#Jingle Ball Village

[popentertainment-concertphotos]

P1Harmony – Jingle Ball Village 2023 – KIA Forum – Los Angeles, CA – December 1, 2023  

Photos by Larisa Jiao © 2023

[popentertainmentconcertreviews]

Paul Russell, P1Harmony, GUNNAR, Charlieonnafriday, (G)I-DLE & Teddy Swims – Jingle Ball Village 2023 – KIA Forum – Los Angeles, CA – December 1, 2023  

It’s a rarity to hear roaring cheering while you’re still on your way to the concert venue. However, enthusiastic fans showed up strong for iHeartRadio 102.7 KIIS FM’s 2023 Jingle Ball Pre-Show — some even traveling from different countries and lining up since 5AM in order to catch a glimpse of their favorite artists on stage.

The annual pre-Jingle Ball event enlists the top up-and-coming artists to conduct a Q&A or perform on stage for a dedicated crowd full of fans.

Powerhouse vocalist Teddy Swims took to the stage first — serenading the audience with his soulful vocals that allowed for his raw talent to shine through. While Swims initially gained notoriety by uploading cover songs of classic hits onto YouTube in 2019, it didn’t take long for him to be signed to a label and grow on a massive global scale. Yet, he hasn’t forgotten his sincere appreciation for his fans, saying genuine thanks for coming out to see him sing.

To maintain the exciting momentum, K-pop girl group (G)I-DLE then came onto the stage for a special Q&A. Their incredible stage presence, ranging from striking their best badass poses to getting the fans to sing their hits, made everyone go wild. They freshly completed their second worldwide tour, the “I Am Free-ty World Tour,” spanning 18 countries this year, where they highlighted their meticulous choreography and catchy pop tunes.

Next up was up-and-comer, charlieonnafriday, a rising hip-hop songwriter that quickly amassed a dedicated fanbase on social media with his talent. His captivating energy on stage was apparent as he seamlessly switched between upbeat and more mellow songs that displayed his musical versatility as an artist. He recently was seen opening for Tate McRae’s “Are We Flying” tour and is embarking on his own European tour in April 2024.

Hitting the stage afterwards was California native, GUNNAR, a pop-rock newcomer that has nailed how to command the audience’s attention. He started his set by immediately launching off of the drum platform, jettisoning a few feet into the air all while strumming chords on his electric guitar. The energy for the rest of his set only increased from there. GUNNAR most recently opened for Maroon 5’s sold-out tour across Europe and the U.K.

South Korean boy band, P1Harmony, then proceeded to take the stage amidst a sea of diehard fans who raised up their handmade signs and threw up hearts with their fingers for their favorite group member. With their energetic and catchy tunes sung effortlessly by the group, accompanied by their impeccable dance moves in perfect sync, it’s no surprise P1Harmony has garnered such a large global fanbase with their talent.

Closing out the pre-Jingle Ball show was rapper and singer-songwriter Paul Russell, the ever-exuberant and charming performer that keeps you smiling throughout the entire performance. His energy impressively matched that of the crowd, as he delightfully ran across the stage to engage with all sides of the audience and invited everyone to sing along to the chorus of his songs. Russell first skyrocketed into the public eye when the snippet of his song, “Lil Boo Thang” went viral on TikTok in the summer of 2023. Since then, he was signed to Arista Records and has continued to release songs that infuse a mix of funk, pop, R&B, and hip-hop.

Keep your eye out for the 2024 Jingle Ball Pre-Show lineup for more opportunities to catch incredible emerging artists like these!

Larisa Jiao

Copyright ©2023 PopEntertainment.com. All rights reserved. Posted: December 3, 2023.

[gallusrostromegalus]

Hello again, apologies if this has already been answered, but which captains get along the best? Any unlikely friendships within the gotei 13?

I did a post on some of the friendships in AEIWAM but I'd like to elaborate on a few of them so:

Less than a year after the events of Turn Back The Pendulum, Widower Sojun Kuchiki died, and a teenage Byakuya was orphaned.

Now, Byakuya wasn't totally alone in the world- he still had his grandfather and the rest of the Kuchiki clan, but that sort of ended up being the problem. Ginrei was massively overworked as captain of the 6th, and had to ask Byakuya to step into some of his late father's roles early, like taking a diplomatic trip to some of the clan's land holdings up North. A largely boring and scripted event, but an important one and good practice for the future Clan Head.

-So of course, it immediately went catastrophically sideways when a rival clan attacked and attempted to kidnap the Kuchiki heir, shutting down the portal system to prevent support from the Seireitei arriving in a timely manner. Young Byakuya, already doing poorly from the grief of losing his father, suddenly found himself alone in unfamiliar territory, surrounded by enemies and hopelessly outnumbered.

Unfortunately for the rival clan, just because the portals were down didn't mean that other shinigami weren't in the area.

The memory is burned indelibly into Byakuya's mind.

It was a blazingly hot, almost painfully bright bright summer afternoon, the sun gleaming off the blades of his would-be assassins. They were good, and had separated Byakuya from his retinue, but at least he had managed to buy time for the village and the rest of the diplomatic party to escape. He stood, panting, holding the blank asauchi sword that had not yet been called to host a zanpaktou spirit, between himself and the leader of the strike team. All around him, spears and Kido Spells were trained on his person. No escape. Nowhere to strike that wouldn't immediately get him killed.

Despite there not being a breath of wind in the valley where he stood, something was causing the Alarm Bell at the top of the valley to ring, making Byakuya look up-

The sun was behind the leader as he was saying something about how their contract didn't actually specify that they had to keep him *alive* so how about he be a good boy and come quietly before they decided he was more manageable dead, but Byakuya wasn't actually paying attention.

Behind the leader, the sun seemed to be having some kind of spontaneous Eclipse. Or at least, there was a dark spot in the middle of it that seemed to be rapidly expanding and surely that can't be righ-

Sharp

It wasn't even a word, more an impression in his mind that something was hurtling in his general direction with the intent to disembowel, and not even centuries of Noble Breeding to be stoic in the face of peril could stop Byakuya's entirely correct prey animal instinct to duck and cover.

The blast from the impact would have been enough to pin Byakuya to the ground anyway, given how it scattered half the strike team and the dust blinded the rest. Byakuya felt the interloper's feet strike the ground on either side of where he was curled into a defensive ball, and the string of invective was too fast to parse but the way his rough voice echoed in Byakuya's chest left no doubt to his meaning.

A swing of the Odachi from his impressive wingspan cleft three of the assailants in twain and mortally wounded a fourth. The headless corpse of the leader thudded to the ground behind him, vaporized from the neck up by the flying kick he'd taken to the head. There was a strange jingling noise, the bells of a child's toy, and one of the remaining assassins recognized the chime and spiky silhouette-

"SHIT! IT'S THAT SWORD BASTARD! THE ONE FROM NORTH 80!!"

The remaining assassins started to back up, and Byakuya peered up from where he was hiding under the protective stance of recently-appointed 11th Division Captain Zaraki Kenpachi.

"THAT'S CAPTAIN SWORD BASTARD TO YOU!" He roared back, bristling magnificently and the remainder of the strike team scattered.

Once satisfied they were fleeing and not regrouping, Zaraki reached down with his free hand and grabbed Byakuya by the collar, pulling him to his feet.

"Zaraki-Taicho?" He asked, almost not believing his luck. "How did you get here so fast? The portals are down and even Captain Yoru- Captain Fon's shunpo would take days to reach me from seireitei!?"

Slowly, Zaraki turned his head and actually looked down at the boy, single functioning eye blinking in confusion.

"Byakuya?" he asked, cocking his head sideways. "-The fuck are you doin' out here?"

"BYAKUSHI??" Yachiru shrieked with excitement, popping up from behind her father's shoulder, and scrambling over to climb into Byakuya's bewildered arms instead.

"I- I'm on a diplomatic inspection of land holdings for the Kuchiki Clan. Sir." Byakuya babbled, unconsciously settling Yachiru on his hip, still waiting for his heart to resume a regular pulse and not whatever this live-hummingbird-in-his-ribcage nonsense was.

Zaraki squinted, displeased with that answer. "...Didn't your dad die just last week? The fuck are you doing out here? You should be home mourning or something."

Byakuya's gaze flicked away from the captain, face wan and jaw tense. "I have. Duties." he winced.

"Hf." Zaraki grunted, still displeased, and Yachiru pulled a spare hair tie out of her kimono. "Whatever. Relatedly, where the fuck is 'here', actually? Also- We have a Portal system??" he asked, changing the subject gracelessly but with deep mercy.

"We are in Inuzka, the town inside the Kuchiki Clan's ancestral land holdings in North 41." he answered- Zaraki could stand to be more polite, but Byakuya had to admit he wasn't precisely out of line- He wasn't Clan Head yet, and even if he was, as a Captain, Zaraki still would outrank him. "If you didn't come here by the portals, you must have already been in the area... Forgive my impudence into prying, but what are you doing here? Eleventh Division exercises?"

"I'm fuckin' lost." Zaraki shugged, unbothered by the question. "Tryin' to go see family while they're done here for the summer and I thought I could just follow the Red River up to the headwaters and then I'd be close enough but I must've picked the wrong tributary..." He muttered, folding his arms into his Kosode and reaching out through the neck hole to scratch under his chin, contemplative.

Byakuya blinked in surprise. "I didn't know you HAD a famil-" He started, then slapped his hand over his mouth, mortified.

"HAH!" Zaraki's laugh rang through the empty street and he affectionately slapped Byakuya's shoulder. "Did you think I just fell out of the sky one day? 'Salright, I look like something that got tossed out of Heaven's garbage tip." he grinned, and Yachiru giggled as she braided Byakuya's hair.

"My apologies, sir." He mumbled, face flushed. "-Well, the Gotei-13 *had* a portal system but this was a very coordinated attempt to kidnap me and there was an agent in the Seireitei that sabotaged the portal system, preventing both a retreat and form help arriving. I got the villagers and my retinue safely through before they went down, but I'm not sure how I'm getting back..." he puzzled.

Zaraki frowned into the distance, the hand on Byakuya's shoulder rubbing a slow circle as he considered something. "These duties- sort of a 'go practice yer meetin' people manners' trip?"

"It was supposed to be a routine diplomatic excursion, yes." Byakuya nodded, confused. "I've been here before with- with my father, and we had planned to go together again, so it's not like this was dropped on me suddenly." he muttered.

Zaraki nodded. " 'S summer break for school right now, yeah? Yachiru starts school in September, when do you go back?"

"Um. The first week of September as well?" Byakuya blinked confused.

Zaraki tilted his head to peer down at Byakuya, and gave him a strange grin. "-And you know how to read a map, right?"

"Yes?" Byakuya huffed, starting to get annoyed at this strange interrogation.

Zaraki suddenly dropped into a crouch, single eye level with Byakuya's own, and the boy startled to see that his iris was a pale yellow, like a hawk. The Captain threw his arm around his shoulders and pulled him in close.

"...How d'ya feel about goin' on a REAL Diplomatic Mission?" he asked with a decidedly conspiratorial drawl.

"YEAH! COME SEE BA-SAMA!" Yachiru bounced in his arms with excitement, waving a handful of clover flowers he suspected were being incorporated into the braid.

Byakuya tilted his head sideways, hoping they would make more sense at a forty-five-degree angle.

***

Minutes later, the recently-installed Spirit Phone on Kuchiki Clan Head and 6th Division Captain Ginrei Kuchiki's desk rang.

The elderly head of the Kuchiki clan looked to his even more elderly commander, and then to the piebald clown that was now running the 12th division. Mayuri pressed a button on the strange device he'd hooked up to the Spirit Phone which would allow them to record and track the call, which whirred and clicked, and he listened for a moment into the earphones before giving Ginrei a thumbs-up. Yamamoto nodded as well, and with grave seriousness befitting a likely hostage situation, Ginrei picked up the receiver.

"Captain Ginrei Kuchiki speaking." He spoke, trying to keep the icy growl out of his voice and failing.

"Hi Grandpa!" Byakuya called cheerfully on the other end of the line.

"BYAKUYA?!" Ginrei yelped. "Are you alright? You need to get out of Inuzuka now! The Ozaki clan have-!"

"Oh no, no- they already attacked! I'm fine!" Byakuya interrupted him. "Captain Zaraki saved me!"

There was a moment of very confused silence.

"...Zaraki?" Yamamoto asked, stepping in to speak into the receiver as well. "What's he doing there?"

"You gave me leave to go see my family and tell them where I live now, remember Boss?" Zaraki grunted.

"HI JI-SAN!" Yachiru called as well.

"...Well that worked out nicely. What a stroke of good planning on my part." Yamamoto nodded and Mayuri rolled his eyes.

"I- Thank you, Zaraki-taicho." Ginrei said, bewildered but genuine. "...Where are you now?"

"I'm calling from the spirit phone in the town council building in Inuzuka." Byakuya explained. "If I may grandfather, about me getting home-"

"It's going to take at least three months to get the portals up and running again." Mayuri grunted, disappointed that he was not getting to test out his new spirit phone tracking invention.

"...Three months?" Yamamoto glared.

"Don't glare at me like that!" Mayuri huffed. "-With anybody else in charge a blast like that would have taken the system out for good, but *I* build in redundancies! Which are. also damaged. but not obliterated! Urahara hadn't backed up SHIT, if this had happened last year-!"

"Yeah, yeah- Hop to." Yamamoto waved.

"Well, since the portals aren't going to be working any time soon and I'm already more than halfway from the city- I had a thought." Byakuya spoke up, voice gentle and sentences clearly enunciated, making sure Ginrei could follow his logic. "It's an awful shame that the Land Holdings Assessment Meeting won't be held this year, but Zaraki-taicho's family is significantly farther north than I thought, and the journey there would take me through several very underrepresented districts-"

"ABSOLUTELY NOT." Ginrei snarled. "I knew it was wrong to send you to the Holdings without an armed escort, I'm sending the Onmitsukido out to collect you this instant!"

