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room-surprise · 1 year ago

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Evidence that Kabru from Delicious in Dungeon is Indian, a Masterpost

(EDIT: This post is an excerpt/remix of Kabru's section of my larger essay about the real world linguistic and cultural references Dungeon Meshi. You can read the essay on AO3 here. I also have another post about what part of South Asia I think Utaya is based on here.)

Since Kabru’s first appearance in the anime is upon us, I wanted to write something that compiles all the evidence we have that Kabru is meant to be a person of South or Central Asian ethnicity, or at least whatever the equivalent to that is in the Dungeon Meshi world.

Ryoko Kui can and does draw people of many different ethnicities, and the way she draws Kabru matches the way she draws other Asian characters in Dungeon Meshi. He doesn’t look Black, or Hispanic, or any other ethnicity because he isn’t supposed to. He looks like a dark-skinned South or Central Asian person, because that’s what Ryoko Kui probably intends him to be.

So let’s go through the evidence! (There are no spoilers for the plot of Dungeon Meshi below, but there ARE spoilers for Kabru's backstory as explained in the manga, and in extra materials like the Daydream Hour and Adventurer's Guide book.)

KABRU’S NAME

The Dungeon Meshi Adventurer's Bible tells us Kabru’s real name is unknown. There are other characters whose real names are only told to us in the Adventurer's Bible and were never revealed in the manga, but then Kabru, Thistle and Izutsumi’s entries simply say their real names are unknown, and though Kui could tell us their true names, she doesn’t. I assume this means that the characters themselves don’t know what their real names are, and that the names they go by are not their birth names, but this is only a supposition on my part.

KABRU THE MOUNTAIN

Kabru (काब्रु) is the name of a mountain on the border of Nepal and India, and part of the Himalayan range. It’s the 65th tallest mountain in the world and it is very snowy and icy, with frequent avalanches. Because of this, even though it’s not the tallest mountain in the world, climbing it is challenging, and is not often attempted. Those few that have managed to climb it consider it a major achievement.

“This prohibitively fearful icefall… had thwarted numerous expeditions, perhaps even the 'thought' of attempting the mountain… Unstable seracs of the icefall, a complex maze of chasms, and delicate snow bridges spanning seemingly never ending, near bottomless crevasses… Each time the members stepped into the icefall, they stood a good chance of never returning.” (Kabru - Mountain of the Gods, Major A. Abbey, Himalayan Journal 52, 1996, editor Harish Kapadia)

WHAT DOES KABRU’S NAME MEAN?

Kabru is a character that is known for being very good at charming people, but who doesn’t express himself honestly, because he’s trying to manipulate the people and situations around him in order to maintain control at all times. I think nobody really knows who Kabru is deep inside, maybe not even Kabru himself, so a remote, hostile, icy mountain that’s hard to climb seems like an extremely appropriate name.

Some of the oldest English sources I found regarding Kabru suggest that Kabru isn’t the correct local name for the mountain (a common problem in early Himalayan exploration by Europeans) and might just be a descriptor, or that it’s a misspelling.

This makes the name seem even more appropriate, since Kui’s told us Kabru’s true name is unknown. It’s possible that Kabru was a place-name or a descriptor that Milsiril (Kabru’s elven foster mother) was given when she picked up a traumatized 7 year old Kabru, and she just started using it as his name, and that even he doesn’t remember his real name thanks to his severe trauma.

The fact that people in the real world can’t seem to agree on the mountain Kabru’s name, or what it means, reminds me of the running gag of Laios repeatedly getting Kabru’s name wrong in the manga.

"All the people near the Kabru massif call it 'Kaboor'." (The Alpine Journal, 1921-22 Volume 34, Edited by George Yeld and J. P. Farrar) “It is also said that the name applies to a peak close to Kinchinjunga on the southeast, and not to the peak known to Europeans as Kabru… [The real name is] Pahung Ri [Pauhunri].” (Appendix I: Place Names in Darjeeling. The appendix says it was “compiled mainly from an article written by Colonel Waddell and published in the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal (Vol. LX, part I, 1891)”) “Kangchen is a Tibetan name… the Sikkhimese use it as the name for the peak called Kabru by Europeans.” (Charles Bell, Dyhrenfurth's Himalaya (Berlin, 1931)) “...Kyabru or the horn of protection. The name is… Kabur… possibly a corruption of Kangbur or the swelling of snow; it might also mean the white swelling (kar-bur).” (Appendix I: Place Names in Darjeeling.) “Kabru literally means the 'White Avalanche' peak (Ka means 'white' and bru means 'avalanche').” (Kabru - Mountain of the Gods, Major A. Abbey, Himalayan Journal 52, 1996, editor Harish Kapadia)

I’ve seen one other mountaineering article cite the “white avalanche” meaning, and I think it’s plausible since the Appendix says it can mean “white swelling” or “swelling of snow”, which may very well be a literal translation for “white avalanche”.

WHAT ABOUT UTAYA? IS THAT INDIAN TOO?

Utaya means “raised” or “uplifted” in Hindi, but it’s also a real village and a Japanese boy’s name.

Utaya (ウタヤ) is the name of the village that Kabru was raised in before his mother died and he was adopted by the elf Milsiril. Utaya is located in the southeast of the Western Continent. It’s worth noting that Kabru probably wasn’t born in Utaya, since his mother had to flee from her home to keep Kabru alive, so Utaya may be some distance away from his birth place… Not so far that a woman with a newborn baby couldn’t survive the trip, but far enough that her husband’s family gave up on chasing her. So Kabru was probably born in a close-by area.

In the real world, Utaya (Yakut: Утайа) is in an extremely rural and isolated area with a population of less than a hundred people. It’s located in the Sakha Republic, which is in the Northeastern part of Asia in the Russian Federation. The Yakut/Sakha are a Siberian Turkic people.

The Turkic peoples are a collection of diverse ethnic groups of West, Central, East, and North Asia as well as parts of Europe, who speak Turkic languages.

Early and medieval Turkic groups exhibited a wide range of both East Asian and West-Eurasian physical appearances and genetic origins, in part through long-term contact with neighboring peoples such as Iranian, Mongolic, Tocharian, Uralic/Yeniseian peoples, and others. Turkic peoples share, to varying degrees, non-linguistic characteristics like cultural traits, ancestry from a common gene pool, and historical experiences.

JAPANESE MEANINGS FOR UTAYA

Utaya can be a Japanese boy’s name with several different meanings, depending on which kanji it’s spelled with. In most of the spellings: Poetry, sing a poem, singing, compose poetry

In many of the spellings: The place where the sun shines, it's been a long time, distant, big, to shoot with a bow, to swear, affirmation, question.

The Utaya disaster happened a long time ago.

If Utaya is up in the mountains above the clouds it’s a place where the sun shines brightly.

Kabru has sworn to himself that he will prevent another Utaya tragedy from happening.

In only a few of the spellings: to mend, feathers, wings, a word for counting birds and rabbits, sort them out, washing with water to separate the good from the bad, roof, house with a roof, a world covered with a big sky, infinite space, song that praises the Buddha, Eight.

Counting birds and rabbits makes me think of divination and also that the people of Utaya were like little birds and rabbits (small prey animals) to the monsters that devoured them.

Separating the good and the bad could hint to the “judgment” of Utaya and the greed of its people that led to their downfall, also sorting through things to separate good and bad is something that’s done with food and other resources.

The Himalayan region is often referred to as the “roof of the world”, with a big open sky above it.

The infinite could refer to the dimension the demon comes from, or to the sky above the mountains.

Buddhism is a common religion in the Himalayan region, and eight has auspicious connotations in Buddhism.

With all that in mind, Utaya as a name for Kabru’s home village is an interesting choice, and adds another layer to his origins, maybe suggesting not just North Indian/Himalayan, but Central or North Asian cultural influence as well.

It is also possible that the name is just telling us that Utaya is “up” in the mountains, or that it was “uplifted” by the wealth of the dungeon, or even that Kabru was “raised” there… The Japanese name meanings are also extremely fascinating and hint at similar ideas, as well as the tragedy that happened to Utaya.

WHY ELSE DO YOU THINK KABRU AND UTAYA ARE HIMALAYAN?

In the real world, the Himalayan mountain range is an extremely popular tourist destination, and the amount of people who want to visit and attempt to climb the mountains far outpaces the local ability to support it. This makes me think of the dungeon of Utaya and how people overcrowded it in their desire to conquer and exploit it.

Dungeons as an unsustainable way for locals to make a living that leads to the destruction of their homes when the dungeon inevitably collapses is a major plot point in Dungeon Meshi, so I think the parallel is likely intentional. Characters often talk about someone “conquering” the dungeon, and “conquer” is also the terminology commonly used for climbing a mountain. This terminology obviously has a hostile, imperialist subtext in the real world, since it’s most commonly used by outsiders talking about proving their strength by climbing a mountain.

Also, there are local legends in the areas surrounding Mt. Kabru that there is a valley of immortality hidden on its slopes, which reminds me of the way that the dungeons can grant conditional immortality to the people inside of them.

This image of Utaya could be showing us a village built on a mountainside. The house shapes seem a bit more Middle Eastern than Nepali/Indian, but it’s not a detailed drawing and the roof styles are a mix of flat and peaked.

CULTURE

In the Daydream Hour sketchbook, Ryoko Kui included a small comic about characters sharing desserts from their home countries. A young Kabru is shown enthusiastically trying to share an unnamed sweet, and he is interrupted by his elven foster mother, who insists he present a type of elven cake instead. We know that Kabru hates this type of cake, and he seems disappointed to have to eat it and talk about it.

The white balls in Kabru’s dessert are very likely meant to be an Indian sweet called rasgulla (literally "syrup filled ball"). Rasgulla are a dessert popular in the eastern part of South Asia, made from ball-shaped dumplings of chhena dough, cooked in light sugar syrup. While it is near-universally agreed upon that the dessert originated in the eastern Indian subcontinent, the exact origin is disputed. Rasgulla are as culturally important to the Bengal and Odisha regions of India as Parmesan cheese is to the region of Parma in Italy.

Rasgulla are also popular in Nepal, where they are called rasbari.

KABRU’S PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

Kabru is one of several characters in Dungeon Meshi with clearly non-European features: he has brown skin and thick black/dark brown curly hair. He has almond-shaped eyes with long, dark lashes (fans like to joke that he’s wearing eyeliner). All of these are traits common to people from the Indian subcontinent. His blue eyes are not common for someone with his skin/hair color, but blue or green eyes are not unheard of in that region either.

(Indian man with blue eyes)

Blue or light eyes are often a cause for discrimination, like what Kabru experienced as a child. More on this in a moment.

Kabru is 5’7” (170cm) tall, which is short for a Northern European man (180), tall for a Nepali man (162cm), but close to the average height of Indian men (177cm). He has a slender build, which is also common for Asian people in general, and South Asian men in particular.

Compared to the European-looking tall-men in Dungeon Meshi (such as Laios, Falin, Delgal, Marcille’s father), Kabru’s facial features look more like the other Asian characters, such as Toshiro and his party.

CAN DARK-SKINNED PEOPLE HAVE BLUE EYES?

Yes. Light-colored eyes are very uncommon in parts of the world where most people have dark eyes, since dark eyes are a dominant trait in real-world human beings. That means that in order for two parents with dark eyes to have a child with light eyes, both parents need to have a recessive light-eyes gene (or for there to be an illness or genetic mutation), and that’s rare in populations that don’t have a lot of light-eyed people to begin with.

THEN WHY DO SO MANY DARK-SKINNED CHARACTERS HAVE BLUE EYES?

Anime and manga often give characters with dark skin light colored eyes instead of allowing them to have brown or black eyes, which is much more common in real life. It’s a hurtful design trope that makes many readers feel that their natural dark eyes are somehow ugly or inferior to blue eyes.

This trope is used over and over again by authors who want their characters to look “cool” and “exotic”, and for their eyes to be high-contrast to make it easier to show their emotions.

I don’t think this is what Ryoko Kui is doing in Dungeon Meshi.

UNREALISTIC HAIR AND EYE COLOR COMBOS IN ANIME

In a lot of anime/manga, blue eyes (regardless of skin color) don’t actually mean anything in the narrative, in the same way characters having green or pink hair doesn’t mean anything, the colors are non-diegetic, they don’t actually exist in the world, like the music that plays in the background without an on-screen source.

It’s an artistic shorthand to make characters visually stand out, instead of giving them all black hair and eyes like most real-life Japanese people… Which is what most anime/manga characters are meant to be: Japanese people.

Dungeon Meshi has a large cast of characters that are explicitly meant to be non-Japanese. We know this because there’s a group of characters that are Japanese, and they’re drawn differently from everyone else, they wear ethnically Japanese clothing, and have ethnically Japanese names.

Unlike other series, where eye and hair color don’t mean anything, Dungeon Meshi has no unrealistic skin, hair, or eye color combinations.

(Except for the elves, who seem to have different genetics than real world-humans. I’ll get into that another time.)

Ryoko Kui must be aware of the dark skin, blue-eyes design trope, because if she gave Kabru blue eyes just because she thought it looked good, surely she would have made some of the other Asian or dark-skinned characters have light eyes. Out of 9 Asian or dark-skinned tall-man characters, Kabru is the only one with blue eyes.

