#also theres a charm to having someone else take full control

[marvelcriminalhoe]

Stumbling West

Aaron Hotchner x Female Reader

Chapter 5

What They Say About Bikes

chapter summery: Training, dating, and bike rides.  i.e. season 7, episode 10 TW: talks of blood, death, typical criminal minds case jargon word count: 2,503

Series master list

Your lungs are on fire. With every breath you take, every time your lungs expand and deflate, the fire spreads, getting warmer, hotter. The coldish air still lingering in the morning daze outside does not help with the fire raging inside, and this is all Jack Garrett’s fault.

Though, he would tell you that you actually just need to run more, and he wouldn’t be wrong, but you don’t usually run 5 miles, in 60 degree weather, first thing in the morning. You haven’t even had your cup of coffee yet.

You also don’t run 5 miles in the field, so you don’t beat yourself up too much, for being so winded this morning.

Jack Garrett convinced you to run the FBI triathlon with him in a few months, with the promises that it would A. Be fun, B. Allow you guys to workout together, and C. Give you something to brag about.

But right now you are A. Not having fun, B. Having to workout alone because Jack is on a case, and C. Not bragging, because you realize you suck and instead will probably make a fool of yourself.

You finally finish your last lap around the park closest to your apartment, coming to a complete stop and resting your hands on your knees.

That’s supposed to help you breathe better right? Or are you supposed to put them on your head?

As you are debating the best method of getting the most oxygen back into your body, a pair of black running shoes come into your line of vision. Slowly ranking your eyes up the persons body to see who this intruder of space is, you come into contact with none other than Aaron fucking Hotchner, in all of his amazing glory.

See, your small attraction you had on your stoic, and yet, surprisingly charming boss, has slowly grown into a full blown, am I back in middle school, type of crush. Maybe it’s all of the sarcastic comments he makes under his breath during cases, that only you can here, or perhaps it has something to do with all those late nights you’ve been spending in his office, helping him with paperwork while bonding over Chinese takeout, or maybe, it’s that he is so attractive, and he doesn’t even know it, that it just makes him even more attractive.

He might be the person your closest to on the team. You’re both sarcastic, workaholics, with control issues. You are able to bond over similar trauma in a way no one else on the team would understand, except for maybe Rossi.

You’ve opened up to him a little about your late husband Zack. How you met your second year of college, his last, how you quickly fell in love, and, despite both of your parents wishes, we’re married 5 months later. He joined the CIA a year after your marriage, which would inevitably, lead to the catastrophic downfall of your relationship.

He similarly, opens up to about Haylee. How they met in high school and got married after graduating. How hard it was when he decided to leave his prosecution job and join the FBI. How scared he was when he found out she was pregnant with Jack.

Though, neither of you have opened up about the events of their deaths. The pain of losing your spouses, years before someone should. You both know each others stories, his from the team gossip, and yours from your file. Instead your talks are more about a bittersweet reminiscing, with someone that will actually understand, without the fear that they will push a boundary you aren’t ready for. You know it’s been 2 years for him since he lost Haylee, and going on 4 years for you, since you lost Zack, but theres not this pressure to talk about something you don’t want to. Boundaries were set long before either of you knew each other, and that safety in your relationship, is something you didn’t even know you needed.

He clears his throat, drawing you away from your thoughts, and you realize you’ve been staring at him like a fish out of water. He has a cocky little smirk on his face that makes you either want to roll your eyes or kiss it off.

You go for the former option. Sadly.

You take in his attire, running shorts and a fitted running long sleeve, that’s pushed passed his elbows, he doesn’t appear to be out of breath, and you can’t help but be envious, “Have you just started?”

His cocky smirk turns into an amused grin, “No. Just finished 6 miles.”

You frown at him.

6 miles. 6 miles and he looks like that? Did he even break a sweat? Does he even know what sweat is?

Scoffing, you can’t help but roll your eyes again, “Who are you, Jason Bourne? Why aren’t you out of breath like me? I ran one less mile than you.”

Laughing, he ignores your question for one of his own, “Why are you running 5 miles on a cold morning?”  

You put your hands on your hips, breathing better than a few minutes before, “Garrett convinced me to run some stupid triathlon with him in a few months. But now I’m forced to workout alone because if he’s not on a case, we are.”

Hotch raises an eyebrow at you, “That wouldn’t happen to be the FBI triathlon, would it?”

“Yeah.” You tell him questioningly, before it clicks in your brain, “No way. You’re doing it to? Oh that’s just great. Is everyone that’s doing it as in shape as you? Because I might as well drop out now.”

He laughs, shaking his head at you, “You’re not dropping out, I’m sure you’ll do fine. You still have a few months to train.”

“I’ve been training for the last 2 already.” You deadpan.

He grimaces, “How’s your swimming and biking?”

“Swimming is the best, my dad lives on the lake so I can practice in open water, though I’ll need to move indoors soon with the weather dropping. My biking is okay, we don’t have much time to really do that with our job and it’s faster to squeeze a run in before work.”

He nods along with you, “I feel the same way. My swimming is okay, I go to the Y, but my biking could use some work.” He places his hand on his hips, looking at you up and down, taking you all in, “Do you need some water?”

Oh my god he really is an angel.

“Please.” You graciously accept.

He nods towards the parking lot, silently telling you to follow him to his car. You both make light chatter about your mornings and where you usually run. Apparently this is also where he runs, his apartment being 5 minutes away, yours 10, just both in opposite directions.

When you get to his SUV he opens the back and grabs one of the water bottles from the case he keeps back there, for you, before also grabbing one for himself.

You take it gratefully, the water soothing any left over burn in your throat, before Hotch sets his own water down, clearing his throat, “You know, if you ever want to train together, I plan on going to a bike trail-“ He gets cut off from finishing, when his phone rings. Pulling it out of his pocket he shows you the screen. Garcia.

Bad guys ruin everything.

“Wait so you asked her out?” Rossi questions him

Aaron knew he shouldn’t have said anything, Rossi is not subtle, and he has been hinting at him, more like demanding him, for the past few weeks to make a move on you. He’s refusing to take the excuse that Aaron is your boss and that it would be extremely inappropriate.

“I didn’t ask her out, we bumped into each other and she’s training for the same triathlon.” Hotch repeats himself.

Rossi scoffs at him, “Oh come on Aaron, that’s your in!”

“That is not my in.” Aaron deadpans. “I need to focus on my training, not be distracted.”

“Yes, you should be distracted, distraction is good. Office romance even better, take it form someone who’s had a few.” Rossi argues.

Aaron rolls his eyes at him, not dignifying his comment with a response, though that doesn’t stop Rossi from making another one, “And you know what they say about riding a bicycle.”

That makes Aaron give his friend an exhausted look as they both walk into the conference room.

“Who’s getting a Bicycle?” Reid asks from his spot by you. Aaron is praying his cheeks don’t heat up as he watches you look up at Reid confused, not having heard the conversation between Aaron and Rossi.

“Nobody.” Aaron has to try and not clear his throat, that would be a giveaway, “Let’s get started.”

You are sitting on the couch with JJ on the plane, while Garcia is on the laptop cam, Rossi, Reid, Emily, and Derek, at the table.

“Ok, Rossi, out with it.” Garcia draws your attention from the tablet in your hands, “Is Hotch dating?”

Rossi leans forward, “I. Don’t. Know.”

“You know statistically, widowed men start dating much faster than females, but Hotch is refuting the data. It's been two years and nineteen days.” You don’t even question Reid when he gives you the exact amount of time.

“Leave it alone.” You tell the gossip table, going back to your tablet. Honestly, you don’t want to talk about if he’s dating or not. Your stupid crush making you jealous at the idea that it could be true.

Wouldn’t he tell you? Maybe you’re not as close as you thought. Is that what your upset about? No.

Your command doesn’t stop Garcia from continuing the conversation as if she never heard you, “Venus has aligned with Mars which means love is in the air and maybe we will have weekends off.”

You see Hotch out of the corner of your eye, come out of the cockpit from talking to the pilot, and Derek clears his throat to try and stop Garcia, though he’s not fast enough, “What? Is he standing there? He's standing there isn't he?”

He leans down so she can see him, “Hello Garcia.” Before he takes a seat on the arm of the couch by you.

You both make eye contact, yours giving away amusement, his mock exhaustion, before Garcia begs someone to start talking about the case.

“I talked to the M.E. It turns out Sam was hit with a pipe about 10 times. Bruce was beaten over 30.” Reid tells you and Hotch as he walks into the conference room you were given at the precinct.

“That’s a drastic change.” You state, “Could be from the adrenaline.”

Hotch furrows his brows, continuing off of your thought, “Or an extremely high endurance level.”

“Could be overkill.” Derek says walking into the room with JJ.

“Doesn’t that usually mean there’s a personal relationship?” You ask, no one in particular.

Hotch nods at you, “If the victims didn’t know each other, it’s unlikely the unsub knew them.”

JJ crosses her arms, “So what would account for this level of blood-letting?”

“It could be about the blood itself.” Reid supply’s, “If he’s enjoying the killing, then he’s getting aroused by it and developing a kind of blood lust.”

You can’t control how your face scrunches up at the thought, as Hotch side eyes you. You see a ghost of a smile painting his face, his clear amusement for your antics.

Worth being grossed out.

Your at your desk, the case wrapping up fairly quickly, as you see Rossi leave Hotch’s office. He has a satisfied smile on his face, so you know whatever argument they may have had, he won.

You gather your after action report, along with everyone else’s, (they left them with you so they wouldn’t have to face Hotch after the plane embarrassment.) and make your way up to his office.

You knock on the door panel as He hangs up the phone gesturing you in, “Here’s all the reports.”

Raising an eyebrow at you he asks, “How did you get stuck turning everyone’s in?”

“They pulled seniority.” You reply flatly, but there’s no malice in your voice.

He gives you a soft smile and you return one, before turning around to head out the door. Your stopped by Hotch clearing his throat, making you turn back around with a questioning gaze.

“I was wondering, if your not busy tomorrow, if you would like to go on a bike ride.” His voice is soft, and if you weren’t a profiler, you would have missed the slight waver in the beginning.

Is he nervous?

He continues before you have the chance to answer him, “I just know you said you don’t have a lot of time for biking.”

You nod your head a few times, before giving him a shy smile, “Yeah. What time should I meet you?”

He looks almost shocked you agreed, before quickly masking it, “Is 9 good?”

“It’s perfect. See you then.” Really praying he can’t tell how flustered you are by him as you turn away, he only makes you more flustered by the whispered, “See you,” you hear as you walk out the door.

You and Hotch are both competitive. Extremely competitive. And what you were thinking would be a peaceful bike ride, quickly turned into a bike race, which you sadly lost.

But, you did just spend you an hour in the park, with your very attractive boss, who is in very attractive bike shorts, where he was smiling, the whole time. So you’re not too torn up about loosing.

You are now at a coffee shop, splitting a big muffin together, “Oh please, you completely cut me off at the end so I couldn’t pass you.”

Hotch chuckles at you, “You could have passed if you were determined.”

“And get whacked by a tree? No thank you.” Causing you both to laugh.

“I had fun today.” He tells you, very softly as if it was a secret he wasn’t sure he wanted to share.

Smiling at him, you speak the same way, “Me to, Hotch”

“Aaron.”

“Pardon?” You question, not thinking you heard him right.

“You can call me Aaron, outside of work.” You can tell he is unsure with himself, so you reach across the table and grab the piece of muffin that was in his hand, before repeating yourself, “Alright. I had a good time with you today to, Aaron.” Eating the piece of muffin you stole.

He shakes his head at your antics, “I was going to suggest doing this again, but I don’t know if I can be around someone who steals my breakfast.”

You lean towards the table, taking another piece of the muffin, “It’s called sharing, Aaron, get used to it.”

And little do you know, Aaron thinks to himself, I already have.

[numbaoneflaya]

8, 21, 22, 26 for Caz , 25, 27, 29, 39 for Felria, 23, 30, 40, 43 for Suds, and 21, 25, 26, 35 for Nirn? 👀👀

HERE THEY ARE IM SJORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG GDSHEDG...

Caz

8. How does your character feel about religion?

Not a big fan! Hates the chantry and Andraste and the Maker and the Qun. Being raised in the circle run by templars and nuns and seeing the corruption of the church firsthand from the inside really left a bad taste in her mouth for organized religion.

21. What are your character’s manners like? What is their type of hero? Whom do they hate?

She has the ability to flip her manners on or off depending on who shes with. If shes comfortable then shes going to be more crass and impolite, but shes capable of really cleaning up her act and pretending to be professional if she needs to be. Her type of hero is anyone who goes against the status quo and disrupts systems of oppression- She considers Thurwen/the HOF and Hawke personal heroes (if Hawke sides with the mages) as well as Anders. Has read all of Anders manifestos and reports on Thurwen and Hawke and would geek tf out meeting them.

22. Who are their friends? Lovers? ‘Type’ or ‘ideal’ partner?

Friends are anyone who accepts her for who she is and doesnt snitch on her, people she can trust to do the right thing or atleast try to, and people she can have a good laugh with. Lovers are only a couple in the past as she needs to get to know someone well/find them interesting to want to sleep with them. Her type is large, charismatic and rugged. Anyone who looks like a good brat tamer but is also intelligent and keen. Iron Bull.

26. What does your character’s home look like? Personal taste? Clothing? Hair? Appearance?

Everything is covered in tomes and journals but theres a method to the madness. She likes to keep her things organized, surprisingly. She likes cool colors like greens and blues, likes dressing comfortably. Oversized shawls that second as blankets and loose pants. Her hair she likes to keep down with the sides pulled into little braids in front of her ears.

Felria

25. What are their hobbies and interests?

People watching and painting! She knows how to blend into a crowd pretty well or how to find a hidden vantage point where she can just sit and watch people… for hours. She finds peoples behaviors/reactions fascinating and makes little journals of interesting things she sees. Finding how other people work differently than her is vital to figuring out how best to manipulate and control them and she loves learning new ways! And painting because she has an artist's eye and enjoys beautiful things. A few bottles of blood and a quiet evening in front of an easel is a great way for her to unwind.

27. How do they relate to their appearance? How do they wear their clothing? Style? Quality?

She relates her appearance with how easily she will be able to blend in or stand out of her surroundings, and how to dress in order to play the role she wants to play. Because of her line or work (professional assassin and information gatherer) she has to have a lot of costumes available to fit the personalities she plays. Shes a performer at heart but only for herself and the joy she gets in deception. Her own style, if shes not performing, is simple reds and blacks and silvers. She keeps her hair long so shes able to do more with it.

29. What is your character’s weaknesses? Hubris? Pride? Controlling?

Her pride could definitely be her downfall as well as her curiosity. She believes shes just better and different than everybody else and that its her right to play with people as much as she wants, I can see her eventually trying to play with the wrong person. She believes she can get out of any situation by herself without help and that she deserves the finer things in life, and if someone gets in her way, they deserve whatever harm befalls them.

39. What do they like to ridicule? What do they find stupid?

She will really ridicule anything and anyone because she finds most things stupid or benign. She likes to ridicule any of the gods and aedra, and anyone who worships them. She ridicules mortals and werewolves and any other creature that's not a vampire.

Suds

23. What do they want from a partner? What do they think and feel of sex?

Back in his youth he wanted spontaneous fun, a charming and outspoken person to sweep him off his feet. He always wanted someone to take him on adventures and be dangerous and in the moment. Now? Poor guy just wants commitment and someone genuine. Hes tired of charismatic liars who he always seems to fall for. He wants someone to help tend his garden and bond with the bees. He feels that sex is a sacred thing to be shared with people you trust, not something thrown around haphazardly. Relationship and trust come first with him, and he casually waves any flirtation most of the time as if he hadn't noticed it. He's been hurt too many times to trust easily like that.

30. Are they holding on to something in the past? Can he or she forgive?

Yeah hes holding onto a long ass past full of betrayal from the people hes held dearest to him :/ He by nature is a very forgiving person and believes one must be generous in forgiveness. Hes holding onto his past hurt from Felix and cant seem to get away from it- hes forgiven him many times and each time Felix just does the same things as before.

40. How is their sense of humor? Do they have one?

A little dual natured in this aspect. Generally pretty reserved and soft with other people and can seem serious to those who dont know him. Underneath that is his reputation as a trickster- fond of pranks and revelry. The little twinkle in his eye is the only thing that would give him away as the culprit when everyone is looking for who filled a bucket of mud over Nirns chamber door. His favorite kind of jokes are the really long ones, the ones that have a seemingly normal storyline and go on forever and then end in a way where the joke is really on the person listening. And everyone around goes “AAAUUGHH!”

43. Does your character have any secrets? If so, are they holding them back?

A lot of them! Hes a very good secret keeper as hes who many people go to with their problems. After being alive so long and being somewhat involved with politics he probably knows more than a few that could take down nations, and always seems to know whats going on wherever in the world. He has his connections, his mushrooms and his bees and such have eyes everywhere. And don't tell anyone but he is an ardent fan of juicy gossip.

Nirn

21. What are your character’s manners like? What is their type of hero? Whom do they hate?

Impeccable manners. The posture of a God, obviously. Always eloquent and polite, knows which spoons to use for certain dishes and common diplomacy practice from all over the world. Nirn has no heroes, hes never held anyone to a pedestal or been one for hero worship. If he had to choose hed say his mother, for how graceful yet ruthless she was in politics and trade. He also does not hate anybody, he considers strong feelings a weakness and to harbor such resentment would only make him act rashly. He dislikes the slovenly, though. Not the common man but the drunken aristocrat with wine breath who gambles his savings and acts impolitely.

25. What are their hobbies and interests?

Chess and games of strategy are some of his favorites in the odd chance he has any free time. He also plays the violin and the harp and the lute, instruments he's known since he was taught them as a child. Wine tasting as well! Hes one of those mfs who can just sniff a certain drink and say with precision the date time and location it was made.

26. What does your character’s home look like? Personal taste? Clothing? Hair? Appearance?

Everything is refined and elegant with a certain air of someone who enjoys the arts. Many expensive paintings and sculptures on display. He prefers the colors red and gold and white, sometimes a darkish blue or purple. He is always dressed to impress, satin and velvet and exotic leathers. He keeps his hair long to the small of his back, or tied up in a bun. In appearance hes intimidatingly tall and knows how to stand to look even taller, does not tilt his head down to you but moreso stares down his nose.

35. Do they always rationalize errors? How do they accept disasters and failures?

Failure is only a means to greater success to him. To win a game sometimes you need to sacrifice a few pawns, etc. Takes them calmly and with little indication that hes upset at all. He usually has four or five backup plans for any endeavor, so hes able to quickly jump tactics if something isn't working. In game or battle hes typically a good sport at losing, though he very seldom does. Hed be more impressed that someone managed to make him fail, and get to thinking on how to get them in his employ.

[fucker-anon]

Puppeteer Headcanons

K so this mans has been living in my head rent free since I first laid eyes on them (like 2013) so here are my headcanons about their backstories, personalities, and more. Some are inspired by the original stories and lore, some are inspired by other bloggers, some are me self-projecting. Warning there are mentions of dark themes so keep caution. Also i am not a writer, (im sorry) @creepy-bi-day enjoy!!

Puppeteer~

Backstory: 

Puppeteer was born as Jonathon Blake on July 23, 1974

Mother was Hispanic, dad was American. He grew up speaking Spanish and English. He also never really got along with both sides of the family cause he’s mixed (they didn’t like that). They kinda preferred his siblings.

had 4 younger siblings (3 girls, 1 boy). He was 4 years older than the second child.

ever since he could walk he was obsessed with musical theater. For a while his family was able to Johnny to theater camp. Stopped after the 3rd child was born due to financial reasons

parents were working full time to take care of their family. meant Johnny was basically acting like a 3rd parent. good news was he was able to take care of all 4 of them and meet their basic need of being fed, staying clean etc. bad news it meant that he was taking care of them 24/7 and was constantly tired and not taking care of himself. Started to develop symptoms of depression, but couldn’t get help due to the stigmas around mental health + he’s a guy.

got worse in highschool when his work load increased and he wanted to do more in drama and music but couldn’t cause he had to take care of his siblings. He also didn’t make many close friends except for one girl in his drama class Erma. 

Erma was his best friend and they started dating in their second year of highschool. She helped him as much as she could with his mental health, their studies, and even helped babysit some days. They brought out the best in each other. 

Erma loved dance and wanted to become a ballerina, but her parents tried to keep her focus on studies. They did allow her to take theater which she also loved. Her parents were very strict and controlling so she had to hid her relationship.

It wasn’t until the second child turned 13 (johnny was 17), when she started to help out more with the other three siblings (12f, 9f, 7m). Thanks to her help and now they were in a better financial position, johnny was able to join plays and bands which had afterschool practices.

He was really good. He discovered he was born with perfect pitch and was able to get the lead in a play in his final year. This was also when he was able to score a scholarship so some of his uni fees would be paid for.

he decided to major in theater and wanted to go on Broadway or at least become a drama teacher

however when apply for uni, Erma’s parents discovered their relationship and they offered Erma a choice, break up with johnny or else they wouldn’t pay for Erma’s schooling. They hated johnny mostly due to racism and the fact that he wasnt going into a “stable career”. Erma choose to break up with Johnny but didn’t want to tell him these reasons cause she knew that it would upset him. So instead she told him that she’s fallen out of love and wanted to break up.

Johnny agreed mostly to make her happy, but this started his spiral downwards.

Johnny didn’t have any friends other than Erma, he also went to uni in a different city so he didn’t have his family there. His depression got really bad, and he ended up isolating himself and failing first term. He decided to kill himself via hanging. Problem is he wasn't heavy enough to kill himself right away, so he was suffering for hours. 

