#I’m still not really happy with his fully human form but I actually love the way I drew his profile in this

[sunnibits]

practicing some johns….

[fclsebnnyodair]

. ۫ ꣑ৎ . loser stiles and his out-of-his-league pretty girlfriend.

pairing: stiles stilinski x fem!reader.

summary: when stiles finally asks you to be his girlfriend and you say yes, he can’t believe it —and he’s not the only one. you two come in very different fonts. but, you’re so quick to prove him and his self-deprecation that you like him, fully and shamelessly.

warnings: used of y/n… im sorry. a little fluff? reader being a menace and the end of stiles life (in a good way).

a/n: i tried my best to be funny and make it a little longer. a mother needs to feed her kids. based on this req <3

stiles stilinski had spent a solid seven-teen years being a complete and utter dork. a nerd. a disaster in human form. the kind of guy who could tell you, unprompted, that the fear of long words is called hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia but somehow still couldn’t spell “necessary” on the first try.

he was the guy who tripped over air, made obscure pop culture references no one asked for, and had a deeply unhealthy relationship with sarcasm.

so, naturally, when you—actual goddess, the prettiest face in beacon hills, social butterfly extraordinaire—agreed to date him, stiles was convinced he was being pranked.

“she said yes,” he had told scott the night it happened, voice shaking, hands gripping his best friend’s shoulders like he was trying to transfer the shock through sheer physical contact. “she said yes. to me. like, willingly. no coercion. no hostage situation. just… yes.”

scott, ever the supportive best friend, blinked at him. “huh.”

“what do you mean huh?”

“I just—” he rubbed the back of his neck, looking way too amused. “I mean, don’t take this the wrong way, but… dude, that’s y/n.”

exactly.

you weren’t just popular. you are the cool kind of popular. the kind that made people want to be around you instead of just tolerating your presence because of high school hierarchy rules.

you had this effortless confidence, this ability to make everyone feel like they belonged—even stiles, who had spent most of his life on the outskirts of social normalcy.

you are the type of person who could go from hanging out with the lacrosse team and his girlfriends to sitting with the theater kids in the same day, and everyone would be happy to have you there. people gravitated towards you.

meanwhile, stiles had spent most of freshman year trying to convince people that his name was, in fact, not short for “stilton” like the cheese.

It didn’t make sense. and yet, somehow, here they were.

dating you was like winning the lottery, except instead of money, stiles got the incomprehensible love and affection of a literal angel.

which was great.

except for the fact that he had no idea how to be cool enough to keep up with you.

“you’re overthinking it,” you told him one day as you sat in your car, legs propped up on the dashboard.

“I always overthink it,” stiles replied. “It’s literally my defining trait.”

you laughed, and god, that laugh. It was the kind of sound that made people pause, made them turn their heads just to see what could possibly be so funny.

“okay, fine,” you said. “then tell me. what’s running through that giant brain of yours right now?”

stiles exhaled dramatically. “alright, let’s start with the obvious. I am a disaster. you are not a disaster. explain.”

you tilted your head, amused. “you really don’t see it, do you?”

“see what?”

you smirked, leaning in a little closer. “you’re kind of amazing, stiles.”

he blinked. “I’m sorry, what?”

“you make me laugh,” you continued, like you hadn’t just dropped a bomb on his entire worldview. “like, really laugh. you make things interesting. and you care so much about the people around you. I like that.”

stiles stared at you, brain officially malfunctioning. “uh. are you… are you sure you’re not under some kind of supernatural influence?”

you rolled your eyes, shoving his shoulder playfully. “just shut up?”

and just like that, he realized something insane. you actually liked him.

not just in a “haha, he’s fun to have around” way. not in a “pity date” way. not even in a “this is a temporary thing before I move on to someone more worthy” way.

you liked him. dorkiness, sarcasm, ADHD-riddled brain and all.

maybe he wasn’t as out of your league as he thought.

still, he spent the next few weeks in a state of perpetual disbelief.

he kept waiting for the moment where you would realize you had made a grave mistake and move on to someone who, well… had the ability to walk in a straight line without tripping over absolutely nothing.

but you didn’t.

In fact, you made it very clear that you were, for some ungodly reason, into him.

like, full-on, public displays of affection into him.

which was insane.

because now, not only did stiles have to deal with his own confusion, but also the confusion of literally everyone else at beacon hills high.

It started with a completely normal lunch. stiles, scott, lydia, and you were all sitting together, as usual, while he rattled off some extremely important information about why the original ‘star wars’ trilogy was superior to the prequels.

“you just have to accept that Jar Jar Binks was a crime against cinema,” stiles was saying, mid-rant, when he felt a hand casually slip into his.

he froze.

the table went silent.

you, completely unbothered, just kept eating your fries, fingers lazily intertwined with his.

scott immediately stopped chewing. lydia raised an eyebrow. somewhere behind them, he was pretty sure he heard jackson choke on his drink.

stiles, being the mature and composed individual that he was, blurted out, “are you—did you—was that on purpose?”

you gave him a deadpan look. “no, stiles, my hand just accidentally fell into yours.”

scott made a choked sound that was very unhelpful.

“I just—” stiles floundered. “you’re—you want to hold my hand? In front of people?”

you smirked. “what, do you want me to sign a permission slip first?”

lydia rolled her eyes. “stiles, stop acting like you just won the lottery.”

“but I did,” he said, eyes still wide. “this is like if someone found bigfoot, but instead of running away, bigfoot started dating them.”

you snorted and leaned closer, whispering, “you’re an idiot.”

and then—just to completely obliterate stiles’s ability to function—you kissed his cheek.

the cafeteria erupted.

all right, maybe “erupted” was an exaggeration. but scott definitely lost all ability to contain himself, because he burst into uncontrollable laughter, clapping stiles on the back so hard he nearly faceplanted into his lunch tray.

jackson muttered something about how the world was officially broken.

and lydia? lydia just sipped her drink and said, “honestly, this might be the funniest thing I’ve ever witnessed.”

stiles, meanwhile, was still sitting there, trying to process the fact that you had just kissed him in front of the entire student body.

“okay,” he breathed. “alright. cool. totally fine.”

you squeezed his hand. “you’re so lucky I can keep up with you.”

“I strongly agree.”

scott shook his head, grinning. “dude. just take the win.”

yeah.

maybe he should.

────୨ৎ────

now stiles had zero business being on the lacrosse team. he was only there because coach finstock occasionally needed a warm body to throw onto the field, and also because scott insisted that he “needed to be included in the team dynamic.”

that was stupid, because stiles was about as useful on the field as a drunk giraffe.

still, here he was, suited up, trying his best to not die.

you were sitting in the stands, chatting with some of the other girls on the cheer squad, but every so often, he caught you watching him.

why on earth would you be looking at him when there were actual athletes running around?

at some point, coach finstock (in a moment of pure insanity) decided to sub stiles in.

naturally, it went horribly.

he got knocked over in under a minute.

hard.

like, wind knocked out of him, stars in his vision hard.

by the time he sat up, still gasping for breath, he vaguely registered that someone was calling his name.

then, suddenly, you were there, pushing past some of the other students on the sidelines, crouching next to him.

“oh my god, are you okay?” you asked, eyes scanning him for any visible injuries.

“you,” stiles wheezed. “just—taking a quick—dirt nap.”

you sighed, shaking your head. “you really shouldn’t be allowed to play this sport.”

“tell that to coach crazy over there,” he muttered.

you rolled your eyes, then—without warning—cupped his face and kissed him.

right there.

on the field.

In front of everyone.

stiles was pretty sure his soul left his body.

by the time you pulled away, he was definitely malfunctioning.

“god,” he managed.

you smirked, brushing some dirt off his jersey. “maybe if I keep doing that, you’ll actually start scoring points.”

scott, who had jogged over at some point, burst out laughing, —again.

“please don’t encourage him,” he told you.

you just shrugged, standing up. “what can I say? I like an underdog.”

stiles, still staring into the middle distance, finally processed what had just happened.

then, very calmly, he said:

“I have no idea what’s going on, but I’m definitely not complaining.”

────୨ৎ────

stiles finally gets it. he gets you. 

It took three months of dating before stiles finally stopped expecting you to give up on him.

because the truth was, you could.

but for some ridiculous, unexplainable reason—

you didn’t want to.

and maybe, just maybe, that was the best part of all.

stiles stilinski had exactly one defense mechanism when faced with overwhelming emotional stimuli:

panic.

pure, unfiltered, high-octane panic.

and you?

you loved it.

you lived for it.

In fact, stiles was about 80% sure that her actual favorite hobby—above reading, music, and being generally awesome—was finding new and creative ways to make him short-circuit.

your weapon of choice?

kissing him.

at random.

without warning.

In the most inconvenient and socially inappropriate moments possible.

────୨ৎ────

stiles was already having a rough day.

coach had made him run extra laps for “being a distraction” (which was not fair, because technically speaking, it was danny who had laughed first).

so there he was, post-practice, dripping in sweat, hair a mess, brain still recovering from almost getting hit in the face with a lacrosse ball, when you materialized out of nowhere.

“hey, loser,” you greeted, leaning against the locker next to his.

stiles jumped about a foot in the air. “jesus—you can’t just sneak up on a guy like that!”

you, completely ignoring him, hummed thoughtfully. “you look cute when you’re sweaty.”

stiles immediately turned red. “I—what—who?”

and before his brain could fully reboot, you leaned in and kissed him.

right there.

In the locker room.

With scott and half the team still standing right there.

stiles froze.

his brain immediately short-circuited.

somewhere in the background, he could hear the distinct sounds of his teammates reacting.

jackson made a disgusted noise.

“seriously? right here?”

danny, ever the neutral observer, just snorted. “I mean, props to her, I do love watching stilinski suffer.”

scott, instead of helping, just shook his head fondly. “dude. just accept it.”

you, for your part, just smirked against stiles’s lips, completely unbothered, and pulled away with a satisfied little hum.

stiles, meanwhile, was still frozen in place.

mouth slightly open.

face burning red.

brain? completely fried.

“did I break you?” you teased, poking his cheek.

stiles let out a strangled sound.

jackson groaned. “oh god, get a room.”

you turned to him, smirking. “jealous?”

jackson scoffed. “not even remotely.”

you shrugged, looping your arm through stiles’s. “good. because I’m not sharing.”

and then you walked off, dragging stiles with you—leaving the entire locker room howling in laughter.

────୨ৎ────

stiles had one sacred rule in life:

the library is a safe space.

the library was for quiet and learning and pretending to do your homework while actually texting scott about supernatural nonsense.

the library was not for being publicly humiliated by your ridiculously hot girlfriend.

unfortunately, you did not respect the sanctity of anything.

stiles was sitting at his usual spot—textbook open, pen in hand, pretending to study—when you slid into the chair next to him.

“hey,” you greeted, voice suspiciously sweet.

stiles narrowed his eyes. “you’re up to something.”

you smiled, all innocent. “me? never.”

he squinted harder. “what do you want?”

you tilted your head. “can’t I just want to spend time with my adorable boyfriend?”

stiles immediately turned red. “I—you—stop that.”

“stop what?”

“being cute,” he hissed, glancing around to make sure no one was listening.

you grinned. “make me.”

before stiles could formulate a response, you very casually leaned forward and kissed him.

and not just a quick kiss.

oh, no.

this was a calculated attack.

a slow, lingering kiss, tongue and all—just long enough to completely fry his brain, but not long enough for him to actually do anything about it.

by the time you pulled away, stiles was bright red, gripping the edge of the table like his life depended on it.

“why?” he gasped out.

you shrugged. “felt like it.”

stiles gaped. “we are in library.”

you smiled sweetly. “uh-huh.”

“In a library.”

“yup.”

“where people can see us.”

she leaned in, lips brushing his ear. “I know.”

stiles let out an undignified squeak.

and that was the exact moment lydia martin—who had apparently been sitting three tables away—very loudly shut her book and said, “I’m going home. this is disgusting.”

you just laughed.

stiles, meanwhile, buried his face in his hands.

────୨ৎ────

now, there were rules when it came to dating in front of parents.

rule #1: no PDA.

rule #2: seriously, no PDA.

rule #3: do not test sheriff stilinski’s patience.

you had no regard for any of these rules.

stiles had just walked you to the door, ready to say a very normal, appropriate, and respectful goodbye, when you suddenly grabbed his hoodie, pulled him way too close, and kissed him stupid.

right there.

In his driveway.

where his father could definitely see.

and as if that wasn’t bad enough—

the front door creaked open.

sheriff stilinski cleared his throat.

you pulled away completely unbothered, turned to the sheriff, and grinned.

“good afternoon, mr. stilinski.”

stiles, meanwhile, had stopped breathing.

the sheriff raised an eyebrow. “you trying to kill my son?”

you smirked. “not today.”

and then you smiled—like a menace—patted stiles on the chest, and walked off, leaving him to deal with the aftermath.

the sheriff stared at him.

stiles stared back.

after a long, painful silence, his dad just shook his head and muttered, “unbelievable.”

then, he walked inside—chuckling to himself.

stiles, still standing frozen on the porch, groaned.

you were going to be the death of him.

and, honestly?

he wouldn’t have it any other way.

[mejaemin]

timeless - lee donghyuck

wc: 1.6k

summary: visiting a photobooth, yours and caramel!hyuck’s love is evident, and with your pair of photo strips it’s now timeless <3

warnings: not proofread, sexual jokes, so much fluff, don’t read this if you’re single !!! it’s so cute and so romantic it will make you feel lonely !!! (i say while being single)

an: umm i may or may not have written this in one hour… i was completely stuck and decided to write a sentence, see what happens, and then all of a sudden i finished it 😨 i hope you all enjoy !!! i actually love this sm (˶◜ᵕ◝˶) tysm to my love @cigsaftersuh for requesting !!! enjoy ♡

(caramel masterlist here!! ʕ ᵔⰙᵔ⠕ʔ)

───── ⋆⋅ ⊹ ⁺ 𐔌 ᩧ ຼ ͡ ৯ ♡໒⁀ ᩧຼ ꒱ིྀ ⁺ ⊹ ⋅⋆ ─────

you’re making your way to the end of the amusement park, everyone in your group feeling very out of it. since at least two rides ago, your child, technically your boyfriend, had been dragging his feet. all of hyuck’s friends were getting tired too, you could see it in the way their eyes drooped and they lazily chewed at the cotton candy and other snacks in their hands.

it truly was a fun day, heading out at around noon to go to an amusement park all day with hyuck and his friends. it was something that you were truthfully dreading, being that you never really liked them that much, but the way his face lit up at the idea of attending was something you could never say no to. and truthfully, after a while they weren’t so bad. maybe their frontal lobes have all developed and are finally becoming men with humor that isn’t backed by jokes about farts and genitalia.

anyway, you’re getting closer to the entrance when donghyuck finally stops using you as a human crutch, grabbing your attention before pointing toward something in the distance. following the direction of his finger, you spot a photobooth in the distance and you’re immediately making your way towards it. he takes a large sip of whatever heavily sugared drink he bought earlier in the day, using it to wake up before telling the group where you’re running off to.