Kabru having light-colored eyes is central to his story, and Kui talks about it.

KABRU’S STORY AND WHY HIS BLUE EYES MATTER

Kabru’s father and his family tried to kill Kabru when he was born because he had blue eyes. Kabru’s mother ran away, and ended up raising Kabru by herself in Utaya. She didn’t try to return home to her own birth family, but instead struggled to raise a child completely on her own with no money or support, which implies she had no other options, due to the fear people of their region have for people with blue eyes.

This is a real thing that used to happen frequently in areas where most of the population has dark eyes, and it still happens to this day.

In a realistic story, this is logically what would happen to a character with dark skin born with blue eyes in a place like the Utaya region. It’s rare for manga or anime to show dark-skinned blue-eyed characters facing this.

WHAT IS THE “EVIL EYE”?

The “evil eye” is a supernatural belief in a curse brought about by a person looking at you. The belief in the evil eye has existed since prehistory, as long as 5,000 years ago. It is estimated that around 40% of the modern world's population believes in the evil eye. This concept is most common across the Mediterranean, the Balkans, the Middle East, and Central and South Asia, areas where light-colored eyes are uncommon.

In areas where light-colored eyes are rare, people with green eyes, and especially blue eyes, are thought to bestow the curse, intentionally or unintentionally. Just one look from a blue-eyed person is often considered enough to inflict a curse.

One of the most famous and widespread talismans against the evil eye is the nazar, a glass amulet featuring concentric circles in dark blue, white, light blue and black. It’s supposed to “bounce” the curse away from the wearer.

HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO KABRU?

Imagine Kabru growing up in a village surrounded by people wearing and hanging talismans that look like his eyes, because the people around him think blue eyes are evil. They call his mother a witch for birthing him, and a whore because she doesn’t have a husband. Imagine parents forbidding their children from playing with or even talking to Kabru. People crossing the street to get away from him, or chasing him away by throwing rocks.

I think the reason young Kabru was able to learn how to speak some kobold is likely because he was so heavily ostracized by the other tall-men around him, the only children he could occasionally interact with in Utaya were kobolds, who might not share the same cultural superstitions that the tall-man do.

This childhood trauma, combined with Kabru’s experience of the dungeon collapse in Utaya, and being raised by an elf that treated him more like a pet than a human being, set Kabru up as a character who has never had a home where he belongs. He has been an outsider from the instant he was born, and every place he has lived treats him as an “other.”

To his father’s family, he was a curse. To his mother, although she loved him, he was a burden. To the people of Utaya, he was a monster. To the elves, he’s a tall-man baby (no matter how old he gets) with funny looking eyes, to the people on Merini Island, he’s a foreigner from the West with elven ways and education.

CONCLUSION

I wanted to write this because I know some people will see Kabru in the anime for the first time today and think "Oh, another dark skinned blue eyed character! This is a bad character design that is evidence that the author is racist at worst or ignorant at best.” And I don’t think that’s a fair assessment of Ryoko Kui’s work in Dungeon Meshi.

This isn’t to say that Ryoko Kui has never done anything wrong, or that her work couldn’t be more inclusive, or that there’s no way in which she could improve.

But there are pages and pages of artwork she’s done that shows she cares about these issues, and I think it’s worth celebrating when someone makes that kind of effort with their artwork.

ANYWAY…

If you’ve read this far, you’re very strong hahaha. I hope you enjoyed this essay. I’ll be publishing more soon when I finish my Dungeon Meshi research on the names and cultures of all the characters. Wish me luck!

#dungeon meshi #delicious in dungeon #dunmeshi #kabru #my stuff #analysis #character of color #theories #Dungeon Meshi Research

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oldsoul007 · 4 months ago

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hope you like scary movies, cus you’re in one

a/n: I may or may not saw an edit…

ghostface!nicholas x reader

It was a quiet night in woodsboro , like it always is. I was a nanny for a little boy so I could get through college. My phone buzzed on the kitchen counter, and I glanced at the screen. Unknown Caller. I pressed declined but it repeatedly kept calling. Then the landline they had started ringing. I hesitated for a moment before answering.

"Hello?" I said, my voice cautious.

"Hello, y/n," a distorted voice replied. It sent a chill down my spine. "Do you like scary movies?"

I recognized the voice immediately. It was Ghostface, the infamous killer that terrorize my dad in 1996. But something felt off. There was a familiarity in the tone, beneath the distortion.

"Who is this? You’re not funny” Y/n asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

"Guess," the voice taunted. "Or maybe I'll just have to come find you."

My heart raced, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I knew this person. She thought about Nicholas and how he always played pranks on her. Could it be him?

"Alright, Nicholas," I said, calling his bluff. "Cut it out. I know it's you."

There was a brief silence on the other end before the voice changed, becoming softer and unmistakably Nicholas.

"You got me," he admitted, a hint of amusement in his voice. "I couldn't resist. I've been watching too many horror movies lately."

I let out a relieved laugh. "You really had me going there for a second. But seriously, you need to stop watching those movies."

Nicholas chuckled. "I know, I know. But hey, it got you to pick up the phone, didn't it?"

I shook my head, smiling. "Yeah, it did. But next time, maybe just send a text?"

"Deal," Nicholas agreed, his tone warm. As I hung up, I couldn't help but feel a mix of exasperation and affection for Nicholas. Even when he was being mischievous, he had a way of making me smile.

I had been feeling uneasy for days. I couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching me. It started with strange noises outside my window at night and escalated to finding eerie notes left in places only I would notice. The notes were signed by "Ghostface," and they sent chills down my spine.

One evening, as I was walking home from work, I heard footsteps behind me. I quickened my pace, but the footsteps matched mine, growing closer with each step. I turned a corner and ducked into an alley, hoping to lose my pursuer. But as I looked back, I saw the unmistakable mask of Ghostface looming in the shadows.

My heart raced as I tried to find a way out. Suddenly, Ghostface lunged at me, pinning her against the wall. "Why are you doing this?" I cried, her voice trembling with fear.

The masked figure was silent for a moment before reaching up to remove the mask. To my shock, it was Nicholas, my boyfriend, standing there with a sheepish grin on his face.

"Nicholas? What the hell?" My fear quickly turned to anger. "You scared me half to death!"

Nicholas looked genuinely apologetic. "I didn't mean to frighten you that much. I thought it would be a fun Halloween prank. I guess I went too far."

My anger softened slightly as I saw the remorse in his eyes. "You think?" I said, still shaken. "You could have just told me you wanted to scare me a little, not make me think I was being stalked by a killer."

Nicholas sighed. "I'm really sorry, y/n. I just wanted to do something different, but I realize now it was a terrible idea. Can you forgive me?"

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. "Just promise me you'll never do something like this again."

"I promise," Nicholas said, pulling me into a hug. "I'll make it up to you, I swear."

As we walked home together, I couldn't help but feel relieved that the nightmare was over. But I also realized that Nicholas had a lot to learn about what constituted a "fun" prank.

“I don’t understand why you’re so obsessed with ghostface” “babe it’s Halloween losen up!” He said as we walked hand in hand.

I had always felt a chill in the air around Halloween, but this year, it was different. I had my boyfriend, nicholas. He was charming, funny, and had a smile that could light up the darkest night. Everyone loved him. But there was something about him that I couldn't quite put my finger on.

One evening, me and nick decided to attend the town's annual Halloween party. The old mansion where the party was held was decked out in spooky decorations, with cobwebs, eerie lighting, and ghostly figures lurking in the corners. Everyone was in costume, and I had chosen to go as a ____.

As I mingled with friends, I couldn't help but notice that Nicholas was nowhere to be seen. I asked around, but no one seemed to know where he was. Just as I was about to give up, I was walking by the stairs when I heard someone yelling.

I try not to be nosey but go up the stairs anyone. Maybe nick was up here anyway. I walked through the house looking in the rooms finding nothing. When I open the door i see some kid in a ghost face costume hop out the window. “What the fuck” I say under my breath. I pull out my phone to text him. No service?

I heard commotion downstairs so I ran down to see what’s happening. Everyone was gone from the house. I heard a floorboard squeak behind me.

It was Ghostface, and my heart raced. The figure moved silently through the room, its eyes fixed on me. I felt a shiver run down my spine as Ghostface approached, stopping just inches away from me.

"Y/n," a familiar voice whispered from behind the mask. My eyes widened in shock as Ghostface removed the mask to reveal Nicholas's face. He smiled, but it wasn't the warm, friendly smile I was used to. It was cold and sinister.

"I've been watching you," Nicholas said, his voice low and menacing. "You have no idea who I really am."

I took a step back, my mind racing. The pieces started to fall into place—the strange disappearances, the eerie feeling I got around him, the way he always seemed to know too much. I realized with a sinking feeling that my new boyfriend was none other than the real Ghostface.

Before I could react, Nicholas lunged at me, but I was quick. I grabbed a nearby candlestick and swung it at him, knocking him off balance. I ran through the mansion, my heart pounding in my chest, desperately searching for a way out.

As I reached the front door, I could hear Nicholas's footsteps behind me. I flung the door open and ran into the night, vowing never to trust anyone so easily again. But before I could even get out of the door he grabbed my arm pulling me back in. I try fighting him off but he grabs both of my wrist. “I’m not gonna hurt you y/n!” “Why, why did you do this?!” I yell looking him in the eyes. “What even is a motive?”

#nicholas alexander chavez #nicholas chavez #nicholas chavez imagine #nicholas chavez x reader #nicholaschavezimagines #nicholas chavez x y/n #halloween #ghostface #scream

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rimurutempest · 8 months ago

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I watched all of modern Doctor Who and these were my favorite episodes.

If you told me back in 2015 that I'd watch the entirety of modern Doctor Who, I'd probably think you're a liar. But, a cute girl wanted to watch Doctor Who with me, and how do you tell a cute girl “No?” Being that of the Superwholock trinity, Doctor Who the least upsetting of the three, I figured “Why not?” I mean, it's enjoyed by thousands and thousands of people, surely it has merit for existing, right?

And, it does! There are many great episodes that I really enjoyed (not to mention a lot of schlock I hated). I even enjoy some of the old serials and that 1996 movie is pretty fun (so very 90s). I can't claim to have seen all of Doctor Who, there is a lot of old stuff I'm probably never going to know even exists, not to mention all the spin offs and audio dramas, there's no way I can get through it all. But, I have seen the modern run, starting with Christopher Eccleston all the way to Ncuti Gatwa in Empire of Death.

Annnnd, anyone that knows me knows I love to rank and review episodic tv shows. So, with that said, here are my 15 favorite episodes of modern Doctor Who:

15 - Dalek (S01, E06)

It is probably unsurprising to any Doctor Who fan to see this episode on the list. The Eccleston era was my introduction to Doctor Who (as I'm sure it was for a lot of people) and this episode was my introduction to the famous villain, the Daleks. It's really a wild way to be introduced to the Daleks when you think about it, the Doctor and his companion Rose end up in an underground museum of alien artifacts out in Nevada and find the man that runs it has a Dalek in captivity. Upon learning of the Dalek's existence, the Doctor goes on a campaign to kill it with extreme prejudice until Rose yells at him about how he's being this horrendous person – which makes the doctor have a “Maybe I'm the baddie” moment and it resolves peacefully. Genuinely is really a good episode about moving on and realizing that we all have good and evil in us. A true standout of the early modern run of the show.

14 - The Impossible Planet & The Satan's Pit (S02, E08&E09)

There's a spectrum when it comes to Doctor Who, there are episodes that are gorgeous and smart and well thought out, then there are episodes that are just absolutely ridiculous. If Dalek explores the prejudice that can be enacted by those we see as “good,” then this duo of episodes is “what if the Christian devil was real and he was in space.” This is such an unbelievable hit of stupid bullshit, but it's delivered so very well. The first episode is loaded with mystery and adventure and unknown horror, while the second episode introduces the goofy concept in whole but still somehow grounds it enough that it still feels like a real plot with real stakes. It's the acting. The actors really sell this one to you. Space Satan is not what I expected when getting into this show but hey, it works and I like it.

13 - Blink (S03, E10)

I'm going to be honest with you, I feel like the internet really hypes up the Weeping Angels to a point that when you finally encounter them you're like, “Oh that's all?” Every episode of Doctor Who with the Weeping Angels feels underwhelming, silly, dumb, boring, with one exception: the original. I will not try to convince you that Blink lives up to the hype that the fandom has built for it, but if you can watch it without the Superwholock kind of bullshit in your head, what you'll find is actually a pretty good story. One of the best of the show. If the angels existed for this one episode and nothing else, they may have stood as the best antagonist of the show, but they got overused. I'm not going to explain the episode, I'll end up overhyping it more, just watch it.

12 - A Town Called Mercy (S07, E03)

I never see anyone really talk about this episode and it makes me wonder if maybe I'm alone in thinking it's great, which if so, oh well. I like westerns. The long and short of this is the Doctor and his companions, Amy and Rory, arrive in the old west to find a town with electricity too early and an alien cyborg gunslinger hanging outside of town hunting the town physician who turns out to be an alien that committed some horrific space crimes. The episode feels like a fun, loving homage to the western genre while once again exploring those aforementioned qualities of good people can be bad and vice versa. It's a fantastic little romp for the cast and these are the kinds of episodes that made the show fun to watch.