He spent his last few hours allowing himself to finally “be selfish” and allowed himself to be angry at his family, Erma, and his overall life.

due to this anger, he was able to come back as a ghost, wanting others to feel the same pain as him.

when he came back he was able to change his body into his idea of a perfect vessel, some improvement were making himself taller, better hair, clear face, smooth voice, bigger dick.  and now feeds off of negative energy

Personality:

cold-hearted, cunning, manipulative, a smooth talking, somewhat charming. this is the very carefully crafted version of Puppeteer, He’s the guy who could talk you into doing anything, mostly stuff like jumping off a bridge

however once you get close to him, you see more of Johnathon than puppet. He is very protective of his close friends, will fuss over them and scold them if they aren’t taking care of themselves

good luck getting there tho. After Erma he really had a hard time opening up to ppl due to his fear that they will all leave him at one point. 

Powers:

he feeds off of negative energies, the more trauma the better (finally imma a snack), so he usually influences his victims into a deep depressed state where they off themselves. However once he started hanging out with the creeps (mansion au), he really didn’t need to do that since everyone is a lil fucked up. He just feeds off a little bit of everyone, so that no one is really affected. At this point, he probably has enough energy to outlive the fucking queen

He’s a ghost so he can levitate at most like 10 m above the ground, and if he focuses, he can go through walls and become invisible. 

he has golden strings due to the ectoplasm inside of him (make his eyes and mouth glow to). This strings are like limbs, They are tough to break but if you do its gonna hurt him a lot. They can extend up to 60 ft, and are about 1 cm thick. 

Fun Facts (cause idk how to categorize these)

lots of trauma, need therapy. he feels a lot of shame for what happened and only opens up to his very close friends. again born in 70′s, theres the toxic masculinity and some internalized homophobia. 

still a theater kid!! love musicals and can still sing and play guitar. His vocal cords are a lil more sensitive cause the whole hanging thing, but as long as he warms up, can has the range baby. also has Macbeth memorized

can still cook. while he doesn’t like his past and doesn’t need to eat. He wrote down all of the recipes he knew and will sometimes make them again

dick is 6.5 inchs soft 7.5 hard, i know y’all wanted to know. if also like 6′2 tall. tall big boi

i hc him as pansexual. yea he rather died again than admit that he loves someone, but he won’t care about gender. he still is cis tho.

he does fuck. not often but occasionally. slightly lower sex drive than average 

grunge king. he grew up in poverty and he great at diy. very leans more punk grunge but can be soft grunge depending on his mood. love beanies and his hair is a little longer than chin length with lots of layers. He is tempted to shave off the sides of his head tho. also has grunge and punk music on his playlists.

bad with tech. like the opposite of ben. gets called an old man since he couldn’t figure out how the tv remote works.

he doesn’t grow facial hair, doesn’t like the look.

acts like he’s too proper to cuss, but he does.... a lot

experienced some racism while growing up so he does say ACAB

probably has some piercings or tattoos or both 

still is depressed, has some tough days, but doctor ej gets him pills to help and he has a good support system

shit this was a lot so Helen is next with another post. ill get into their friendship and relationships with other in a whole new post if yall like it. someone tell me if this gives joy cause i could write an essay on this man

[irameii]

HEATHER:||: ERIC

Warnings:|| one sided love

Summary: I wish I was her....

A laugh rings throughout the air. One so familiar, you cant help but smiling automatically at the sound. His presence, one that illuminates wherever he goes. Slowly turning around, there he is ,your best friend.

There it is , a smile, a gesture so simple yet it causes a million butterflies to flutter within you and causes your mind to go fuzzy. Its like he doesn't know his own charm or the control he has over you, but no one knows. No one knows the feelings you carry within.

(Idkh these pov thingys work yet sorryy)

Eric: y/n!!!!!!. Eric yells as he jogs closer, and grabs y/n's shoulder y/n: yes Eric?* deep breath* Eric: did you do the homework for math class? * Breathe* y/n: Yeah I did.I actually finished it before class ended yesterday. Eric: you're gonna let me see it right??? *heart beating gets louder* Take a step back Y/n : nope. You should've done it. *starts walking down the hall* Thinking he's wandered off you let out a deep sigh... Knowing if you let him beg enough youd cave in and you knew better. He would never learn this way.and soon enough you could see yourself falling farther and farther into his grasp over time and he didnt even know it. You let out one more sigh before turning around to see Kevin , who cant help but look at you concerned. Kevin: whats wrong y/n?

.. You avoid eye contact. Kevin is one of those people. Someone who can tell when someones upset. He can read you well. So you knew you had to leave quickly. Y/n: I didnt get much sleep last night. So I'm feeling quite off today, its nothing serious. *nervous laughter*

He seems to kind of believe it since he just nods his head as if he can see it apparent on your face.. But something feels off, like he's pretending to believe you for your sake but you just excuse yourself and head towards the bathroom.Totally unaware he hasnt stopped looking your way since turning around as he nods to himself again as if comfirming somthing to himself before turing to head to his own class.

Y/n Pov

*splash*

*in a quiet voice* 'Whats wrong with me..'.. Its like the moment I look at him I cant help it. My heart begins to race, my stomach ends up feeling funny like there are millions of butterflies, and I get nervous and run away each time he gets closer... *Looks back at self in mirror* only if he knew...

(5 min later.)

*sigh* *walks towards math*

Other POV

You sit down before class begins , and there it is again , his laughter, but this time its different. You cant help but turn around to see whats caused the change in his voice, and its like your throat gets caught. Her. The girl he always is talking to you about.It seems like he was finally able to build the courage to talk to her. The one he wants to take to the movies to see his favorite movies with. The one he wants to show his safe places to . The one who keeps him up at night. The one he wants to wear matching clothes with. The one he wants to spend his holidays with. Her. Its her. Guess he didn't need the homework anymore afterall.

You quickly turn back around , trying to keep your emotions in. You feel yourself go colder with each sound. A tightening feeling in your chest builds everytime you hear them laughing . You sigh and breathe in slowly , praying the class ends quickly .

The moment class ended you jolt up quckly and grab your things and head towards your locker for the next class.

Y/n Pov

*sigh* *grabs snack for break*

Eric:y/n!!!

I dont respond.

Eric:y/n? Whats wrong .*looks concerned*

There he goes again.

Nothing Eric i say. He looks in disbelief. Knowing theres something off.

Eric: hmmm.You sure sure?. Hmm Well lets go with the rest of the guys. They are waiting for us for sure. *wraps arm around shoulder*

It was like a sudden new reflex. I didnt mean to. But jerking away from him seemed like the only thing that my body felt like I should do...

The look of surprise on his face made me feel embarrassed I reacted that way. And as soon as it looked like he was going to ask me what was wrong again I speed down the hall.

And there I meet the rest of the guys , thankfully.

New: thank goodness you're here. Look help me out. Changmin keeps saying this chucky doll here is cute... Come get him .

I cant help but laugh. I take a seat next to Sangyeons right side while Juyeon is on my left.

Juyeon looks towards me as i sit and smiles that crescent moon kind of smile. Of course i return it .

Y/n: I dont know about chucky being cute. But his bride is quite a beauty tho.

New:..... You... You two are something else with your horror movies... Like... You know what, forget it. *laughs in defeat.*

Y/n: *dramatic gasps* my oh my you say that like WE'RE the weird ones.🙄👀

Sunwoo and Q: periodt👀👏

Eric finally arrives.

Eric: Guys!! Guess what?

Sunwoo: you did your math homework for once?

Eric:.... Mm well Uh no, i didnt

Sangyeon: you didnt ask y/n for the answers this time?

Eric: no i did, but she said no. I got it from. H/n (her name)

Hyunjae: so thats what it is. You spoke to her?

*breathe*

Eric: yes and guys, like, I think I've maybe got a chance.

There he goes again... Her. Its all her. JUST her...

Jacob: so did you ask her out?

Eric: yeah I did. I invited her to our movie night tonight. I was gonna ask you guys if you guys were cool with it beforehand but I didnt think I would must the courage to.

Juyeon: anything for you to get the girl. We got you

New: IF he gets her. She just doesnt know the headache she's in for.

Sangyeon: Guess all that practice on y/n was worth it.

Practice...

Thats all I was....

He says it smiling towards me , not knowing the hurt his words have just caused subconsciously but I cant smile. Not even a forced one. I just pretend I didnt heard him.

Eric: yeah she told me she actually thought I was dating y/n but of course I could never. We're like siblings.

Ouch...

New: true...

Q: I dont even think eric is y/n's type anyways

I make eye contact with someone who seems to have been watching my every move.

Kevin...

He looks like he is observing everything... From my reactions to my responses.After another 3 seconds he looks away.Not saying a word either.

Everyones laughing. Everyones congratulating him.

Younghoon:y/n?

Everyone turns to face me.oh .

Y/n: hm?

I was too lost in thought. I spaced out.

Sangyeon: What time are you coming by?

Y/n: for what?

Sunwoo: for the movie. We gotta all be Eric's wingman here. He needs all the help we can offer.

Oh.. She will be there too? Can I handle it? Yes? No? No I cant handle it

Y/n: Uh i cant . I have something that just came up. I just remembered.

I lied. And sure enough. I was seen through.

Eric: like what?

Y/n: something

Q: really? What is it? Maybe we can help you out so you can come by and hang out.

Something is snapping within me. I need to leave.

Y/n: no thanks. You guys have fun.

I get up before they give me a response. I cant be around them . not until i get over these feelings. But its harder than i thought. But i dont want to take it out on them either so I should try.

Everytime We'd see each other after that. It was HER. It was either him with her or about her.

Everytime in class, itd be HER.

Every text , HER.

And the guys went along with it.

And everytime , itd hurt. A punch to the heart. And a bit tighter it would feel each time.

And the constant reminder that its just HER and will always be HER..

only if he knew.. I wish I was her.... its like the way he'd talk about her was like he was telling you the reason for his existence, the way his eyes shined when hed see her and then theyd soften when she'd smile at him,the smile he'd have when hed describe her or simply talk about her and trust me he was always proud to, or the way he tried to contain his happiness when she'd come around to speak to him just showed me all i needed to know.

He loved her. She made him happy . Thats all that mattered.

I felt one of those sad smiles form. Because though he was happy . I was not. I dont want to be reminded its not me constantly..so with thaat thought. I call it quits. Until I no longer feel this feeling. I'll distance myself so I can let go properly and move on with time.

I suddenly stopped responding to the gc messages. Slowly started to decline to hang out. But it seems it wasn't a big deal though. She was there eveytime instead.She became apart of everything they did. And with that I started to spend all my time in the library as a way to naturally distance myself. The guys were worried at first. But once i told them I needed perfect scores to get into my dream college, they decided me spending most of my time in the library for it was alright. It was for my other "dream college" so I should put it first they said. For my future they said.And then they also suddenly stopped asking me to hang out.It didnt take long.They also suddenly stopped directing messages towards me in the gc. Personal messages as well. Slowly one by one. We stopped having things to talk about ,like we've become strangers with time.. Now to just glances every now and then, that was all. Other than that, we became just like strangers. Strangers with memories....

Suddenly..

Kevin: y/n...

*Distant laughter*

I turn to look at Kevin.Sensing he had something to say but it wouldnt come out. He looks towards the table and I follow his gaze towards the table full of boys with her in it. I can only smile. I smile when they errupt with laughter at something new and sunwoo said. Happy they're happy. And with that I turn back to Kevin.

I can only smile at Kevin. No words. Just a smile.

The look on his face says he has something to say still present.

For the past 6 months. He would have that same look on his face when I'd walk past him. But hes never actually stopped me.

Kevin: y/n...

And just like that . Suddenly I'm wrapped in a warmth I didnt think I missed. And it's like it went quiet..and the sound of sniffling fills my ears , and his hold gets tighter. Oh Kevin..

THE END.

Authors note: Maybe I can male a Pt2? This one turned out bad tbh .

I did not edit this but i will later onnnn thank youuuuuu

[evanstanhoney]

Control.//Vampire!Shawn x Witch!Reader

a/n: this is also hockey!shawn so...theres that :) 

summary: shawn’s a new vampire and you try to help him the only way you know how.  

⚠️warnings: mentions of blood

word count:1.9k

You and Shawn had slowly created a post-game ritual. You’d meet him out in the parking lot, go grab a bite to eat at your favorite burger place (depending on how the game went, you’d add a milkshake) and then you’d head to your place and he would spend the night. Something that your friends wasn’t too keen on at first, having a newly turned vampire in a house full of witches but not so surprisingly Shawn managed to win them over with his Canadian charm and a smile.

You were laying in your bed, Shawn wrapped around you when you bring it up.

“It’s happening more often.”

You can feel Shawn’s body tense against you, and though you can't see him in the darkness of your room, you know he’d nibbling at his bottom lip, a telltale sign he knows he’s been caught.

“What is?”

“You know what.”  you scoff

A newly turned vampire is the last person who should be playing hockey. Arguably the bloodiest sport there is, but Shawn insisted on playing and you weren’t his keeper so as much as you hated the concept you never missed a game. And nearly every game, he’d have an episode. An outburst that showcased his above-average strength and highlighted his newly found bloodlust. You caught him with his fangs out on more than one occasion and of course, he denied it but you know what you saw. And if you saw it, so did everyone else, and it was only a matter of time before people started connecting the dots and realize that Shawn was no long Shawn.

“Shawn,  you’ve got to get it under control.”

“I’ve got it under control.”

“No, you don’t. I can help you,” you whisper softly, massaging his scalp.

“I told you. I got it.”  He grumbles, burrowing himself further into your chest. You tug on his hair, making him look up at you,  “And I told you, that you don’t.”  

“I’m trying.” He mumbles through a pout, eyes cast down.

“I know you are bub but we….it’s not enough,” you place a soft kiss to his forehead to soften the blow, “Tomorrow we are practicing controlling your thirst.”

“How are we going to do that?

“Let me worry about that.”

                                                _____________

Shawn complained his way up the hill and into the woods following behind you. You had no idea what you were doing, and no reason to believe your little experiment would even work, but it was worth a try. Shawn couldn’t keep having outbursts and despite how unqualified you were, you were the only one that could help him.

Your plan was pretty simple. Shawn would run past the trees further into the woods to the creek, you’d open up a fresh blood bag and time him to see how long he can last before he just couldn’t wait anymore and comes back to you. It was an endurance test. And as far as plans go….it sucked. But it’s the best thing that you could come up with.

“Honey, this isn’t going to work.” He groaned petulantly.

“Well with that attitude it won’t. You have to trust me.”

“I’ve tried everything. I can't help it.”

“First of all, you can. You walk around every day just fine.”

“But games -”

“Games are different, I know. But you have to learn how to control it. You can’t….flash fangs every time someone busts a lip on the ice.”

He takes his hands out of his pockets and you see him deflate. He knows you’re right and he sort of hates it.

“So go.” You instruct, shooting him off into the woods. You wait enough time for him to have gotten to the other side of the creek before opening up the first bag, set your timer. And he’s standing there in front of you quicker than you would have liked.

“Shawn, breathe.”

“I can’t,” he says through gritted teeth.

“Yes, you can. You do it all the time.” you soothe, taking a step closer to him a bag in your hand. He takes a step backward taking deep breaths. “Think of something else.”

He closes his eyes, trying to focus on something else, and you think it works until he’s snatched the bag out of your hands, guzzling down its contents.

“Shawn…”

“Let’s try it again. Okay, let’s….let me try again.”

So you do try it again. And again. And again. And each time ended the same. Shawn snatching the bag from your hand, chugging down what was inside. To his credit, with every take, he was able to last longer than the time before, so it wasn’t completely hopeless. You look into the cooler you’d brought with you and see there’s only one bag left.

“Alright. One more time.”

“I suck at this. Can we try something else?” he grumbled, wiping the corners of his mouth with the back of his hand, “Why can't you make me a crystal or something?”

“Those are only aids. You have to be able to control it on your own otherwise it won't do you any good. Now one more time.” he looks down at you all doe-eyed, hoping you’d change your mind but of course you didn’t. “Shawn, go.” And just like the last times, you waited a couple seconds giving him time to get to the other side of the creek, and went reaching for your last bag when you got an idea.

You picked up a rather sharp rock lying near the cooler, holding it in your hand. You take a deep breath and quickly slash it across your palm, blood constantly flowing from the wound. It wasn’t a particularly deep cut, but enough for Shawn to get a whiff of your scent from where he was. And just as you’d thought Shawn was back to you quicker than any other time today. With you technically being supernatural, your blood was special. It wasn’t like any other blood Shawns ever had. You let him feed on you once, and it was way too much too soon. But he’s learned to control himself around you and if he can do that, then he can control himself through a soccer game, you just had to show him that he could.

“Baby,” he warns, fists tight at his sides.

“Fight it.”

“What are you doing?” he growls. His fangs are on full display now and if it were anyone else, you’d be terrified.

“Fight it, Shawn. You don’t want to hurt me do you?”

“Of course not!”

“Then breathe,” you say calmly, taking a few steps towards him, palm extended out.

“Honey. Stop.” He takes two steps back for every step you take towards him, eyes screwed shut, fists tight to his sides.

“Breathe. Hey, Look at me.” He looks up at you, his face pained but still takes a few deep breaths following your lead. “What else have I told you.”

“Focus on something else like a umm….a sound or-”

“That’s right! Focus on a sound.”

He closes his eyes…..and he’s trying you can see that he’s trying but something is stopping him. All he can sense was your smell, and your heartbeat, your blood flowing through you.

“All I hear is you. You’re all I can hear babe, I can’t.”

“Alright. Then focus on me.” You say firmly.

“What? No!” He flung his eyes open wide, full of panic. The last thing he needs to do is focus on you, your the literal last thing that should be on his mind at the moment.

“Close your eyes,” reluctantly he follows your instructions closing his eyes, his body still as tense as it’s been, “Now focus on my voice okay? No matter what, try and find my voice.”

“Okay.” he agrees, still trying to follow your breathing. He waits for you to say more, but...nothing, “Honey?” He can smell you, you haven't moved, you're still standing right in front of you but… “Honey, how is this suppose to work if you're not saying anything?” He asks, annoyed, folding his arms across his chest.

“Yes, I am Shawn. Listen to me. Shawn, I’m right here with you okay? You have to listen to me, babe.”  

He tries to focus his ears but all he hears are the leaves, the sound of the creek. “This is ridiculous can we go home now.”

“No, it’s not. Now focus.” You sass back. This is your last shot. Your hail mary, and maybe you should have tried this before because it seems to be working. He seems….frustrated. Distracted. Distracted is good.

“Shawn. I’m right here. I’m right here with you just listen please.”

“Oh, so now you want to talk.” he groans, throwing his hands in the air, making you giggle, because it fucking worked!

He opens his eyes and sees you smiling ear to ear, “I was talking the whole time you just had to listen!” you giggle except…..  You're not talking? But you are? Well, Shawn can hear your voice, and your laugh, but your mouth’s not moving. Your just...smiling.  opening his eyes and sees you smiling at him.  

“What the fuck?”

“I told you. Find my voice.”

“How can… but you’re not...how can I hear you?”

“One of my witchy tricks.”

You can see him trying to talk back to you, brows knitted together and his lip tucked between his teeth making you let out a little chuckle.

“It only works one-way bub. For now at least, so you’ve got to talk.”

“Oh...okay.”

“But I told you bub! I knew you could do it you just have to really focus.”

“Umm, yeah. He can you talk now? This is kind of weird.” he sighs rubbing the back of his neck.

“Alright fine,” you smile taking a step closer to him, “Do you feel better?”

“Um, sort of yeah. Can you...here.” He gestures for you to extend your hand, and he takes his finger pricking it with his fang, rubbing the little blood drawn over the cut on your palm and you watch it heal instantly. “Now, I’m much better.”

“See. If you focus on my voice. Then you’ll be too distracted and it will pass.”

“How’d you know I could do that I’d be able to hear you.”

“It’s just something that vampires do. Before witches and vampires were at each other's necks, they actually worked well together and they used it.” You explain nonchalantly, “I knew you’d get it eventually.”

“But you're not going to be with me all the time.” He pouts, reaching out taking your hands in his.

“Well no, but I can do a spell and it will link us. We’ll be able to have a  two-way call and it can be a long-distance.” You wink wrapping your arms around his neck. You don’t like the idea of being his crutch, but for now, it will have to do. “If you're hungry. Focus on my voice. No matter where I am. Try and find me.”

“Okay.”

“You always know what to do.” He smiles down at you placing a kiss to your forehead.

“I’m magic babe. Of course, I do.” You joke rolling your eyes.

“And as cheesy as you are, I love you.”

“I love you too.”

masterlist // tell me what you think? // requests? // wattpad // ao3

[abtoddler]

Yay its finally bedtime. I put the vics on, and really love this NorthShore supreme over my normal night time diaper.

Im nervous cause in the morning i meet a new doctor. I dont like to think about all my fears ahead of me, i try and really embody my perspective of temperance and balance. However moments like this scare the daylights out of me. So im writing out what im going to copy and paste for my new doctor in the morning.

I have problems articulating everything clearly:

The reasons im super scared are because ive got nothing to think i will recover in anyway. The coldness, the discomfort; the burning sensations down from my knees, i cant move several of my toes, or feel much as far as pain anymore once the numbness comes on nearly as soon as i sit or lay on something.

The pain never stops, the golfball in my spine, the burning feet. And then all the horrible side effects of my ibs, digestive problems, and the pain of voiding stool. Which then causes me to throw up 1-4 times a day. Theres a point when i am feeling all the sensations of vomit, but nothing to very little comes out. The pain is what causes it when my entire body tries to expell the stool. It doesnt matter what consistency either. When the stool arrived and i did nothing to bring it on; it burns like its mucus and acid. When its hard, it hurts in different ways, and its generally this which i am trying to increase digestive health, but there are so many foods i cannot eat:

Pork- causes vomiting and diarrhea

Soda- swelling of my stomach

Certain fruits- cause immediate burning sensations as soon as they get eaten: anything with citric acid: lemon, orange, kumkuats

The lemonades, juice blends. Etc.