"Now hold on a minute." Yamamoto cautioned him with a hand on his shoulder as there was a muffled noise on the other end of the line. "-I know you're worried but-"

"-He's a Kuchiki, ain't he?" Zaraki interrupted on the other end.

"Yes? Of course? What does that have to do with anything?" Ginrei demanded.

"-Future Head of The Clan and Captain, yeah?" Zaraki continued. "He's gonna have to deal with shit like this sooner rather than later. Already dealin' with it! Tryin' to hide him back in the compound won't teach the kid shit."

Ginrei sighed, pushing his glasses up to rub the bridge of his nose, perfectly aware of where this was going.

"He's not made of spun glass- hell, he'd forced the assassins into having to siege him to get to him when I showed up. Exactly the correct choice for the options and information he had- But I do think you're right that he still needs an armed escort while he's learnin'. I'm armed, and I'd be Escortin' him." Zaraki offered. "...Actually, he'd be escorting me, I'm lost as hell and Byakuya knows how to read a map. I get more time with my family, he gets- What'd ya call it?"

"It would be an Exceptionally Valuable Diplomatic Experience." Byakuya chimed in.

"Byakuya..." Ginrei groaned. They had coordinated and rehearsed this, Gods help him.

"While I appreciate your concern Grandfather, and no shame to the Onmitsukido, but recent events have shown that sufficiently motivated criminals will try their luck against them." The boy continued, undeterred. "...Wheras Captain Zaraki is well-known in these parts- to the point that the Ozaki Clan's would-be assassins scattered at his mere silhouette. I honestly think that 'Within Arm's Reach of The Current Kenpachi' is quite possibly the safest place I could be in all of Soul Society."

"Kid's got a point." Mayuri shrugged, prodding at his call-tracking device. "Even *I* had heard of him as a fighter when I was still on the outside, and I was operating clean on the other side of the Rukongai! The guards at The Maggot's Nest speculated that if he were ever to cross the law, he might not be arrested because they didn't think that hole could actually hold him. Rather natural that he ended up here- very literally nobody in the rukongai wants to cross blades with him anymore."

Ginrei fixed Mayuri with a horrified stare, gaze slowly shifting to Yamamoto.

"...You're both Captains and privy to classified information, but this does not leave this room." Yamamoto said, covering the receiver and glaring imperiously down at both men. "Zaraki's family, especially his Mother, is someone we very much need to stay on the good side of, and I am NOT going to interrupt communication between them, lest we suffer Her wrath."

"Captain Kurotsuchi was in prison?" Byakuya asked, voice muffled like he'd covered the receiver with his hand as well. "-Yeah, he heard 'a me and I heard 'a him, which is why I ask Akon and *Not Him* if I ever need anything out of the 12th." replied Zaraki.

"...Who is She?" Ginrei frowned. "-And if She is so dangerous, you think Byakuya is the person we want to send as a diplomat to Her?"

"What for?" Byakuya continued, curious. "-Operatin' without a license." Zaraki shrugged.

"How does your mouth feel after saying that, Captain Kuchiki?" Yamamoto asked, voice light and pleasantly curious in a way that belied extreme danger.

"It's f-" Ginrei started and stopped. There was an odd sensation in his mouth, a sting like he'd taken a sip of tea without letting it cool down. "...Why is my mouth burning?"

"You were present for the execution of traitor Soya Azashiro, yes?" Yamamoto smiled menacingly.

"Operating what?" Byakuya asked, puzzled. "-Or anesthetic." Zaraki elaborated. "...Ah." Byakuya winced.

"Yes, the sight and heat of the released form of the Sokyoku is not something I'll soon forget, but what does that have to do with..?" Ginrei stopped as a horrible, terrifying thought occurred to him.

"I still do not entirely understand how-" Yamamoto admitted, patting Ginrei on the shoulder. "But Kiko'o is both Captain Zaraki's Uncle, and quite submissive to his Big Sister."

Ginrei paled.

Mayuri frowned in confusion, trying to work out how that happened, biologically speaking. "-Did Zaraki fucking hatch out of an Egg?"

"You can ask him when he returns with young master Kuchiki!" Yamamoto grinned. "-But that said, you see why I will not do anything that would turn her attention to Seireitei."

"...I understand." Ginrei gulped. "-but he's just a boy!"

"Take heart- You've seen how fond and protective of children Zaraki is? By all accounts, it's something he picked up from Her. Byakuya's youth will serve us all well." Yamamoto explained, uncovering the recciver. "Let him go."

Ginrei grimaced, but nodded and lifted both pieces of the Spirit Phone to his face again.

"-was in prison too, but that's just because his family sucked ass and didn't realize talent when they saw it-" Zaraki was explaining on the other end.

"Byakuya?" Ginrei asked.

"Yes, grandfather?" Byakuya asked, Zaraki's voice stopping like he'd been physically shoved aside.

"This journey will take some time, and I am concerned about your schooling." Ginrei said, never one to give up ground.

"Winter comes early up there, we'll be home well before term starts!" Byakuya assured him. "Captain Zaraki suggested I write to you for your sanity while I was away, but I feel like it would be a legitimate academic exercise to write reports on the lesser-known districts for as well." he offered.

"That is very generous of you to offer, young Kuchiki. I would appreciate Zaraki-taicho's local knowledge of the area in those as well." Yamamoto added, grinning at Zaraki's audible groan on the other end.

Ginrei winced. "Promise to return home by the last week of august, and sooner should any disaster befall you."

"Oh yeah, anyone loses a limb or major internal organ we'll hoof it right back!" Zaraki said, managing to evoke the exact opposite of reassurance, and Ginrei hid his face in his hand.

"I promise." Byakuya said, voice soft and sincere. "I'll write often, and call when possible."

"...Please, take care, Hokushin." Ginrei begged, using the boy's nickname. Public displays of sentimentality were unacceptable, but... this was his only grandson, about to venture deep into the wilds with some maniac!

"I will, Ji-san. I'll be fine, I promise." Byakuya replied, returning the intimate nickname.

"Alright punk, we need to get moving before it gets dark." Zaraki interjected, ending the call with an unexpected social grace. "See you in August Old man!"

"Bye Kuchiki-ji! Bye Jii-san!" Yachiru called.

"Go in good health, and I look forward to both your reports!" Yamamoto dismissed them.

"Didn't catch that Boss, bad line-" Zaraki said, then abruptly hung up, negating any vague hopes Ginrei had about his diplomatic prowess.

"Oh gods- What have I done?" Ginrei cried, hanging up the phone and hiding his hands in his face.

"Well, you've agreed to let your only heir and grandson walk into the most violently uncivilized parts of the rukongai under the supervision of a violent maniac that was raised by birds, and a toddler!" Mayuri explained, unhelpfully.

"Don't you have a portal system you need to be repairing?" Yamamoto glared.

"I'm multi-tasking." the freak of unnatural sciences waved, fiddling with his newfangled 'textual communicator' device. "My point is, loathe as I am to agree with someone like Zaraki, he's got a point. If your little star is going to be captain someday he needs to learn to handle worse than this. He'll be fine, or he wasn't qualified in the first place."

"Keep that name out of your mouth, clown." Ginrei snarled.

"That's the spirit!" Mayuri cheered, pumping a not-totally-ironic fist. "Mind copying me on those reports? That shit's gonna be HILARIOUS."

"KUROTSUCHI! PORTALS!" Yamamoto barked and the captain of the 12th abruptly made himself scarce. The captain-general gently laid a hand on Ginrei's shoulder, and Ginrei placed his own atop it.

"I never had children of my own, so I cannot imagine the depth of your fear, but I can imagine it pains you." Yamamoto sighed. "But that was the right thing to do. He will be fine."

"He will. He has to be." Ginrei sighed, sitting back in his chair. "...though I fear that Zaraki's presence may presence may prove more educational to the boy than any of us intended."

***

"Just a tip for the future-" Zaraki sighed, turning to Byakuya after hanging up. "-once someone agrees to your demands, you don't offer additional incentives. That just makes it a worse deal for you."

"I know that!" Byakuya protested. "-the second he brought up my schooling I knew Grandfather agreed to the trip, but that was also him retreating to the tactical ground of controlling my schooling. The offer of reports was the Opening Salvo of the next battle."

"...Fought the old man a lot eh?" Zaraki cocked a heavy, bald brow at him.

"There are limited opponents for me to practice diplomatic sparring on." Byakuya shrugged. "...but yes, he is a prickly old sod."

Zaraki barked a laugh and shook Byakuya's shoulder affectionately. "Alright, where the fuck are we, actually?"

"We're... Here, in Inuzuka Village." Byakuya pointed to their location on the large map on the wall of the village hall. "I'm not sure where in North 80 your family is-"

"Way up here, on the coast." Zaraki pointed out. "So... Oh, we did pick the right tributary!"

"I told you so!" Yachiru rolled her eyes, adding more clovers to Byakuya's braid.

"Lessee- We should raid this place for anything useful first, but we need to get moving soon so we're somewhere high before it gets dark, but... Oh hey, is this Saikoro the place with the big gambling house?" Zaraki asked, tapping a point on the map just upriver.

"I believe so?" Byakuya nodded.

"...Ya wanna learn how to shark at pool?" Zaraki grinned the same conspiratorial grin.

This time, Byakuya nodded enthusiastically.

[sabrinasgallery]

★﹐sabrina carpenter: 102.7 kiss fm’s jingle ball village (2016)．﹗★

[cultofdixon]

It Takes Two

Daryl Dixon • She/Her Pronouns • Part 2 to “It Takes a Village” • Rick Grimes’ Sister!Reader • You have always been a curious kid. Now so is your kid…and with a certain resident in Alexandria. Who everyone didn’t expect to have a soft side for the young Grimes • ANGST/SFW/NSFW • TW: Anxiety Attacks / Nightmares / Injuries / Mentions of Canon Violence / Mentions of Pregnancy / Depression / Past Abuse • Re-Writing Canon

Requested by: Anon

PREV

Winter has started, and Alexandria was fuller than ever. They may not know exactly when the holidays were but it was enough to have their families in the Kingdom and Hilltop come to Alexandria. Meaning a lot of kids. But it was perfect…especially the snow.

A small groan escapes the waking child as he lifts his head from his pillow to look out the window and notice the falling snow. That alone ignited the energy he needed to get out of bed and wake up his mom.

His mom who would much rather stay in bed during a cold morning, but her excited four year old alerted not only the Mal living in the house…but the five year old that belonged to the Hilltop residents taking up her guest room.

“Mama!” Shepherd practically yells but Dog jumped on the bed when he got the door open.

“Shep…it’s early”

“It’s snowing!” He smiles running to her side of the bed gripping her blankets and tugging at them until the tired Y/N sat up. Her playful scowl appearing when Dog started to lick her face to help her wake up. “Dog wants to go too!”

“Let me guess…you woke up Hershel too?”

“He’s getting his mommy and daddy right now!” His face lights up with even more excitement as he knows the second he gets his snow gear on he was going to get his cousins next door.

“Get dressed baby and I’ll meet you downstairs” Y/N smiles watching her happy boy run out and Dog following him. “Don’t forget the gloves and beanie!” She adds hearing an ok yelled back before rolling over to the other side of the bed to address the archer that rolled off once he heard Dog’s collar jingling. “I’m gonna get dressed…and head out with Shep. That’ll give you your window”

Daryl groans upon sitting up from the floor feeling Y/N’s lips meet his temple when she leaned over. “He’s startin’ to get up before me”

“He’s going to find out before we even tell him…”

“I promise yea. We’ll get our day” The archer leaned into her kissing her before letting Y/N get dressed and ready.

The two have always had a bond with one another. But it wasn’t until Shep turned 3 that they took the risk. Daryl always loved her and would’ve waited til the end of his life for her. For her to be ready on her terms, but all she needed was for her small family of two to be secure. Safe. And Y/N knew she was safe with the archer and so was her son. Daryl loves her son as if he was his own even if Shepherd doesn’t know their relationship.

For now they kept it between them, and the priority was always going to be Shepherd.

Glenn was the fastest in getting ready next to the kids as he chases Hershel Jr and Shepherd through the snow for a bit while the rest of the Grimes got dressed for the snow day. Maggie stayed on the porch waiting for Y/N while she got Dog in a sweater before letting him join in the chaos.

“Where’s Daryl?” Maggie asks once Y/N stepped out while getting her gloves on.

“I just told him what we were doing so he should be joining us soon. But he’ll be getting Carol and her family, then Aaron and his daughter”

“Can you believe it?” Maggie smiles looking out to the small crowd for now. “We survived and thrived after all that happened”

“It’s surreal for sure” Y/N smiles watching her son gather a snow ball and pelt Dog making the Mal get excited to play ball.

As Shep made his way more down the street running away from the snowballs that were coming from the Rhees then his cousins, he stopped to hear someone curse because of how cold it was. He made his way to the little vent that looked into the room finding their resident prisoner shivering his ass off.

“Mama!”

Y/N immediately turns to her son seeing his frustrated expression which started to worry her.

“What’s wrong baby?” She walks away from the crowd of adults on Rick’s porch to kneel before her son as he struggled to get his words out.

“Th—uh. Uhm. I’m cold”

“Uncle Rick has the fireplace going, the adults were gonna go inside while Carl watches you little ones out here…you wanna come warm up a bit?”

“No! It’s…uhm. Mama…” Shep’s frustration came out in a whine making Y/N sigh a bit before standing up and extending her hand to the small child.

“Lead the way to what you need”

Shep immediately took her hand and pulled her back to their house. Then upstairs to the hall closet that Y/N kept spare blankets in.

“You can’t bring a blanket out in the snow, baby”

“No! It’s for…” Then the little one held a guilty expression which only confused his mother more.

“Shepherd.”

Daryl steps out of the Grimes’ residence when he didn’t find Y/N in there. Then he spotted her carrying blankets while following her son toward the cell. He quickly picked up his crossbow off the porch and ran over to the two.

“Hey, what’s wrong what are y’all doing?” Daryl stops Y/N while Shepherd proceeded.

“Shep heard Negan complaining that he was cold”

“So what?”