“we’re going to the photobooth, so don’t leave us while we’re in there.” he says, stretching and shaking away his fatigue.

immediately, jaemin’s looking at the metal box and its red curtain, smirking. “yeah, we’ll be waiting. don’t do anything other than take photos though..”

hyuck was fully ready to start fighting back, already forming an explanation as to why exhibitionism is perfectly fine but jaemin’s obnoxious cackles overpowered any and all of his rebuttals. accepting the slap on his shoulder, he huffs, making his way over to you.

you’re waiting patiently outside the booth, some other group already in there. he stands beside you, snaking an arm around your waist as you lean against the wall of it. truthfully, hyuck didn’t even have any sort of affinity towards them, but knowing you do he was more than happy to help you take any opportunity to visit them. he’s even bought you one of those cute binders for all your photo strips, pairing the gift with deco stickers for you to cover it in. of course, he got two to keep him and your friends separate as well.

“did you have fun?” you ask, pulling him out of his still sleepy daze.

he turns to you, smiling softly. “of course. best day ever.” he leans in, giving you a kiss to your cheek. “you didn’t have to say yes though, ‘cause i could tell you were hesitating when i asked.”

you flush, despite knowing he always sees through you. “yeah.. but now that we actually did it, i’m really enjoying myself. your friends aren’t that annoying anymore, too.”

he chuckles, sucking air in through his teeth. “of course. you showed me the way, so i enlightened them too.”

you hum, taking his arm in yours, resting your head on his shoulder. the sun is a perfect orange-purple, and the lights adorning all the attractions have flickered on a while ago. it’s truly picture worthy, but you’re more tired than you’d like to admit and choose to stay in the moment. you can see the group sitting at a picnic table, jisung’s flash accidentally turning on as he and the others try snapping photos of you two, and they giggle softly. you turn to point it out to hyuck but the other group is leaving.

he’s already dragging you in, sliding into the cramped booth before pulling you into his lap. before you can even make an attempt at paying for the photo strips he’s pulling his wallet from your bag (yes yours, why get something to carry his stuff when he buys you enough for the both of you?) and making the payment.

“how many?” he asks, gesturing to the screen in front of you. his arms slide around your waist, his hands resting over your stomach. the way his thumbs glide against your stomach make you feel a little dazed as you try reading the options, but eventually you pick the option with two strips.

“two copies. one for me, one for you.” you say simply, reaching out to click your option.

the countdown immediately starts, and you’re both full of giggles as you hurriedly try to decide your first pose. he’s throwing plenty out like spitfire, and through your fit of laughter you’re denying every one. ‘no, i’m not doing a nerd pose!’ or ‘nooo, something cuter!’ coming from you as he tickles you in attempt to stop your protests. eventually, the ten second countdown comes to an end, and the first photo snaps to capture a photo of you both giggling.

“aw, hyuckie, come on! i wasn’t even ready!” you complain, playfully swatting at his shoulder.

“oops. sorry mama, but come on. you’ll look hot regardless of how ready you were.” he dramatically looks you up and down, and you roll your eyes at his over the top flirting.

glancing at the screen, there’s eight seconds left, and you take his face in your palms. “let’s do an actually good one now.” there’s a speaker beeping signalling the last three seconds, and that’s when you lean in, giving hyuck a sweet, slow kiss.

even after the shutter sounds, he’s bringing you closer, pulling away to give you two, three more before he finally pulls away.

you sigh, recollecting yourself. “last one.. let’s be tame this time, okay?”

he nods obediently, ready to listen to you now that his need for your kisses has been fulfilled. you lean in, smushing your cheek against his with the cutest pout, and he mimics it immediately. with your hand brought up to his, you make a heart together, of course not without bending your pointer finger to make it a cat. the camera flashes one last time, and once the large pink bubble letters say you’re done, you excitedly get out of the booth to receive the printed strips.

waiting for them to fall out of the opening, you’re nearly bouncing on your feet. hyuck’s got your bag and he pulls his phone out, sneakily taking a few photos of you in your excitement before pocketing it for later. you’re just too beautiful for him to not capture it forever, your eyes glimmering with the multicolored lights all around you. once the photo strips are printed you pull them out, and you squeal, your smile growing impossibly bigger.

the first photo, of you giggling, is so perfect. you were apprehensive at first, afraid it was gonna catch your worst angle being that it was unexpected but it couldn’t have been better. your eyes are shut, smile big with pure joy. hyuck is looking up at you, his eyes glimmering with so much love. you didn’t notice it in there, but now that you’re looking at the photo your entire body heats at the way he’s looking at you like you’re the entire world.

the second one, you kissing, is adorable. you can’t wait to post it, knowing all your friends will be swooning over your relationship and you’ll be getting so many compliments about it. your hair is covering your face, the majority of it capturing the back of your head, but donghyuck is in almost full view. his eyes are shut, and his hand is making its way to the back of your head. the picture is radiating with love, and there’s no doubt in your mind that you’ll be showing it to your kids one day, and maybe even theirs.

the final one of you in your heart pose is the cherry on top, not outwardly romantic, balancing the other two out perfectly. you two look adorable in your little world together. your hand is on his cheek, pulling him into you, and both your lips are puffing up into a pout with how your faces smush together. it’s so you, and you know everyone will be able to tell you picked the pose out with the kitty heart.

there’s a pink, heart patterned frame around the photos, and at the bottom there’s the name of the park and a date. it blends the three photos together perfectly, and you’re thankful there’s no face warping photo. there’s a little bit of an orangey, hazy coloring over them, but it makes it all the better, giving it an old-timey romance vibe. hyuck’s skin is the right shade in all of them too, his tan being safe from any whitewashing technology.

“damn, can i see them yet?” he complains, coming forward and taking one of the two from you.

you look up at him expectantly, watching his reaction as his eyes trail down the strip. his cheeks flush, and he’s smiling lovingly at them. saying nothing, he looks to you and pulls you in for the sweetest hug, leaving a kiss at the top of your forehead.

as you make your way back to the group, he wraps his arm around your shoulder, “i actually really love this. like, i’m gonna get it tattooed right here.” he turns to you, already laughing at himself as his free hand makes a line across his forehead.

you giggle, leaning into him. “you’re so stupid! don’t do it, the photo is permanent enough.”

“true, true,” he says, laughing as you make your way to his friends, showing the photo strip. they’re all groaning, complimenting you two and your cuteness, all while complaining about their loneliness.

looking back down at his copy, his smile is soft. he’s the luckiest man in the world, having you, and he’ll be sure to never lose the strip as a way to remember and keep you forever.

───── ⋆⋅ ⊹ ⁺ 𐔌 ᩧ ຼ ͡ ৯ ♡໒⁀ ᩧຼ ꒱ིྀ ⁺ ⊹ ⋅⋆ ─────

[scrubbinn]

Mimic HRT: 18 months “Happiness”

You've reached the cutest M- M- M- Mimic ever! Please leave a message after the beep!

“… excuse me what day is it? Thursday? Ok. Thursday. Hey Mayday, I want you to actually listen to this message. Because I know you, and you’re probably being a dummy and beating yourself up about it. It’s not your fault ok? The doctor says I'll be out of the hospital soon, at least hopefully soon. I heard the doctors talking about an experimental treatment involving using that slime medication to regrow organs. It sounds terrifying but wouldn't that be neat, being a little bit slime. I'd get to see what it's like to be you… You better call me back, you got it! I'm not in any danger and I’ve been told I’ll recover one way or another. The medical stuff here is like really advanced compared to back home so I'm going to be fine. I've gotten visitors, you know. Mom came by and asked how you were. You know no one is mad at you right? A lot of our friends visited, and I found out they don’t even know what you look like! Come on, you know they all wanted to see you now that you’re fully a mimic… Please don’t start hating yourself because of this. It's understandable what happened, It's mostly my fault anyways. I shouldn't have startled you like that, I just saw you panicking and I had to do something. It's those assholes’ faults, not yours. I know I keep saying it but I know you, and you don’t listen until I tell you this stuff like eight times!”

“Excuse me Ms. Franks, We need phones off to discuss the next procedure. This will just be a moment of your time.”

“I just need to finish this call. Give me two more minutes. Anyway, you better call back ok hun? I don’t know how long that’s going to be an option, Surgery is starting today or tomorrow. You better call before than. I’m gonna be so mad if I get back to your place and you’re in another cocoon hiding away. So you better call ok! I love you Mayday. There, now you have to call me so you can say it back. Mwa! Later hun! I love you. So much.”

* * *

“Recording of Mayday… uh, Friday. Date… doesn’t matter. I, I’m not doing well. I don’t. I just finished crying for an hour and I feel well enough to record something so I don’t have to deal with Erian getting on my case! Sorry I shouldn't yell about him, it's not his fault. I said well enough but, well enough doesn’t mean I’m actually well. I- I don’t know if I can talk about it yet. I hurt Abi. I hurt her completely and irreparably. I don’t know what to do. I thought I was finally getting it. I was happy being a mimic and I still am. It felt like I was intangible before. Like my human body wasn’t real and could just pass through everything if I wasn’t careful. Now I feel so solid. I feel this body and I’m not rejecting it. But it is real now. It’s present. It can bump into things if I’m not careful. I am finally physically me and it feels impossible to navigate a world now. I didn’t know. Why doesn’t living come with a guide book that can tell me what I’m doing wrong. Was it from backing away? Should I have fully become a mimic and just left everyone I know. It’d be sad, sure, but it probably would have been safer. Erian told me if I continued on my crossroads I'd eventually calcify my outer layer to form a shell around me. Like a treasure chest or whatever a soap mimic turns into. Maybe if I was a chest I could lock myself away so I didn't actually hurt anyone. I don’t know anymore. What would even happen to me if I did that? Would I end up in a zoo? Would I eventually forget this whole thing and escape to hurt even more people? What the hell even is a mimic!? Oh universe, I’m just tired of thinking and having to exist. I should get some water or something. I’d like to get coffee, but as it turns out, caffeine is basically a poison to me at this point, and not one I can build a tolerance for… but the taste of poison would be better than what I taste now. Aria was right. The taste never leaves.

“I still haven’t called her back. I’ve been listening to her voice mail over and over but I can’t face her. I don’t have the right. She’ll be starting her surgery and I was told she’d be asleep for a while. I want her to wake up and the first thing she sees is me. I don’t know if I’ll be ready for that. What the hell am I saying, she wouldn't want to see me, I'm the reason she's in a hospital! I wonder if she decided to go with that slime treatment Erian patented. Slime buddies huh. Feels a little rude to enjoy that idea so much. I hope everything turns out ok. I want to talk to her again. I- I'm done. I just want to lie down for a while. End recording.”

* * *

Written report filed by Theodore Hans Erian, date, August 24th. Saturday It has come to my attention that a current patient by the name of Mayday Mulberry has begun to exhibit inhuman behaviors that have led to the injury of a human over the course of her treatment here. The event began one week ago when visiting outside Hypercity with the victim of the attack. This event has been documented through the testimony of several people at the scene, including the victim and the perpetrator. The incident began at a local sushi restaurant as the victim and perpetrator were patronizing the establishment. During their time at the restaurant, the perpetrator was verbally assaulted by several customers of the establishment using several anti-therian insults. These insults were deemed as unprompted as most of the witnesses there claim that Mayday Mulberry “insulted their species with its existence.” This harassment eventually led to the perpetrator panicking and running away, leading into a panic attack outside the restaurant in a shared parking lot. The victim followed and attempted to console the perpetrator with a hug, and unfortunately a mimic mouth from the perpetrator bit the victim. The victim lost a large chunk of flesh in the process. This led to damaged tissue, a hole in the stomach, and severe blood loss. The victim was taken to a hospital within Hyper city in time for treatment and was eventually stabilized. Because the incident took place within the parking lot of the restaurant within the perpetrator’s car, the restaurant has little chance to file any successful lawsuit. The victim has also declined to pursue any legal options at this time. It is within our opinion based on these facts that Mayday should be placed under house arrest and further punishment will be deliberated between our clinic, and Hyper city’s government, with a thorough psychological screening and Ms. Mulberry's medical records.

“Oh Ms. Mulberry, you’ve really done it now. You’ve already been a headache for this establishment but this is something much more serious. This affects the relationship between Hyper city and the outside worlds. Not to mention, this could seriously damage the clinic’s reputation and leave thousands of potential clients left without a place to obtain safe treatment. I will do what I can to make sure you suffer a lighter punishment from Hyper city, but you've caused a major incident that our mayor will absolutely use against all therians. If you’re not careful, you might end up in a situation far worse than living in a zoo for the rest of your life. If you’ve found a lawyer yet, please have them contact me to discuss the ramifications of your actions. In the meantime, I recommend you speak with a therapist on recent events. Situations like this can be just as dangerous for your mental state as they are with your friend’s physical state. Please call back when you get this message. Erian.”

* * *

“What are you doing Mayday?”

“I’m hiding away. Might as well stay here. I’m under house arrest after all. Or are you too stupid to remember the fact that you caused it?”

“There’s no need to take that tone against me. Insults will get you nowhere. I am asking why you aren’t picking up that phone? It’s still ringing. It’s from the hospital.”

“I know. I just, I don’t have to pick it up right?”

“You should. We need to know how she’s doing. You’re making nonsensical excuses not to have anything change. I don’t understand that, you literally took this medication so you can change forever. What was it how you originally described yourself? You were certain that you wouldn’t be certain. You need to see how she’s doing. To be certain. You owe it to her to check. She’s the reason you started your slime journey! She’s the reason you’re happy!”

“Am I happy? Because it feels like ever since Mayday decided to start this medication, nothing has gone right. Mayday ran away and I was left to pick up the pieces of her life. I can’t even tell if I’m supposed to be her, or if I’m someone new. I certainly don’t get treated like I’m new, I get treated like I just got a bump on the head and I’ll be right as rain in a month! I hate that I can’t be me.”

