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writtenbyvenus · 4 years ago

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What We Do In The Shadows

( Warning, this is in RP format, but has been edited and proof read for grammar/flow. A change between writers with both characters is symbolized by italics. )

Chapter 2: Entering The Wolf’s Den

Werewolves and vampires: two species that are mortal enemies. But in a small town in Upstate New York, they seemed to find a way to co-exist by staying out of each other's way and minding one's business. However, the dynamics of the local pack of werewolves and coven of vampires would change when a certain pair got too close for comfort. Alfred is an over seventy-year old werewolf posing as local law enforcement, while Ivan is a centuries old vampire working at a blood bank. Both try to get through the struggles of being immortal creatures, who find themselves in a cultural and family struggle when they fall for each other. Between an anti-vampire pack leader, suspicious in-laws, and a death that could nearly tear two families apart, the pair questions if a relationship is a reality, or if they have too much baggage they carry.

Alfred could tell he offended his baby bat. From his body language to ‘Don’t wait up’, his vampire was not pleased with being forced alone and having to wait. It seemed that the vampire had a lot of pride, they were prideful creatures after all. Being told by the wolf ‘Hang by yourself then’ must have hurt his ego, as he reached out to hang out with Ivan in the first place. Smelling the man’s disdain, once he got back into his room, he hoped that Ivan would knock on his door again. But when he didn’t he did pout. Perhaps he was too harsh on his crush. Rethinking his actions, he did wish Ivan would have knocked on his door. He would welcome the man in and enjoyed some light cuddling while he watched dragons breath fire on people. However, it seemed to be that the man was too offended by the idea. Watching the show, he got bored as he wished Ivan was next to him. Thinking for a moment, he came up with an idea to tempt Ivan into his apartment. Standing up, he didn’t bother to pause the show as he went into his room. Grabbing his pencil and sketch pad, he decided to let Ivan see his secret hobby: drawing. His love of anime and cartoons inspired him to take up drawing as a hobby. But he was very embarrassed about it, and would rarely show people his artwork. Even if it was great and matched up well with popular artists on social media, his own anxiety made it a hidden talent. He’d let very few people see his drawings, for him it was about the fun of it. He didn’t need validation for it, it was his hobby. He’d color, sketch, and draw, just for himself. Sitting back on the sofa, he decided to use a more cutesy-anime style. Drawing him and Ivan, he gave Ivan little bunny ears, and wolf ears on himself. Nicknames like ‘bunny’ and ‘ kitten’ were ones he saved for people he found cute.

It was ironic since it was the prey of wolves. He did want to eat up a cute bunny or kitten, but more in a playful manner. Ivan’s foreign accent made him think of a hot blonde he’d see at a ski resort. With the cutesy image of him and the bunny, he made sure to draw him smirking and showing off his canine teeth. Ivan didn’t look scared in the art, only giving the cocky smirk he usually gave Ivan. It was only their heads and torsos, and on the top, he wrote ‘After your sister’s leave, wanna get something to eat?’. It was Alfred’s peace offering. Getting up, he walked to Ivan’s apartment door. Instead of knocking, he simply slipped the art under his door. Ivan would come across it once he was around the area. He didn’t want to disturb the blood-sucking bunny current if he truly had plans. Going back to his room, he continued on his Game of Thrones binge, praying that the vampire would come by later. In terms of a ‘meal’, it could be anything the man wanted. They could go hunting together, Ivan finding some unsuspecting human, and Alfred a lonely deer. Or, more orthodox, actually somewhere to snack. Or just stay in his house and cook something homemade. Whatever the man had a thirst for, blood or food.

Over in his own apartment, Ivan put a sponge to his red-stained mugs, putting his strength into getting the crusted blood left to the bottom. When he turned his heel to load his dishwasher something white caught his eye. He set his dishes in the rack before scanning the floor before his door. Stepping away from the sink, he approached the mysterious note and turned his head to look down upon it. Recognizing the resemblance of his face, his cheeks flushed with red. He bent down and snatched up the paper into his hands. His heart nearly lurched from his chest and onto the freshly spotless floor. He'd have to deal with the recycled blood burning his face for a few more minutes before getting over the gesture. The strange conversation and insight earlier blended oddly with the feeling he had now. Mostly charmed, but slightly uneasy. He found it bold, not unwelcomed, but surprising from Alfred. His finger traced over the leaded indentations as he took a seat at his breakfast nook. It was beyond flattering, a style he hasn't seen before, but charming. He thought of it slightly egotistical to be set next to the man who drew it, but grateful for it. It made it easier on his eyes. Bunny ears. That was a new one for him. Bat wings were a popular addition for scriptures and etchings. He wasn't used to seeing some draw him in a kindly way. Most depictions of him resonated with evil tellings and horrifying accounts of his figure hunched over a decaying body. Town folk never were pleased when he would make an appearance in their streets. It's why moving was a must for him, he needed supplies like everyone else. Curiosity struck him as he wondered how much moving Alfred must have been up to. Being ageless caused too much suspicion. 'My, Avgustin, you don't look a day over twenty-five' were the last words he heard before leaving his old home behind. Sometimes he wishes to grow old.

The little question scribbled down beside the art was one he had to consider thoroughly. One that made his heart stop. He rattled his fingers across the surface of the table and reread the words. 'your sisters' it didn't make any sense to him, he swore up and down that he didn't whisper a word of his relations. Sighing and sliding the paper away from him, he sat quietly to calm his nerves and lay his head down on the table. He did plan on inviting his sisters over and that included sharing his haul of blood, but now all he wanted to do was head next door and talk to Alfred. The warmth clung to him like it usually did, an unbearable heat holding to his face. It would only embarrass him further to give in so easily. He pressed his face into the cool wood and closed his eyes for a moment before leaving it behind. Nothing would give him closure, he wanted to be next to Alfred and that would be the only way to get the werewolf out of his thoughts. Groaning, he began finishing up the rest of his dishes. After flicking on his dishwasher, he took the art and walked it back to his room. He was trying to wait out the lingering warmth to his face and most of it faded, but not all of it would give him that peace. Before he finally left his apartment, he messaged his sibling group that he wouldn't be home. There wasn't much his poor sisters could do if something were to go wrong, but he just didn't want them asking him to death about where he went. Hesitantly, he knocked on Alfred's door and waited. His heart didn't stop racing, he didn't find himself nervous around werewolves very often, but Alfred had that effect on him.

It was good for Alfred’s ego that he wasn’t there to witness Ivan’s reaction to the note. Seeing blushing, flattered Ivan would cause the wolf to grin, and show off his canines in the glory of knowing he charmed the vampire. It would be in Ivan’s best interest to let Alfred enjoy it if he enjoyed the ‘bunny’ persona, as Alfred would happily go with it. A cute nickname for a cute boy, not to mention, Alfred understood the niceness of not being referred to something scary. Alfred was like Ivan in that way, no one knew better than him what it was like to be personified into a godless beast, with nothing charming and cute about it. Being compared to something as harmless and pretty as a bunny was probably emotionally soothing, which was part of the reason Alfred did it. A bunny is adorable, warm, and cozy, the last thing that goes to someone’s head is fear over the animal. Ivan could be Alfred’s harmless, sweet bunny if he wanted too. Even if Alfred drew himself to be a wolf, he was still a childlike puppy in many ways, even with the slight bloodlust that he had. Minus that, he was a silly, carefree man. But the transformation did take some part of his personality and make it more intense. Alfred was lost in his marathon when he could smell Ivan walking down the hallway.

Sniffing the air, a smile popped out when he could smell the nervousness on him. Has the note made him nervous? He wasn’t sure if it was ’I’m nervous about how excited I am to see him...’ or ’I’m just scared of him’ anxiety, he couldn’t smell that. Only that the man was dealing with some emotions due to the note. He wondered if the part about his sister’s had made Ivan worried. In all honesty, it was just a bold guess on who was coming over. Alfred was aware that Ivan had siblings or at least relatives, he could smell other vampires around, and two females had a similar scent to him. He concluded that someone was either related to him, and a female. Sister’s were the most logical answer, but cousins, aunts, and other distant relatives were all possible. Alfred’s lucky guess had helped his case. Standing up, he walked to the door, offering Ivan a gentle smile as he raised a brow. “Did your plans cancel? That sucks. But, you’re welcome to come in, babe. I got a spot on the sofa for you.” He stepped back to let Ivan inside his house, the first time he’s ever done that. Inviting a vampire into your home? The biggest no-no in the world, but here was Alfred not caring, per usual. He was going to bring up how they’d dined tonight, either traditional or unorthodox, but he’d give Ivan a moment to settle in before speaking of murder and hunting. He was a gentleman after all! Sitting down on the couch, he leaned back and patted the seat next to him.

Being a man who admired his dignity more than his enjoyment, Ivan had already become irritated with his own decision. He was visiting a friend, he didn't understand why he had to make it stand out so much for himself. There wasn't any loss to giving in to spend time with someone you enjoy, but he couldn't help but consider how overly friendly the drawing was. Trying not to overthink it, he mimicked the grooves he felt and pressed them into the palm of his hand. He adored the small act, but it was overshadowed by the fact that Alfred was a suitable match against him. The fact that he actually found himself pining after the chummy little wolfman was alarming at times. He was risking many aspects of his life by even accepting the invitation to come over. If he ever got closer to Alfred, it wouldn't be logical. With the outgoing personality Alfred shined out constantly, he was sure that he couldn't be a lone wolf. There were others. He smelt them when he walked down the street or by chance in the meat section of the corner store. Werewolves, vampires, they all hid in plain sight, but it wasn't right for him to assume that all of their kind knew each other. Much like dogs though, he knew that werewolves must greet each other. Alfred had to have at least, he guaranteed himself that. It confused him to be welcomed in with that case, it scared him almost. He didn't understand why Alfred trusted him so much when he knew what he was. Unfortunately, a vampire's sense of smell isn't as powerful as a dog's thus he wasn't able to detect other bodies in the apartment. His nose was just used to Alfred passing by and in his baskets of clothes.

He wrote off the name babe quickly, trying to blame it on habit. "My plans didn't cancel. You were just acting particularly lonely so I thought I would give in and offer you some company." Teasing, he calmed down significantly at the sight of Alfred smiling patiently. Elated by the idea of finally setting foot into Alfred's humble abode with the help of some keywords, he beamed and eased his head through the doorway. He's never seen beyond the door so it was a new experience for him. It wasn't much different than his habitat, the layout was a given, but he didn't catch any deers hanging from the ceiling so it was a bonus. Ivan liked to keep his living area tidy along with his kitchen, but once someone hits his room, that's when everything starts falling apart. Never does he bother to make his bed or take out his clothes from the basket to hang them up. His nightstand, though barely a foot wide, somehow holds a lamp, three different alarm clocks, and always a few dirty dishes. A part of him wanted to head through Alfred's apartment and check out his bedroom. "When were you going to tell me that you knew how to draw?" He paced over to the sofa and took a seat away from Alfred, a cushion between the two of them so he had some space.

Alfred was pleased to have Ivan enter his house. The bunny entering the wolves den, almost. Stretching out his legs, he rested one of his arms on the headrest, eyes lingering to his shows. Ivan's excuse was cute, he didn’t even cover up with a lie about them canceling. He canceled on them for him. What about that, it added to Alfred’s ego. His eyes were careful not to linger too long, but every few moments, they’d turn to Ivan’s body as he found a quick way to verbally eat him up. “Well, thanks for giving the company. And I don’t really like talking about it since I get shy... It’s kind of a personal thing. I just draw things for myself, and no one else.” It truly was a personal hobby, but he would draw more for Ivan again if it made the man come around often. It worked the first time, so why not again? He wouldn’t mind after all. He smirked when someone was murdered on the screen. Alfred’s house proved to be on average with a clean to messy ratio. He wasn’t the cleanest guy, but he wasn’t the stereotypical dirty, living off of paper plates type of dude either. He knew how to mop, take out the trash, and vacuum, but sometimes would get lazy with dishes and let it pile up.

His habit of being sexually open also gave him a reason to keep his apartment good looking. Showing a cute boy or girl a disgusting, dirty apartment would be embarrassing. His room was surprisingly not that bad, his only problem with being lazy and letting clean clothes stay in a pile and not putting them away. He’d also never make his bed, but he’d always throw away garbage in fear of getting ants in his room. He was proud of a fox fur blanket that he had, he’d love to show Ivan. It was during a couple of days in wolf form, he hunted down several silver foxes. They are known for being used heavily in the fur trade, and lucky enough, he was able to find some living in the wild nearby. It took a few days of stalking, but he was able to hunt down enough for the blanket. Another older werewolf knew how to skin fur and make coats and blankets, and helped him with the process. It was special to him, proving his strength and hunting skills. It was also soft and luxurious; usually, he had to lie to people and say it was a gift or passed down in his family. There wasn’t much pride in saying someone gave it to him. But with Ivan, he could open up and tell how he got something worth thousands of dollars in his hands; he worked for it. The warm fur was perfect during cold winter nights in upstate New York. “I’m so lucky to have a nice friend like you. I owe you a warm meal after this...” He teased, patting Ivan’s leg before putting it back in his own lap, eyeing the TV.

"You being shy? That's a first. With the way you draw, I thought you would boast about it." Ivan was trying to compliment his host, something small, but not enough to curse himself with. In both ways, Alfred's ego was something he had to handle with caution. Cheer on the man too much and he'll be putting up with cocky smirks up until the time he had to leave. Say something a little too cruel and the bubbly wolf will turn into a babbling mess. Simply acknowledging that fact to Alfred would tear him up one way or another, Ivan knew it and planned to keep things nice and light. "You somehow captured your narcissism on a single piece of paper, it's really impressive." He made sure to sound disingenuous, eyes taking note of Alfred's position. As time went on, the show became less interesting to him. Any shock value or plot development was drowned out by the way the werewolf's face lit up. The small dust of color that humans held in their cheeks was pumping across Alfred's face. He could feel the warmth radiating off the other body. If he buried his face into Alfred's shoulder, he could get a little taste. He didn't plan on chomping down hard, just a small nip. All he needed was a drop of blood to satisfy his burning curiosity. Alfred was too smart, the vampire knew that he'd be shoved away if he even kissed his neck.

There was pride in tackling down a difficult opponent, he understood that. He had grown immune to feeling too miserable about killing some creature or human off. Animals weren't inherently evil, but humans could be. He's witnessed hundreds and hundreds of years of solid proof of how villainous a single human can be. It gave him some peace to think that he was killing off someone who deserved it, but the consequences of his actions stabbed into his thoughts when a moment was too quiet. They were all just people like him and his sisters, but he couldn't help the survival of the fittest. It was inevitable that he would kill again, he knew that his blood bank job wouldn't last forever. Eventually, he'd have to relocate again, find new prey and discover more immortals. Alfred, for now, was a dash in his timeline, but he hoped to extend it. He wanted to stay a little longer and enjoy his time with the werewolf. The thought of dining outweighed heavily on his mind, but one he was certain that what he was nearly drooling over wasn't what Alfred was implying. He could lurch over and sink his fangs into the nape of his dear friend's neck and sample the blood. "I'm lucky to have a good friend like you too... and, as friends, I'm sure you don't mind me asking how old are you- how old you really are." Returning the physical contact, he reached over and pinched at Alfred's cheek. It slightly broke his heart to be called a friend, but it was what they were and he'd rather be on Alfred's good side than be against him.

“I’m glad you like my art.” He commented, rolling his eyes as he slightly blushed from the words. He was embarrassed by the skill but loved it still. He had plans of doodling Ivan later if he had the time. Perhaps even slipping it under his door again. But it was the best of Ivan’s interest to not kiss or go near Alfred’s neck. While he did adore the vampire; he wasn’t born yesterday. Far from it, and it would win a physical push or any other action that showed dominance. The wolf inside him was an Alpha, no doubt. There would be no neck biting, kisses, or smooches unless Ivan wanted a bite back in his neck. But Alfred did accept the pinch, finding it cute that the man was finally getting to the point. After all the time they’ve been neighbors, now he wants to know some real information? He’d play, as long as Ivan played back. “My age? Well, I like to tell people I’m twenty-three. Most people buy it. I was really born in 1941 though, so I guess I look young for my age! Ha! What about you?” He turned, his eyes smiling along with his lips. Raising a brow, he looked at Ivan up and down, checking out the man. He picked up details from his encounters with Ivan and compared to it how other vampires acted. “What are you? Four? Five? Six hundred? Oh wait- Are you post or pre Catherine The Great?” He teased, knowing basic Russian history. His adulthood was during the height of the Cold War, so he knew a lot about Russia.

He was about to make a joke about if Ivan was post or pre ‘Commie-Russia’, but he didn’t want the man huffing and puffing out of his house. Ivan appeared to be the type that might be highly offended by a stereotypical ‘commie’ joke, so he wasn’t going to play his cards. He had the bunny in his den, no need to ruin it. Taking a chance, he decided to lay his head on Ivan’s outer leg. Adjusting his body, he laid on his sides as his eyes stayed on the screen, but his head was resting on top of Ivan’s thigh. He wanted a way to feel Ivan without touching her per se. His messy, blond hair was screaming to be touched, Alfred’s cheek pressing against his leg. He tried to act relaxed as if it wasn’t a big deal. “Man, sometimes I feel old but I bet you feel ancient when anyone speaks to you, huh?” He joked, appearing not to be startled by the conversation. He wondered, was Ivan’s skin soft? Could he blush? Was his fat soft? If he squeezed him, would it feel like a stone? Or skin? He never got close enough to a vampire to touch them intimately, the only times he’s had his physical contact with vampires was in wolf form, killing them in his bite. Not a great comparison to what he wanted to do to Ivan.

Ivan was thrilled to receive a blush, it always warmed his ever slow and cold heart. It made the involuntary expression even more rewarding when regarding that Alfred was a perilous creature just as he was. He felt a bit guilty for not having anything ready to give back when he came over. Drawing wasn't much of a passion for him, he was more into crafts. He could knit something for Alfred, but he wasn't sure if that would be too bold. With how high strung he wound himself up to be, he figured that the werewolf didn't fall far from the feeling around him. Anything made to comfort was suspicious as if to butter the other up. He had to be careful not to cross any lines and set alarms off in Alfred's head. Even if he wanted to drag the relationship further along and at least get to hug on Alfred without being awkward or stepping over bounds, he knew he had to be slow. It was a precaution for himself and Alfred. Hearing the werewolf's real age was a good step, not too big but not too small of a step. "Ah, so you're... in your seventies? My, I guess you really have aged well. Twenty-three does fit you more than an old man who's lived through a world war." It was better to congratulate Alfred than to compare himself to him. To be given a seemingly honest answer was a bit of a surprise to him in the first place. There were a dozen more questions he wanted to ask about the American. He's never found a werewolf civil enough to sit down and talk to; he wanted to know everything about the culture and the process. He wasn't clear on whether or not Alfred was joking or not, grimacing either way. "Do I really come off as that young? Young enough to be post Catherine the Great... That's nice to know." The home he knew wasn't quite developed enough to secure the capital and allow a ruler. "I was there before they even had tsars."