“Daryl. I’m not doing anything outside of the council’s guidelines regarding Negan. I’m simply doing what my son wants” Y/N states, and that want being kind toward their prisoner and giving him extra blankets during the winter. “He’s not going to hurt Shep…or me”

“I’m comin’ then”

“If it makes you less helicopter-y” She jokes making her way downstairs and helping Shepherd with the door.

Their presence sort of startled Negan given the door leading outside was never the quietest and the looming archer on the steps made him feel uneasy. But his attention locked onto the Grimes sister handing the blankets to this small child he’s never met before, and for good reason. Negan wanted to stand up and approach the bars but the way Daryl was glaring at him. He stayed put, until the small child approached the bars holding up the blankets.

“You don’t have to”

Shepherd frowns looking up at his mom while hugging the blankets tightly. “But mama I want to…” he said in a hush whisper as Y/N gently pets his head.

“You tell him, baby. Not me”

The little one went back to the bars of the cell looking up at Negan who approached the bars when he looked at his mother.

“But I want to” Now how can anybody ever be mad at that adorable face of his? Negan extended his hands taking the blankets through the bars watching the little one light up.

“Thanks kid…appreciate it”

The young grimes smiles happily before heading back out and instantly running into Daryl. The archer knew what was bound to happen with the child and that was Shep wanting to be picked up by him.

“Can’t say no to him” Y/N smiles receiving a look from the archer indicating that he’d never say no to him wanting to be picked up. Even if the man groaned picking up Shepherd. “Go on ahead. I’ll be a minute”

“Y/N—-“

“Just go. Please”

Daryl can’t say no to the puppy dog eyes, especially when Shepherd gets it from his mother. He nods before carrying Shep out of there leaving Y/N with Negan for a moment.

“You’ve got a nice kid…”

“I really do huh?” Y/N smiles approaching the bars to Negan’s cell as he suddenly started to feel anxious when her smile remained hit her eyes said it all. “So let me make it clear to you, Negan. If you hurt my boy. With your words or even physically, I’ll be doing everyone a favor and ending your life” She hissed glaring at the man watching him nod before leaving the cell.

All the kids were inside warming up and all the little ones were watching Henry show them how to play cards. Go Fish to be exact. While the adults had a drink and catch up.

“Your turn Shepherd” Henry’s voice snapped the kid out of his thoughts as Shep looks at his cards before setting all his cards down to show that he’s been hogging pairs but more specifically to leave the small table to go to his mom.

“He’s a card shark” Judith states not knowing exactly what that means.

“That’s…used in a different game? But I guess that works here” Henry laughs collecting the cards and shuffling the deck.

“Mama…” Shep whispers to get Y/N’s attention while Rick was telling Maggie about how he and Michonne were thinking of taking a trip. Y/N sets her glass down turning to her son and his upset expression. “I wanna go home…”

“Are you okay?” She whispers back not wanting to cause alarm or interrupt the on going conversation.

“No…” He whines in his whisper hugging Y/N’s leg. He relaxed a little when his mother rubbed circles on his back. “Can we go?”

“Yes, go get your shoes and coat on” Y/N got up from her seat once Shep ran over to where all the shoes were. “I’m turning in guys”

“Really?” Rick frowns, it wasn’t that late. Even for the kids.

“Yeah, Shep’s gettin’ tired and the alcohol isn’t sitting right with me.” Y/N left after saying such to get her coat on and pick up her son who instantly latched onto her.

“We’ll be quiet when we turn in” Maggie makes one last comment watching Y/N smile before stepping out with Dog also joining the two.

While the three made their way home, Shep tugged at Y/N’s coat when her attention was already on him.

“Forget somethi—-“

“Why is he down there, mama?” Shep frowns watching her face soften but also worry for she doesn’t know how to approach that conversation without going too far.

“He did something bad, Shepherd…that’s why he’s down there”

“But I do bad things too…like leave my shoes out for Dog to chew and you get mad…”

“It’s…uh” Y/N frowns setting Shepherd down on their porch to sit as she sat beside him. “You’re too young to understand the kind of bad things he did before you were born…”

“…can you try?”

How do you go telling a four year old about the abuse his mother endured done by that terrible man? Or the abuse Daryl, someone he looks up to, has gone through…the horrors of the Saviors threatening to kill members of their family…

You just. Don’t.

“He hurt people, Shep. In a way I can’t tell you…”

Shepherd frowns bringing himself closer to his mom leaning against her.

“Did he hurt you, mama…?”

Y/N didn’t say another word as she was fighting back tears when thinking about it. All she did was bring her son into his embrace holding onto him like her light depended on it. And part of him knew. Even if he didn’t understand.

Once it was late enough, Daryl came upstairs to check on Y/N thinking Shepherd would be in his room but entering the room he noticed the little one curled up in his mother’s embrace. He still brought himself to sit on the edge of the bed resting his hand on her shoulder watching her turn slowly to him revealing tears in her eyes.

“What happened?” He whispers watching her turn back to her son as Shepherd unconsciously scooted closer in her embrace.

“…I’m triggered D. It’s hard to sleep” She whispers back feeling Shep shift once more, enough to pull away from her and star fish on the rest of her bed. Giving her enough space to turn onto her back looking up at Daryl as he carefully wipes away her tears. “I know they don’t stay little and overwhelmingly kind forever…but I don’t want him taking that away from my baby”

“He won’t. I promise yea” Daryl frowns giving her enough space to sit up and hug him. He held her for as long as she needed.

~

“Remember, listen to Uncle Rick and stay out of trouble” Y/N tells Shep who didn’t want his mom to go on the hunting trip with Daryl and Carol. “I’ll be back before you know it”

“Why can’t I go with you?”

“You will buddy, when you’re a bit older” Daryl ruffle his hair a bit before Shep latched onto his leg. “Aw come on, bud”

“Please don’t go…”

It was spring, which meant more hunting trips. Shepherd didn’t mind when it was one of the two leaving, but they both were going on this one and he didn’t like it one bit.

“We’ll be back before you know it, Shep. I promise” Y/N knelt down for her son to hug her tightly once more.

Before watching the three go from Rick’s porch.

The agenda for the first day was boring. Or to Shepherd a bit boring. He loves helping when given the chance to but he doesn’t like working on the farm unless it was with his mom. Because they would play “I Spy” while collecting the crops and help him with his counting when putting in new seeds. Rick knew about this and was trying to do it with Shep, but that’s another thing. He only likes doing it with his mom. Otherwise he just helps tug the basket along while Rick cleans up the dead plants and getting the soil ready for new seeds.

“You okay Shep?”

“Can I go get water?”

Rick sighs nodding with a smile. “Be back quick. And get me a glass too”

Shepherd smiles setting the basket down by his uncle before leaving the farm and heading back toward the houses. Except after he got his uncle a canteen instead of a glass, because Michonne stopped him in the middle of her conversation with Siddiq and Gabriel to switch the glass with a canteen since the kid can be clumsy, Shepherd was given a second one for himself but instead of using it for himself.

Negan froze to the sound of said canteen falling onto the concrete floor. It’s sturdy so it didn’t crack or anything. He looks up through the vents to see Shepherd looking back at him before running back to his uncle.

Once the chores Rick had were done and the help of tidying up done by both him and Shepherd, the two made their way back to Rick’s place for dinner and then turning in. Shepherd was set up in the spare in their place which had a grown ups bed and not his low toddler one.

Shep couldn’t sleep, and can’t ever when his mom wasn’t home in any way. She could be standing somewhere else in Alexandria and he’d be able to sleep. He pushed his blankets off of him and maneuvered his body on the edge of the bed so his feet were first to hit the floor but it was still a bit too high that he fell anyway. The little one didn’t want to alert anyone given he went to bed around the same time as his cousins, but the adults could still be awake.

The little one has been spending a lot of time with Daryl.

Because Shepherd managed to get out of the house through the doggy door in the kitchen while the adults (Rick and Michonne) were in the living room. Thank god he was small enough or that would be a very uncomfortable conversation telling Y/N her son got stuck in the doggy door.

The resident prisoner heard footsteps draw closer, followed by a whine that Negan can only connect to Dog. So it must’ve been Daryl but when Shepherd came into view by the vent sitting beside it and Dog laying next to him, Negan only grew more confused.

“Shouldn’t you be in bed?”

“How do you know when bedtime is?” Shepherd looks at him confused leaving the man stumped.

“Forget it. Your mom will kill me if she finds you here. Hell even your uncle or whatever Daryl is to yea”

“He uh…uhm. Just Daryl?” The confusion in his tone made Negan a bit curious about the two’s relationship since he thinks Shep probably doesn’t know that his mom and Daryl are seeing each other. He wasn’t about to put them in any way.

“Are you close with Daryl? Like how you are with your uncle Rick?”

“I don’t know”

“What do you mean?” Negan brought himself to sit on the floor against the wall where the vent was as Shepherd sat on the small grass patch by the vent with Dog surrounding him.

“I used to call him Uncle Daryl…but something happened” Shep tugged at the grass while he spoke. “He was there for me when I’m sad. Helped me with my shoelaces. Get my sippy cups from the high shelves. Patch my boo boos. Let me sit with him while he works on his bike. Other things that Uncle Rick doesn’t do with me”

“You see him as a dad?” Negan’s question was met with silence. “What would your old man think?”

“I don’t have a dad”

If he starts crying, better start digging your grave Negan thought as he was prepared for tears but was met with a sigh instead.

“Mama says I never had one. But I always saw Daryl as one” Shepherd frowns as he stops tugging at the grass seeing the damage he has done. “Is that bad?”

“What? Seeing Daryl as your dad?”

“Yeah…”

“Well. He helps with your boo boos. I think that’s pretty much dad material…when I taught PE which was just watching a bunch of kids in a yard to get rid of the energy in’em, some kids would stumble. Cry. Get banged up by either concrete or a plastic bat. I wouldn’t know what to do and pull a teacher move with the whole “go to the nurse” when most nurses in schools back in my day didn’t do a very good job”

“That’s bad”

“Real bad. But I just pawned the problem off to somebody else. Daryl? He takes care of yea. Would do about anythin’ for yea. I don’t see a problem in calling him dad.” Negan shrugs. “But that’s a conversation for your mom. And then Daryl”

Shepherd was about to ask another question when he heard his name being called. Negan heard it as well and rose to his feet going toward the vent to look at Shep.

“You better go back before he gets worried”

“ok, goodnight”

“Night kid” Negan states hearing the tussle of his footsteps and the dog getting up with him before it faded away.

The next morning came and Negan woke to the sound of the outside door opening. Maybe it was confessional day but to his surprise he saw Shepherd coming down the steps with Michonne. Michonne came down for other business while Shepherd carried drawing supplies to distract him from their conversation. But some part of him knew that Negan enjoyed the company.

“Well good mornin’ to y’all”

“Good morning” Shepherd instantly replies back before sitting on the ground and dropping all of his supplies while Michonne took the chair bringing it to the bars of his cell.

“The council is holding a meeting about you soon”

“Oh wonderful” Negan frowns sitting back on his bed leaning against the wall. “What about?”

“Well. One, Y/N thought you should have warmer items in here for the future winters.” Michonne pointed with her eyes to Shepherd as it was really his idea being told through his mom. “Second, we were thinking you could actually do stuff around Alexandria. It won’t mean you’re instantly free. More so—-“

“Community service and I come back here once I’m done for the day? You’re really trustin’ me with that?”

“Why not?” Shepherd chimes in seeing confused looks as Michonne gave Negan a warning one mainly for his words.

“Nobody trusts me, Shep. Which in this case makes sense…but imagine being untrustworthy and being given chores around the other residents” Negan states while approaching the cell bars and sitting on his side across from Shepherd.

“Mama doesn’t trust me around Daryl’s crossbow. Is it like that?”

“Sort of. But your mama must’ve said I’m a bad dude”

“Yeah?”

“That’s why I’m questioning if Michonne here trusts me enough to do chores around the place without causing trouble”

“Can’t he just be watched when he���s not locked up, auntie?” Shep looks up at his aunt with a small smile as Michonne took note of that because it’s not a bad idea.

“You’re not manipulating him to say these things right?” Michonne questions Negan as she watches Shepherd bring himself close with a piece of paper and a few crayons handing one to Negan to play tic tac toe with him. Negan kept a distance but did play with the kid through the bars.

“From the time Y/N lived at the Sanctuary, yeah she was defensive to me but to everybody else who weren’t part of my troop. More like the other residents…she was overwhelmingly kind. Stood up for those who needed it, even if there were consequences…but just. She was too damn kind to everybody in that shitshow—-“

“Language” Both Shepherd and Michonne state hearing Negan apologize before letting Shep win the game.

“This boy has her kind side. It’s all him”

~

The council decided to let Negan work around Alexandria with a handful of chores each day and at least one day where he’s remaining in his cell. The one watching him changes every day, like it used to be. Unlike when he would be checked in on every other hour when he remained in his cell.

His help was much needed during the summer. And not just for chores.

Judith was playing with Gracie in the gardens while their dads were working on the nearby walls to do the yearly maintenance on the structures. While Shepherd’s mom helped in the actual gardens with Negan, meaning Y/N was on Negan duty and Shep was also around helping. But once he told his mom he was going to ask his cousin if he could play with them, her line of sight was no longer on him for a short time.

“You’re cutting too close to the main stem”

“My bad, hey where’s that rugrat? He said he’d help separate the tomatoes with the good and bad ones”

“He wanted to play with his cousin. I’ll separate them when I wash them once we’re done” Y/N states picking up the full basket and setting it on the table Daryl placed for them.

“Judith his cousin right?” Negan asks hearing a ‘yes’ from the boy’s mom as he turns around to where he knew the girls were playing when they first started harvesting. “Then where is he?”

“What?” Her tone changed instantly as she turns around to look at the two girls. “Where could he have gone…” she tried to remain calm hopefully when she got closer to the two girls that Shepherd would appear in her line of sight but he hasn’t.

“Aunt Y/N?” Judith questions her presence and a sense of regret rose in her. “Uhm. Where’s Shepherd?”