“You could always tell her that.”

“But she hates me. I nearly got her killed, for all I know she could be dead.”

“We won’t know until we pick up that phone, and then you can grieve.”

“Will it be ok? Can I stop hurting when I know?”

“I can’t promise that, but it’s easier when you talk to people…”

“…Hello?”

“Mayday! Oh my god, I couldn’t reach you at all yesterday! Are you ok?! Are you eating properly? Did you turn into a cocoon again? When can you visit? Do you need a kiss? Because I need a kiss from you right now!… Hun? Are you laughing? I can’t hear you, your phone sounds muffled.”

“…Hi Abi! I’m just. Really happy is all.”

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[my-dialect]

Addiction in BBC Sherlock

This is an off topic post for me (whey big up F1) because I’m a little drunk :)

I feel like a running theme in BBC Sherlock is addiction (obviously) but not just through Sherlock you know?

TW for discussion of drugs, violence, EDs, and SH, and I guess alcohol mention as I am incredibly drunk typing this below the cut :)

Sherlock: I mean there’s the obvious one of drug addiction, which I must say I think is portrayed incredibly well - it’s not romanticised and it’s not exaggerated. But more so there’s that constant hungering for a new case, that craving of excitement - this is however still portrayed as a displacement of those drug cravings.

John: In John’s case, I would say it is also an incredibly obvious representation of addiction but different in the way that Sherlock’s is. John craves that excitement but has little to no interest in the cases unless there’s violence involved, interesting for a medical professional. But perhaps a tad more stereotypical for a media characterisation of a veteran. John craves violence because it feels like home - it’s those years in the army and, to an extent, those years at home - having grown up around alcoholics who may not have always been so kind.

Mycroft: Mycroft will always be a fascinating character to me I feel. Whilst Sherlock was not any where close to my first introduction to fandom, this was the first character I felt I related to (eldest sibling type shit). For him addiction is less blatant than John or Sherlock. There’s multiple references to disordered eating, potentially not enough to be considered an eating disorder but enough that when you see Mycroft at home, he’s exercising or staring at an empty fridge. He’s often portrayed as being a large child (even though I feel that is a harsh judgement to make on anyone) and the focus on that from Sherlock and then the focus on dieting and exercise from Mycroft suggests more than just sibling bullying. This is not to say that disordered eating is a form of addiction (although one could argue it is) but more so that there is an idea of perfection, and Mycroft is addicted to that idea.

Irene: I’m an Irene lover, quite literally she was a solid part of my queer awakening and we love to see it. But I feel that she represents the lustful elements of addiction - I mean obliquely she is a dominatrix and is often portrayed as an inherently sexual being (being naked, with a crop, etc.) as well as being one of the characters who alludes to something between John and Sherlock. She sees everything through the lens of sex and yet it does not cloud her mind like it may others, suggesting not only an addiction to sex, but also to control.

Moriarty: He’s a lot more of a layered character than wine drunk me can get into right now to be perfectly honest. But I’d argue his addiction is to attention and reaction, he needs to have a reaction from people or he isn’t happy. Maybe he’s a character I’ll revisit sober, maybe I’ll forget all about this post.

Eurus: For Eurus I’d argue this is a lot more of a tenuous link given that we see comparatively very little of her. Because I mean there’s the obvious addiction to violence, however if an individual feels nothing then can they feel addiction to anything? For some factors like violence I’d argue no, however she is portrayed as actively suicidal with multiple scars. Self-harm is absolutely something that can be classed as an addiction as the endorphin release can really be extraordinary (this is not in any way an endorsement, seek help if you feel it is), however she doesn’t ever express true joy or sadness and it raises the question of does she actually have an addiction to self-harm or was it fully manipulative. Is this just a way she puts herself above the Holmes brothers, by putting herself above human things such as addiction?

I may be a psychology and neuroscience student but do not for a second trust a word I say regarding addiction, it is not what I’m focusing my studies on :)

I mean it’s been years since I watched this show but this just came into my head as a thought haha.

I wrote this over the space of an hour and kept drinking as I did, lord help me autocorrect.

I spilt wine on myself typing this :(

[comfymoth]

How do you think the moment everyone finds out about siffirin werewolf situation plays out? Does it happen during the final fight? Or do they find him in wolf form where they were fighting the king?

oops i think i rambled too much time to stick this under a cut, also SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS, buuuuut—

it almost happens when they find him fighting the king, almost— but siffrin is still human enough that with his back to them his silhouette can pass, and as soon as he hears them he is desperately pulling the rest of himself back together. whatever can’t be shifted back is very gratefully covered by the hat and cloak, and even if he looks just a little bit off, everyone is too anxious to really notice the details.

it takes all their energy though, and does not help the fever they’re running. something euphrasie definitely gives them A Look for

so it’s that final fight, then, when things just fully break down. when they lose control, and change in ways they can’t hide, and their party sees what they are— and it’s. a shock. of course it is. but there’s only so much time to take it in, they need to actually deal with siffrin in that form first.

and then, then the explanation comes, at the same time he’s explaining his wish, i’m sorry, i didn’t want you to leave, i didn’t want you to find out what i was, and of course the first thing they tell him is it’s okay. of course it’s okay, they care about him, this doesn’t change that. why would it? it doesn’t change anything about who he is.

there is. a lot of crying. and siffrin’s still in a fair amount of pain, but he’s happy. he’s so, so happy

they do have at least a few questions they manage to get in. so that’s finally where the silly little wolfsbane comics fit! and that’s the rough rough outline of it all ^_^ yaaaayyy werewolves i love werewolves <3

[9bantamanga]

Hello, I'm 9Banta. Thanks for the follow!

Today, I’d like to share my self-introduction post from no+e.

💻 Occupation: Web Designer

I’ve been working in web design ever since I entered the workforce! I originally wanted to become an illustrator, and once entered a CD artwork contest for a music group… but I drew three members when they actually had only two. That failure made me realize I needed more real-world experience.

So, I started a part-time job in web design (which I had only touched on in vocational school), and I’ve been doing it ever since. I can even handle customer service calls!

✏️ I’ve been drawing since I was about 3

When I was three, I drew people with limbs sprouting out of their heads. Then one day I saw a friend’s drawing and discovered “torsos.” In elementary school, I went through a phase of drawing only cavity bacteria and demons—my parents were very concerned (and honestly, I still carry some baggage from that).

In adulthood, I didn’t draw much for years due to being absorbed in work. But around 2018, I became obsessed with One Punch Man and started drawing fanart daily as a form of rehab. Now I focus entirely on my original series, Zigoku’s Foreman.

Old drawings

🍴🎶 Hobbies: Eating and listening to music

I love simple things like spinach with soy sauce and miso soup... but I also love meat and sweets! Musically, I’m especially drawn to ethnic fusion with modern avant-garde vibes.

🔥 How Zigoku’s Foreman started

I used to make fanworks of a certain character, but I always had an interest in original creations. One day, I sketched a character filled with everything I love—that was Mizuchi, the foreman. My creative partner Kamishiro liked him and wrote a short story based on the setting I came up with. That was the beginning.

👹⛑ About Mizuchi, the Foreman

Mizuchi was first designed in 2020 for a Twitter event called “#CharacterDesignMashupGame.” Eight participants each contributed a theme, and we all made characters based on the combined prompts: “covered eyes,” “undead,” “sunglasses,” “katana,” “gloves,” “studded accessories,” “long hair,” and “tattoos.”

At first, Mizuchi was meant to be a villain (the skull tattoo on his chest is a leftover from that). But I wanted to try making him the protagonist—and his current, more lovable personality emerged. (He probably would’ve been a charming villain too.)

First drawing of Mizuchi

He’s packed with all my personal tastes, so I haven’t really felt the need to draw anything else lately. (Sometimes I do, though.) For now, I’m fully devoted to Zigoku’s Foreman.

🧠💪 About My Style

I think my art style speaks for itself.

Mizuchi in private mode

(Writing his end-of-day report before bed. He’s a serious one.)

I draw mostly humanoid non-humans, and only male characters . I like muscles, so I often draw shirtless guys. I love animals too. My process is very character-centric—I enjoy fussing over outfits and accessories.

My manga tends to lean comedic and is said to have good pacing. Despite being set in Hell, there are no real “villains.” Rather than focusing on plots, I enjoy portraying and exploring the characters. The worldbuilding is also super detailed—I don’t want it to feel shallow, so I’ve ended up diving into research on Buddhism and Kabuki, which I now genuinely enjoy.

💭 Why Do I Create?

The main reason is to express what’s inside me. In my day job, I create 100% to meet clients’ needs—and I love that too, especially when it makes them happy. But I can’t really put myself into it.

I sometimes worry that I’d regret it on my deathbed if I never did anything for me. So now, I’m doing everything I can while I can. Thankfully, some people have said they love my manga works—and I do my best to give back to them. Even if it’s a hobby, I give it my all.🔥

🧓👁️ Future Plans

I want to keep creating for the rest of my life. That’s really it. Though... I am worried about my aging eyesight.

Also, I’d like to contribute to society in some way, someday.

That’s about it! (Abrupt, I know) Thanks for reading!

[twistedtummies2]

Top 15 Evil Clowns

There are many fears one might consider “popular phobias.” These are terrors that are not only common amongst people in general, but frequently used, abused, and homaged in various works of popular media. They’re the sources of many famous movies and monsters. Among these popular fears you’ll see folks return to time and time again are arachnophobia, ophidiophobia, galeophobia (look up what all those words mean, I’m not telling you here)...and, of course, coulrophobia. The Fear of Clowns.

In reality, most clowns are not scary at all. They’re figures of fun and whimsy intended to make people laugh and entertain children. They work hard to practice their craft and usually do what they do either for want of money, or love of their career, or even both. However, over time, the imagery of the clown has become increasingly negatively stereotyped, to the point where it’s actually really hard to find genuinely friendly, humorous clown characters in fiction that have a lot of impact. There are a few, mind you - Bozo, Ronald McDonald, and Clarabell are three hopefully recognizable “good clown” names - but nowadays, most people see clowns in the same vein as zombies or vampires. Their innocent origins now seem almost forgotten, and as a result, the fear has become even more intense.

It’s not surprising, to be fair, that the clown has become so synonymous with evil as opposed to happiness. As many have pointed out (who are wiser than I), their heavily made-up faces and flamboyant costumes not only make for eye-catching and iconic visual elements, regardless of the circumstances, but can also make it difficult for people - especially very young people - to fully “connect” with them. As humans, we rely on certain features and physical attributes to tell what others are thinking or intending, and when they are covered up especially heavily, we naturally become unsettled. Beyond this, however, there’s also a wonderful dichotomy inherent to the idea of the Evil Clown: it’s the mismatch between the colorful, often humorous exteriors and the dark, horrific internal processes going on. They can be silly and fun, but they can also be dangerous. This applies to every form the iconography can take, from cartoon baddies to horror film bogeymen.

While I, myself, have no inherent fear of clowns, I’ve always found the idea of the Evil Clown to be fascinating. So, I thought it would be fun, as part of my October-fest of lists for 2024, to cover the topic and name some of my personal favorite examples of the trope. Some are scary, some are just cartoonishly nasty, but all of them universally give clowns a bad name. So, without further ado, here are My Top 15 Favorite Evil Clowns!

15. The Birthday Bandit, from Teamo Supremo.

Of all the characters on this list, the Birthday Bandit is arguably the least threatening, and one of the least well-known. While both of these facts hamper his ranking, he’s still worth mentioning. “Teamo Supremo” was a children’s superhero series made by Disney, inspired by a combination of old superhero shows from the 60s and 70s, and the works of Jay Ward - the creator of Rocky & Bullwinkle, George of the Jungle, and Dudley Do-Right, among other things. It focused on the adventures of three child superheroes; one of their most popular antagonists was the Birthday Bandit. The Bandit was a disgruntled children’s entertainer who turned to crime; while he mostly targeted birthday events, he would also strike on holidays and other special occasions. The main thing that makes the character so memorable, in my opinion, is voice: the Bandit was played by none other than Mark Hamill���and don’t worry, we’ll get to a certain OTHER famous clown of cruelty Hamill has played later in the list. We’re just getting started, ladies and gentlemen…

14. The Clown at Midnight.

This somewhat obscure horror-mystery venture was a made-for-TV film originally produced in Canada. Depending on where you look, the release date is listed as either 1998 or 1999, my guess being depending on the country you look at. While by no means a masterpiece of morbidity, it’s still a decently creepy adventure, in my opinion. The story begins when a young lady named Kate learns she is the daughter of a former opera star, who was killed under mysterious circumstances. She and her friends decide to try and restore the old opera house where her late mother worked. However, things take a turn for the deadly when a mysterious killer, dressed a clown, begins to stalk the teens and their teacher. Kate and her friends must try to figure out who is behind the makeup, while also attempting to stay alive. I won’t give away who the Clown is, or why they’re doing what they’re doing, but it’s the actor involved and the clown himself, as well as the atmosphere of the old opera house, that makes this movie worthwhile.

13. Punchinello, a.k.a. Mr. Punch.

The character of Punch, or more appropriately “Punchinello,” is one of the oldest examples of an evil clown in recorded fiction. Now, some of you may be thinking, “What? That silly slapstick puppet show that showed up in ‘Santa Clause 2’? Does that even count?” Well, yes: few people realize the origins of Mr. Punch are really quite disturbing. “Punchinello” is a type of clown character, and the famous figure from “Punch & Judy” is not nearly the innocent weirdo you probably would expect. The origins of Punch indicate he may not even be human, and in the classic Punch & Judy show…yeah, he’s a psychopath. He murders his wife, his child, his neighbor, a policeman, abuses various animals, and even clobbers the Devil himself just to keep his own soul out of Hell! While it’s all given this darkly humorous slapstick veneer, when you really look at the character and his actions, they’re pretty messed up. While I’ve always had a fascination with this folkloric figure, I count him low on the list because he’s really more recognizable as a character in a puppet show than anything else. Which, to me, kind of makes him sit in an odd place compared to other characters on the countdown. And while most people are vaguely familiar with the idea of “Punch & Judy,” I doubt very many really realize how thoroughly INSANE Punchinello is. Other clowns to come are much more overt in their darkness, and most of them are likely more recognizable AS clowns.

