know i yell back....and harsh. are homos too. and dont like it no they love harrassing us. we have the pad in and the ground was tested and in many places and all sent in...they look at it and the rough grading is going on. tons of it, no but we do pull off a layer of alluvial only a couple inches...and then prep the parking lot by rough grading. tons see it and say hey welcome and no sign, and we put one up, Hardknock Kikker fully assembled guarantted warranteed motorcycles coming soon, stop in ask us..and they do we have leaflets and more we hand out. tons see it we are happy but subdued. more later but ok lol it is sunny nice out your over there blabbing at some workers...and we use the train too yes. adn tons of them and ride in no truck, and we look can access it yes from behind. and she says he speaks about the pad. and layout of the foundation, and then this, we position it by the street they say lot line. and then Thor says lot line and you point out the dimensinos match the street, so we use that ok..and the town says lot line and looks...it i dimensined to the street but you use the position per the lot lines...and they agree. and calculate it. and agree where.

https://goo.gl/maps/shq2Y5zZAUVZkXjC6

we put a downpayment on this land, are in the pre design phase too. waiting. and they approved the purchase, the seller did so we pay them. and they accept..and now we move to planning. and send it shorlty

we need to see what they would allow...and offer our best for our idea first.

it is for a Sim sales floor and not for Sebastian, and he is dismayed. mac is too but will fight. and see who. now we struggled all day for this other place Hardknock and ar enot pushing for Sim but try it..

Thor Freya

we dont push either see what people say..here in our midst are anyways and must be seen so it is that idea that works for me

mac

and did it with kia and others worked too

mike

and we were the guine pigs worksfor us

jason

0 notes

liveandloveandlearn · 4 years ago

Text

On Student Loan Cancellation (hint: it’s bad problem solving)

I wanna start by leaving my moral high horse at the door. I’m about to make the argument that the people who argue so fervently for cancelling student loans probably have student loans, hence they’re arguing for self interest much more than the greater good they’re scapegoating under (economic stimulus, racial quality, you name it). Before I imply they’re hypocrites, which they are, I gotta say I am also a hypocrite myself. Not too long ago I received a decent check for a contractor job. The problem with being a contractor is I would have to pay an extra 7.5% in self employment taxes - the portion that would be paid by employers if I were an employee. I was so excited when Trump floated the idea of canceling this tax for the year for business stimulus. Trump, who stands for nothing I stand for. Democrats pushed back hard as this tax funds nursing homes and healthcare service for Medicare patients - aka, low income, retired seniors. The nobility of the cause did not faze the greedy part of me. I could use that 7.5% for my house down payment. I refreshed my browser for updates everyday to see if the proposal went through.

My point is self-interest is a very very strong incentive, no matter how much you aim for the high road. I can't judge you for having self interest. But I can judge you for being dishonest.

Onto student loan.

The arguments I've seen for a one time cancellation of student loans are extremely flimsy. These include:

1. Economic stimulus: It's basically roughly $1.5 trillion injected into the economy. So yes, it is economic stimulus. But the stimulus would be indirect, mediocre, and benefits a very arbitrary population: those with student loans. Honestly, what the heck. For economic stimulus, wouldn't it yield much better returns to invest in businesses, infrastructures, and value-generating activities? Giving people a random amount of money hoping they would spend is such a mediocre way to stimulate the economy. Anyone who has given 2 thoughts on business would recognize this.

1.a. On a side note, when the phrase “student loan" is attached, people seem to forget that it's money. “Cancel student loan for us with executive order, President Biden!”. They seem to assume this means Biden signs a piece of paper, and a $1.5 trillion burden spreaded among the population would disappear. No dude. This means the government is paying the creditors for you. The tax payers are paying the creditors for you.

2. Fill in social equality gaps: No. No. No. I’m not gonna even put in an effort to argue from multiple perspectives here, even though there are a few sub-sub-sub-points that might be valid. But no. Just no. No.

If you're gonna talk about inequality and the marginalized population, let's talk about those who I would happily spend $1.5 trillion or more on instead of those privileged enough to get a Bachelor/Master/Advanced degree. Coal miners. The disabled. The children. The homeless. Go ahead President Biden. Spend as much as you want on programs to help them. I'll shut right up.

3. Because this is a pain point for a lot of people. Because people were scammed into a broken student loan system. Because in many cases the pain and suffering are overwhelming and unfair: No doubt about it. I can totally imagine the weight of carrying huge amount of debt for a mediocre degree and a mediocre paycheck. It could almost become a public health problem for the mental stress and pain. I am not making fun of you. I feel your pain.

Let's fix the broken system. Let's provide relief for those who need it. Let's layout a logically consistent long term and short term plan. Let's renegotiate with schools and creditors. Let's educate incoming students. Let's reinvent pathways to education.

Placing a one time $10,000 - $50,000 - $100,000 into your pockets arbitrarily does not alleviate the pain for future students. It does not fix the broken system. It absolutely does not make things fair. You, I'm talking to you (from my private blog lol) who’s jumping on the bandwagon only because of self interest. I feel your frustration. But don't pretend you're arguing for the greater good.