Some types of bread

Cereal: i had been eating oat based cereal like lucky charms, and got really sick my stomach got so much worse; this was three weeks ago, so ive been trying to recover colon health.

I need to know full food allergies so i can stop going through all of this. Trying to not get sick or be in pain every time i eat.

I have also stopped trying to manually control the void with an enema, or stimulating plug. And have tried compensating by taking chlorophyll vitamens to reduce odor. Its been helping, and has only been started in the last 3 weeks, when my stomach got so bad from the cereal (which happened in the same week that the roundup chemicals had been discovered in all oat based cerals from the major companies)

I have a hard time verbalizing a lot of things these days. Interactions with people outside of being able to sit and come up with a verbal or typed response. Its hard to talk to people, its hard to focus on conversations, its hard to process the comprehension of what im being told when im not on any medications. Its getting harder to interact with people outside of work, and home.

I practice mindfulness every day, i try and stay flexible. Ive gotten back to work and can stand for an hour or so, before the burning sensations and weakness to my knees and legs. The cold, the wet, was particularly hellacious this last month. Ive also noticed that my fingers will begin to go numb like my toes, when the upper part of my back (new area). There is also the sensation of someone sticking a sewing needle under my left hand, small-ring-middle finger. This sensation occurs a few times a day, and i wonder if its like the same sensation that occurs in my feet. But its super sharp and focused. So thsts why i think its something else. It doesnt feel like the constant pressure, restlessness, numbness, tingling, the “whitenoise” on an old tv if that visual was a feeling beneath the skin that never stops:

On my upper left thigh from my hip to my knee

On the outer side, has little to no sensation for things other then a buzzing: this occurrence was immedately after my radio frequency ablation.

The normal course of my day for the last 6-8 months. Where there is pretty much no deviation to the day:

4:30 am (last occurrence was on 4/11)

To

8:45 am when my alarm goes off, i have to wait for the feeling to return to my toes so i can stand up and get my day organized.

Within 1-3 hours of waking up, if i do not immediately get in the shower, and spend no less then 45 minutes-2 hours cleaning my rectum.

From that, i cant really eat much, or have much energy after. I usually take about 5 hours to try and get through as much of what ever it is, with out pain medication, so by the time my pain level is making it hard to focus, i take one of my pain meds, muscle relaxer, and benedryll to counteract the itching all over in random pressures and intendities, this occurs from 10:30- 3 pm and while the hour it takes to shower again when i get home or have to change my diaper. I have no energy left and sleep til 6:00-9pm. From 9-11 time watching tv with my partners. Then from10:30 pm i take all my meds. Then 11p-as late as 10 am, no sleep regardless of position, burning feet, numb feet, that burn. Constant hot flashes at night so by the time i was up its been 2-4 in the middle of the night.

Over the past 6 months, ive been running out of medication. If the day is cold, or if i have to drive anywhere, if i have to be on my feet. The one med i have when i get home from work, and then again so i can sleep, has caused me to not get anywhere with managing these sensations. There is not enough or its not effective. My doctors do not listen.

Opiates make me itch. Thats why i take benedryl, and hydroxizine to help reduce itching. There is mediation that they give me in the er to help, but no one has cared to explore if that’s something that would work for my vomiting as well which occurs due to pain expelling stool.

I usually eat about 9-11 pm each day as i try and have something in my stomach when intake my night pills after dinner.

My ability to drive; lasts about 20 minutes. So im able to get to and from single outings in a day, i dont have stamina or emotional endurace to go much beyond this routine.

I cannot travel, can barely work, walk with a cane, and have this is what my normal day is, and has been for nearly 2 years without reiable relief of any kind. No one seems able to understand how limiting it is, how much pain that never stops, how even eating or drinking the wrong thing creates even more problems.

Thank you for taking the time to read.

I dont have anything I can think to do next, i dont have anymore hope that i can go 6 hours without something going wrong. There isn’t anything ive been able to have reliable, consistent relief from since moving to san diego in 2012. Daily management has not occurred, from anything that has been recomended from the long term and my quality of life is between being unable to focus, or interact with others in a meaningful way, or without loosing sensations, stumbling on something, have panic attacks because of the anxiety problems from always being over stimulated to the point where body contact with my partner cannot happen. My skin feels like it burns when something touches it, i cannot wear much without it scratching and leaving marks on my skin, or causing more varieties of sensory hell. My shirts, pants, the pressure from then diaper if its not fitted well. The sensation can be anything from sharp like im being cut, or an another itching or burning in places where things touch me. I have no idea what will happen next.

[foolgobi65]

aagata

this is a horrible mishmash of a bunch of ideas and also just want to recognize that theres no real reason for this to be a genderswap except that this had originally started as a genderswap a year ago and i was too lazy to rewrite a few parts to locate them within womens quarters instead of the general city. i hope you can find at least some parts to like! thank you @avani008 for being an amazing mod !!! 

When Rukmaratha is sixteen he is sent to Mathura to witness the bow festival of Kamsa, the General of Jarasandha and a man Rukmaratha’s eldest brother attempts to imitate in the relative privacy of his chambers. It is the thickness and curl of the mustache, Rukmaratha muses absently, that Kamsa has been able to perfect over all others during the last 20 years of unchallenged supremacy.

“Have you heard,” someone whispers behind Rukmaratha and despite his years of royal etiquette training he leans back to listen. “She survived.”

“The elephant? I heard it was mad!”

“It was. We all thought the brother would be the one to control it, but I heard she simply stepped from behind him and fought the beast in the street like any other man.”

“You say that as if there is a man alive who has managed to defeat Kuvalayapida.” Rukmaratha flushes, only realizing that he has spoken when the men turn away from each other to face the interloper. Still, the idea that Kamsa’s wild elephant has been tamed is such that Rukmaratha cannot bring himself to apologize.

“You’re right,” one of the men, seemingly an affluent trader, laughs. “And perhaps that is why the girl Krishnaa succeeded. She ran in and out of Kuvalayapida legs until he grew weary, and then she allowed herself to be captured by his trunk.”

Rukmaratha thinks of the many men Kuvalayapida has strangled but the trader only smiles, changing his stance from that of a local gossip to a bard retelling a tale of yore. “Just as the beast would have strangled her, she began to speak, even as she was held at such a height that a drop would have killed her instantly.” Rukmaratha’s eyes widen at the thought. “No one could hear the words,” the trader continues, “but it seemed that Kuvalayapida loosened his grip until Krishnaa could balance on his trunk, and then climb to sit atop the elephant as if he hadn’t been attempting to kill her just moments before!”

“Oh,” Rukmaratha sighs, and wonders at the way his heart races just hearing about a tale of such valor. What it would be to see such a feat in person. “I have never heard her name,” he says after a moment of thought. “Is the lady a princess from afar?”

Both men laugh, the first so hard that tears begin to stream from his eyes. “Hardly,” the second man chokes out when he sees his companion is in no position to speak. “She is the daughter of the local cowherd chieftain Nanda. They came to see the festival.”

***

Years before Rukmaratha is born, when even his eldest brother Rukmi is barely six-months, Jarasandha invades. Bhishmaka is the Bhoja’s eldest cadet, the Crown Prince of the kingdom and he rides valiantly in his nation’s defense but fails. His father the King is forced to step down, and Bhishmaka is elevated in his place, humiliating defeat a constant reminder of the consequences of rebellion.

Rukmi, Bhishmaka’s only child at the time, is demanded as a sign of mutual goodwill. He will be raised well, Jarasandha insists, and trained amongst the best Magadha has to offer. It will be a far better life than one found in Kundinapura and in time, Jarasandha assures the frantic Queen, Rukmi will be returned to his homeland a seasoned warrior and an appropriate executor of Jarasandha’s will.

In return, Bhishmaka will have the lion’s share of the royal obligations -- Jarasandha has no use for the minutias of rule and cares little beyond what Vidharbha can provide in soldiers and taxes. But Bhishmaka, haunted by his loss, has little stomach for the throne; it is his younger sons who, between themselves, manage the daily tasks of royal command.

As a child Rukmaratha is often sickly, so he grows neither strong nor skilled and as the youngest is able to take advantage of the fact that there was always an elder brother more suited to the Emperor’s needs. He is allowed then, despite the Imperial dictate that demands the separation of royal son from homeland, to remain with his parents in Vidharba. Rukmaratha finds this suits him entirely, and manages to cultivate a wide variety of intellectual interests that Jarasandha deems amusing as opposed to a threat.

At just sixteen Rukmaratha is known to be a scholar, a musician, a dancer. He is charming, Imperial spies say, and witty. He is kind to those who know him, shows great compassion to the subjects of his father, and if some say that he exerts an undue influence on the minds of his nation’s common-folk, he is believed far too innocent to take advantage.

Rumaratha is all of these things, but in his heart, he is also a traitor.

***

In the city of Mathura, inside and out of the palaces that Rukmaratha’s fellow royals are kept the people speak of nothing else. “Kamsa is dead,” they say, even while the man takes breath, “Her Child has Come.”

Rukmaratha walks the streets wearing cotton cloth and silver around his neck in an attempt to understand the way the city has come alive almost a generation after its initial subjugation. In every shop and street corner there is a whisper, a story, a hope that Rukmaratha did not know had been fostered. A dying ember that somehow had kept warm the Yadava heart during the years since Kamsa had walked into the Gathering of Chiefs as Ugrasena’s son and walked out their King.

“Well you see,” the Royal flower vendor, a man whose family has sold all his garlands to the Palace for generations had said, voice low, “there was the prophecy--”

This much, even Rukmaratha knows. The marriage that would consolidate the two most powerful clans of the Mathura Yadavas, the voice that proclaimed the Yadava general Kamsa’s death at the hands of his beloved sister’s eighth child. Vasudev’s bargain for the life of his wife in exchange for any children they might have in the future. In Vidharbha, Vasudev is considered quite the fool for risking the hell reserved for those who have no sons to perform their final rites, especially when for all his efforts he wound up with a wife gone mad.

“It is not madness,” the vendor snaps. “It is divinity.”

Rukmaratha raises an eyebrow. What few reports exist of the lady Devaki report that she has spent the years since the loss of her eighth child in relative silence, singing cradle songs to babies long dead.

The vendor sighs. “If it is madness, then sure it is of a type divine, borne of Her sacrifice for us Yadavas struggling under the weight of His rule.” They speak of Kamsa in this way, 30 years after the creation of his throne, afraid of summoning his presence by uttering his name. Devaki, too, is only ever referred to as Our Lady. Vasudev, a man whose plight is so popular outside, almost seems to have been forgotten.

“In the beginning,” the vendor whispers, picking up the thread of his story once more, “She refused. Our Lady was unconscious while the skies spoke, and when she woke she decided that she would never know Vasudev as a husband in order to keep herself from the grief of giving life to children already dead.”

Rukmaratha swallows. “What changed?”

The vendor clenches his jaw. “He became King. Six hundred of our sons were killed when the Emperor tried to take Hastinapura, and the Vrishni villages revolted. Thirty were burned entirely before they agreed to His terms.” His eyes widen, gaining the type of sheen only born of true fervor and devotion. “They say that She could hear the wails of the Yadava women from the palace where He kept them imprisoned, and that their grief at losing one son was such that She decided that She could sacrifice seven of her own.”

It is a compelling tale, but for the one part that Rukmaratha believes must be missing. The prophecy spoke of Kamsa’s death at the hands of Devaki’s eighth, but as far as what Rukmaratha has heard, the eighth child is dead. Her head was bashed against the rock of Devaki and Vasudev’s prison cell, and it is believed that it was this final loss that finally drove Devaki insane.

“Seven?”

The vendor smiles. “The first six, we all watched fall under their uncle’s sword, murdered in the center of the city for all of us to see. The seventh miscarried, but so late that it might have been called a birth had the child lived. But the eighth.” His voice lowers even further, a murmur almost lost amongst the noise of the market. “Usually the children were born in the palace, even in the years after Our Lady and her husband were moved to the dungeon. When Our Lady felt the first of the birth pangs she would be taken to a room, and the news announced throughout the city. Just when the infant left her body it would be taken by a midwife, cleaned of the birth blood and presented to Him, to be executed in the city center in front of us all.”

Rukmaratha winces at the brutality of it all. “Is this not what happened with the eighth?” He would have assumed Kamsa to be even more strict when faced with the actual child of his prophesied death.

“It should have,” the vendor whispers, “but it didn’t! There was a storm around the time the lady Devaki was due to give birth, one of such power and floods that had never been seen in Mathura before. No one could move from their homes a full fortnight afterwards, and when we did, the child was gone.”

“Gone?”

The vendor nods. “There was a child when He walked into their prison cell, and that baby was killed like the others but when it died the skies laughed and said that it was too late. The true Deliverer was alive.”

Suddenly, he throws his head back and laughs, the sound even louder for how quiet he has been so far. “That is the child that has returned. We don’t know where they are, but somewhere in Mathura the Deliverer has arrived.”

***

As a child, Rukmaratha knows more of his grandfather than of his noble father Bhishmaka. Rukmaratha’s mother is too busy with the grief of losing so many of her sons to the Imperial core, and loathe to build a connection to another boy that will only be made a stranger in a few short years. His father is more given to brooding in his throne room than to noticing the general existence of his youngest, most sickly son. By the time that the Queen realizes her child’s delicate disposition will keep him away, that she can be free to shower Rukmaratha with all the love and care she had previously withheld, the damage has been done -- it is to the deposed king that Rukmaratha calls, for advice, for kisses, for a listening ear as Rukmaratha spins stories of what things will be like when Jarasandha is dead.

Rukmaratha’s grandfather, still smarting from his forced abdication, is perhaps not the most diligent agents of Jarasandha’s empire when it comes to quelling dissent. Rukmaratha’s lessons, entirely the purview of his grandfather, are of a type not usually granted to sixth sons -- he is taught how to rule only so that he may one day teach his own son, and preserve the ways of the Bhojas when his elder brothers cannot. It is under his grandfather’s watchful eye that Rukmaratha is taught the ways of the Bhoja kings, how Bhojas wage wars of peace, how Bhojas only collect revenue when their dependents prosper. There are not many things available to those who wish to work against the will of the Empire, but Rukmaratha is allowed to walk the lands that his grandfather cannot and in private he manages to relate stories from faithful subjects, all only too glad to keep up a correspondence through Rukmaratha to comfort their old King now under house arrest.

The Vidharbans are hungry, and grieving the loss of their sons to the same army that has stolen Rukmaratha’s brothers. They are forced to give too much of what they produce to maintain the Imperial forces, not only Jarasandha’s army but the host of Imperial officers that quell rebellion when local royalty is unwilling. People are afraid to have children, lest they force them to grow up under the iron fist of Magadha that will eventually grow so tight that they will die, gasping for air.

“Grandfather,” Rukmaratha asks one day, skin burning from a fever that had swept through the Vidharban capital and left only funeral pyres in its wake. They had all been so careful, but there has never been an illness caught by a citizen of Kundinapura that did not eventually leave its mark on the youngest prince. Rukmaratha’s grandfather is bent with age but still sits beside him, dipping silk cloths into cold water and laying them across Rukmaratha’s burning forehead.

“Grandfather,” Rukmaratha breathes again, “will things always be this way?”

Will I die even as Jarasandha lives? Will we all?

Rukmaratha is so warm that he can barely feel the fingers his grandfather brushes against his cheeks. Later, the doctors will tell him that his survival was an act of the Almighty, that there must have been a reason for him to live when so many others had succumbed.

Later, Rukmaratha will believe that he lived, in order to realize the truth of his grandfather’s next words.

“No,” the King says, shoulders straightening as he moves Rukmaratha’s head until their eyes can meet for Rukmaratha to know the truth of what he says. “One day things will be better. And we will all be alive to see it.”

****

The second story Rukmaratha stumbles across almost by chance, the stray bits of a tall tale carried by the driver of a bullock cart that passes in front of Rukmaratha as he crosses the street in search of news about the Deliverer.

“It’s true,” the cowherd shouts to his friend sitting in the back. “She has Arrived!”

Rukmaratha, hearing the reverence and joy that only comes when the Yadavas speak of their savior, follows the cart as it wends its way out of the Mathura city center and towards the camps of villagers who have come to witness the celebrations and sell their specialized wares.

“Excuse me,” he asks, throwing away a lifetime’s worth of royal courtesy and etiquette. “Who is She?” The cowherds, taken aback only for a moment, look between themselves before inviting Rukmaratha into their camp.

15 years ago, Devaki delivered her eighth child, a baby that outside Mathura was known to be dead. Kamsa, they all agree, executed a child for the eighth time -- but for this, the all important agent of his death, he was not prepared to leave anything to chance. Every Yadava born the year of Devaki’s pregnancy was sentenced to death, soldiers dispatched to every village and city street to check for children and deliver them to a massive funeral pyre set up in the stadium that now hosts the Lord’s Bow.

In Gokul, the villagers whisper, a child was born, the fruit of almost a decade of prayer by parents slowly entering middle age. The birth is long, and Yashodha, wife of the kindly Vrishni village head Nanda is almost lost -- the village women take turns nursing her daughter during the long weeks of Yashodha’s recovering, and by the time Kamsa’s soldiers makes their way to Gokul the baby girl is child of them all.

The villagers give up their own children, all infants under the age of one, but they balk at turning over the child Krishnaa, skin as dark as the rain clouds that covered the sun the entire time her mother labored. The other women might have other children, or already have enough that they can believe that their grief will someday pass. Yashodha, who has just celebrated 40 years, whose braid contains streaks of grey amongst the black, will not. Yashodha, who has only ever lived in hope of a child, who has kissed every one of Gokul’s children and sent them home with far too much butter and curd, will not survive the loss of her girl.

For a month, the gopis pass Krishnaa from house to house, hiding her in their kitchens, in their cupboards, even in their skirts as the soldiers roam in search of babies for Kamsa’s grand pyre. The soldiers leave, and Yashodha is finally strong enough to host a festival in honor of the Great God in thanks for His blessing. There is talk first, as to whether her joy might be considered entirely appropriate amidst everyone else’s grief, but in the end Yashodha sits with every woman of Gokul marvelling at the beauty of their collective baby. Never, they say, has a child ever been loved like Krishnaa.  

It is for this reason, that the arrival of Putana takes them by such surprise. Finally the cowherds believed themselves to be safe, and Krishnaa is kept proudly in the swinger set in Nanda’s courtyard, finally able to be admired by all in the light of day. When she is hungry she is picked up by the nearest woman with milk in her breast, passed to another to be bounced, and still another to be rocked back to sleep before being laid in her cradle. It is almost too easy for Putana, poison smeared across her nipples, to take Krishnaa to her breast and hold her there until she dies.

Putana, that is -- Krishnaa suckles all of the milk out of Putana’s breast, and her life as well. It is only when Putana collapses that the villagers realize that something was amiss.

The story passes from Vrishni village to Vrishni village like wildfire, a glimmer of hope in the countryside for people who have never concerned themselves with the story of the Deliverer, never concerned by the goings on of the city unless they were being robbed of their infant children.

Demon after demon finds its way to Gokul, and demon after demon finds itself dead at the feet of the newly christened Gopi of Gokul. Not even the eventual move to Vrindavan, an experiment to see if it was the land or the child that was cursed, is enough to change the name by which Krishnaa is known by in the grazing lands of Braj. Vrindavan, close to Andhaka led Barsana, only encourages the legend to spread beyond the ears of Vrishnis, and where their clan counterparts in the city have formed an alliance through shared grief at the state of their scions, Andhaka and Vrishni cowherds find themselves united in the face of a miracle.

The Gopi of Gokul lives, again and again, where every other Yadava child has died. Kamsa, every villager says, has grown obsessed with this girl he cannot kill, refuses to acknowledge his failure and instead sends demon after demon, destroying Braj in pursuit of this final life that has managed to survive his orders. Krishnaa is taken, beaten, drowned, burned and still they find her smiling, standing proud amongst the corpse of the fool instructed to deliver her corpse. This, Rukmaratha realizes, is the tamer of Kuvalayapida who succeeded where all others have failed.

Poisoned water has become clear, the villagers say, and the Govardhan mountain rose in defiance of the God Indra at her touch. The Yadavas of Mathura dismiss the cowherds as simple, villagers prone to spinning tales for their own amusement. Besides, if there were to be a person capable of such miracles, surely it would be the Deliverer, whose arrival was heralded by the Gods themselves.

The idea of a village cowherdess, defeating demons even soldiers would quail at facing. Absurd!

***

Rukmaratha enters Kamsa’s stadium on the last day of the Bow Sacrifice, his head spinning with everything that has transpired. Mathura, it seems, has become the site of miracles -- Kuvalayapida is tamed one day, a hunchback woman made straight the next. The day before, Kamsa’s sacrificial bow, the weapon of the Great God was broken in two.

With no bow to offer back to the Lord, Kamsa has called for an afternoon of wrestling. The stadium buzzes with barely contained excitement. Those of Mathura clasp hands, waiting with bated breath for the appearance of their Savior after 30 years in the darkness. Rukmaratha can see the cowherds of Braj laughing, talking easily of the last days’ miracles after years of their own.

There is an idea slowly dawning on Rukmaratha, a story so incredible that it is frightening to even contemplate. There was a prophecy, and a storm during which two impossible children are born. Vasudev, erstwhile chief of the Vrishnis, delivers his own child inside prison walls, a baby believed to be the salvation of Mathura.

The people of Mathura believe that their savior escaped. If Vasudev could, somehow, have found his way out of the dungeon, where would he have gone?

In the countryside, safe in a Vrishni village grows a girl who defies the will of Kamsa, performing miracles as easily as breathing for the entertainment and satisfaction of her peers. Her father Nanda is proudly known to have been the particular friend of his clan chief Vasudev, playmates for the summer that Vasudev spent amongst the cowherds that he would one day come to lead.