11 - Midnight (S04, E10)

Does this count as a bottle episode? The one thing I have to give the cast of Doctor Who is that when they decide it's time to really act, they act very, very well. This episode is completely carried by the acting of David Tennant and his supporting cast. In this episode, the Doctor's companion Donna sits one out while the Doctor takes a shuttle bus to go see a waterfall, until some unknown alien starts taking over people's bodies. This is a very, very well done episode that shows that you don't need elaborate set dressing or endless action to make good television, you just need good actors.

10 - The Devil's Chord (S14, E02)

I realize this might be controversial to say, but Ncuti Gatwa is my favorite actor to portray the Doctor. He's a fantastic actor and the energy he brings the role is so different and wonderful. When it comes to media, people typically don't like to hear you praise the modern bits over the older stuff, but this most recent run of Doctor Who with Gatwa is consistently more interesting and enjoyable than any other season of Doctor Who (that's probably Davies doing).

That all said, The Devil's Chord is a wild episode. I previously said that Doctor Who has a spectrum, from really great story telling to really goofy. If Midnight is the great story telling, then The Devil's Chord is the goofy. In this episode the Doctor and Ruby must face off against Maestro, the God of Music, who wishes to take all music from the world. The energy of this episode is wild, with Ncuti Gatwa's take on the Doctor going up against the insanely wild trickster character Maestro, who is portrayed by the trans actor Jinkx Monsoon. If you've fallen off of late Doctor Who, or you are completely new to it, please give this new season a watch (and don't let the Beatles jump scare at the beginning stop you, I swear there's no Beatles music!).

09 - The Empty Child / The Doctor Dances (S01, E09&E10)

If you're starting your Doctor Who watch at the beginning of the modern series, this will probably be the first episode that strikes a real chord with you (well, other than Dalek that is). This was the show's first real attempt at telling a horror story, one that is sort of zombie adjacent. This bizarre World War Two story with a child in a gas mask morphing people's bodies and existences into more versions of himself is one of the more original stories in the entire Doctor Who series, no one but Eccleston and Billie Piper could have sold this so well. Not to mention the introduction of Jack Harkness! (We'll uh...we'll ignore the actors conduct for this...)

08 - Planet of the Ood (S04, E03)

This is not the first time we meet the Ood, they were in the aforementioned Impossible Planet episodes, however this is when the Doctor finally does what he should have from the very start. The Ood are essentially a slave race, and in Planet of the Ood, they finally start to act out and revolt. The Doctor, as unpolitical as he has always been according to some people, decides “Yeah! Slaves are wrong!” and starts working with Ood Sigma (who becomes a recurring character kind of) in freeing the Ood. This episode also has one of the sickest, most awesome, kinda horrific effects in all of Doctor Who. Above all else, this episode is just very beautifully shot and well made. One of the highlights of the entire series.

07 - The Day of the Doctor (50th Anniversary Special)

Exploring the Doctor's mind during the Time War is such a cool concept. It's a thing the Doctor keeps referring to as this horrific, life changing thing for him, and getting even a glimpse into it is guaranteed an amazing time. Featuring both David Tennant and Matt Smith, while bringing on John Hurt of all people because Eccleston wouldn't reprise his role, the acting talent in this special is incredible and genuinely so wonderful to watch. At the end of the day, it's a really, really good Doctor Who romp and deserves any praise it gets.

06 - The Waters of Mars (2009 Autumn Special)

Pic from the BBC. Theirs looks better than anything I could get.

Hey look! It's the Hugo award winning special! And I only put it at number six!

Everything about this special is so fucking cool. The set designs, the costumes, the fucking monster itself, everything in this is so cool. You know how people always joke about horror needing to be wet? Well this is wet horror. David Tennant puts in so much effort here, struggling with what he wants to and what he has to do, the Doctor is really pushed to some stressful limits here that has such a fantastic end to it. Even if you disagree with where I placed it on this list, there is no doubt that The Waters of Mars is among the best stories Doctor Who has ever put out.

05 - The Impossible Astronaut / Day of the Moon (S06, E01&E02)

This is one that's probably going to get some pushback. I am an X-Files fan, it's my favorite show, love it when it's great and I love it when it's trashy. This two part season opening is the most X-files like the show ever gets, and I am so into it. The opening mystery of the episode sets up a really cool overarching concept for the season (don't ask if it's resolved well, please don't ask that) while introducing us to one of the coolest enemies Doctor Who ever made (please don't ask if they stay that way, please don't ask that). Everything about this is so fun and interesting and I hope others come out of it feeling the same way.

04 - Voyage of the Damned (2007 Christmas Special)

Pic from IMDB.

DOCTOR WHO TITANIC IS VERY GOOD!! Sorry for yelling. For a long while this sat as my absolute favorite episode of Doctor Who. Journeying alone on a rare occasion, the Doctor finds himself spending Christmas aboard the space Titanic (I am not kidding, they named it the Titanic!) and as the name of the ship would imply, tragedy strikes. This story is really wonderful, we get to see the Doctor try his hardest to save people and show love and kindness to so many people, not to mention having a group of characters instead of one companion to explore. I especially love the Van Hoff couple, who are two fat and poor people who won tickets to come aboard what is a wealthy cruise. Everyone around them is rather classist and fatphobic to them, but of all they characters in the special, they exhibit real happiness and love and their devotion to one another is genuinely so wonderful.

As I said, this one stood as my favorite episode for a long time. And, you don't really need to see any previous episodes to watch it, so please go watch it. It's a fun time.

03 - The Giggle (60th Anniversary Special)

I don't know what the wider fandom's thoughts on the 60th Anniversary Specials are, so I don't know if this is a controversial take or not. But, The Giggle highlights everything that is great about Doctor Who. It tips its scales back into the goofy part of the spectrum, but that goofiness is ultimately what makes this such a fun and interesting special. When thinking of actors like Neil Patrick Harris, who are so big and popular and well known celebrities, you forget that the popularity came from the fact they're good at their craft, and if The Giggle did anything for me, it was reminding me that yes, Neil Patrick Harris is an outstanding actor. And, getting put with a returning David Tennant and Catherine Tate really just solidified this special as some of the best acting the series has to offer.

The scene where the Toymaker forces the Doctor and Donna to watch a puppet show about the fates of the Doctor's companions is one of the best meta commentaries the show ever did about itself. The introduction of Ncuti Gatwa is pulled off in a fantastic way. And, the ending is so heartwarming that it makes makes me happy they brought Tennant's Doctor and Donna back.

02 - Heaven Sent (S09, E11)

I previously said that Ncuti Gatwa stands as my favorite Doctor. But, before the Gatwa episodes were out, my favorite was Peter Capaldi. Though Capaldi was given some of the worst scripts of the series (Jodie Whittaker probably got the worst of the worst), he brought such a different interpretation to the Doctor. David Tennant and Matt Smith's Doctors, despite their differences, were largely the same characters. Capaldi's had more of that Eccleston-esque attitude and charm, while bringing this gravitas that makes the silly moments feel real emotionally.

Which brings me to Heaven Sent, which might be the pinnacle of acting in the series. When people think of the best Doctor Who episodes, they probably expect big action and lots of adventure, but to me, the most interesting parts of Doctor Who are when we explore the Doctor as a character. What makes him tick, what makes him who he is, why is he here doing this – exploration of the Doctor and his motives is spectacular, especially when done right. Heaven Sent follows the Capaldi Doctor, after the death of his companion, imprisoned in a castle where he must reveal all his secrets. The torture and sorrow that Capaldi is able to show on his face is both horrifying and spectacular, really showing that he is an outstanding actor. There is no other piece of television like Heaven Sent.

01 - Vincent and the Doctor (S05, E10)

I don't think this is a surprise to anyone. I'm sure everyone has seen the gifs go around of the Doctor taking Vincent van Gogh to the future to see how his work is revered and loved and how moving that scene is. What I don't think most people know is how after that scene, after Vincent has been put back in his own time, the museum doesn't change. There are no new paintings. Amy, the Doctor's companion, then must learn that love and praise alone do not cure mental illness.

This episode has a haze of melancholy. The Doctor may change history plenty of times, but he doesn't often change real events. So, from the very beginning, you know van Gogh's fate, and you know it won't be changed. I actually liked this episode' portrayal of mental illness, it really is something that affects our lives, and makes it hard (if not impossible) to fit into society. How people with mental illness are often outcast, harassed, and treated like subhumans. But, this episode also shows happiness, hope, and love. And, that people do love you, no matter what you may think.

And, I think that makes it the best episode of modern Doctor Who.

Tumblr has decided that adding my full episode rankings would make this post too long. So, I will be adding them in a second reblog (check notes if you want to see!)

#doctor who #dr who #long post #rankings

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randomasfuk · 14 days ago

Note

Hi, I just saw your post criticizing people calling Dick “a whore,” and I agree with it all; expect “Tim and Bruce are the family whores.” I just wanted to point out that I think it’s equally wrong to call Tim a whore because of the amount of times that boy has been sexually assaulted and/or harassed. If you criticize people calling Dick a whore, I personally think it’s in equal bad taste to call Tim one.

I see where you’re coming from but Tim Drake is a serial monogamist with a hole dam roster of love interests. He has had two love interests at the same time, balancing relationships both as Red Robin and as Tim Drake.

After abit of digging to refresh my memory, here’s an expanded, detailed breakdown of his confirmed romantic relationships, including what runs they were from and whether they were fully developed or just implied crushes/flings.

Tim Drake’s Canonical & Consensual Relationships (Confirmed Roster)

1. Stephanie Brown (Spoiler/Batgirl) – The OTP

• First Appearance: Detective Comics #647 (1992)

• Main Relationship: Robin (1993) #16–#183, Batgirl (2009), Red Robin (2009)

• Status: Longest and most iconic love interest

• Notes: This was Tim’s longest relationship, though very on-off-again. They had multiple breakups, but DC consistently revisited them. Strong emotional connection, and one of the few love interests who truly understood Tim.

2. Ariana Dzerchenko – His First Girlfriend

• First Appearance: Robin (1993) #1

• Main Relationship: Robin (1993) #1–#74

• Status: Official girlfriend before Stephanie

• Notes: she was his first real gf and the relationship was actually pretty stable, they broke up bc she thought he was cheating

3. Zoanne Wilkins – High School Girlfriend

• First Appearance: Robin (1993) #148

• Main Relationship: Robin (1993) #148–#183

• Status: Civilian love interest

• Notes: very similar to his relationship with Ariana

4. Tam Fox – Love Interest in Red Robin Era

• First Appearance: Batman: The Dark Knight #1 (2011)

• Main Relationship: Red Robin (2009) #1–#26

• Status: Strong romantic subplot

• Notes: Daughter of Lucius Fox, and Tim’s love interest while he was leading Wayne Enterprises. Very close to becoming serious, but Tim’s mission got in the way.

5. Cassie Sandsmark (Wonder Girl) – Grief-Driven Romance

• First Appearance: Wonder Woman (1996) #105

• Main Relationship: Teen Titans (2003) #92–#100

• Status: Brief, grief-fueled relationship

• Notes:

Happened after Superboy died and it was more about coping with loss than real romance. Ended quickly once they realized it was unhealthy.

6. Bernard Dowd – Current Canon Boyfriend

• First Appearance: Robin (2004) #121

• Main Relationship: Batman: Urban Legends (2021)

• Status: Tim’s first confirmed same-sex relationship

• Notes:

Bernard originally appeared in the early 2000s but was reintroduced in 2021. Their relationship officially confirmed Tim as bisexual.

Lesser-Known or Minor Romantic Connections

These relationships weren’t as major but still counted as actual romantic interests.

7. Darla Aquista – Briefly Dated, Became a Villain

• First Appearance: Robin (2004) #121

• Status: Brief romance, turned into a villain

• Notes:

She was introduced as a civilian love interest. Later became the magic-powered villain Vittoria under Penguin’s gang.

8. Dana (Last Name Unknown) – Minor Love Interest

• First Appearance: Robin (1993) (exact issue unclear)

• Status: Barely developed romance

• Notes:

She existed, but not much is known about her. Possible high school crush that went nowhere.

9. Zoe (Last Name Unknown) – Another Minor Love Interest

• First Appearance: Robin (1993) (late 90s issues)

• Status: Minor high school romance

• Notes:

Similar to Dana—barely developed and mostly forgotten.

10. Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe (Mademoiselle Marie II) – Short-Lived Romance

• First Appearance: Batgirl (2006) #53

• Status: Brief romantic interest

• Notes:

• hardly a relationship, during his Red Robin era. Nothing serious came of it.

Thares also Xin Liu but I believe that was retconned although I wouldn’t have used it anyway bc she’s a manipulative bitch wtf was that.

Also if I’m wrong about anything please let me know as much as I do read comics I don’t actually own many which makes it hard to go over what happened, I had to kinda research to refresh my memory so if I’ve got anything wrong let me know.

SIDE NOTE: really needs to stop using sexual assault in storylines it’s so unnecessary especially when it never gets mentioned again.

#dc comics #dc universe #dc #batfam #tim drake #batfamily #batfamily dynamics #tim drake is a menace #red robin #robin #tim drake is red robin #timothy drake

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goryhorroor · 1 year ago

Text

Upcoming horror movies (some without release years) - not in order

Longlogs - FBI Agent Lee Harker is assigned to an unsolved serial killer case that takes an unexpected turn, revealing evidence of the occult. Harker discovers a personal connection to the killer and must stop him before he strikes again.