He held his tongue when Alfred cozied up onto his leg, a faint smile to his lips as his hand twitched. "I prefer the term antique... even if being born in 1174 does make me more of a relic." Propping his head upon the armrest, he inched his fingers along his thigh towards Alfred's head. He could abuse the trust, grab the werewolf, and snap his mouth around his waiting neck, but he had better control over his intrusive ideas. "How do people become... werewolves? Is it by a bite from a werewolf or maybe something more ritualistic? I assume they don't consent to it, right?" Asking along, he slowly combed his fingers through Alfred's hair. Later on, he'd have to scrub himself down to get rid of the scent before his family meets him pinching their nose. "Or should I not ask that? It might be too personal." His smile calmed as he teased the other by scratching at the area behind his ear. "I'm sure you don't mind though."

He was happy to feel Ivan’s fingers play with his neck and hair. Ivan not rejecting his touches, but accepting them was all he wanted. Yawning, he closed his eyes as he let his body relax around the man. He was even getting used to the smell, the overly sweetness not bothering him much anymore. “Wow... You are antique... I feel young compared to you, and I can remember Vietnam, Korea, the Middle East, and the Cold War.” Fighting for freedom and America was close to his heart. “My father fought in world war 2, and I entered Vietnam.” Coming back from service due to some injuries was how it happened; one day, camping with his comrades celebrating a return from service, they were attacked by a wolf. Alfred was the only one who survived, getting a deep cut on his chest. He put a silver bullet in the chest of the wolf, making it pay for taking his friend’s lives, but in the end, it’s curse never stopped. “You get bit or scratch. I got scratched, really hard. Most people die when they get bit or scratched, but I survived. I killed the wolf who attacked me and my friends. One silver bullet. That’s all it took...” Alfred whispered, his leg twitching when his ear was scratched. “How did you become a vampire...? It’s your turn to tell....” He asked, wanting to know every detail. “Did it hurt?” He asked, wondering if the transformation caused pain. It did for Alfred, becoming human to a werewolf the first time. The pain he wished he could forget. He turned his head up, looking up at Ivan with big eyes. Curious eyes that wanted the truth, not games. He pushed his body up, so more of his back and head was laying across Ivan’s lap, not just his thigh. Like a true puppy, he wanted to take all the attention and show his dominance. Laying on Ivan, and getting a pet was truly dog-like at this point. But the man could be more of a puppy than a wolf, he just had to be in the right mood. A great, calm, playful mood.

There was no heat coming off Ivan’s body, the only source of warmth was Alfred. He couldn’t feel any heat over his clothes, he guessed if it put his hands on bare skin, Ivan would be chilly. He wondered if vampires feel hard or still have a softness to them. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m just curious. Vampires, are you guys stone? Or is your fat soft? Do you guys blush?” He asked, attempting to seem innocent. Blinking a few times, his innocent expression turned into a cocky grin. “If I grabbed your ass, would you move in my hand and turn red? Or? Would it be like grabbing a rock?” He asked, knowing he’d get an eye roll from Ivan, but he didn’t care. He needed to know the answers to his weird questions. His brain wondered a lot of things about Ivan and vampires overall. While he assumed that Ivan wouldn’t let him touch him with a ten-foot pole, he still is curious if the occasional thought is accurate.

"I guess you really earned your dog tags that day." Ivan offered lightly, laughing quietly at the puppy-like mannerisms of a grown man visible unwinding over his lap. Turning into a werewolf sounded just as much of a travesty as being a vampire to him. He didn't have to imagine what waking up in a new body was like, but he didn't think that he could ever really fully understand what Alfred went through either. How he earned his status as a vampire was a shorter story, but he'd spare Alfred the details. There wasn't much special about the day when he first laid eyes on the tall lanky figure barrelling toward him, but the pain was still distinct and stabbing. If he hadn't been at death's doorstep that day, he would have put up a better fight, but being at his age back then was a time for letting the earth take you. His body was preserved in the age he died and awakened. His eldest sister landed at twenty-nine and his youngest encased himself with health by being eternally twenty. They could age at will, but never make themselves younger. In that aspect, he considers himself lucky, but being a vampire wasn't his fondest thing. The moment was still fresh on his mind, how vulnerable he was, and how he let the same fate happen to his sisters. It was embarrassing to retell his inevitable cowardice. Since then, he's become more agile and stronger, but that was mostly due to his transformation. "There's a serum that comes out only from certain fangs, but you can feel it course all over your body when they stab into your neck... It hurts about as much as someone sticking two needles into you- you don't like those, do you? That's fine." He continued to tease Alfred over the blunt lie, refusing to call him out on it. It was hard for him to give that up. "I couldn't turn you into a vampire though, I'd only end up sucking your blood because I don't have the stuff to inject you with."

The science behind being a vampire wasn't widely available, but he tried to pass on the information he learned over the years as best he could. "The original vampires are the only ones who carry the serum to turn others into vampires... I'm not sure how they came about- no one does, but them." He separated and wiggled his fingers through more sections of Alfred's hair as he explained, grinning at the way his leg jerked like a dog. It was precious to his heart. "Every millennium or so, they show their face from their tomb and bite a few more unsuspecting victims. That's what I and my sisters have gathered from different vampires at least." The facts were hazy and never written down in fear of discovery. His thoughts trailed off as he enjoyed the heat coming off Alfred when he stretched across his lap. The inquiry seemed wholesome enough at first and he didn't mind answering it until Alfred had to make it dirty. "Oh, I don't know. If I slapped you in the face, would it be soft? Would you be blushing?" He snapped sarcastically, squishing Alfred's cheeks together in turn. "We're not gargoyles! Our skin is just the same as human flesh... So, yes... I guess if you were to grab my ass, it would turn red and move, but I'm not about to give you an example." Patting his face before returning to play with his hair, Ivan furrowed his brows. He grew up in a different time, getting those sorts of comments wasn't something he was used to. "Why are you curious about that sort of thing anyway? What makes you think I'll answer any questions after that?" Frustrated, he went back to scratching behind Alfred's ear to calm himself and the warmth sprouting over him. "Make it up to me by telling me how the moon affects you.

Alfred was shocked to learn the truth about vampires. He was told that all vampires had venom that had the potential to kill. Finding out that only a few did make him relieved, vampires aren’t as dangerous as he was told before. Seeing that even other vampires were unsure how they got the venom explained why his own kind was misinformed. Not to mention, vampires never made it clear about that little fact, nor would Alfred see why they would. Most vampires would rather seem scary and dangerous, having a poison inside them looming over someone’s head. “So? If you bite someone, you don’t have any venom? You’d inject nothing? That’s crazy, everyone thinks all vampires have something in their teeth.” This didn’t mean vampires were harmless, he knew that the creatures had superhuman strength and skill just like him. If a vampire wanted a werewolf dead, it was completely possible. Alfred was biased, and always thought he had the upper hand against vampires. In his personal, werewolf opinion, they were faster and stronger than vampires. But it came to pride than anything else, Alfred would never let his kind down. Even if he thought being a werewolf was more of a curse at times, he would show honor and stand up for himself and his other pack members. They weren’t human anymore, but they were still living beings. “Werewolves, we are different I guess. In wolf form, I think our saliva and body fluids when entering someone else’s skin, can turn them. I think of it as an illness... You get exposed, you’re one of us. With bites, it’s easy to see why it gets into someone’s bloodstream. I’m less sure about scratches though, how it turns us into werewolves. I’m gonna guess there’s just something in our claws that carries the virus.”

Alfred was no scientist, and there wasn’t exactly anyone out there experimenting and explaining the biology of werewolves. He couldn’t hold back his laugh when Ivan pinched his cheeks and got annoyed with his question. He deserved all the cheek squishes! “I just wanted to make sure my wet dreams were scientifically actual, that’s all.” He teased, closing his eyes when Ivan scratched the back of his ear. “Mm....” He lightly groaned, his leg twitching slightly. “Ugh. I hate full moons, man. It doesn’t make us mindless or crazy; we just are forced into wolf form as long as the moon is out. So usually, we have to stay outside. It isn’t too bad in the summer and spring, but when it’s cold out it's kind of annoying to have to find shelter. Nowadays, I go over to my friend Allen’s house during full moons. He has basically a farm and tons of areas that we can just... chill and wait out the full moon. It’s why I left the city, it’s one thing to find somewhere to hide during the countryside, another thing we’re everyone’s running around.” Alfred viewed it as more of an inconvenience if anything. Having to plan his life around one night was annoying! Making sure he had no work, no one visiting, no one expecting him, and if anyone needed to contact him, he was M.I.A for about twelve hours. Alfred got over being horrified about his werewolf status, so more just bothered. “It’s just irritating to have to plan around full moons. But it’s just one day of the month a least....” He took a deep breath, deciding to ask Ivan a question. “Vampires, do you guys like....? Do you guys have a preference when it comes to blood? Like, do certain races taste different? Or is there a difference between boys and girls?”

"I may not be able to turn you, but I can still drain every ounce of blood out of you and leave you as a husk." He didn't like being underestimated. While he found Alfred semi charming, it was made clear to him that the werewolf was still a threat. It was only right for him to assure that he was the same, someone who shouldn't be tampered with. He didn't plan on devouring the sweet neighbor, but he's considered it. The man might just be naive enough to feel safe around a vampire. He didn't even feel comfortable around a vampire he barely knew. It came down to territory between him and a member of his kind. If there were too many vampires in the area, then suspicion rises. Too many bodies are dropping and someone isn't getting enough to drink. He's never personally killed a vampire, but he fought a great few years ago. Times have changed, most vampires have mellowed out and found alternatives to slaughtering a cognitive being. While Ivan has cooked up some solutions to give him the nutrients he needs in a blood-soaked diet, he finds the rich frothy taste of real blood to be too tantalizing. It's been a few months since he's actually stalked and killed someone; he's proud of himself for it. If his tracks are uncovered at the blood bank, he may have to come back to that lifestyle. Living life as a murderer was less glamorous than living life as a hunter. Hearing Alfred say that he could only turn people when in wolf form was a relief. He thought that at least he wasn't stumbling around accidentally making people immortal. "So you can only turn people into werewolves when you're a wolf?... I've never heard about the claws part, that's new to me." It wasn't known to him whether or not he would become a werewolf too if he was bitten, but it was most definitely a concern to him now. A werepire? A vampwolf? Whatever it was, it was conjured up disturbingly in his head. He'd keep his distance from now on if that was the case.

Rolling his eyes at the wet dreams comment, he stopped rubbing his hands through Alfred's hair. "Are all werewolves this dense and vulgar? Or is it just you?" He'd roll the big puppy off his lap if he wasn't going to end up on the floor. Angering a werewolf was something he found surprisingly easy so he kept calm and tried not to seem too upset with Alfred. He liked the company; he didn't want to lose it. "Only during full moons? So you're essentially powerless up until then." Werewolves weren't too strong if they couldn't change at will. He felt significantly less threatened by Alfred's habit of showing his teeth. It was more of a parlor trick to him now, a small way to tease him. He thought of himself as lucky to have his powers with him all the time. It meant that he could tease and frighten Alfred all he wanted until the full moon popped out. He smiled to himself, gently rubbing a thumb to the American's open neck. "We do have preferences actually. The flavor really only varies with the blood type. My least favorite type is B-negative... it's a little bitter. Ah, but my favorite blood type of all has to be O-positive... thankfully, the most common." Shutting his eyes, he leaned back onto the headrest. It was always funny to him when someone walked into the clinic asking for a blood test to be done on them when he could just tell them then and there what they were. To remain undetected, he had to take a blood sample and let the customer wait out the process. He's seen a handful of mythical beasts walk through the blood bank doors while undercover, but those were the only creatures he couldn't seem to smell around. "Usually I can sniff out someone's blood type as they stand- but I can't detect your type on you. Your... werewolf musk has been blocking me." Furrowing his brows with sorrow, he twirled a piece of Alfred's hair between his fingers. "It's made me nothing but curious to find out yours- mere curiosity, trust me. I don't bite."

Alfred wasn’t scared of the warning of getting his blood drained, as Ivan didn’t scare him. The vampire could puff out his chest and appear more frightening than he is, but Alfred stayed unfazed. He was too prideful to let a vampire put any terror into him. He scoffed when Ivan said that he was only powerful during a full moon. “Ha! Who said that I can only turn during a full moon? I said I’m forced to turn during the full moon, I can turn anytime I want the rest of the month. I could turn right now. It rips my clothes off, so I would rather not give an example.” Ivan shouldn’t feel any more relief in it, Alfred had his power all year round. “Don’t think I could turn you, though. I think our... virus is immune to you guys. Vampires aren’t alive, so it just... dies on you. We just end up killing you with our strength and fighting powers.” He explained, never hearing of a vampire and werewolf crossbred. He didn’t think it was possible, but who knew. He kept his eyes closed, enjoying getting his hair played with. A smirk crept up his face when he was accused of being vulgar. “I’m just a vulgar guy, that’s all. I say what I think.” That was true as well, Alfred didn’t have much of a filter, especially around other immortals. He was a man who laughed and cried easily, who displayed all the emotions he had in his heart. It was just who he was, and he didn’t want to change anytime soon. He offered a cute act of nuzzling his cheek on Ivan’s thigh, wanting his attention again. Getting his hair played with was a major comfort. His body would relax, and calm down when someone’s fingers ran through his dirty blond locks. There was something about Ivan that offered him comfort, even if he was a vampire. His disgustingly sweet scent wasn’t bothering him anymore, and his soft voice was more soothing by the moment.

He smirks again when he hears about the blood type. “Oh? Then you’d love me. I’m O-positive.” He confessed, not scared since he knew Ivan wouldn’t bite him. If Ivan was going to drain him of his blood, he would have done it by now. Ivan didn’t need to cuddle up with him on his sofa to do it. “I’m glad my werewolf musk blocks it. Protects us from being victims of hungry, thirsty vampires like you. I’m not shocked at all that you work at a blood bank. I’m just surprised that you haven't noticed that you are stealing all the blood. How do you steal it anyway? Don’t they have protocols and stuff for this?” He questioned, always wondering how Ivan did it. He was either extremely talented, or the office was just stupid and lazy with their security. Who knew a man could get away with stealing countless pints of blood, but it was better than him going into town and murdering men in cold blood. “I’ll be honest... if you need some victims, I got a list of every sex offender, pedophile, and creep in town. Some people escape justice. So if you are hungry.... just tell me. I’ll get you a meal.” He had a sneaky grin, loving the idea of Ivan doing his dirty work. Instead of hunting these sickos in wolf form, his blood-sucking bunny could find a use for them.

It shut Ivan's small victory down when he heard about the ability. The possibility of seeing wolves walk around during the day skyrocketed and he wasn't sure where his emotions landed on the issue. Everything about having the upper hand over someone was comforting to him, but he felt as if it wasn't that overwhelming. Alfred was harmless and most of his worries about werewolves came from prejudice. The only rivalry between the two creatures was one he welcomed. He had fun flirting with and teasing Alfred, but he didn't want to risk being too attached. If something were to come up that jeopardized his facade, then he'd have to book it out of New York with his sisters not far behind. Knowing Alfred's own immortality, he was sure the situation would be the same for him. He'd end up miserable if he grew even fonder of the man only to disappear the next day. Anyone else, he didn't care to shatter their heart, but the cute playful furball was just too hopeless. "You talk like a child telling me about how strong their favorite superhero is when you describe your own species." He humored, rolling his eyes at the nonchalant bragging. There wasn't much that annoyed him about Alfred, the man was pleasant to be around, but he had his own honor to attend to. Being a blood seeker wasn't glamorous by all means, but he had to defend what was a part of him. The relief felt from immunity still didn't suffice against the show off's insistence. Every step of the conversation was an act for him to prove that he could stand up against a werewolf; the worn-out joke tired him. He wanted to feel comfortable around Alfred, but nothing felt genuine as if he was waiting for something specific to come out. It reminded him of a patient puppy. Most stereotypes held about the bouncing, yapping few. Like dogs, they roll onto their back and practically beg to be pet, loved on at the very least.

Giving in before the manchild started whining, he scrubbed his fingers along Alfred's scalp and through his strands. His eyes lit up at the confession, a big grin attached to his face. "Oh really? It's the most common blood type... but the most special to me. The rarity of it is only measured by my own longing for it." He wormed the corners of his mouth slowly down to mask his eagerness to jump on Alfred and dine out. "It's a very sweet taste- you should let me lap up any cuts you have in the future. I'll come over in a heartbeat and suck your wounds dry." The talk of blood left him parched, he distracted himself by fluffing up Alfred's hair. He wasn't entirely sure how his blood stash was known by the mutt, but he wasn't about to question it. His trust was growing high enough that he didn't care. "Most people don't know a pint from a pint and a half... it's a little dangerous for the donors, but I do sneak out an extra snack for myself when I think someone's gullible- so, I'm technically not stealing from the blood bank because they still get their pint of blood... I just drain another pint for myself. " He assured, hoping Alfred wouldn't rat him out. It would slip his mind often that the man was a cop. The only reason staff picked up on his master plan was the high rate of lightheaded donors coming out of his section. Now and then, they sent someone to check the equipment he was using, but nothing came of it. He's slowed on the packs he takes home to cool down the heat trailing behind his tail. "I might take you up on that offer someday, but my hands haven't been this clean of blood in a while... Unless you're in dire need of my assistance then I can help mark off some names for you- at a price, of course." Leaning down, he placed a chaste kiss to Alfred's forehead and gently brushed back the hair in his way. "Come over to the blood bank and I'll give you a donut if you behave... then maybe we can go track down some pedophiles and rip them apart together."