12. The Hobo Clown, from The Devil’s Carnival.

“The Devil’s Carnival” is a short independent musical movie, focused on three people who all end up damned to Hell at the exact same time. They soon discover that Hell is not the medieval fire-and-brimstone wasteland you might expect, but instead takes the form of a perverse carnival and circus. The three sinners thus face a challenge: if they can overcome their greatest sins in life, they will have a chance to go to Heaven. If not, they will be forever doomed to perform in the Carnival, facing death and torture for all eternity as punishment. The Hobo Clown is one of the demons working at the Carnival, and acts as one of two devils assigned to take care of the vain and greedy Miss Merrywood. The character was played by Ivan Moody - most famous as the lead singer of the band Five Finger Death Punch - and gets arguably the best song in the film, “A Penny For a Tale” - performed as he and his fellow carnies torment Merrywood after she fails her test. The film has a motif themed around Aesop’s Fables, and the song analogizes Merrywood’s downfall as a musical retelling of the fable of “The Dog and Her Reflection.” While this dark clown’s role in his respective source is relatively small, it is certainly VERY memorable.

11. Violator, from Spawn.

When most people think of evil clowns in comics, they most likely first think of Batman’s Joker. (And again, we’ll be getting to him soon enough.) However, the Caped Crusader is not the only comic book superhero to have a crazed and murderous clown for an arch-nemesis. Enter Violator - the arch-nemesis of Spawn. While I haven’t actually read much of the Spawn comics, I am primarily familiar with the character thanks to the (admittedly terrible) film adaptation, and (more importantly) the HBO animated series. The former had John Leguizamo, of all people, in the role (and he is arguably the best part of the movie), while the character was voiced by Michael Nicolosi in the TV series. Across all media, however, the character’s basic setup remains the same: Violator is a vaguely bug-like demon who typically takes the form of a crass, vulgar, sardonic clown as a disguise. Ostensibly, he’s in charge of training Spawn, so you’d think they’d be allies…but the Violator is resentful of his position, and only becomes more antagonistic when Spawn goes against his role as leader of Hell’s forces to fight against the Devil. Much of Violator’s evil comes from him trying to one-up his human-born rival, but he’s generally just an awful creature who enjoys suffering and violence in general. When you have a name like “Violator,” I think it’s a given you’re going to be pretty nasty by default.

10. Canio, from Pagliacci.

Alongside Punchinello, this is the oldest example on our list. It’s also the most arguable: while Canio is by no means a hero, it’s debatable how “evil” this clown really is. “Pagliacci” is one of the most well-known operas in the world. Composed by Ruggero Leoncavallo, it tells the story of a troupe of commedia dell’arte performers: chief among them is Canio, who plays the role of the clown Pagliacco in their shows. Canio is depicted as a devoted and kind husband to one of his fellow performers, Nedda…so, when he discovers Nedda is cheating on him with yet another one of their fellow actors, but doesn’t know which one, he plots to find out who her lover is and get revenge. SPOILER ALERT - this ends with Canio, unable to continue his next performance in his emotional distress, murdering both Nedda and her lover, Silvio, before the horrified audience. Canio is a complicated character: on the one hand, he’s typically shown in a sympathetic light: his love for Nedda appears genuine, and he doesn’t seem to be a cruel or abusive husband. HOWEVER, it’s indicated early on that Nedda is afraid of his temper and his possessive attitude towards her, which is why she begins her affair with Silvio. It’s not till he discovers the affair that Canio’s dark side comes out in full force, and even then, one can understand his impulsive and emotional actions. However, Nedda and Silvio aren’t depicted as necessarily bad people, either; they aren’t plotting to do any harm to Canio, and their own relationship seems equally genuine. There’s a lot of gray area here. Ultimately, I would say that double-homicide fueled by rage - however justifiable the act may or may not be - definitely counts Canio in the “Evil Clown” category.

9. Killer Klowns from Outer Space.

While Canio’s villainy is debatable, there’s no such argument to be made with the titular monsters in this cult classic horror-comedy. I mean, it comes with the name: they’re called “Killer Klowns” for a reason. As the title indicates, this movie focuses on a horde of carnivorous, clown-like extraterrestrials, who come to Earth seeking fresh prey to feast upon. The Klowns have powers and weapons that match their circus-like demeanors: they wrap people up in acidic cotton candy cocoons, hatch from eggs that resemble popcorn, have a spaceship that resembles a Big Top, and their only weak spots are their round, red clown noses. While the film is intentionally done in a cheesy, satirical style - fully absorbed in its own silly premise - these Klowns are a great example of what makes the trope so good. They are very funny and utterly bizarre, but they’re also depicted as being totally and completely evil, and have moments where they are genuinely creepy and disturbing. It’s clear that they fully enjoy their own sadistic antics, and take great delight in toying with the humans they kill and consume. The Klowns themselves, and the movie they hail from, are considered classic examples of the concept of Evil Clowns, and were so popular they even spawned a video game, where players are able to take control of the Killer Klowns and hunt down humans in a variety of absurdly despicable ways. I’ve never played the game, but if it’s in any way a match for the movie, I can only imagine it’s as fun as it is freaky.

8. Umlaut, from CarnEvil.

Speaking of video game clowns (as we did at the end of our previous pick), when it comes to the concept of evil circuses, carnivals, and so on, one game title always automatically comes to my mind: “CarnEvil.” A dark staple of arcade galleries from 1998 well into the 2000s, this - like Killer Klowns from Outer Space - was a combo of horror and humor. The game focuses on a thrillseeking protagonist who summons the titular CarnEvil: a twisted amusement park filled with monsters, ghosts, zombies, and…um…evil Christmas elves (no comment), all run by the mad showman, Ludwig Von Tokkentaker. Of course, psychotic killer clowns are all the rage at this place…and the most noteworthy among them all is our “host,” Umlaut. This disembodied jester’s skull - who flies around with his belled collar acting like a helicopter propeller - is the game’s mascot, and acts as Tokkentaker’s second-in-command. Throughout the our gory and grisly adventure, he introduces the different levels, giving each one a darkly humorous limerick to accompany them. In the climactic final sequence aboard his master’s phantom zeppelin, Umlaut confronts the player directly as a mini-boss, preluding the grand showdown between the MC and the leader of CarnEvil. As the most recognizable character from one of the most deliciously deranged arcade experiences of all time, Umlaut definitely deserves a place in my personal top ten.

7. Joker (a.k.a. Rascal), from Smile! Pretty Cure/Glitter Force.

There are quite a number of evil clowns, jesters, harlequins, and so on in the world of anime. A couple that I enjoy who didn’t make the cut include the Moderate Harlequin Alliance from “That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime” (yes, both of those titles are things), and Saggi the Dark Clown from “Yu-Gi-Oh!” However, my favorite example from anime would have to be this character. “Smile! Pretty Cure” is one entry in the long-running “Pretty Cure” franchise…and it’s also the ONLY PreCure series I’ve ever seen. (I’m not really a huge fan of Magical Girl shows.) The series is themed around fairy-tales, with three of its major antagonists - Wolfrun, Akaoni, and Majorina - all being characters from famous fairy-tales, and the show as a whole featuring references to other stories and fairy-tale elements throughout. With that said, the main antagonist of the show appears to be a totally original character, and that is this guy. In the original Japanese version, he’s referred to as “Joker.” The English Dub, which retitled the series as “Glitter Force,” changed nearly all of the major character names and other bits of terminology; in that version, the character was renamed “Rascal.” While the original Japanese version is definitely better, I’m going to refer to the character by that name in this description, simply because I find “Rascal” to be a more unique name than “Joker.” The four villains all plan to resurrect a dark entity known as “Emperor Pierrot,” and use his power to - of course - take over the world. It’s eventually revealed that Rascal is actually a part of Pierrot, given his own body and soul, and his greatest desire is to return to his Master and become part of him once again. Rascal will stop at nothing to achieve these goals, and while he at first seems like a goofball, he quickly shows himself to be the scariest and arguably the most wicked of the bunch. And considering his associates include the Big Bad Wolf and the Evil Queen from Snow White, that’s probably saying quite a lot. While the aforementioned Big Bad Wolf, Wolfrun (or “Ulric” in Glitter Force) is my favorite of the villains, Rascal comes at a close second, and was by far the most sinister of the group.

6. Kefka Palazzo, from Final Fantasy.

I’m not super well-versed in the universe of “Final Fantasy,” but I’ve played and seen enough to know a fair bit about Kefka Palazzo. And with what I know about him, there’s no doubt in my mind he’s one of my favorite video game villains, and therefore a shoe-in for a place on this countdown. Once upon a time, Kefka was meant to be a great hero: the first “prototype” of an intended army of Magic Knights, he was experimented on with Magitek (as the name implies, a sort of combo of magic and technology) to give him special powers. The experiment, however, did not go as planned: it DID give Kefka great powers, but also twisted his mind. Kefka is the jolliest nihilist you could ever hope NEVER to meet: he very literally cannot comprehend feelings like love, compassion, and loyalty, and doesn’t understand why people hold so many things as precious. So, like an errant child, he reacts to these things he doesn’t understand by destroying him. While Kefka is manipulative and cunning, his schemes and plots have no great ambition behind them: all he yearns for is death and destruction. Nothing matters to him but killing and ruining other people and the things they hold dear, and no amount of this meaningless horror is enough. He is both a tragic and decidedly deplorable character, and one of the most powerful and dangerous examples of an evil clown on this countdown.

5. The Ghost Clown, from Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?

This may seem like a weird one to place into the Top 5, but for me, it’s a no-brainer. While the Ghost Clown may not be the most threatening and scary of all the clowns on this countdown, he’s one of the first characters I think of whenever I think of the concept, as well as one of my favorite classic Scooby-Doo villains. Appearing in the episode “Bedlam in the Big Top,” the Ghost Clown is a mysterious figure, with a raspy, husky voice and hypnotic powers. It’s revealed that the Ghost Clown is a superstition among circus folk in this world: whenever the Clown shows up, it’s a sign that the circus is doomed. That certainly seems to be the case, as after the appearance of this particular specter, the circus he’s haunting begins to experience a variety of accidents, endangering the performers and causing nearly all of them to leave. It’s therefore up to the Mystery Inc. gang to find a way to stop the Ghost Clown, being the meddling kids they are. In typical fashion, it’s eventually revealed the supposed ghost is a crook in a costume, but I always liked the lore of the Clown being some sort of evil spirit and bad omen, and the Clown himself is just creepy enough to a memorable member of the Scooby-Doo Rogues Gallery. Shaggy, Scooby, and the rest have faced other clowns since then - from a man-eating robot clown to a zombie fond of balloon animals (yes, both of those are in other Scooby-Doo programs) - but none are quite as iconic as the Ghost Clown.

4. Fear, a.k.a. The Clown, from Star Trek: Voyager.

Played by Michael McKean, this creepy customer appeared in my personal favorite episode of “Star Trek: Voyager,” entitled “Thaw.” In this episode, the crew of Voyager stumble upon a group of humanoids - the last of their race - who are being kept in suspended animation, hooked up to an elaborate computer system. It’s revealed that this computer system places the minds of its users into a sort of “dreamworld.” This dreamworld is run by the Clown, a.k.a. “Fear.” Why is he called this? Because the Clown is a literal manifestation of fear itself: he tortures those in his dreamworld with their worst fears and most traumatizing memories, till they literally get scared to death. (Hmmmm…a clown who feeds off of people’s fears, and can make them experience them…where have I heard this before?) While the whole episode is a glorious blend of nightmare fuel and entertaining silliness, courtesy of Fear/the Clown, I think what makes me love it more than anything else is the way it ends. I won’t give away the ending here, but it’s one of the most haunting and emotionally ambiguous conclusions to any Star Trek episode, hands-down.

3. The Chief Clown, from Doctor Who.

From one sci-fi show to another. The Chief Clown is the secondary villain of my personal favorite episode of the Seventh Doctor’s era, “The Greatest Show in the Galaxy.” He is a member of the Psychic Circus: an interstellar circus that has set down its roots on the desert planet of Segonax, and is inviting people from all across the galaxy to tryout and become their next big act. The Doctor and his companion, Ace, go to see the show, and soon find themselves wrapped up in a massive conspiracy, involving extraterrestrial Gods and many buried secrets. The Chief Clown is the ultimate manifestation of the corruption of the circus: it’s indicated that, once upon a time, he was a simple and innocent entertainer, and was considered a genuinely great clown. However, he’s now become obsessed with the power he has over other people, and unlike the other circus performers - who seem more begrudging in their evil deeds, at least to some degree - the Chief Clown has completely embraced the madness. As the episode goes on, he gleefully carries out the will of his near-deity-like masters, and is more than willing to sacrifice not only random people, but his fellow longtime performers, to sate their demands. The character was played by Ian Reddington, and his performance is a major, MAJOR part of what makes the Chief Clown so memorable: he takes even the most simple lines and story beats and finds ways to make them fascinating to watch and listen to as they play out. As I’ve said, I’m typically not afraid of clowns…but this guy might be the one who creeps me out more than any other on the list. (pauses) Well…almost any other, at least. All in due time…

2. Pennywise the Dancing Clown, a.k.a. IT, from Stephen King’s IT.

I was actually tempted, at first, to place Pennywise - the clownish guise of the mysterious entity simply called “IT” from Stephen King’s story of the same name - much lower on the list. Mostly because…to be blunt, I’ve never seen a version of this story that satisfied me to 100%. Every interpretation - the book, the 1990 miniseries, and the two-part cinematic film treatment - has their own share of flaws, and also their fair share of good points. However, as time has gone on…while I have noticed more and more the issues with the story itself, I have also, conversely, gained more and more of an appreciation of the character of Pennywise. Whenever people think of the phrase “Evil Clown,” he (it?) is one of the first characters folks think of or reference. Every incarnation of Pennywise is slightly different, but all of them share the same basic idea: the clown is the preferred “costume” of a shapeshifting creature, referred to as “IT,” which feeds on people’s fear…and then feeds on the people themselves. What I love most about Pennywise in the book is the way IT is actually written: for all the problems the novel has, the monster, itself, is honestly so incredibly disturbing. Something about the way King describes the creature and its thoughts and words and so on makes it feel so unnervingly alien and cosmic. The screen treatments don’t capture this same nigh-Lovecraftian idea, but they are memorable in their own ways: Tim Curry’s delightfully over-the-top performance often feels more comical than truly chilling, but is certainly a memorable and entertaining execution, and it’s easy to see why so many people still feel scared of him, or at least enjoy him, to this day. Bill Skarsgard’s Pennywise upped the horror factor to the max, but still had a decent amount of humor and even manipulative guile to him, and gave the character a wonderful arc, as the eater of worlds and master of fear learns what it’s like to feel fear itself. Whatever version you prefer, there are few twisted harlequins quite as iconic as Pennywise the Dancing Clown.