Nosferatu - A gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman and the terrifying vampire infatuated with her, causing untold horror in its wake.

Bermuda - Unknown details but it will be set in the mysterious patch of the Caribbean where planes and ships have gone missing over the years.

Twisters (ok thriller but imma count it because i can) - A sequel to the 1996 film about stormchasing scientists studying tornados.

Immaculate - Cecilia is warmly welcomed to the picture-perfect Italian countryside, where she is offered a new role at an illustrious convent. But it becomes clear to Cecilia that her new home harbors dark and horrifying secrets.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire - The film centers on the Spengler family as they return to where it all started – the iconic New York City firehouse – to team up with the original Ghostbusters, who’ve developed a top-secret research lab to take busting ghosts to the next level. But when the discovery of an ancient artifact unleashes an evil force, Ghostbusters new and old must join forces to protect their home and save the world from a second Ice Age.

Mickey's Mouse Trap - follows a group of friends who become targets of a serial killer dressed as Mickey Mouse

Imaginary - When Jessica moves back into her childhood home with her family, her youngest stepdaughter Alice develops an eerie attachment to a stuffed bear named Chauncey she finds in the basement. Alice's games with Chauncey become increasingly sinister, and Jessica intervenes only to realize Chauncey is much more than the stuffed toy bear she believed him to be.

Skeletons in the Closet - Haunted by a malevolent spirit since childhood, a desperate mother allows herself to become possessed in order to save the life of her terminally ill daughter.

Lisa Frankenstein - love story about a misunderstood teenager and her high school crush, who happens to be a handsome corpse. After a set of playfully horrific circumstances bring him back to life, the two embark on a murderous journey to find love, happiness… and a few missing body parts along the way.

Winnie The Pooh: Blood & Honey 2 - oh yay? I guess a sequel

Adrift - It is described as a supernatural ghost story set aboard a ship. It is an adaptation of a short story by Koji Suzuki

Dustbunny - It follows a young girl who asks her neighbor to help her kill a monster under her bed after she thinks it has eaten her family.

Faces of Death - follows a woman who discovers violent videos that recreate death scenes from movies online.

Heretic - two religious women who become the focus of a strange man's games.

History of Evil - In the near future, war and corruption have plagued America and turned it into a theocratic police state. Against the oppression, ordinary citizens have formed a group called The Resistance. One such member, Alegre Dyer, breaks out of political prison and reunites with her husband Ron and daughter Daria. On the run from the militia, the family takes shelter in a remote safe house. But their journey is far from over, as the house’s dark past begins to eat away at Ron, and his earnest desire to keep his family safe is overtaken by something much more sinister.

MaXXXine - Six years after the ‘Texas Pornhouse Massacre’, Maxine is now LA-based and on a driven quest to become a star in the acting world. But things take a sinister turn when bodies once again begin to fall around her.

Dracula - A futuristic sci-fi western version of Dracula.

Apartment 7A - Prequel to the 1968 film Rosemary’s Baby.

Baghead - follows a young woman who inherits a run-down pub and discovers a dark secret within its basement. Enter Baghead - a shape-shifting creature that will let you speak to lost loved ones, but not without consequence.

Out of Darkness - In the Old Stone Age, a disparate gang of early humans band together in search of a new land. But when they suspect a malevolent, mystical, being is hunting them down, the clan are forced to confront a danger they never envisaged.

Stopmotion - stop-motion animator by the name of Ella whose latest project might just be driving her to the brink of madness.

Late Night with the Devil - 1970s talk show host Jack Delroy on his last legs, wrung out by personal tragedy and in need of a ratings win. His plan to feature as a guest a young girl who is allegedly possessed seems like a Halloween night layup… until the cameras roll and all hell literally breaks loose.

You'll Never Find Me - An isolated man living at the back of a desolate caravan park is visited by a desperate young woman seeking shelter from a violent storm. As the savage storm worsens, these solitary souls begin to feel threatened – but who should really be afraid?

The First Omen - When a young American woman is sent to Rome to begin a life of service to the church, she encounters a darkness that causes her to question her own faith and uncovers a terrifying conspiracy that hopes to bring about the birth of evil incarnate. (this might be a prequel to the omen)

Abigail - After a group of would-be criminals kidnap the 12-year-old ballerina daughter of a powerful underworld figure, all they have to do to collect a $50 million ransom is watch the girl overnight. In an isolated mansion, the captors start to dwindle, one by one, and they discover, to their mounting horror, that they’re locked inside with no normal little girl.

Return to Silent Hill - James, a man broken after being separated from his one true love. When a mysterious letter calls him back to Silent Hill in search of her, he finds a once-recognizable town transformed by an unknown evil. As James descends deeper into the darkness, he encounters terrifying figures both familiar and new and begins to question his own sanity as he struggles to make sense of reality and hold on long enough to save his lost love.

Infested - invasion of venomous spiders, forcing residents of a suburban building to find a way out.

Tarot - Tarot follows a group of friends who recklessly violate the sacred rule of Tarot readings – never use someone else’s deck. In the wake of broken rules, consequences follow, this time in the form of unleashing an unspeakable evil trapped within the cursed cards.

The Strangers Chapter 1 - a couple, have to survive the night while being terrorized by masked strangers in a remote Airbnb in Oregon

The Watchers - the film follows a young woman who becomes trapped with three strangers in a shelter deep within a forest in Ireland where the group must fight off mysterious creatures every night in order to survive.

Never Let Go - a family who has been tormented by an evil spirit for years as their lives become more dangerous when one of the kids questions if the evil is real.

The One - Follows character Taylor as she becomes a contestant on a reality TV dating show to find love. Taylor's experience takes a turn as she gets down to the final three and becomes terrified of not finding love (with a horror twist)

Thread: An Insidious Tale - new actors who play a husband and wife who use a spell to travel back in time to prevent their daughter's death, which has worse consequences than imagined

Weapons - The movie is about the disappearance of high school students in a small town, similar to the movie Magonlia's from 1999

A Quiet Place: Day One - New characters in New York

Alien: Romulus - takes place between the first & second movies

Beetlejuice 2 - not much is known about the plot details, but Beetlejuice will have a wife & Lydia's daughter will be in it

Speak No Evil: this is the English remake (all it really says; but it's just the 2022 movie but English?)

Smile 2 - it's a sequel but no details have been revealed

Terrifer 3 - not too many details revealed but it will take place on Christmas Eve

Wolfman - not too many details revealed but it's a new take on the werewolf tale

I Saw The TV Glow - Teenager Owen is just trying to make it through life in the suburbs when his classmate introduces him to a mysterious late-night TV show — a vision of a supernatural world beneath their own. In the pale glow of the television, Owen’s view of reality begins to crack.

Don't Move - A seasoned killer injects a grieving woman with a paralytic agent and she must run, fight and hide before her body completely shuts down.

Arcadian - Nicolas Cage comes back to save the day - and his children - from ferocious creatures at their remote farmhouse.

All My Friends Are Dead - College friends? Remote Airbnb? A secret murderer? What could go wrong in this classic toxic friend group killing spree? Looking forward to attending the biggest music fest of the year, this group of friends get together for what should be a killer weekend.

Monolith - It is about a disgraced journalist who investigates a conspiracy theory while trying to salvage her career.

some movies coming out maybe not this year but have been floating around: The Toxic Avenger (I think remake), Witchboard (remake), Year 2 (about werewolves), Shelby Oaks (A woman's desperate search for her long-lost sister falls into obsession upon realizing that the imaginary demon from their childhood may have been real), Salem's Lot (remake), Little Bites ('70s-set monster movie that highlights the lengths a parent will go to protect a child), The Crow (Reboot), Jordan Peele's untitled movie, I've also seen there's going to be another Saw (but it hasn't been confirmed), and another Scream (but that production is already a trainwreck so who knows)

#horror #horror movies #horror cinema #dracula #the crow #terrifier 3 #saw #scream #alien #beetlejuice 2 #smile 2

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curiositysavesthecat · 2 months ago

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Trigger warning: child death

* “It probably won’t be the real killer(s)” as in they just have to close the case, but they probably end up catching the wrong person(s)

❝ JonBenét Patricia Ramsey was an American child beauty queen who was killed at age six in her family's home on the night of December 25, 1996. Her body was found in the house's basement about seven hours after she had been reported missing. She had sustained a broken skull, and a garrote was tied around her neck. The autopsy report stated that JonBenét's official cause of death was "asphyxia by strangulation associated with craniocerebral trauma". Her death was ruled a homicide.

The Boulder police initially suspected that a long handwritten ransom note that was reportedly found in the home had been written by her mother, Patsy, and that the note and the appearance of JonBenét's body had been staged by Patsy and her husband, John, to cover up the killing.

In 1999, the police and district attorney (DA) both said that JonBenét's brother Burke, who was nine years old at the time of her death, was not a suspect.

In 2002, the DA's successor took over the investigation from the police and primarily pursued the theory that an intruder had committed the killing.

In 2003, trace DNA taken from JonBenét's clothes (her underwear) was found to belong to an unknown male; each family member's DNA had been excluded from this match.

The DA sent the Ramseys a letter of apology in 2008, declaring the family was "completely cleared" by the DNA results.

Others, including former Boulder police chief Mark Beckner, disagreed with exonerating the Ramseys, characterizing the DNA as a small piece of evidence that was not proven to have any connection to the crime.

In 2009, the Boulder police took the case back from the DA and reopened the investigation.

The crime is still considered a cold case and remains an open investigation with the Boulder Police Department. ❞ — via: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_JonBenét_Ramsey

This poll was submitted to us and we simply posted it so people could vote and discuss their opinions on the matter. If you’d like for us to ask the internet a question for you, feel free to drop the poll of your choice in our inbox and we’ll post them anonymously (for more info, please check our pinned post).

#poll #polls #jonbenét ramsey #jonbenet ramsey #tccblr #tc community #tcc tumblr #tumblr polls #tumblr poll #incognito polls #poll time #random polls #yes or no #yes or no poll

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rowrory · 2 years ago

Text

FAVORITES

Want fics that don't just revolve around smut? Read these!

Fandoms include: jjk, bnha, haikyuu, aot, marvel, tvd

GOJO SATORU

Intrinsic Warmth — thatdesklamp (ao3)

Summary: “So stay with me. Forever.”

You make a weak stab at a joke. “For Infinity, you mean?”

“Yeah.” Satoru turns to look at you and your heart jumps at the clear expression on his face. There’s not a hint of humour: for once, he’s fully and completely serious. “For the rest of my life, and for all the lives after.”

You meet Satoru on 7th September, 1996.

Some time later, you realise you love him.

Notes: HOLY FUCK I LOVED THIS SO MUCH!?!?!??! THE ANGST?!?!? THE PINING?!?!?!? I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS!!!!!!!! THE AUTHOR WASN'T FUCKING AROUND WHEN SHE WROTE THIS!!!

gods, monsters, monkeys — yuzudrops (ao3)

Summary: A grossly under-qualified graduate of Jujutsu High is hired to teach a class of Special Grades. They learn there is more to strength than power. It doesn't end well.

Notes: chefs kisses, literally one of THE best gojo fics out there

Keep a Place For Me — alkhale (ao3)

Summary: A quiet story that takes place a little before Gojo Satoru was born to be the greatest shaman of this era, his youth, triumphs, losses, and his inherent rise to a place unknown by anyone else.

And the one person who bore witness to it all.

Notes: IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THIS YET, YOU ARE SERIOUSLY MISSING OUT

take me down (to the depths of your depravity) — Innka (ao3)

Summary: The story starts with you standing in the pouring rain. All you remember are your orders.

Gojo Satoru. Look for the white hair and the baby blues.

"This will be easy," they said. "White hair and baby blues, eyes like the sky. Pull him in, fatten him up and send him to the devil. In and out, one and done."

"You can do this with your eyes closed," they said.

"This will be easy," they said.

They were wrong.

Notes: Read trigger warnings first

watermelon sugar why — Innka (ao3)

Summary: You had marched into his office, looking like your life was in his hands. You held out an excursion request. For a beach trip, of all things. By the time Gojo finished reading it, he had wanted to do exactly three things: sign the paper, laugh in your face, and bend you over on his desk to fuck you until you were screaming his name.

Not necessarily in that order.

Notes: this is a one shot but i live for pining satoru so

all that is solid melts into air — GrilledTandooriSmoke (ao3)

Summary: Curse user.

The words weigh heavy like lead on your tongue. Something that needs to be swished around before it's spat back out like the black gunk it is. Evil and vile jujutsu sorcerers who would dare turn on humanity in the never-ending war against curses.

And it just so happens you come from a family of them.

Alternatively: political machinations have you attending Jujutsu Tech at the same time as Gojo Satoru.

Notes: in love with this

among dawn flowers (the face of god) — unolvrs (ao3)

Summary: Your grandmother calls the young master of the Gojō Clan a boy-god, and you, his destined bride who will further the cause of the All-Seeing Eyes.

—or, you are raised to be Satoru’s bride and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. (Everything is.)

Notes: i love angst

the witches' brew — orphan_account (ao3)

Summary: You are the co-owner of a small café in a small, eccentric district in Tokyo that is notorious for bizarre murders and supernatural occurrences.