Alfred didn’t have too many plans for leaving the town soon. He only had lived there for a few years, and he knew he could get away with his non-aging status for a while. People usually only would start to talk about how young he looked. Alfred would just lie and credit on genetics. ’My parents look super young too. ‘Our whole family doesn’t age.’ he’d lie, and it worked. He looked young and was young to everyone else, so no one questioned his age. He guessed he could last until he was in his mid-thirties before people thought it was just downright weird that he hadn't aged. It was why he attempted to stay out of the spotlight. Keep to himself a few groups of friends. It was hard, he was an extrovert. He is a popular personality, everyone would know who he was and wanted to be around him. But that changed when his mortality did, and unless he wanted to become a scientific experiment for the government, he had to keep a low profile. But he always came out at night, hitting clubs and finding relief in intimacy. If he couldn’t be surrounded by dozens of friends, he’d surround himself with pretty girls and boys, even if it was just one night. A sucker for love, it was even more troubling knowing he couldn’t get into a relationship with anyone. That was the hardest about this life, knowing he’ll always be alone. Almost everyone in his pack was male and straight. How come there were only a few queer werewolves? He was aware that he should branch out to new immortals, but it was difficult since his pack was so tight. There was a sense of betrayal being around other werewolf packs, it was frowned down. Your pack was your family, case closed. You suffered with them.

[ Here is the link to my Ao3, thank you if you read it <3 ]

#rusame #amerus #aph russia #aph america #fanfic #I've just decided to keep it in its OG format #but i still edit for flow #yeee everyone have a good night

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deuynndoodles · 4 years ago

Text

read on ao3 or click read more!

suspicion increase by deuynndrabbles and @whimsicalweast

chapter summary:

It's their first day out looking for ghosts, and it's a great day to be suspicious of Danny.

He glances back at his sister and Danny, who are still talking about space. Well, it’s more the latter who does so, rambling passionately while Mabel struggles to stay focused on one topic for this amount of time.

As Dipper realizes the irony of the situation, he stifles a laugh with his hand.

TW FOR DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PANIC ATTACK

3.8k | ch three

It’s the next day, the sun high in the sky. Birds are chirping, wild animals scurrying through the trees, and three kids are walking through the woods with one certain great uncle trailing behind them.

Dipper is in the front, a now fixed ghost tracker sitting in his hands and a bag of a dozen more sliding off his shoulder. (Dipper mentioned the problem to Ford a couple nights ago and he agreed to fix it. It’s even upgraded so it won’t break the way it did last time.)

Mabel is close behind, her baggy sleeves trailing behind in her graceful yet clunky movement. Today she wears a navy blue sweater with a cartoon ghost resting on the center surrounded by itty bitty stars. Her headband is white and her skirt a lighter grey, with her own ghost device settled in her sweater pocket. She’s ignoring the faint buzzing in favor of watching the scenery.

Danny is about a couple meters behind the twins, his own beeping device shoved into his big jeans pocket. He’s watching the scenery like Mabel, trailing a hand along the grass and occasionally picking a long piece to fiddle with in his hands.

There’s a long groan, and Dipper glances behind him to see Mabel leaning her head back to stare at the clouded sky, her feet planted on the dirt and unmoving.

“Why are we all just quiet?” She says, prolonging the last two syllables and sticking her bottom lip out a little. She takes a lock of her hair and begins to twirl it around her finger. “Let’s do something that isn’t just staring at those silly devices.”

There’s a quick shout of indignation from Dipper, but Danny interrupts by giving a slight nod and saying, “Yeah, it is kinda boring.”

Danny catches up to Mabel, his eyes drawn to the sweater she has on. He isn’t really sure what else to say (he’s not the best at small talk) so he compliments, “Nice sweater.”

It earns a toothy grin from said girl and she twirls in place as if to show off her creation. “Thanks! I made it myself!”

“I like the ghost, it looks pretty cool.”

“I thought it was fitting!” Mabel chimes, still grinning.

“Are those stars around it?” Danny asks, because his brain always comes back to the topic of space. Mabel nods, and Danny smiles widely, saying, “I love space!”

Mabel draws out a gasp, pressing her hand to her chest right on top of the ghost’s eyes. “Me too.”

Dipper’s pretty much sure that Mabel’s just saying it to make Danny happy. It works, as Danny’s eyes light up. She always does this, and Dipper won’t barge in this time.

Anyways, he’s paying attention to the pad in his hands more.

“Isn’t it just so cool?” Danny grins. (His face is full of excitement and he knows he’s going to rant about his special interest now. He’s practically prompted.) “Stars are amazing, and just so beautiful. But honestly, I’m super excited about space travel and all that stuff.”

Mabel nods along as if she understands every word that makes its way out of his mouth when Danny simply continues to rant on and on about astrology and other topics about space with an intense passion.

Dipper is more focused on the device grasped in his hand. His eyes dart about the monitor, looking for any sort of ectoplasmic signal but comes up empty. Dipper makes the quick hypothesis that ghosts are more active at night.

As Dipper realizes the irony of the situation, he stifles a laugh with his hand.

Mabel constantly tries to steer the conversation away from scientific aspects, preferring creative or ‘girly’ subjects like glitter and rainbows. She’d likely come out here in the hopes of finding a ghost cat and cuddling it or something. Probably to hang out with Danny too, maybe flirt with him or whatever the heck Mabel thinks she’s doing.

Instead she has to listen to the boy ramble on about various studies of space.

Oh, how the tables have turned.

Dipper can tell how absolutely bored Mabel is with Danny’s speech, and he still struggles to hide his chuckles.

(He’d probably get along better with the teen better than his sister, if he weren’t so skeptical of Danny’s unknown intentions.

He is still a stranger, after all.)

Mabel’s hands are fiddling with the loose threads of her newly made sweater. Her attention had clearly drifted off elsewhere a while ago, but Danny still hasn’t noticed, ever so caught up in his one-way conversation.

Dipper catches her eye, throwing a smug expression her way as Danny continues to speak animatedly, and his sister returns a raspberry as she slumps over.

‘Very mature’, he thinks.

Dipper rolls his eyes with a smile, about to return to examining the machines when Danny mentions a topic that Dipper had recently heard about.

“The Apollo missions inspired an entire generation of people to pursue math and science careers, and it’s amazing! Our society continues to become more technologically advanced and dependent, and the general populace need to become more scientifically literate to keep up.

“I’ve always dreamed of being an astronaut,” he says, his excitement slowing as he gazes down at the floor. “I’ve just- I’m not what you’d call a star student.” He gives out a chuckle, a chuckle that is absent of actual humor, and it makes Dipper hesitate in his step as well. “And outside of school, I’m pretty busy with other stuff. Uh- extracurriculars, and all that.”

With those last few sentences, it finally clicks, and Dipper whirls around.

“It was you!”

“I’m sorry, what?”

It’s the first thought that runs through Danny’s head, and apparently it spills out his lips too.

“You-You were the guy who helped me back to camp a week ago!” Dipper exclaims, his finger still pointed at the confused boy.

(For some reason this makes Danny think of Wes.)

“What?” It’s Mabel who says this. She’s eloquently ignored.

“Y’know, when you- uh, when you fell from that tree, and pointed out the constellations to me?” Dipper stammers, and Danny’s eyes widen in recognition.

“That was you?” Danny asks, and Dipper nods slowly, as if he’s uncomfortable.

(Mabel looks on in pure confusion. She is still promptly ignored.)

“What a coincidence, huh?” Danny lets out a nervous chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck with his left hand. “Well, uh. Nice to meet you? Again, I guess.”

(Danny truly does see it to be a coincidence. It’s so odd, how the universe chooses to dump on him in a place that isn’t Amity Park. Hasn’t he had enough?)

He stretches out his hand awkwardly, and cautiously, Dipper steps forward and shakes it. They’ve already met, but this makes it feel more official, Danny thinks. Maybe not quite that, but he imagines it’d make the scenario much more awkward if he jerks his hand back now.

Instead, Dipper is the one to pull his hand back, replacing his steadfast grip on the pad in his hands. It gives out a solid beep, and then returns back to its muted noise.

“Well,” Dipper starts, his face screaming the fact that he feels very awkward in this scenario. “How about we go back to looking for ghosts?”

“Sure!” Mabel chirps, and Danny shrugs, finally pulling out the device in his hands. He’s down for pretending that never happened.

Dipper pauses, and then says, "Hey, I can't see Great Uncle Ford."

Mabel pauses in her balancing act on a toppled tree trunk, glancing up to her brother. She takes a look back behind her. "Yeah, I guess so."

Mabel takes a seat on the ground, adjusting her skirt. Danny leans against a tree, and then a thought pops into his head.

“Oh shit, I pointed out the Big Dipper to a kid named Dipper.”

“Language!” Mabel sing-songs, blowing a small raspberry from her pleasant spot on the ground as Dipper's face reddens.

"Seriously?" Dipper bites out as Mabel gives a dorky snort, a fair imitation of the pig sitting back in her room.

(Ford can hear the tail end of the conversation as he settles his cane in a knot of roots and heaves himself over it. A fond smile tugs on his lips, and he lets out a chuckle.

He's glad the kids are getting along.)

"Go back to your dorky devices, guys." The last word is said even more dorkishly, and Mabel gestures to said devices. Danny imagines that she's already shoved her gadget back into her sweater pocket.

As Ford steps back into the small clearing that Danny and the twins are sitting in, everyone rises and Ford hands out snacks to each kid individually.

Five minutes later, they’re back on track and return to their task.

Danny this time trails in the back, stimming by shaking his hands, deep in thought.

Dipper is clearly wary of Danny, probably due to the fact that Danny said he fell out of a tree with little to no explanation. (He really needs to control what comes out his mouth.) Danny must seem pretty suspicious.

Or maybe it’s just how the kid acts. He can’t be entirely sure.

He’s still surprised that Dipper hadn’t mentioned his run in with Danny. The two don’t seem to be quite attached at the hip, but he can still tell they’re very close. He sees how they can just communicate without speaking, how comfortable they are around the other. It’s nice, he thinks.

(If later asked, he’d deny it. But Danny can’t help but secretly wish he was as comfortable around Jazz as the twins are around each other.)

What surprises him even more? It’s the fact that Mabel doesn’t question it. She’s been pestering Danny with questions non-stop since ‘inviting’ him over for a sleepover. Mabel is a chatterbox and it’s so odd that she doesn’t press, because it seems like it’s practically part of her nature to find out more about things.

The only reaction out of her hearing of Dipper and his meeting (aside from the earlier input) is a questioning glance at her brother, to which the boy shrugs halfheartedly in response.

Mabel throws him that look that Danny knows as ‘We’ll talk about this later’. He knows it well, having been on the receiving end of it countless times from his own sister. She then slows down, another grin on her face, and she strikes up another conversation.

To be honest, the constant conversation is starting to wear him out, but he still does it anyway.

“What’s your favorite animal?” Mabel asks, skipping happily.

Danny isn’t entirely sure. He says so.

“Me too!” Mabel grins, moving her hand to fiddle with her headband. “I just can’t decide! There’s cats, but dogs are really cute too! And not to mention koalas, and elephants and just. So many animals I can’t choose between them all.”

All in all, it’s a fairly uneventful day. All they seem to have done is walk through the forest, checking the devices, enjoying the scenery and engaging in small talk.

It leaves Dipper with a dissatisfied feeling sitting in his gut, but he doesn’t express it like Mabel does. Mabel sinks in disgruntlement with a roll of her eyes, slumped over slightly with her energy drained as much as it can be for Mabel Pines. That is to say, she has the energy of a normal person.

“Don’t worry, there’s still tomorrow,” Danny says, with an awkward pat on Mabel’s shoulder.

(Danny’s silently wishing they actually don’t come across any other ghosts. But alas, they’ll find someone, he’s sure. This woods has the same eerie feeling as the Ghost Zone, so he knows that there are supernatural entities in this place.

He’s not eager to find out what they are.)

Dipper’s head nods slowly in agreement, and it occurs to him that this isn’t the only day they go out to search for ghosts and he isn’t a failure-

Mabel elbows Dipper in the forearm, her mood having taken a 180 and a slight smirk resting on her lips. “Why you sad, bro-bro?” The brunette asks innocently, as if she wasn’t the one just dragging her feet along on the forest floor. “You still got a lot of-”

Mabel purses her lip, searching for the right word.

“Data. That’ll help, right?” She elbows Dipper again.

(Dipper’s sigh has a hint of disappointment, and Danny knows that Dipper is actually the one more disheartened in this situation. Mabel tends to exaggerate her feelings.)

“You’re right, Mabel,” Dipper mutters, fiddling with the pad in his hands again anxiously. “We have a lot of data now.”

Dipper glances up slightly, and sees the silhouette of the Mystery Shack illuminated in the near sunset, the sun beginning to slide behind the wide expanse of trees. He turns his head back to face the device, pressing buttons occasionally to change the view.

From behind him, Mabel straightens up, and pulls on Danny’s sleeve. “You ready for another sleepover?” She asks excitedly, her voice lilting.

“Nah,” Danny responds. “I’ll find somewhere to stay tonight.”

(Danny doesn’t want to bother Dipper again.)

Dipper doesn’t entirely care. He’s almost glad that he doesn’t have to sleep in the same room as Danny tonight, but he won’t say it out loud.

(Mabel huffs, and she has the social awareness to give a glance to the boy who is scouring the devices in his hand and in the bag on his back.) “Fine, just be okay, okay?” She pauses, and then giggles. “I said okay twice.”

Dipper inhales sharply, and Mabel instantly quiets. The next few minutes are pretty awkward, as all they do is walk. Dipper’s feet are tired and he’s more walking on impulse now, waiting for the moment to sit down. Mabel seems to be out of energy as well, as she doesn’t break the silence with her excited gestures or bubbly sentences.

The twins step up onto the slanted porch promptly, Dipper collapsing sitting on one of the stairs. Mabel groans and fans her face with her baggy sleeve, and Ford is a few meters behind them. Danny puts his hands in his pockets, staying a good few feet away from everyone, and gives a quick wave.

“See ya guys tomorrow,” Danny says, and as the two twins step inside, Dipper rushes to the nearest window to look out at Danny.

(He doesn’t see anything, as Danny is already long gone.)

Dipper sits in a fold-up chair as he watches Ford review the data they’ve collected that day, pouring over the gadgets. There haven't been very many ectoplasmic signatures, but any information is helpful and will allow them to know how to better handle it when they do come across a ghost for the first time.

The brunet still pipes in here and there with his own views on the data, but his mind has already drifted elsewhere.

(He does remember his first meeting with Danny. It was a week ago, and it’s still very fresh in his mind. The flimsy excuse of ‘stargazing’ had been so odd. But what other reasons could Danny need to climb a tree for? Was he hiding from something? Someone?

How had he even gotten up there in the first place? The branches on the trees in the forest are often placed far from each other, and once you do get a grip on them the brittle branches give up on your weight and you go collapsing back to the ground.

He’s seen Mabel try to climb the trees on multiple occasions. She’s never gotten past five feet above the ground.

And how does he just disappear into thin air? One second he’s beside Dipper and the next he’s nowhere to be seen. It’s also absurd how many times he hasn’t noticed the teen beside him; it’s like the teen has no presence whatsoever.)

He rests a hand on his forehead, letting out a sigh with a frown.

(Danny is such an enigma and it’s just so frustrating being unable to figure him out.

Though, he says this as if there’s anything to discover in the first place.

For all he knows, Danny could just be a regular teen with somewhat questionable hobbies. He hasn’t done anything out of the ordinary, ordinary for Gravity Falls at least. He gets along with everyone around him just fine with the occasional awkward sentence or body posture, fiddling with things when he’s nervous like Dipper does.

Dipper’s probably just going crazy overreacting.)

He glances up, combing a hand through his hair, letting out another unsteady breath.

(But if that's the case, why does he feel so uneasy?)

Ford pauses, taking a glance at his great nephew. He turns to him, devices still in his grasp, and asks, “Are you okay?” He cocks his head slightly to the side, eyeing Dipper’s tense body language.

Dipper nods sharply, rubbing his arm and staring down at the slick lab floor. “Yeah. . . Just, uh, thinking about some stuff.”

Ford seems unconvinced, his eyes still trailing on Dipper before he turns back to his devices. He hums in confirmation, making Dipper feel slightly guilty for the white lie.

A few minutes pass, and Dipper still can’t focus, catching more than one concerned glance from his great uncle.

"So, care to tell me what 'stuff' you're thinking of?" Ford questions, idly rifling through some papers.

Dipper fiddles with his lip with his two front teeth, rubbing his left arm. He winces slightly, refusing to meet his great uncle’s gaze.

“I-I dunno, it’s just. . .” He sighs, his hand dropping to rest by his side. “Danny’s been- He’s been super helpful and gets along with Mabel, but I- but I can’t help but feel like I’m missing something here.”

Ford’s eyes soften, and he sets down the papers on another tall pile of paper. He leans down and pulls out his own chair from underneath a table, twisting it to face his great nephew and Dipper does the same with his chair.

“I get how you feel, Dipper. I understand, really I do, but not everything needs a dramatic reveal.” Ford says, gently patting Dipper’s head. “Oftentimes, people are exactly who they claim to be and that’s rather normal. Just because something may feel off about someone, doesn’t have to mean they’re dangerous.

“Gravity Falls is indeed a strange place, but not everyone who steps foot into the town is a monster in disguise.

“Puzzles are marginally harder to solve when you can’t see each individual piece and fit them together, or when you refuse to see the pieces in front of you. I myself had a difficult time grasping this after so many years spent living here.”

("And in the portal" remains unsaid, but Dipper can hear the hint of it behind the words Ford speaks.)

"You certainly have a knack for picking out who or not to trust, so if you really believe Danny has harmful intentions, I'll listen. To me, Danny just appears to be a typical teenage boy, similar to yourself, but it's your call, Dipper. Just remember that putting your faith in others isn't always harmful."

(“Not as easy as it sounds” whispers in the back of his head, and he shakes it away by bobbing his mechanically and allowing the words his great uncle speaks replace the dread sitting in his gut for absolutely no reason-)

Ford is right; he’s getting worked up over nothing. Not everyone is out to get him.

Danny isn't out to get him.

(It's irrational to think Danny would do anything to hurt Mabel, or anyone else for that matter.)

Danny’s just a random teen who made his way into Gravity Falls, a teen obsessed with space and finding himself wrapped up in Dipper’s research. From the start, Danny has done nothing but help them, and he likely thinks Dipper is weird when he refuses to meet the teen’s eye, hands shuffling nervously.