“I should be asking you that Judith.” The sternness made those working around them come to a slow stop. “Shepherd wanted to play with you, but he’s not here. So what did you say to my son?”

“Y/N. Woah, tone it back”

“I’m sorry Rick but I’m not.” Y/N bites. “It’s only been ten minutes and my son hasn’t turned up to my voice. He could’ve gotten out and be lost out there. Or got stuck somewhere here. While you’re handling dangerous stuff.”

“He’ll turn up, sis. He couldn’t have gotten far”

“He wouldn’t have wandered off if your daughter wasn’t mean and told my son he couldn’t play with her!”

“Don’t blame this on Jude. You’re too busy keeping an eye and being nice with the prisoner that it’s your own damn fault for losing sight of your son” Rick snaps back and the regret didn’t set in until Y/N retracted herself away with that same anxious sad look on her face when she was taken by the Saviors. “Shit…”

“Dad…” Judith frowns looking up at her dad. “I told him he couldn’t play with us. I-I didn’t think he would run away”

“He didn’t run away, hun. He’ll turn up” Rick frowns about to ask Aaron to watch the girls when he watched him take his gloves off.

“I’m gonna grab Daryl and help Y/N find Shepherd, Gracie…” Aaron kneels to his daughter. “Stay with these Grimes. Okay?” He smiles when she nods before getting up and heading off.

“Aaron I—-“

“I think you need to sit with what you said to your sister. You’ve done plenty” Aaron gave him a pity smile before going to help his sister.

While the commotion was happening, Negan knew he had to go back to his cell if his watcher wasn’t going to watch him. But to his surprise, he found the currently sobbing child in his open cell knowing it would be the last place his mom would look for him.

“Hey kiddo…” Negan frowns moving to sit on the cot of his bed as Shepherd hid under a blanket right beside it. His little grass stained shoes peeking out gave him away. “Want to tell me what happened up there?”

“No…”

“Mm. You’re gonna have to tell your ma regardless. Just thought you’d want a friend” He states watching the blanket move to show his crying face as he looks over to him.

“Jude told me I couldn’t play with her cause I’m a baby” Shep frowns sniffling. “I’m not a baby, I’m four”

“Practically an adult” Negan states leaning against the wall. “She wasn’t thinkin’”

“She never thinks…Uncle Rick doesn’t either”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Of course there was more to it…

“He talks about mama behind her back…when she’s on her trips that aren’t safe for me” Shepherd frowns curling up as much as he could. “How she was stupid…to have me grow up without a dad…that she shouldn’t do anything without me cause she signed up for that…” the tears kept coming as his lip wobbles. “Am I a mistake…? Did mama make a mistake in having me? Not letting me have a dad?”

“Woah” Negan brought himself up and off the cot bringing himself to sit beside the kid. “I’m gonna be honest with you. If your mama didn’t want you, you wouldn’t be here. And your uncle was only thinking of himself when he said that. Cuz if you were my nephew, I would be stoked to hang out with yea. And this whole dad crap? Is bullshit”

“Language…”

“Whatever. Because you have a village. A huge family. You don’t need a dad. But you have one and we had this discussion before. Besides. Your mom? Loves you so much, hell enough for two parents, even beyond that. When she’d be walking the streets on a late return home, you’re the only thing she’s talking about to whoever she went on the trip with. And hell! You’re one of the greatest things to happen to her that it would have to take knocking her out to have her shut up about how much she loves yea.”

The little one continued to cry but he was smiling and felt a bit better to his words.

“Plus. The whole dad thing? Those guys hover a lot when they’re worried about their kid.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah and I KNOW. FOR A FACT” Negan yells emphasizing who’s eavesdropping. “THAT HES NOT LETTING HIMSELF BE KNOWN RIGHT NOW.”

The sigh didn’t go unnoticed when Daryl made his way down the steps with a worried look on his face. But he also wasn’t accompanied by Y/N, so he heard everything Shepherd said including the part about Rick.

“See? A dad. Don’t matter if he’s blood or not. And between you and me” Negan started to whisper to Shepherd as he leaned in. “You scored on the dad front, already scored with the mom. So double points” his words got a giggle out of the child that rose to his feet ditching the blanket and making his way to Daryl who knelt to be his level. But Shepherd stopped a second turning to Negan.

“Thanks Negan…”

“Anytime kid. Now go find your mom, before she flips Alexandria over just to find yea”

“He’s right on that. She will” Daryl smiles warmly and the warmth grew in his chest when Shepherd wrapped his arms around him making the archer instinctively pick him up. “…thanks” he tells Negan receiving a thumbs up from the guy before heading out with his son.

As the two made their way toward the running worried filled mother that came their way. Y/N started sobbing on sight instantly taking Shepherd into her embrace giving Daryl a thankful look.

“I’m sorry mama”

“No baby it’s okay…you just scared me a little” Y/N cries holding him close as Shep pushes back a bit so that he could wipe away her tears. “You care too much about me, baby”

“I wanna, mama” Shepherd gave a small smile when she kissed his cheek. “Can we go home?”

“Yes, yes we can…we can go home and hang out. Just you and me”

“And dad” Shepherd pointed to Daryl as that was the first time he referred to the archer as such that he tried to compose himself even if Y/N didn’t he bother trying to compose herself.

“Yeah” Y/N smiles through the tears extending her free hand, holding Shep up with her other arm, feeling Daryl instantly take it into his.

And dad.

[sapphicseasapphire]

More child of mountains 🥺

More Cryptid Wild??? I will happily oblige.

I’ve already shared quite a bit about him! But here’s some things that I may have left out:

Wild is not as sensitive to changes in temperate has he is in canon. Since he’s a spirit made mostly of light, it takes a lot for him to feel cold or hot. He hangs out in hot springs because then he can actually feel something, and he can be found in Hebra just vibing in the snow for the same reason.

While it’s rare, he does change his clothes from time to time. Mostly, he wears armor to assist him with stealth, since he’s pretty terrible at it on his own. When he walks, it jingles like little bells. Like a Blupee! (This absolutely freaks Sky out, as he has Silent Realm trauma). The first time he ever changed out of his ruined Champion’s Tunic was to infiltrate the Yiga Clan Hideout. He wore the Sheikah set to be quieter and stole the Thunder Helm for the Gerudo without any consequence.

(He may also wear clothes to cover his glowing skin if needed. But in his own era, he doesn’t hang out in villages enough to need that. He’s rarely seen. And if anyone does see him, they know better than to approach. And in any other era, he relies on Hyrule’s glamour to hide him).

SPEAKING OF THE YIGA. This is not really Wild lore, but it’s IMPORTANT. The Yiga are not smart enough to connect the dots. They have no idea that the Child of the Mountains is the very same fallen hero that they’re out to kill. When Wild stole the Thunder Helm, they assumed that it was just one of Hylia’s pesky little spirits messing with them (which is pretty much the truth, to be fair). They fully 100% believe that the Hylian Champion Link is dead and has been for the past century (which is, again, true). Because of this, they are on the lookout for the new hero. They believe that since Link died a century ago and they’re still working to bring Ganon back, a new hero will be born to stop them. Their plan is to kill the new Link before he can pose a threat.

Even though the hero still exists. They’re… a little dumb, I guess, but they’re not technically wrong.

Cryptid Wild is family with every single spirit in the game. Koroks? Little siblings. Blupees? Little siblings. The Great Deku Tree is a father figure to him and the Lord of the Mountain is very close to him. The dragons are a little scatterbrained but he likes to hang out with them anyway. And Fairies! They may not be spirits, but they’re just little balls of spiritual magic and so Wild makes an effort to know every single one of them. He loves them.

He uses any/all pronouns. (More like he doesn’t have pronouns. Not a single one. He’s never heard of them before. I mostly use he/him for Wild since the Hyruleans of his era will typically use those pronouns in their stories but you must know that Wild legitimately does not care). He’s also aro/ace but he needs companionship. Poor lil guy can’t stand being alone, and while human presence overwhelms him sometimes, he’s super friendly around spirits. Any spirit. Looking at you, Wars.

Alright that was very long but I hope this is what you were looking for haha!

[judasgot-it]

Can i request tired s/o that go straight to tecchou’s lap to sleep

AHH This might be short but I love him sm <3

Scenario: Falling asleep on Tecchou after work, just some good fluff really. (What's the difference between a drabble and a scenario? Lol?)

Your eyes hurt the longer you kept them open.

Today's mission was technically yesterday's as well - you had stayed up for over 24 hours to complete this one, traveling to an abandoned village just to find out that what you thought would be an easy day would be one of the worst battles of your career.

It left your enemies dead, and your team exhausted. Now you were sitting on a small bench, away from the destruction caused by the fight. You could still see the remnants of it - mostly the bodies and blood only your hands.

But after spending all of that time fighting, you found yourself utterly exhausted. Even soldiers needed to sleep sometimes.

You heard a weight settle next to you. Tecchou's mop of hair tickled you, loose strands flying toward you.

"Hey."

Tecchou nodded. He didn't say anything, closing his eyes and leaning back. He was enjoying the quiet it seemed.

"You lost your hat."

"Yea."

He blinked at you.

"You look tired."

"No shit sherlock."

He smiled at that. A small, tired one. You felt yourself relax a little at that, easing some of the tension at you didn't even know you had in your shoulders. You didn't even know when help would arrive, so maybe you could sleep.

You went to lay down, using Tecchou's thighs as a pillow. You could smell the grass on his uniform from his fight, but you didn't really feel bothered by it. It was a rather comfy pillow in the moment.

A thick fabric fell around your shoulders, and you reached for it as you felt Tecchou's fingers card through your knotted hair. He was gentle, more petting you to avoid pulling at the strands.

"Thanks. I'll keep it safe."

You pulled it closer, avoiding a small tear you felt in it as you curled up into a ball on the small bench. Your shoes hung off awkwardly on the bench due to your boots, but you didn't really care - this was practically heaven.

You felt Tecchou adjust himself under you, getting comfortable as he adjusted your makeshift blanket. The chain jingled a little, but as you drifted off, all you really felt was Tecchou's warmth all around you. It made you smile a little, despite the overwhelming exhausting.

[foxes-that-run]

The lovebirds! Harry & Taylor’s night of romance ..down the pub

Daily Mirror - 13 Dec 2012 BY CLEMMIE MOODIE

Harry and Taylor pop down the pub for a Swifty.. then feed the birds together on beauty spot trip.

THAT Harry Styles is certainly getting all lovey-dovey with his new girlfriend. The One Direction Romeo took American superstar Taylor Swift to meet his mum after treating her to a meal at his local village pub on Tuesday night.

And yesterday they fed doves and swans together on a visit to a Lake District beauty spot.

Harry pulled out all the stops to impress multi Grammy award-winner Taylor on her visit.

After treating her to a slap-up meal at The Rising Sun in Derbyshire’s Peak District, the pair made their way home to his mum Anne – via Tesco.

At the supermarket, 18-yearold Harry splashed out £3.89 on a tub of VO5 hair styling wax while Taylor wandered down the aisles looking at the vegetables.

Last night pub manager Sarah Walker revealed the celebrity couple met up with Harry’s sister, Gemma, and her boyfriend at their local in Hope Valley.

Pub regular Gemma strolled in at 7.30pm just before Harry and Taylor arrived in his Range Rover Sport. After ordering a round of soft drinks, they sat in the window, next to the crackling log fire.

'Taylor said she loved being in Britain .. she’s a real honey' CAROL WALKER

The showbiz pair polished off a Yorkshire pudding and onion gravy starter, followed by roast turkey with all the trimmings for Harry and a whole lemon sole for his size-eight girlfriend.

Shunning the champagne, they stuck to non-alcoholic J2Os all evening. Taylor, who is 23 today, told pub-goers she was looking forward to the couple’s trip to Windermere in the Lake District and celebrating her birthday.

But it seems they will spend Christmas an ocean apart as Taylor revealed plans to fly home to Nashville to spend the festive season with her family.

Sarah, 37, said: “Taylor said she was loving being in Britain and she also seemed to like being in the country.

“And she was excited about her birthday and about flying home for Christmas. She said she didn’t mind the cold, but it will be a lot warmer in Nashville. They were both lovely and she’s a honey.”

After posing for pics and signing diners’ menus, Harry and Taylor settled the bill – which came in at just over £100 along with a handsome tip.

Yesterday, the tactile couple, who have now been dating for a month, enjoyed an afternoon feeding the swans and doves on Lake Windermere.

One swan even pecked at the brand- new £ 995 Burberry handbag Taylor was carrying – a birthday gift from her new beau – as the country singer gamely batted the creature away.

Giggling as they then fed the birds in the town centre, they were also spotted outside the Pandora jewellery shop by store manager Claire Dibbs.

Claire, 24, told the Mirror: “I was hyperventilating – I just never expected to see them.

“Taylor introduced herself – she was really lovely. She said they were just here for the day and I think they were there with his parents. She had a lot of bags from Beatrix Potter World. I saw some cuddly toys poking out of the top of the bag.

“They’d done a lot of shopping. Taylor said she loved the area and said it was really pretty.” Harry and Taylor first met in America i n April when Harry was on tour with One Direction.

After going on a couple of ‘secret dates’, they reportedly split up after the heartthrob was spotted kissing American model Emma Ostilly in New Zealand. But they were spotted dating in New York’s Central Park recently.

The date came hours before One Direction’s sell-out gig in front of 20,000 fans at the Madison Square Garden. The loved-up singers gazed into each others eyes, stopping to chat to some kids and to watch the sea lions at the zoo.

And last week the rumours they were an item were confirmed when she flew him in her private jet from New York to London to attend the Jingle Bell Ball at London’s O2 arena.

Harry ditched the rest of his bandmates to spend a few hours with her on the flight, while the others flew back to the UK on a domestic flight.