You think you’ve seen it all, but it turns out that nothing comes close to the man wearing a bad Kakashi cosplay who terrorizes you with his increasingly complicated and awful drink orders.

Notes: im devastated i didn't get to see who actually wrote this

5 + 1 — script_nef (orphan_account) (ao3)

Summary: 5 times Gojou had a date with you and 1 time you realised it was a date.

Alt title: Watch Gojou be really obvious about his crush but it goes completely over your head every time. Well, nearly every time.

Notes: kicked my feet a couple times while reading this

Ripverse — seoafin (ao3)

Summary: “You don't need to worry about anything like dying. I won't let anything happen to you," he says quietly, and it sounds like a promise.

You wait for the punchline. The part where he laughs it off as a joke, and then tells you to snap yourself out of it in a way you would’ve expected from him in the past. But he’s dead serious.

Notes: This is a series of one shots in the same univ with the same character, i just used the summary for the very first part

FUSHIGURO TOJI

(and your love is) standing next to me — shidouryusei (ao3)

Summary: “I wanna meet your son.”

You regret what you’ve said the second the words leave your lips.

“Why the hell do you wanna meet my kid?”

Notes: holy hell is this one of the best toji fics out there

BAKUGO KATSUKI

what heroes do — sugiwa (ao3)

Summary: Shouto didn't know much about his twin sister. She was an Edgeshot fan, had a raging collection of manga, and liked Natsuo the best.

She also wasn't supposed to be at U.A., but he sure as hell wasn't telling their father about it.

Notes: i am not kidding when i say that even tho this thing has almost 600k words (it's a monster!!), i have reread this so many times it's not even funny anymore

MIYA ATSUMU

WHITE NOISE — 1keshi (ao3)

Summary: you’ve always loved atsumu— that was the problem.

(alternatively, you force a therapist to listen to the story of how you fell in love with your childhood friend, because what else are you supposed to do?)

Notes: lovelovelove

You Found Me — Amy_Stark117 (ao3)

Summary: Miya Atsumu had his life goals set - volleyball, fame, and success. Nothing could stand in his way.

You threw all that out the window, simply by sitting next to him in class.

Life is really funny like that, isn't it?

Notes: 10/10

USHIJIMA WAKATOSHI

premonition of love — peacchy (ao3)

Summary: A day after the freak quick duo sneaks into Shiratorizawa campus grounds, Ushijima gets summoned by his school’s student disciplinary committee.

Rule breached?

Assisted Trespassing.

While he steps out of the office with more than just a case under his name, you (unknowingly) step into the affluent stratum of Miyagi’s controlled elite.

In a world of either-or’s, you’re caught in between.

And possibly something more.

Notes: yall listen before this, i was NOT an ushijima girlie. now, i am ;)) this ff also has a love triangle in it (ushijima x reader x sakusa) with alternative endings (though it's not completed yet)

Shoot the Ball — alkhale (ao3)

Summary: As captain of the dying Shiratorizawa Kyudo Club, you're sick and tired of the biased favoritism that goes to the showier sports. Especially the worst of them all—the boy's volleyball team.

You're determined to show the entire school how great archery is, get the funding your club deserves, and by the end of it all, make the entire school a fan of your archery.

You just didn't know you already had a fan from the start.

And he may or may not be captain of the one team on campus you have a personal vendetta against.

Notes: i love alkhale so much

LEVI ACKERMAN

1,000 Steps — BaddieCurlsXo (ao3)

Summary: You're being torn away to another world every new moon, unable to connect the dots or find any real meaning in your travels. That is, until one night you stumble upon a man with grey eyes and a green cape, who asks you, rather suspiciously, "what are you doing outside the walls?"

Notes: lovette

Death's Door — SongsOfApollo (ao3)

Summary: You spent years of your life under the guidance of Dr. Helfen, the greatest physician inside Wall Sina. Now a physician yourself, you work alongside him with pride: stitching up wounds, nursing the sick, and helping to save the lives of many. But after the Battle of Trost, rapid changes begin to take place, starting with an inquiry from none other than Commander Erwin Smith and Captain Levi of the Survey Corps.

You have heard many tales from surviving Survey Corps soldiers on what it’s like on the outside: to face a Titan, to feel overwhelming dread, to watch your fellow man perish in such an insulting, gruesome way. You’ve witnessed the effects of Titans on the people you’ve doctored. Now you are to experience the horror firsthand.

You are to join the Scout Regiment as their field surgeon, and you will do so under the direct command of Captain Levi.

Notes: one of my fav fics of levi

BUCKY BARNES

Vacant Mirrors — pilotisms (ao3)

Summary: Dr. Hart shares an office with Dr. Raynor.

You share a waiting room with Bucky Barnes.

Notes: felt like crying even tho the ending wasn't angsty

Safe with me — bitsandbobsandstuff (ao3)

Summary: When an unknown threat enters your life, protection is offered at the highest level. As Bucky Barnes comes into your life, the game changes, and you realise falling for the man tasked with keeping you safe is the last thing you expected.

Notes: Holy freaking heck was this beautiful. The plot? Chefs kisses. The writing? Chefs kisses. Reader's personality? Chefs kisses. The romance between reader and bucky? CHEFS FUCKING KISSESSSSS.

In The Shadow Of Your Wings — emmagnetised (ao3)

Summary: Margaret Stark is five years old when the Winter Soldier comes for her and her parents. But she survives the attack and is returned to her brother, though she's left broken and traumatised. She grows with a promise she made to herself on the night of the car crash. A mission.

This is the story of Maggie forging herself into her own hero, into something that no one expects: The Wyvern.

Notes: if you're a delulu marvel stan and haven't read anything by emmagnetised yet, are you even a delulu marvel stan?? p.s there is also an alternative for this story, go check it out on the author's acc on ao3 if you're interested!

STEVE ROGERS

The Siren — emmagnetised (ao3)

Summary: Austrian-born Alice Moser is new to Brooklyn when she meets and befriends a small blonde kid called Steve Rogers. Years later tragedy puts an ocean between them. When they meet again everything is different - Steve is about to go to war, and Alice is going to make the SSR an offer they can't refuse: her services as an undercover agent within the very heart of Nazi Germany.

The path is already written. The whole world knows the stories of Captain America and the Siren. Or do they?

Notes: ISTG IF U DON'T GO READ THIS MASTERPIECE RN

LOKI

A Twist of Marvel — GeneralofLoki (wattpad)

Summary: Naomi Swanson is fresh out of college, working as an assistant in a small paper supply company and inhaling coffee by the gallons. When an accident knocked her out, Naomi woke up in a world she had only seen through screens.

Armed only with her phone and a questionable data plan, Naomi attempts not to be killed as she comes face-to-face with the Avengers, and so much more.

Notes: do not and i repeat do NOT underestimate this just because it's a wattpad story ;)) it's literally the best girl goes to alternative dimension story in the mcu universe out there!!

KLAUS MIKAELSON

descent — tothelakes (wattpad)

Summary (since the summary on this one is a little long I'll be giving a brief description instead): Rory, the twin sister of Elena, unknowingly dates Klaus, the terrifying hybrid determined to sacrifice her sister. When the Mystic Falls events start, cue the beginning of their tumultuous journey as secrets are revealed and feelings come to light.

Notes: this is probably the best klaus fic to ever grace the world of fanfictions.

593 notes · View notes

noc1818 · 23 days ago

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A Score to be Settled - Chrollo X Reader Fanfic

Hey everyone! I’m so excited to be back with Chapter Two of A Score to be Settled! I truly appreciate all the love—your hearts, comments, and reblogs on the first chapter mean the world to me. You’re all so incredibly kind, and I can’t wait to share more of this story with you!

This chapter really builds up to the long-awaited reunion between Chrollo and the reader, leaning heavily into that enemies-to-lovers tension. I hope you enjoy the dynamic unfolding! As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts, and I’m already looking forward to working on Chapter Three!

Sneak view of Chapter 2: The Stage:

In the outskirts of York New City, 1996, the Phantom Troupe faces an invisible adversary, their meticulously planned heists crumbling before an unknown force. Chrollo, ever composed yet vexed, gathers his Spiders to unearth the mole—or the mastermind pulling the strings. Suspicion flickers between Hisoka and an external informant, leading to a tense confrontation.

Elsewhere, a hidden player watches from the shadows. You, an elusive figure with a personal vendetta against Chrollo, have been manipulating the Troupe from afar. But now, Hisoka has forced your hand—you must step into the game. The upcoming masquerade heist is no longer just about treasure; it's about a reckoning. With identities concealed behind masks and betrayals lurking in every glance, the stage is set for a deadly dance where every move could be your last.

Will Chrollo uncover the truth before it's too late? Or will you bring the Phantom Troupe to its knees from within?

The hunt has begun.

A few warnings for this piece: Angst, implications of murder, theft

Enjoy

Chapter Two: The Stage

Word Count: 3537

York New – Outskirts, 1996 -

As the phone call ended, Chrollo snapped his flip phone shut, the movement abrupt and careless. His free hand drummed steadily on the leather armrest of the chair. His eyes remained fixed on the blueprint and the detailed plans spread out in front of him. Everything had been meticulously prepared, every angle accounted for. So how had the heist gone wrong?

His gaze moved back over the details, searching for something he might have missed. There had to be an oversight, right? The target was the Verosian Art Museum, where the troupe had planned to steal a rare collection of works by the late artist Gilan Lamone. Rumor had it that Lamone’s collection, titled Compulsione degli Amanti, had a strange effect on those who viewed it. Reports suggested that the art would provoke an overwhelming sense of infatuation in the viewer toward the person closest to them.

Couples from all over the world flocked to see Lamone’s work, hoping it would strengthen their bond. But it also attracted those with less honorable intentions—people who sought to manipulate emotions or, in some cases, individuals desperate enough to try and forge a romantic connection, no matter the cost.

Chrollo, of course, knew the truth behind the phenomenon: the art was infused with nen. Lamone, a transmuter, had woven his own emotions into each brushstroke, amplifying the effect of the work. This strategy, while unusual, had been brilliant. It had made his pieces extraordinarily valuable, as they invoked such powerful feelings in those who viewed them. To the public, Lamone’s work seemed like nothing short of genius.

It was a shame, really, that Lamone had recently been found murdered in his own home—some even said he had been killed by his own paintbrush. Chrollo looked up from his desk at the half-finished canvas before him. The shades of gray blended beautifully, forming what would have been another masterpiece. Now, however, the monochrome was marred by a stunning crimson splatter, streaking across both the painted portion of the canvas and the untouched white space.

What a shame, he mused, that this piece would never be seen by the art world. But no matter—he would keep it for his personal collection. After all, what kind of thief would he be if he didn’t take such a lovely souvenir?

His expression twisted slightly. As striking as the painting was, it also served as a bitter reminder of yet another failed heist. The troupe had successfully completed the first part of the job—eliminating Lamone, ensuring that his artwork would skyrocket in value. Everyone knew that when an artist died, their pieces sold for ten times their original worth. They had even secured a client particularly enamored with the Compulsione degli Amanti collection, willing to pay millions of jenny for it before. Now, with Lamone’s untimely demise, the value had soared into the billions.

And yet, when they were poised to steal the collection from the museum, they discovered the pieces had been moved at the last minute. Someone had tipped off the museum.

A scowl darkened Chrollo’s usually impassive face. How? Who could have warned them? More importantly—who would dare?

Truly, it had been a headache of a situation. They arrived expecting to find priceless paintings, only to be met by a small militia—assassins, hitmen, and ex-military operatives. Foolish of them to think such resistance could stop the Phantom Troupe.

Predictably, it turned into a bloodbath. But for all the effort, there was nothing to show for it. No spoils, no reward, just another wasted mission. This was the third heist they had intercepted. The third time their plans had been thwarted. The third unshakable failure in a row.

And that fact bothered Chrollo the most. He had lost—three times now—to the same unknown force. That was unacceptable. Whoever was behind this, he would find them. And when he did, they would be brought before him.

In some ways, he was impressed. Whoever this person—or group—was, they had managed to uncover his plans not once, not twice, but three times. They had connections, resources, and enough nerve to act on their information. That took a certain level of intellect. Yet what stood out the most was their ability to vanish without a trace. The Troupe had found no leads, no evidence—nothing. It was as if their enemy were a ghost.

Chrollo was perplexed. Annoyed. Perhaps even a little impressed.Not emotions he was accustomed to. Nor ones he particularly welcomed.

Today, he had called a special meeting. Every Troupe member was expected to attend. They would discuss the recent failures and, more importantly, the unknown threat lurking in the shadows. Glancing at the sleek black-and-gold watch on his wrist, he noted the time. Fifteen minutes until the meeting.

The Troupe’s current hideout was an abandoned office building—worn with age but ideal for their purposes. It provided easy access to Yorknew City and, more importantly, the upcoming gala where the rare artifact, Beso De La Muerte, would be unveiled.That artifact was their next target and this time, there would be no interference.

He rose from his chair, making his way down the hall toward the lobby where the meeting was set to take place. As he rounded the corner, all the spiders’ eyes fell on him, their conversations and laughter ceasing instantly upon his entry.

Despite the usual lighthearted banter the troupe shared before meetings, today, there was a clear underlying tension in the air.