Guilt rises into Dipper’s chest, and almost immediately Dipper feels terrible. He’s only made things feel more awkward for Danny. By making the teen feel uncomfortable during their outings. Disappointing Mabel by ruining her sleepover.

(‘You know they would've been happier without you there, anyway,’ his brain barges in, and he can’t find the heart to deny it.)

Dipper is always bringing people down along with him. It’s his fault Ford’s machine broke. If he hadn’t gone out that night, none of this would have happened, anyway.

(Dipper always needs other people to help him. He’s just useless by himself.)

(Why can’t his brain just act normal for once? Why can’t he ever seem to let people in?)

His eyes begin to sting, and he feels the panic taking hold, leaching into his chest and refusing to let go. He curls in on himself slightly, because he can only just live through it and mentally hit himself-

Is it really so hard to trust people again?

(Dipper already knows the answer to this question; he knows because of the being that frequently haunts his nightmares.)

(‘Trust no one’ echoes endlessly in his mind, reflecting off every boundary and always making its way back to the center-

Dipper’s hand burns, engulfed in blue flame-

His laughter, resonating within his ears-

There’s no escape-)

His lungs refuse to take in air, and his vocal cords won’t work to even choke out a scream.

(He can't breathe-)

In a split second, there’s a warm hand resting on his shoulder. It’s vaguely comforting, but Dipper still jerks away from it and takes in a shaky breath as his lungs start working again.

His mind slowly clears, and he glances up to see Ford resting beside the chair on his knee, hand pulled back slightly with a concerned expression on his face.

(‘You did that to him. You're the one troubling your great uncle. You're just a burden’, his brain screams at him, and he can’t find the courage to scream denials back.)

“Dipper?” Ford asks tentatively, concern hidden in his eyes. “Is everything all right?”

“Yeah-Yeah,” Dipper manages to choke out, still taking shaky breaths and refusing to look the man in the eye. “I’m good.”

"Are you sure?"

Dipper pauses for a moment, but then nods slowly. “I’m okay, Great Uncle Ford.” His breath is starting to steady, and he takes his first deep breath. “Thanks. For everything.”

(Really, he’s okay.

‘Keep telling yourself that’, his brain taunts, and he sighs again.

He's fine.)

#dp #drabbles

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certifiedmoth · 5 years ago

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Please Say Yes

Single Dad!Duncan x Fem!Reader

Summary: Duncan wants to propose to Y/N, but his son ruins the surprise.

Notes: Okay, I wrote this really fast and it probably isn’t the best thing ever, but my heart was literally going AWWW the whole time I wrote this, so enjoy!! (single dad!duncan owns me, y’all) gif credit to @spellman

Warnings: None, just fluff

Word Count: 3.2K

___

“Do you understand, bub?”

The four-year-old sitting on Duncan’s lap scrunched up his face playfully while nodding his head enthusiastically.

“We can’t tell mama!”

“Mhm, yes. And why can’t we tell mama?” Duncan bobbed his leg up and down, sending his son into a fit of giggles.

“Because marrying mama is a secret, shhh,” he held his tiny finger up to his mouth and spoke in a whisper, making sure to be as quiet as his little voice would let him.

“Well, asking her to marry daddy is a secret. Mama can’t know at all, it’s a surprise, okay?” He looked his son right in his eyes, hoping he was listening carefully to what he was telling him. “Mama’s going to be really, really happy, as long as it’s a surprise and we don’t tell her before the right time, okay?”

“When’s the right time? Right now?” His son’s big, blue eyes went wide with curiosity.

Duncan let out a soft chuckle, “Well, not right now, bub. Daddy will know the right time; you don’t need to worry about that.” He kissed the top of his son’s hair, holding him close to his chest and savoring this blissful moment. “Just don’t tell mommy.”

You and Duncan had been together for three happy years now; something of a record for Mr. Shepherd. He had known from the very first moment he laid his eyes on you that you were meant to be in his life. Stolen glances at work led to steamy makeout sessions in his office which, then, (miraculously, he thought) led to a first date. Duncan had always known how special you were, but it was then, on that first date, as he stared at you smiling from across the table, illuminated by the soft moonlight and laughing at your own joke, that he truly realized that he selfishly wanted you all to himself and that he’d do everything in his power to make that a reality.

A year prior to meeting Y/N, Duncan had experienced one of the worst pains of his life when the mother of his son took off and left. They hadn’t been together long and the pregnancy was a complete surprise, but he had sworn right then and there, as he looked down at the positive pregnancy test, that he would be the best father to his child and the most supportive and loving partner to his girlfriend the world had ever seen. But she had other plans for her life, it seemed; she left shortly after the birth, leaving behind a heartbroken Duncan to solely take care of their child.

Even with the amazing gift that his son was, he truly believed that he would always be alone; destined to share this life with nobody but himself. But then you came along, and flipped a light switch on, suddenly changing his whole outlook on everything and bringing an immense amount of love and light into him and his son’s life that he had never imagined possible. You brightened everything for him.

From a cocky bachelor to a single dad, cherishing domesticity with his son and the love of his life, Duncan often reminisced on how he had gotten here in life. He couldn’t help but wonder what he had done to deserve a life as amazing and meaningful as this one; it was something he would always cherish. He had his family – His family. His to hold and love. His to keep him warm at night and comfort him when troubled thoughts filled his head. You and his son were all he needed in his life. And all that was left to do was ask you to be his forever.

- Two weeks later -

The bubbly boy sitting next to you focused intently on the drawing before him, while he excitedly rambled on and on about the dog he had seen that morning.

“He tried to lick my nose,” he scrunched up his small nose as his addictive giggles filled the air; turning to you, he mimicked the dog with his tongue sticking out and continued laughing without a care in the world. Always such an expressive one, you thought, as you felt the corners of your own mouth lifting while you stared at the lively boy beside you.

“Why don’t you draw the doggie in your picture?” You smiled back at him, moving some of the loose strands of hair out of his face. He had his father’s hair and it soothed you to see so much of Duncan in him.

“No!” he yelled defiantly while a great, big smile appeared on his face as he got up and started dancing (or at least, what a toddler’s definition of dancing was). Okay… you knew what was going on here. He was clearly in one of his “silly moods”; something Duncan liked to call his random outbursts of excitement and giggling. He twirled around the room, singing and laughing as if he were the happiest person alive, before running back to you and plopping down on the ground next to you and his coloring station.

“Somebody’s being silly,” you scrunched up your nose at him, watching him as he dramatically laughed and got back to coloring his picture. “But bub, I have a question,” you frowned, exaggerating your sad tone. “Why no doggie?” you fake cried, hoping to bring even more laughter out of him.

“Because we don’t have one, you silly!!” He yelled, finding the whole situation quite hilarious. “This is our family,” he pointed to the picture. “And we don’t have a doggie, so he can’t go in here.”

“Oh, okay. I understand,” you nodded, enjoying the seriousness and accuracy he put into his art. Peeking over his head to see the masterpiece itself, you found a tall figure that must have been Duncan since a (very large) cellphone was placed in his hand. You silently made a note to tell Duncan about it later; you were sure he would think it was adorable funny. Then, there was your little one right in the middle with a big, gigantic smile plastered on his face; that part seemed quite accurate. Your eyes continued scanning the page, landing on the figure that must have been you, but you were wearing a long, white dress with something covering your face; a very odd sight that caused you to tilt your head in confusion, trying to understand what you were looking at. It was honestly very sweet and endearing, but also suspicious, to say the least.

“Hey bub, why am I wearing that?” you pointed to the cartoon version of yourself.

“Because that’s what people wear when they get married,” he replied softly and casually while focusing on coloring in the grass expertly.

Your heart stopped for a split second as you heard him speak those words so nonchalantly. Had Duncan said something to him? Or perhaps, maybe his preschool teacher had taught them about what a wedding was and he simply was a curious and intrigued child? It must be the latter, you thought. He must have seen a wedding in one of his cartoons, or saw it in a book.

You tried to rid your brain of dangerous, exciting thoughts and calm yourself of the possibility of something bigger taking place right now, but failed horribly after several minutes of a very anxious internal dialogue with yourself.

“Bub, why am I wearing it, though?” you spoke up suddenly, the confusing thoughts in your head still running rampant as your heartbeat raced.

“Because daddy said he’s gonna marry you, so you have to wear white!! Daddy read this book to me and the girl in it got married and she wore white, so you have to wear white, silly.”

Your eyes went wide and it was as if the air had been knocked right out of your lungs; you were sure you would have looked paralyzed if anyone had walked in at that exact moment. You had thought of the possibility of Duncan proposing one day; you both had talked about it casually before, but you didn’t know that he was actually planning to ask you to be his wife.

You were shocked, confused, beyond ecstatic… You felt so many different things, all completely at the same time, and you didn’t exactly know how to process everything you were feeling; this was foreign territory. Your head swirled and buzzed while the little boy next to you sat unbothered by the bombshell he had just dropped, mindlessly coloring the sky a light blue color on the paper in font of him.

“When did daddy say all of this?”

His little head turned to you, about to answer your question with an excited smile on his face, when he suddenly remembered the day his dad had sat him on his lap and told him his great, big secret plan. But he had told him not to tell you. That’s what he had said: To not tell mama. That only daddy could tell her and only when it was the right time. This was not the right time. And daddy wasn’t even here. Slowly, his smile turned to a frown and glossy tears began to prick the corners of his bright blue eyes.

“Oh no, baby, what’s going on?” Your voice was laced with concern as you watched his face contort with sadness. In this moment, you forgot about the picture. You forgot about what he was about to say. You forgot about any future proposal. You only cared about why your sweet boy had become so incredibly distraught. His cheeks grew warm and he suddenly started wailing as tears began to flow freely down his face, his poor lungs struggling to draw in air from crying so hard.

The door to the home office slammed open and Duncan came running out, his eyes wide with worry and concern as he noticed you in the middle of the floor, cradling his little boy. “What happened?”

“I don’t know, he just started crying,” your looked up at Duncan hopelessly while you held your little one to your chest, rocking him back and forth and trying your best to comfort him and ease him of whatever pain he was feeling. It was just as painful for you as it was for Duncan to see him so uncontrollably distraught. You’d do anything to make him feel better, no matter the cost. And Duncan was right there with you; he’d do anything to protect his son from this world. Which is why it was so hard to see him like this right now. A very worried Duncan kneeled next to you and started gently stroking his son’s back in a calm and soothing manner.

“Bub, what’s wrong? Are you hurt?” Duncan whispered in his ear, hoping to god something wasn’t causing him physical pain.

Your little one hesitantly lifted his head from your chest and looked up at his dad with tears running down his red face, trying to speak but all that came out were more choked sobs. “I- I ruined the surprise,” you almost didn’t catch his timid voice amidst the strangled sobs. Duncan’s face twisted in confusion, not sure what his poor child was talking about.

“Bub, what surprise?” Duncan asked softly while continuing to rub his son’s back. You held him in your arms, swaying him back and forth and he finally started to calm down a bit. He sniffled and played with your hair, focusing on trying to tell his dad what he meant.

“Dada, I said you were gonna marry mama,” he let out another small sob, feeling overwhelmed with the whole situation. He was afraid Duncan would be mad at him and that he’d be in trouble for telling you, but most of all, he was just unbearably sad for letting down his dad.

Duncan’s breath hitched in his throat as he heard his son’s confession; his eyes instantly flickered to yours, which were already staring at him, wide and bright with curious wonder. There was so much vulnerability in his blue eyes; you’d never seen him like that before. It was almost startling to look at the love of your life and see a different side to him, one you’d never caught a glimpse of before. He had never felt so exposed and caught off guard in all his life; tears had started to prick the corners of his own eyes. It was beautiful and painful to watch, you thought.

This wasn’t how he had planned it. This wasn’t at all how he had planned it. He was going to wait for the perfect moment... The perfect dinner with a perfect bottle of champagne, under the same moonlight he had fallen in love with you, only to then, get down on one knee, take your hand in his, and ask you to be his and only his forever. Truth be told, that moment had come and gone. Or, at least half of it. He had taken you out to dinner the week before, but he had never gotten down on one knee and he had never asked you that one question that had been dancing across his mind every second of every day since he had finally decided to propose. Deep down, he was terrified. Terrified that you would reject him and he’d lose you forever. A part of him still felt he didn’t deserve you and that one day, you’d realize it.

But now, everything was out in the open. His wants, his feelings, his plans for the future: All of it. He was exposed. Duncan had no wall to hide behind now; his son had torn it down for him.

“Baby, there’s no need to cry. You didn’t ruin anything,” your soft voice spoke to the little boy cradled in your arms, snapping Duncan out of his anxious thoughts. “It’s okay, baby. Daddy isn’t upset with you and mommy isn’t either. We love you so, so, so very much, okay?” You pulled back to look him in his tear-filled eyes. “It’s okay, my love,” you gave him a genuine smile, rubbing his back with small circles.

He was comforted by your words and nestled his head against your neck, feeling the worry start to leave his tiny body. Only small sniffles could be heard now as his eyes started to get heavy with sleep. You continued gently stroking his back as you helped to softly lull him to sleep.

“Plus, mommy wants to marry daddy, too.”

Duncan’s head snapped up, locking his wide eyes with yours as an incredulous look overcame his features. Had he heard you correctly? Had you really meant what you had just whispered? He’d never felt his heart beat this fast in all his life; it felt as though it was about to explode right out of his chest.

“She does?” Duncan spoke quietly and carefully, as you both realized the sweet boy in your arms was now fast asleep from wearing himself out so suddenly with his tears.

You nodded your head, looking at him with every single ounce of love and adoration you had felt for him the past three years of your beautiful relationship. He inched his way closer to you, closing the distance between yourselves while being careful not to wake his son.

He leaned in to place a feather light kiss to your lips, “You know, I had something planned…”

“Is that so?” you smiled against his lips, the small burn of his stubble rubbing against your skin and the warm scent of his cologne mixing to remind you of home.

“Mhm, but I guess this will have to do,” his voice was soft and playful as he reluctantly pulled away from you, reached into his pocket and retrieved a small plush box. You let out a sudden breath, you hadn’t known you’d been holding in, and felt tears begin to spill over your cheeks.

Duncan adjusted himself so he was on one knee and slowly opened the small box in his hands, revealing the most dazzling diamond ring you had ever seen; he had picked it because the sparkle it gave off was reminiscent of your beauty in the moonlight. He looked at you adoringly through crystal, blue eyes, letting a content sigh fall from his lips as he stared at his entire world right in front of him.

“I am so completely and insanely in love with you, Y/N,” he smiled softly as he whispered to you. “I cherish this life we’ve built together, and I can never thank you enough for being there for our son. You’re the best mother this world has ever had and the best partner I could ever ask for. Some days I wake up and I still can’t believe that you’re in my life,” he laughed lightly as his voice began to break; his own tears threatening to spill over now. “You came into my life and made every aspect of it better and, now, I only ask that you allow me the opportunity to do the same for you.”

You held your hand over your mouth to stifle your cries as you peered, through teary eyes, at the love of your life.

With one last exhale and smile, Duncan looked up at you and whispered, “Will you marry me?”

You let out a squeaking noise and nodded frantically while tears fell down your cheeks. “Yes, of course, I’ll marry you!” you tried your best to keep your voice quiet, so as not to disturb the sleeping child in your arms, but you were too overcome with excitement and love for this man.

Duncan’s face lit up and he gave you the brightest smile you had ever seen as he quickly enveloped you in his arms, placing gentle kisses to your face. You could feel his own tears on his cheeks now as he kissed you tenderly. You’d never felt so happy in all your life. This truly was all you needed: Duncan and your son. Your family.

He placed one last passionate kiss to your lips, deepening it while your hand ran through his soft hair. Reluctantly, he pulled away once again, brushing his lips against yours. “What do you say we put little bub down for his nap and then we go and celebrate in our own special way?”

You smiled against his lips, wanting nothing more than to show him just how much love you had for him. “Sounds good to me,” you whispered, placing one more kiss to his lips before feeling Duncan’s hand hold onto yours gently, pulling you up and leading you to the beginning of a new life.

Taglist: @xavierplympton, @lathraios, @no-need-for-rules, @ladynuwanda, @katiekitty261, @sojournmichael, @rosegoldrichie, @langdonsdemon, @hecohansen31, @blakewaterxx, @wroteclassicaly, @michaelsapostle, @kleineshaschen, @whydonthumansfly, @solitalangdon, @fckinsupreme, @olobersy, @femaleantichrist, @peachesandfern, @freak-war-hour, @tigers-pat, @gremlinkween, @donutt-fuck-with-me, @avesxtxnas, @lonely-cloud, @angelbabyscum, @langdondelrey

#duncan shepherd #duncan shepherd x reader #duncan shepherd fic #duncan shepherd blurb #duncan shepherd oneshot #cody fern #duncan shepherd imagine #single dad!duncan #house of cards #my writing

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nanamicide · 4 years ago

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A life of her own - chapter 2

Read on AO3

The chair Gekkogahara-san had her sit on was strangely comfortable, contrasting with how scared she felt. She had spent the last two days in isolation, completely unable to gather the strength to do anything. She hadn’t eaten, slept, or showered. She’d spent all her time lying in bed, crying every so often. Some people had come to check on her – mostly faculty staff, which didn’t surprise her. Seeing that she wasn’t doing anything, they’d forced her to attend therapy sessions. She had no clue how it was supposed to help her – through her sister’s failure, she’d lost everything she had, even her own identity. Still, they hadn’t really given her the opportunity to say no. Sakakura-san and Great Gozu had violently dragged her out of her room and in the Ultimate Therapist’s office. And here she was, sitting on that plush chair, wishing time would just go by faster. As she didn’t even feel strong enough to run away, she dug her fingernails in her arm, almost drawing blood.

“Ikusaba-chan,” a cartoonish voice called, suddenly filling the room and making Mukuro jump. “I don’t think hurting yourself is going to make anything better.”

Mukuro looked towards her therapist and understood where the voice was coming from. A screen that was attached to her wheelchair was now displaying a white rabbit dressed as magical girl, moving around the device. The soldier couldn’t help but feel annoyed with it. Why wasn’t she directly speaking to her? Was she so disgusted with what she and Junko-chan had done that she couldn’t have a normal conversation with her? Just what type of therapist was she, anyway?

After entertaining the thought for a few seconds, Mukuro decided that she didn’t care. It didn’t matter how Gekkogahara-san felt about her or if she truly wanted to help her. She didn’t want her help, anyway. At this rate, she’d be dead in a few days. There was no point in wasting either of their time.