1. The Joker & Harley Quinn, from Batman.

Yep. It’s finally time. You all knew this one was coming. And yes, I’m including Harley here, too: while I’ve personally become a bit annoyed with Harley’s ridiculous levels of misused popularity over the years - and nowadays she barely even counts as an “evil” clown, a lot of the time - I’d feel remiss to leave her out of the running entirely. The fact that it bothers me so many of her redesigns and reinventions almost seem to forget the fact she’s meant to evoke the iconography of a classic clown and jester should say something on its own. However, I’ll admit it’s mostly the Joker we’re talking about here. The Clown Prince of Crime is arguably the most famous supervillain of all time, and is one of the longest-lasting killer clowns on this countdown: he’s been around since 1940. I think the only clowns who have been around longer than him are Pagliacci and Punchinello; considering the latter has been around since the 17th century, and the former has been around since the late 1800s…yeah, I’d say the Joker’s near-85-year-run is still pretty darn impressive. If you need proof of just how much influence this character has had on me, if nothing else, you don’t even have to look at other things I’ve written; just go back over this list and see how many times I hinted at the Joker’s arrival, and how many characters here bear some resemblance - however intentional or not -  to the Ace of Knaves. There’s really not much more I even need to say to justify this decision: in my opinion, the Joker (and, to a lesser degree, dear Harley Quinn) are the ultimate couple of Evil Clowns. “Laugh, clown, laugh.”

HONORABLE MENTIONS INCLUDE…

Sweet Tooth, from Twisted Metal. (I don’t really know anything about this character or these games, but from what little I’ve learned, he seems fun in an utterly horrifying way.)

The Clown Doctors, from Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure. (Also the Clown Statue. Lots of evil clowns here.)

The Fireman Clown, from The Brave Little Toaster. (GOOD LORD, THIS THING WAS SCARY.)

Krusty the Clown AND Sideshow Bob, from The Simpsons. (Not sure how much either of these guys count - Krusty seems more “cynical” than “evil,” and Bob barely even qualifies as a clown - hence why they’re only Honorable Mentions.)

The Clown Doll, from Poltergeist. (I felt this fit more in the vein of “creepy toys” than “evil clowns,” but still worthy of an Honorable Mention.)

Mad Pierrot, from Cowboy Bebop. (He may not wear makeup in the original anime, but I still say he counts.)

[oreo102]

What's your favourite episode of 13's run and why?

Ok! I surprisingly enough do have a favorite episode… but it’s by such a small margin I’ve made an executive decision to talk about 2 other of my favorites episodes and then a few honorable mentions and why I love them

I’m half sorry for how long this is, I’m fully sorry for the fact that it took a while to actually put my thoughts to words

We’re starting with my absolute favorite because that’s what was asked lol. The Power Of The Doctor is my favorite episode, the plot is fun but it’s really the characters that make me love it so much! Every character that shows up is used really well.

Yaz is absolutely the star of the episode. I love her in every episode but especially in this one she shines a lot. She takes charge so well and really does fill the docs shoes with flying the tardis and making the plans and all that jazz. Her interactions with everyone is amazing to watch but especially the master, their dynamic is so interesting to me! Mandip also does a great job portraying emotions in this one- her anger at the master, and sadness about 13 regenerating in particular is one of my favorite parts. Also yaz with a gun is hot, and I fully believe she woulda shot the master if he gave her a reason so this episode would be in my top five just for that

Speaking of the master! This is 100% his best appearance. The dancing, the outfit, his interactions with yaz being a mix of cruel and endearing, in a way? Maybe that’s not the right word… interesting at the very least. The way he talks to her like they’re friendly, like they both know the doctor very well… kinda like they’re two sides of the same coin, in a way?

13 is lovely in this episode. A) I ADORE the navy version of her coat and am so happy they brought it back in the inbetween cliff (or whatever that was) B) her regeneration might just be one of my favorite scenes, even if it pains me to watch (ignoring 14’s existence for this) and the hologram is so smart (btw does yaz still have that? Do you think it activates still?) also love the fugitive doctor appearance even if it was hologram form. Her comforting yaz, their conversation, the icecream <333333

Love ace and Teagan and vinder, they’re all great but especially ace is SO FUN and I love her interactions with graham(did they flirt?) who btw, I love that he was right back! Too bad Ryan isn’t there tho, it’s fun to see how the dr leaving affects the companions, the bitterness Teagan holds is definitely a really fun bit that I’m glad they included. Also Kate is amazing as she always is! Dan wasn’t that bad either but I’m still glad he didn’t stick around

Also! I really like the plot! I saw someone complain about having all 3 cybermen, daleks and the master in the same episode but honestly it was just super fun- and the master was really the main villain with the cybermen and daleks as minor/background/subvillains. I much approve fun plots over anything else and having the master dance to Rasputin is very fun!

Onto The Woman Who Fell To Earth!

Yes, 13’s first and last appearance are my favorite episodes! This will be much less in depth but I did recently rewatch this one so it’s as fresh in my mind as the first.

I really like how… snappy they all are, in a weird way? The fam kinda mellow out through the series, especially Graham. Theyre all somewhat aggressive in this one and it’s very fun! It’s too bad grace died… she’d have made a great companion

Also the plot, the plot is great. 13 making her own sonic, not remembering who she is but knowing she has to help people, picking up the first humans she sees (which she has a habit of throughout the series, lol), being super smart! Just lovely! Also her in a suit is hot

“I’m calling you yaz, cuz we’re friends now.” Is 100% one of my favorite quotes too

Also Swiss army sonic should’ve been a running gag, it’s funny! I think that’s everything- my thoughts on this episode are very disconnected but oh well

My third favorite: the witch finders!

I’m not actually sure why I love this episode so much? Actually yes I do, soaked 13 is hot- that’s not the only reason tho, promise.

The fam is great, as always, but especially yaz this episode. It portrays how kind she is really well! 13 experiencing sexism and being pissed about it is also really cool, I kinda wish we got at least one other episode where it happened but I understand why we didn’t . Also the king being gay for Ryan is funny as fuck and I didn’t notice it my first watch

The background(side?) characters are also really good- the possessed lady is a fun antagonist, and the king is wonderfully incompetent at his job.

Also 13 telling them not to interfere and then immediately interfering is fantastic. I don’t think I have much to say about this one? I just really like it

Honorable mentions!

The timeless children, solely for the scene with Graham and yaz being family and for yaz being halfway to the portal by the time Graham is done asking who’s first- tbh this is my least favorite appearance for the master and I think the cybermasters are stupid so

Arachnids in the uk I love yaz’s family, i love jade, i love that the bitch ceo gets schooled by women in stem and yaz’s mom, i like that when asked if she and the doctor are together yaz’s response is “we’re [just?] friends!” But when asked the same about ryan it’s a very emphatic “no!”, I love “more of the universe… more time with you.”

Demons of the punjab “we can’t have a universe with no yaz!”, young umbreen is so much like yaz it’s amazing, i love yaz in this episode (this, ive realized, doesn’t say much, I love her in every episode), the plot is really fun and again i love yaz’s family

The legend of the seadevils my beloved gays. The characters are all really fun, the plot is great, all the thasmin moments I love and they hurt my heart, and Dan has a stupid outfit!

Eve of the daleks once again: my beloved gays! The plot is so fun, and even though the side characters aren’t my favorite I still really like them

Fugitive of the judoon FUGITIVE DOCTOR MY BELOVED <333333 also Jack is cool

Oh also My least favorite is resolution because it’s boring. Ok I think that’s everything… hope you don’t regret asking!

[shiningwonderland]

Cecil Aijima (Repeat)

Translator: Raz (Twitter: agnadance)

Proofreader: Sera (Twitter: serayagami)

Editors: Melanie (Twitter: melabonbon), Plaid (Twitter: cecillovemail)

QA: Rei (Twitter: wolfe_raine)

May — Warped Rock

Beep-beep-beep! Beep-beep-beep!

Haruka Nanami: Mm... just five more minutes...

I stretch my arm out, reach for the alarm clock, and freeze when I see the date.

May 15th…

I'm sure yesterday was still April…

I panic and switch on the TV. A newscaster reading from their script appears and the date is definitely May.

Newscaster: There have been reports all over the world that musical instruments cannot emit sound for some unknown reason, and that singers have lost their voices...

Haruka Nanami: Instruments... can't emit sound...

I feel my stomach drop and turn off the TV.

Select the Phrase!

呪 いって本当だったんだ The curse is real after all. (+10 Love +5 Music)

It's just as Cecil-san said yesterday... I didn't completely doubt him though.

What he said was just so removed from reality that I couldn't grasp it.

But now I fully understand. The world has been turned upside down.

And, on top of that, what felt like one day to me was actually a whole month passing...

I'm so scared.

If things continue on like this forever…

Twelve days for me will actually be a whole year in reality. Just four months will be ten years... and one year will be thirty years…

My mind will stay the same while my body grows older and older…

Chills run down my spine. My life will end in an instant. I can’t put up with this.

What’s more…

A world where you can't sing... you can't play music…

At this rate, the world will become such a lonely place.

A world without music... that's just too sad.

Kuppuru: Music is slowly drifting away from the world.

Kuppuru suddenly appears at my feet and talks to me.

Select the Phrase!

へぇ、喋れるんだぁ. Oh, you can talk. (+20 Love +0 Music)

Kuppuru: Yes.

Ah, just as I thought...

... The goddess of music has been defeated by the demon king. All that remains in this world with no music is a curse.

Everything is just so unbelievable that I guess a talking cat isn’t a big deal anymore.

I’m scared by how normal it is now.

Kuppuru: You and I are bound by a contract now. From now on, we can speak not with words but through our souls.

Haruka Nanami: Contract…?

Kuppuru: The kiss of avowal… Lips are where song forms. They are where the magic of music is the strongest. Your music and mine have become one through our lips. 

Kuppuru: That is the contract. The bond of our souls. From now on, I need to kiss you to receive the power of music from you… In order to return to my original form.

Haruka Nanami: You need… to kiss…?

I recall what happened yesterday and my face grows hot.

That… wasn’t a dream… was it? I really did kiss him… kiss Cecil-san…

Kuppuru: To compensate for the power of the curse, I need the strength of the Muse. It is difficult to fight with my own power. I need to kiss you once more…

Kuppuru lightly jumps onto my lap.

Haruka Nanami: What!! No, I can’t!

I quickly answer, completely flustered.

Kuppuru: ... Why?

Kuppuru, looking troubled, tilts his head.

Aww… S-so cute…

No, that’s not it! That’s not what this is about!

Haruka Nanami: Kisses… are something precious… They can’t be given just like that…

Kuppuru: A kiss is proof of love. I love you. That isn’t enough?

Even when you put it like that… Hrrrmmm… what should I say?

Select the Phrase!

そうじゃなくて。。。 That’s not it. (+20 Love +0 Music)

Haruka Nanami: Um… I’m… very happy that you feel that way. However… we only just met so I can’t exactly say that I like you or love you…

Haruka Nanami: I really love Kuppuru, but I can’t think of you the same way when you’re human. Therefore, I feel hesitant about kissing you.

Kuppuru: I apologize. You were always so kind, so I believed that you would not mind. I will wait, no matter how long...

Kuppuru: I will wait until your heart returns to me. I will protect you. I will continue to protect you…

Kuppuru: Besides that, this…

Kuppuru takes a letter in his mouth and drops it in my hands.

Haruka Nanami: A letter?

“Be careful. A Class Ittoki, Hijirikawa, Shinomiya and S Class Ichinose, Jinguji, Kurusu are in Satan’s hands. However, there is still hope.”

There’s nothing else written on the letter. But…

Kuppuru: I saw this letter in front of your door this morning... I don’t know who sent it… I wonder who would… And… what do they mean by… hope…

Kuppuru: It’s worth looking into…

Kuppuru and I head to the school with apprehension.

Kuppuru: ... This is...

Kuppuru stops suddenly in front of the entrance and his whiskers prick up.

Haruka Nanami: ... What's wrong?

Kuppuru: I sense the Muse... and Satan.

Immediately after Kuppuru finishes speaking, 

Otoya Ittoki appears on top of the roof.

Otoya Ittoki: MUHAHAHA! You actually came, the WAAAARRIORS of the Muse!!

Ittoki-kun stands on the roof, looking down on us.

Otoya Ittoki: The music score that YOU are looking for is within THIIIIS MAN! BUT! He is already under my CONTROOOOL.

Otoya Ittoki: If you want the music score, you have to come AAALL the way up here! HAAA HA HA HA HA HA HA!

Flutter. He flips the hem of his jacket and moves back from the rooftop fence and disappears from our sight.

...

Uuuum... That was... Ittoki-kun... right?

Haruka Nanami: Ittoki-kun... he's talking like a completely different person. He really is controlled by Satan.

Haruka Nanami: We have to save him, quickly!

Kuppuru: Let us head for the roof.

Shudder.

The moment we entered the school, shivers ran down my spine. I had a really bad feeling about this.

Then...

Male Student A: Ah... ughhh... aahhh...

Male Student B: Ugah...

Haruka Nanami: Huh...? W-what...?

Students surround us out of nowhere.

Is everybody... OK?

But... the look in their eyes scares me... Their eyes don’t seem focused... There's no light in them.

Kuppuru: Haruka, run! Quickly! These people are controlled by Satan!

Haruka Nanami: Eh... eh!!?!?? R-run where...!?

We're completely surrounded!

Haruka Nanami: Uuu...

W-w-w-what should we do...

Select the Phrase!

歌う Sing. (+10 Love +10 Music)

... Wait, the news said it was impossible to sing right now. 

But...

I try to sing a little.

Haruka Nanami: Ah... I sang...

But the situation doesn't change.

Male Student A: Ahh... ahggh...

Male Student B: Guh... gurrr... uu...

T...they're like zombies... scary...

Kuppuru: Urgh... aaaAAAAAAH!!

Kuppuru lets out a hoarse yell and the next moment, he begins to glow brightly.

The light forms into the shape of a person and he returns to being—

Cecil Aijima: Haa... haa... haa... I... I somehow succeeded...

The zombified students are a bit blinded by the light Kuppuru gave off and cower.

Cecil Aijima: Haa... haa.. haa... Now's the time... Come here...

Cecil-san grabs my hand and runs.