[magenta-racer]

Commission Art - Snowy Radish

Ayeeee artwork done by my friend, AnaLee94, who just opened commissions! So glad I could finally order a drawing from her, she's a great artist. 🥰

Raditz sharing a tender moment with Suno in Jingle Village. Their relationship is ambiguous at first, Suno first meets him wounded at the woods near her village, when she goes out to hunt, and Raditz only sees her as an inferior being to toy with. He tries teasing, messing with and tempting her, then gets amused as she dodges his advances and refuses him, though she starts getting attracted to him. The game of cat and mouse backfired on him, however, because he grew attached to her. Reazling this, Raditz fled her village without telling her, then decides to gather the Dragon Balls in order to get a wish to get back at Vegeta and Nappa for abandoning him.

It backfires again because he got defeated by Piccolo. Once again, he was back at Suno's place, the only one who he trusted to nurse him back to health, while still struggling to understand and accept his feelings for a human, specially after all the losses he suffered in his life. Sadly, Raditz only accepts his feelings when it's too late: Vegeta and Nappa arrive on Earth, and upset by Raditz's failure at gathering the magical orbs, they kill Suno as a punishment. This made something inside Raditz completely break, he was hellbent on getting his revenge from then on.

Suno gets brought back by Porunga after Frieza Saga, thankfully, but that doesn't ease Raditz's vendetta. Despite having her back and opening up about his feelings for her, Raditz is still determined to make Vegeta pay for everything he took away from him. Suno becomes his balance, and he's deeply grateful for having her in his life, Raditz would have likely lost himself completely if it weren't for her. She gets greatly frustrated and disappointed by his screw ups, though can't bring herself to hate him, even though it could be warranted sometimes. The things she puts up with for the man she loves. 😂

That's the summary of how their relationship came to be. 🤭 My AU is based on this fanfic, Dragon Ball Z: The Catalyst, which is totally worth checking out! :D

(Also, it's funny how Raditz's outfit reminds me of Chris Redfield in Resident Evil 8. 👀)

Art © AnaLee94.

Raditz and Suno are from Dragon Ball franchise © Akira Toriyama/Toei Animation.

[sgtsmilies]

Cave Story Is Not a Metroidvania

I've hit my breaking point. After years of bumping into references to Cave Story, the 2006 indie darling classic as a Metroidvania, I feel the need to set the record straight, if only for my own mental well-being. Please, when I play an indie platformer on Steam with the Metroidvania tag I need to know whether it's lying to me or not. I'm Smilies, and today I will be talking about this stupid subgenre that I love.

In August 6, 1986, the world was changed forever. Metroid was released for the Famicon Disk System in Japan. A charming little game, you control an android(?) named Samus Aran in a 2d-platformer environment, flipping around and shooting little monsters, and the titular Metroids.

In a space that would become filled with 2d platformers, including Ninja Gaiden, Mega Man, Shatterhand (look it up), and Castlevania, which had come out just prior, Metroid would define itself by its interesting exploration mechanics, in contrast to the level-based structures held by most other games at the time.

In Metroid, you explore an open-ended world with road blocks, while obtaining major upgrades such as the Morph Ball to explore small crawlspaces, bombs to destroy tiles, and so on. Essentially, as you grow in power, the world opens up and provides more to explore. Each player has a unique experience finding items and exploring areas in an order unique to them. I'm weaving a narrative here and those of you with more history knowledge than me will probably be able to find reasonable earlier examples that could be described as a Metroidvania. But, hey, Metroid is literally in the name, so I'm gonna start there.

The name itself, [Metroid][Vania] is commonly believed to have come from a portmanteau of Metroid's sequel, Super Metroid for the Super Famicom/Nintendo, and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, for the Playstation. Both maintain this structure: collecting power ups grants access to new areas, which you find via exploration. In general, in my opinion, you'll find games that follow the Castlevania mold more than the Metroid one: while Metroid's progression blockers can be somewhat contrived (for example: green doors only opening for Power Bombs, or blocks that only break if you destroy them with particular power-ups) Castlevania's are generally diagetic (for example: the Mist Form power up granting you the ability to move through steel grates). Castlevania-inspired Metroidvanias include indie games such as Timespinner and Hollow Knight, while the most notable Metroid-inspired Metroidvania I can think of would be Axiom Verge. Obviously, this is a generalization, but it is the general trend I observed.

Now that we've gone over all that, let's talk about Cave Story. Cave Story follows the, uh… story of a little android guy who wakes up in a cave, collects weapons, power-ups and upgrades (including health upgrades which look remarkably like Samus', and even play a similar jingle!), and explores seemingly open-ended areas which are occasionally connected to one another. It's also got a map viewer for areas you're in to help with exploration.

"Smilies, you dumb cretin!" you might be saying, "That sounds a lot like a Metroidvania!" but let me finish!! The important thing here is Cave Story's level structure. You start the game in the First Cave, a small linear section to acquaint you with the controls and acquire a weapon. You then take a teleporter to the Egg Corridor, then the Bushlands, then the Sand Zone. At the end of the Sand Zone, you are sent against your will to the Labyrinth, which leads directly to the Core. After destroying the core, you get access to the Living Waterway. After returning to Mimiga Village through the Waterway, you head through Egg Corridor again, which has been devastated, before reaching the Outer Wall, then the Plantation, then the Last Cave, then the Balcony, then (should you have unlocked it) the Sacred Grounds where you can defeat the final boss and beat the game.

That's right, Cave Story is completely linear. It's a game in which the areas you explore are winding and fit together to form a mostly-contiguous structure of a sort, but the order in which you explore them is set in stone and experienced the same by every player barring different endings ending the game earlier than others. You even frequently warp directly to levels without having to navigate to them first.

At the same time, Cave Story can feel like a Metroidvania. As previously mentioned, the health upgrades are deliberately evocative of Metroid's. It even has a missile weapon that you can upgrade the capacity for! But it's not a Metroidvania, it can't be. The missiles are optional, they don't blow anything up other than enemies, they don't break walls, etc. Honestly, there's only really two actual upgrade to your capabilities beyond getting more devastating ways to kill your foes. The Air Tank lets you breathe under water, and the Booster provides air mobility. That being said, neither really unlock any new areas, beyond completely optional upgrades. The air mechanic is rarely utilized before the Living Waterway, and you obtain the Air Tank immediately prior to that area. And the Last Cave is designed to be impossible without the Booster 2.0 (and has an easier version if you did not obtain it).

I call these games, ones that invoke Metroidvania aesthetics but don't really commit to their mechanics, Metroidvania-lites, in reference to the oft maligned Roguelite genre(?) but I'm not entering that minefield (yet).

To me, the mechanics that define a Metroidvania more than anything else is the collection of items and the exploration of areas in a non-defined order. While some may inherently be required to be explored before the others, there is no set order. It's also defined by how the game is not fully explorable at the start. You gain abilities, the abilities unlock areas, those areas unlock new abilities, and so on. I'm actually pretty ambivalent to the games being 2d platformers. I think that Metroid Prime (the first one, at least, I dunno about the rest) is a Metroidvania despite being a first-person shooter. I also think that you could easily make the argument for both of the NES Zelda games, which might be a controversial take! Either way, it doesn't really matter where you stretch it to as long as it hits the right notes, and Cave Story most certainly does not.

Disclaimer: I love both Cave Story AND Metroidvanias. Cave Story not being a Metroidvania is not a problem with it per se. I just think they're both different things that I like separately.

[mayhemscorner]

Bells and Black Feathers

Itachi x f!reader

Slowburn. Itachi. OG Naruto setting. I really wanted my first Itachi fanfic to be longer since I’ve never written for him before and I usually only do quick stories. Please enjoy. Also, I apologize for the trauma and angst. But if this receives good feedback, I may make this in to a series 🫢

Bells. Bells were known in our clan as the harbingers of incoming change. We used them during clan ceremonies. Weddings, funerals, even birthdays. I was so sick of hearing bells. It was as if the drone of a metal ball racking around a hollow shell followed me wherever I went, even in to the village. Even worse, our clans genjutsu was hearing based, and you guessed it, we used bells. I almost thought I was crazy when I heard the telltale jingle faintly from beside me. I couldn’t help but check my pockets frantically to make sure mine were properly put away to not send anyone near by in to an accidental genjutsu. It was as if I’d gone crazy, hearing the chirp of a tiny bell pass beside me once again as I bump in to it,” my apologies.”

Bells don’t talk, and they definitely don’t have handsome features like the dark orbs that barely even spare a glance my way as they help me up from the beaten path on my way to the gates. 

“No, I wasn’t looking. It’s my bad, your bell made me think I was about to endanger everyone here.” I ramble on, completely awestruck at the cloaked man in front of me. Looking down, I can only hold my gasp at the sight of the all knowing red clouds. As a Jonin, we’re trained to watch for and decipher these cloaks to pinpoint the Akatsuki. But why would they be rash enough to lurk on the edge of the village out in the country? 

“Nonsense, I believe we both had our eyes on something that distracted us. As it is, I must be on my way.” He replies, not letting even one emotion bubble to the surface as his face stays as still as stone.

“Hey, what’s your name?” I ask, knowing it didn’t matter, he was a threat regardless. But the longer I could keep him here, the quicker I could subdue him.

“I believe that’s best saved for our next encounter. Farewell.” He’s already disappeared as his last word rings through my ears. It takes a second to shake the eerie feeling creeping up my back, but once composure is regained, I’m already breaking in to a dead sprint.

“Asuma! Hey! Asuma, damnit where are you?” I’m calling out to him before even hitting our usual meeting spot for missions, only to be answered with the wind. The only other shinobi with worse timing than Asuma was the only one to show up, lazily sauntering to our spot,” yell any louder and he might just hear you on the other side of the village, Y/N.”

“Listen, we’re being watched. What I’m about to tell you… you have to believe me.” I begin, gripping his shoulder so I can lean in and whisper,” the Akatsuki, they’re in the village.”

“Okay, I know we’re both well versed in pranking but this is a new level. Even for you.” Kakashi sighs, yanking at his ear lobe in mock pain. No, not mock pain… it was the signal that someone was possibly listening to our conversation. I had almost forgotten about it since we never had to resort to it, not for years anyways. It was a trick we would use in our younger years to signal when Asuma or Guy would attempt to listen to our private gossip sessions. 

“Anyways, if you’re done fooling around, I’m going to find where Asuma has wandered off to., you stay here just in case Guy shows up early.” He sighs, the only signal that shows he knows exactly where they’re at is his eyes darting to the right in the direction of the river. 

“Guy can figure out where we are, I’m coming with you.” I mutter, kicking at the dirt road and tailing directly on his heels. Kakashi spares a glance back, pointing to his eye and shaking his head no before covering it with his hand. I’m assuming it means don’t look, but my eyes wander anyways. I was good at taking in the scenery and doing the opposite of what I was told since I had the means to get myself out of trouble. What I wasn’t expecting to see was Asuma and Kurenai working as a team, yet still struggling against the man who had bumped in to me earlier and a new companion. Kurenai was in the river, looking winded as Kakashi, steps in front of me to block my vision, reaching down to grip my vest,” go find Guy. That’s an order.”

Kakashi stares unyieldingly until I relent, sprinting to the village. 

I heave deeply, resting against the side of a vendors stand when I see the familiar and vibrant neon orange leg warmers parading in the air as Guy walks on his hands. 

“H-hey! Guy! Come take a stroll with me real quick.” I huff out as quickly as I can between breaths, snapping one of his leg warmers to get his attention. 

“Y/N! I was just on my way to the gates to meet up with the team, what’s the hurry all of a sudden? Finally accepting my offer of a romantic stroll? This mission can wait for the sake of love if it must!” Guy sputters out, clambering back to the way a normal human stands. I can’t help but roll my eyes,” sure, yeah. Let’s move it. We got places to be Guy.”

He follows against my tight grip as I lead him to the river, quickly losing my patience as he mutters on. 

We finally reach the area once again, seeing not much has happened other than Kakashi looked to be wounded… internally? Maybe winded?

“The river? The perfect place for- Kakashi! No one messes with my rival except me!” Guy gasps out, quickly disappearing from my side. He lands between the two sides, splashing the water as everyone stays at a standstill. After a brief moment of communication, the two Akatsuki vanish, leaving the others to tend to Kakashi. I run across the water, quickly reaching for Kakashi with my medical abilities only to be stopped by Asuma,” he needs to go to the hospital, don’t even waste your chakra. Notify… someone.”

“Who, Asuma? There’s no time to waste, if I’m not needed here, I’m going after them!” I shout, already taking off for the treeline. 

“Y/N, get back to the village. You’ll be in worse trouble if you pursue them.” Guy calls out, quickly catching up. I can’t help but laugh,” with what hokage, Guy? We have the chance to take them out now. So let’s move it! There’s not currently a hokage to give us orders and I’m not going to sit around and wait.”

“Y/N, stop. You aren’t even thinking. His genjutsu is unbreakable.” Guy shouts, finally outrunning me to stop me in my tracks. I bluff my defeat, silently reaching for the bells at my side,” I’m sorry, Guy. I can’t let them get away.”

The bells twirl delicately around the metal rod they were strung to carefully by a clan elder the day I was born, twisting around to create a melodious genjutsu even Guy was too slow to release from. Normally, he had warning and could break it in time. But the look of betrayal as he’s frozen in to place, sends a pang through my chest,” I’ll show you the life you wish to have.”

Having to state my intentions of a genjutsu was a downfall, and I cringe at the thought of Guy’s ideal life. But I can only move forward to give myself enough distance with the bells, as once I’m out of earshot, the genjutsu may be broken within moments. 

After what felt like miles, I drop the bells back down, taking a brief second to slow down and catch my breath. The sky unrelentingly fades to grey as thunder rolls in,” because why wouldn’t it rain?”

I curse to myself, knowing the seconds before rain were precious in the effort to find any sign of tracks. I drop down to a single footprint that stops in the middle of a clearing, looking around frantically to find another. As my head whips back to the tree I was just in, a bell sounds just beside my ear. Ice fills my veins as I freeze in a slight terror.

“You’re alone.” The man from earlier breathes out. I force myself to focus my eyes to the ground and keep my cool,” yes.”

“That wasn’t a question but thanks for the clarification. You aren’t here to subdue me, you’re here for answers.” He continues, trailing a finger across my back as he circles around me, examining me almost before he continues,” you don’t know who I am, do you?”