“You’re right. It’s not going to make me die faster,” she muttered, glaring at the woman who was sitting across from her. Even though it didn’t make any logical sense to her, Mukuro somehow felt angry at Gekkogahara-san.

The sound of keys being hit at a fast space filled the room, soon followed by that artificial voice that made Mukuro grind her teeth:

“You want to die?” The bunny tilted its head to the side.

“What if I do?”

“I would want to know why.”

Mukuro bit her lip, frowning. She knew she didn’t have to play along, but there was something in the way that silly avatar was reacting to her that made her feel like it would be better if she did. She couldn’t tell what it was, but it felt relatively important. Besides, even though the little cartoon character was not real, she had felt some sort of concern in its voice, as though it genuinely cared about her – which frightened her. There was nothing in her to care for nor be concerned about. She was nothing but an empty shell who’d only done evil around herself, and failed the only person she’d sworn to protect. She was pathetic and despicable. She wasn’t someone who was worthy of anyone’s care – not even a magical bunny girl’s.

As she thought about that, Mukuro felt more tears well up in her eyes. She sunk back in the chair, trying to hide her face as she realized she wouldn’t be able to hold them back. She felt weak for crying, and even more so for doing it in front of a stranger. She hated the weak, disgusting mess she’d turned into as soon as things went wrong. And she knew there was no way she could ever snap out of it, which made her dread every single second of her days.

“Is it too hard to put into words?” The bunny asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.

Unable to speak, Mukuro nodded in response. She didn’t know why she was entertaining this, but now that she started, there was no way she could go back to sitting there in silence, hoping the session would somehow end without her needing to say anything.

“I see.” Gekkogahara-san slid a piece of paper and a pen across her desk. “Perhaps it would help if you wrote it down without me interrupting you or asking questions that make you more upset than you are now.”

“Why do you care?” Mukuro asked, blinking back tears as she stared at the blank sheet of paper that had been placed in front of her. “I could have killed all your friends, don’t pretend like you want to help me.”

Gekkogahara-san suddenly took her hands off the keyboard and spoke, catching Mukuro off guard:

“You are partly responsible for the death of my best friend,” she said. Her voice sounded off, as raspy as that of someone who hasn’t spoken in years. Yet, she didn’t sound angry. “But I don’t blame you for what happened to him. He loved and cared for her just as much as you did, but he’s not there anymore to experience life free of her influence on him. So, not only is it my job to care about what’s going on in your head, but I also have my own personal reasons.”

Mukuro stared at her, dumbfounded. Given that the person Gekkogahara-san was supposed to have loved Junko-chan, she guessed that she was talking about Matsuda-kun. He and her sister had had some sort of romantic relationship ever since they were kids.

“I was jealous of how much she cried when he died,” Mukuro said, trying to change the woman’s mind. “I wanted her to cry as much for me as she was crying for him.”

“I know what you’re trying to do, Ikusaba-chan. Whatever you may have done or felt because of her doesn’t change anything to me. You are under my care.” She pushed the sheet of paper closer to her. “Now write.”

Mukuro sighed, grabbing the pen. There was no point in protesting or arguing. It was clear that Gekkogahara-san wouldn’t give this up no matter what she told her. On top of that, there was always the chance that whatever she may end up writing could make the therapist realize that her attempts at helping her are futile. So, Mukuro did was she did best – she followed the order she was given.

I have no purpose. There is nothing I want to do now that Junko-chan is dead. She was everything I had left in my life ; the only person who truly knew me. I have no connection with anyone else. My parents are dead. I betrayed my former comrades in Fenrir for her. I don’t think there is anything left for me to do in life.

Even if there was, I think I would fail whatever task I may pick up. I didn’t get to hear my parents’ last words, but I know that if they could have had even a second to talk to me before passing, they would have told me to protect my sister. I was always the physically stronger sibling, so it would have been natural for them to want me to make sure nothing ever happens to her. I couldn’t even do that. She’s going to be executed because of me, because I let her try to stop Sakakura-san’s investigation instead of silencing him myself. I could have fought and stopped him. I should have done that. I should have told Junko-chan that this was much safer than what she had planned, that I would do what I always did for her – the dirty work. I should have told her that she was too good to even interact with him. I failed. I failed her. I failed my parents. I failed myself.

I don’t care how selfish this sounds. I don’t care if you – or anyone – think that I should redeem myself and make up for whatever I did for her by staying alive. I don’t even want to redeem myself. I don’t deserve redemption. I don’t have a reason to pursue it, or anything else. Besides, even if I tried to be forgiven for all the horrible things I’ve done in my life, only fools would accept me as I am. I’ve killed, manipulated, hurt and betrayed for Junko-chan, for her despair. No one in their right mind would want to associate themselves with me.

Now that Junko-chan will be executed, there is absolutely nothing for me to do. My spirit will die with her. It’s already begun dying. There is nothing to save and change. Everything has been taken away from me.

I don’t even miss what I used to be – I don’t think I have the strength to do so. I just don’t want anything. I don’t want to go back in time, but I don’t want to experience the future. I want to disappear. I’m scared that if I don’t, the grief from failing and the guilt from all the things I’ve done in the past will eat me alive. Yet, I know that if someone invented a time-machine, I wouldn’t do anything any differently. I loved Junko-chan, I’d still do anything for her. That’s another part of why I think I don’t deserve to go on living. I don’t deserve anyone’s forgiveness because I’m not even fully sorry. I feel guilty about what I’ve done, but I don’t regret it.

Once she was done writing, Mukuro slid the sheet of paper across the desk, letting Gekkogahara-san read it. It had been quite painful for her to admit all of this, even on paper, and she couldn’t help but feel slightly embarrassed knowing that someone else would read it. Letting herself be so vulnerable around a stranger was a new thing for her. She couldn’t tell if it was the right thing. Despite that, she felt different. She couldn’t exactly describe what putting her messy thoughts in order on paper had done to her, but it had definitely done something. Usami’s voice filled the room again, snapping Mukuro out of her thoughts and making her wonder why she couldn’t just speak to her again:

“What you’re feeling isn’t unusual! It’s normal for you to feel like there is nothing left for you to do. Everything you’ve known so far vanished so unexpectedly. It’s okay to be confused and to not know what to do with yourself now, Ikusaba-chan.”

“Why are you telling me this? Aren’t you supposed to help me?” She asked, unable to understand why she was disregarding what she’d written about her guilt and lack of regrets – it seemed to be the most important part about it to her, after all.

“I think it’s time for you to try new things!” Usami winked, pointing her magic wand at Mukuro. “Just like what we’re doing now. Opening up to someone is new to you, isn’t it?”

The soldier nodded. She still wasn’t sure where Gekkogahara-san was trying to go with this, but after all of this, she felt more inclined to listen to her suggestions. It hadn’t actually solved any of her problems, but now that she had gotten them out of her system and was discussing them with another person, she had to admit that her situation felt less overwhelming.

“Now that your sister is gone, this isn’t the only new thing you’ll be able to try.” The bunny’s voice was extremely enthusiastic, and Mukuro couldn’t help but cringe. Sure, she had all these possibilities, but it wasn’t like there was anything she wanted to do, no matter how good venting had felt.

“I… I don’t…” She felt hesitant, questioning her very thoughts. “I don’t want to do this alone. It’s terrifying,” she eventually admitted.

“What makes you think you’re alone? Do you really think people will hold everything you’ve done against you knowing your circumstances?”

Mukuro sighed. She hated to admit that Gekkogahara-san had a point. If knowing her story wouldn’t be enough for everyone, the people who had been under Junko-chan’s influence on that fated day would understand – they’d experienced it themselves. Besides, she knew some people would have an easier time forgiving her and accepting her than others. A week ago, she would have thought about it as a stupid weakness, but today, it felt comforting. She nervously tugged on her sleeves, trying to think of what to say.

“I suppose you’re right.”

“I don’t know if you’re ready just yet, but when the time is right, I’ll make sure to let your friends come visit you if they want to! For the time being, there is one thing I want you to do to make you feel less hopeless and alone.”

“What do I have to do?”

“Since you aren’t too good at communicating, keeping a diary might help you! You don’t even have to let me read it, I just want you to do it for your own sake, regardless of therapy. It can be one of your new experiences. I’ll also be seeing you every two days, so if the diary is useless, we’ll be able to figure something out together.”

“I… Sure, okay,” Mukuro replied, cringing at the thought of keeping a journal. She was the Ultimate Soldier – something like that felt out of character for her. Following orders, however, did not. That was why she would try it in spite of how she felt about it.

“Wonderful!” Usami jumped around the screen, grinning in victory. Gekkogahara-san was fumbling through her desk’s drawers, until she retrieved a black notebook from one of them. “You can use this as your diary.”

Mukuro took the notebook and stood up as the therapist’s avatar notified her that the session was over, and that she should never hesitate to contact her if she ever felt like she needed to talk. The solider curtly nodded and said goodbye before walking out of the room. She had no idea why, but there had been something in what had happened in that office that had awakened some energy she didn’t know she had. Maybe Gekkogahara-san was right – maybe there were many things she could do and maybe she had to live for all the people whose lives had been cut short because of Junko-chan’s orders.

#naegiri #naekusaba

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wbbbrothers · 5 years ago

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Dear We Bare Bears,

Hello! I am Sugs. Within the next month, I will be in the start of my college experience as an Illustration major. That fact is completely wild to think about considering when I first started watching this show (on this day four years ago) I was entering High School as a freshman student and I was, in fact, a completely different person. Therefore, I decided that because I am stepping into a whole new chapter of my life and this show has been with me the entire way... this Anniversary I wanted to write about how this show has impacted me over the past four years.

Apologies for this being a long post, I have a lot to say.

I created this blog right at the end of the premiere week of this show. I had watched every new episode airing during that Bearbomb that week. One of the last episodes of the week was Primal. So, while it was still airing and I decided in the middle of it that I was hooked! And I knew I needed to make an ask blog to enjoy these silly bear brother characters and fuel the love I had already already found for the show somehow. Wbbbrothers was that ask blog.

I didn’t know at the time but that was possibly one of the best decisions I could have ever made for myself at that point in my life and do mean that very sincerely. Growing up, having intense interest in media that took over my entire creative output was always a very common thing (and obviously still is). These large phases were able to keep my full attention about 1-2 years tops until my brain latched onto something new. But, out of all of those I have to say that We Bare Bears and Bears in general truly are very special to me. I have never been able to create such a variety of stories, embrace so many flawed and imperfect yet still loved characters and feel so deeply about them and the stories I was telling through them. Especially for this long of a time. We Bare Bears as a show holds a great deal of heartfelt comfort for me.

To me: We Bare Bears is a unique show in the fact that (most of the time) it has a very casual, down to earth and calming atmosphere about it. That being said, it is never afraid to experiment or step foot into other genres thanks to its open ended and episodic nature. It is not perfect by any means, like any cartoon written by human beings with flaws. But I admire the love that gets put into it with its personalized watercolored backgrounds, muted palette aesthetics, little visual humor and amazing colorists in general. It can be hit or miss sometimes but it is episodes like Chicken & Waffles, Chloe & Ice Bear, Occupy Bears, Yuri & The Bear, Hibernation, Hurricane Hal and more that remind me why I fell in love with the show in the first place. It loves the quiet moments just as much as I do. It does not have to be constantly shoving stimulation down your throat and in your face in order to tell a fun or compelling story. I have always respected its ability to take things at a slower pace sometimes, especially when a lot of current cartoons tend to lean towards Snappiness (snappy humor, snappy action, bright colors and fast pacing)

We Bare Bears feels like warmth. When I re-watch my favorite character driven episodes I cannot remove the fond smile from my face and when I re-watch my favorite adventure filled episodes it always sends me bouncing in my seat.

My method with interacting with my interests was always to create my own fan-content or Alternate Universes with the characters that I loved. It was my way of putting a piece of me into the characters whether it be through my other interests in media or my own experiences and feelings. The AUs I make are a genuine form of self-expression to me.

Obviously, the Character Driven and Open Ended Slice of Life nature of We Bare Bears as a series really opened up the flood gates in terms of my creativity and ideas for AUs. I never felt happier than when I was creating new jokes or dialogue or just silly scenarios. Alternate Universes were a combination of all the parts I loved about creating for me and they started to act as my own free-roam stories to explore these favorite characters of mine in all sorts of different ways. Since I have started, my work has only improved the more love and passion I put into it.

Superhero AU and Bad Bears are my main two fan stories/AUs of mine that have been around since I was 14-15 and are two of the most developed AUs I have ever had. They taught me a lot about, developing fictional worlds, characters and plotlines and I am STILL developing and enjoying them even now! They’ve also inspired me to make so many other OCs and stories so much as influencing future projects that I am currently in the middle of developing.

It baffles me to think of a world where I never watched We Bare Bears and never was able to be influenced by its fans, its art, writing and its characters.

If you’ve been on this blog long enough you might recall that my first Wbb AU was your average run of the mill Zombie AU (this was while wbbbrothers was still primarily an ask blog) not to be confused with my Zombie 2 AU which is a completely different premise entirely aside from the zombie apocalypse part. Long story short, I had a Fuckload of AUs back then and I mean A Lot. Enough to get condescending messages over, even some curse outs. (Not everyone I met over the four years was the greatest...) I was scared away from publicly speaking about most of them the way that I used to. While my technical skill was lacking for that age and I could not write a solid scene to save my life, despite the negativity, the intense passion and enjoyment I felt from making content kept me enthralled with the show. I kept making my AUs in private and developing them, posting more general fanart and occasionally art for my Superhero AU publicly. I even started to get pretty good at drawing Bears! And managed to make some friends who shared interests with me, something I never got to have offline.

It was not all great of course, the past four years have been extremely hard for me and extremely hard for everybody else, I’m sure. Bears was my default thought when surviving High School; my go-to pick me up. I seriously would say that it has saved me more than once whether it be through talking to my friends I met because of it or just offering a distraction/creative outlet from whatever was going on in my life.

Prior to becoming a fan I never would have thought I would have been able to make so many stories, projects, art, writing and comics and talk to so many amazing creators and people all thanks to this one show about Socially Awkward Bears living in San Fransisco.

But here we are.

And you know what, even when I inevitably move onto newer projects or interests, I think Bears will always be an important influencer to me. The wonderful people I have met throughout these four years have given me so much support and love and friendship like none I have ever been allowed to experience before. I have learned so much about my identity through my friendships and my stories. And even the awful people I have met taught me what NOT to do and what to avoid when moving forward in my life.

I am just. So, so grateful for everything and being able to pursue what I love and have it be received by others to make them feel things too. There is a Lot more I could say I am sure but since this is long enough as is I will send it off here.

So from the bottom of my heart I can only say Thank you. Thank you to my friends who still talk to me to this day, I love you guys. Thank you to those I used to speak to but don’t anymore, our friendship of the past still stays with me. Thank you to anyone who enjoys my work, my stories and follows me despite my wild ramblings such as this!! (If you’re still reading this wow, points to you)

And Thank you We Bare Bears for helping me grow so much as an artist and giving me a sense of direction and purpose with my work as a hurting teenager who was very, very lost in 2015.

Sincerely yours,

Wbbbrothers <3

#anniversary rant #wbb #modspeaks #SORRY IM A SAP #text heavy #long post

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jessadamsdraws · 6 years ago

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A 2D Bendy story that I am excited to share.

Chapter one: Loose memories

Dear Henry,

It seems like a lifetime since we worked on cartoons together. 30 years really slips away. Doesn’t it. If you’re back in town. Come visit the old workshop. There’s something I need to show you. Your best pal

-Joey Drew.

Henry couldn’t help but laugh at what he was reading. ‘Best pal’? Ha! What a joke. Last he saw from that bastard was a letter opener to the back and a dream that they had once shared die. The worst part was he couldn’t even get the actual time they had spent together at the studio right. He signed and crumpled the small letter into a ball a cucked it at the bin.

“Who was that from?”

Henry looked up and his eyes met a small girl. She was doing her homework on the small kitchen table while he was working on some paperwork as well as, reading the mail. That girl was his best friends’ daughter that he met during the war. Henry could remember the day they met very vividly.

He wasn’t really a solider more like a bodyguard if anything. I would stand guard and make sure that the enemy wouldn’t hurt any of the doctors or the already wounded soldiers. He would also be one of the front-runners to help any soldiers that got injured as well. So, he was on duty guarding the tent, listening to the bombs and gun shot’s in the distance, even though they were far away it didn’t make him feel any better if they were closer. Suddenly he heard the voice calling that there was an injured man and he ran to help and saw him laying there. He picked him up and cared him to the tent. After that, they started to talk, and the rest was history.

After the war, he married his sweetheart and had a girl. Henry then became the godfather of that girl. But, unfortunately, he soon had to use his title. For him and his wife got into a fight and it ended in blood. His friend laid to rest and his wife put away for the rest of her life leaving her in his care at too small of a young age.

“Huh, it’s nothing. Just an old … “co-worker” from my old job, Jenna.” Henry said waving it off and picking up another letter cutting it open.

“From when you were an animator!?”

Henry couldn’t help but smile. Jenna was so fascinated with the time he was an animator that sometimes he thinks that she’s truly his kid. In fact, she found one of his old sketchbooks in the attic filled with the characters from the cartoon ‘Bendy the dancing demon and friends’. She started to draw them by looking at the sketch and tried to copy them, much to Henry dislike. He didn’t disprove of her wanting to learn how to draw, hell. He himself works part-time as a sketch artist for the police from time to time. It was just the characters that she always drew. They just held a bad taste in his mouth that he just couldn’t swallow.

“Yes, now focus on your homework.” Henry said trying to change the subject of ‘that’ place.

“Come on, I’m almost done but, what did it say?” Jenna said as she climbed higher on the chair, using her knees to make her a little taller but, not by much.

Henry knew her too well to know that she wasn’t going to drop the conversation.

“He wanted me to go back to the studio. Said he wants to show me something.”

“Well, are you going to go?”

“No, it's all the way on the other side of the city at least a ten-hour drive. Besides I have to look after you, you munchkin.” He said ruffling her hair causing her to shrink back into the chair. She made a squeaking noise of disapproval but was laughing at the same time which Henry couldn’t help finding adorable.

“You can call Tami or Aunty June. They could look after me.”

“No, June lives five hours in the opposite direction and Tami is too busy with her new store.”

Jenna smiled looking at Henry.

“But, you are considering to though.”