Chrollo walked toward a slab of collapsed concrete and took a seat, conjuring his book into his hand with nen. He flipped to a page, studying one of the many stolen abilities in his collection, waiting for the last member of the troupe to arrive—Hisoka.

Ten minutes later, the clown finally appeared, a grin stretching across his face as he casually shuffled a deck of playing cards. Chrollo watched as Hisoka leaned against the wall, amused.

Snapping his book shut, Chrollo slowly lifted his gaze to his troupe members. The spiders' eyes immediately locked onto him.

“I assume everyone here is aware of our recent heist failure?”

Tension thickened in the room at his words. No one spoke until Chrollo continued.

“This is becoming a problem, and it needs to be resolved. Shalnark, were you able to find any intel on our rat?”

“No, Boss. It’s actually quite impressive. I’ve found no bugs, taps, or crypto trails. It’s unlikely they’re gathering intel on us through technological surveillance,” Shalnark stated in his usual upbeat tone.

Immediately, Nobunaga spoke up, loud as always, his grip tightening on his katana.

“Well, that means one of us is a traitor! Someone is feeding information to our enemies. And it just so happens that this all started right when the clown joined us.”

Closing the distance, hand still on his katana, Nobunaga stepped toward Hisoka.

Hisoka, smirking, remained leaning against the wall, shuffling his cards effortlessly.

“Oh, Nobunaga, how you wound me,” he said, feigning offense. “I prefer my games to be more... direct.”

That was all it took to ignite Nobunaga’s already short fuse. He unsheathed his katana and lunged at Hisoka, blade aimed at his side. But before his weapon could connect, Nobunaga was suddenly teleported across the room, stumbling as he struggled to regain his balance.

“Enough.”

Chrollo’s voice cut through the tension like a blade.

“Nobunaga, you know there is no fighting among troupe members.”

The sharp snap of Chrollo’s book echoed in the room, a clear sign of his growing irritation.

"Turning against one another is foolish and will yield no results. What do we know about them so far?"

Machi spoke up with a strictly analytical approach. "Whoever it is has connections—good ones at that. They managed to tip off the Verosian Museum, which is known for prioritizing input from the upper class and frequent donors. If the informant were a nobody, the museum wouldn’t have given their tip a second thought."

Everyone considered this for a moment before Feitan spoke up.

"Underlings know nothing. Just cry for help, say no one knows who tip off."

Chrollo sat in thought, his expression unreadable, but it was clear he was processing the information carefully.

"Shalnark, check the museum’s records for important customers and recent donors. Also, look into recent donations and see if there are any correlations. Feitan, Phinks—get the museum director. Feitan, make him talk. I want this matter resolved."

With a grin, Shalnark pulled out his computer and started hacking into the museum’s database. "On it, Boss. If there’s anything there, I’ll find it."

Phinks stood up, smirking. "We’ll bring him in, Boss. Hear that, Feitan? You’re gonna lose our bet. You can’t take the curator’s tongue if he can’t speak."

Feitan rolled his eyes with an annoyed "tch." "Make talk, then take tongue. If no talk, force to write—after few broken fingers."

Machi chimed in again, something clearly bothering her. "Boss, have we checked ourselves? Our belongings?"

Hisoka’s voice, dripping with intrigue, cut in. "Oh~ Machi, dear, are you suggesting one of us may be the traitor without even knowing it? If so, this game just became so much more exciting. I can't wait to meet its curator."

With an annoyed sigh and an eyeroll, Machi continued her train of thought as Chrollo listened intently.

"It’s just a hunch, but someone has tipped off our targets three times now—each time for a different heist. They have all the details in advance, enough to alert the targets. That would typically indicate a traitor among us feeding information to the enemy. However, we’ve all been together on missions recently. No one has had the time to leak intel without getting caught. The only common factor in each of these instances is the people involved in carrying out the jobs."

A collective realization settled over the troupe. The possibility made sense.

Chrollo picked up where Machi left off. "That would explain why Shalnark found no bugs or tracking devices in our hideouts. We never thought to check ourselves. Whoever is behind this is clearly out for revenge—targeting our heists directly. It would also make sense for them to sow doubt among us, making it seem like we have a traitor when, in reality, there isn’t one."

He paused, deep in thought, clearly intrigued by their enemy’s tactics.

Then, with finality, he issued his next command.

"Everyone, check yourselves and your belongings for anything out of place."

The troupe obeyed immediately, inspecting their clothing and belongings for anything unusual. Chrollo ran his hands over his garments, meticulously checking every inch for bugs or listening devices.

A low, amused chuckle echoed through the hideout, drawing every Spider’s gaze toward the clown. Hisoka smirked, plucking a small red button from his shirt and holding it up between his fingers.

“Well, well~ would you look at that,” he mused.

The troupe stared at the object in confusion. It looked like an ordinary button—nothing more, nothing less. But Chrollo’s sharp eyes caught the faint traces of Nen radiating from it, a detail nearly impossible to detect unless one was specifically looking. On a powerful Nen user like Hisoka, whose aura naturally masked such subtleties, it was an impressive deception.

Hisoka twirled the button between his fingers as Chrollo regarded him with suspicion. “Our new friend keeps getting more interesting. They must have planted this on me at some point,” he mused.

Shizuku tilted her head, as confused as ever. “Isn’t that just a button?”

“Use your Gyo and look closely,” Chrollo instructed.

They did as told, activating their enhanced vision. Almost instantly, the button’s faint aura became visible.

Nobunaga’s expression darkened, and in an instant, he was on the move, his hand gripping the hilt of his katana. “You knew it was there! You’re working with the rat—I know it!”

As amused as ever, Hisoka chuckled. “Can’t say that I am~ as entertaining as that would be. Besides, none of you noticed it either.”

Nobunaga faltered, stammering. “Well, uh… it was on you, so… I guess you’re not wrong.”

Chrollo’s eyes remained fixed on the button. “Hisoka, let me examine it. I want to analyze the aura.”

But before he could take a step, Hisoka grinned deviously and crushed the button between his fingers, the aura dissipating into nothing.

“Oh~ my bad. Didn’t realize my own strength,” he purred.

A wave of irritation washed over the room. Many of the troupe members looked outright furious, but Chrollo remained composed, though his gaze lingered on Hisoka’s hand, scrutinizing his every move.

Uvogin’s boisterous laughter filled the space. “Well, guess we’ll just have to find them directly then! Boss, what’s the plan?” He rubbed his hands together eagerly, awaiting orders.

Chrollo, still lost in thought, found the situation more troubling than ever. It was clear to him now—Hisoka was involved. No one could get close enough to plant something on the clown without him noticing. That would be far too risky. Which meant their enemy had to have been nearby at all times, skillfully blending into the crowd around the troupe, their presence undetected.

Whoever they were, they were dangerous.

And they had just personally outmaneuvered Chrollo with their little button trick.

This person either knew Nen or was affiliated with someone who did—especially if Hisoka was covering for them. Hisoka had confirmed Chrollo’s suspicion by destroying the button. That meant there was something traceable on it, something Hisoka had a reason to eliminate. Which also meant their enemy was bold—brazen enough to be lurking close by, watching, waiting, challenging.

Chrollo’s expression darkened, but a small smirk played on his lips.

“It’s simple,” he declared. “We wait. They’ll come to us.”

York New Central District

A loud ring echoed throughout the typically silent room. You glanced down at your phone to check the caller ID—Hisoka. With a sigh, you reached for the device and picked up.

You were never particularly fond of Hisoka; he was a bit too much for your liking. However, you were well aware that he had his uses.

“Ah~ Y/N, what have you been up to?” he asked, his voice laced with amusement.

“Nothing that concerns you, Hisoka. What do you want?” Your tone remained cold, betraying nothing.

“Ah, but dear, it does concern me when you plant a device on me. Not very nice of you not to tell me. After all, it almost caused a fight.”

Even through the phone, you could hear the interest in his voice and almost feel his bloodlust at the mere mention of a “fight.”

“Oh, but we both know you love it. Besides, telling you would have ruined the fun—and the surprise.” You picked up a small button, tossing it idly in your free hand.

A chuckle drifted through the receiver as he replied, “Well, you're lucky I destroyed that button before they could trace the nen. I mean, after all, one of your favorite toys—I mean friends—might have been at risk.”

“That would have been an inconvenience. Toro’s surveillance buttons do have their benefits. But everyone is expendable to a degree. I suppose you’re going to tell me I owe you now?”

“How did you know~?” His voice practically purred with amusement before he continued. “Well, what I want is a rather delicious little idea.”

You remained silent as he let his words sink in.

“Our good friend figured out that you’ve been in range and is expecting you to be at our next heist. You see, that is exactly what I want to see.”

“Why would I make such a careless move?” You were blunt as always, but Hisoka only seemed to grow more excited.

“Well, in this case, you don’t have a choice. It’s quite simple, really, sweetheart—you will be at our next job. And do make it entertaining. I want some direct interaction. That will settle our little debt.”

His voice lowered, dripping with honeyed amusement. “And if you don’t… well, there are so many possibilities. But I must admit, I’m leaning towards keeping you for myself. Especially after that last little stunt. You’re starting to catch my eye.”

Beneath his playful tone, the underlying threat was clear—an attempt to shake you.

Perhaps, years ago, it would have worked. But you had been in this game long enough to know how to keep the upper hand. Still, Hisoka’s interest in you was not something you wanted to encourage.

So, you would play along—let him think he had thrown you off your game for now.

"Guess I don’t have a choice then," you muttered.

Hisoka chirped, "So glad we’re on the same page! Plus, isn’t it so much more entertaining to interact with him directly anyway?"

"The details, Hisoka," you said, irritation clear in your tone.

"Ah, no fun as always. All business and advantages... just like him."

Those words set you off. How dare Hisoka imply you were anything like that selfish monster—Chrollo.

"I am nothing like him, and I never will be. Chrollo Lucilfer is a monster. He deserves to suffer, and I will make sure he does."

You could practically envision the smirk spreading across Hisoka’s face.

"Ah~ there you are, Y/N. I can practically taste your bloodlust for him. Oh, and it really gets me going. But I do wonder… what exactly did he do to make you hate him so?"

"The. Details. Hisoka."

Your fuming tone made it obvious—you weren’t playing around anymore.

"Fine~" he drawled. "Two weeks from now, there will be a grand masquerade ball to unveil a new artifact. The Troupe will be there of course, to steal it. But I’m sure you already knew that, didn’t you?"

"I’ll be there." you stated.

Some chatter in the distance started to echo through the receiver, followed by Hisoka’s teasing voice.

"Well then, Y/N, be there. I’ll have Lumi get you a ticket, of course. I do look forward to our next encounter."

With that, the line went dead, leaving you alone once again in your room, still rolling the button between your fingers.

God, you really hated that clown. He did nothing but get under your skin, always knowing exactly which buttons to push. Still, having him as an ally made gathering intel a lot easier. The deal you had struck wasn’t so bad either. But whether he would betray you or not… that remained to be seen.

One thing was certain—you sure as hell didn’t trust him. And that was the smart decision.

You made your way across the room toward your dresser, where a white box sat atop. But it wasn’t the box itself that held your attention—it was what lay inside.

A custom masquerade mask, meticulously crafted for the upcoming ball.

It was a beautiful piece. The base gleamed with golden swirls that highlighted the eyes and lips, while a striking golden cross sat perfectly at the center, red gems embedded at each of its points. At any ordinary masquerade, this mask would have drawn attention. But at this event, it was certain to catch his eye.

You had everything planned. You would attend the ball, and you would finally make your debut to Chrollo. You wanted to see his face when you pointed out just how many times he had lost—how, despite all his efforts, he had been outmaneuvered at every turn. If he was already expecting you, why not make a grand entrance? It would only make the sting of another failed heist even worse.

A chuckle escaped your lips. What a fun game this was.

Thanks to Toro, you had been watching the Troupe for a while now, observing just how much these repeated failures were affecting them. The growing distrust, the tension—it was everything you had wanted. But the true prize was how it was affecting Chrollo.

He might have looked impassive, his expression unreadable, but his actions told another story. He was reviewing his plans over and over, searching for the moment where things had gone wrong. Scouring records and security footage of past heists. Asking himself the same question, again and again—what was the mistake?

That was the feeling you wanted to instill in him. That doubt. That uncertainty. That creeping sense of incompetence—the very same he had once made you feel.

You wanted him—and his Troupe, his so-called family—to suffer. Just like they had made you and Sumi suffer.

And now, the consequences of your actions were beginning to ripple outward. Whispers in the underground had begun to surface, questioning the Troupe’s strength, their competence. It was tempting to let it get to your head—to get cocky. But you knew better than to act recklessly.

A masquerade ball, though? How could you pass up the perfect opportunity to reintroduce yourself to your old enemy? Every detail had been accounted for. Every piece of the setup was perfect.

You were well aware of how dangerous Chrollo was. Being in his vicinity, even for a moment, carried a risk. But you still had your trump card—your Nen ability. And in the worst-case scenario? If you were to die there and then? As long as your plan came to fruition— You would die with a smile.

The stage was set, and the game was about to begin—one that neither of you would ever forget.

#chrollo lucilfer #chrollo x reader #hxh chrollo #phantom troupe

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ivalice-tifalucis · 24 days ago

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So you've just discovered Robbie Williams through Better Man and then got into Take That as well...