This actually seems like a much more solvable problem than healthcare, I have to say. People are just too loud about it. This is very largely a math/financial problem. And a system problem that's for sure. But at least it's not a humungous and intricate web of stakeholders, sub-systems that impact real human lives.

When will the mainstream voice belong to actual problem solvers? Those who study, and analyze, and design, and make proposals?

...

On a side note, I start to suspect that the claim that the media being a little a lot too left leaning/too manipulative is not entirely invalid. It was difficult for me to find articles opposing cancelling student loans. It doesn't mean I'll completely distrust the media. It means I will continue to use my very own judgement.

0 notes

reactingtosomething · 7 years ago

Text

Reacting to The Old Guard

She Is Not In Any Way Playing

The Setup: It’s our first Reaction to a comic book! And it’s not from the Big Two! Written by Greg Rucka (Wonder Woman, Gotham Central, Black Magick) and drawn by Leandro Fernandez (Punisher MAX, The Incredible Hulk, Deadpool & Cable) -- a duo who previously collaborated on Wolverine and Queen & Country -- The Old Guard is about (mostly) immortal warriors who can trace their lives back through Napoleon’s attempted invasion of Russia, the Crusades, and the conquests of Alexander the Great. They’re led by Andromache of Scythia, but you can call her Andy.

Andy’s fought and fucked, loved and loathed her way across thousands of years and at least six continents, and she is tired. So when a seemingly routine rescue mission goes way off the rails, and just a few hours later her team learns that -- contrary to what they’ve believed for a century or two -- they’re not the last immortals left after all, Andy has to find out if she can still surprise a world that she didn’t realize could still surprise her.

Kris, who briefly studied ancient military history in college, really liked Rucka’s Batwoman: Elegy and his webcomic Lady Sabre & The Pirates of the Ineffable Aether, so when he learned about The Old Guard he asked Marchae -- a BIG fan of Rucka’s Lazarus -- if she’d want to react to it.

Two spoiler notices below, but until the jump it’s just first-issue stuff.

KRIS: So we’ve both read some Greg Rucka before

I don’t think I’m an expert, but I’m fairly aware of at least the range of his work

MARCHAE: I am a HUGE fan of at least one of his comics!!!

KRIS: And he seems to be One of the Good Ones re: male feminist writers

MARCHAE: YES I absolutely agree and spent even more time thinking about that as I read The Old Guard

and this notion that I have about “super heros”

but also I like some of the things he examines in his works, at least what I’ve read

KRIS: Oh good I think we’ve all wanted to hear more from you about your theory of superheroes, so definitely feel free to get into that when it’s relevant

MARCHAE: LOL

I definitely will talk more that’s for sure - and especially since I’m reading Jessica Jones at the moment

KRIS: Also I really like how distinctive most of the faces in this are, just wanted to say that upfront although I am not super qualified to discuss the art

MARCHAE: So I’ve spent some time making connections between what I’m currently reading , a traditional comic, versus the indie books

Neither am I - but the art is gorgeous

KRIS: OH and for our readers who may not be super into comics (yet), maybe we should say how we’re reading

I’m using the Comixology reader on their website, in Guided View mode

MARCHAE: And I use an app from my public library called Hoopla

I also use a guided view mode - however I definitely prefer hardcopies

KRIS: I like Guided View a lot, although occasionally you lose some of the impact of splash pages, and there are very rarely (but especially with older comics) sequencing errors

ANYWAY sorry tangent

MARCHAE: I am reading newer ones mostly, it definitely feels more cinematic to me reading it electronically.

I like it a lot especially for fast paced ones like The Old Guard

like an action film

KRIS: But I wanted to just get it out there that there are good accessible digital ways to read comics, which is often more affordable, and also for some reason Amazon is selling a bunch of Marvel comics at massive discounts

Yes! Thank you for getting us back on track -- the action layouts here are great

MARCHAE: Affordable and FREE!

and you’re welcome!

I am a newbie to comics- I’ve only been reading them for a year maybe less - and I am obsessed with how much I can relate to them from a screenwriting perspective in terms of sequencing and layout. In this weird abstract way. This was one of the best one’s I’ve read in a while in terms of the pacing with layout - and I love it. I actually started re-reading the book just to gawk at the art etc

KRIS: Oh you should check out Rucka’s web comic Lady Sabre and the Pirates of the Ineffable Aether [see above] -- it was like the equivalent of a page or so twice a week, and Rucka’s script for each entry was included

MARCHAE: **GASPS**

KRIS: I always mean to really break down and study a comic book or two but just like with studying TV, I end up being too lazy, and just hoping I’ll absorb lessons through sheer osmosis

MARCHAE: LOL -

I have studied the dialogue

I think more closely than anything

although I really need to study their structure

KRIS: That’s interesting

I would not guess that most comics writers do dialogue as well as Rucka

MARCHAE: It’s something about these short bursts of dialogue that kind of flow with the quick images we get that makes sense to me… I’ve read a couple that I really prefer