“I don’t exactly keep my bingo book on me all the time, I just know you’re Akatsuki. It’s my job to train Genin now, not chase after criminals all the time.” I huff, refusing to look up as his finger prods at my jaw in an attempt to lift my gaze,” I’m not falling for your genjutsu.”

Regretfully, I still look up due to the persistent tug at my jaw, being met with the wondering dark orbs that I’d witnessed earlier. 

“If I wanted to place you under a genjutsu, I would’ve done so by now, Y/N.” He drops his hand, revealing the slightest smirk on his face. I confusingly take in his features as I try to figure out why they were so familiar before i land on the mutilated leaf headband that rested against his forehead, sweeping back his raven hair. 

“How do you know my name?” I mutter, reaching for the silver block on his headband to run my fingers along the slashed leaf in the middle. His hand is quick to grip mine,” you truly don’t remember do you?”

“Unfortunately, no.” I sigh, regretting that I was fully enamored with the handsome criminal in front of me. 

“We were Genin together. Itachi Uchiha.” He says coldly. The realization on how long it took myself to puzzle the pieces together hits like a ton of bricks. But I have no recollection of ever being in the same class, let alone knowing him.

I can only shake my head in response.

“If you can’t remember, let me show you.” Itachi sighs defeatedly, looking directly in to my eyes as his own bleed in to the notorious red sharingan. I prepare myself for a genjutsu, seeing as I find myself back in the classroom sitting at my desk. The day in question is hazy, but I still remember the doodle I was drawing. I also remember the pain I’m about to experience. As if on cue, my broken pencil I was trying so hard to continue to write with, slices my palm. I can’t control any movements, it’s a memory that can’t be altered. My tiny hand recoils in pain as younger me whimpers,” ah, dang it! I can’t bleed on this dress, my mom just got it for me.”

“Allow me.” The young boy beside me bubbles with a rising smile, quickly pulling a bandage roll from the backpack beside him,” my brother can be clumsy so I tend to carry extras just in case.”

“You callin’ me clumsy?” Young me accuses him sharply. I was always ‘abrasive’ as my sensei Shikaku regularly stated during our outings with Choza and Inoichi’s teams. 

“Not at all, do you always assume the worst so quickly?” The young version of Itachi questions back. My memory jogs and I can feel my current self mouth the same words I’m about to relive,” I can assume we’re going to be good friends if you’re brave enough to call me out on my crap.”

The scene fades to darkness, sitting at the end of the dock in the Uchiha compound with our feet dangling off the edge.

“Do it again!” A slightly older me shrieks in a fit of laughter as Itachi stands once again, sending a fire ball across the pond. 

“The simplest things surely entertain you. It’s amazing.” He chuckles, sitting back down as my body falls against the dock to look at the stars,” you amaze me, honestly.” 

I can still feel the heat against my cheeks at the confession I had made long ago. 

“Y/N?” He asks quietly.

“Yeah?” I question back.

“Even though we’re still young, do you ever get the feeling we’ll be together forever?” He questions sheepishly.

“We’ll always be friends, that’s not even a question. Don’t be so weird.” I laugh, reaching up to punch his shoulder.

“What if we’re destined to be more than friends?” Itachi continues with his questions, looking over to catch my pondering face,”… we’re still young. If it happens, it happens. We have plenty of years left to stay just how we are. Like you always say, it’s better to wait than spend the rest of your life regretting a rash decision.”

It flickers again, this time it’s my mother, uncontrollably sobbing at the kitchen table that woke me from a dead sleep due to the excitement of finally becoming a chunin,” mom, are you okay?”

I try to rub away the tiredness from my eyes as she shakes her head,” go back to bed, Y/N. It’s nothing you would understand at your age.” 

“Try me.” Twelve year old me crosses her arms as I watch my mothers sadness turn to anger,” you think because you’re a chunin now you can handle a tragedy in your own village? Well it’s time to grow up, kid. There was a massacre on the Uchiha compound. The whole clan is dead. Thanks to your little boyfriend, that Itachi kid. Stop putting your trust in others. Start becoming that ‘perfect’ shinobi you boast that you are Y/N. It won’t save our village, it won’t get those people their lives back. You will do so little, it won’t even matter by the time you’re my age, or even your death.”

She burst in to tears once again. Younger me couldn’t be upset at her, she was already upset with herself for having to end her career so early and our father leaving. I let her take that anger out on me, as long as it was never directed towards my sister and she never had to see it. 

“W-what’s wrong, Y/N?” I feel the small tug at my pajamas as my little sister clings tightly against my leg. I can only put a smile on my face as I lift her small frame,” moms sad because we aren’t getting the sleep we need, how about I tuck you back in to bed?” 

I still feel the pain in my eye sockets from crying throughout the rest of that night. Betrayal from my own mother and someone else I thought I’d loved. 

The genjutsu fades once again, unknown scenery flourishes around me. I look down to see I now bear the Akatsuki robe. I look forward to the faceless crowd that slowly comes in to focus, fingers pointing as they all unanimously mumble the word,” traitor.”

It becomes louder as the people begin encircling me, cornering me off like an injured animal on display. Several faces become distinct, my mother, my sister, Shikaku sensei and his friends, even the hokage that had just given his life for the village. As several kunai impale me, the genjutsu turns to red as the pain sets in.

I soon feel the gracious drops of rain replacing the stabbing ghost pains, quickly becoming a downpour, the genjutsu fades completely. I now realize why Kakashi had been so drained earlier, if it wasn’t for the ice cold adrenaline, I would’ve been passed out already.

“As you can see, we’ve met before. We were only mindless children then, cloaked by masks to hide our true identity.” He drops to a solemn tone, tilting his head upwards to bask in the quickly chilling rain before his red eyes flash back to me,” no matter how similar our paths are, our fates deserve to end differently. if you choose this life, it’s only the same. But you risk having your identity known nationwide and your idealistic life thrown away. Do you choose to face death everyday? Do you choose to betray a village you call home?” 

In the time it takes me to blink, he’s now mere inches from my face, hand outstretched,” if you can say yes, your heart is in the wrong place. Turn around and go back to the leaf. Do not pursue me any further, Y/N.”

Two of his fingers ghost over my brows for just a second, I can barely notice the thoughts running behind his tired eyes, but the slight flick of his view to the left gives him away. He decides to retract his fingers, and drapes his other hand to rest over the top of my head while I drop to my knees. My Jonin vest feels heavy with rain, maybe even regret that i didn’t even remember one of my closest friends as a child, maybe even my first love, but most of all the one who made it seem I wasn’t capable of loving anyone else. 

“How could I not remember anything you just showed me?” I babble, looking up to his now normal eyes as tears bubble at my lashes, only to be concealed by the rain. 

“Because It was a burden I relieved you of. You should be thankful.” He answers coolly, refusing either of us the blessing of breaking eye contact. I flick a collection of tears and water angrily from my face,” younger me was in love with you. We loved each other. You can’t deny that.”

His eyes trickle down to the hand fidgeting with the metal rod at my side, his face illuminating against a streak of lightning,” You’re a fool to think an auditory genjutsu would even begin to work on me.”

“No, but metal rods are great conductors of electricity.” I seethe, reaching my musical rod above me to the sky as I grip his arm that still rested atop my head. It was a weak last ditch effort, i couldn’t subdue him, but I could at least kill us both. As quickly as the white steak shoots down towards us, we’re transported further in to the forest. My hand is slightly burnt, but I find myself furled tightly in Itachi’s arms, back to his chest as his cloak billows around us in the increasing winds. I chuckle slightly,” so, you do still care about me.”

“Nonsense, I just prevented you from unnecessarily ending both of our lives.” Itachi utters out, clearing his throat.

“Bullshit. You could’ve let me fry in that lightning strike and saved yourself, easily.” I assert my dominance, twisting in his arms to face him as he refuses to let go. He looks down, smirking as he smoothes away a few strands of hair that cling to my face,” if I could love as easily as I fought against others, you would’ve been mine the day I bandaged your adolescent hand. This however, is not a life for love. My destiny is to die and I refuse for you to have any part of it.”

“Then just give me this moment.” I exhale, bringing a hand to rest on the side of his face,” I’ve just learned about you all over again and I refuse to let you leave without a word just like when we were kids.”

“You seen what I did to my clan.” He reminds me quietly.

“And for some reason, I feel like your hand was forced in to doing it. The Itachi I just witnessed loved his clan. He loved the leaf village. He defended the village he betrayed.” I share my quick observation. 

“This conversation is over.” Itachi warns, squinting his eyes in remorse and possibly a hint of anger. I just knew I was right. And if I’m able to return to the village, I’ll have some research to do. 

“If you don’t want to talk about it, then you’ll have to find a damn good way to shut me up, because I have a lot of questions.” I shoot back, anxiety of not knowing the story creeps against my body. And just as I’m about to start my rampage of questions, his lips crash against mine and his hands grip tightly at my shoulders, letting the cool rain water dripping from us both clash together, pooling down to our chins before it drips against the cloak that weakly offers us the tiniest bit of shelter. As he pulls away, his eyes flutter slowly, taking in my look of confusion. Sadly for him, it’s only created more questions, but most of all it also created answers.

“You still love our village. You still love me.” I gasp out looking at the furrow in his angering brows,” and to continue in protecting the things I love, you must not interfere or prod any further. Return to the village before you end up in the same position. This is my last warning, Y/N. Or this will end badly for the both of us.”

He pushes me against my shoulders, sending my body head first to the ground frozen, in a state of shock as the world melds to a red haze. Just as I hit the ground, an inky black feather drops on my face, restarting the chain of events over again. And again. And again. Each time I fall, the feather drops, I smack in to the ground and Itachi’s face melds against my vision as the sequence drones on for what feels like hours,” do you wish to be stuck in a loop of constant suffering? Living out your days where every last one is the same, ending with an unbearable pain… just to realize it’ll happen again. And again. And again. This is the constant pain you will feel outside of the village as a rogue. You don’t understand that by pressing further on this matter, by seeking me purposefully after this point, my only choice would regretfully be having to kill you.”

A scream tears at my throat, only to be cut off from hitting the ground again, and after what felt like a whole day stuck in the same loop, I find myself on the ground mere seconds from passing out once again. I look up to see Itachi’s face hovering above mine and feel his knees supporting my head. He swiftly brushes a rain soaked strand of hair from my face and leans in for one last breathy statement,” I truly hope one day you’ll be strong enough to understand. When that day comes, I will be long gone but I will never ask for your forgiveness.”

As my eyes shut, he scoops down for one last kiss and disappears with the sound of a ghost. Silence ushers a single black feather to land against my cheek, allowing me to finally give in to the depleted chakra ebbing towards unconsciousness. 

Bells. The pain of having to hear those stupid bells. A single chirp awakens me in a startle, grasping at the sterile white blanket around me as I gasp in the stale air. 

“Hey, lay down damnit. You’ve gone and gotten yourself in to enough trouble already, Y/N.” Shikaku sensei grumbles from the bedside, slamming me backwards as gently as possible as he sets my bell staff against the table.

“Why are you here sensei? Don’t you have more important village duties to attend to?” I mumble out, finally relaxing enough to stare at the ceiling.

He groans, pondering what he’ll say next,” with a lack of Jonin from the recent attack, Asuma rang in a favor to help track you so they could get Kakashi Hatake to immediate medical attention. We first found Guy almost six miles from you, stuck in a genjutsu. Wonder who would be rash enough to do that...”

“How’s Kakashi?” I ask, refusing to meet what I assume is his drained and less than pleased face.

“He’ll be in medical care for a while. Same goes for you. You’re almost worse off than him. With how much you two get in to trouble, I’m starting to wonder if you’re related. Anything else you want to ask, kid?” He questions, most likely already knowing the answer. I turn to look in to his unimpressed eyes,” I should ask you that first.”

He finally smirks,” we’ll keep this conversation between us so long as I don’t have to pry it out of you.”

I could always appreciate the fatherly bond Shikaku established since my early chunin days, realizing my own mother could barely provide the support or parental love for my sister and I. Shikamaru had even called me big sister begrudgingly. Shikaku finally parts his lips after thinking on it,” why did you put Guy under a genjutsu?”

So he knew it was my genjutsu after all.

“His taijitsu was too weak against our target. We were tailing the man that left Kakashi in the state he’s in now. I only did it to protect him.” I answer truthfully. It was best to avoid seeing Guy hurt, even if I feel no romantic attraction to all of his… not too subtle advancements. 

“So you proceeded to pursue someone as a one person unit you knew you wouldn’t win against? How smart. It’s a miracle you made it back with just depleted chakra and a burnt hand. It’s almost as if the target took pity on you.” He ponders, slowly moving his eyes back to meet mine in confirmed and definite disappointment.

“I was just able to use my staff as a lightning conductor to buy myself some time before being placed under a genjutsu. No one was hurt. That’s all that matters.” I huff out, turning my body completely away in anger before Shikaku sounds off my bells again in contemplation,” a genjutsu user falling for another genjutsu is unlikely, unless this genjutsu came from the power of the sharingan. I also trained my students to not pursue dangerous opponents with those kind of powers. But I know I trained my students better than that, right Y/N?” 

“Are you just here to lecture me, or are you looking for answers?” I sneer out, slowly becoming agitated at his sensei personality taking over his fatherly one.

“Both. Just as I and my jutsu are useles in utter darkness, yours is useless when you don’t use your mind to think properly. I think we can silently agree you won’t try and pursue Itachi anymore and you’ll stay here until you’re fully healed. Then we will go through some training. You, me and Shikamaru. Just like old times.” Shikaku chuckles out, revealing that without even telling him, he already knew. I toss my pillow at him in an attempt to stop his laughing,” does this mean you’re old self is coming out of retirement as a sensei?”

“Don’t throw the word old out so loosely. I’m only returning as your sensei because I think your own mind is dulling with age.” He smirks, returning to his fatherly demeanor, but I could still see the subtle look of worry behind the joking facade. I refused to notify him of my actual encounter with Itachi, but he leads me to believe he knew of our past and it’s easy for a Nara to put two and two together.