That means you're like me hahaha, but I got through this from watching his performance in World Cup 2018 opening ceremony and got curious afterwards.

Anyway, I haven't be able to see the movie yet but I heard the spoilers and I know all the stories like god knows how many videos and documentaries I've watched about them. I almost see when I was in Singapore for New Year's Eve because they got the early screening but I didn't know it was only after January 1st and I was busy going around and my family didn't let me and ok maybe I can watch the next day on the 2nd and...the movie was no longer there. I still regret it now because there was no sign of it about to release in my country. I guess I have to wait for that in streaming service.

You heard some of Robbie's songs in the movie. You saw how his music reflects his feelings and thoughts. He basically writes everything about his life and all his favorite people and enemy. Each get their own songs. Angels isn't really written for his Nan and instead it's this song called Nan's Song, his father is essentially his whole Swing When You're Winning album, Eternity for Geri Halliwell/Ginger Spice, and then for his wife IMO it's Bodies (she's also in the MV, at that time very new to the public and very unknown). And then his children, in general he made Love My Life, his eldest Teddy got Go Gentle, Charlie got M*therfucker, Coco got Coco's Christmas Lullaby, and for Beau I don't know if he made a song yet. And many more there was cover of Me and My Shadow which explains his buddyship with his best friend Jonny Wilkes (who also sings this with him and they never interact these days none of us know exactly why), there's David's Song dedicated to his manager David Enthoven one of the notable person who essentially saved his life, really. He died over 15 years ago.

Take That, is a subject of many of his songs. In return, Take That, especially Gary Barlow and Mark Owen, made a lot of songs for and about Robbie.

This is their songs for each other in timeline order:

How Deep Is Your Love (Bee Gees cover) (1996)

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Their last single before they disbanded in 1996 and at that time it was final, none of them know they will return again 10 years later. They announced this single in a very close time they announced their separation lol. At that time there was only four of them because Robbie had already left few months prior. I will never not tell anyone that suspiciously they announced their disband in 13 February 1996 which is Robbie's birthday. It's like a bitter birthday gift, you could say. "Hey, we're done now, no thanks to you." And us fans have been talking whether this song is chosen for their last single because of the interesting lyrics.

2. No Regrets (1998)

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At that time, both Robbie and Gary both reaching for their post-boyband solo success. The UK public is like boxing ring to them. In 1998, it was a rather equal ground. Robbie was just starting and he started poorly, Gary had got everything he needed to succeed but lack the charm. After Angels, Robbie got rocket trajectory and famous even beyond Take That teenage girls audiences. He started spewing more bad stories behind the scenes with Take That and Gary in retaliation also spewed bad things about Robbie. He then released this song which he often even explicitly said is about Take That but especially for Gary Barlow (honestly I think this song is just for Gary but he doesn't admit it blatantly). After they mend their relationship, the last lyrics in the song "I guess the love we once had is officially—Dead!" sometimes changed in live performance to "I guess the love we once had is officially Alive!"

3. Believe in the Boogie (2005)

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Take That was reunited in 2005 because of the documentary called Take That: For the Record. At that time, the other four's condition was Gary became a reclusive songwriter living in his mansion with his wife and two children, Howard became a DJ living half his life in Germany for his daughter who was raised by his ex and ofc England for his other daughter raised by his other ex and also in addition was slightly depressed and unsure about his life, Jason became a traveling nomad living in his jeep, while Mark...was trying for his solo career. After he won Celebrity Big Brother in 2002, he got a recording deal to make his second album and even got him to be able to reach out to Robbie but the album didn't work out so he had to collect money to finally released his third album in 2004. At that time, Robbie Williams was in and out of rehab. This single was released after the Take That documentary was released and take a look at the lyrics.

Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh There's a friend of mine Who's wasting all his money Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh Think he's had his time Think he's lost his mind Still a friend of mine

Oh, oh, oh, oh Oh, oh, oh, oh Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh Could have had it all From the Albert Hall To the uni-ball How the mighty fall

4. Shine (2006)

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After the documentary, which actually got big attention in the UK, they had a tour, the beginning of their "Take Two" phase. The tour was very successful that Take That, just four of them, got a record deal to make their fourth that nobody could ever expect, Beautiful World. The second single from this album, is this song, Shine. Sings by Mark Owen and judging by the quirkiness, it is written mostly by Mark (able to detect which song majorly written by who is a skill that a Thatter must have). The song over the years is revealed to be written for Robbie Williams (you should click this link really) who at this point in time, was still in and out of rehab but now also very depressed and reclusive. He even said he was retiring from performing and became agoraphobic. Robbie had held his panic attack on stage for years and it finally got him.

5. Said It All (2008)

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In 2008, after the success of Beautiful World, Take That didn't waste any moment and immediately returned to the studio for their next album, The Circus. IMO, this album in almost its entirety are written for Robbie. Fight me if you disagree. And why? Because they recorded this song in LA where Robbie lived, hence that quote from Gary's biography about that movie-like moment where it turned out they tried to look at each other from the windows and balcony they were in. I should've known the moment Robbie started uproot his family back to London and Switzerland, he's planning to try for success in the US. For decades before, he lived peacefully in Beverly Hills because he knows no one there would recognize him. Like, he tried once for US success and he gave up entirely for that reason. Back to 2008, Take That were writing this album and they managed to have someone to contact someone who got to make 4 of them meet Robbie in his home, where they started talking again for the first time since the 90s. It was a start which is why, for many fans, this song is about that moment.

All of the miles of words we've spoken All of the lines that got away Didn't we take the time to say them all?

6. You Know Me (2009)

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Not long after, Robbie Williams released his album. He didn't do any promo at all. Just one or two live tv performance and that's even. Not even a tour. He was too afraid and too unsure for that. But, in this album, Reality Killed the Video Star, there is this song that actually his reply to Shine. He never confirm this but the rabbit living in his own fairytale world is referred in his tour with Take That, Progress Live where after Shine is performed, the transition to his setlist is done with a guy dressed up as bunny, entered a screen and become Robbie Williams who jumped out to perform.

7. Shame (2010)

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After the success of The Circus, and its gigantic live shows, Gary Barlow returned to LA with his family of four (they just had another baby at that time :3) for a holiday in 2009. This was the time when he, the one in Take That who must've felt the hardest to forgive Robbie, really like really had quality talk together. Gary and his wife visited Robbie's house, and they started writing songs together. The writing sessions resulted in two sings: this one and Heart and I. Robbie then put these two songs to his Greatest Hits album, called In and Out of Consciousness and had Shame as the single of this album. A public statement that Robbie Williams and Gary Barlow had mended their relationship and enemies no more. Robbie even dragged Gary around for the press junkett and small tour in small venues he did for this album...and also the previous one that never got its own tour. Oh, I love return back to those clips, they were so bare, no flashy stage costumes, got nothing to lose. Dude, they looked emotionally charged, you can't fake this maan. Oh yea, there's also that Children in Need before that, it's a lot, you gotta see the documentary or the videos on your own. This was also around the time they just released Progress album and announced the tour next year which led to...

8. The Flood (2010)

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The first song that they wrote for this album, mostly by Robbie. Look at the lyrics, this song is a statement. Solid song, who unfortunately never gonna sound the same as long as Robbie not in Take That and Howard sings this in live shows. Robbie sings this sometimes in his shows though, but with the rest of Take That, it doesn't sound the same. Anyway, the whole Progress and its deluxe version Progressed is by far the furthest Take That album ever. Half of the songs in this album is about themselves and their rekindled relationship and half of them is Mark Owen high on alcohol influenced his friends into writing songs about dystopian sci-fi that is terrifyingly relatable today. You should all listen to Progress/Progressed at least once in your life. Another song from this is their B-side, called Rocket Ship and another is never even released by them but Robbie had shown this in his live streaming called Blue World.

9. Different (2012)

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After Progress, Robbie Williams and Gary Barlow returned back to their studio and have more quality time together, continue tightened their relationship while also make an album out of it. They eventually cancelled the album and each took the songs they made to their respective albums. To this album that became his comeback after reunited with Take That, called Take the Crown, Robbie had Candy and Different, both were used as the singles. But there is also the song in this album called Into the Silence which from the lyrics you can tell this is a song for Gary. This song in particular, is very close to him, he rarely performed this, by the way. I think the last time he did was when he was touring this album. Even the music video that I shared is the one re uploaded because somehow the original is deleted. I don't know why.

This time I'll be different, I promise you, This time I'll be special, you know I will, Just don't leave with me in your eyes. This time I'll be better, I want you to know, This time I'll be special, oh God, make it so, Just don't leave with me in your eyes, your eyes, your eyes

Gary in his album also had Requiem from his sessions with Robbie. The song is dedicated for his father who died in 2009, if I'm not mistaken. But, there is a song in the deluxe version, called Mr Everything who suspiciously probably was written inspired by Robbie.

10. Into the Wild (2014)

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After Progress, they had a break. Robbie returned to his solo, Gary to his solo as well his first album since his badly badly failed second one in the early 00s, and Mark also to his fourth album. And when it's time to return, Robbie preferred to go his own way, he got projects he wanted to do lining up. Jason suddenly quit the band. That left only three of them. The three determined to continue and make their next album, the first since they became just three. One of this song, performed by Mark, Into the Wild, seemed to dedicate to Robbie. Just look at the lyrics.

Up tight, tied up again Tied up again with my one and only friend Your voice is all I can hear All I can hear it's the music to my ears

Staying out of trouble staying in and out of touch In and out of touch I can never get enough Up tight, tied up again Some things will never change

It's almost like we go Dance with desire then we go playing with fire Then we go into the wild again

Tumblr only lets you attach 10 videos in one post so I guess I'll have to stop here for now. There are still many songs to explore. It got less in recent time but doesn't mean there's nothing more. There are. He's not lying when he said "Gary Barlow, I think about you a lot." Even if Mark is constantly thinking about Rob 😂

#robbie williams #gary barlow #mark owen #howard donald #jason orange #take that #barlliams #creamcakes #willowen #my ramblings #better man #Youtube

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acesw · 30 days ago

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Knowing our Arcanists: Urd

Hello! It's been a long time since I've made a post for this series, but unfortunately I've been busy and thus I haven't been able to catch up. However, this entry is special because this is the first NPC that I've wanted to explore ever since 1.6 dropped. So for this post, let's welcome: Urd.

Urd has been a mysterious character since the beginning of the game, and it's only now that we've come to a point where we're introduced to the face of the biographer.

Even then, we don't have much to understand about her, so this post will be mainly dedicated to understanding who she is and why she's so significant as a character. Let's get started.

Being from an unknown time and place, Urd is most known as the famous biographer who has traveled to many niche places around the world; most notably Apeiron and it's Island. This particular article is what prompted Vertin's search for her, and why we're here now.

Igor claims that Urd had been previously involved with not only Zeno, but also the Foundation's Pax Security Council.

We're not sure with what she did with the Pax House, but it became significant enough that she had been gifted a marble chair—one that continued to be brought to her until the present day.

At the end of 1999, there was a war that happened between Zeno and an unknown entity, and Igor also claims that Urd was involved in it. After that, the "Storm" happened, and Urd disappeared with it.

Or at least that's what everyone had thought.

For the next 8 years, however, Urd had continued to roam the Earth as the biographer, having been confirmed to have appeared in 1996 and 1966.

She released stories about Rayashki and London (refer to 1.1 and 1.8), but she barely remembers them now. She writes articles and travel notes for UTTU, and the magazine releases them to the public once doing so.

She has become a very important piece in understanding the true nature of the "Storm" after being discovered that she is able to cross it mostly unscathed. Urd is unlike Vertin's case, since she still gets affected by it.

The "Storm" greatly affected her not only physically but also physiologically. For every "Storm" that happens, she becomes reconstructed as the same blind woman, but she loses a chunk of her memories as a result of the "Storm" affecting her mind.

She remembers who she fundamentally is, but she had forgotten her memories from prior to the "Storm" and the early years of it.

It's likely because of this that she began to go under different aliases when she had began to travel. Marta, Dr. Dores, The Friend From Afar, and (possibly) Bessmert—they're all under the same face, and it's why not a lot of people had been able to find her for so long.

Nevertheless, her survival has become incredibly invaluable for many, and it is mainly why she's sought after by multiple parties. From not only Vertin and the Foundation, but also Igor and the Manus Vindictae, and even the Pax House.

In Chapter 8, she was found in São Paulo, and we're finally introduced to her proper. Urd can be described as an altruistic and gentle person, seeking peaceful resolutions above everything.

She wanders around a lot and keeps her typewriter on her person. With her fondness of interacting with those around her, she's able to befriend people quite easily.

Urd is also a very insightful person and is (almost) sincere about herself and her own observations of the world. She stands as an observer from a distance, but wishes to make everyone's stories known by her own means.

However, she remains enigmatic with her methods and her plans, making it difficult to discern the goals she's trying to achieve in this story.

Beyond this, she's a peculiar person in the lore, and the fact that she looks like a certain someone is already damning. I hope that her story and her relationships with everyone is further expanded upon in future chapters.

#knowing our arcanists #reverse 1999 #reverse 1999 urd #as @/fish once said #smash and dash

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feyd-meowtha · 1 year ago

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Blog Thesis:

Links to my fics are below...