KRIS: I’m interested in how comics people obviously think in “shots”

MARCHAE: Revival is good and so is Alex and Ada … it shouldn’t come as a surprise that they are super character driven

KRIS: and I think a lot of screenwriters don’t

MARCHAE: YEAH

KRIS: or aren’t necessarily really well trained to

MARCHAE: It is fascinating when you think about because there are SO MANY correlations between the two

because as screenwriters and movie makers we end up having to think like comic writers when we get to the storyboarding portion of the work

which i guess is more of a production function

but

KRIS: Right, it should be super obvious, and we do get TOLD to think in shots but there’s still such a division (at least in our film school experience) between learning to write and learning to tell stories visually

MARCHAE: I feel like with comics the action - even in some of the not as good ones I’ve read is all about taking you to that next shot

EXACTLY!!!

KRIS: Honestly this is one of my very favorite parts in the whole book, just as a visual storytelling beat:

MARCHAE: I was grateful that I had the experience of reading comics at least near the end of my time in school… i did take a lot of lessons from the comics

OHHH

tell me why

KRIS: I think a lot of the impact for me was in the guided view

The panel before this is Booker trying to talk Andy into the mission: “He says there are kids involved, Andy. Kids.”

Then in GV you get everyone looking at Booker, and you can linger on that panel

MARCHAE: The guided view makes a tremendous difference!

it feels like a moving image

KRIS: Then the next panel makes you sort of realize that it’s not really “everyone” looking at one person, but Joe and Nico looking back and forth between the new guy and the boss

although I guess you don’t get the “new guy” information until later

MARCHAE: Exactly

KRIS: Yes! The movement is there, and can have this weird interaction with how long you can linger in a single shot

But I guess what I like about this page is how the visuals help establish the relationships even without Andy’s exposition

MARCHAE: And i feel like you should be able to tell the story without the words

some of my favorites were the panels without words period

I especially love the first few pages

KRIS: Yeah, and in a nutshell that’s what comics writers are trained to do and what a lot of screenwriters (including me!) are often too precious about their own dialogue to internalize

MARCHAE: its just a few bits of inner dialogue

(side note your dialogue is beautiful!!!)

KRIS: Yeah but I didn’t become a playwright

MARCHAE: YESSSSSS

KRIS: ^That spread is so amazing and efficient

MARCHAE: YESSS and YESSS

those were my favorites

oh my word and its just pretty

KRIS: It’s not even a really dense two-page spread by any means and there are only like 30 words on it

But it tells us so much about Andy

MARCHAE: I’m looking at it now on my device and its in guided view - so it shows up as each individual panel

YES!

KRIS: Right

MARCHAE: and I’m hooked from the beginning and that’s what I think makes this story effective and invests you in it

Rucka does this with my favorite comic - Lazarus

also

KRIS: She’s a warrior, she’s been around forever, she’s bi, she’s tired, she doesn’t have a lot of meaningful human connection in her life

MARCHAE: And we get that quickly

and efficiently

KRIS: and obviously the sense of repetition

in her day-to-day (century-to-century)

MARCHAE: thats been going on for centuries

[SPOILERS throughout below]

KRIS: Oh sorry did you want to say more about Lazarus

MARCHAE: It’s okay -

I was just going to say that there are some definite similarties between the two books

Specifically just the idea of strong female protagonists who are capable and leaders

and also the notion of these women dodging death

All. the. time!

I thought it was interesting to have read and to be a HUGE fan of both books now

and think critically about what he means to demonstrate and also why i consider the woman he portrays more heroic than other “heroes”

that was a long rant LOL

sorry

KRIS: And there’s a quietly great line in chapter 2 about how everyone just defaulted to Andy being the leader because she was the oldest, so it was obvious

MARCHAE: Yes I remember that

KRIS: And I haven’t really thought about this, but it’s interesting and I’m assuming very deliberate that the oldest and the youngest leads are the women

But so matter-of-factly

MARCHAE: Yes - I did note that and remember being worried for Andy and what it meant later on in the series

and also the conflicts that we could expect to see in the future books

I think it’s smart honestly and kind of this mentorship that also gets to happen between the two women

we know that historically women have a difficult time finding mentors so I guess it is great to see it demonstrated in this medium

I think we’ll eventually see some bickering between the two , but ultimately a respect which is also not often depicted in other medium as much as I feel like it should be

KRIS: I’ll save it for a little later but I did screenshot that great (affectionate) bickering toward the end

MARCHAE: YES!

KRIS: We often write these in a way that sort of assumes the reader knows at least generally what we’re talking about but maybe we should try explaining a little about at least the main character relationships here

MARCHAE: That’s true - especially considering this is our first time reacting to a comic book

KRIS: Oh my god wait I just want to show this page transition I didn’t pick up on in Guided View

MARCHAE: I was trying to find a good article that listed the main concept with characters (mostly because I need to know how to spell andy’s real name)

KRIS: The color palette!