As soon as we enter the classroom, Cecil-san begins drawing a pattern on the door with a piece of chalk.

Cecil Aijima: Lock. Seal! ... With this, they cannot come in... .. Haa.. ha... haa...

Cecil-san leans his back against the door and breathes heavily.

Haruka Nanami: Cecil-san... what's wrong? Are you OK?

Cecil is completely different from yesterday when he transformed from being Kuppuru...

He seems like he's in pain... What's wrong...? I wonder if he's sick... I'm worried...

Cecil Aijima: Do not fret... My Princess. I will... protect you... no matter what...

Haruka Nanami: I'm fine! I'm more worried about you!

Cecil Aijima: I... I am fine...

It hurts to see him smile while he suffers. He's clearly in pain... why? Is there nothing I can do?

Select the Phrase!

わたしにできることは？ Is there anything I can do? (+20 Love +0 Music)

Once I say that, Cecil-san gives me a pained look.

Cecil Aijima: Thank you, My Princess. However... I would become dependent on you again. Therefore, I refuse.

Haruka Nanami: But I'm worried. I might not be reliable, but is there really nothing I can do?

As soon as I say that, Cecil-san holds tight.

Haruka Nanami: U-uhm...

When I become flustered, Cecil releases me and smiles.

Cecil Aijima: ... Your feelings are appreciated. I am happy.

Just... my feelings...? Is there really nothing I can do...? I can’t take this.

To think I can’t help someone in need right in front of my eyes...

Cecil Aijima: Outside has become quiet. Let us depart.

Haruka Nanami: Okay.

Again, we head for the roof.

Otoya Ittoki: Hoho... I'm surpriiiised you were able to get past my guards!

Otoya Ittoki: But your advance ends here...! TAAAAKE MY "NEGATIVE FIRE BOMBER"!!!

Once Ittoki-kun yells, a yellow light flies out of his body. At that moment...

He goes limp.

Ittoki-kun, like a puppet that lost its strings, falls to the floor.

Haruka Nanami: Ittoki-kun!!!

Without thinking, I run and hold Ittoki-kun's body in my arms.

Cecil Aijima: Ah, Haruka! You can't! Don't go close to hi—

Otoya Ittoki: He...lp... me...

Ittoki-kun weakly pleads for help. I can’t leave him like that.

He might have been freed from Satan's curse...

Haruka Nanami: What's wrong, are you alright?

I feel a tight grip.

Ittoki-kun grabs my arm and pulls me close.

Haruka Nanami: Eh? Ah... um...

Otoya Ittoki: Nanami... Please listen to me...

Ittoki-kun's lips draw close to my ear.

Otoya Ittoki: Cicadas... The larvae sleep in the cold, dark earth for a very, very long time.

Eh... Is this...

Cecil Aijima: Can this be... the legendary "Life of a Cicada"... People who hear it become depressed and get drained of all their liveliness! The fearsome magical chant!

... The Life of a Cicada is a magical chant...? I guess I do get sad when I listen to it... But I don't think it's making me depressed...

Besides that, I'm more shocked at being hugged by Ittoki-kun!

Otoya Ittoki: They stay inside the earth where the light doesn't reach them. They stay in that dark place for many years, and even when they finally reach a place touched by sunlight...

Haruka Nanami: Um... uh... can you let… let me go...?

I try to squirm my way out of Ittoki-kun's arms...

But he holds me tighter than before and I become immobile.

Otoya Ittoki: They can fly towards the sun only for a moment... just a summer dream...

Cecil Aijima: Ugh… I need to separate them.

Otoya Ittoki: Hmph, it’s pointless.

Snap!

Ittoki-kun snaps his fingers and an invisible wall appears in front of Cecil, blocking his hands.

Cecil keeps striking the invisible wall but it won’t budge.

Haruka Nanami: Cecil-san!

While Ittoki-kun keeps holding on to me, I reach out my hands towards Cecil… but they can’t reach.

Otoya Ittoki: Nanami. I told you, it’s impossible! Just give up and listen to me.

He grabs my arms reaching out for Cecil and holds them down.

Haruka Nanami: N-no…

Otoya Ittoki: Idols are just like cicadas.

Haruka Nanami: Eh…?

Idols are like cicadas?

Otoya Ittoki: After lying dormant in the earth for so many years, they drag their bodies across the ground and work so hard with blood, sweat, and tears, but once they finally become famous, they’re forgotten just after a year.

Otoya Ittoki: There are so many idols who end up that way. The ones who manage to sell are the lucky ones, some end up not being able to chirp or fly, and after so many years of trying to hold out, there are ones that just end up disappearing.

Haruka Nanami: Ah…

Yes, there are many people like that. Not every student in this school will become an idol or composer.

They come with big dreams, try and try, don’t blossom and end up giving up halfway because they don’t know what to do.

I may end up like that too. Just thinking that... makes me a little sad.

I haven’t been able to take a month’s worth of classes… I'm already running late…

Otoya Ittoki: It’s a tough world out there. … It’s not just fun and games.

Haruka Nanami: … Yes… you’re right…

What's the matter with me? My chest feels tight. I feel like I'm being crushed by anxiety.

Was this magic? I feel like… I'm becoming numb...

But… isn’t some of this what Otoya Ittoki really thinks?

Otoya Ittoki: But if somebody like me is going to live alone... I don’t have anything but the entertainment business…

Haruka Nanami: Eh… What do you mean “somebody like me?”

Otoya Ittoki: I… don’t have parents. Even before I was born, I didn’t have a father, and my mother passed away when I was young.

Ittoki-kun loosens his grip around me and closes his eyes with a lonely expression on his face.

Cecil Aijima: Now! Haruka! Run!!

Haruka Nanami: …

I could run… But I don’t feel like it's the right time.

Otoya Ittoki: But… those parents weren’t even my birth parents. My birth mother is apparently my foster mother’s younger sister. My foster mother took me in shortly after I was born…

Otoya Ittoki: My birth mother then went missing… I don’t know if she’s alive or dead… I don’t even know who my birth father is.

Haruka Nanami: Ittoki... kun.

I didn’t know he went through that.

I’ve never been good at making friends, and it was lonely, but when I went home I could be with my kind parents.

But Ittoki-kun… doesn’t have parents. Even so, he was able to act so energetic and bright.

He's so dismal... Is this Satan’s curse?

Or are these Ittoki-kun’s true feelings?

I can’t tell…

Otoya Ittoki: I grew up at the orphanage… Usually, I played the clown, but I was actually always lonely…

Otoya Ittoki: I thought that if I became independent this year, the best path for me would be to become an idol, right?…

Otoya Ittoki: Besides, if I were to become an idol and become famous… Maybe my parents would notice me…

Haruka Nanami: Ah…

Is that why you’re working so hard…?

Cecil Aijima: Haruka! Don’t be fooled by him! He’s brainwashed by Satan right now!

Yes… that might be true but... I also can’t say he isn’t brainwashed…

Otoya Ittoki: If I were to succeed, maybe I wouldn’t be alone anymore. Haruka, please, help me. I feel like we can do this together.

Ittoki-kun whispers, stroking my hair gently.

Otoya Ittoki: I don’t want to be hidden in the dirt where the sun doesn’t shine and where nobody can see me or be by my side. I want to be basking in the spotlight, in the sun…

Haruka Nanami: … In the sun...

So he means he doesn’t feel like that now? I see… Ittoki is always lonely too.

Otoya Ittoki: That’s why you should give all of yourself to me, Nanami. Your talent, your dreams, your future, your everything… everything…

But…

Cecil Aijima: No! Don’t fall under his spell…! He just wants to erase your music!

Haruka Nanami: … If I give you my all, would you be happy?

Otoya Ittoki: Yes, I will finally smile from the heart. So give me your music…

Cecil Aijima: No! Don’t give it to him! Your music…! Your soul…!

Haruka Nanami: … But if it would make you happy…

I am also lonely, so I want to help him if I can.

Otoya Ittoki: Yes, I would be happy.

Saying that, Ittoki-kun smirks. No… He isn't the type of person to smile like that.

Haruka Nanami: ...But even if I do that, I don’t think you would be happy.

Otoya Ittoki: What?

Ittoki-kun starts to look nervous. But that's probably Satan becoming nervous.

Haruka Nanami: Your music is yours alone, so wouldn’t you have no use for my music? Besides...

Haruka Nanami: You’re making such a sad face. What are you planning to do with my music?

Otoya Ittoki: I…

His eyes wander briefly.

If Ittoki-kun would use it, then I would give it to him.

But… I would be sad if Satan erased my music if I gave it to him.

Haruka Nanami: At the beginning of the school year, I heard you sing behind the school building... You looked like you were having so much fun singing.

Haruka Nanami: Can you sing now? Can you sing in this world without music…?

Haruka Nanami: If I were to give this to you, and then Satan erases all music, you wouldn’t be able to sing anymore. Are you fine with that?

Otoya Ittoki: Ugh… S...to…p… AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!

Ittoki-kun grimaces in pain.

Haruka Nanami: I want to hear your music again… Your song…

Tears stream down my face. Maybe that pain and weakness Ittoki-kun confessed is actually all true.

But he was able to overcome it, and he loves singing more than anything else, and he's here because of his passion. I believe that's what Ittoki-kun is truly like...

I don’t believe he wishes to not sing anymore and erase music.

Even so, it's just so sad that he's being forced to help erase music.

Otoya Ittoki: I want to… sing… I really do… Ugh… must erase music…

Ittoki-kun?

Suddenly, Ittoki-kun holds his head and looks like he's in pain.

Otoya Ittoki: No… I don’t want to erase it… ERASE… NO! I’m… I... Want to… SING!!

Crack!

The invisible barrier breaks.

Cecil Aijima: Haruka, now is the time. I will exorcise him! Give me… your power!

Cecil-san takes my hand and holds his other out towards Ittoki-kun’s chest.

Cecil Aijima: Muse, give us your blessings…

Cecil-san chants a spell. Then...

Haruka Nanami: The melody of the wandering goddess.

The words come from my mouth naturally.

Cecil Aijima: Show us your true form!

Otoya Ittoki: Aah…. AAAAAAAAAAAAaaAAaAAarrrrgGGH!!!

Light envelopes Ittoki-kun’s body. The overflowing brilliance changes into music notes and dances in the sky.

Then, musical notes made of light appear in the air.

Cecil Aijima: This is a guitar’s part... Over here…

Cecil-san reaches out his hand, and the musical notes of light transform into sheet music, and rest in Cecil’s hand.

Otoya Ittoki: I… what did I do…

Haruka Nanami: You were controlled by Satan.

Otoya Ittoki: Satan…?

Haruka Nanami: I will explain.

We go back to the dorm room and I explain everything that's happened so far to Ittoki-kun.

Otoya Ittoki: I see… so that’s what happened…

Haruka Nanami: Yes, it was terrible. … And it will still be terrible.

Otoya Ittoki: So I should practice from this sheet music, right?

Haruka Nanami: Yes, because Kuppuru said so.

Otoya Ittoki: Kuppuru…? Ah... I saw that with my own eyes and yet I still can’t believe it. A human can turn into a cat…!?

Right after we got the sheet music on the roof, Cecil lost all his power and became Kuppuru again.

Now, he's curled up on my lap.

Haruka Nanami: Yes, I couldn’t believe it myself in the beginning… Satan and the Muse… But they are all real…

Haruka Nanami: Music is disappearing from the world. Only we can save it.

Haruka Nanami: Now a part of the score of Agna’s Song has been released. Let’s see… that sheet music is for the guitar’s part, right? You should be able to play the guitar now.

Haruka Nanami: Kuppuru taught all of that. Every time some of the score gets released, some of the Muse’s power revives and Satan’s power is suppressed.

Haruka Nanami: Every time we release some of the sheet music, certain instruments get their sound back as well.

Otoya Ittoki: I see, so the next problem is having a place to practice. Satan hates music, right? If we practice at school, I think he would notice.

Ryuya Hyuga: Don’t worry about that.

Haruka Nanami: Eh, Hyuga-sensei!? Why are you here?

Hyuga-sensei is the S class homeroom teacher and a working idol.

At the same time, he is the Shining Agency’s manager and is widely known as the principal’s right-hand man.

Ryuya Hyuga: I followed you two.

Hyuga-sensei announces without hesitation.

Ryuya Hyuga: The principal started to act strange, and then the entire school became strange too. I tried to look into things but…

Ryuya Hyuga: Seems like the only people who are still acting normally are me and you all. However, I don’t have the same power as you all have.

Ryuya Hyuga: All I can do is pretend that I’m following the principal’s orders and work in the shadows.

Haruka Nanami: Hyuga-sensei, how did you escape being brainwashed?

Ryuya Hyuga: Who knows? My family’s house is a shrine, and my grandpa seemed to have extremely strong spiritual power, so maybe that has something to do with it.

Ryuya Hyuga: Or maybe it was thanks to this…

Hyuga-sensei takes a charm out of his pocket and shows it to us.

Ryuya Hyuga: This is the charm my grandpa gave me. When the principal started acting strange, this burned. Maybe my grandpa protected me.

Otoya Ittoki: … Even if that were true, what do you mean by saying there’s nothing to worry about?

Ryuya Hyuga: Yeah. I looked into things on my own. While I was observing you all, I tried to find a place where you can make your base.

Ryuya Hyuga: Seems like only the dorms are safe from the principal’s power.

Ryuya Hyuga: And… Underground, there’s a recording room that nobody uses.

Ryuya Hyuga: Ittoki, you should hide out down there and practice to avoid getting brainwashed again.

Ryuya Hyuga: The principal is keeping a close watch on me so I can’t always be here with you guys, but I can check on you once in a while. You A Class students can get S Class instruction.

Ryuya Hyuga: You better be grateful for that!

Otoya Ittoki: Ah, y-yes! Thank you!

And with that, we have strong allies like Ittoki-kun and Hyuga-sensei on our side.

I hope we get to collect many sheets of music at this pace and solve the problem quickly.

Ittoki-kun goes with Hyuga-sensei together to the underground secret base, and I'm left with Kuppuru in the room.

Haruka Nanami: I feel confident that Hyuga-sensei is on our side.

Kuppuru: Yes…

Kuppuru closes his eyes and nods.

Haruka Nanami: What’s wrong, Kuppuru... ? Ah! I apologize. Cecil-san, you don’t look too well.

Kuppuru lays on my lap with a lonely look on his face.

Kuppuru: Are you in love with that fellow?

Haruka Nanami: Eh? Do you mean Ittoki-kun?