Is it possible, Rukmaratha wonders, for the two legends to be one and the same? For the Deliverer, child of the two most powerful Yadava bloodlines, to have been raised the daughter of a cowherd, dancing and playing the flute for her flock when she is not eliminating Kamsa’s demons?

The crowd roar, and Rukmaratha puts aside his thoughts to find Chanur, Mathura’s finest wrestler screaming a challenge to the person who has captured the Yadava imagination.

“I know you are here,” he calls out. “If you truly think that you can kill my King, why don’t you come and try me first? Fight me like a man if you dare.”

There is a moment, before the world changes, when Rukmaratha wonders if it is possible for prophecies to come true. If there really is a Deliverer, Devaki’s miraculous eighth child spirited away only to return all these years later and rescue the Yadavas from the yoke of their tyrant. If there really can be a girl who lifts mountains, who has waged a silent war against demon and god alike and won.

He watches the cowherds of Braj, notices the resignation on the man he identifies as Nanda’s face as they all part. What Rukmaratha had struggled to even contemplate instantly becomes clear. The Deliverer walks away from the family that had, for sixteen years provided shelter, and takes her first step into the arena of her destiny.

The crowd, which had grown silent during the wait, erupts. All of them, however they know her, united in this moment by their belief in the miracles she alone can create on their behalf.

Ten thousand infants exactly Krishnaa’s age are dead, ten thousand more lost to the ravages of the Maghadhan lust for empire expansion. Rukmaratha wonders faintly at how a nation’s hope can rest on the slender shoulders of this girl busy unraveling her turban. Now that he can see her outside of the legends passed on the street he realizes that she can’t be more than a year younger or older than he, and when he looks her body is slender in a way that the giant at her side is not. Rukmaratha is sixteen, and later he will tell his wife that there was a time when he removed his crown and thought to run down ten flights of steps in a haphazard plan to save the Savior of Mathura from the grip of the wrestler Chanur.

The fact that Chanur is dead by the time Rukmaratha jostles his way past even one flight of kings is irrelevant -- it is the thought, his wife insists, that counts. But now Rukmaratha cannot see her face, so he contents himself with observing the way that Krishnaa’s hair has come undone from its knot, strands blending into the dark skin of her shoulders, her neck, eventually falling so low as the small of her back as she walks from Chanur’s body towards Kamsa’s throne. The red of Chanur’s final flailing breaths has stained the yellow cloth around her waist, tied above her knees in the manner of male laborers.

The arena has grown silent once more. One soldier charges, but Krishnaa only dodges, reaching out her arm to grab for the collar of his armor and throwing him into the dust before proceeding as if she had never been interrupted. Rukmaratha wonders if she is afraid.

“Uncle,” she calls out calmly mere steps away from the throne, as if Kamsa has not murdered six of her siblings, imprisoned the parents of her birth, and terrorized the countryside in search of the child that would end his life. Rukmaratha swallows. “I am here.”

A duel, Rukmaratha knows, is conducted between two equals. It is a battle of strength and skill, which brings honor to both sides regardless of the eventual victor. Kamsa, the triumphant General of Jarasandha’s forces, cannot possibly challenge an unarmed girl child raised to graze cows, prophecy or not.

Kamsa raises his sword.

“You think you can kill me?” Kamsa shouts as he runs, sword aloft. “You think you can kill me?”

Krishnaa throws back her head and laughs, and for Rukmaratha it is as if all time has stopped -- every moment before and after bleeding until it all comprises of nothing more than sound of Krishnaa’s laugh in the King’s arena. Rukmaratha, who has wondered if he would live crushed under the boot of Jarasandha’s regime his whole life, begins to Believe.

Her body ripples with mirth, shoulders bent back to expose the delicate lines of her neck even as her uncle swings to chop off her head. Krishnaa takes a single step to the left and straightens, all evidence of amusement lost in the rigidity of her limbs.

She shifts just slightly and then turns to face Kamsa whose strength always outweighed his speed. Rukmaratha, and the people of Mathura, can finally see her face.

“Uncle,” Krishnaa says again, her voice somehow filling the arena even though her tone is that of one who is trading gossip with a friend. Her eyes, though -- Rukmaratha knows that he will live 100 lifetimes and never forget the way he saw destiny in her eyes. Krishnaa is no girl when she grabs for the sword hanging uselessly by Kamsa’s side. She kicks Kamsa and when she sets her foot on top of his chest Rukmaratha feels the world shake. Krishnaa crouches, sword in hand and uses Kamsa’s hair to lift his head off the dirt of the arena.

This Krishnaa, the Gopi of Gokul, is no girl -- she is a force of nature.

“You can’t kill me!” Kamsa shouts, again and again, Jarasandha’s General flailing uselessly under Krishnaa’s grip. There is a moment when Krishnaa pauses, her grip loosening on the sword and Rukmaratha wonders if she could be so foolish as to let her uncle go. There are of course men of honor who would see their defeat as an equivalent to their death, but Rukmaratha has not lived his entire life in the Emperor’s shadow to believe that there are such things as honorable men in today’s day and age.

“Uncle,” she says one last time and raises the sword. She gazes at Kamsa in the way an elephant must gaze at an ant, if it even sees something so much smaller and inconsequential than itself. “I already have.”

The sword flashes and Kamsa’s head lands in the dust.

Devaki’s eighth child, the Deliverer heralded by the heavens and raised a cowherd rises from the body of her uncle clutching his conch in her left hand, palm slick with his blood. When she blows, she closes her eyes; the sound of a new era passes through the arena, the city, the nation, until it must reach the very corners of the Earth. Her right foot still rests atop Kamsa’s chest.

“Vaasudeva,” the arena murmurs, and Rukmaratha wonders at how he can feel the wheel of fate turn at this moment, not only for the world but for himself. He wonders for a moment at the idea of Devaki’s Daughter being known as her father’s child after all these years, but then the arena says it again and he realizes. Vaasudeva, not only her father’s daughter, but another name of God -- the ultimate divinity made manifest in the flesh. Rukmaratha looks around him and realizes that he, alone, is not on his knees. “Vaasudeva,” the crowd says louder, in one voice that drips reverence from every syllable, “you have come.”

Rukmaratha is only glad that he lived to see it himself.

[decadentrpg-blog]

WELCOME EMILY, YOU’VE BEEN ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF HELOISE DELACOUR

Admins Note: Heloise was certainly a difficult choice to make but after much assessment, I want to say that I absolutely adore what you’ve brought to the table! From build up of her background to every little historical reference that was placed within your application, it cohesively created this duality that Heloise has! I’ve enjoyed every interaction she has as well as the clarity and rationale behind her thinking! Your faceclaim request for Virginia Gardner has been approved. Congratulations on your acceptance again, please make sure to head your way to the checklist and submit your account within the next 24 hours!

Out of Character

Name / Alias: Emily

Pronouns: She/Her

Age: Twenty-two

Timezone: GMT.

In Character Application

Full Name: Heloise Delacour

Sexuality: Lesbian.

You like girls. No, that’s wrong. You love girls. You love the smoothness of their skin. You love their gentle curves, their bodies like oceans, refreshing and divine. You love stroking their hair as you lie between sweat-soaked sheets, curling it around your fingertips. You love sharing lipstick shades so it won’t get too messy when you kiss and the sound beaded dresses make when they hit the ground. Most of all, you love who you become around them. Bursting at the seams with euphoria, without a trace of shakiness in your footsteps, you unveil the creature you fought so hard to become - self-assured and valiant. You always slipped into her without thinking about it, knowing instinctively, that this was right. This was who you were supposed to be.

Gender/Pronouns: Cis-female, she/her

Hogwarts House:  Gryffindor.

The hat was adamant. They wanted you in Gryffindor. They wanted you to learn to harness your own roar, the find power in your sort of bravery - perhaps even to tame the brasher instincts of your peers, to calm the storm inside of them. Not every kind of bravery favours the bold, the defiant, the loud. There are different kinds of bravery. The courage to carry on when the chains around your neck drag you to the ground. The strength to try and try and try. The valour in turning yourself into an anchor, a steady weight for the rest of the world to ground themselves on. There are all sorts of bravery in this world, each as useful, each as needed, as the last. Children, yourself included, see so much, but so little at the same time.

You didn’t glimpse the potential in yourself. You wouldn’t for many years yet.

But the hat knew.

You pleaded for Hufflepuff, knowing you’d be able to carve a home out of the house. The world underestimated badgers, sneering at their perceived lack of intelligence, wit or ambition. You didn’t see that at all. You saw steadiness, a bedrock to build a person upon. It wasn’t a leap of faith. But society couldn’t be built around those who flew. Someone had to be waiting, down below, rooted to the earth, ready to catch falling angels.

The hat laughed.

“Better be…” Panic rose in your chest, a knot tightening inside of you. “GRYFFINDOR.”

They weren’t unkind to you. But you were the fawn in the pride of lions, the hovering figure in the background, the mute who never could make herself heard. Years later, with your personhood more fully attached, half of you wistfully wishes you could go back and do it better. Do it again. And yet, in your heart, you know there’s no value in looking backwards. You must journey on.

Head canons:

Trigger warnings for violence, war, alcoholism and mentions of abuse.

I. la petite fille

Your father - and you only have the confidence to say this now you’re a fledgling, grown to use her own voice - always cared far too much about what people thought. Cream of French society, darling of the elite, a career-hungry politician intent on climbing the ladder. Ironically, the sunshine in your soul can be traced directly back to him. And yet, where yours is woven into the very essence of your being, a warm touch to steady a storm, an easiness to still a monster, a brightness to diminish the darkness, his is a mask, a choking falseness. It was that, more than anything else, that scared you. He changed before your very eyes - shaking hands and kissing cheeks one second - to plotting behind their back the next. Nothing about him was real. He slipped between your fingers, never a solid thing to hang onto.

(The feeling, you know, is mutual. You were a grand disappointment. Too timid to follow in his footsteps and too honest to lie. You’re mostly strangers now, each unable to understand the other).

Your mother you know a little better. An English rose, she fell for your father’s charms one summer, a fling that never was supposed to turn into a marriage. You were the bump that interrupted those plans, the shame that would have befallen her good name. Both parties were hastily married and that was that. You’ve always wondered if she blamed you for it. Always been too afraid to ask. Your mother, you know, was miserable, far far away from home, shackled to a man she barely liked, forced to play the part of politicians wife. When she played it well, there was harmony in the household. But if she slipped up…all hell broke loose. And her, with her love of expensive wine and flirting with other people’s husbands, did mess up. You never witnessed the war inside of your father unfold, merely lived its after effects. Silently, you’d pull a blanket over your mother’s quivering frame and give your father his favourite cigar.

(As you grew, you became rather good at predicting the ticking time bombs. So before the storm ravaged, you nearly always scrambled to safety, grabbing your teddy bear and retreating to the back of the wardrobe. You never found a secret world in the back of there, but you did find safety - and that was a comfort in and of itself).

Peacemaker, your father would sometimes say with affection, your mother with scorn. You’d gulp and nod silently, opinions kept to yourself. Over time, a survival instinct became a pattern and from a pattern into a habit. Such things are hard to shake.

Ii. maison choisie

Your mother hailed from London’s big smoke and your father made Paris his home, so you’ve always been accustomed to cities - you could even say it’s in your blood. But nowhere ever felt like home more than your Grand-Mere’s home a stone’s throw from Amiens. Reluctantly, with great effort, your father would make the bi-annual privilege there, dragging your mother in tow. You never had to be forced, you galloped ahead, a country girl at heart. There was something so liberating about Amiens, especially in the summer, where the line between the fields and sky was impossible trace and wildflowers bloomed. Your grandmother was kinder than your parents, the only one who could pull you out of your shell - but even then, only when you were alone. More a hedgewitch than practiced individual, she used to set you upon a stool as she practiced her potions, entrusting you with the responsibility of stirring from time to time. She was the one who taught you that magic had more than rigid purpose, that it would be as beautiful as life itself.

She also taught you a second, valuable lesson.

You remember the very first muggle you met. You remember them because they waved joyfully as you stepped into the town square - and knew your father by reputation, your Grand-Mere by face. Your father, ever the diplomat, turned his face away, pretending not to have heard. You, bashfully, didn’t meet their eyes either. It was only later, when your parents had been placated by a bottle of wine or two, that your Grand-mere took you aside.

“Why didn’t you wave back?” Dumbstruck, you look for somewhere to scurry away and hide. Gently, she took your hand into her own. “I won’t hurt you chérie.”

“Maman et Papa didn’t.” And you never were awfully comfortable around strangers, bashfulness seizing control of you.

“They were wrong to.” Bopping your nose, your grand-mere drew giggles from you. “They didn’t wave because he was…” her voice strained over the English word. “A muggle. Have they told you not to talk to muggles?”

You shook your head.

“Don’t let them. There will be some, especially when you go to school, who tell you not to talk to witches who have muggle parents. You musn’t let them order you around. No one is any better or lesser because of the blood in our veins. Even muggles…they’re not witches. But they’re not the enemy. After all, if I never spoke to a muggle, I’d never speak to anyone! Never forget that.”

You promised you wouldn’t. You haven’t since.

Iii. armes de guerre Ultimately, it was war that drove you away from your beloved France and your cherished Grand-mere, who refused to stand down and flee when the German troops overran Amiens. You like to imagine she would not take a cowards way out, apparating whilst the others were rats in a barrel, trapped by the advance. You like to imagine she fought to defend her farm with every trick up her sleeve. You like to imagine she remained strong and valiant until the very end. But you’ll never know. The war snatched her from you, her story lost to the wind. All you had left was an owl from the French ministry and the personal condolences of the French Minister La Magie.

It took you a very long time to summon the courage to return. And even then, you couldn’t do it alone. Kenshin stepped in without being asked, the year after you left Hogwarts, stability at your side as you confronted the ruins of the happiest parts of your childhood. Violence had ravaged the landscape, scarring those who survived. Left with nothing, you saw the hallows of hunger in their sunken cheeks and poverty wrecked on their bones. Beauty had perished and been left to die. But in the ruins of her farm, you saw all was not lost. The Peach trees were still rooted, their bounty just as sweet. The goats, against the odds, made it out of the shelling alive. The old stool you had once assisted your grandmother had merely cracked, not splintered. Life went on - and through the cracks of darkness, light emerged.

You saw something of yourself in that light.

A hopeful creature, timidly taking her first steps into the world. A passionate believer in the strength of goodness, in victory and vanquish over evil. That progress, ultimately, would triumph. That even in the face of blasphemy, there is room for beauty, for brightness. The trick is in finding it and nourishing it, so that it may grow.

From seed to sapling to great oak.

The spark within yourself ignited that day. You felt your grandmother’s presence and smiled. You mourned, not in sadness, but in joy - for all the happiness that had been, for all that would yet come.

The world treads down on optimists, mocking their faith. But you’ve learnt there’s courage in that kind of relentless determination. That day, you felt its whispers in your soul. That day, you swore to let it go free.

Iv. soldat improbable The time that  followed ‘The Great War’ was supposed to be the long peace. If you look with hooded eyes, you’d find that in the cityscape of New York. Illicit drinking. Parties that last until dawn. Jazz bands. Woman’s emancipation. There is so much beauty, so much progress. But squint harder - and you’d find an underground war, a cold one, lurking just below the surface. It’s cause is more just than any muggle one ever fought. It isn’t a battle between great powers, princes and their cousins. It’s between right and wrong, progress and past, egalitarianism and inequality.

You know you’re not a likely candidate to fight in it. Most overlook you, sneering at your daintiness, soft smiles and open heart. They should understand that it’s what makes you strong, too. All you want is some small part in this larger battle, to be a part of the greater good. More than anything else, you’re a visionary, able to picture a world beyond this hatred. If you can see the brightness, you can be the brightness, a bedrock for those wearier than you, a guide for those who might come in your direction. You’re no warrior, not in the conventional sense, but not every battle should be fought with a weapon. Some need softer tools. You could be that person.

It is the sum of your duties with Dahlia. You see yourself in her, the girl you were but a few years ago, timid and unsure of the power in her own voice, but possessing a rosy heart. She deserves better. You long to show her that, to share your brightness and certainty in betterness, to pull her from the den of snakes and away from the Pride Society. You’re not asking her to fight, for the Coalition, for you…never. You simply want to help her. You would do anything - give her the means to runaway, a safe roof to shelter under, because you long to see her flourish. You’re just so afraid of failure…of failing her, your duty and yourself. The powers against you are overwhelming, those who wield the weapons lethal. The horrors she confesses terrify you. Light, as bright as it is, can be snuffed out. That is your greatest fear where Dahlia is concerned.

V. Coup de main As fun you’ll admit the parties Wren and Kenshin drag you out to are, you couldn’t carve a life out of them. Pleasure is for hedonists - and you do not count yourself among their ranks. When you found your own voice, the grit beneath porcelain skin, you were determined that it should count. You sought purpose in yourself, a way to matter. Almost as if you were trying to prove yourself…to yourself.

You found clarity in the most unlikely of places. A non-descriptive building in Queens - that would appear empty to an unsuspecting muggle. It’s purpose only became clear when you stepped inside, finding an overworked and overwhelmed refugee agency. In the aftermath of the great war, the creation of a dozen new states in Europe, thousands of wizards chose to emigrate instead, heading to the United States in search of a better life.

It’ll be tough work, the supervisor warned, staring you up and down, disdainfully. You bit your lip. Old habits die hard.

I’m tougher than I look. Promise. Your voice rang with clarity, in how true that statement had become.

You began volunteering on a trial basis. You distributed donations and held shaky people in your arms. You played with children and made puppets dance. After a fortnight, you began to offer your services as a translator, hoping to connect people into the interior of the US. A little while after that, you suggested you could be used by the organisation at large, rather than ad-hoc.

You felt a rush in your chest, advocating for yourself. You felt strong and brave and…right.

VI. bizarreries personnelles

Here are the little things that make you, you.

You never broke the habit of walking on your tiptoes, a legacy left from a childhood full of ballet dancing. Slender limbs, porcelain skin, your teacher used to sigh and wish you centre stage. Bashfully, you refused, your cheeks darkening. The spotlight was never yours to claim.

You cannot cook without making a mess. In your presence, the kitchen comes a bomb sight, ravaged by war. Nose flour-stained, fingers sticky, you chase Kenshin around the kitchen. You always catch him. He always allows himself to get caught.

Your pastries are infamous, light and puffy, the sort only the french know how to make. You refine your recipes with magic and tap your nose whenever anyone asks for their secrets. (Later, in fine ink, you pen them a letter, containing the details).

You despise British food. You ate dutifully at Hogwarts, too shy to even dream of asking for an alternative. Toad in the hole. Pies. Casseroles. Blegh.

You bit your fingernails until you were fifteen years old. Your mother enchanted them after that, exasperated at your lack of self-control. The spell has long worn off, but the manicure never lasts long. It’s a nervous tick.

You used to chew your hair. You threw off that habit by twelve.

Birthdays are your favourite times of the year. You take great pride in the gifts you give friends, a thoughtful gesture behind each one. You do, however, despise your own birthday. Being at the centre of attention makes you uncomfortable, you’d much rather spread and share the joy. Luckily, everyone’s learnt not to throw you surprise birthday parties. Instead, you have small, intimate gatherings.

(You and Kenshin have a ritual. A cupcake at midnight as eve becomes day.)

You’re hopeless at keeping plants alive. There isn’t a green bone - or thumb - in your body. You failed herbology miserably.

But you’re incredibly attentive when it comes to writing in your diary, daily and in french, to prevent eavesdropping eyes. A habit you haven’t shaken since your days in Gryffindor.

Your patronus is a lamb. An individual with a lamb patronus has a sort of natural innocence about them, and have a very serene disposition. They are kind to most, though they tend to have a difficult time reaching out and expressing themselves. They have a shy aspect of them that is not only social, but inner, which makes them hesitant to do many things. That said, they are very patient and calm creatures, which allow them to be workable with this nature.

You talk too much when you’re nervous. Far too much. About things that have nothing to do with anything. The weather. The latest show that opened on Broadway. The dance craze everyone’s talking about. Whether you should get a bob. You blabber, filling the space with…words. It’s endearing to most, but you despise it in yourself.

Your wand is 9 ½”, french-made and slim. Beech and Unicorn Hair. “The true match for a beech wand will be, if young, wise beyond his or her years, and if full-grown, rich in understanding and experience. Beech wands perform very weakly for the narrow-minded and intolerant. When properly matched, the beech wand is capable of a subtlety and artistry not seen in any other wood, hence its lustrous reputation.”

Languages are your forte. You have a knack for wrapping your tongue around them, inheriting a little of your father’s silver-tongued mantle. French is your mother tongue, but you’ve added English, Spanish, Italian and a pinch of Latin to the mix.

When you’re making a bold declaration or gesture, you rehearse the words in your mind the night before, like a politician preparing for a speech. You muse over the most effective way to get your point across, the comfort a person will be most receptive to, or whether it’s better just to hold someone and let them cry.

Connection expansion:

I. meilleur ami (Note: I’m happy to change all of this if the Kenshin player disagrees, this is merely my interpretation).

“Mon Frere…” Kenshin catches your grin. Deliberately, his mouth forms an ‘o’. “Ma sœur” You wince at the deliberately butchered pronunciation, but smile nonetheless. He’s always had a particular knack for that, drawing the happiness out of you. And you for him. The only label that fits your description is that of platonic soulmate. Or big brother. For truly, the lines between friendship and family have blurred, that you can’t tell them apart. Certainly, he feels more like family than your own blood ever did.

You met on your tenth day at Hogwarts, in the middle of Herbology class. Devil’s snare wrapped around your hand, you panicked, but were too shy to raise you concerns, suffering in silence. Where few did, Kenshin noticed you - and calmed you down with that bluntness of his. Before you knew it, you were smiling, then laughing and then free. You’ve been attached at the hip since - and shall be, until death do you part. The years did little to change the pair of you. Where some friends grow apart, you grew together, slotting like two jigsaw puzzle pieces. By third year, you were spending Christmas together, Kenshin sensing your unspoken reluctance to go back to France and face the holidays with your parents. After your first one together, you confessed the truth, honesty no one had even known. But most of all, he brought light into his life - different to yours, more brazen and bold. Like two twinned suns, strung across the sky. He is your confidante, secret keeper, joker, dance partner and now, roommate.