“Yeah, yeah. Now get out so I can rest up and show you I’m just fine without a sensei.” I laugh out as he shakes his head,” prove me wrong, Y/N. I’m not bailing you out of any future mistakes.”

“I’m counting on that.”

With a final word, he kicks a resting foot off the wall and throws his hands in to his pocket to stroll out the open door nonchalantly. I needed rest, and I was told not to press any further. But I had research to do, even if it was from a hospital bed. I was going to get to the bottom of this, even if my destiny entwines to meet the same bitter end as Itachi presumes his will be.

[popentertainment-concertphotos]

Paul Russell – Jingle Ball Village 2023 – KIA Forum – Los Angeles, CA – December 1, 2023  

Photos by Larisa Jiao © 2023

[duhragonball]

Dragon Ball Super 065

This is the one with the Father-Son Gallick Gun and... nothing else. 

Literally, the first half of this episode is just Zamasu floating in mid-air while everyone reacts to how powerful he is now that his two selves have fused together. 

I mean, he shoots some stuff that knocks Goku and Vegeta around, and he wipes out a chunk of the ruined West City, which terrifies the Resistance group down in their subway terminal base, but none of it really amounts to anything.

Zamasu makes this big purple bird thing that shoots Vegeta with a lightning bolt, so that’s something, I guess.

Also he makes bad weather happen all over the world.   Here’s Kame House.  I guess Master Roshi is dead in this timeline?  He was alive in History of Trunks, but this is twenty years later, and I’d assume Zamasu managed to kill at least a few people during his year-long attack on this planet.

Also, Android 8 is still around, I guess.  No one from Jingle Village is with him, so I guess he’s alone.  No, wait, I think I see a few people in the lower right corner. 

So Goku and Vegeta attack in earnest, and I guess they manage to wreck that purple bird thing somehow, which surprises Zamasu, but he still blocks their attacks when they try to punch him directly.

Also it looks like he’s breaking their hands, so that seems like a big deal.

So Trunks jumps back in, and Zamasu breaks his sword while they fight. 

Then he goes for a Gallick Gun, but one of those special ones where he puts all his hopes and dreams into it or whatever.  This one’s for Yajirobe, and those nameless Resistance guys.   One of them sounds like Nappa in the dub.

And then Vegeta jumps in to help, and together they manage to push back Zamasu’s end of the beam struggle and hit him.  It just doesn’t do anything, so Zamasu fires back and Vegeta takes the hit to save Trunks. 

So then Goku gets his second win and fires his own big saga-ending blast, and that sets up another beam struggle.  Do you see why I hate this arc so much?  Like, all the other stuff I’ve been complaining about but it’s so damned repetitive.  They had three climactic battles like this, and every time there’s a bunch of big finisher moves being tossed around, and now we’re at the end of the final round and it’s all meaningless.  What was the point of the Father-Son Gallick Gun if it didn’t do anything, and Goku was just going to do his own attack to follow up?  What’s the point of Goku doing the same basic thing when it didn’t work like two minutes ago?  What was the point of Zamasu using fusion if this is the best he can do with it?  What was the point of wastin half the episode gawking at Merged Zamasu’s enormous power level when he’s still struggling against the same three guys he dominated before he fused?

This is why I liken this saga to the Shadow Dragons arc from GT.  In particular, the final battle with Omega Shenron is a lot like the fight(s) with Black/Zamasu/Merged Zamasu.  There’s not much in the way of strategy or fight choreography here.  We just have fighters doing stuff to each other, and none of it really works in the long term.  A character will take a big ki blast or a stab wound and sell it for a little bit, but then they just get back up and act like nothing’s wrong.  And it just keeps going because the fight is more about extending the arc for a predetermined number of episodes than anything else.  In this case, it doesn’t really matter what happens in Episode 65, because the saga has to keep going until Episode 67, so they just sort of spin their wheels until it’s time for one side to win.

Dragon Ball Super at least tries to lampshade this with senzu beans and immortal characters, but that only highlights the problem.  Goku Black is the one who wasn’t indestructible, but he still gets the crap beaten out of him and never seems any worse for wear.  Hell, last episode he stabbed himself in the hand and yet there was never any sign of an injury.  Vegeta’s been taking hit after hit after hit this whole time, and he’ll eat exactly one senzu bean in this round.  That happens next episode, so how in the hell does he keep shrugging off the damage he takes throughout this episode?

[brookston]

Holidays 12.7

Holidays

Armed Forces Flag Day (India)

Blue Marble Day

Christmas Jumper Day (UK)

Cypress Tree Day (French Republic)

Day of Local Self-Government (Ukraine)

Dia de las Velitas (Day of the Little Candles; Colombia)

Enlightenment Day

Ferry Floss Day (UK)

Fetes de l’Escalade (Scaling or Climbing Day; Switzerland)

Finance Employees Day (Tajikistan)

Flag Land Base Day (Scientology)

Gramophone Day

Hang a Wreath Day

Heavy Snow Day (Chinese Farmer’s Calendar)

Hermitage Day (Saint Petersburg, Russia)

Human Rights Day (Kiribati)

International Civil Aviation Day (UN)

International FAFO Day

International Free Assange Day

Letter Writing Day

Memorial Day (East Timor)

National Day (Myanmar)

National FAFO Day

National Fire Safety Day

National Heroes’ Day (East Timor)

National Illinois Day

National Joy Day

National Judith Day

National Letter Writing Day

National Rina Day

National Slime Day

Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day

Spider-Woman Day

Spitak Earthquake Remembrance Day (Armenia)

Students’ Day (Iran)

Ukrainian Headscarf Day (Ukraine)

World Kamishibai Day

World TTTS Awareness Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Marshmallow Peeps Day

National Cotton Candy Day [original date, moved to 6.11; also 7.31]

National Prosciutto Day

Independence & Related Days

Delaware Statehood Day (#1; 1787)

Farrar Republic (Declared; 2016) [unrecognized]

Fraughtia (Declared; 2012) [unrecognized]

Ivory Coast Republic (from France; 1960)

1st Saturday in December

Bath & Body Works’ Candle Day [1st Saturday]

Bike Shop Day [1st Saturday]

Chester Greenwood Day (Inventor of Earmuffs; Farmington, Maine) [1st Saturday]

Coats and Toys for Kids Day [1st Saturday]

Crate Day (New Zealand) [1st Saturday]

Earmuff Day [1st Saturday]

Global Fat Bike Day [1st Saturday]

International Lolita Day [1st Saturday]

International Spirit of the Game [1st Saturday]

National Christmas Tree Day (Canada) [1st Saturday]

National Pinochle Day [1st Saturday]

National Play Outside Day [1st Saturday of Every Month]

National Rhubarb Vodka Day [1st Saturday]

National Small Business Day (UK) [1st Saturday]

National Tree Planting Day (Zimbabwe) [1st Saturday]

Sandwich Saturday [Every Saturday]

Satyr's Day (Silenus, Greek God of Beer Buddies and Drinking Companions) [1st Saturday of Each Month]

Six For Saturday [Every Saturday]

SKYWARN Recognition Day [1st Saturday]

Sleep Over Saturday [1st Saturday of Each Month]

Small Business Saturday (UK) [1st Saturday]

Social Saturday [1st Saturday of Each Month]

Sourdough Saturday [1st Saturday of Each Month]

Spaghetti Saturday [Every Saturday]

World Pear Day [1st Saturday]

Weekly Holidays beginning December 7 (1st Full Week of December)

None Known

Festivals Beginning December 7, 2024

Belle Grove Plantation Festive Christmas Tea (Middletown, Virginia)

Between the Bluffs Frothbite Beer & Bites Fest (La Crosse, Wisconsin)

Christmas at the Castle (Wickford, Rhode Island) [thru 12.8]

Christmas Festival and Parade (Benton, Louisiana)

Christmas in Salem House Tour (Salem, Massachusetts) [thru 12.8]

Christmas in the Country (Eagle Creek, Oregon)

Christmas Kick-off (Eagle River, Wisconsin)

Christmas on the Prairie (West Fargo, North Dakota)

Dominion Energy Christmas Parade (Richmond, Virginia)

European Film Awards (Lucerne, Switzerland)

Holiday Cheers at Winehaven! (Chisago City, Minnesota) [thru 12.8]

Holiday Fineries at the Wineries (New Paltz, New York) [thru 12.8 & 12.14-15]

Holidays in the Vineyards (Livermore, California) [thru 12.8]

Holiday Yule Log Bonfire & Holiday Marketplace (Norfolk, Virginia)

Indio International Tamale Festival (Indio, California) [thru 12.8]

Jingle Bell Ball (London, United Kingdom) [thru 12.8]

Julebyen Christmas Village (Knife River, Minnesota) [thru 12.8]

Lawrence Old-Fashioned Christmas Parade (Lawrence, Kansas)

Lighted Farm Implement Parade (Sunnyside, Washington)

Minco Honey Festival (Minco, Oklahoma)

Norwegian Christmas (Decorah, Iowa)

Norwich Winterfest Parade (Norwich, Connecticut)

Olde Mistick Village Holiday Carnival (Mystic, Connecticut)

Oxnard Tamale Festival (Oxnard, California)

Oz Comic-Con (Melbourne, Australia) [thru 12.8]

Palm Springs Festival of Lights Parade (Palm Springs, California)

Pioneer Christmas (Litchfield, Minnesota)

Santa By The Sea (Westport, Washington)

Ventura Winter Wine Walk & Holiday Street Fair (Ventura, California)

Whirling Dervish Festival [Şeb-i Arûs] (Konya, Turkey) [thru 12.17]

Winter Market (Longmont, Colorado) [thru 12.8]

Feast Days

Aemilianus (Greek Church)

Ambrose of Milan (Christian; Saint) [Italy]

Bhairava Ashtami (Indian Goddess of Soma) [8th Lunar Day of Kartik]

Bodhi Season, Day 7 (Buddhism; Secular Date) [Leading Up to 12.8] (a.k.a. ... 

Principles: Enso

Secular: Bodhi Day Eve

Eightfold Path: Awakened Mindfulness and Concentration

The Heart Sutra: Kintsugi (Golden Repair)

Bradley (Positivist; Saint)

Bruma II (Pagan)

Day of Mourning for Dingle-Fritter, Gooseberry Humple, Tiger-Get-By, LoveFolding, but not Zimber-Quattor (Shamanism)

Eutychian (Christian; Saint)

Eve of the Immaculate Conception

Fara (Christian; Saint)

Feast of All Monsters (Church of the SubGenius)

Festival of Primordial Beings

Flag Day (India)

Flag Land Base Day (Scientology)

Gian Lorenzo Bernini (Artology)

Haloia of Demeter (Pagan)

Hanukkah (Judaism) [begins at sundown]

Holiday from Death Day (Pastafarian)

Josepha Rossello (Christian; Saint & Virgin)

Joyce Cary (Writerism)

Kateryna Bilokur (Artology)

Katsuya Terada (Artology)

Leigh Brackett (Writerism)

Maria Giuseppa Rossello (Christian; Saint)

Quema del Diablo (Burning of the Devil; Guatemala)

Rosita (Muppetism)

Sabinus of Spoleto (Christian; Saint)

Still Not Dead Day (Pastafarian)

Stuart Davis (Artology)

The Time of Pleasant Gossiping (Celtic Book of Days)

Time to Get Serious about the Holidays Day (Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Willa Cather (Writerism)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Dismal Day (Unlucky or Evil Day; Medieval Europe; 23 of 24)

Egyptian Day (Unlucky Day; Middle Ages Europe) [23 of 24]

Fatal Day (Pagan) [23 of 24]

Historically Unlucky Day [11 of 11]

Historically Bad Day (Cicero assassinated, Pearl Harbor attack & 4 other tragedies) [11 of 11]

Taian (大安 Japan) [Lucky all day.]

Umu Limnu (Evil Day; Babylonian Calendar; 56 of 60)

Very Unlucky Day (Grafton’s Manual of 1565) [56 of 60]

Premieres

Abbott Elementary (TV Series; 2012)

Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna (TV Mini-Series; 1986)

Bad Day at Flat Rocky or A Record in Bullwinkle’s Blot (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S6, Ep. 326; 1964)

The Bells of St. Mary’s (Film; 1945)

Brokeback Mountain (Film; 2005)

Canine Patrol (Disney Cartoon; 1945)

Dominique, by The Singing Nun (Song; 1963)

Edward Scissorhands (Film; 1990)

The Fisherman (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1931)

A Flintstone Christmas (Hanna-Barbera Animated TV Special; 1977)

Frosty the Snowman (Animated TV Special; 1969)

The Golden Compass (Film; 2007)

The Gondoliers, by Gilbert & Sullivan (Comic Opera; 1889)

The Grifters (Film; 1990)

Hallelujah, by Leonard Cohen (Song; 1984)

Homo Ludens: A Study of the Play Element in Culture, by Johan Huizinga (Science Book; 1938)

I’m Not There (Film; 2007)

It’s Greek to Me-ow! (Tom & Jerry Cartoon; 1961)

Jamboree (Rock & Roll Film; 1957)

Kung Fu Fighting, by Carl Douglas (Song; 1974)

The Librarians (TV Series; 2014)

The Long Tomorrow, by Leigh Brackett (Novel; 1955)

Mary Queen of Scots (Film; 2018)

Mozart and Salieri, by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (Opera; 1898)

New Kin in Town, by The Eagles (Song; 1976)

Ocean’s Eleven (Film; 2001)

The Pink Panther in: A Pink Christmas (DePatie-Freleng Animated TV Special; 1978)

Resign Your Fate to a 52nd State or Moosylvania (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S6, Ep. 325; 1964)

Rock! Rock! Rock! (Rock & Roll Film; 1956)

Rosemary, played live by the Gratefull Dead (Song; 1968) [Only Time It’s Played Live]

Santa’s Surprise (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1947)

(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay, recorded by Otis Redding (Song; 1967)

The Spinach Overture (Fleischer Popeye Cartoon; 1935)

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (Film; 1979)

2010: The Year We Make Contact (Film; 1984)

The Water-Method Man, by John Irving (Novel; 1972)