MARCHAE: It’s beautiful I liked these panels

KRIS: They only say Andy’s whole name twice but it’s not the same both times!

MARCHAE: I have this weird way that I read them… 1. for story. 2. art with story 3. only with art

KRIS: Oh interesting

MARCHAE: even the layout is nice

KRIS: I’m not much of a re-reader (or re-watcher) but I should be

MARCHAE: I don’t generally - but because I am so used to reading “regular books” I have to almost get the story then go back so I can appreciate the art with the story

then just the art cause #pretty

KRIS: Oh man I sidetracked us again

OK so

Andy!

MARCHAE: its okay really theres is a lot here to talk about actually!!!

Yes, Andy short for Andromeda?

I think

KRIS: I THINK Andromache is what her name is supposed to be, since that’s what the Comixology store “logline” uses

MARCHAE: YES

KRIS: and that’s what Booker calls her

MARCHAE: I was all off LOL

KRIS: but when she tells Nile an issue or two earlier, she says Andronika

which I’m assuming is just a continuity mistake on someone’s part

MARCHAE: I am now curious if it changes with the time

KRIS: and maybe a reprint will correct it

MARCHAE: like each century she modifies it?

yes but she’s centuries old

and most important

KRIS: But I got the sense that we were given everyone’s “true” name at least once

MARCHAE: Immortal - she can’t die - at least she’s not able to right now

KRIS: So “Andy” is her modern day shorthand and maybe in the 1800s it was something else, but Andromache is her birth name

MARCHAE: yeah! that’s my deduction at least

KRIS: So Andromache means “battle of a man”

(I think Andronika would mean something like victory of a man?)

MARCHAE: I love your to the minute, on the spot research!

KRIS: Well Andromache I knew because I briefly studied Greek in undergrad and have always been a little bit of an Ancient Greek Stuff nerd

What I’m not sure of is in what sense “battle” is being used

MARCHAE: are the names from the same era?

I guess it could be two fold

KRIS: Like, is it a battle as in an event, or is it in the sense of “she’s got fight like a man”

MARCHAE: Oh i was going in a different direction!!!

wow

yours is probably more appropriate LOL

KRIS: Andromache is at least as old as the Odyssey

MARCHAE: I was thinking more of “battle of a man” - as in battle against one’s self

KRIS: Oh interesting

MARCHAE: like man against man conflict which i suppose is fitting considering that she’s somewhat immortal

KRIS: oh I meant the Iliad -- Andromache is the wife of Hektor

MARCHAE: OH YEAH

Also thinking of “battle of a man” to mean battle of time and life

we always want to live longer, better, never die

KRIS: I don’t know much at all about Arabic so I don’t know how old Joe’s real name is, etymologically speaking

MARCHAE: and here Andy is wanting to be done

I loved that scene where introducing himself

KRIS: Yeah, that’s pretty classic

MARCHAE: and we get to Joe!

So I am checking an article and [the Newsarama interviewer] says Andy’s real name is Andronika

https://www.newsarama.com/33272-rucka-joins-the-old-guard-with-queen-country-artist-fernandez.html

(also side note I feel redeemed and a bit smart that he mentions some of the themes I pointed out and made similar comparisons! )

KRIS: OK skimming now

“John Wick meets Highlander”

That’s pretty great

MARCHAE: Truth!!

KRIS: Oh Black Magick I should link to that [see above]

MARCHAE: I haven’t read that one

KRIS: Anyway where were we?

MARCHAE: Ok we have digressed again! I guess a brief synopsis of the main characters

KRIS: Right right

So we have this 4-person mercenary team

MARCHAE: Right and they’ve been connected FOREVER it seems like

KRIS: Led by [Andronika/Andromache?] Andy, who is literally biblically old

MARCHAE: Well it doesn’t seem like - they have been together for ever

KRIS: Then Nico and Joe (Nicolo and Yusuf) who met during the First Crusade, so 1090s

And presumably they linked up with Andy sometime between the Crusades and the Napoleonic Wars, when we get Booker

MARCHAE: There is a lot of history here

KRIS: And there’s this stuff about how when a new immortal dies for the first time, other immortals (maybe within a certain range?) start having dreams about them

MARCHAE: and that’s how they are introduced or at least made aware that they will be meeting someone new? did I read that correctly

KRIS: Yeah

MARCHAE: HA - I misread your text LOL

I literally rephrased what you said LOL

KRIS: Andy had to figure it out the first time it happened, like the dream doesn’t spell anything out for them

MARCHAE: They are often killed or incredibly injured during their battles and they heal themselves which is how they discover ultimately that they are immortal

for a spell at least

KRIS: Oh there are some GREAT “match cuts” in this

There’s a really good one in the Nico/Joe origin story

MARCHAE: OH YEAHHHHHH

KRIS:

But that whole sequence is great

MARCHAE: I loved the twist there

KRIS: So yeah sorry for our readers my mental leap isn’t obvious, but this is preceded by a couple pages of Joe and Nico during the Crusades repeatedly killing each other

MARCHAE: I sent over a few screen shots hopefully they will come through…

The book definitely has a distinct aesthetic that’s for sure

KRIS: It’s mostly serious but lightly comic, like they just don’t question it, like okay yeah I guess I’ll just kill you again

Oh getting your screenshots now

Yes the faces (again)! You can see the modern Nico and Joe even under all the facial hair

MARCHAE: you mentioned my idea of hero

KRIS: Yes

MARCHAE: and your point “it’s mostly serious but lightly comic”

that’s the thing… saving lives/the world is a serious thing

these people have real problems that are connected usually to slightly dystopia ideas of our current world

I feel like with more mainstream comics we are in some alternate reality all together and the people are trying to be funny and trying to save the world and trying to be cool…

I feel like in Rucka’s books (and also a few other’s I read) it’s rooted in something that i can grasp and their problems are real

so in this text it’s when does my suffering end

in a book like lazarus it’s why won’t my family love me

and it’s not in this over the top let me fly all over the place and shoot missiles out of my hands kind of way

it’s serious

it’s business

KRIS: But I think tonal variation is a good thing

for the genre and the industry

Like a lot of the recent DC movies are SUPER SERIOUS on a surface level, but they’re not necessarily handling ideas in an intellectually rigorous way

MARCHAE: I absolutely agree I guess in a world I could see myself being saved by someone who is more similar to Andy than say Captain America

I think that’s the thing I like is that it is this exploration of more complex ideas in these types of comics and I feel more connected to the work

it’s more accessible

KRIS: And even though the Marvel movies are lighter, and not SUPER thematically driven, they’re relatively smart about the thematics they do include

See I think most people would say Marvel’s tone is more accessible

But I think you might mean accessible in a different way

MARCHAE: LOL hence the mega fafillion dollar industry

KRIS: Like you’re looking for something concrete to latch onto

MARCHAE: I think I agree with you there - I want a take-away

KRIS: And I think the Iron Man tone is more “here is a world that speaks the language you speak with your friends” in a generalized sense

MARCHAE: I can give you that…

the more mainstream comics make the business of saving the world seem less serious

I also am a lover of drama and heavy topics so I think there is also the attraction - these people don’t always feel like they have be “on” to me

they are trying to make it

and that I can relate to!

KRIS: I think that’s because “saving the world” isn’t REALLY what they’re about, though, to the extent that they’re about something

I think at some point, maybe with all four of us, I do want to talk more about the difficulty you have with comedy

MARCHAE: It’s like an intervention LOL

KRIS: No! Well maybe a little. But it’s so ingrained for you that I think I also just want to understand

Maybe when we eventually return to Sweet/Vicious, which I still really want to do

MARCHAE: comedy is truly a challenge for me with the exception of a few - but even those make a larger statement in my opinion!

we do need to finish S/V

KRIS: I’d also like to see you and Keely talk about comedy

ANYWAY

We should talk about Nile

MARCHAE: that might be fun - Keely and I have talked about why I like her brand of comedy best…

OK NILE

KRIS: So Nile is an American Marine

in a Female Engagement Team in Afghanistan

MARCHAE: I absolutely adore her

she’s the “youngest” immortal

KRIS: So at first I didn’t realize she didn’t know she was immortal

For some reason I assumed she had abandoned the team at some point

MARCHAE: OHHHH

KRIS: But then she becomes our (great) audience surrogate

MARCHAE: Which is why I like her - she’s new- but it’s clear she’s competent

and is legit just trying to understand “what the heck is going on here”

KRIS: Yeah, and she gets to push back a lot when Andy is like “don’t worry about it”

But never in a way that sells out either of their characters

I feel like so often the “new one” is obnoxious

or the “old one” is a tired “Asshole with a Heart of Gold” trope

MARCHAE: Agreed! it is very organic and you can believe in them… but also it establishes what the relationship can be

I also think that because we know that eventually these people run out of “changes” to live - I almost felt like we are operating on a clock

ticking clock*

it ramped up the tension for me when reading - my mind was legit going a mile a min.

KRIS: And it’s this female friendship that never really leans on “the women! they are alike and get along because they are women!” but also doesn’t completely pretend gender doesn’t matter

Oh man that freaked me out when Andy shot herself to convince Nile

I was like “WHAT IF THIS IS THE ONE, ANDY WHAT ARE YOU DOING”

MARCHAE: YESSS

Because she doesn’t know when the one will be

that’s what makes me nervous about this entire series …

KRIS: The moment when they find Booker [temporarily] dead was amazing to me

MARCHAE: like antsy and I like the characters so it’s worse LOL

KRIS: Andy’s narration is like “he’s the youngest, if he’s really dead it would be so unfair”

And we’re trained to THINK that means “unfair because he was so young”

But then there’s the reversal of “unfair to ME (Andy)”

MARCHAE: Right! But he isn’t young at all - none of them are except for Nile

it kind of plays with your mind when you put into context that one of them is 5000 years old? did I read that or am I making that up - either way it’s insane

But there is also this entertainment of how in real life we all want to live forever, Andy is ready to kick the can

KRIS: Yeah in the last issue Andy says she’s over 6000

so the others are ALL babies compared to her

MARCHAE: yet they don’t ACTUALLY live forever at all

geesh i was off by 1000 years

good googley-moogley

KRIS: haha

So we get what becomes, by a little bit, our central relationship between the oldest woman in the world and the youngest woman on the team

MARCHAE: I love that! LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!!!