Kuppuru: Yes. You seemed to understand him very well. You wanted to save him, from the bottom of your heart.

Haruka Nanami: … I don’t hate him… But I don’t know Ittoki-kun well enough that I can say that I love him either. But…

Haruka Nanami: I understand what it feels like to be lonely. I was always alone…

Haruka Nanami: If I had the power to save him, I wanted to save him….That’s what I thought at the time.

Kuppuru: Haruka… So you were lonely as well. … I will always be by your side.

Kuppuru: I will always… be by your side… I will not allow you to be lonely. Never… never…

Ah, I see. Cecil-san is lonely too. He's worried about me.

Haruka Nanami: Cecil-san… Thank you. Let’s do our best together until we defeat Satan.

Kuppuru: Yes. I will protect you no matter what. So please, don’t worry…

I can’t do anything by myself, but I feel like I can defeat Satan as long as we’re together.

Mini Game

That night, Hyuga-sensei calls me, and we go to the recording room.

He's worried about the fact that I'm not able to take classes.

So, he lets me do special private lessons with him!

However, to make sure I'm qualified, he makes me take a surprise test.

Haruka Nanami: A surprise test, huh…

I’ve been studying ever since I got into this school, but I'm a bit worried…

Ryuya Hyuga: You’ll be OK; it’s not that difficult.

I'm looking down so he gets worried about me and gives me words of encouragement.

Ryuya Hyuga: This is a simple paper test. Most of the questions are pretty basic, so you should be able to solve them easily!

Teacher… I don’t deserve your kind words… But I will try my best!

Ryuya Hyuga: Well, this is just a test to measure your knowledge. Just pick out the answers from the choices given to you.

Haruka Nanami: Yes!

Ryuya Hyuga: Let’s begin the test!

S Rank

Cecil Aijima: You are the only one that I am gazing at…

When I go back to the room and show Kuppuru the 100% on my test…

Kuppuru turns back into Cecil… He kneels before me and gently takes my hand.

I… I don’t know what to do when he’s looking at me like that!

Haruka Nanami: T-thank you… very much...

I can’t say much else.

It feels like I'm going to have another thrilling day tomorrow too.

Chapter End

[superblysubpar]

Hi babe! I need to talk to someone who don’t know about this situation ‘cause I’m going CRAZY; I have a crush for one of my friend, I’ve liked him for three years (I know I’m embarrassing), in 2020 we had a period where we dated, but at some point he broken up with me because he didn’t like me anymore. At the begging I was not bothered with this, but then after new year, I became very sad, and depressed, I had a very dark period, when I was as hanging out with my friend the most of the time I didn’t speak, I was so angry with myself, and I blamed myself for what happened because finally I had found someone who likes me, and then, maybe for my temper (I have trust issues, at the begging I’m a little cold) he left me. At some point I stopped drinking alcohol because when I became drunk, I locked me in the bathroom for crying, or for throwing up and sometimes I called him a piece of shit 😃 he was always there because we have the same friend.

BUT, I noticed that recently when I make a joke he laughs A LOT, he’s the only one who laughs at something it’s not so funny, maybe I do a sarcastic comment under my breath and he laughs!!!! And when he does obviously I laugh too and I look at him and he looks at me, and this beautiful thing happens where both of us laugh and we look at each other, last week it happened and I wanted TO DIE, we almost fell out of chairs I’m not joking. (The same night he gifted me some Harry Potter’s stuff he found in a sort of chocolate egg ‘cause I didn’t have it and he had them double)

I don’t feel the same love I did three years ago, but when this things happen I want to punch myself because I know that maybe he just trying to be friendly, he want to be my friend (and I want too) so I have to wake up and go on, but I can’t, today he texted me for asking a thing about the city I live, and then he asked me how I was and then he told me he was good too except for the hot weather, I was like a kid in the candy store but I kept telling my self that he was just being friendly he doesn’t care about me 😭😭😭😭

Sorry for this looong ramble, but I have to tell to someone to see if I’m the one who sees things and you look like a really good and sweet person, sorry if I took your time 💛

-🍝 (I’m the Italian one who go crazy for Jo’s hands😇)

Aww babe 💛 so to be fully transparent, I'm totally not a relationship advice person in terms of knowing how dating is going today / or having been with multiple people. I had two boyfriends growing up (one who was actual literal garbage in the form of a human flesh, but that's a different story) and then my now husband who I've been with for almost 12 years.

All I can say is something I've learned with being with him for so long. We were friends first and that I think is always the most important thing to me. He's my best friend, and I still wanna tell him everything & that totally stems from the friendship we formed before dating. But what I've learned through that friendship and our relationship is just communication 💛

If you're confused about your title/what this is - ask him. If you wanna put your heart out there - do it. Whatever happens, then you know and you're not left with questions and what ifs and it's all out there - for both of you to know. Sure, it could end up ruining what you have or make things messier, but then in my opinion it wasn't meant to be and you don't have to spend more energy wondering. It of course wouldn't be all perfect and feeling good right away, but I promise you that a future you will be happy you communicated how you were feeling.

Also, I think for your particular situation, it would be really beneficial to talk about how things went down and what's happened since if you never had those kind of chats before. It sounds like you went through a lot together as well as personally and talking it out is always beneficial in my opinion 💛

Also! Even if he's just a friend, then you have a really great friend you can not only laugh with, but have these cool and meaningful convos with, you know?

I really hope this helped! 💛

- XOXO Gossip Girl Taylor

[quakenshake]

Dating Chishiya Would Include Pt. 2

Hi, guys! I still have to do the second part of 'The Next Day', but wanted to squeeze this in beforehand. In the first part of Dating Chishiya, I focused on love languages, so with this one, I decided to do the alphabet! (Or half of it, anyways lol...) I will likely finish the rest of the alphabet at a later date, but hopefully, this will tide you guys over for now. As always, let me know if you have any requests! -S

A = Affection

Chishiya has never been comfortable with excessive affection. Truthfully, anything more than the occasional half-second hug is entirely new to him, giving him a feeling which he assumes to be dislike. But as your bond and trust grow, he begins to finally feel safe with giving and receiving affection. Once this barrier is crossed, he’s much more open to exploring things like hand-holding, snuggling, and longer hugs. That being said, he’ll never fully be comfortable with too much PDA, so you can expect most of these moments to happen behind closed doors.

B = Banter

Being that Chishiya is no stranger to sarcasm, you can expect a bit of banter in your relationship. And while his cold demeanor may come across as true annoyance, you know him better- he actually quite enjoys these moments with you. Teasing is a form of love language for him, and he’s happy to have a partner that can keep up with his wit. And, being a master of reading body language, he always knows how to reign it in before things go too far and he accidentally offends you.

C = Curiosity

Chishiya has always been the curious type- from a young age, he found himself drawn to complex questions about the universe, humanity, and most importantly: emotions. Being that he has always struggled to fit in or relate to others, he gained his observant nature by attempting to learn more about those around him. But once your relationship started, his curious nature became focused on you. Oftentimes, you’ll catch him watching you- even if its something seemingly miniscule like folding laundry, reading a book, or making dinner. He seems to soak in each and every decision you make, storing it away in his bank of knowledge about you. Sometimes it borders on unsettling, but you’ve come to enjoy that he pays attention to the details. In his own odd way, it shows how much he cares.

D = Dates

By now, you’ve come to accept that Chishiya will never be the outgoing type. Much preferring the comforts of home, it’s rare that Chishiya initiates venturing outside. For this reason, most of your “dates” take place on the couch, watching a newly released film you’ve both been excited for or playing a far-too-complex boardgame that he insists you’ll enjoy. But as mundane as these moments may seem to an outsider, you’ve learned that the truth is in the details. Sure, he may not treat you to a night on the town…but you’d better believe that he’ll come prepared with your favorite snacks, a comfy blanket to wrap you in, and the look of adoration only a lover could have. After particularly stressful days, he’ll even light a candle or two for you (the really smelly ones that he insists he hates.) And perhaps most telling of all is the fact that he never misses a single one, even with his busy schedule. 

E = Evenings

Given that both of you have busy schedules, your best moments with Chishiya tend to happen in the evenings. With work over and done with, coming home to each other is like a breath of fresh air each time. And while you may not have as much time with each other as you’d like, you both work to make each second count. Whether it’s sharing a dinner and talking about your day, settling in to watch the latest episode of your current tv obsession, or taking a shared bath and melting in each other’s arms, you’re always sure to be there for each other each and every day. It’s a lot of work, sure, but you wouldn’t have it any other way. And for this reason, you’ve come to view the evening as the best part of your day.

F = Flirting

I’m going to be honest…Chishiya is not much of a flirt. He can be witty, charming, and even give you compliments. But to call it flirting would be inaccurate. It’s not for a lack of chemistry between you, but merely because he doesn’t quite understand the point or how to do it. In truth, the thought of being flirtatious seems embarrassing to him- at least, that’s how it feels whenever he sees other people flirting. With that said, you adore flirting with him, mostly due to the way it makes him cringe. It’s your own special form of teasing that he barely tolerates. And if you’re in public? Even better. You’re sure to have him blushing by the time you’ve made it home. And while he’ll never admit it to you, he wouldn’t have it any other way.

G = Gentle

This was already kind of covered in Part 1, but Chishiya is surprisingly gentle when it comes to you. It doesn’t always come naturally to him, but he’s definitely learned to tone down his sarcasm and arrogance when your feelings are involved. He’s also made efforts to pick softer words for you, especially when you’re sad or upset. It’s taken a lot of patience and self-reflection, but he prides himself on being able to provide a comfort to you that he hasn’t quite figured out how to provide to others. And his efforts are definitely returned, with you being his greatest source of comfort as well. In truth, it was through you that he even learned how to be gentle- something he is immensely grateful for.

H = Handmade

When it comes to gift-giving, you both have fallen into a habit of making rather than buying. It started off almost as a running gag, with Chishiya gifting you a hand-crafted puzzle after you complained about your poor memory. You were quick to tease him in return, choosing to write him a list of ‘conversation starters’ after he complained of “overly-friendly coworkers who don’t know how to take a hint.” From there, what started as sarcastic half-gifts slowly formed into ones filled with meaning and love. His gift of a velcro phone attachment (because you always seem to lose yours) slowly morphed into a hand-painted canvas overlooking the bridge and pond at your favorite park. And your gift of a “happy mask” (i.e a paper mask adorning a comically large smile) slowly morphed into a collage of the patients he’s saved. In a sense, these gifts have become a special way of saying ‘I love you.’

I = “I love you”

I imagine that these three words in this sequence are probably one of Chishiya’s biggest fears…at least, when you first started dating. Being new to this, he was likely filled with confusion and doubt about when and why to say it. How could he know if he was really in love? Was he even capable of it? And if he was…how could he know you felt the same? Was there a timeline for these kinds of things? The thought of confessing something so large was likely overwhelming for him. So imagine his surprise when it slips out of his mouth at an ordinary moment, watching an ordinary movie, on an ordinary night with you. At first, he didn’t even catch it; perhaps he’d spent so much time rehearsing in his head that he hadn’t realized it had been said out loud. And when the realization finally set in, it was as if time stopped, only to be restarted when you said it back. From that moment on, those three silly words no longer seemed so scary.

J = Jealousy

Chishiya isn’t an exceptionally jealous person, but he definitely feels it to some degree. He’s not so much bothered by the physical stuff- a coworker hugging you goodbye, a friend standing closer than normal, etc. It’s the emotional stuff that gets him worried; seeing you have close bonds with others sometimes makes him insecure. After all, the only time he’s established a close bond has been with you and Kuina, both of which took a lot of time and trust. And because he treasures these relationships so much, he can’t help but wonder if you feel the same about anyone you have a bond with. Little does he know, he’s the only one on your mind. And whenever you sense these insecurities, they’re easily subdued with a gentle reminder of your love for him.

K = Keepsakes

One part of Chishiya that you weren’t expecting was his knack for hoarding things- in particular, mementos of your relationship. It was something you’d stumbled on by accident when cleaning out his desk, finding a small compartment filled with memories of your time together. A movie ticket from one of the rare times you guys actually went out for a date, a napkin filled with doodles that you’d drawn while out for coffee, a rock from the garden that you’d once pointed out as resembling a heart in shape, etc….each one a small glimpse of the bond you’ve formed together. And as much as seeing it made your heart fill with glee, you were careful to place each item back in its original position so as not to let on that you knew of his little secret. But on nights that he works late and you’re really missing him, pulling out the box of trinkets helps bring you comfort.

L = Letters

Chishiya may not be the  most expressive partner, but this doesn’t mean that he doesn’t care. Emotions are still difficult for him to navigate, and expressing himself often makes him feel vulnerable. However, the feelings are still there, and he needs some outlet for them….hence, the letters. It started as an experiment one day, early in your relationship; not quite ready to tell you how he felt about you, Chishiya decided to jot his feelings down in a journal, choosing the format of a letter to you. Originally, he had planned to give the letter to you, but instead chose to push himself to tell you in person. He kept the letter, though, feeling like it was something worth saving. From that moment on, he made it a habit to write you secret letters, never to be mailed. Stored in a top-secret location, he’s sure you’ll never find them. But as the relationship has grown, he’s found that he relies on them less and less, feeling like he can finally express himself to you without feeling so vulnerable. He still writes them, though, as it holds a special place in his heart.

[grasshopperdoingdogpaddle]

People are asking for random ratings from people so I request a ranking of Chase Young's top 5 attempted murders

Not sure what criteria to use to rank attempted murder... but I'm game?

A lot of the time Chase doesn't bother with actually trying to merk someone since he'd rather use them as pawns or intimidate and rule over them. So I'll only use the genuine, unambiguous times he was definitely trying to end someone's life on-screen.

5 - Jack, by trying to crush him with a boulder

The best part about this one was all the facial expressions we got. From Chase's smug smile as he says he's "finally about to get rid of him" to the look of absolutely shock and disappointment he shares with Wuya when Jack manages to get up. It’s golden, especially coming from someone as composed as Chase. It feels almost like a Swiper "aw man" moment, but about murder instead of petty theft.

He's pretty flippant about holding a life in his hands. He revels in it, in fact, says that Spicer’s painful death has been a long time coming. So seeing him so confused at not actually pulling it off was funny. This isn’t someone who’s used to messing up his assassinations.

Also, it's quite cute how the Xiaolin monks were the ones who saved Jack from this untimely fate.