Wild Life, by Paul McCartney & Wings (Album; 1971)

The World’s Fastest Indian (Film; 2005)

Today’s Name Days

Ambrosius, Benedikte (Austria)

Ambrozije, Sabina, Urban (Croatia)

Ambrož (Czech Republic)

Agathon (Denmark)

Piine, Sabiine (Estonia)

Sampsa (Finland)

Ambroise (France)

Ambros, Benedikte, Farah (Germany)

Amvrosios (Greece)

Ambrus (Hungary)

Ambrogio (Italy)

Anta, Antonija, Dzirkstīte, Tonija (Latvia)

Ambraziejus, Daugardas, Tautė (Lithuania)

Hallfrid, Hallstein (Norway)

Agaton, Ambroży, Marcin, Ninomysł (Poland)

Filofteia (Romania)

Ekaterina (Russia)

Ambróz (Slovakia)

Ambrosio (Spain)

Angela, Angelika (Sweden)

Ambrose (Ukraine)

Ambrose, Ambrosine, Jasmin, Jasmine, Jazlyn, Jazmin, Jazmine, Yasmeen, Yasmin, Yasmine, Yazmin (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 342 of 2024; 24 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 6 of Week 49 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Ngetal (Reed) [Day 14 of 28]

Chinese: Month 11 (Bing-Zi), Day 7 (Yi-Si)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Hebrew: 6 Kislev 5785

Islamic: 5 Jumada II 1446

J Cal: 12 Black; Fryday [12 of 30]

Julian: 24 November 2024

Moon: 40%: Waxing Crescent

Positivist: 6 Bichat (13th Month) [Sauveur / Volta]

Runic Half Month: Jara (Year) [Day 1 of 15]

Season: Autumn or Fall (Day 76 of 90)

Week: 1st Full Week of December

Zodiac: Sagittarius (Day 16 of 30)

Calendar Changes

Jara (Year) [Half-Month 24 of 24; Runic Half-Months] (thru 12.21)

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 12.7

Holidays

Armed Forces Flag Day (India)

Blue Marble Day

Christmas Jumper Day (UK)

Cypress Tree Day (French Republic)

Day of Local Self-Government (Ukraine)

Dia de las Velitas (Day of the Little Candles; Colombia)

Enlightenment Day

Ferry Floss Day (UK)

Fetes de l’Escalade (Scaling or Climbing Day; Switzerland)

Finance Employees Day (Tajikistan)

Flag Land Base Day (Scientology)

Gramophone Day

Hang a Wreath Day

Heavy Snow Day (Chinese Farmer’s Calendar)

Hermitage Day (Saint Petersburg, Russia)

Human Rights Day (Kiribati)

International Civil Aviation Day (UN)

International FAFO Day

International Free Assange Day

Letter Writing Day

Memorial Day (East Timor)

National Day (Myanmar)

National FAFO Day

National Fire Safety Day

National Heroes’ Day (East Timor)

National Illinois Day

National Joy Day

National Judith Day

National Letter Writing Day

National Rina Day

National Slime Day

Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day

Spider-Woman Day

Spitak Earthquake Remembrance Day (Armenia)

Students’ Day (Iran)

Ukrainian Headscarf Day (Ukraine)

World Kamishibai Day

World TTTS Awareness Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Marshmallow Peeps Day

National Cotton Candy Day [original date, moved to 6.11; also 7.31]

National Prosciutto Day

Independence & Related Days

Delaware Statehood Day (#1; 1787)

Farrar Republic (Declared; 2016) [unrecognized]

Fraughtia (Declared; 2012) [unrecognized]

Ivory Coast Republic (from France; 1960)

1st Saturday in December

Bath & Body Works’ Candle Day [1st Saturday]

Bike Shop Day [1st Saturday]

Chester Greenwood Day (Inventor of Earmuffs; Farmington, Maine) [1st Saturday]

Coats and Toys for Kids Day [1st Saturday]

Crate Day (New Zealand) [1st Saturday]

Earmuff Day [1st Saturday]

Global Fat Bike Day [1st Saturday]

International Lolita Day [1st Saturday]

International Spirit of the Game [1st Saturday]

National Christmas Tree Day (Canada) [1st Saturday]

National Pinochle Day [1st Saturday]

National Play Outside Day [1st Saturday of Every Month]

National Rhubarb Vodka Day [1st Saturday]

National Small Business Day (UK) [1st Saturday]

National Tree Planting Day (Zimbabwe) [1st Saturday]

Sandwich Saturday [Every Saturday]

Satyr's Day (Silenus, Greek God of Beer Buddies and Drinking Companions) [1st Saturday of Each Month]

Six For Saturday [Every Saturday]

SKYWARN Recognition Day [1st Saturday]

Sleep Over Saturday [1st Saturday of Each Month]

Small Business Saturday (UK) [1st Saturday]

Social Saturday [1st Saturday of Each Month]

Sourdough Saturday [1st Saturday of Each Month]

Spaghetti Saturday [Every Saturday]

World Pear Day [1st Saturday]

Weekly Holidays beginning December 7 (1st Full Week of December)

None Known

Festivals Beginning December 7, 2024

Belle Grove Plantation Festive Christmas Tea (Middletown, Virginia)

Between the Bluffs Frothbite Beer & Bites Fest (La Crosse, Wisconsin)

Christmas at the Castle (Wickford, Rhode Island) [thru 12.8]

Christmas Festival and Parade (Benton, Louisiana)

Christmas in Salem House Tour (Salem, Massachusetts) [thru 12.8]

Christmas in the Country (Eagle Creek, Oregon)

Christmas Kick-off (Eagle River, Wisconsin)

Christmas on the Prairie (West Fargo, North Dakota)

Dominion Energy Christmas Parade (Richmond, Virginia)

European Film Awards (Lucerne, Switzerland)

Holiday Cheers at Winehaven! (Chisago City, Minnesota) [thru 12.8]

Holiday Fineries at the Wineries (New Paltz, New York) [thru 12.8 & 12.14-15]

Holidays in the Vineyards (Livermore, California) [thru 12.8]

Holiday Yule Log Bonfire & Holiday Marketplace (Norfolk, Virginia)

Indio International Tamale Festival (Indio, California) [thru 12.8]

Jingle Bell Ball (London, United Kingdom) [thru 12.8]

Julebyen Christmas Village (Knife River, Minnesota) [thru 12.8]

Lawrence Old-Fashioned Christmas Parade (Lawrence, Kansas)

Lighted Farm Implement Parade (Sunnyside, Washington)

Minco Honey Festival (Minco, Oklahoma)

Norwegian Christmas (Decorah, Iowa)

Norwich Winterfest Parade (Norwich, Connecticut)

Olde Mistick Village Holiday Carnival (Mystic, Connecticut)

Oxnard Tamale Festival (Oxnard, California)

Oz Comic-Con (Melbourne, Australia) [thru 12.8]

Palm Springs Festival of Lights Parade (Palm Springs, California)

Pioneer Christmas (Litchfield, Minnesota)

Santa By The Sea (Westport, Washington)

Ventura Winter Wine Walk & Holiday Street Fair (Ventura, California)

Whirling Dervish Festival [Şeb-i Arûs] (Konya, Turkey) [thru 12.17]

Winter Market (Longmont, Colorado) [thru 12.8]

Feast Days

Aemilianus (Greek Church)

Ambrose of Milan (Christian; Saint) [Italy]

Bhairava Ashtami (Indian Goddess of Soma) [8th Lunar Day of Kartik]

Bodhi Season, Day 7 (Buddhism; Secular Date) [Leading Up to 12.8] (a.k.a. ... 

Principles: Enso

Secular: Bodhi Day Eve

Eightfold Path: Awakened Mindfulness and Concentration

The Heart Sutra: Kintsugi (Golden Repair)

Bradley (Positivist; Saint)

Bruma II (Pagan)

Day of Mourning for Dingle-Fritter, Gooseberry Humple, Tiger-Get-By, LoveFolding, but not Zimber-Quattor (Shamanism)

Eutychian (Christian; Saint)

Eve of the Immaculate Conception

Fara (Christian; Saint)

Feast of All Monsters (Church of the SubGenius)

Festival of Primordial Beings

Flag Day (India)

Flag Land Base Day (Scientology)

Gian Lorenzo Bernini (Artology)

Haloia of Demeter (Pagan)

Hanukkah (Judaism) [begins at sundown]

Holiday from Death Day (Pastafarian)

Josepha Rossello (Christian; Saint & Virgin)

Joyce Cary (Writerism)

Kateryna Bilokur (Artology)

Katsuya Terada (Artology)

Leigh Brackett (Writerism)

Maria Giuseppa Rossello (Christian; Saint)

Quema del Diablo (Burning of the Devil; Guatemala)

Rosita (Muppetism)

Sabinus of Spoleto (Christian; Saint)

Still Not Dead Day (Pastafarian)

Stuart Davis (Artology)

The Time of Pleasant Gossiping (Celtic Book of Days)

Time to Get Serious about the Holidays Day (Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Willa Cather (Writerism)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Dismal Day (Unlucky or Evil Day; Medieval Europe; 23 of 24)

Egyptian Day (Unlucky Day; Middle Ages Europe) [23 of 24]

Fatal Day (Pagan) [23 of 24]

Historically Unlucky Day [11 of 11]

Historically Bad Day (Cicero assassinated, Pearl Harbor attack & 4 other tragedies) [11 of 11]

Taian (大安 Japan) [Lucky all day.]

Umu Limnu (Evil Day; Babylonian Calendar; 56 of 60)

Very Unlucky Day (Grafton’s Manual of 1565) [56 of 60]

Premieres

Abbott Elementary (TV Series; 2012)

Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna (TV Mini-Series; 1986)

Bad Day at Flat Rocky or A Record in Bullwinkle’s Blot (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S6, Ep. 326; 1964)

The Bells of St. Mary’s (Film; 1945)

Brokeback Mountain (Film; 2005)

Canine Patrol (Disney Cartoon; 1945)

Dominique, by The Singing Nun (Song; 1963)

Edward Scissorhands (Film; 1990)

The Fisherman (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1931)

A Flintstone Christmas (Hanna-Barbera Animated TV Special; 1977)

Frosty the Snowman (Animated TV Special; 1969)

The Golden Compass (Film; 2007)

The Gondoliers, by Gilbert & Sullivan (Comic Opera; 1889)

The Grifters (Film; 1990)

Hallelujah, by Leonard Cohen (Song; 1984)

Homo Ludens: A Study of the Play Element in Culture, by Johan Huizinga (Science Book; 1938)

I’m Not There (Film; 2007)

It’s Greek to Me-ow! (Tom & Jerry Cartoon; 1961)

Jamboree (Rock & Roll Film; 1957)

Kung Fu Fighting, by Carl Douglas (Song; 1974)

The Librarians (TV Series; 2014)

The Long Tomorrow, by Leigh Brackett (Novel; 1955)

Mary Queen of Scots (Film; 2018)

Mozart and Salieri, by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (Opera; 1898)

New Kin in Town, by The Eagles (Song; 1976)

Ocean’s Eleven (Film; 2001)

The Pink Panther in: A Pink Christmas (DePatie-Freleng Animated TV Special; 1978)

Resign Your Fate to a 52nd State or Moosylvania (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S6, Ep. 325; 1964)

Rock! Rock! Rock! (Rock & Roll Film; 1956)

Rosemary, played live by the Gratefull Dead (Song; 1968) [Only Time It’s Played Live]

Santa’s Surprise (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1947)

(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay, recorded by Otis Redding (Song; 1967)

The Spinach Overture (Fleischer Popeye Cartoon; 1935)

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (Film; 1979)

2010: The Year We Make Contact (Film; 1984)

The Water-Method Man, by John Irving (Novel; 1972)

Wild Life, by Paul McCartney & Wings (Album; 1971)

The World’s Fastest Indian (Film; 2005)

Today’s Name Days

Ambrosius, Benedikte (Austria)

Ambrozije, Sabina, Urban (Croatia)

Ambrož (Czech Republic)

Agathon (Denmark)

Piine, Sabiine (Estonia)

Sampsa (Finland)

Ambroise (France)

Ambros, Benedikte, Farah (Germany)

Amvrosios (Greece)

Ambrus (Hungary)

Ambrogio (Italy)

Anta, Antonija, Dzirkstīte, Tonija (Latvia)

Ambraziejus, Daugardas, Tautė (Lithuania)

Hallfrid, Hallstein (Norway)

Agaton, Ambroży, Marcin, Ninomysł (Poland)

Filofteia (Romania)

Ekaterina (Russia)

Ambróz (Slovakia)

Ambrosio (Spain)

Angela, Angelika (Sweden)

Ambrose (Ukraine)

Ambrose, Ambrosine, Jasmin, Jasmine, Jazlyn, Jazmin, Jazmine, Yasmeen, Yasmin, Yasmine, Yazmin (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 342 of 2024; 24 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 6 of Week 49 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Ngetal (Reed) [Day 14 of 28]

Chinese: Month 11 (Bing-Zi), Day 7 (Yi-Si)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Hebrew: 6 Kislev 5785

Islamic: 5 Jumada II 1446

J Cal: 12 Black; Fryday [12 of 30]

Julian: 24 November 2024

Moon: 40%: Waxing Crescent

Positivist: 6 Bichat (13th Month) [Sauveur / Volta]

Runic Half Month: Jara (Year) [Day 1 of 15]

Season: Autumn or Fall (Day 76 of 90)

Week: 1st Full Week of December

Zodiac: Sagittarius (Day 16 of 30)

Calendar Changes

Jara (Year) [Half-Month 24 of 24; Runic Half-Months] (thru 12.21)

[maharghaideovate]

Beyond the Textbook: Real-World Marketing Challenges Confronted by Symbiosis Students

Do you remember the days when marketing centered around catchy jingles and flashy billboards? Well, those days have long gone, my friends. In this age of digital marketing, marketing has really become a whole new ball game, and the students at Symbiosis Distance Learning Center are coming out all guns blazing. The Rural Revolution: Marketing Smartphones to Village India First off, we have a…