Henry saw what she did. He let out a sigh and rubbed his full face.

“Maybe… Tami can look after you. Only if you promise me that you help her out in the store on the weekends. Deal?”

“Deal!”

“Good… Now finish your homework and wash up and bed.”

“Yes, Henry.”

Henry opened his eye and saw he was back the studio. He looked up and saw the giant hole that he fell through.

“… Jenna, I’m sorry. I don’t think I’ll be back by next week.” Henry said getting up.

Why did he have to come here? What did he really think would happen?

Yeah, a huge monster coming out of a machine that activates by objects all he found, wasn’t really what he had in mind for today.

“I have to find a way out of here.”

Henry got up and looked around the room that he was in. It was small and just as run down like what he saw from when he entered the studio moments ago. There was a small work table with an ax and a toolbox. It also had a bunch of papers that were blank. He recognized the table almost instantly.

“Woah, this is Wally’s work desk. Man, it's still standing?” Henry said to himself in amazement. Him and Wally really didn’t know each other that well. In fact, he would rarely see him in the studio half the time. He would only he see him in the break room or if he would see him walking down the hall to fix one of the plumbing values. He would always complain about how Joey always asked him to fix this and that or how Joey would yell at him for trying to clean his office. That one day he would be ‘outta here’ and guessing from the tape recording he found earlier he was still here even after he left. Because he sure as hell wasn’t here when that machine was added to the studio.

He grabbed the ax and hacked the wood board that was nailed to the door and opened it. Inside he was met with a flooded room of nothing but thick ink. Henry begrudgingly walked down the steps and into the cold liquid. Being about five foot, the ink covered about three-fourths of his body. He saw a pressure value on the other side of the room. Having no other choose seeing he was already in the inky muck anyway. He turned the wheel on the pipe and just as he hoped all the ink drained out of the room.

Now being able to walk around more effectively he talks a look around the room. There wasn’t much of worth in terms of resources however, there was something that caught his attention that made his whole body go numb. On the far wall was an inky message just like the other one he saw earlier. But, this one. This one just didn’t sit right with him.

‘The creator lied to us’

“Oh Joey, what were you doing?” Henry said to himself. He couldn’t move or pull his eyes away from the message. What final snapped him out of it was a sudden noise coming from the door behind him. It almost sounded like tapping.

Was someone tap dancing down here?

He opened the door and found a bunch of boards in his way through the board he could make out a light source coming from another room off to the side. He started to hack his way through the many boards. Finally making his way to the room.

Inside was a bunch of coffins and a symbol on the floor.

“Henry?! Is that really you?”

Henry spun around, looking in all directions around him. Funny enough the voice sounded almost like Bendy. Why was Joey talking in his Bendy voice?

“Joey? Is that you?” Henry called out looking for Joey.

“No silly, it's me ya favorite buddy…”

Henry finally saw it but, he wasn’t sure if he believed it yet. There on the wall stood a five-inch ink drawing of Bendy. But, that wasn’t the crazy part no, the crazy part was the drawing was moving and talking to him.

“Bendy?” Henry asked to confirm that he wasn’t going crazy.

“That’s me.” He said back to him.

Henry couldn’t believe this. His own cartoon talking to him and moving around like he was fully animated right in front of him. He stepped back in disbelief, stepping right on top of the symbol in the middle of the room. Suddenly Henry felt a shot of pain. Images flashed in his head repeatedly, till his body couldn’t take it anymore. He passed out onto the ground.

I really want to write more so please support me and ask if you want more

#2D Bendy AU #bendy and the ink machine #bendy au

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britesparc · 6 years ago

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Weekend Top Ten #369

Top Ten Favourite Things About Teen Titans Go!

One of the funny things about life is observing elements of circularity. For instance, nearly twenty years ago, my younger brother really got into the original Teen Titans cartoon, and I sort of got into it with him (having a brother ten years younger than yourself is very good for keeping your oar in with kids’ content when you’re supposed to be too old for that sort of thing; as a result, I got to thoroughly enjoy Justice League, Samurai Jack, Harry Potter and lots more stuff that may have otherwise passed me by). I knew who the Titans were but hadn’t read a lot of their comics; the cartoon was my introduction to most of those characters. It was really good, benefited from a tremendous theme tune, and – for its time – quietly revolutionary in how it incorporated anime aesthetics into a western cartoon. Plus it had a cracking voice cast, which – not that I knew it at the time – would become as synonymous with those characters as Peter Cullen, Frank Welker, and Kevin Conroy had done with cartoons I’d watched as a child.

(that’s Optimus, Megatron, and Batman, in case you’re wondering)

Anyway, here we are, eighteen-or-so years later, and Teen Titans is just a beloved long-gone cult classic but bizarre comedic spin-off Teen Titans Go! is a minor phenomenon. The same characters, the same actors, but wilder, weirder, funnier, crazier, way more violent, and – bizarrely – far more integrated into the wider DC Universe. And my kids – especially my eldest daughter – bloody love the show. It is huge in our house. We’ve seen the film, we listen to the songs, they draw their own comics, they roleplay the characters; we have a home-made Raven costume, for god’s sake. I have a six-year-old who knows who Tara Strong is. This is incredible.

As a result, I’ve seen an awful lot (not quite every episode) of Teen Titans Go!. It’s fortunate, then, that it’s fantastic, easily one of the best comic-book cartoon adaptations ever made. It’s not just how funny it is; it’s madcap and self-referential and full of many (many) MANY DC comics references. And great, great songs. And – like I said before – tremendous performances. Teen Titans Go! To the Movies is a great, great movie with great, great songs and many great, great gags, and it’s a mixed blessing that it ended up being released in what may well be Annus Mirabilis for superhero movies: it’s great that it’s mixing it up with Infinity War, Black Panther, and Spider-Verse, but I feel it got overshadowed a bit. Say what you will for the slightly more “serious” original Teen Titans series, but it was the barmy chibi-inspired stepchild that got a movie.

So this week, I’m celebrating what has become my second-favourite superhero cartoon of all time (after Batman: The Animated Series, natch). My ten favourite things about Teen Titans Go!. Enjoy!

The Songs: I tried to pick a song, or some reference or line or scene, but really it’s impossible. The songs are sublime. So great, in fact, that I’ll probably do another Top Ten at some point listing my favourite TTG songs. Really catchy, great lyrics, supremely diverse, and full of references not just to DC but to, well, everything. There’s a song about America that includes the line “Samuel L. Jackson on the stamp”, which makes no sense as far as I can figure, but is just wonderful.

Deep, Deep (DEEP) Cut DC References: it started with the Darkseid doll. A little plush Darkseid doll that’s always leaning against the couch. How cute, how funny; Darkseid, the literal embodiment of evil, but as an adorable snuggly. And then it got deeper, and weirder, and more wild. B’wana Beast. Alternate universe Robins. “That movie where their moms are both called Martha”. The Haunted Tank. The Haunted Tank! What kind of kids’ show references The Haunted Tank?! And then there’s the fact that The Comedian’s blood-stained smiley face badge is on display in the Batcave. Let’s go back over that one: there are Watchmen references in this cartoon for six-year-olds.

Batman and Gordon: the original Teen Titans cartoon pretty much never mentioned any aspect of the universe outside of the five characters, barring one fleeting visual reference to the Batcave and the episode where you meet the Doom Patrol. TTG has no qualms about explaining that, yes, Robin is Batman’s sidekick. So we see the Batcave, and Wayne Manor, and Alfred. But it’s Batman’s relationship with Gordon that’s golden. Not just stoic men’s men who diligently work alongside one another, never questioning, never needing to; no, they’re best mates, giggling schoolkids who want to shirk off all work and just sit in their PJs watching crap on the telly. Like a superheroic version of Beavis and Butt-Head, they’re often there, in the background, goofing off, playing games, undercutting the narrative. It’s such a perfect inversion of Batman’s usual persona and a great way of referencing – in supremely silly terms – the deep bond of affection between the two men in most Batman fiction. I especially like when Superman gives Gordon to Batman as a birthday present.

The Night Begins to Shine: I know I said I wouldn’t single out one song, but we do need to talk about The Night Begins to Shine. More than just a cool song in one episode, it blossomed into a whole weird parallel universe filled with bizarre references to ‘80s heavy metal and, well, Heavy Metal. Almost coming off like a primary school version of Mandy, the multi-part epic about Cyborg fighting a giant dragon in the “Night” universe, complete with cameos from people like CeeLo Green and Fall Out Boy (as Transformers!), is just a thing of absolute beauty. Truly, the level of reference and artistry on display in terms of writing, composition, and animation won’t be understood by the kids watching now until they’re quite a bit older. They’ll come back to this in ten, fifteen, twenty years and think “wow, now I see what they were doing; that’s so, so weird”.

The Holiday Mascots: belligerent Santa is the king (“you garbage kids!”), a fat psychopath trying to take over every other holiday, but let’s spare a thought for the other representations of holidays, too. The creepy Tooth Fairy, who eats teeth. The turkey from Thanksgiving who is horribly mutilated. Uncle Sam. And the Easter Bunny. Oh my god, the Easter Bunny. Genuinely unsettling. Words can’t describe. Seriously, check it out, it’s some Babadook-level freaky shit.

Raven’s Legs: a little bit worrying when you’ve got two kids under seven watching it, but the fact that Raven is not just hiding very, very sexy legs underneath her cloak, but is also capable of becoming an entirely other superhero who uses her legs as weapons, is very, very funny. Watching Beast Boy go full Tex Avery when he sees Raven’s legs is one of those gags that, I guess, works on different levels if you’re a child or an adult. Regardless, turning snarky sourpuss Raven into golden-costumed Lady Legasus is a nice move.

Breaking the Fourth Wall: they only really do this explicitly once or twice, I think, but overall the show is incredibly self-referential. From Control Freak trying to get them rebooted or cancelled, to jokes about the animation or the writing, it’s beautifully self-deprecating. This reaches its apex in the 200th episode specials, when the Titans journey into “our” world. It’s hilarious to see them interact with their own voice actors, but for me it’s the note-perfect representation of directing voice actors that’s really funny, almost as good as Toast of London in its depiction. Plus the gag about everyone who works on the show being ultimately replaceable. A scathing indictment of the animation industry, wrapped up in an animation; like The Simpsons in its heyday.

Genuinely Quite Upsetting Violence: I don’t think I’d ever seen a cartoon for small children before that quite regularly featured its main characters having their bones visibly broken. And by “visibly” I mean “cutting to an X-ray of their limb to show the bone shearing in half or crumpling to dust”. It’s almost rare for an episode to go by without one or more of the Titans experiencing life-altering injuries. I’m honestly not sure how they get away with it. but it is funny. Apex moment? Oh, undoubtedly them beating the shit out of Shia LaBeouf in the movie.

Real-World References: clearly the people who make Teen Titans Go! are in their late thirties or early forties; people who grew up in the ‘80s and absorbed ‘80s culture. People who liked Transformers and Star Wars and Back to the Future, who listened to rock music, who liked toys and videogames. They probably grew into teenagers who were fans of obscure animations, cult movies, sci-fi, fantasy, horror. They are, basically, me. I think I would get on quite well with the creators of TTG, based on the things they reference. But beyond cultural appropriation, it’s the references to daylight saving’s time, “shareconomics”, American politics and history, “The Man”, and more, that is so wild and weird to see in a cartoon for young kids. They handle these topics beautifully (I’m honestly not sure if my kids think the things the Titans are talking about are real or not), but as a grown-up it’s really funny to see these gags in a kids’ cartoon. I mean, the Titans fight the Illuminati in one episode. They reference “lizard men in Congress”. It’s bonkers.

Nicolas Cage: in Teen Titans Go! To the Movies, Nicolas Cage plays Superman. That’s it. I mean, what more do you want? The guy whose whole career almost seems to have hinged on playing Superman finally gets to be Superman. The guy who was nearly – oh so nearly – Superman for Tim Burton is now, at last, Superman. The guy who named his kid Kal-El is now Superman. The guy who was namechecked in The Ultimates about eighteen years ago (“this guy wants to be a superhero almost as much as Nicolas Cage”) is now Superman. It’s such a meta-gag, such a high-level gag. Stunt casting taken to its nth degree. It’s even funnier than Billy Dee Williams playing Two-Face in LEGO Batman. And it got better – this part, I concede, beyond the purview of the TTG creators – because the same year he played Superman, Nicolas Cage also played (an alternate universe version of) Spider-Man in Into the Spider-Verse. And, as I alluded to above, starred in his own version of The Night Begins to Shine when he made Mandy. It all links!

There we go. my favourite things. This was tough, I had to leave a lot out. I’m particularly saddened by not finding room for Cyborg’s tiny body made up of wires whenever he removes his head. And The Jeff; gutted I missed The Jeff. Or the episode that references all the movie incarnations of Batman, including a dumpster full of Batman Forever and Batman & Robin stuff (I’ll save my argument that TTG serves as an even better comic analysis and deconstruction of the meta-character of Batman, and of Robin, than the much-ballyhooed LEGO incarnations for another day). It’s really a great show. I love it to bits. Go watch it.

#top ten #teen titans #teen titans go #teen titans go to the movies #cartoons #dc #comics #robin #starfire #raven #beast boy #cyborg

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today-only-happens-once · 7 years ago

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Further than Falsehoods: a Look at Deceit

The following post is taking a look at some aspects of Deceit in order to point out the ways his manipulation is much more than just straight up lies. I know Thomas and Joan (Joan especially) put a lot of thought and work into creating Deceit as a character, and some aspects I haven’t seen talked about in the fandom yet. So I wanted to kind of take some time to explain my read on Deceit so as for me to express my huge appreciation for just how much thought and nuance and work must have gone into his development.

So basically, this is an absurdly long analysis of Deceit in “Can LYING be Good??” with the aim of bringing to light some things Joan and Thomas did in his character design that I think deserves more recognition for the thought that had to go into it.

Disclaimer: In no way is this supposed to be a justification for manipulation and lying. There is substantial conversation about both lies and manipulation below the cut though.

With that said, let’s begin.

First of all--and this has been touched on by multiple people in the fandom--all of the little details when he was disguised as Patton that hinted that he wasn’t really our Happy Pappy Patton? Brilliant move. Some of these hints include:

he just “appears”, he doesn’t rise up

using his old cardigan instead of the cat hoodie

“I’m silly like that”

checking his hand as if for notes while saying “Right? you know how I love cartoons?”

his growing excitement (rather than discomfort like Roman had expected/shown himself) as the lying scenarios progress

“Yeah, everyone knows where babies come from. Messenger falcons.” (real Patton mentions storks in another video)

Now let’s look at how Deceit manipulates, shall we? Yes, he tells blatant lies. But I think it’s a mistake to think that’s the extent of the manipulation he does in this video.

Although Logan has seemed to gain in popularity, previous episodes has Virgil specifically identifying Logan as the least popular character. That means identifying him as “everyone’s favorite character” is probably meant to be a falsehood (hah). Many others have pointed out the same thing. However, I think the manipulation runs a bit deeper here.. Not to over-infer, but I think it’s likely that Deceit realized getting Logan, the Voice of Reason, on his side (get it?) will help him in his further manipulation through establishing good rapport.

Invoking Immanuel Kant in the way that Deceit does--given what we understand his end-goal to be--is actually a very manipulative strategy. He wants to lead Thomas to make the decision to lie on his own. In using Kant, Deceit is doing a few things. One is that he is working to leverage a certain level of authority in knowledge here. This is taking a logos-based approach as a foundation (which is precisely why it impresses Logan). However, he pushes this logos-based approach by including the dilemma:

What if a known murderer came to your house, asking where your friend was so they could kill them? Would you tell the truth then?

The answer is, of course, an emphatic no. But Deceit is careful to point out that this philosopher who does not support lying would say “yeppers”. This therefore creates a doubt about perceiving lying is bad by using a pathos-based approach to discredit the logos he had just set up. What does this effectively do?

It eliminates the absolutes. There is no convincing Thomas that lying is always good, but Deceit can and does convince Thomas that it is not always bad by using both an extreme example and backing his argument up with “outside authority” on morals. He even gets Thomas to admit as much:

Deceit!Patton: So you think Kant is wrong?

Thomas: Yeah!

Even when Virgil attempts to call him out on “his” hypocrisy, Patton turns the confusion (at best) and/or accusation (at worst) around on Virgil by playing on a substantial part of his role as Anxiety:

Deceit!Patton: Well, it’s all about priorities, friendo. What’s more important to us? Joan’s feelings? Or honesty?

This attempt at manipulation also comes in later, as we will see in a bit.

After deciding to act our different scenarios, Roman assigns roles to everyone. Except Deceit claims the role with (arguably) the most control for himself:

And even when Roman gives him some push back, he knows just the right threads to pull to make sure he lands the role that puts him in the pilot seat for lying. It’s a dangerous position for the other Sides (and Thomas). It is precisely why he convincingly worms his way into it.

Given this power, Deceit showers Roman with compliments, perhaps to keep him receptive to feedback and more open to allowing “Patton” to have that control he usurped from him a moment ago:

But since Thomas tells the truth in this first situation, Deceit intervenes.

Deceit knows he still has to seem like Patton, so his criticism cannot be too harsh. However, as Deceit is trying to condition Thomas to lie through exposure and “practice”, so to speak, he also must convince Thomas that his first reaction is the wrong one. Thomas, of course, is hurt by this feedback as we see here:

This is such a quick moment, but I think it’s an important one that nods to the layers of Deceit’s character that comes into even more play later on. But his nod to the fact that deception hurts ourselves as much as it can hurt others is a seed that is planted here in this moment that grows much more later on in the episode.

Deceit tries to push past this moment by quickly asking to run the scene again and ignoring Thomas’ hurt and confusion here. Another hint that “Patton” is not as he claims to be. But had Deceit allowed anyone to dwell on this moment (including Thomas), it is likely the bit of control he had asserted over the situation would have quickly been revoked.

After the lying scenarios fall apart, Deceit becomes more desperate, and his manipulations become significantly less subtle.

Feeling that he’s losing traction, Deceit turns to a more common mode of manipulation through the question he poses to Thomas:

The implication being, as he has been hinting at through the entire video, that the only way to avoid Joan’s anger is to lie to them. There’s an assumption in this question that is clearly meant to direct Thomas’s line of thought. “You don’t wan’t to make Joan mad at you, do you?” is a question that everybody already knows the answer to. Of course Thomas doesn’t want Joan to be mad at him. The implication, however, is that the only way for Thomas to get this desired outcome is to lie to them.