4 - Raimundo, by almost biting him in half

It is a good thing Clay is a quick thinker, because Chase was really going for it. He was fully primed to bite someone in half for trying to take back Omi. 

It gives us confirmation that Chase will eat a human without hesitation, and the moment had some excellent tension in it. A nice quick show of the bond between the monks and how hard they try for each other.

A nice glimpse of how Chase's thoughts, too. The look on his face switching from that smug smirk as he caught the punches, into the murderous glare right before he shifted his dragon form, is very interesting to read into. It’s fun to get that occasional reminder that Chase is capable of being very brutal and evil, just in case him burning down that entire village for a laugh and plunging the world into darkness doesn’t quite doing it.

3 - Guan, by pushing him in the pit of fire

The first time we really see how far Chase is willing to go. It was a neat way to set the tone for what kind of villain Chase Young is, and the scene is definitely harsher in hindsight once we learn the history between Guan and Chase.

The other monks all on the sidelines reacting with such abject horror, and the visible beads of sweat on Guan's face while he struggles, before he finally managed to free himself just in time... This fight felt fun and intense to watch.

2 - Hannibal (disguised as Clay), by pinning him down and trying to stab him in the face

The only time on this list where I was actually rooting for Chase.

Usually Chase’s staff has blades at its ends, so I assume Chase was about to shoot out the blades and stab Hannibal? I’m not entirely sure that would even work on Hannibal, but Chase sure hoped it would.

This whole scene was such a great use of dramatic irony. It hurts all the more that this was their last chance at preventing the evil that is Hannibal Roy Bean from being released into the world and the monks themselves accidentally got in the way. Chase waiting by the temple gate and Ying-Ying being so happy to see Hannibal again that she flies straight to him really elevates the moment. It establishes a lot of interesting dynamics in just a minute.

1 - Dojo, by almost making him into Lao Mang Lone Soup

I love Dojo but this was just too hilarious.

Dojo sat in a simmering pot of soup and still needed more hints to figure out what was happening here. 

Chase introduced himself into the story by getting ready to murder Dojo’s legendary dragon, and he even makes a thinly-veiled threat to throw the monks into the soup and eat them, too. 

The usually cautious and skittish Dojo has lost his sense of self-preservation because he was given a nice cookie. And Chase has been planning this for apparently so long. Comedy gold, truly.

The animosity between Chase and Dojo is set up and stays consistent for the whole rest of the series after this. Chase puts the blame for his finale plan falling apart squarely on the fact that he was robbed of the chance to eat Dojo then and there.

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

first ever request so I'm not sure if I'm being specific enough but

could I request something with the main iswm crew and maybe Mack finding out that the planet the colonists are being transported to is actually alien!readers home planet? (with reader's kind welcoming the colonists and crew with open arms) ((if that's too many characters, you can just pick which ones you want to do))

Slerapy anon

Mark

At first he’s stunned that you were an alien this whole time. You did a very good job masquerading as a human.

But does it change his opinion of you as a captain and friend who never gave up on him? Absolutely not.

He’s so excited to meet the rest of your species! And eager for the colonists to rest on the shores of your home planet.

Prior to disembarking you sent a simple request to your people: Never, under any circumstances, are they allowed to call the human named “Mark Iplier” ugly. That word was banned.

You've heard that one too many times from other rude aliens, and your species isn't gonna make the same mistake. No sir.

When Mark finds out about the extra step you took to make him feel more welcomed, he smiles.

And he beams with such pride as one of your planet’s leaders gives him a medal..and then you a medal..and then him a medal..and then you a medal..and that one female crew member a medal.

There’s no one he adored more than you, his alien captain.

Mack (Head Engineer)

On the other hand..

"I KNEW it!! You were an alien all along!!”

Of course, why wouldn’t you know how to reroute power or other troubleshooting measures on your own ship? ‘Only an alien disguised as a human captain wouldn’t!’ He thinks. That’s why he insisted on taking over and treated you so harshly when you refused. He was paranoid.

Now that the truth’s fully out, he plots a revolt against you for “espionage”. 

Yet...nobody takes his side. They don’t really care and are just happy to reach their destination in one piece.

You lowkey get offended when Mack assumes you wanna enslave the colonists, so you explain that your people were hosting a festival to celebrate their arrival--and that the two species have been communicating long before this trip. It’s why you orchestrated this trip at all.

When he finally meets them, he remains hostile but soon sees how genuinely kind they are and realizes how wrong he was.

Then he stumbles into your cabin in tears, begging for forgiveness.

Celci

Ngl she was a bit surprised.

She thought the planet you chose was uninhabited and simply had all the suitable conditions for human life.

But the scouting crew discovered an alien civilization and that’s when you reveal your true form to her, smiling as you explain it’s your home and all of them are welcomed.

“We’re a kind species, CC. We’ve been in contact with humanity for a while about establishing a society together. I just..didn’t wanna scare you guys so I stayed quiet.”

Although a bit miffed you kept this hidden she forgives you, still proud to call you her Captain.

“You kept them all safe, and that’s what matters. I’m eager to meet your friends and family, Cap.”

Gunther

“Aliens??? Hm.....do they have high-tech explosive weaponry we can trade?”

Barely bats an eye at the big reveal that his captain’s an alien.

You find it suspicious, especially when you remember the timeline he betrayed you for that exact reason.

When you catch him alone you ask him what he genuinely thinks of you.

“I was shocked, yeah but..shit, you led us well, Captain. Probably better than any other human could’ve. As long as your kind doesn’t try to uh..probe us, it’s all good.”

Burt

You’re a bit nervous about what he’ll think, but he just smiles lightly and reiterates his little poem (from the end of part 2).

“Alien or human or..anywhere in between, you are still a child of the universe. So beautiful to behold. I look forward to the exchanging of our cultures with your species.”

And he just walks away and resumes his duties.

What a guy.

Wug (bc I love him he deserves a spot here)

"You??? Alien???? Alien like Wug????? :DD" 

He's so happy when you’re comfortable enough to reveal your true form to him.

But at the same time feels bad for assuming you were human when you first met him.

You let him come onto your transport as you arrive on the planet's surface, showing him around.

"WOAH!!!! Wug find planet pretty..but not as pretty/handsome as [y/n]!”

He’ll use his translator to talk with your species, and after seeing how benevolent they are he might coordinate a meeting with other Wugs.

[starlightshore]

I know I’m real late but since ectoplasm is so harmful to humans, can Tucker and Sam be in the ghost zone without protection? Also, does possession still work, since ghosts are made of ectoplasm?

(continuation of this post)

not late at all! i'm really chatty rn so i'm happy to keep talking lol

so first i wanna rephrase and elaborate with what i meant by ectoplasm being harmful... i meant exposed and pure ectoplasm, so like, Danny's "blood" (internal ectoplasm) is reactive. In a more "pure" form, it's like an acid to organic material.

ectoplasm in different states would have different effects, like breathing it in? probably not good. but it's more "diluted" with the air. when it's not "pure" ectoplasm, it's harmless. i mentioned it's dark matter- that stuff is EVERYWHERE and iirc it's only known property is it's weight. but yeah like, drinking it? NOT GOOD. if it's compact enough to be a liquid then it's more "pure" and it'd be like drinking a high level acid.

the reason ectoplasm is so corrosive, as i like for it to be symbolically the "opposite" of life. they're incompatible. it react explosively makes sense to me, and ya know, traveling through a different dimension full of ghosts just sounds super dangerous to me lmao

(image description is within the image)

Sorry for the incredibly generic hazmat suit design. i'd have to do some research (i know there's different kinds and I'd also like to make this more astronaut like) it'd be very intensely important to wear one.

actually, thinking on it, imagine it's like this. you know how deep sea fish are built to a specific pressure within the deep water where gravity pushes harder? the fish there have a specific amount of water/and pressure that fills them to keep their equilibrium. that means they reduce their tissue density and have lighter bones. they're more jelly like -the same thing is true for ghosts!

ghosts are like, fully ectoplasm but ectoplasm itself is very varied -both in state of matter and also properties. the pure fluid ectoplasm inside is contained by a thing "membrane."

For a human* to come into the ghost zone, it'd be like an ocean of pure* ectoplasm. Thus, the suit. You'd expect the human to sink -being so much heavier than the ectoplasm but no, ectoplasm isn't water! it's a substance that's alien to the physics of earth.

and remember, Danny being a halfa, is paradoxically immune to ectoplasm reactions because he's a time/reality anomaly.

2) not literally pure. just like how our atmosphere isn't pure air, this ectoplasm is varied by a whole bunch of "elements" within it.

as illustrated here, ectoplasm is repelled by humans (assuming they have a protective layer, so really, any non-organic barrier) The repelled ectoplasm leaves a "gap" creating a darkness around the subject. Humans can move around as if they were in space (as there's no gravity) and can become tangible/invisible just as ghosts can in our dimension.

Likewise, ghosts don't glow and are "solid" and can't pass through. (i really loved this aspect in the original show!) Danny, being only 80% organic, isn't as repelling as other humans/ghosts, but it's not to a noticeable degree. (in this illustration it's exaggerated to make my point here) This, again, is a factor of his weird biology and paradox status. Ectoplasm and earth matter are confused -great going danny your existence breaks the rules of the universe!

(also minor aspect I like: light behaves differently here, so lights are more neon/darker.)

also important: because danny is the first human (aside from vlad lmao) to go into the ghost zone, Danny gets the wrong impression that the ghost zone is safe to humans. Thankfully before Tucker and Sam go in Danny's parents on day 2 are like:

(notably, Danny has more than one hazmat suit. this isn't the original)

anywayyyys as for your second question!

first i'm going to add a read-more cause this is getting long LOL

Also, does possession still work, since ghosts are made of ectoplasm?

Yep! Still works, even tho ghosts themselves are made of corrosive pure ectoplasm. Let me explain how this works: Ghosts are ectoplasm that has been given consciousness -remember, ghost zone is a layer onto earth it's not thousands of miles away. it's a different dimension. the natural ectoplasm (which is the zone, to be clear) that's around the earth atmosphere will accept the consciousness of someone who's died. (moving from the body to the ectoplasm) Also, it doesn't have to be humans, it could be an alien (from a distant planet or time period) or an animal or plant. or, like, something bizarrely confusing, like whatever Liminal Gates and Clockwork are. (and native ghost zone life, which are beings that developed from ectoplasm without an original consciousness from earth)

anyway, i bring this up because ghosts are a consciousness that uses ectoplasm as a body. The consciousness itself isn't necessarily connected. (Core anchor them to their body, however.)

So like, think of this way? Think of this extra dimension as a fourth x/y/z axis. Like how time is a different dimension that we can only experience linearly, ghosts are able to travel on this fourth axis. The ectoplasmisc body is "intangible" as in, existing on this different plane of existence. In the same way you can stand on the same x axis and a different y, the ghost can do so on the fourth plane. To our perspective, Danny is within Sam's body. But to Danny's body, it's on a different position just how we know something behind you is not literally in/over the thing behind it.

I hope that makes sense, dimensional stuff can be hard to talk about because we're only limited to 3 dimensions. Ghosts are 4D.

Anyway, while the body is outside our realm of (x,y,z), his consciousness overtakes Sam's when they're positioned in the same "spot" (again, technically not in the same spot, remember the x,y comparison to z) Ghosts are their own consciousness that doesn't have to use ectoplasm as it's body, though it needs it's core to sustain itself. (thus why Danny still needs to "connect" his body using gaseous ectoplasm when separating his body parts)

alright sorry this is such a long answer i love the HELL out of this kinda stuff. i sincerely hope this is comprehensible and accurate! its been a hot minute since i researched this kinda thing, but i'm pretty certain i got it right. (granted this is all pseudoscience! just like, loosely based on real theories that i can understand at a highschool level)

[fangirleaconmigo]

Hi 😊 I really like your posts, especially the ones where you analyse the books 🤩 I have a suggestion: Geralt flirting ❤️ yesterday I found a post (I think it was by darkverrmin, not sure) saying something like: of course Geralt knows how to flirt, he's a 100 years old 🤣 Later someone added the scene between Geralt and Yennefer on Skellige as evidence ("you smell lovely" etc). It got me wondering how it is in the book canon... Maybe you can answer that 😉

Hello dear! Thank you so much, you are too kind. <3 As always, I am apologizing for how long I take to answer asks.

I hope people don't ever take it as an indication that I don't want to answer. I LOVE getting asks. I just put so much time and effort and research into them sometimes I have to leave time aside, reread, have a certain type of energy, etc. But I do get to them. So always send them.

So, Geralt flirting.

One thing I love about very old, mortal, and near immortal characters, is their very human flaws. When an Ancient is awkward, immature, or insecure, I don’t know, it scratches some kind of itch in me.

It says, it’s ok if you don’t have it all figured out (even though you thought you’d be fully formed and mature by the time you reach adulthood) this guy’s been here for centuries, and he’s still a dork.

It says, flaws are not something to grow out of. They are just seasoning.

It says, we are all human and have frailties, every single one of us, no exception. (even non human characters are stories about what it is to be a human) It is comforting, you know?

I used to watch the tv show Angel, and the parts where he and Spike fought like children brought me a lot of joy. Or on Doctor Who when you see this basically immortal almost millenia old failing at creating a catchphrase or being socially awkward, it makes me happy.

What I’m saying is, the only good immortal character is one with weaknesses that you would really think they would have matured past by now. So, I would say that Geralt’s age doesn’t necessarily mean that he is good at flirting.

In fact, the man is OFTEN awkward. Another great character trait is someone who can be drastically, drastically different things in different situations. Geralt is incredibly eloquent. He is terrifying when he wants to be. But then he can get in front of Yen and just be reduced to absolute buffoonery.

So, can Geralt flirt?

Well, first, to be fair, he almost never needs to flirt. Almost every single one of Geralt’s liaisons are initiated by the women. Women are entranced by his noble character, and his slight whiff of emotionally unavailability.

He doesn’t actually do much of anything flirtatious at all in order to get laid. It’s like his weapons are: 1) Be heroic 2) Toss in a teensy bit of gentle snark 3) Open his arms as they fall into them and 4) Unless it’s Yen, and he actually cares, in which case he’ll be fuckn awkward and hem and haw around, sniff her hair, stare at her boobs, call her 'dear friend' and never live it down.

So, I don’t know. Can he flirt? Maybe if people would stop throwing ass at him and make him work for it, he could? But he never seems to have to! And his age certainly doesn’t keep him from being awkward as hell with Yennyboo.

And actually I love him for that.

(thanks for the ask, this was a fun one)