The latter made sense. When the two of you ended up in New York at the same time (it’s impossible to imagine the two of you oceans apart, impossible and terrible and dreadful), it made sense for the pair of you to find a two-bed apartment in Manhattan and make it your home. You are as compatible roommates as you are friends.

And, for the first time, he made a house a home.

II. le fruit interdit (Again, I’m happy to alter things dependent on plotting w/ Prosperina’s player) You shouldn’t want to kiss her. If you are the doe, she is the wolf - a huntress determined to strike clean.  In your heart, you know you should hate that dynamic, as you know you should despise her - resent the intimidation that rises through your bones, abhore the uncertainty she makes you feel.. You should be afraid. Very afraid.

And in so many ways, you are. You’re scared of what your attraction to her says about you, now that you are both girls grown, living with the choices you make as adults. You aren’t school children anymore, you aren’t praying to be noticed, doodling hearts with your names encased in it. You’re fearful of what might happen if you find yourselves alone, in a dark - or a light - room. But you’re more frightened, in a strange way, of nothing happening at all.

With Prosperina, there are so many unspoken anxieties, so many things you can’t possibly wrap your head around, that you can’t possibly know. Why she notices you now. When you began to crave the burn. If the risk is worth a moments ecstasy. How beauty could wear such thorns.

You know, now, how Eve felt, in the Garden of Eden. Just one bite, the snake hissed. Just one kiss, Prosperina whispers. You have no wish to shed your wings and toss yourself from Paradise’s gate. But she’s just as beautiful as any angel you’ve ever gazed upon.

In Character Paragraph:

Thursday night, 9pm sharp, the Yale Club. Dress elegantly. Heloise didn’t need to glance down at the invitation to know its contents, her heart having memorised them ten times over, skipping a beat each time it paused at a cursive. Even Prosperina’s writing was beautiful. She would have liked to say that the invitation was unexpected, out of the blue and had been firmly rejected. Yet, since she distastes lies, she could not.

Heloise had, however, made an attempt or two to excuse herself. Sending an owl in return, she had outlined her disapproval of the Pride Society and its galas in no uncertain terms. Prosperina had take an age to respond - deliberately, Heloise supposed, to make her nerves hop and jump. When she had, Heloise could almost taste her tone. It’s not one of those. It’s for charity. Don’t you support charity? She had caved. Heloise couldn’t be sure if that was strength or weakness, good or bad.

Three days later, another letter had arrived. Wear pink. It matches the blush on your face.

Stepping into the room, Heloise steeled herself, a picture of defiance in angel-white, beads reflecting the light back.

Not so long ago, she would have cowered, a ghostly slip of a thing, trembling in the corner. Glass of champagne stitched to her hand, she would have sipped until someone had taken pity on her - and even then, she might have fled. That worked under the assumption she plucked the courage to attend at all. Time sandpapered everyone, some for the better, others for the worse. Heloise liked to think she took after the former.

The first eye she caught was from across the room, her gaze instantly drawn to the slip of a girl shrouded by demons, unable to do anything but stare from her cage. Dahlia. It hurt to see her here, to see the shackles bound and to know she was powerless to help. To approach her, to take her hands into her own and wrap her arms around her shoulders was to betray her newfound friend, to expose her doubts to the world. There was cruelty in watching her suffer - but there was greater cruelty in taking a hammer to the foundations below her feet. That wasn’t Heloise’s job. Hers was to encourage Dahlia to flutter her own wings, to learn how to fly. All in good time. Smiling softly across the room, she let her face say what her tongue couldn’t. Stay strong, keep the faith.

The second pair were Prosperina’s - appearing from nowhere, sneaking up behind. Departing from conventions and norms, she didn’t bother with small-talk. “You look ravishing. But not as pretty as you would have had in pink.”

Tongue-tied, Heloise searched for a response. No one had the power to shrink her anymore, now that she had freed her voice from its restraints. And yet, that didn’t mean anymore wit had returned to it. In times like these, she prayed for Kenshin’s presence at her side, always ready with a sharp retort, the sort that drew him closer to someone. Or even Wren, brazen and bold, who spoke without thought. You don’t want to impress her! One voice screamed.Not like you imagined you might, a lifetime ago.

And yet, a little bit of her did.

Heloise spurned her interest. But a little bit of her didn’t want to do without it either.

“I - Thank you. You look…” Staring at Prosperina for the first time, Heloise felt the breath be stolen from her lungs. Divine. Enchanting. “Like a million bucks.” Slanting her voice into an American accent for comedic effect, she immediately regretted her choice no sooner had it been said. “And this…it’s certainly big. Very big. I suppose that’s good. The more people you can fit in, the more donations you can collect for charity.”

Prosperina laughed. Heloise was never sure if she was being laughed at or with. She preferred to think it was the latter.

“The committee had a few reservations. Something about…vermin control. The guest list is rather exclusive, you see.”

Confusion flashed across her face. It wasn’t as if New York was a stranger to rodents…but something about her tone, about the look on her face…made it clear that it wasn’t animals she was referring to. Without noticing, Heloise had become a player in the game. The smile froze on her face. “I sure hope that isn’t a reference to the architects who built the place. Or the perfectly nice people going about their business on the floor below. They’re not doing any harm.”

“Ah yes, the No-Maj’s, as our Yank friends love to say.”

Heloise tensed on the mention of that word. She despised it. No-Maj. So…derogatory. And rather rude. As if they didn’t count as people, or deserve respect, on the merit of something they didn’t have - and had no choice in having. “I hate that term. I hate - you shouldn’t talk about them like that. Nobody should. They’re hardly hurting anyone. And technically, this is their territory so really we should - be respectful.” Exhaling heavily, she steadied herself.

“Oh,” Prosperina leaned in, all smiles now, tucking a strand of loose hair behind her ear. “You’re such a doll. I was only playing. But I can be nice, if you ask nicely.” Her touch felt like electricity, the sort of chemistry that couldn’t be duplicated or faked. When it was real, it was real. “I’ll go fetch us expensive champagne to make amends.” Half-purr, she broke off and Heloise dropped her gaze. “Pink Champagne, I think.”

Cheeks deepening into rosy-red, Heloise watched her depart, wishing she could look away.

Extras:

Pinterest Board: X

[jiang-xinfei]

Ok! Great news! Cause I finally have a backstory of jiang-xinfei which is gonna turn into wei-xinfei!

At first I thought being the daughter of wangxian or being the soul inside Stygian seal/yin iron that instead of a normal immortal that doesn't include in politics a-fei was different she turned into an immortal at the age of 18-22 and made the yin iron to sleep in/live in and that because the Yin iron was a powerful spiritual tool that xue chonghai fed resentful energy and xinfei couldn't resist it cause after all she was sealed there and put into sleep and when Stygian seal was created and destroyed although she has still his memories and all her original body turned into 10 yr old child and once the Stygian seal was purified she was able to get out and welp adopted by wangxian in the process.

But I got a better and well angstier ver! And I'm making it! 😃

So me like irl me died by accidentally falling into a pit as to why I'm there? Well I was lost on camping and that wasn't supposed to happen and "god" (heavenly officials) gave me a choice to be reincarnated as wwx older sister! And ofc I said yes cause I'm Overly obsessed by wwx story especially him and I love him(non-romantic) sooo I said yes(yes it is tgcf x mdzs au maybe even svsss idk) and since it a mistake death they gave me a chance to choose one of my belongings to become my spiritual tool and well obviously I chose the phone(in another world with my smartphone ref:)

And this is where it starts

And the process of reincarnation happens the rebirth of "insert name" and the birth of the first born child of the Weis wei-yue courtesy name xinfei and since I'm planning to at least lessen wwx burdens or entirely changing the past the moment wwx was born I spoiled and coddled him like no tmr all I did was for him and well he needed it cause in this world wwx was vulnerable towards resentment because resentment gathers towards him more than spiritual and since were a sanren blood also known as the disciples of balance it literally means everything needs to be balanced we can filter resentment to spiritual, or if were in a place theres no resentment we can filter spiritual to resentment, once the energy is slightly tilted off your life is in danger but not to much to death but slowly and wwx was overflowing of resentment and attracted resentment rather than both so he was always in bed or whenever we travelled he has to stay back or always near cangse, not allowed to walk, play around, and etc. Or he'll pass out

And when wwx was 3 and bedridden and we needed to meet the jiangs(I was 6) wwx stayed behind with only weichangze greeting and leaving right after

Before he left He was about to say that he needed to take care of wwx but I intervene and told jfm that wei-xinfei my younger sister needed father to take care of her since she was very week and was sick,I sent weichangze a wink letting him know I was kidding around(which I was in fact not) and he wanted to reprimand me but I shooed him away and cangse saw the wink and went along

So I introduced myself playfully as wei-ying courtesy wuxian 3 yrs old and a boy and since me and wwx was a splitting image with eachother like twins although I'm 3 yrs older and the same height as wwx and no i am not short wwx is just incredibly tall for his age(I'm sure in the future although I'm shorter than him I'm taller than an average girl) and not to mention I act like him only a bit calm and reserve sometimes but nonetheless I'm a splitting image of him (not that I was acting ofc it's just the fact that I'm reincarnated in the world I love and the mere fact I can lift wwx my favorite character/person his burdens up excited me to the point my hidden personality of causing mischief, pranks,curiosity, cheerful, funny, kind, caring, and self-awareness hidden by that bored lazy doesn't give 2 shits about the world persona that I built up washed away) so yes I'm a splitting image of wwx and also I kinda dressed like a boy especially like wwx does in the future like wearing black and red or anything that is black

(So jfm didn't notice anything when he came to pick wwx up later)

Anyways after all of that it was well known in the world that the youngest child of the Wei family I, Wei-xinfei is a fragile, easily sick, weak at cultivation, in near death kid. Not the genius, powerful core that is even as strong as changze(who although is weak compared to everyone but was still not strong compared to normal cultivators)who accidentally made a spiritual tool like yu ziyuans famous first class spiritual tool zidian by accident 😀in the cultivation world

Wei changze thought it was a bad idea that xinfei was known as weak and etc. But I said I like working in the shadows rather than up front and besides they'll know eventually anyways. So they left it at that and by the age of 8 weichangze and cangse sanren died

But we never went into the streets my plan was to bring us to our grandmasters mountain to train there but me and wwx always ends up late everytime we went there since the entrance of baoshan sanren was at random times it was almost impossible to know where it will open up if not for my phone so since we were always late and since I made/saved upmoney before our parents died with the help of my beautifully crafted toys and accessories we were able to meet ends meet for a year but that it our savings was dried so I made accessories that gives a lot of money and toys to sell to the shops loads of them at the same time thought wwx about balance and selfishness derailed him with it including some selfesness but always reminded him to put himself first before everyone else.

At the 3rd yr (wwx 8 Wei xinfei 11)And the entrance to the spirit mountain was opened at burial Mounds since we we were technically not harmed by resentment we can and also pay respects to our family we can go in with this no problem.

Unfortunately we were too late...

So we came back at the foot of the mountain sold a bunch of the accessories , charms, and toys and stayed for 3 days we sent off our journey we were at the outskirts of yiling when wwx was hit with a concerning fever

And we stopped by a near river to rest and attend to wwx . I left him behind a tree because he can't play in the water when his sick when a dog came and wwx was scared with dogs so he ran away from there with a fever and stopped and he was lost in yilling his head panging he stopped at an alleyway with no dogs and laid down.

While in xinfeis pov she searched for him frantically using whatever she could find with the family navigator it was a fire that glows in ur sub conscious mind to navigate ur blooded family or ur adopted ones although it has its downside if ur balanced just right yin and yang energys u can pinpoint exactly where they are or are they alive while if ur not and ur not balanced and filled with resentment yes u can be assured that the other person is alive the problem is ur sense of direction is clouded because after all resentment is everywhere it can pinpoint a general direction but it was troublesome if ur in a place filled with nothing but resentment while having more spiritual in ur body and not balanced with resentment u can only know there alive nothing is else nothing more there personification is gone in the world to put it simply there spirits and cannot be found though you'll know there very very much alive but that it.

And well yilling is so full of resentment especially with burial Mounds the direction was clouded and the more time went bye I could feel the lost of direction slowly out of earth. Meaning wwx was unconsciously filtering resentment to spiritual energy and his presence was slowly fading in xinfeis mind only seeing the flame brighten more and more. And looked and looked for him but he was never found. Something was getting in between them so they could never meet someone who-no it doesn't want them to meet and it's working it was always there even before like a reminder of what will happen and I just ignored it thinking it was nothing until our parents died it slowly shifted into a warning saying he couldn't stop what will happen and that it was hopeless but he still ignored it now... Now that small warning turned into a threat a threat saying that everything that had happened before will happen again but 100+ worse to both of them. She couldn't ignore it anymore but she couldn't stop it from growing too because she was too weak she can't handle this, this is a new dangerous being that once it's ready it will hunt both of them down growing and waiting in the shadows wanting to use there life, and suffering for amusement. And she hates it. She hates feeling useless but she can't help it.

And since then 3 yrs had passed since xinfei was now 14 and he still couldn't find her little brother she gave up everything about going to their grandmaster learned cultivation herself both resentment and spiritual and kept looking for him she already went to yunmeng but he wasn't there gusu, nie, lan, Jin anywhere he wasn't there or more specifically the thing his wwx his yingying from her... The only thing that she's still grabbing the hope too is the flame that was stronger than ever but thats it.

At the fourth year she came back to yilling just one chance and goes to the alleyway wwx was going to be picked up by yunmeng but... He wasn't there... Nothing was there... No life that indicated someone was living there... She... She changed the past... Again... And she didn't have any control of it... And it scared her... That somehow her existence here made everything worse... That somehow she was at fault... And that broke her she cried and cried in that alleyway didn't acre what the people looks sent to her. She just cried and cried.. .

And then a hand reached out to her.

It was the one and only legendary baoshan sanren the mother of her mom, her other family that is alive and well aside a-ying, her grand master, there grandmother...

Lol I might make another one but I'm really sleepy and shit I'll just finish this later as a head canon style or prompt style idc anyways bye!

[bellyofkorea]

Becoming a Local

Aside from working like crazy I’ve had some downtime to continue to explore my neighborhood. I’m starting to reap the benefits of familiarity and routine. I now know my favorite coffee shop, my favorite cheap lunch spot, the closest grocery store, and my favorite bar. 

I always loved feeling like a local. There is something deeply satisfying about walking into an establishment, being recognized and greeted differently because of it. Weirdly, I’ve found that this time around in Korea people have decided that I look Korean enough to warrant me being spoken to and greeted in Korean. This has been oddly flattering, but mostly anxiety inducing because I hate the look on peoples faces when they realize I have no idea what they’re saying. Additionally, if the person speaks English, this only opens the door for them to ask me all sorts of questions about where I’m from and, of course, how old I am. 

So becoming a “local” so to speak, in this area, has been really wonderful and helped me feel more at home in Seoul. The coffee shop has several young boys are baristas and they always giggle and shove the one guy who speaks English to wait on me. He always blushes and they all laugh more. 

But, by far and away, my favorite find has been the bar. I don’t know the name of the bar because this place is so local that everything is in Korean. A lot of places in the busier or central areas have menus in both Korean and English, or at the very least photos that I can grunt and point to. This bar is literally half a block away from my Uncles and is thus located on a residential street. Almost everyone in there live locally, because I doubt anyone would find this bar otherwise. 

It is small, with a wooden wrap around bar with about 12 stools. There are two tables in the “front” but otherwise it’s all about the bar area. The bar is self-service - meaning that when you walk in and find a spot to sit, you then get back up and walk over to the two tallboy refrigerators at the front and select your beer. The bartender then pulls down a clean glass and a bottle open for you. 

There is also a menu with korean bar food. My first few times at the bar I was too intimidated to try and order anything because the menu is entirely in Korean, no pictures :(. However, I did eventually get to try some of the menu because I figured out that the bartender speaks perfect English and she is also always there - but that’ll be explained in a moment. 

The bar also has bobble heads on display on all 3 exposed walls. There are a lot of them and they are vary in category - some Star Wars, some cartoons, some old school, etc. etc. This strange addition has given this bar a level of local quirkiness that charmed the shit out of me. 

On my second visit there I went on a Saturday night. It was after my first real shift at Flower Child and my brain was buzzing with recipe ideas that I needed to write down and flesh out. I also think that I have a somewhat bad association with the end of a shift at a kitchen and badly wanting a nice cold one to ease the adrenaline or caffeine (or both) that I am amped up on. 

I settled in and nursed a beer while writing. There were several other solo diners - mostly older men drinking heavily. There was one guy who had 13 empty beers lined up in front of him and he was working on his 14th while staring blankly into space. Koreans are funny about drinking - they’re either very chaste (my relatives don’t drink at all and if they do, it’s in very small amounts) or they’re wildly out of control (like these men at the bar). 

One of the men kept glancing at me. Eventually he blurted out, “ARE YOU A TEACHER?” and the whole bar went silent and looked at me. I awkwardly laughed and said no. Everyone went back to their conversations, but with continual glances over at me. The man though was not sated with this answer and started digging. He was excited to speak English with me he said. He lived in Hawaii for 10 years. Wasn’t his English impressive? How old am I? Where am I from? Do I have a boyfriend? 

As most women have learned from any experience of being female and alone at a bar - I employed various tactics to show that I was either 1, busy and extremely focused on something 2, texting someone, or 3, blatantly not interested in talking. I don’t think he was interested in me or thought he had any remote chance of getting my full attention, but I think he was drunk, lonely, and was having fun provoking me. He would not stop, even when I told him I was trying to work on some things and that I couldn’t really talk. Eventually I gave up and left. The bartender gave me a sad smile and told me I should come back when it wasn’t so busy - a hint/nod to her awareness of why I was leaving. 

The next time I went the bartender greeted me enthusiastically. There was no one else in the bar - I had lucked out. I plopped down my bag and asked her to pick anything on the menu for me to try. I told her I was hungry and that I had been dying to try some of the menu but that I couldn’t read anything on it. She got very excited, although she acknowledged that she had overheard me mention that I was a chef and she was worried I would judge the food. I assured her that I’m not going to judge. 

She sent me pork intestines sautéed with cabbage, onions, garlic, and korean spices and chili paste. It was amazingly simple and delicious. My mouth is watering just remembering it. While I ate we talked.

She told me that she never went anywhere to study English, that she just learned it in school. Her accent has a slight britishness to it, but otherwise it’s flawless. I told her as much and she blushed and fanned herself. She explained that she hasn’t spoken english in such a long time - that I’m the first foreign to walk into this bar. I was so surprised and yet delighted that I had truly stumbled into local territory. We talked at length - the way two people do who see the potential for a friendship emerging. She told me her Korean name but then gave me her english name - surprisingly the exact same name as the chef of Flower Child, Jamie. Although I wanted to use her Korean name, she insisted that I used her english name. 

My fourth time going to the bar, there were a couple people at the bar, but otherwise quite. Jamie gave me another surprise item off the menu - this time chicken dumplings with an extremely spicy cole slaw. She also gave me, on the house, some fried chicken gizzards and a taste from a local brewery. We shared the drink and talked about the past couple days. Then, to both our dismay, the man from the night before stumbled in. 

He yelled my name. He remembered every detail he had managed to get out of my from the other night. Jamie whispered “I’m sorry” before turning her attention to some other customers. 

The man stared at me while taking shot after shot of soju. I ignored his stares and continued to talk to Jamie whenever she had a free moment. The subject turned to North Korea and several people tuned in for this convo. 

Heres the thing - I’ve been very blunt about asking about North Korea with anyone. I want to know what the atmosphere is like and I’m assessing how worried I should be depending on how the locals feel. 

My aunt, who was born and raised here has the mentality of bewildered apathy. She said she grew up with this looming monster of North Korean threats and that these recent ones are no different. I asked if she thinks theres any solution and she said no - thats why they’re still at a stalemate and that’s why nothing is going to happen this time around or any time in the future. 

Jamie, the chef, and Inhee both had the same sentiments. They also feel like this is just the same posturing that has been happening for a long time. However, they do feel like it’s taken on a sinister turn only because of the US president, Donald Trump. Inhee said she’s mostly worried because she thinks Trump is more of a wild lunatic than North Korea. Jamie, the chef, pointed out to me that while people seem to think this is all old news, that is seems like people are scared. She has noticed a dramatic drop in customers to the restaurants. Additionally, it seems that across the board restaurants have been suffering. The theory is that those with enough money to be eating at fancy restaurants also have enough money to leave the country for an extended amount of time. Additionally, tourism is extremely down. There are definitely still tourists like me around, but it’s significantly less than normal. 

At the bar, everyone seemed to express the same sentiments. They’re worried - but what can they do? Everyone said they hated Trump and worried about what he would do more than what North Korea will do. However, the drunk man announced “I like Trump!’ He then proceeded to slur together an explanation that made little sense. He said that as a man he understood Trump. He also said that because of his military training in Korea, he has a military mind so he understands Trump and thinks that it makes sense the escalations that Trump is making. This man, obviously drunk, was a stand alone on this stance and has been the first person I’ve met that supports Trump. 

I left soon after that. The man bought himself another bottle of soju and went out for a cigarette. I asked Jamie if he was there often and she sadly said yes. She said he’s like that with everyone - but that she didn’t know he spoke english and that he was probably giving me more attention because he was excited to be showing off. I asked when he wasn’t there and she said the best times were earlier in the day - so I told her I’d see her next time sometime earlier in the day. We laughed and I went out. 