Even when Thomas expresses doubt, Deceit then turns to someone else for back up. Specifically, the person who has been the easiest to convince thus far.

“You won’t if it’s done correctly. Right, Roman?”

At this point, Deceit seems to be seeking to put a kind of peer pressure on Thomas. He is grasping at straws. This is emphasized even further when--upon Roman and Logan drawing the important distinction between acting and deception--he turns to Virgil. Here, we see Deceit return (with less subtlety) back to the manipulative tool he hinted at in the beginning: he toys with Virgil’s fear of Thomas losing his loved ones (which was stated explicitly in Moving On Part 2).

“Virgil, buddy, uh, I know you weren’t too keen on it at first, but come on! Could you stand to lose the support of one of Thomas’ friends?”

This is perhaps the clearest example, to me, of how Deceit’s manipulation does not stop at simply “he says things that aren’t true”. Here, he is intentionally amplifying the potential of one of Virgil’s greatest fears so as to convince him to back his side of the argument. He manipulates the insecurity as a means of convincing.

And when Virgil just shuts him down (one of my personal favorite Virgil moments) Deceit uses the last tool in his belt: his physical deception in his appearance as Patton.

He points to himself to reassert and emphasize his physical presence and appearance. In saying “Virgil, it’s me. Aren’t we friends?” Deceit has been forced to use Patton’s reputation and relationships as a last attempt at manipulation for his own benefit. But here’s the thing:

Deceit has already become his own downfall in this moment. His desperation has led him to not act like Patton would or should. Virgil knows this, and that is precisely why this attempt also falls through. Deceit is entirely on his own at this point, and has become backed into a corner.

His desperation is no longer subtle. He is floundering, and his mask is slipping as a result. He becomes more straightforward, and much more forceful. At very end, he seems to be trying to become downright intimidating in his frustration:

Deceit!Patton: Thomas! I know this sounds backwards, but sometimes... lying is good!

Roman: Mm... but you’ve said before--

Deceit!Patton: I know what I said. It doesn’t matter. In this situation, it is the right thing to do. Period.

Thomas: Patton, no.

And finally when he loses the last of the influence and control he had, when Thomas decides that no matter how much it might hurt he must tell Joan the truth, Deceit gives up the charade.

Deceit knows that the game is up. Thomas has made up his mind, and there’s nothing Deceit can do about it. Before, his manipulations were more subtle and nuanced. Now? Now, Deceit’s motive has changed.

Deceit wants to be able to try again. He can’t do that if he becomes truly unmasked, and Thomas is able to identify and name him. So for a brief moment, Deceit is all about keeping the mouths shut of the other Sides, even if his performance as Patton has largely become abandoned.

So long as he can keep their mouths shut, Deceit can try again. Manipulation can warp our sense of reality, and nothing expresses that in the Sides’ dynamic as clearly as literally stealing the words out of Logan’s mouth and muffling them.

However, Thomas ultimately has the agency here, as these are facets of his personality (as Virgil emphatically reminds him). Once again, Deceit attempts to manipulate the people around him. In this case, by potentially scaring Thomas.

This backfires, of course. Thomas reacts to being taunted in such a way by demanding he be told. As a result, Deceit is finally fully unnmasked.

And here, we see a final shift in Deceit’s motives, I think. He has been revealed. Thomas knows about him. He can no longer stop that from happening, but he can influence the impression he leaves and the ways he is perceived as a threat to Thomas. Here’s something that I think is really clever about his character: it’s not until this moment that the whole “Deceit just tells blatant lies” really gets under way, and it gets started immediately.

Boldfaced lies Deceit tells after he is unmasked:

Who’s she? Never heard of her.

Love the new outfit, Roman.

And Virgil, I adore the more intense eyeshadow. It totally doesn’t make you look like a raccoon.

[V: Did you just finish washing some dishes?] Yes.

What you don’t know can’t hurt you.

I am and always have been Patton.

You have no morality.

I mean that didn’t hurt me, at all.

This all went according to plan.

You’ve seen the last of me.

This is almost every line of dialogue Deceit has after he is revealed. But he didn’t speak in such blatant lies when disguised as Patton, even though it was still Deceit’s words and actions throughout. For me, that means that those lies are a deception not only in their meaning, but in their intent as well. Deceit wants to seem like less of a threat than he actually was posing through his many layers of complex manipulation earlier in the video.

In other words, we shouldn’t be quick to forget that the deception incurred when disguised as Patton was still very much Deceit. He is not merely who he is only after he is unmasked.

Additionally, Logan helps us understand the many layers Deceit represents: lying to ourselves being an extremely important and often overlooked one, I think. As Logan says, “you placed distance between who you are, and the lies that you tell. [Deceit] is responsible for your doing so”. He gets his power, in fact, from Thomas lying to and/or deceiving himself, more than from lying to another.

Frankly, I think Deceit in this video was a brilliantly nuanced and complex character for what he represents. The exposition provided by Logan means that Deceit’s role and operation in relation to the other Sides was fascinatingly powerful. He’s a fascinating character construction, and I give huge props to Joan and Thomas for their development of such a complicated character. Clearly so much thought went into him, and I can’t wait to see what else they may have in store.

#ts deceit #sanders sides #deceit sanders #analysis #meta #lies #manipulation #joan #thomas sanders #this is really long wow #deceit is a really well designed character #in my opinion

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frederator-studios · 7 years ago

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Meet Kate Tsang and Jennifer Cho Suhr, Creators of “Welcome to Doozy”

Kate and Jennifer are award-winning, multidimensional filmmakers who bonded over being the food table hoverers at networking events. Others may schmooze; Kate + Jen sandwich. Their passion for food - and for their friendship - shines through in their short “Welcome to Doozy,” our 6th GO! Cartoon. I sat down with these very impressive ladies to discuss the bureaucracy behind imaginary friends, the importance of representation, and karaoke tea-time.

Sooo, how’d you two meet? Kate: We met in film school at NYU, where we were in the same Masters program. Jen: Kate took classes in animation - but I have no animation background, and, sadly, can barely draw...

What brought you together as collaborators? Jen: We were paired in the same production group our first week of school, and became good friends. Kate: We’ve since collaborated on each other’s class exercises, thesis films, and various arty things.

Partners in movie-making! What brought you to Frederator as a team? Kate: I’ve always had an interest in animation. I love Adventure Time and Bee and PuppyCat. So when Natasha Allegri posted on her blog about GO! Cartoons, I told Jen we should ‘go’ for it. Jen: We had - still have! - the concept for a full series prepared, so we actually pitched the show bible first and then reverse-engineered that into the short.

How did “Doozy” change throughout your development process? Jen: A lot, actually. Lou is a Kitsune fox demon now - she started out as an eyeball with cowboy boots! But the concept was always 2 girlfriends, a la Broad City, having misadventures. Kate: A little origin story: Ex (who has always been a rabbit) recently retired from being an imaginary friend. The Bureau of Imaginary Friends handles the re-adjustment of retired IF’s back into the imaginary world. So this is the story of Ex re-assimilating: finding a roommate in Lou, getting a job, and developing a crush on her coworker Skeletim. Jen: Skeletim stayed really consistent since the pitch - Eric (Homan, our VP of Development) always really liked him. We joke that Eric only stuck with us because of Skeletim.

How much are Ex and Lou based on you two, and who’s who? Kate: It’s a bit of a mix… Jen: But I’d say I’m more Ex, almost by default - just because Kate is so much more like Lou. Kate: I AM the mischievous one. Jen: And I’m the more... straight-laced one? I guess that’s the way to put it. Although! Kate is the one who does martial arts, like Ex.

What themes recur in your work? Kate: There’s always hopefulness in mine. I’m interested in outsiders, and finding whimsy and humor, even when things look bleak. I enjoy working in mediums where I can create wonderment. Like right now: I’m learning magic! Jen: I care a lot about representation and grounding stories in the realities of human relationships. The feature film that I’m developing now is inspired by my relationship with my sister. And with “Doozy”: it’s very specific to Kate and my identities as Asian Americans. Kate: Like incorporating the bento box, and the influence of Japanese anime and manga, of which we’re both fans. We were definitely inspired by Hayao Miyazaki’s way with food.

❀ A happy lil side note: one of the most popular Youtube comments on the short reads ‘A lot of people won’t know what a bento is but thanks to you, now they do!’ ❀

Jen: And we were conscious of the fact that most buddy comedies are about male friendships. We wanted to show girls being silly together and represent female friendship as it really is. Kate: That’s why Broad City was such an inspiration and even a motivator for “Doozy”. We were like ‘Ok, people do want to watch this.’

I read recently that Broad City’s viewership is split almost evenly male/female - it’s actually something like 55/45, with more men watching than women. Kate: What? That’s awesome. Jen: It just goes to show that it all comes down to good comedy and strong characters. I’m actually about to have a baby boy which has made me think about the types of stories that I’ll read to him as he grows up. I’ve been thinking of some of my favorite YA books with female protagonists like Anne of Green Gables and A Wrinkle in Time… it’s important to me that he’s able to identify and empathize with female characters. The only reason that boys “wouldn’t be able to” as people say, is if they learn socially that they shouldn’t.

What are some cool things we’ll get to see if “Welcome to Doozy” gets a series? Jen: Well, let’s just say there are some nefarious happenings in Ex’s office…

Gasp! Not Mrs. Hugs! Kate: Nah, not Mrs. Hugs. She’s a true office drone, doesn’t know what’s really up. Jen: We’d also backtrack, to show how Ex and Lou came to be friends and roommates. Kate: And we’d get to introduce their pet popsicle, who lives in the freezer. Jen: And we’d get to see Lou working her job at a run-down mini golf course. She schemes and ~magics~ to keep it afloat. Kate: There’s an underlying mystery, and it’d be a lot of them screwing up while trying to investigate it.

What sorta stuff do you guys like to do together - any wild adventures? Kate: Actually, yes. We try to take a road trip together every year. So far we’ve done the Badlands, the Southwest, the Midwest, the South and New Orleans. Jen: Admittedly, the Midwest was probably the most boring… not to knock where I’m from. But here’s a story: when we were in Nashville - the biggest music town - we quickly realized that karaoke is different there and that everyone getting onstage was a pro or semi-pro country singer. And then Kate got up - Kate: I didn’t know any better. Jen: And sang an Amy Winehouse/Mark Ronson cover amid all this country music. Truly the new kids in town. And the audience TOTALLY ate it up! They loved it. Kate: We karaoke together a lot. Sometimes we rent a room for just the two of us… during the middle of the day… one might call us enthusiasts.

What cartoons do you guys like? Jen: Well, Kate and I have wildly different tastes. But we both love Adventure Time and Rick and Morty. Kate: And we share 90s cartoons, like Dexter’s Lab, Daria, and Invader Zim - Jen: But Kate likes things like Ren & Stimpy - which is too grotesque for me…

What about your favorite Studio Ghibli film? Jen: Spirited Away. Kate: My Neighbor Totoro.

Last up: what are you working on now, and what’s your favorite thing you’ve made in the past? Kate: Favorite film I’ve made is “So You’ve Grown Attached” - “Doozy” inherited elements from it, like the imaginary friends, and the name ‘Ex’. Jen: I’m really focused on getting my feature financed right now, which we want to shoot this summer.

Oo-ooh! What’s it about, and who’s the star? Jen: The film is called You and Me Both and we have Constance Wu from Fresh Off the Boat as one of the stars (me = !!). It’s a drama with comedic notes about two sisters, one a struggling heroin addict, who take a road trip to find their birth mother. While it touches on some heavy topics like loss and addiction, it’s ultimately a love story between sisters… so if anyone is looking to finance a film, hit me up! As far as favorite work… I don’t know… Kate: What about “Saeng-Il”? (“Birthday” in Korean) Jen: Okay, “Saeng-Il” then.

vimeo

And Kate, what are you working on?

Kate: Eeeerrrrrr…. Jen: C’mon! Your feature! Kate: Okay, yeah, I’m working on a feature too. It’s a drama-comedy about a teen delinquent who teams up with a struggling party magician to battle her inner demons, strained home life, and avoid reform school. If anyone happens to know anyone who knows Catherine O’Hara - I’ve got a part for her.

youtube

You heard it here first, folks. Let’s snag financing for “You and Me Both” and Catherine O’Hara as Kate’s lead.

Thanks for taking the time, Kate and Jen! Great chatting with you, and best of luck on all of your projects. Can’t wait to see ‘em on the big screen (and also, little screens).

- Cooper

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my-chemical-friendzone · 7 years ago

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Ask Jane’s Creator (Part XII)

What are those codes that Jane and Dragon are trying to solve?

-From Rose, 8, North Carolina, USA

The codes are dragon runes, or dragon language. Dragon has been collecting anything with runes on it in the hope that it will help him unlock the truth about dragons. He wants to know the full truth, not the stories he hears from shortlives. Most of all he wants to know what happened to dragons and he hopes the runes will help to reveal the past and solve all those mysteries.

Do Pepper, Rake, Smithy, and Jester have family members that work at the castle?

-From Blair, 13, USA

There is now a lot of new information about the characters on the Meet the Cast page! It will tell you all about their families and where they live. For instance, Smithy is the son of a local pig farmer, and his family still live on a small pig farm not far from the castle.

Why does dragon talk to Jane so much?

-From Marquise, 9, Georgia, USA

For three hundred years, Dragon kept himself a secret from the world. He's spied on shortlives, learnt their languages, and tried to understand them. But the few times that he revealed himself he always got into trouble and was attacked...Then he met Jane! At last he found someone who wasn't scared of him and didn't want to kill him. Someone he could talk to. And he has three hundred years of talking to get out of his system!

Who is Jane's father? Will you ever show him on any of the episodes?

-From Julianne, 9, New Jersey, USA

Jane's father is the King's Chamberlain. He runs the castle staff and tries to keep the King's treasury from running out of money. He appears in several episodes, and one in particular where he gets so worried by something that happens to Jane that he gets right into the action himself.

Why is Jane's hair so fluffy?

-From Avery, 10

It's just the way it grows! Her mother, The Lady-In-Waiting, wants Jane to use bows and clips to control it like a proper young lady of the Court. You can imagine what Jane thinks of that idea! So Jane likes it just the way it is, especially because it looks rather like a ball of dragon fire.

Is dragon able to perform magic? I know that some dragons who are older and wiser have that ability, but I do not know whether Dragon qualifies.

-From Muggle, 13, Michigan, USA

No, Dragon can't perform magic. His flying and fire-breathing seem like magic, but they are all due to the methane gas he builds up in his body from eating lots of vegetation. His scales and skin seem like magic because they are too strong for most weapons, but they are just very tough like slivers of bone. Unfortunately, a lot of shortlives in Jane's world used to believe that parts of a Dragon had special magical powers, so they would hunt Dragons for their teeth, claws, and scales.

I study dragons all the time and know dragon scales are hard to get. But why does Jane wear them on her skirt? You have to kill dragons to get their scales, right?

-Tuano, 10, Washington, USA

Well spotted, Tuano! The links on Jane's skirt of armor do look like dragon scales. But they are actually made of metal. They are part of a suit of special armor that was found in Dragon's cave. It's covered in dragon runes and dragon symbols, including the metal scales of the skirt.

Will Jane ever be in a combat?

-From Ned, 7

Sir Theodore is teaching Jane all the skills of being a knight. The first rule is to keep the peace and avoid combat if possible. So Jane tries to use her brain to solve her problems. But she knows that one day she might need to use her skills in combat to defend her friends and the Royal Family. Keep watching, Ned, and you'll find out the answer to your question!

What inspired you to create the show the way you did?

-From Emanuel, 13, Nantucket, MA, USA

We wanted Jane to be a cartoon that wasn't like other cartoons. We have tried to create a world where the characters behave like real people in a real world but who look like drawings from a book. The hope was that we could make a world that looked like it had stepped right out of the pages of a children's book, rather than a normal TV cartoon. I like to think we succeeded...don't you?

Just where do Rake's affections lie? And why?

-From Allisen,13, Idaho, USA

Rake doesn't have a harsh word for anyone. He sees the best in people and has a great deal of affection for Jane and all their friends. But there is one special person who can bring a bit of color into his cheeks, and she does it without rubbing beetroot on his face...though Rake has done that himself once, to please Princess Lavinia!

Do Pepper, Smithy, and Rake play games together?

-From Justin, 10, Mississippi, USA

Yes, they do...they play Bandyball! It was a very popular sport throughout England in Jane's time. It was a team game and could be played with as few as two people on each side or with hundreds. Sometimes entire villages would play against each other! The game involved hitting a ball (made from a pig's bladder that was filled with dried seeds) towards the other team's goal, which could be a post, a wall or a building. It was played with curved sticks and was a bit like modern hockey, except players could kick, throw, and hit the ball.

Did you watch or read any other books to give you an inspiration for these characters?

-From Julianne, 10, San Jose, CA, USA

My inspiration comes from real people. The characters in Jane's world are based on friends I had when I was young, on my children and friends of my children. It's the same for the adult characters. For instance, the King is very much like a teacher I had when I was at school. He was always trying to please everyone and he wasn't as smart as the children he was trying to teach. But he was a kind man and so we were always polite to him even though he was a bit silly and boring.

Do you know a dragon, and are you real?

-From Macie, 10, Tennessee, USA

Yes, I do know Jane's Dragon! He's lived in my head for over twenty years and is always telling me about his adventures from the years before he met Jane. He has now asked me to ask Jane if she would write them down for him. I've promised to pass on the message!

And yes, Macie, I am real. This is not a computer making up replies to all the wonderful questions everyone sends in. My name is Martin Baynton and I wrote the Jane And The Dragon books and work as a producer and writer on the TV series. Sadly, there isn't enough space to answer every question that is sent in, but I read ALL of them and I want to thank you all so much for the kind words and emails of support. They mean a great deal to me and to the rest of the Jane team.

Who does the voices of Jane and Dragon?

-From Maddie, 7, Morristown, NJ, USA

Jane is voiced by a very talented 13-year-old Canadian actress named Tajja Isen. You might recognize her voice on TV as that of Betty from "Atomic Betty" and Jodie from "Time Warp Trio." She's also an accomplished singer -- she portrayed Young Nala in the Toronto production of "The Lion King" for nearly a year -- as well as a pianist and songwriter. I think Tajja has a bright future ahead of her...just like Jane!