KRIS: although the book really does manage to make all the relationships pretty robust

Nico and Joe are our romance, and where a lot of our humor comes from

MARCHAE: The majority of it actually… and they are some deep relationships

KRIS: Andy and Booker obviously have a lot going on because of her dependence on his tech savvy and then The Twist

MARCHAE: (but this isn’t unusual for Rucka which is why I’m #obsessed and why he was my entrance into comics)

KRIS: I loved how the running joke of Andy’s inability to learn new tech ends up becoming a totally serious, really important story detail

MARCHAE: It actually does and it runs through the entire story

it’s smart and well thought out and incredibly problematic in our current world

KRIS: Only tangentially related but I really like how well the body language is rendered in this panel:

MARCHAE: and intentional on the writers part and what I’d imagine- if I were a 6000 years old hero - a real real problem

KRIS: Here’s a better one for the “joke” aspect

MARCHAE: LOL

KRIS: If you had that panel out of context it would be totally relatable for a lot of people

MARCHAE: she is so clueless - and it’s funny

KRIS: Although maybe with relatives who don’t look as young as Andy does

MARCHAE: Oh god I know all too well!!!

It’s also funny because she’s so on top of it in every other area of the job

I want more of her backstory too - I am so curious - I’ve already downloaded the other book

KRIS: which other book?

I love her

MARCHAE: I misread - I just looked and it doesn’t exist LOL

😟 sad face

I was curious about what your thought were about the exploration of being immortal

or mostly immortal

KRIS: I mean personally I still find the idea of death terrifying, maybe because I’ve never really dealt with it yet

So I’m kind of in the “yes we should try to become immortal” camp most days

And I tend to feel that the idea that immortality would ultimately be boring or soul-crushing is kind of a self-serving one, to make us feel better about mortality

BUT

I think this is a really good exploration of it

MARCHAE: interesting!

KRIS: The speech Booker gives to Nile about why she shouldn’t contact her family is really really good

MARCHAE: and kind of sad I loved it (not because it was sad, but because it was good)

KRIS: And Andy’s ultimate epiphany -- she doesn’t want to die, she wants something to live for again -- is really simple in the best way

And it’s also really sad, and I think mostly unremarked upon, that it takes Booker betraying the team for Andy to realize that the team is what she has to live for

MARCHAE: yeah…. she’s incredibly melancholy to me and I like that she’s wanting to push again

they are her family

KRIS: And it’s great that part of how Nile pushes the change in Andy’s mindset is very specifically “millennial” -- she’s always hustled, she’s worked a bunch of jobs briefly and picked up a bunch of random skills

in a way that’s convenient to the plot but doesn’t feel TOO Convenient

MARCHAE: Exactly - I could believe and buy into each and every single character

KRIS: Everything about Nile is like, That’s So Real

MARCHAE: I wanted to be on the team by the end of it

even the emotions that Andy experiences

there is a lot of hurt …maybe that imitates from the page

A lot of it is in her inner dialogue, the panel placement and the colors

but you feel for her

and you want her to win and win hard

KRIS: So hard

It was amazing to me that they actually fit a Booker redemption arc into this

and it works because of Andy’s feelings

MARCHAE: they do! A lot rides on the protagonist here - And what I think is amazing is that she carries so much of the tone for what we experience over the story - because of her we are able to buy the rest of them

I think if we had been led by anyone else it might not have been as effective

KRIS: It’s very successful at being clearly led by one character but still having a really strong “ensemble” feel

And that first issue and a half have to do so much heavy lifting to establish the team relationships so we buy the motivations when they spend most of the rest of the story separated

MARCHAE: It really is amazing from a storytelling standpoint

I could see the movie adaptation as I was reading it

Its so well crafted

KRIS: I think this arc could actually work as a feature

MARCHAE: (have you read lazarus?)

KRIS: and not lose much detail

Not yet

MARCHAE: (KRIS!!!!!! THAT IS A FEATURE WAITING TO BE MADE)

(BUT KRIS READ IT STAT!!!)