In a week, Chris gets to Korea and the two of us are going to move to an Airbnb apartment located in a different neighborhood. I’m excited to get to learn a new neighborhood, especially because the one we’re headed to is more central in the city of Seoul with a lot more going on. However, I’m going to miss this area. It feels kind of suburban, despite being very urban. It’s been a great introduction to living in a foreign city and I feel very at home here now. Ultimately though, I’m excited to get the chance to do that same thing else where and find the local haunts in a new area of the city. 

[raybro21]

DELTA RUNE SPOILERS INCOMING

If you havent played it, you are doing yourself a disservice. The game is currently free, so download it, play it, and come back if you want to learn more about it.

Seriously, go. now

i mean it

are they gone?

Ok then

So, Delta Rune.

what can I say about Delta Rune other than I love it? As someone who spoils everything for hinself, including Undertale (sadly), this game dropping out of nowhere was the perfect opportunity to experience what it would've been like to play Undertale for the first time for myself. However, after playing it for the first time and beating it the second, Toby Fox clearly wanted to do something different and it shows. This is not a sequel for Undertale despite what everyone and their memes may tell you. Its a standalone game with both familiar characters as well as new ones. It has its own identity, a reworked combat system, fantastic music, fluffy boys and mean girls, and lots of charm. A great step in a new direction for Toby Fox i may say.

However, as this game is "Technically" a demo, that leaves everyone with a lot of questions after playing this game, including me. When we start playing, we have a custom character creator that seems to go nowhere, and we're constantly reminded that our choices won't matter in the end. After reading Toby Fox's post on Twitlonger, story wise i understand the reason. Delta Rune is going to be a much bigger game and as a result it will take too much time to implement a diverse set of choices for the story. However, The character creator seems too much of a sore thumb to be a simple gag. We're told of a knight that visited the Card Kingdom and convinced the King of Spades to be a tyrant, and we're never told about the knight apart from those instances nor do we see him. I propose that we MADE the knight and when the full game is released we will see our creation and hear ourselves referenced. Who knows, maybe that character creator and our contact we meet qt the very start of the game will be integral to the story.

Secondly, the main character Kris. People may not have noticed until the very end, but theres clearly a lot going on regarding him. For one, i doubt that they are Frisk. They're names and how they're spelled might be a red herring as if anyone familiar with undertales story, Chara (and 6 other humans) came WAY before Frisk arrived in the underground. Who's to say that the same thing applies in Delta Rune? Not only that, Asriel is alive and is attending college. that wouldn't have been possible in different circumstances. I think that Kris IS Chara, and the ending is pointing this out and we're going to see that more in the full game. Not only this, it seems that Asriel and Kris' relationship might be strained, with Asriels side of the bed being much more decorated with trophies while Kris is severely lacking. Theres also the game console having both a good controller and a crummy knockoff. Something tells me that its not going to be a happy reunion when Asriel comes back from college.

Theres loads more i would love to discuss; whether the Dark Kingdom being real or not, the mystery behind Ralsei being a boss monster like the Dreemur family (and that his name is an anagram for Asriel), The story behind Humans and Monsters living together in harmony despite you being the only human in town, and loads more. as much as I want to, theres not enough puzzle pieces that we can fit together as Toby Fox is the most secretive person there is and that the game is not finished. I would kill to have an extra piece to the puzzle, but we all have to wait until the game is complete in 7 years.

Toby, if you ever find this post, I and everyone else LOVE the passion you put into your work. I hope that you are able to get this game to fit the vision you have for it, and I hope that you and your new team work out like a well oiled machine.

'Nuff said.

[samanthasroberts]

The Best Bachelor in Paradise Recap You’ll Ever Read: Week 2

Last night in Paradise we finally said goodbye and fuck you to Chad, got to see round 2 of Nick Viall vs. Josh Murray drama, and my ED Evan gaydar scale practically exploded after his professions of “love” for Carly. This show is so unscriptedly (not a word? Idc) amazing that ‘paradise’ actually refers to how I feel sitting on my couch watching these losers talk mad shit about each other. So WTF went down last night?

The Chad Breakdown Continues

Chad is definitely still wasted from last night, and Chris Harrison is def just pissed he has to interrupt his robe-lounging to deal with this. “It’s worth it for the **ratings**” – Probably a post-it on Chris Harrison’s mini bar.

Chris Harrison:Where are you going??? Chad: I dont know, Tijuana or something.

Then Leah comes and I’m pretty sure all of America/Bachelor Nation is like, Leah who?

….mmm nope.

Of COURSE she comes on the show and is looking for Chad. Could it BE any more staged???

– Leah talking about Chad / me talking about my dog

said no one ever, until Leah

Okay just had a flashback to Leah throwing Lauren B under the bus. Classy chick! However she does look like Mena Suvari in American Beauty when she cries.

Nick / Leah / Amanda Triangle

Leah gives up on the Chad situation and moves onto her next target, slick Nick.

Nick:– Nick prior to running a controlled empirical study on Leah.

Nick: Thanks for asking me on this date Leah: Thanks for coming …Can you say chemistry??

Leah:– that’s what she said.

Leah:I’m very confident when I say I think I have a lot of qualities that you’re looking for Nick:I really appreciate what you’re saying. I actually think I’m leaning towards Amanda k thx bai.

Nick decides he’s just not that into Leah (probably either her lip injections or her fragrance of desperation, tbd) and moves onto Amanda, mother of 2.

Nick: I love fires and sitting near them Amanda: I love lamp

“No child left behind” – Not Amanda’s parenting philosophy.

Carly and Evan

Evan gets a date card and asks Carly and I literally don’t think I’ve ever seen someone want to cry more after getting a date.

– Evan sounds like the 40 year old virgin describing boobs like bags of sand.

“Evan does give me erectile dysfunction” – An amazing quote that I can’t believe we didn’t think of first

Carly: My brother told me I have to stop dating feminine men…like my first boyfriend now has a boyfriend. And now this again. – Looks like somebody’s got a type!

Carly and Evan have completely opposite reactions to the jabanero kiss:

Evan: My mouth is on fire and I don’t know if it’s the pepper or from kissing Carly.

Carly: I vommitted…and it’s not just from the pepper.

Josh Murray vs. Nick

So before we get into the ancient epic battle between Josh and Nick (more epic than the Sunni-Shiite conflict I can assure you), we feel it’s our duty to reveal what Andi Dorfman wrote about him in her amazing/scandalous tell-all. Basically, according to her (but also like, def true), he was seriously emotionally abusive towards her in all our favorite ways – accusing her of cheating, not letting her spend time with her besties, stalking her social media for signs of other guys, having humil screaming matches in public…you really have to read it to get the full effect. (We’re not even getting paid to say that!!)

Josh on Andi: We were just like, very different in a lot of ways. – He is obviously very pissed about this book.

The Bachelor producers LOVE fucking with Nick Viall’s emotions. Third time still not a charm.

Amanda should’ve stayed with Nick.

Other Miscellanous Lameness

– Daniel

Lace was sadly very uninteresting last night except her eyelash extensions, which are malfunctioning.

Emily’s idea of sexy small talk is unreal:

Emily: What are you thinking about? Jared: Paradise…

Jared is obviously conflicted about hooking up with Emily, like he’s not into her clearly but he doesn’t want to get kicked off. It’s muy interesante how whenever the guys have the roses the girls whore themselves out, and when the girls have the roses the guys pretend to have feelings. Feminist AF.

Week Two Night Two

Second week of paradise, second night of the week that I have to watch the same show for reasons unknown.

This episode starts with Josh and Amanda incessantly making out in front of everyone, while making meerkat noises.

Nick is obviously displeased so he continues to workout on the beach while taking breaks to shed a tear.

Daniel is unhappy because theres a new guy in Paradise who is about to take his love interest awayChristian. I literally do not remember him but apparently Sarah is super into the guy. All we know is that hes really fucking smiley… like hes about to pull out Jamaican steel drums and serenade everyone on the beach.

Daniel yeah or just Canadian.

Meanwhile ED Evan cant shut the fuck up about his date with Carly. Vinny: Wow kissed for a minute and 46 seconds. Evan: 41 seconds! It was like butterfly explosions.

Carly has the talk with Evan where she breaks up with him even though all they did was go on one awful date together. If Carly were a guy she would like never talk to him, ignore him, and then hook up with someone else in front of him.

Now that Evan is my ex-boyfriend Carly.

Enter new guy Brendan. Even Chris Harrison doesnt know who Brendan is (even though Chris Harrison definitely knows who he is and that scene was literally more scripted than a fight on ). Carly falls in love at first sight but doesnt realize that Brendan is dumber than anyone who has ever been on this television show. Brendan picks Haley (or Emily?) on his date.

This time Im doing a bad job in paradise. Like Last time I did a really bad job in paradise but this time Im doing like a worse job. Carly

Before her sisters date Emily drinks a beer and gets wasted which was THE BEST part of this entire episode.

My best friend is going on a date and like now that shes engaged Im so happy. I didnt mean to get like this!! Someone please give her more alcohol.

Brendan and Haleys date was the most absurd thing Ive ever seen. I want to find a woman who wants to give 110% HE IS Brendan Frasier in .

Why would Brendan even notice that the twins switched on him? I could barely tell the difference? But also like, he is giving this like loving we have a connection speech that I promise he would have given to any girl he would have picked. (But apparently not Carly).

Back at the house, because Daniel was supes jealous of Sarah and Christians new connection he makes a little mini date on a daybed for them.

Daniel: I’m an eagle and this eagle knows what he wants.

Sarah: I Just want to be appreciated for who I am and respect who I am. Daniel: Samesies. I hate it when people don’t respect me. Flashback to Daniel one episode ago: I was looking for some good looking girls so far I’m not impressed. Nothing I’d touch, maybe the one blonde girl if I had a couple of drinks in me. So far these are poodles and yorkies and washed up street dogs. I’d have to be white girl wasted to fuck them.

Sarah: DAMN DANIEL!

Sarah refers to Daniel as the goofy one who is weird and kinda dumb but makes her laugh. Can we all agree that Daniel IS Canadian Joey Tribbiani?

Daniel, Romance Expert.

PS Why are all the couples, the self proclaimed sexy six, all making out together in one bed and not like, alone? What is this, the junior prom limo!?

Then the best thing to ever happen on this show happens. Evan self implodes.

The producers first convince him not to leave. Then they somehow manipulate him into thinking that the girl he has the best chance with is Amanda, yes, the one Josh is about to engulf.

Either I was like really high or this was SOOOO funny but watching Evan write a sad handwritten note to himself was probably the best television of life.

Then he pumps himself up by calling himself by his full name. YOURE FRICKIN EVAN BASS .. however I am pretty sure he meant it in the sense that like, he is like related to Chuck Bass and thats what makes him cool. Yes I fully believe Evan watches .

Then the producers convince him to walk up to Amanda and Josh while theyre hooking up to ask Amanda out. Whether this was scripted or not, this was good. The other reason for him doing this was his chance to get closer to Josh. Think about it, Chad was pretty hot and Evan loved stirring the pot with him on . Now he wants to get steamy with Josh. I can see that exciting little Evan. Aka Ogie from the movie (obscure but like, so accurate).

Don’t do it Evan, this will end poorly!! – all of America.

div.body_middle_part_right .bodypart:nth-child(n+2),a.prevBody{display:none;}

Source: http://allofbeer.com/the-best-bachelor-in-paradise-recap-youll-ever-read-week-2/

from All of Beer https://allofbeer.wordpress.com/2018/09/30/the-best-bachelor-in-paradise-recap-youll-ever-read-week-2/

[adambstingus]

The Best Bachelor in Paradise Recap You’ll Ever Read: Week 2

Last night in Paradise we finally said goodbye and fuck you to Chad, got to see round 2 of Nick Viall vs. Josh Murray drama, and my ED Evan gaydar scale practically exploded after his professions of “love” for Carly. This show is so unscriptedly (not a word? Idc) amazing that ‘paradise’ actually refers to how I feel sitting on my couch watching these losers talk mad shit about each other. So WTF went down last night?

The Chad Breakdown Continues

Chad is definitely still wasted from last night, and Chris Harrison is def just pissed he has to interrupt his robe-lounging to deal with this. “It’s worth it for the **ratings**” – Probably a post-it on Chris Harrison’s mini bar.

Chris Harrison:Where are you going??? Chad: I dont know, Tijuana or something.

Then Leah comes and I’m pretty sure all of America/Bachelor Nation is like, Leah who?

….mmm nope.

Of COURSE she comes on the show and is looking for Chad. Could it BE any more staged???

– Leah talking about Chad / me talking about my dog

said no one ever, until Leah

Okay just had a flashback to Leah throwing Lauren B under the bus. Classy chick! However she does look like Mena Suvari in American Beauty when she cries.

Nick / Leah / Amanda Triangle

Leah gives up on the Chad situation and moves onto her next target, slick Nick.

Nick:– Nick prior to running a controlled empirical study on Leah.

Nick: Thanks for asking me on this date Leah: Thanks for coming …Can you say chemistry??

Leah:– that’s what she said.

Leah:I’m very confident when I say I think I have a lot of qualities that you’re looking for Nick:I really appreciate what you’re saying. I actually think I’m leaning towards Amanda k thx bai.

Nick decides he’s just not that into Leah (probably either her lip injections or her fragrance of desperation, tbd) and moves onto Amanda, mother of 2.

Nick: I love fires and sitting near them Amanda: I love lamp

“No child left behind” – Not Amanda’s parenting philosophy.

Carly and Evan

Evan gets a date card and asks Carly and I literally don’t think I’ve ever seen someone want to cry more after getting a date.

– Evan sounds like the 40 year old virgin describing boobs like bags of sand.

“Evan does give me erectile dysfunction” – An amazing quote that I can’t believe we didn’t think of first

Carly: My brother told me I have to stop dating feminine men…like my first boyfriend now has a boyfriend. And now this again. – Looks like somebody’s got a type!

Carly and Evan have completely opposite reactions to the jabanero kiss:

Evan: My mouth is on fire and I don’t know if it’s the pepper or from kissing Carly.

Carly: I vommitted…and it’s not just from the pepper.

Josh Murray vs. Nick

So before we get into the ancient epic battle between Josh and Nick (more epic than the Sunni-Shiite conflict I can assure you), we feel it’s our duty to reveal what Andi Dorfman wrote about him in her amazing/scandalous tell-all. Basically, according to her (but also like, def true), he was seriously emotionally abusive towards her in all our favorite ways – accusing her of cheating, not letting her spend time with her besties, stalking her social media for signs of other guys, having humil screaming matches in public…you really have to read it to get the full effect. (We’re not even getting paid to say that!!)

Josh on Andi: We were just like, very different in a lot of ways. – He is obviously very pissed about this book.

The Bachelor producers LOVE fucking with Nick Viall’s emotions. Third time still not a charm.

Amanda should’ve stayed with Nick.

Other Miscellanous Lameness

– Daniel

Lace was sadly very uninteresting last night except her eyelash extensions, which are malfunctioning.

Emily’s idea of sexy small talk is unreal:

Emily: What are you thinking about? Jared: Paradise…

Jared is obviously conflicted about hooking up with Emily, like he’s not into her clearly but he doesn’t want to get kicked off. It’s muy interesante how whenever the guys have the roses the girls whore themselves out, and when the girls have the roses the guys pretend to have feelings. Feminist AF.

Week Two Night Two

Second week of paradise, second night of the week that I have to watch the same show for reasons unknown.

This episode starts with Josh and Amanda incessantly making out in front of everyone, while making meerkat noises.

Nick is obviously displeased so he continues to workout on the beach while taking breaks to shed a tear.

Daniel is unhappy because theres a new guy in Paradise who is about to take his love interest awayChristian. I literally do not remember him but apparently Sarah is super into the guy. All we know is that hes really fucking smiley… like hes about to pull out Jamaican steel drums and serenade everyone on the beach.

Daniel yeah or just Canadian.

Meanwhile ED Evan cant shut the fuck up about his date with Carly. Vinny: Wow kissed for a minute and 46 seconds. Evan: 41 seconds! It was like butterfly explosions.

Carly has the talk with Evan where she breaks up with him even though all they did was go on one awful date together. If Carly were a guy she would like never talk to him, ignore him, and then hook up with someone else in front of him.

Now that Evan is my ex-boyfriend Carly.

Enter new guy Brendan. Even Chris Harrison doesnt know who Brendan is (even though Chris Harrison definitely knows who he is and that scene was literally more scripted than a fight on ). Carly falls in love at first sight but doesnt realize that Brendan is dumber than anyone who has ever been on this television show. Brendan picks Haley (or Emily?) on his date.

This time Im doing a bad job in paradise. Like Last time I did a really bad job in paradise but this time Im doing like a worse job. Carly

Before her sisters date Emily drinks a beer and gets wasted which was THE BEST part of this entire episode.

My best friend is going on a date and like now that shes engaged Im so happy. I didnt mean to get like this!! Someone please give her more alcohol.

Brendan and Haleys date was the most absurd thing Ive ever seen. I want to find a woman who wants to give 110% HE IS Brendan Frasier in .

Why would Brendan even notice that the twins switched on him? I could barely tell the difference? But also like, he is giving this like loving we have a connection speech that I promise he would have given to any girl he would have picked. (But apparently not Carly).

Back at the house, because Daniel was supes jealous of Sarah and Christians new connection he makes a little mini date on a daybed for them.

Daniel: I’m an eagle and this eagle knows what he wants.

Sarah: I Just want to be appreciated for who I am and respect who I am. Daniel: Samesies. I hate it when people don’t respect me. Flashback to Daniel one episode ago: I was looking for some good looking girls so far I’m not impressed. Nothing I’d touch, maybe the one blonde girl if I had a couple of drinks in me. So far these are poodles and yorkies and washed up street dogs. I’d have to be white girl wasted to fuck them.

Sarah: DAMN DANIEL!

Sarah refers to Daniel as the goofy one who is weird and kinda dumb but makes her laugh. Can we all agree that Daniel IS Canadian Joey Tribbiani?

Daniel, Romance Expert.

PS Why are all the couples, the self proclaimed sexy six, all making out together in one bed and not like, alone? What is this, the junior prom limo!?

Then the best thing to ever happen on this show happens. Evan self implodes.

The producers first convince him not to leave. Then they somehow manipulate him into thinking that the girl he has the best chance with is Amanda, yes, the one Josh is about to engulf.

Either I was like really high or this was SOOOO funny but watching Evan write a sad handwritten note to himself was probably the best television of life.

Then he pumps himself up by calling himself by his full name. YOURE FRICKIN EVAN BASS .. however I am pretty sure he meant it in the sense that like, he is like related to Chuck Bass and thats what makes him cool. Yes I fully believe Evan watches .

Then the producers convince him to walk up to Amanda and Josh while theyre hooking up to ask Amanda out. Whether this was scripted or not, this was good. The other reason for him doing this was his chance to get closer to Josh. Think about it, Chad was pretty hot and Evan loved stirring the pot with him on . Now he wants to get steamy with Josh. I can see that exciting little Evan. Aka Ogie from the movie (obscure but like, so accurate).

Don’t do it Evan, this will end poorly!! – all of America.

div.body_middle_part_right .bodypart:nth-child(n+2),a.prevBody{display:none;}

from All Of Beer http://allofbeer.com/the-best-bachelor-in-paradise-recap-youll-ever-read-week-2/ from All of Beer https://allofbeercom.tumblr.com/post/178602825797

[comicteaparty]

September 27th, 2018 CTP Archive

The archive for the Comic Tea Party chat that occurred on September 27th, 2018, from 5PM - 7PM PDT.  The chat focused on Heart of Keol by keiiii.

Featured Comment:

Chat:

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- THURSDAY BOOK CLUB START!

Good evening, everyone~! This week’s Thursday Book Club is officially beginning! Today we are discussing Heart of Keol by keiiii~! (http://www.heartofkeol.com/)

Remember that Thursday discussions are completely freeform! However, every 30 minutes I will drop in OPTIONAL discussion questions in case you’d like a bit of a prompt. If you miss out on one of these prompts, you can find them pinned for the chat’s duration. Additionally, remember that while constructive criticism is allowed, our focus is fun and respectfully appreciating the comic. All that said, let’s begin!

QUESTION 1. What is your favorite scene in the comic so far and why?

Respheal

Any scene where Lu has reason to go "Ethan no"

Kabocha

....That's really accurate...

Respheal

Ain't it though xD(edited)

Kabocha

I'm still laughing at "What A douchebag"

SevereWxEddie

Lu sure says "Ethan, no!" a lot

Kabocha

http://www.heartofkeol.com/eng/002-06/ Yes, Ittan Nohm~ :3

Kabocha

@keii4ii -- how does that phrase break down? Is it just... ......................... an entire phrase? Or is one part of it clearly douchebag and the other the "what a"

Respheal

I think there was a bit on the train in particular where it was like "this is just going to be their relationship now huh" xD Ethan being a doofus and straight-faced Lu just "no. why. stop"

Draco Plato

I really liked how the action scenes have been handled, the effects are gorgeous

keii4ii

Ittan is a derogative uhhh.. what do you call it, determiner?

Nohm is a derogative pronoun

Megaparsec

Yeah every scene with a wyrm is just so awesome

Respheal

The wyrms are super pretty

SevereWxEddie

Oh, speaking of the train, have to say...I was very impressed with how you drew the rail infrastructure! The rails and tracks themselves looked very good.

Darkhalo4321

I loved that scene

Kabocha

Yesssss

Joichi [Lavender Tea]

Hi I dropped in, realizing I wasn't in this discord before

keii4ii

Thanks! The railroad provides lots of opportunities to do some fun perspective stuff

Mharz

My favorite scene is the geoduck scene that was really hilarious. I like Ethan and Lushaka's chemistry.