The voice behind Dragon belongs to Adrian Truss, one of Canada's leading comedians. He has performed with the Second City comedy on stage and television, as well as with the improv troupe he co-founded, Illustrated Men. You can hear Adrian's voice in other animated series such as "Atomic Betty" and "Rolie Polie Olie." Adrian has also written and directed several plays for the stage. He's a truly multi-talented fellow and we're thrilled that he's helping us bring Dragon to life.

Where is Gunther's mother? Why is there no one to stand up for him against his father?

-From Anna, NY, USA

Gunther doesn't know where his mother is. His father refuses to talk about her and gets very angry if Gunther asks about her. He has a few memories of her and has collected bits of gossip here and there. One tale is that she was the daughter of a rich trader and that the Merchant only married her to get her father's business.

#AJC #JATD Directory #JATD Archive #12th 15 #martin baynton

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illusionlockarchive · 7 years ago

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Belief and Persuasion- Chapter 6

hey folks! i’ve been working on a little batim prequel fanfic for a while n its finally done! its a little long, so im dividing it in 8 chapters total!

if you want to read more, i’ll be tagging this under ‘bap fic’ on my blog!

summary:

Joey Drew gives an interview about how he managed to build his empire, and focuses on the two things needed most: belief and persuasion, the latter of which is trickier. As he talks about his philosophy, we can see examples of his influence at work.

This chapter: Joey invites Susie to dinner.

"And when there is a lack of intimacy? How do you do it then?" The interviewer was barely writing down anything anymore, gaze fixated on Joey Drew.

"Well then, you bring them into your area of intimacy. But not too fast, approach them gently, surprise then with tricks they wouldn't have thought you could pull. And when the opportunity is right there, strike." Joey answered.

---

"Thanks for inviting me to dinner, Mr. Drew." Susie cracked an awkward smile. Of all the crazy things that were happening in her life at the moment, strangely enough dinner with her boss was by far the craziest. And yet, there she was, with her being constantly aware of his eyes fixated on her.

"Oh, it's nothing, don't thank me, thank these blasted times. Debts going up, profits going down, delays in production..." Joey waved his hand, then looked at her again, a warm smile in his lips, different than his usual grin. "So it's in times like these we have to become more united, to prove we're really a family."

"Oh, well, that is very sweet, I just hope you'll understand Mr. Drew, I'm not sure if I'm ready to call you family just yet." Susie leaned back on her chair, shifting her gaze around, quickly taking a sip of her drink.

"Yes, yes, of course, but I want to simply just, get to know you better, Susie, I realize I've been quite neglectful lately, but it's only been the stress. I have to juggle all of these problems that keep piling up, and still make sure you all do your part. It's a hard job, but I'm truly grateful you're all still with me." He kept on smiling at her, putting his hand on the table, inches away from hers.

"Oh, well, thank you, Mr. Drew. To be honest, it's really the checks that keep us going, as well as, you know, not many studios out there that can bring toons to life." She gave a nervous laugh.

"And that's exactly what I wanted to get at. You and Alice have a really close relationship, do you not, Susie?" Joey had his characteristic grin back on.

"Oh, by God, yes, Mr. Drew, sometimes it feels like she and I are the same. Always together, doing the same things, perfect for one another. If it were on me, I'd take her home in an instant, poor thing; living in that dumpy old studio is no fine settling for a lady such as her!" Susie sighed, stirring the food on her plate; her eyes seemed misty, far off...

"I see. Well, that is excellent news, my dear Susie, because I've been meaning to tell you of our new program, our solution that will not only save the studio by recycling and saving us funds, but also revolutionize the animation industry as we know it! Heck, it might fix the problem of human mortality!" Joey got enthusiastic, his characteristic 'selling' voice coming to show.

"Well, golly. And what would that be, Mr. Drew?" Susie raised an eyebrow, stopping herself mid-stir.

"Imagine, Susie: cartoons and humans becoming one and the same. No more need for drawing repetitive frames over and over again, no more need to worrying about your dying day! Toons don't have to worry if they die, if we all were toons, we can do as many silly routines as we want- and get money for it! Why, the world as we know it could be a better place, Susie." Joey was now gesturing with his hands as if he was opening the window curtains to a beautiful tomorrow they had yet to see.

Susie, instead, however, choked a little bit on her food as she stifled a laugh. "Oh, Mr. Drew, if everyone was a toon, then what would be the fun in being the only studio with toons in this world? I don't think things get solved all that easily."

"Perhaps, my dear Susie, perhaps. But wouldn't it be a nice thought? You, the star of your own shown, belle of the ball, Alice Angel?" Joey finally held her hand, and she didn't protest, only watched as he gestured to an audience that wasn't there, but they both could see it, Susie could hear it, they were shouting 'Alice Angel! Alice Angel!'

"Yes." Susie felt at a loss for words at the thought, actually taking the proposition seriously now. "It would."

"Ah, but all things come with a price. We can't afford to have any... casualties, so to say, and so before you and Alice could become one we have to make sure she's absolutely perfect, and matter of fact... she's not." Joey now grasped his hands, looking down with a solemn air, though something seemed forced about it.

Susie's face closed back into a frown again, as she glared at him. "I am quite aware, don't you think Alice and I don't tell each other everything. Like I said, we do everything together; we are parts of each other, inseparable. And I'm sorry, but Alice does not like the idea of going back into the puddles. We can't do this."

"Oh, alright, alright. I am letting you know, though, if we want to follow through with this plan, she's got to loosen up and be less stubborn. I mean, it's nothing personal, Alice, I just want you to be the best you can be." Joey shrugged, seemingly unshaken by Susie's mood change.

Susie blinked. "Did you just call me..."

"Oh, whoops, Alice! Oh, silly, me, again! Susie! Yes, Susie, I'm sorry, it's just, looking at you, and you’re so alike, suited to be a star." Joey smiled. "I mean, you did give her her first voice, her idea."

"Oh. Why, gosh, thank you, Mr. Drew." Susie blushed a bit, not knowing what to say.

"It's nothing. A beauty like you must shine on the stage, not remain hidden as a voice actress. Alice, you must rise up to the star you have to be, even if that means convincing that other side of yourself to accept remaking herself, becoming better, perfect." Joey was back to holding her hands, and she held his back, staring into his eyes.

She felt mesmerized by the promises of a man she hadn't thought appreciated her as much as he did. "I... I'll try, Mr. Drew. I want to do this, but I'm just... not sure about Alice. Will she be ok?"

Joey laughed. "My dear, she'll always be ok, just as long as she pops out of that puddle, ready to perform with you, as one." He winked.

Susie nodded, feeling more confident. The rest of their evening felt like it flew by fast, Joey slowly getting her to trust him more and more, praising her, promising her stardom, glamour, everything that was good in this world, letting her know in his eyes she deserved it, and Susie believed it, oh she believed it.

It broke his heart to have to do what he was about to do next Thursday at the studio, but it was a necessary evil, if he was going to get her to be desperate enough to hurry up the process and let them do what they wanted to do.

#don't be scared. i am here with you.#bap fic #bendy and the ink machine #batim #susie campbell #joey drew

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news-mashable-yahoopartner-blog · 7 years ago

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The essential list of Trump trolls, from the NSFW to the out of this world

There's one thing you can say about our current president: It's definitely easy to troll him. It's almost harder not to troll him at this point.

SEE ALSO: Watch Trump's ridiculous tweets transform into poetry before your eyes

And there have been some great ones over the past few years, like when Gawker's Ashley Feinberg managed to get Trump to retweet a Mussolini quote. Or the time Deadspin just went all in with some 🔥🔥🔥 .

Since the inauguration, the troll train has been full steam ahead, with the most recent in the line catching our attention in — ahem — entirely new ways.

What better time to look back on the best trolls of our 45th president since his inauguration than now, as we head into the Independence Day holiday?

1. Pressing the Fleshlight

Buzzfeed writer Jesse McLaren gets points for being super subtle with this one. A quick glance and you wouldn't even notice the sex toy hidden on the shelf behind Trump's Oval Office desk, casually blending in with assorted trophies and knickknacks.

I photoshopped a flesh-light into the background of this photo please RT so one day it accidentally get's used in an article. pic.twitter.com/HdDNMTYkDu

— Jesse McLaren (@McJesse) June 27, 2017

2. Getting real about Time

That fake Time magazine that the Washington Post discovered on the walls of Trump golf clubs is sure something. A lot of people got in on the trolling action, including one Virginia congressman, but nothing tops a cartoon from the New Yorker, a publication that's been pretty clear on its stance on Trump from the beginning.

Today's daily cartoon by John Mavroudis. See more cartoons here: https://t.co/y2VewFsZHF pic.twitter.com/mRyREUDgTA

— The New Yorker (@NewYorker) June 29, 2017

3. "Real Fake" is really real

An easy way to troll Trump is to hit him where it hurts, like in front of his gleaming tower along the river in downtown Chicago. Fake news? Real news? What is life anyway? Life is strolling along the Chicago Riverwalk near the Trump Tower and happening to run into a sculpture that says "Real Fake" which doesn't have anything to do with Chicago Mayor (and Obama ally) Rahm Emanuel. Not at all.

I believe we've hit peak-level trolling. pic.twitter.com/Zvc5lm1FDT

— Anthony M. Kreis (@AnthonyMKreis) June 27, 2017

4. Turning Trump into a poet

To celebrate how truly bizarre most of Trump’s tweets are, Reddit user Darby Crash recently created "Poet in Chief" — an algorithm-run generator that turns President Trump's 140-character messages into literary masterpieces. Users can click on individual poetry lines and be transported to Trump’s original tweets. Try out the trolling yourself!

Image: MASHABLE COMPOSITE: TOM PENNINGTON/GETTY IMAGES AND EMOJIPEDIA

5. Macron, thy mortal enemy

It took a few months, but Trump finally has a nemesis willing to go one-on-one with him on a global stage. It's France's new president Emmanuel Macron, who won't just out-macho Trump's handshake, but will also recruit action film legend (and former GOP governor!) Arnold Schwarzenegger to troll Trump on his decision to remove the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement. Note the high-level troll-appropriation of Trump's own (silly) slogan.

I was truly honored to meet with President @EmmanuelMacron about how we can work together for a clean energy future. He's a great leader. pic.twitter.com/MSoxjIruup

— Arnold (@Schwarzenegger) June 23, 2017

6. JK Rowling and Stephen King tag team POTUS

JK Rowling brings pure magic to Twitter feeds with each and every Trump troll. The Harry Potter author never holds back, and on occasion, even joins forces with another awesome human, like — oh, say — Stephen King, to take down the U.S. president. When King discovered Trump had blocked him on Twitter, Rowling stepped in to lend support. If you want more epic shade from these pals, here’s a scathing selection of J.K. Rowling's most brutal Trump burns, and Stephen King's.

Trump has blocked me from reading his tweets. I may have to kill myself.

— Stephen King (@StephenKing) June 13, 2017

I still have access. I'll DM them to you. https://t.co/MhibEYDBTg

— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 13, 2017

.@StephenKing On a sliding scale of Annie Wilkes to Cujo, what level of delusion do you reckon we're at today? pic.twitter.com/vmPwdS47Ks

— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 15, 2017

7. A glass of shade on the rocks

Smirnoff’s icy-cold new ad campaign trolls President Trump in the least subtle of ways. In the aftermath of former FBI Director James Comey’s testimony, the company decided to promote its American-made vodka by sending up Trump's alleged ties to Russia. Trump claimed several of Comey's accusations (made under oath, BTW) were completely false and said he'd be 100 percent willing to share his account of what happened under oath. Smirnoff then created the following ad:

Smirnoff's new ad campaign pic.twitter.com/IPEwbLJFlq

— Robbie Gramer (@RobbieGramer) June 11, 2017

8. "Cryin' Chuck" weighs in

Don't think that Trump's political opponents are holding back, either. Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) certainly had some fun at Trump's expense after the absurd pageantry of that first big Trump cabinet meeting in which Trump was heralded as a glorious leader. Schumer and his staff decided to hold their own little ceremony of praise.

GREAT meeting today with the best staff in the history of the world!!! pic.twitter.com/ocE1xhEAac

— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) June 12, 2017

9. Tim Cook takes a bite out of Trump

Sure, Tim Cook might act (mostly) diplomatic at those tech summits, but he's thinking the same Trump Twitter jokes as the rest of us. Like this zinger he delivered while making the commencement speech at MIT's graduation.

10. An out-of-this-world Trump troll

Yes, Trump got trolled from space because the limit does not exist. A French astronaut who lived in space for 196 days had a lovely tweet to send Trump upon his return to Earth. He threw shade at the president’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement by sharing a photo of the agreement floating on the International Space Station (ISS), and referencing Trump’s slogan in his hashtag.

I took the #ParisAgreement to the ISS: from space, climate change is very real. Some could probably use the view #MakeOurPlanetGreatAgain pic.twitter.com/0AuMTr9J39

— Thomas Pesquet (@Thom_astro) June 6, 2017

11. Raining on Trump’s climate-change denial parade

Ahead of Donald Trump's declaration that the U.S. would be withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement, Weather.com’s forecast called for heavy shade. The IBM-owned Weather Company transformed its homepage into a scorching hot message for Trump about the reality of climate change. Headlines like "Still Don't Care? Proof You Should Care Now" put climate-change deniers in their places in a refreshingly unique way.

Hey @weatherchannel — I see you. Wow. pic.twitter.com/wOWEop67Qj

— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) June 1, 2017

12. Pay bribes here!

We already know trolling Trump at his places of business is one sure way for publicity. Another target was his posh D.C. hotel that coincidentally hosted a big re-election fundraiser for Trump on Wednesday. D.C. artist Robin Bell, who would subsequently target Jeff Sessions, projected phrases like "Pay bribes here!" and "Emoluments Welcome" onto the Trump hotel.

Right now at Trump's DC hotel! pic.twitter.com/95cwrUmbmF

— igorvolsky (@igorvolsky) May 16, 2017

13. Bigly ethics violations?

Trump was only in office for a few months before he raised the ire of the Office of Government Ethics (OGE), which has already had its hands full with the Trump White House. The OGE tweeted out a reminder about ethical loyalty shortly after reports surfaced that said Trump demanded loyalty from now-fired FBI head James Comey, a saga that continues to stretch on.

pic.twitter.com/Cdmlta2ecl

— U.S. OGE (@OfficeGovEthics) May 12, 2017

14. The tweet came from (near) space!

Before Trump upset astronauts by pulling out of the Paris agreement, the president had already been hit with a troll from above. The Autonomous Space Agency Network, amateurs who promote DIY space exploration, released their own shot at Trump via a printed tweet on a weather balloon. It didn't quite make it to space, but it's close enough.

.@realDonaldTrump: LOOK AT THAT, YOU SON OF A BITCHhttps://t.co/Vu7q2j8g1t pic.twitter.com/EU1obtes4q

— ASAN (@ASANspace) April 12, 2017

15. Trump Draws

One of the best one-stop Twitter accounts that hilariously sends up the president is Trump Draws, which mocks Trump's love of himself, attention, and maybe not having the most bigly intellect.

tapes pic.twitter.com/EYKHaGE1Lh

— Trump Draws (@TrumpDraws) June 22, 2017

16. Clinton's revenge

Both Hillary and Chelsea Clinton have taken plenty of shots at Trump since the election. Some might say they're being sore losers, while others point out the popular vote totals.

Of course @HillaryClinton has a theory about #covfefe pic.twitter.com/Dr5rcUCFZy

— Mashable News (@MashableNews) May 31, 2017

17. The best words!

Merriam-Webster’s official Twitter account has become a crucial member of Trump’s die-hard group of trollers. The dictionary continually corrects Trump’s bigly word mishaps by defining the most-searched terms related to Trump. For instance, whenever Trump spells the word “council” incorrectly, Merriam-Webster is there. And when he created “covfefe”? Forget about it. Since his inauguration, the dictionary has also trolled Kellyanne Conway’s “alternate facts” remark, and Ivanka Trump’s use of "complicit," proving that no one in the administration is safe.

'Councel' is by far our most looked up misspelling today.

— Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) May 18, 2017

18. Trolling from the other side of the pond

Trump's treatment of our allies has been a significant storyline of his presidency, but it's not like Europe is ignoring Trump. Not long after Trump's inauguration, the cheeky Dutch used a parody of a tourism video to take potshots at the new U.S. president. Several countries wound up following their lead.

19. Late night drama

Late Night hosts take the political shade to a whole other level. Who could forget Stephen Colbert’s Emmy hosting announcement in which he mocked the Trump administration's false claims about inauguration attendance. “This will be the largest audience to witness an Emmys, period,” Colbert said in a statement. “Both in person and around the globe.” The late night show shade has been so strong who could even recall every troll? But recently Colbert and Seth Rogen joined forces to slide into Donald Trump Jr.’s DMs. A family that gets trolled together stays together, maybe?

20. Souza shades like no other

Perhaps the ultimate Trump trolling master is the Insta-famous former White House photographer of Barack Obama, Pete Souza. Souza watches Trump like a hawk with his photo archive at the ready, just waiting to revive the hundreds of stunning shots he’s taken of Obama to show the contrasts in their leadership. Each Souza troll — from Trump’s visit with the Pope to his Paris Climate Agreement decision — includes a fierce caption. Let us admire one of the greatest posts: Souza’s response to Trump refusing to shake German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s hand at their White House meeting.

First time meeting Angela Merkel in 2009

A post shared by Pete Souza (@petesouza) on Mar 17, 2017 at 12:54pm PDT

Additional reporting from Suzanne Ciechalski

WATCH: Are these tweets by Trump or a troll? Adam Pally is on the case.

#_uuid:a9e333d1-2841-386b-af7f-fb3805d5fc80 #_lmsid:a0Vd000000DTrEpEAL #_author:Marcus Gilmer #_revsp:news.mashable

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sonicpositive · 8 years ago

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Sonic Character Analysis: Dr. “Eggman” Robotnik

A hero is nothing without a villain, and the longest-standing villain in this particular story is the genius Dr. Eggman. Over the years our favorite supersonic hedgehog has butt heads with the good Doctor over and over again, and seen him characterized many different ways. From a laughing stock to a remorseless killer, and everything in-between. In the interest of being somewhat brief, each of these portrayals will be analyzed one at a time. Let’s get to it!

Requested by: In Honor of Eggman Day!

Non-Sonic references:

Sonic News Network: Doctor Eggman (Pre-Super Genesis Wave)

Thomas “Eyokir” and Evan Stanley: Sonic Adventure DX Commentary