After the failed attack on Arrakis by House Harkonnen, the Emperor orders that Feyd-Rautha be sent to live on Arrakis as a ward of House Atreides. AU in which the Harkonnen attack fails and Feyd and Paul get to meet more than one time. (complete)

In a world of plans within plans, Paul craves the unknown. Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen offers that, a single blind spot in the endless sea of prescience, the one person who's path he cannot see. When every future is too painful to bear, Paul takes on a risk on the one he cannot know. (Complete)

“Don’t even think about it. Your leg’s fucked, you’re not going anywhere.” Bucky said with a sigh. “As entertaining as this has been, it’s always a pleasure to meet new people, this gun is a little heavy and my arm is starting to hurt. So either show us the pretty smile I’m sure you got hiding under there and get on your knees; or I’ll shoot you in the head.” He shrugged to illustrate the fact that he didn’t care either way, which was mostly true. There was a moment of silence before the stranger sank to their knees and began to unwrap the long strip of fabric they had wound around their face. I fell away in dusty coils, leaving faint indentations on the man’s tanned skin. Bucky couldn’t help the way that his breath faltered when the last of the cloth fell away to reveal that the man he had been about to shoot... was little Buck Cleven. (Complete)

Series of works from my MOTA 90s Chicago House Music AU

Of course he had done this before, a hundred, no a thousand times. Of course he knew all the DJs and what was in all the cocktails. Of course he wasn’t a virgin. Of course people wanted him. He was beautiful, how could they not? (Series ongoing)

MOTA Scream (1996) AU. Clegan are Ghostface (Complete)

Planes, trains and Automobiles inspired MOTA Christmas AU. Gale is a stressed out Yuppie, John is a travelling baseball card salesman and they have three days to get home to Chicago during the worst snowstorm on record. (Ongoing, updates weekly until Christmas)

#dune #feyd rautha #paul atreides #dune part two #austin butler #dune part 2 #timothée chalamet #mota #feydpaul #clegan #Spotify

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like-tears-in-rain-storms · 2 months ago

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Ok, I've been seeing way too many posts here about "Willem Dafoe and his crazy little guy energy" or, "Willem Dafoe and his unexpected insurpassable hotness", and in the interests of those not in the know yet, I have to say:

Honeys. Oh, honeys. Willem Dafoe didn't just go from dreamy moral force in Platoon in 1986, to unhinged split-personality meme-font daddy in Sam Raimi's Spiderman in 2002, only to rematerialize in 2019 when he disembarked on a remote lighthouse island as Thomas Wake and started the reign of the freaky, movie-stealing supporting character.

Willem Dafoe has instead a long and varied trajectory of being a sexy little quirk.

Like in Streets of Fire (1984)!

Or Boondock Saints (1999)!

Or Crybaby (1990)! eXistenZ (1996)! Faraway, So Close (1993)!

And who can forget the mother of all WTF roles, in one of David Lynch's most sane movies, 1990's Wild at Heart!!!

Or that other supporting role in that guy who did Begotten's 2000 meta dark comedy vampire film "Shadow of the Vampire", which is somewhat ironic today for reasons....

he's the first and to date only actor be Oscar-nominated for playing a vampire, why is he not a goth icon, can we please make him a goth icon?

In sum,through these paltry samples, I hope I've sufficiently proven that Willem Dafoe's post-2010 streak of memorable little weirdoes that make the movies they're in 100% more pleasant by virtue of being there is but a continuation of a rich and proud tradition of him killing it in manic, depraved, iconic weirdo roles, and looking hot af while doing it. This post is informative and aims to educate people on Mr. Dafoe's filmography and him being a divine gift to humans and an unconventional sex symbol, and to introduce him to the TikTok generation.

If interest is generated (or if I feel like it, which I will), I shall proceed with another post about his sadly majorly unknown history of playing soulful, romantic, tormented protagonists while killing it (and looking hot af while doing it), which has happily continued and reached new heights in the last decade. I leave you with one small crump of that delicious cake from the time he played our Lord and Savior, for the good vibes.

Methinks we created a few new Christians there, ey? XD

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markerofthemidnight · 5 months ago

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I made a list of all the DoaI characters we know of so far and any information on them that might be relevant, use this for theory-crafting (and correct me if you think there’s anything I should add):

Dreams of an Insomniac - Characters

Volume 0 - Haunted Halloween PSA

Tommy Merrick

Overarching story’s protagonist

Visiting old family home, vaguely recognises the things on the tapes and even knows a Veldigun (possibly either Winfrey or Simon) personally

Has to do something in Lankmann’s Asylum (post-collapse)

Owen Grady

Reporter who wrote the OG Bizzare Break-In article

Rick Graham

Owner of Grimmso’s

Sean Grim

Listed as “Sceptical Civillian” in Volume 0, but his segment of the report was shown to be scripted in In Loving Memory

“To think they said our small-town representative was corrupt…” <- possibly Lankmann?

(see Volume 1 segment for Alex Williams)

Officer Kenneth Krueger

Father of Klaus Krueger

Attacked by Clyde in 1986/7(?), became riddled with Veldigun cooties, and was experimented on by Lankmann until his death in 1996

Death was faked in 1987, claiming he had hung himself in his son’s closet (complete with a forged suicide note, which may possibly be a real note twisted to look like one due to the heavy distortion and blurring of the final paragraph?)

Mortimer Grey

In-house animator for the Lankmann Foundation

Most famous for work on cartoon series Candy Mouse

Possibly riddled with Veldigun cooties?

Mr. Wilson

Father of Sam Wilson, one of the children “eaten” by Clyde on Halloween ‘86

Got “eaten” by Clyde the following January

Wife still alive by the time Family Photo Album takes place, or at least wasn’t “eaten” by Clyde

Clyde, or “The Smiling Snatcher”

The first(?) Veldigun to make itself known in Eastridge County

“Infant” (by Veldigun standards) during the events of Halloween ‘86

Used to hunt children, now has a preference for adults

Uses taunting and psychological manipulation to get to its victims

Can wear the skin of its victims, though wether this is literal or just an extension of its hallucinations is unknown

Volume 1 - Foundation Archives

Alex Williams

Lives on 66 Elk Crescent

Partial witness to Halloween ‘86, was interviewed by ECN shortly afterwards on the same night(?)

Was put under “witness protection” by the Lankmann Foundation, borderline forced to join the asylum shortly after its founding

Going to meeting with someone “very dangerous” after the events of the recording of Volume 1

Someone that they care about has been “hurt” by the Lankmann Foundation, in a mysterious incident that will probably be touched on in the mini-volumes

Doctor Herbert Lankmann

Founded the Lankmann Foundation in 1990(?) with money inherited from his late father (who he probably murdered)

Pays the police to hide all the unethical things he does

Has mechanical hands and screens fitted into/replacing his eyes (likely a more accurate and trustworthy version of the goggles?)

Became more aggressive, alongside the Caretakers, after an unknown “incident” (likely the aforementioned one that hurt one of Alex’s friends)

Patient 66

Lived on 45 Elk Crescent

Abducted from her home by the Caretakers for unknown reasons

Described as “about in her 30s” by Alex, shows no obvious sign of mental illness and is physically fine

Went into Room 66, encountered Winfrey and didn’t die???? (the first time at least)

Probably died the second time (and got her voice stolen)

The Caretakers

Silent, stoic henchmen of Lankmann

Wear masks and goggles at all times

Winfrey, or “Specimen 02”

14-foot tall Veldigun, kept within Room 66 in the Lankmann Foundation

Auditory hallucinations come in the form of distant music, the knocking of doors and windows, the voices of people who aren’t actually there, etc

Took the voice of (and probably killed) Patient 66 the second time it encountered her

All things in mind might actually be pretty passive for a Veldigun? (didn’t kill Alex when they first entered either)

#dreams of an insomniac #doai #doai theory #Pastra #pastraspec

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scotianostra · 4 months ago

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On October 26th 1911 the Gaelic poet, Sorley MacLean, was born on the island of Raasay.

Sorley (Somhairle MacGill-Eain)was brought up within a family and community immersed in Gaelic language and culture, particularly song. Sorley studied English at Edinburgh University from 1929, taking a first class honours degree and there encountering and finding an affinity with the work of Hugh MacDiarmid, Ezra Pound, and other Modernist poets. Despite this influence, he eventually adopted Gaelic as the medium most appropriate for his poetry. However, it should be noted that MacLean translated much of his own work into English, opening it up to a wider public than the speakers of the Gaelic language.

During the Spanish Civil War, MacLean was torn between family commitments and his desire to fight on behalf of the International Brigades, illustrating his left-wing - even Marxist - political stance. He eventually resigned himself to remaining on Skye. He fought in North Africa during World War Two, before taking up a career in teaching, holding posts on Mull, in Edinburgh and finally as Head Teacher at Plockton High School.

It is often said that what Hugh MacDiarmid did for the Scots language, Sorley MacLean did for Gaelic, sparking a Gaelic renaissance in Scottish literature in line with the earlier ‘Scottish Renaissance’, as evinced in the work of George Campbell Hay, Derick Thomson and Iain Crichton Smith. He was instrumental in preserving and promoting the teaching of Gaelic in Scottish schools. Through the diverse subject matter of his poetry, he demonstrates the capacity of the Gaelic language to express themes from the personal to the political and philosophical.

MacLean’s work was virtually unknown outside Gaelic-speaking circles until the 1970s, when Gordon Wright published Four Points of a Saltire - poems from George Campbell Hay, Stuart MacGregor, William Neill and Sorley MacLean. He also then appeared at the Cambridge Poetry Festival, establishing his fame in England, as well as Scotland and Ireland, where he had become something of a cult figure thanks to a fan base including fellow poet Seamus Heaney. A bilingual Selected Poems of 1977 secured a broader readership and a new generation began to appreciate his work.

Latterly, he wrote and published little, showing his concern with quality and authenticity over quantity. Never a full-time writer, he was also a scholar of the Highlands with a vast knowledge of genealogy, and an avid follower of shinty. Amongst other awards and honours, he received the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry in 1990. He passed on in 1996 at the age of 85, and was survived by his wife and two daughters.

I have posted many times about Sorley, and probably overused Martyn Bennet’s Hallaig, but if you haven’t heard it, please go to Youtube and search for it, you won’t regret it.

The Two MacDonalds Sorley MacLean

You big strong warrior, you hero among heroes, you shut the gate of Hougomont. You shut the gate and behind it your brother did the spoiling. He cleared tenants in Glengarry – the few of them left – and he cleared tenants about Kinloch Nevis, and he cleared tenants in Knoydart. He was no better than the laird of Dunvegan. He spoiled Clan Donald.

What did you do then, you big strong hero? I bet you shut no gate in the face of your bitch of a brother.

There was in your time another hero of Clan Donald, the hero of Wagram, Leipsig, Hanau. I have not heard that he cleared one family by the Meuse or by any other river, that he did any spoiling of French or of MacDonalds.

What a pity that he did not come over with Bonaparte! He would not clear tenants for the sake of the gilded sheep, nor would he put a disease in the great valour of Clan Donald. What a pity that he was not Duke of the Land of the Barley And Prince of Caledonia!

What a pity that he did not come over with Bonaparte twenty years before he did, not to listen to flannel from the creeper Walter nor to gather dust from the old ruin but to put the new vigour in the remnant of his kinsmen!

What a pity that he did not come to succour his kinsmen!

Dá Dhómhnallach Somhairle MacGill-Eain

‘Na do ghaisgeach mór láidir; ‘Nad churaidh miosg nan curaidhean, Dhùin thu geata Hougomont. Dhùin thu ‘n geata ‘s air a chùlaibh Rinn do bhráthair an spùilleadh. Thog e tuath an Gleann Garadh – Am beagan a bh’air fhágail dhiubh – Is thog e tuath mu Cheann Loch Nibheis Is thog e tuath an Cnóideart. Cha b’fhearr e na Fear Dhùn-Bheagain: Rinn e milleadh air Cloinn Domhnaill.

De rinn thusa ‘n uair sin, A churaidh mhóir láidir? Fiach na dhùin thu aon gheata An aodann do ghalla bráthair?

Bha ann ri d’linn-sa fear eile, Curaidh eile de Chloinn Dhómhnaill, Curaidh Bhágram, Leipsich, Hanau. Cha chuala mi gun do thog esan Aon teaghlach mun Mheuse No mu abhainn eile. Cha d’rinn esan milleadh Air Frangaich no air Dómhnallaich.

Nach bochd nach táinig esan Le Bonaparte a nall. Cha thogadh esan tuath Air sgáth nan caorach óraidh, ‘S cha mhó chuireadh esan gaiseadh Ann an gaisge mhóir Chloinn Dómhnaill. Nach bochd nach rodh esan ‘Na dhiuc air tir an Eórna Is ‘na phrionns air Albainn.

Nach bochd nach táinig esan Le Bonaparte a nall Fichead bliadhna mun táinig, Cha b’ann a dh’èisteachd sodail O’n t-sliomaire sin Bhátar No a chruinneachadh na h-ùrach As an t-seann láraich, Ach a chur an spionnaidh ùrair Ann am fuidheall a cháirdean.

Nach bochd nach táinig esan Gu cobhair air a cháirdean.

#scotland #scottish #history #gael #poet #makar #Raasay #inner hebrides

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