Tenor | Shinavar

Fav scene: Glowing toilet Also really gotta admire Ethan can apparently use the bathroom and hold a conversation with someone - I have kids and I can't do that

RebelVampire

i like any scene with hoodie kid. because i love the background illustrations and color work. theyre always so off putting. like when hoodie kid has all the red magic stuff surrounding and is just like "woo ethan come on lets burn things"

Kabocha

YES GEODUCKS

keii4ii

Though I'm glad most of that arc happened on a bridge, because at the end of it, I learned how much pain it is to draw the pebble variety railroad

SevereWxEddie

Ballast is...tedious

Kabocha

I always have a hard time writing that word because I wanna type "gooeyduck"

Darkhalo4321

Pyromaniac warning I guessss

Mharz

I like how Lushaka nonchalantly draws it.

And Ethan was like oooooohhhh

Draco Plato

all of the glowy effects are super cool, any use of power was just gorgeous

Tenor | Shinavar

Lushaka believes children need to be taught right, clearly /shot

keii4ii

The stick figure art was a collaborative masterpiece with Ethan adding the belly buttons

Respheal

Ahahaha makes sense that Lushaka wouldn't think to add belly buttons....

Mharz

Yeah

Megaparsec

Oh also the scene with the young Rencho and Ethan being like "OOH can you be a kitten?"

keii4ii

Not shown in the comic, but canon: the stick figures were vandalized by Danbi who returned to that spot while the others were away slaying the big jaguar

Darkhalo4321

Makes sense though- size and all?

Mharz

That scene where Ethan was pointing out he has no belly button is so fun

Joichi [Lavender Tea]

Agreed, I love the scenes where magic was being cast. And the one where it was with that Lady and the Master was quite intense. I thought the Master was going to be done for. Reason: the angle of how the fight was commencing(edited)

keii4ii

Danbi didn't want Hana to see them

Mharz

Lol danbi

keii4ii

TBH Master wouldn't have survived if Adela didn't go easy on her, out of her disdain for human suyori

RebelVampire

yes the master and adela's fight was beautiful @Joichi [Lavender Tea] like everything about the effects

Joichi [Lavender Tea]

I agreed! I need to catch up on more HnK

Mharz

I think that was the first time I saw Danbi really angry. The part when Ethan pointed out Lu has no bellybutton

Kabocha

...Oh, yeah, that... part...

Respheal

Can't really blame him though....?

Kabocha

XD He was gonna be all sympathetic for Lu and then

nawp

Respheal

I don't think Danbi's in the right, but he was (afaik) lied to there sooo

Darkhalo4321

I kind of laughed? Because he doesn't know anything about the world really and his first reaction was the belly button -

Respheal

The anger is understandable

keii4ii

Yeah, I'm partial to situations where both sides are right and wrong at the same time

Mharz

That makes me question tho, are Renchos suppose to not have that?(edited)

Megaparsec

One of Ethan's most endearing traits is his... not innocence but excitement about everything everyone else takes for granted

keii4ii

No belly buttons for Renchos!

Mharz

I-I'm curious

I mean the other thing

keii4ii

...barbs?

Mharz

rolls

Tenor | Shinavar

Mharz: He's not supposed to - he's wearing the mark of castration when he's not, if I followed the story right

Respheal

Well the tentacle's got barbs for days

Kabocha

Geoducks

Tenor | Shinavar

hence the being 'lied' to

keii4ii

Oh yeah, the dingly-doo

Tenor | Shinavar

Er, Danbi being lied to

Mharz

I should've googled that word's meaning

keii4ii

Cat Station

Mharz

Lol

SevereWxEddie

LOL!

Draco Plato

they took away his cats

Tenor | Shinavar

TBF castration is only removal of the nuts.

So even if he didn't have it I don't imagien Ethan would be any wiser

RebelVampire

they took away his cats to work on the railroad

hence the term cat station

Draco Plato

they are now the train masters

Tenor | Shinavar

wheeze

Respheal

Kinda makes me wonder how Renchos are born.....since that'd be the umbilical cord

Mharz

Oh okay

Respheal

Eggs

Mharz

My english is dumb

keii4ii

XD The eyeballs in the emoji kinda look like eggs

Tenor | Shinavar

Octopii style :D

Darkhalo4321

That's my question

Tenor | Shinavar

Lots of little litters in sacks in the water

/shot

Mharz

Pft

keii4ii

I will say Renchos are indeed born in litters

Joichi [Lavender Tea]

now I am curious about Renchos xD

Respheal

Ethan's pure curiosity is good though hahahaha

Darkhalo4321

It is

Mharz

Yeah

keii4ii

And their home world is mostly ocean dotted with small islands (well, the parts they inhabit anyway. I'm not sure if there's a huge land mass away from where they live)

Darkhalo4321

He's very curious about the world, the people there, it's good.

Mharz

What a douchebag is a pure souI I love him.

Kabocha

Oooh

Tenor | Shinavar

Oh gonna share this bc I can: 100% kept forgetting Danbi was a boy every time Ethan was shirtless bc I'd be mad he was so disrespectful

OTL

keii4ii

Poor Danbi

RebelVampire

i love how giant ethan is compared to pretty much everyone. like you get tricked sometimes cause of the closeups, but then theres those nice long shots where youre like "wow ethan you sure tower over everyone"

Sophie

Ethan's like an infant, excited about everything! It's adorable

Mharz

You know, keiiii my reaction is the same with Ethan's when I found out Danbi's a guy

keii4ii

Bwahahaha

Darkhalo4321

The Bull in a china shop comes to mind

Kabocha

How tall is Ethan, anyway?

Darkhalo4321

but a polite bull

keii4ii

6' 5" and not done growing

Respheal

Oh man I loved Ethan's reaction

SevereWxEddie

Ooof

Kabocha

NOT DONE?!

Respheal

HE BIG

Mharz

I was like dang danbi's so pretty. :y(edited)

Darkhalo4321

He'll be 10 feet when he's DONE

Kabocha

Danbi's charming, I think.

keii4ii

At full size, he'll be 6' 7" and also beefier

Mharz

I still like him tho

Ooh more beef for Ethan yes

keii4ii

There was actually a doodle of maxed out Ethan (like 6-8 years older?) that I did a while ago

Draco Plato

he has to be a big cat for lushaka

keii4ii

Slightly older Ethan

Mharz

Lu will be really pleased

Draco Plato

must be really hard to get shirts

Respheal

XXXXXL

Tenor | Shinavar

YAY NO WASHBOARD ABS.

keii4ii

He's got a little squishy over the abs

Darkhalo4321

He has REAL STRENGTH

Mharz

Yas

Tenor | Shinavar

REAL STRENGTH YES HHHHHHHHHHH <3

Darkhalo4321

he's not no gym floozy(edited)

keii4ii

Lu has enough washboard for the both of them

Respheal

True

Mharz

Perfect strong body

Draco Plato

Lu has beautiful abs

Tenor | Shinavar

Lmao

RebelVampire

ethan will be charged double for tailored clothes because of the sheer amount of fabric required

Tenor | Shinavar

After learning how you get washboard abs no ty, gimmie da meat /shot

Rebel: LOL

keii4ii

Yeah, you either gotta win the genetics lotto, or ... do some insane diet control for a six pack

Tenor | Shinavar

Better take real good care of those clothes

Diet control to serious unhealthy levels. You're supposed to have fat over the abs to protect them - so it may look nice but 9/10 you're actually super weak in real life applications of them so yeaaah

I HOPE KITTY BOI IS OKAY D:

keii4ii

He's okay. If he starts putting on fat, he'll start putting them on his already massive thighs first

(they have different fat distribution patterns, lol)

Tenor | Shinavar

wheeze

Fair!

SevereWxEddie

So those abs would not in fact be rock hard and a punch to them would be really bad, then?

Tenor | Shinavar

So- can he crush a melon with dem thighs

asking for a friend >> <<

Mharz

He has tentacles tenor he's fine

Tenor | Shinavar

/Almost made a hentai joke

/Gunna go get a drink lol

Megaparsec

On a totally unrelated note the Lu-catfish was hilarious

keii4ii

X'D derpfish

Mharz

Lol

keii4ii

Not as derp as puffer, but hey

Joichi [Lavender Tea]

@RebelVampire haha I was wondering when the tailors have to charge Ethan for the clothes he has to be handmade for him

keii4ii

It wouldn't be as bad as it would be for Lushaka, if he lived in our world

Mharz

Pft

keii4ii

I'm pretty sure his thigh circumference > his waist circumference

Respheal

Oh geez yeah

Mharz

Heck yeah

His thigh is really big

Never skip leg day folks

Draco Plato

yis

Joichi [Lavender Tea]

i always like that aspect of Heart of Keol, that you designed Ethan that he is drastically different from the rest of the people. Other than Lushaku, i think hes sort of muscular too

keii4ii

Yep, Ethan is beefy

Beef filled cinnamon roll

(sounds like a Middle Eastern food...)

Mharz

Mmmmm

Draco Plato

yeah the different body shapes are really cool to see

Sophie

Very diverse cast, yup!

Mharz

I really like how Keiiii pulled that off :3

keii4ii

I'm glad to hear! I have a lot of fun drawing the different bodies

Tenor | Shinavar

I love it too~

keii4ii

like they're ALL various types of "conventionally attractive" bodies, but still different

Mharz

Yasss

Draco Plato

yeah that is really neat~!

Sophie

Everybody is so easily to read and keep apart from another. It's really great!

keii4ii

I had readers point out Adela's boobs helped them remember who she was, when she reappeared in chapter 16

Mharz

Pft

Draco Plato

omg XD well they do help

her hair and ears is how i recognized her at that point

Mharz

She does have really huge boobs

Draco Plato

and her shoes

Mharz

Same draco

RebelVampire

QUESTION 2. Within the comic, Ethan has a plethora of mysteries surrounding him. What do you think happened to Ethan’s dad? Does Ethan’s Dad’s disappearance have some connection to Keol, or is it unrelated? Who is the child-like figure who initially sends to Ethan to Keol? Why send Ethan to Keol in the first place? What is the figure’s interest in Ethan? Is Ethan somehow special, especially in regards to his apparent powers he unlocks? What do you think the child figure’s connection to the Queen might be (if any)? Does it have something to do with the Queen’s missing mate? Lastly, do you think Ethan will get home? If he does, do you think he’ll regret it?

keii4ii

Yeah, I have to draw her body without boobs first, and then add the boobs in order to avoid anatomy disasters

Mharz

By the looks of it, the hooded dude is his Dokkabi?

Respheal

That's the gist I got

The fact that his dad was scared of outlets--what was up with that O.o

Darkhalo4321

Makes me wonder-

Respheal

I mean...PTSD, but....outlets?

Tenor | Shinavar

2: Ethan's dad was a Prisoner of War - and suffering from serious PTSD is my bets - assuming the whole sory isn't some metaphysical message in Ethan's head ofc <_< I feel Hooded kid is the Dokkabi, too, since there's a symbollic pattern. BUT the curiousity is the Queen because she has the symbol, too, but that's explain away her immoretality - so my theory is the kid is the queen calling Ethan to her side.

SevereWxEddie

Electircal based "aggressive interrogation" techniques?

Darkhalo4321

I was thinking Light too? He was in the corner if I recall-

Tenor | Shinavar

Resp: TOrture technique

SevereWxEddie

Electrical

Tenor | Shinavar

The buzzing of lights can be used in torture

Mharz

Also yeah I'm curious what happened to Ethan's dad. He was scared of the electric socket which makes me wondered if he was electrecuted or struck by lightning

Tenor | Shinavar

and outlets can carry that sound

Joichi [Lavender Tea]

wow that is alot of questions to answer, like 8 Qs XD

Respheal

Well, I did guess that, since he seemed to also be scared of lightning

Aaaah true

SevereWxEddie

Is it ever explicitly stated which war Dad went off to?

Respheal

The minute buzzing

keii4ii

@Joichi [Lavender Tea] Combo attack

Respheal

For real xD

keii4ii

@SevereWxEddie Nope!

Draco Plato

wondered if his dad was in the world ethan is in now

SevereWxEddie

.....

Draco Plato

went through the red gate

SevereWxEddie

Oooo. THERE'S a theory

Tenor | Shinavar

I do think Ethan will make it home however I hope i's not too soon because as it is right now I don't think Ethan could handle leaving his new friends behind lol

Megaparsec

How long was he gone? Does it match up with the opening frequency?

Draco Plato

it actually didn't sound like people were really able to get back since they were there awhile

the people who'd gone through the gate

Tenor | Shinavar

But tbf, how would they know they did get back?

And not just went missing?

SevereWxEddie

@keii4ii does it matter which war it was, as in plot-relevant, or is it more of a "this happened in the story past?"

Tenor | Shinavar

Unless they reversed fireballed into the sky /shot.

Mharz

Must have something to do with the Heart?

keii4ii

@SevereWxEddie The latter

Megaparsec

Oh never mind the Red gate opens every year

Tenor | Shinavar

I liiike the idea his dad went into the world though because that would mean there is a way to get back

Kabocha

So, I was thinking hoodie kid was actually like................. ...................related to the empress

Draco Plato

the heart is the titular character

Tenor | Shinavar

somehow

Draco Plato

so i mean

Sophie

I'm wondering what people back are thinking Ethan is doing? I mean he's been gone for a bit by now...

Draco Plato

i wonder if time passes differently

RebelVampire

maybe nobody cares ethan is gone.

Joichi [Lavender Tea]

that's an interesting discussion on whether the travelling MC will go home, probably that's the end solution. But I'm definitely intrigued where the father went, the idea of war and torture sounds likely.. gosh that is so sad. I was debating whether his father had been struck with a deep mental illness, maybe even dementia

SevereWxEddie

It could be like Narnia all over again

keii4ii

@RebelVampire

RebelVampire

are just like "i guess thats one less mouth to feed"

Draco Plato

oh no not narnia XD

Tenor | Shinavar

Rebel: I hope not

Mharz

:c

Tenor | Shinavar

Getting tired of reading that lmao

Draco Plato

well when he was going through reasons to go back it didn't really sound like he needed to go back

Joichi [Lavender Tea]

aw that is so sad Rebel, its like turning Ethan's story to the angst teen comic D:

Mharz

Lol

Draco Plato

like maybe my grandad will remember me once isn't a great reason to go back probably if he builds a life with friends and family in the new world

Tenor | Shinavar

Kabo: /Delayed: How would you reckon, if kid is related to the empyrss, how hey avoided being seen so far only by Ethan?

Joichi [Lavender Tea]

hmm my theory is, if I know about alt world travelling, probably time is different? OR or what if Ethan's family has 'missing poster' signs when he gets a glimpse of his world?

Mharz

I think it's a Dokkabi thing, tenor

Becos he saw the one with the lady

Tenor | Shinavar

Yeah but that wyrm wasn't as developed as the kid

Though hey carried the same symbol, the lady didn't have that symbol the wyrm did

Sophie

I could imagine red riding hood is some sort of gate keeper for the red gate?

Tenor | Shinavar

versus the wueen

omfg I can't type I'm so sorry lol

Kabocha

“Kabo: /Delayed: How would you reckon, if kid is related to the empyrss, how hey avoided being seen so far only by Ethan?” @Tenor | Shinavar -- magic.

Tenor | Shinavar

I mean- fair -

Kabocha

or a spiritual connection, but you know, teh dokkabi theory is solid

RebelVampire

maybe ethan did eat a wyrm but it was on earth so he didnt know. and the kid is the mental manifestation of said wyrm(edited)

Mharz

I do like his rainbow eyes tbh

Draco Plato

that'd be interesting rebel

Tenor | Shinavar

He though it was a octopus

Draco Plato

maybe it's the kid he didn't know he had

Mharz

Pft

Kabocha

Are we going to imply that this is all a bad food poisoning trip

Respheal

YES

Kabocha

and Lushaka is just his guilt for eating bad octopus

Respheal

no

Mharz

Lol

RebelVampire

that is my second crazy theory. ethan is the destined queen's mate and hoodie kid is their future child who astrally projected themselves there for mystery reasons

Draco Plato

hurt a cat once and ate an octopus

Respheal

kabo no

Tenor | Shinavar

Lushaka is the local stray

Draco Plato

omg rebel mine too

Kabocha

@RebelVampire SEE THAT WAS MY THEORY

Draco Plato

legit thought that

Kabocha

BUT NOT A CRAZY THEORY

Respheal

Y'KNOW

Yeah soon as I heard "destined mate"(edited)

I was like

Tenor | Shinavar

Personally I'm hoping 'destined mate'is like 100% a misunderstanding

Draco Plato

yup, was like oh hey must be ethan, that you ethan

Kabocha

Or Danbi.

Tenor | Shinavar

and the wyrm-queen can only be freed by being tied to someone so she can gtfo

Draco Plato

yeah could be danbi

Respheal

I imagine if that IS the case I imagine it'll get subverted

Megaparsec

Supposed to be a Visitor I think

Respheal

Yeah

Sophie

Eyes overloading....

RebelVampire

the plot twist is the queen has been dead for years. everyone just assumes shes alive because theyve been receiving orders from someone behind a curtain.

ethan must expose the wizard of oz essentially

SevereWxEddie

Ooo

Draco Plato

i wondered that one too rebel

Joichi [Lavender Tea]

lmao the wizard of Oz reveal

Draco Plato

if she was really dead

Kabocha

See, I had also initially assumed the Queen was the kid

Respheal

saaaaame

Darkhalo4321

SAME KABO

Tenor | Shinavar

Saaaam

e

Darkhalo4321

But someone stole the JOB

Kabocha

......................Yes?

Draco Plato

yeah, cause of the tattoo on their face

Megaparsec

Still could be, with shapeshifting or whatever

Darkhalo4321

TRUE-

Mharz

Yeah

Megaparsec

or astral projection

Respheal

The tattoo is different though

Slightly

Joichi [Lavender Tea]

I thought the red hooded kid was a mysterious figure and immortal xD I might be simple minded.

Respheal

But they're almost certainly related

Does that make the queen a dokkabi...spirit....thing?

Kabocha

GASP!

How long do dokkabi live for

Joichi [Lavender Tea]

yeah I'm thinking about that once..

Mharz

It's a wyrm god

Draco Plato

they could be world hoppers too, ones that can control it

Tenor | Shinavar

Oh god

Respheal

It's never explained what world the queen comes from, and there's just the three gates

Tenor | Shinavar

-Might have caught on to Kabo's gasp-

You thinkin she needs new bodies to stay immortal/controls hrough them?

mathtans

mk, I'm here... couldn't seem to get off the first page of the comic though, nothing would load. (j/k)

I did only manage to get to the end of 8 though. Busy week. ^^

Kabocha

Is Ethan... the new Queen

keii4ii

And how does the Elyeo eugenics thing figure into all this

@mathtans XDDDD

Joichi [Lavender Tea]

PFFFTT Ethan the queen?(edited)

Mharz

Gasp

Tenor | Shinavar

Well considering everything we've been told has been unraveling, we don't acually know what's fact with the Elyeo

so I don't trust shit lol

Respheal

all hail the new Father King Mother Queen

Darkhalo4321

same tenor

mathtans

The Queen is actually a dude. Calling it now.

Kabocha

well, I mean, like If the queen is a Dokkabi and Dokkabi need a body... ....And hoodie kid is somehow related to the queen...

Draco Plato

maybe their hair is the secret to the red gate

keii4ii

That's a good attitude probably at this point in time not trusting shit

Kabocha

and ethan has a dokkabi...

RebelVampire

well if were going through the life sucking or body sucking then it seems likely the elyeo magic is needed to sustain that. dont elyeo live super long?

Megaparsec

At first I wondered if the Elyeo died in childbirth

But that's been mostly disproven

Respheal

Okay but also Ethan using the magic stuff was pretty awesome

Darkhalo4321

yes ^

Joichi [Lavender Tea]

I'm intrigued with the Elyeo lore too, as well as the Renchos

Tenor | Shinavar

Yeeee

Respheal

BUUUUUUURRRRRRN(edited)

keii4ii

ACTUALLY ------- ... ... (minor spoiler but I should still refrain)

Darkhalo4321

REFRAIN

Respheal

BE STRONG KEIIII

Joichi [Lavender Tea]

poor Keii, can't reveal anything yet

Mharz

Rencho lives longer iirc

Than elyeos

Tenor | Shinavar

Also I'm mad at everyone in that party when they had Hana and didn't think of finding a way to hide her ears while travelling. innocent babies asking for trouble ((I'm sure KittyBoi let i stay out for the trouble. He's a cat.))

keii4ii

Yeah, Lushaka is older than any Elyeo could ever be

mathtans

As to fave scene (again, only through the first 8), I kind of liked the dawning revelation of gender on Ethan's part. Just cleverly foreshadowed by the townsperson, then interesting graphics as the lightbulb went on.

The fight scenes were amazing too though.

Kabocha

Re: burning https://youtu.be/LH-QwK4v0ZI?t=88

Respheal

Kabo no

RebelVampire

@mathtans great scene choice math

Mharz

I like the gif on that

keii4ii

@Tenor | Shinavar Her ears were actually hidden when they ran into those bandits! The dude was just feeling for her ears just in case, out of the assumption that a white girl = potentially Elyeo

Darkhalo4321

oooo

Draco Plato

yeah her hair was covering her ears

keii4ii

Schrodinger's Elyeo

RebelVampire

ah thats right. but rencho probably dont make good body double things. cause if i was a body stealing "immortal" queen, id picked the bodies that could do the magic plant shit

Kabocha

^ YES 100%

I'm onboard with this.

Mharz

I mean yahhh

Draco Plato

plus plants are symbolic of new life and renewal

keii4ii

Yeah if you're immortal and you can steal bodies easily, longevity of the target body probably isn't a big factor

Tenor | Shinavar

I couldn't tell sorry :(

keii4ii

Though if it's difficult, that changes things

Megaparsec

Especially if you have a whole bunch of them right there

Tenor | Shinavar

But tyty on the heads up~

Kabocha

So... You know, maybe... Danbi's mom is now the Queen.

Temporarily.

mathtans

I found that whole 'listening to plants but being unable to talk back' aspect of the world building really neat.