And it would be beautiful to shoot those period scenes

KRIS: It would

(I just love the face drawing so much in this book)

MARCHAE: they are much more expressive than others - I feel like other books Ive read are more sketch like

KRIS: This sequence was VERY cinematic too

Not in a spectacle way but just in a general visual storytelling way

with the elevator door

I feel like a lot of superhero books don’t bother making faces distinctive

MARCHAE: That bugs me too - I think it’s why i started reading them three times

KRIS: It can get especially ridiculous when people don’t bother drawing Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne differently from each other

The one issue I can think of in The Old Guard is that in the first issue, it wasn’t super clear to me that Joe was a man of color

And I feel like Andy’s skin tone was also a little variable, but it’s more or less obvious that she’s supposed to be from Somewhere In the Mediterranean

MARCHAE: I didn’t entirely register that either until he said his name

I can agree with that too

I also get the impression that Nile is also likely a POC as well

KRIS: Nile for sure read to me as a black (or possibly multiracial) woman, I guess the color was just off in the first chapter

MARCHAE: it was refreshing to see a more diverse group of characters that’s for sure

KRIS: Oh shit my mistake I guess the Scythians (Andy) are of Iranian/Central Asian descent

Yes! Which was why I was so glad Joe turned out not to be white -- at first I was like “hmmm this is an oddly white book for someone as woke as Greg Rucka”

MARCHAE: OH NO WAY!! (Re Andy)

KRIS: I really should have known that from like freshman year classics courses

MARCHAE: You are much more well versed than I am in historical references and I definitely don’t have a tremendous breath of the classics

KRIS: I guess we should talk about the action

It’s almost funny that we haven’t, much

This is very much an action story

MARCHAE: There is so much action that’s for certain and I LOVE IT

KRIS: And all of the set pieces are distinct

MARCHAE: I love seeing it on the page, the pacing of it, how the panels are set up and YES the set pieces!!!!

KRIS: Which is definitely something superhero comics struggle with

Guided View is GREAT for these layouts

MARCHAE: It works beautifully and makes the work fly

KRIS: There have to be some good interviews out there with comic artists about how that’s influenced their approach in the last several years

MARCHAE: like the action legitimately in this comic soared off the page in my opinion I wanted to be in it

that’s really interesting I’ll have to take a gander

KRIS: I do have to say, I wished Andy’s axe had come back

MARCHAE: YES! She’s fierce!

theres a cover where she’s flailing that axe

She’s powerful

the look on her face

even and her posture

I LOVE THIS IMAGE

KRIS: For our readers, that variant cover is by Nicola Scott, Greg Rucka’s collaborator on Wonder Woman: Year One

Yeah even though I’ll tag this as a spoiler post I won’t include the axe sequence, everyone should have to go read the book to see it

It’s short but awesome

MARCHAE: Its so unapologetic and that makes me happy as a woman!

(re the axe photo)

but to talk about action

I really liked this and how it looked!

KRIS: so good

The other standout for me was the Crusade battle -- the use of silhouettes in the night scene

MARCHAE: it reminded me of the old school batman TV show but also has this frantic feel to it like if you are in the room - the images move almost

KRIS: And the use of the BANGs in the background instead of within most of the panels is really interesting

MARCHAE: OHHHHH that’s a great one too

KRIS: literal background noise

MARCHAE: it reminds me of sound

AHHHH YESSSS!!!!

visual cacaphony

which i suppose is a bizarre pairing of words but the best i could come up with

KRIS: It conveys the chaos but also leaves the actual action layouts clear

MARCHAE: nothing is left to confuse the reader - which when I was a newer reader of comics was always confusing

KRIS: Oh here’s that great banter scene:

MARCHAE: these comics are new user friendly

KRIS: Definitely an advantage of indie books

MARCHAE: I like that one - laughed a few time reading this book like legit noise came out which doesn’t happen terribly often

KRIS: I mean I get it, if you’re writing Big Two characters, you want to reference the stuff you grew up with, it can’t be an easy balance to make it accessible to new readers and rich for longtime readers, but still, you can’t blame people for having trouble getting into most recent Marvel or DC stuff

Yeah I guess a way to describe how humor works best for you is that in a scene like this it’s like, cathartic?

Or it’s a release valve

You like it as punctuation, not as the baseline

MARCHAE: I can read it now but I tried starting with Hellboy and was like ABSOLUTELY NOT!

KRIS: Oh that’s interesting because isn’t Hellboy indie? Was it that you jumped into a late story arc?

MARCHAE: I am not sure… if it is… All i know is that it was a challenged to follow on the page

I think I started at the beginning?

Also YES! in regards to humor!!! It’s kind of like a sigh 😊

KRIS: I only know the movies but I’d believe it’s just a weird-ass book as a first comic

MARCHAE: I do not love humor as a baseline - ever generally

LOLOl

it was not a good first jaunt I didn’t finish it and sold it back and the comic book store owner was like what do you like - we chatted and he handled me Lazarus

and I’ve been hooked on the comics since and they all have the same tone save one that I like called Alex and Ada

We’ve digressed again

KRIS: yep

I’m just grabbing a link for Alex and Ada to put into the post [see above]

MARCHAE: yeah its drastically different in tone from what I generally read - but the characters and story were pretty good!

Also an Image comic if I’m not mistaking

KRIS: Yes

MARCHAE: Yup!

KRIS: (For readers: Image is a publishing house like DC and Marvel, but all of its books are creator-owned and independent of each other, rather than company-owned characters in a shared universe)

MARCHAE: Correct! The ones I’ve read seem incredibly character driven to me and tend to be more focused on themes and ideas

What else are we missing - I feel like we’ve covered so much with this one trade!

KRIS: I was just gonna ask you that

We haven’t really talked about the villain but I think that’s okay

Don’t want to spoil everything

We really want you to read it yourselves, everyone!

MARCHAE: I really hope people read this one!

Along with the others we’ve recommended!

KRIS: It’s very accessible if you’re new to comics, the art is clean and you won’t have trouble following it, and Greg Rucka is arguably one of the most acclaimed writers in comics right now so I promise it’s not a risky buy

although MM did you get it from the library, you said?

MARCHAE: I did using the Hoopla App but I will probably eventually buy it for my collection (I do have a comic collection and I keep them in plastic!)

KRIS: Should we talk about the ending? I can add another FOR REAL MAJOR SPOILERS warning around here

[the VERY END is briefly discussed below]

MARCHAE: Can i just say I was absolutely sad when it ended

I was mad indeed

but yes let’s

KRIS: I really liked it

MARCHAE: I think I just wanted the book to keep going LOL

KRIS: Oh for sure

But there’s just a lot of great storytelling in those few pages

Even just that first page in Malta

MARCHAE: And it really is a hero saves the day type deal and shows Nile and Andy working collaboratively

again the art is beautiful (I just sent another image let me know if you get it)

KRIS: Just got it

Yeah it’s such a hero shot

MARCHAE: The entire team really comes together!

KRIS: And the use of light is great

MARCHAE: (sent over another one)

KRIS: Yeah I don’t think I’ll include that in the post for spoilers’ sake but it’s a great page

I think the “zoom out” makes it

MARCHAE: but even the quote at the end is amazing: “ Soldiers live and wonder why”

and it perfectly encapsulates what this story is about thematically

why do they - survivors guilt

the desire to move forward and be better

the desire to end something peacefully and in your own time

KRIS: Glen Cook is a fantasy author you might like -- maybe check out The Black Company

MARCHAE: but you do want this story to keep going and be with these characters for much longer than the trade allows

I WILL!!!

KRIS: Someone’s adapting that series for TV, I forget who but I think for one of the premium cable channels

More great body language:

MARCHAE: http://deadline.com/2017/04/eliza-dushku-star-the-black-company-series-adaptation-david-goyer-im-global-1202076367/

There are so many interpersonal nuances in this book it was fun to look at

KRIS: I like that Nico is very clearly ignoring Joe here -- no word balloons, but it’s obvious that this is heated

and classic Andy not wanting to deal

MARCHAE: he’s turned away from him entirely

KRIS: (I love that I can say “classic Andy” after just five issues)

MARCHAE: LOLOLOL

she’s so unimpressed by the entire situation

probably mentally sighing

KRIS: So what do you think of the punishment?

MARCHAE: its kind of devastating I think for Booker - It also makes me curious about what time feels like for these people

KRIS: Yeah

MARCHAE: What does 100 years feel like when you’ve lived a fafillion years already

KRIS: They have no friends besides each other

You don’t even really get the sense that Booker sleeps around the way Andy does because the team is a liiiiittle bit judgey about it in #1

MARCHAE: LOL they kind of are!

and it would just be complicated - we see that with Andy and her relationship

it reminds me of the first book of a series i like called the discovery of witches

just that idea of engaging in a relationship with someone who is mortal you’re constantly reminded that you are too much - and that the person you are with will never be enough for you because they will perish

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8667848-a-discovery-of-witches

(the text is now being turned into a major television show)

KRIS: I really love that the last two pages have no dialogue

It’s not a long epilogue at all but it also doesn’t feel too abrupt because those last two pages are a really well done kind of fade-out

MARCHAE: it’s incredibly effective - just as much as the opening which had very little dialogue

KRIS: I mean, just to really drive this home for everyone, not that I think anyone missed this, but THE LAST LINE OF THE BOOK IS “you’re alone”

And it’s so simple, it’s not a Dramatic! scene at all, it’s so understated, and that’s why it lands so hard

Andy’s not a Dramatic! person

MARCHAE: and you absolutely know she means it and is not in any way playing with this man

KRIS: ANDY DOES NOT PLAY

MARCHAE: Almost like I’ve worked to hard to get us here - I’m disappointed and i hate to do this but it has to be done

KRIS: It’s so good

This will probably not be our last comic Reaction. Marchae really hopes you read not just this but other Rucka work. In the meantime, follow us on Twitter!

#The Old Guard #Greg Rucka #Leandro Fernandez #Opening Fire #Andromache of Scythia #reaction #comics #Image Comics #Kris #Marchae #Literally Strong Female Characters

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