Tenor | Shinavar

Makes me wanna punch them more lmao

Mharz

Kabo

Darkhalo4321

OH That's a good plot twist Kabo-

Draco Plato

forgive me danbi i must leave you to rule the world

Mharz

Rip

Superjustinbros

HAI

mathtans

"Am I not part of the world? Rule me."

Mharz

His mom seem to be a special kind of Elyeo

Joichi [Lavender Tea]

ohh I was wondering where her ears were, i didn't even see them in the comic

Tenor | Shinavar

Nah it's Danbi's mom but not her mind. Danbi gonna run up and hug mom and mom's gunna have a twisted smile on her face like 'Lol oh dear this is a problem"

RebelVampire

now tbf, maybe she didnt leave to rule the world. she went to help the queen and the queen keeled over. and danbi's mom is nothing if but an opportunist

keii4ii

@Joichi [Lavender Tea] They actually braid her hair around her ears

Mharz

Pft

Kabocha

Danbi's certainly an oddity though, being a male Elyeo...(edited)

Superjustinbros

Sorry I'm late, got caught up in this one thing I was doing

Mharz

He's half human tho

Draco Plato

looool

Tenor | Shinavar

Hana's braids pop up and twirl with her ears. Lil helicopter blades

Draco Plato

i would love that if the mom was just an opportunist

Mharz

Lol

Megaparsec

Well normally half human elyeo are just elyeo

As far as we know

Tenor | Shinavar

Annnd now stuck with Hana's braids spinning like the leek song, I'm off to feed my children brb

Joichi [Lavender Tea]

I'd love to see a twist with Danbi's mom, whichever it'll be!

Respheal

“ Does Ethan’s Dad’s disappearance have some connection to Keol, or is it unrelated?”

I don't remember seeing this answered yet--I'm gonna say no. Ethan's flashbacks and dreams have sorta had Keol elements to them, but I'm attributing that just to him being in Keol and probably some of the Dokkabi influence. I don't think his dad is connected to Keol

Mharz

The thing is Elyeo's are all women

mathtans

Oh, and that braids thing! With the one braid meaning available but more meaning not ready for a relationship, that was fascinating to me. We need a system like that on Earth, maybe.

Kabocha

Ethan's dad is just baggage

Mharz

Which makes Danbi real strange

Draco Plato

is danbi trans

Joichi [Lavender Tea]

oh YES, I really like that culture too about the braids @mathtans I'd wish we had that system too(edited)

Draco Plato

if they're all women

keii4ii

He's cis

There was actually a bathhouse scene that got canceled

that would've answered that question

Draco Plato

so then he's a one of a kind

Megaparsec

As far as we know...

Draco Plato

yis

Respheal

If elyeo have a son with a human, the child is a human though right?

Darkhalo4321

Bathhouse sceeeene

Draco Plato

no they're supposed to be elyeo still i thought

keii4ii

@Respheal We may find out soon-ish!

Mharz

No I think they'll be elyeo

keii4ii

"soon-ish" in webcomic time terms

Kabocha

NOOOOOOOOOOO

Superjustinbros

Can I just jump in and say I like the art style/setting of this comic? It definitely hits the asian/oriental theme perfectly.

Kabocha

Soon TM

Draco Plato

five years from now we will know

Joichi [Lavender Tea]

I thought Danbi simply dressed in women's clothes because of the job as a Sayori (?)

Megaparsec

It's been said in story that they would be elyeo, might be inaccurate though

Mharz

Tbf Danbi is wearing pants(edited)

RebelVampire

the specific wording was that daughters are guranteed to be elyeos

it said nothing about sons

keii4ii

It's been said their daughters will be Elyeo! But nothing's been said about sons

Mharz

Gasp

Megaparsec

Ah! Did not notice that!

keii4ii

Actually

The Korean version had Master say something about the sons, haha

Mharz

Me neither

Gasp

Kabocha

Since it was stated in the Korean version, can you... spoil us? :3

Mharz

Must. Learn. Korean

mathtans

SJB: Yeah, blows my mind about there being a Korean version that's translated. I wonder what gets lost in transition.

SevereWxEddie

Ditto

Superjustinbros

inb4 no spoiling

oh snap Korean owo

keii4ii

Elyeo sons all take after the father species (which makes sense if you think about how they reproduce in their home world: they reproduce with plants, not only continuing their own species, but also continuing the plants' as well)

mathtans

Cool plan about the speech balloons too. Lots of little touches like that. Makes me wonder what it looked like before apparently some edits were done on earlier pages.

Superjustinbros

That's cool seeing comics getting translated into asian languages(edited)

Draco Plato

oooooo

Megaparsec

HMMMM

But not entirely, because he has the funny hair color

mathtans

"That guy is a wall flower." has a whole different meaning on other worlds.

Latisha

That's interesting

Mharz

Come to think of it, we dont know who Danbi's dad is either

keii4ii

@Megaparsec Yep, the hair could still be an anomaly even with this new info!

@mathtans

So I don't know if I mentioned this in the authors' notes anywhere, but Elyeos are never heterosexual because they come from a world with no humanoid males.

Respheal

I got the gist that Danbi might have the genetics of an Elyeo, but the phenotype (since he's male) is....mostly human xD

Superjustinbros

Ooooooooh

So we're talking, 100% lesbian?

keii4ii

Some lesbian, some pan

Danbi's mom was pan

Mharz

:y

Superjustinbros

At least you're not forcing les or pan pride down the reader's throats like what I see in a lot of things nowadays

Joichi [Lavender Tea]

awesome, I wanted to ask if there were queer characters in HnK that's a nice explanation too

RebelVampire

QUESTION 3. Danbi, who inevitably starts Ethan on his quest to the Heart of Keol, has plenty of his own mysteries. Do you think Danbi’s Elyeo heritage will get the group into trouble somehow? What do you think happened to Danbi’s mother? Is she at the Heart of Keol, or is something else going on? Do you think she’s even still alive? Do you think she was taken away, or did she perhaps leave by her own choice? Do you think Danbi will manage to locate her? And if so, what do you think will happen? What do you think Danbi will do if he reaches the Heart of Keol and finds out she isn’t there? Speaking of which, what in general do you think the Queen’s interest in Elyeo is?

keii4ii

@Joichi [Lavender Tea] The Dokkabi lady is also ace/aro! There's at least one other queer character who's been introduced, but I... may keep that one secret since it's a secret for her

(queer other than Elyeos, that is)

Mharz

He did dye his hair, right?

Superjustinbros

Ooooooo~

keii4ii

(Elyeos AND Renchos)

mathtans

Danbi's mother is new Queen. Calling it now. ^^

Latisha

I think it will bring trouble sometime later

Mharz

Renchos are all men, correct?

Superjustinbros

tfw I just remembered Queer and Queen rhyme

Respheal

I wonder if that's the transgender character you mentioned early on

Joichi [Lavender Tea]

@keii4ii aw thank you, no problem, glad to have that confirmed ^^

keii4ii

@Mharz THERE WAS THAT GIRL!

Mharz

Oh yeah dang

Wooops

keii4ii

Though I guess it could've been a boy wearing a skirt

Superjustinbros

SPOILED

keii4ii

Naw, the Rencho girl is cis

Mharz

Sorry that slipped my mind lol

mathtans

Gotta have a girl somewhere. Only guys are disposable.

keii4ii

It's fine! She hasn't had a lot of screentime

Superjustinbros

lmao

Mharz

I'm curious if Danbi dyeing his hair works

Superjustinbros

Would Danbi get powers of he deyed his hair(edited)

Respheal

Elyeo hair doesn't seem like it....glows or anything

Joichi [Lavender Tea]

I want to believe Danbi's Mama is alive now everyone's theories make me have a feeling she may make a return. I mean at first the implications seem like she was taken away.

Mharz

At least he doesn't have ears

Respheal

So I can't imagine it'd show through the dye

Mharz

That made sense tho why he's braiding it

mathtans

Maybe Ethan will have to make a choice between getting back to see his Dad and saving Danbi's Mom.

Superjustinbros

Just maybe(edited)

Mharz

Becos there's their tradition about hair

Tenor | Shinavar

3> Yes, Danbi's already causing problems just due to how careful they have to be. I believe mom originally went to the heart but if she's still there is up to debate. I do like the concept she left of her own choice - mostly because I'm exhausted of constantly reading about bad parents and it's been getting hella isolating so the idea she'd have gone willingly, to protect her children, is really want I hope for.

SevereWxEddie

@mathtans ooo, that's mean

keii4ii

We writers are a mean breed

Darkhalo4321

WE ARE

RebelVampire

im torn on what i believe about the mom. i expect a subversion of them finding her at the heart though. so not being there, was there but died of something unrelated, going somewhere entirely.

Superjustinbros

>giving your characters in your stories hell The truth, keii

RebelVampire

maybe ethan is wrong, a gate opened on his world, and danbi's mom was on earth the whole time.

Mharz

Gasp

mathtans

Nadeko agrees.

Maybe Danbi's mom is the mystery woman who sent Ethan?

Joichi [Lavender Tea]

@Tenor | Shinavar I agree with the bad parents, and the neglectful parent trope

Megaparsec

Ooh do we have evidence people get pulled out of this world too?

I don't think anyone's said anything but I guess they wouldn't know

Tenor | Shinavar

Joi: I'm okay with it once in a while but honestly it feels like it's been nothing but everything I've read lately to the point I think I'm getting sensitive to the topic lmao

Mharz

Not yet at least

mathtans

There's no evidence to the contrary. ^.^

Mharz

Tho I think it's a possibility.

keii4ii

There's something I wanna point out, and it's been shown in the comic, but merely pointing it out might count as a spoiler

Tenor | Shinavar

lulll

Megaparsec

I wonder if the linked worlds get portals between them too

Mharz

That ppl can go from keol to earth.

Tenor | Shinavar

^It would support the "Dad went to Keol" theory

Superjustinbros

oh boi spoilers

Tenor | Shinavar

and backs the chance Ethan can get home

bc tbh, I think he needs to go home. He doesn't have closure

Joichi [Lavender Tea]

*half reading the rest of the comic, half responding.

Tenor | Shinavar

and the idea that he'll just up and abandon his dad feels off

Mharz

Yas

No he does intend to go back

Tenor | Shinavar

I understand he doesn't have the best life but considering how absorbed and protective he is of his faher, I can' imagine him leaving that just because he made some friends

keii4ii

Yeah

Darkhalo4321

What if he could go home, but go back?

I'd be okay with that-

Mharz

Remember the first time he heard of he heart is that there's a way he can go back to Earth there

Superjustinbros

The power of friends.

Mharz

Why he agrees to come with Danbi

Tenor | Shinavar

True

SevereWxEddie

Very true

Respheal

I don't think they know there's a way back at the Heart

Mharz

He clings to the hope his dad will remember him

Respheal

Just that, if there IS a way, someone there would probably know

mathtans

waits for keii4ii to point out the thing...

keii4ii

Not sure if a good idea

Mharz

Lol

Tenor | Shinavar

See I'm more curious: Is it dad doesn't remember him, or is dad locked into a level of traumatized dellusion to the point he doesn't see Ethan is there

Superjustinbros

@mathtans

mathtans

Thing about Ethan going home is I feel like that would be at the end of the comic? Since him coming started it all off.

Tenor | Shinavar

Because in war PTSD you can relive that moment over and over and over-

(Assuming it's that ofc)

Mharz

He thinks Ethan is his dad tho(edited)

Joichi [Lavender Tea]

right now its just fan speculation, I don't mind if the author prefers to show it in the work

Tenor | Shinavar

Mharz: That can be a triggering thing happening still

SevereWxEddie

@Tenor | Shinavar

Mharz

Yahh

Joichi [Lavender Tea]

yeah I agree with Mathtans, I typically expect it to be at the end, or near the end

Superjustinbros

PTSD sounds scary though

Mharz

It does

Tenor | Shinavar

A friend's father who had severe PTSD thought he was someone in the army he faced down

Respheal

Since it's mostly guessed at that electricity might have been a torture method resulting in Ethan's dad's current state, it's also possible the electricity literally fried his brain a bit (edited)

Superjustinbros

Christ

Tenor | Shinavar

He's been beaten up by his dad in those moments because he's mentally not there

I's horrifying and TBH If it IS that, I feel SO MUCH for Ethan and his mother especially

Joichi [Lavender Tea]

yikes that is really hard to live with..

Mharz

Sorry I have to step off early. It's gym day today. I'll answer the rest of the questions later. :'3

Tenor | Shinavar

Bai Mharz~

Superjustinbros

Alright, cya

Joichi [Lavender Tea]

see you Mharz

Superjustinbros

What a hard life these guys have lived

Tenor | Shinavar

Resp: Could also be Ethan looks like his dad, too, since Ethan got raits from his dad

so it just who he assumes it is?

Respheal

Oh true

keii4ii

Someone in the comment section noticed in the tentacle market scene, that Ethan acts like someone who had a lot of experience caring for a person with serious triggers (since he was kinda assuming the sight of tentacle food = triggers for Lushaka). I was so happy that they noticed it (•̩̩̩ ᴗ •̩̩̩)

Draco Plato

the electricity could relate to something on keol since their glowy powers could be seen as that

Superjustinbros

lol

Kabocha

I had... assumed that would be the case too XD

he was like "NO LU, THEY'RE NOT TRYING TO EAT YOU"

RebelVampire

tbh though what happens if ethan goes back on that vain hope his dad will recognize him and nothing of the sort happens? i feel that would be horribly traumatizing for ethan, and the situation probably is already traumatizing

Respheal

@keii4ii that was so cute

keii4ii

@Draco Plato And if they can "burn," who says that can't include frying things with electricity?

Draco Plato

yus, exactly

Tenor | Shinavar

Rebel: If he's matured enough to accept what's happened, he could theoretically find peace

theoretically

Superjustinbros

That's actually pretty clever

Tenor | Shinavar

Big emphasis

mathtans

So, about Danbi, will there be a scene where he has to go undercover as a woman? (seeks a more lighthearted thread)

Tenor | Shinavar

Because that'll depend a lot on how he matures, if he matures

SevereWxEddie

Maybe, but that would sound like it could be a very downer "ending"

keii4ii

@mathtans Technically he is unintentionally doing that 24/7

SevereWxEddie

@RebelVampire

RebelVampire

i do not look to ethan as my beacon of potential maturity yet XD

mathtans

@keii4ii This is true... intentionally then?

Draco Plato

I wondered if ethan was something other than human too and that he has a deeper connection to keol

Tenor | Shinavar

Plot Twist: Ethan is the one who has to go undercover as a woman

keii4ii

Actually there was a canceled arc

Draco Plato

that'd be a very Thor mythos moment, lol

Kabocha

All hail Queen Ethan?

Darkhalo4321

OOooh- That's an interesting twist @Draco Plato

keii4ii

where Danbi had to pose as a female suyori

But he didn't want to

SevereWxEddie

If Ethan comes back and nothing has changed that would be a very downer ending. If he comes back and his adventures help him find peace in his situation, I suppose that would be bittersweet?

keii4ii

So Ethan proposed that he (Ethan) and Lushaka also dress as women, for morale

Superjustinbros

Did Draco just pull a twist?

keii4ii

So the three of them show up at the destination wearing feminine clothes

Tenor | Shinavar

Lushaka was the prettiest, I bet /shot

RebelVampire

this sounds like a good arc.

keii4ii

and the local head suyori (the person they were attempting to deceive) instantly picks out Lushaka, not Ethan, as a man in disguise

Draco Plato

wouldn't his hair give him away

cause of how it grows in

Tenor | Shinavar

...would it? Cause we only know how boys grow, not girls

Draco Plato

we saw the little girl's hair tho

Tenor | Shinavar

If it's not the same then yeah

Draco Plato

and it grew all around

keii4ii

because she assumed someone who looks like Ethan would have to be really dumb to try to pass as a woman, so Ethan must be an ultra-masculine woman

Tenor | Shinavar

True - I just assumed she was longer furred and was using that lmao

Superjustinbros

How common are ultra-masculine women in this world anyways?

mathtans

So Ethan has to dress up like a woman and is mistaken for Danbi's mother. Hijinks ensue.

Superjustinbros

Kinda curious now

keii4ii

Naw, the little girl's hair was also short on the sides. But her ear fluff covers her head too much

Draco Plato

oooh okay

keii4ii

Also remember she asks Lushaka if he's "secretly her age" based on his hair

So the hair thing is more related to physical maturity

Tenor | Shinavar

Ahh ok

keii4ii

Like a lion mane

Draco Plato

which made me wonder if girls get hair all around sooner

and that his height difference should have been a tip off to her that he was older

keii4ii

Hence "secretly"

"are you actually a kid who happens to be super tall and uh... not very kid-looking"

Draco Plato

do girls get hair all around sooner than boys do?

Superjustinbros

"Maybe."

Joichi [Lavender Tea]

aw I would have love to see that arc where Ethan and Lushaka dress as women. Since I see Danbi as Danbi being cute, because he fits in any clothes

keii4ii

@Draco Plato Yeah. Girls grow faster

Draco Plato

so then you could identify lukasha as a boy by that at his height and apparent age

Tenor | Shinavar

LOL

Omg Luk on stilts

wheeze

keii4ii

Not really, he's not supposed to have that kinda hair when the rest of his body is clearly adult

RebelVampire

i want the arc mostly for ethan trying to pass as a woman. cause literally danbi, why would you think thatd work at all

Superjustinbros

"Drag time, you say?"

Joichi [Lavender Tea]

yes, I really like that twist!

mathtans

Would Ethan wear one braid? O.o

Tenor | Shinavar

C-Can he wear a braid?

Or would it be an amazing wig?

Superjustinbros

This would be a fun twist~

keii4ii

Maybe they can make a baby braid out of Ethan's floof

Joichi [Lavender Tea]

it would probably be a wig XD

Draco Plato

technically ethan could pass as a woman in the sense they have different species passing through the red gate regularly and he could just be a new species

should just tell them that

Tenor | Shinavar

True

mathtans

"I'm actually a mineral."

Respheal

A very, very big species

Superjustinbros

Interesting

RebelVampire

touche, he is the new giant species

Tenor | Shinavar

Ethan just pulls out all the cultural knowledge he knows from America to try to make up a new species from the Red Gate

keii4ii

He's not a human, he's a Murican

Draco Plato

I am cowboy

Tenor | Shinavar

MURICAN AKSJDHKALSD

Joichi [Lavender Tea]

I'd love to see him put fruit in his robes, and try to pretend having big melons

Respheal

OH NO

Superjustinbros

"MERICAN! #*&@ YEAH"(edited)

Tenor | Shinavar

Bombs, for best reference

plz bombs

Kabocha

He puts on his robe and wizard hat...

Superjustinbros

YES BOMBS

*explosions everywhare

Tenor | Shinavar

Kabo: sTOP MAKING ME FEEL OLD

Respheal

Kabo no

NO

Superjustinbros

KABO WHAT ARE YOU DOIN

Joichi [Lavender Tea]

I don't know what's happening anymore

mathtans

"Your fruits are unbalanced."

keii4ii

I'm sure he would've loved to put on his robe and wizard hat when he first met Adela

Superjustinbros

"fix your fruits please."

Kabocha

He sure was going there with Danbi

mathtans

"Wait, that's not a wizard HAT...."

SevereWxEddie

Why am I now reminded of that scene from "Robin Hood: Men in Tights?"

Superjustinbros

>Men in Tights

RebelVampire

the idea of ethan trying to fight adela in a wizard robe and hat is too funny

Tenor | Shinavar

Though speaking of Adela, I'm curious on her role. I know she serves to bring in others of her kind but it makes me think how bad it is ifor them there if she's willing to do it

Like, is she getting something out of it? Does she feel the outside world is worse?

RebelVampire

well the outside world is filled with hunters

Respheal

MMMMMMMMM just because you're part of a group doesn't mean you won't do nasty things to that group

mathtans

Less of a minority?

Kabocha

It's safer for sure

Maybe she wants to be next in line for empress

RebelVampire

but also what res said

Tenor | Shinavar

Resp: Tis true, I'm just curious if she is or is she doing it as a sense of righteousness

An evil for the greater good or however the statement goes

RebelVampire

QUESTION 4. Plenty of other events in the comic still have their own needed answers. Do you think Lushaka has an ulterior motive for traveling with Ethan and Danbi? Do you think Lushaka will be able to get his legs healed, or will he be suck with the poison? What about Adela? Do you think she’ll manage to overcome her head injury to hear the plants again, or is something else going on? What does Adela have to do with the “song” Danbi remembers hearing in the past surrounding his mother? World wise, what do you think is going on with the people of Xi? Will their outrage affect Ethan’s group in some way? Lastly, due to the similar Korean language, do you think there’s a hidden connection between Keol and Earth?

Respheal

Certainly she thinks it's probably the best choice, but maybe based on incomplete information

Superjustinbros

Get them healed

I doubt medical services are that primitive(edited)

Kabocha

Give Adela 2 or 3 years, she'll be fine. I think. I mean.

Respheal

My guess re: language was that one of the first Earth people to get sucked into the red gate was probably Korean?

Kabocha

....Eventually she'll be okay.

Joichi [Lavender Tea]

I really like Lushaka and how we're not sure about his motives. Probably just want to get his legs healed(edited)

Tenor | Shinavar

4> I think the song Danbi heard is the plants' natural song around a mature of their species. I hope Adela + Luk both don't get fixed so they can fuck with each other like old war vets for that stint lmao.

Long old!married couple levels of bickering

Joichi [Lavender Tea]

I'm not always good at thinking up head canons(edited)

Superjustinbros

Me neither, tbh

mathtans

There's a lot that happens after part 10. ^.^;;

Kabocha

@Joichi [Lavender Tea] the secret to head canons is to extrapolate to the most logical but bizarre outcome

eg: The Queen is a Dokkabi. Maybe.

Superjustinbros

Thanks for the strategy @Kabocha

Kabocha

The trick is it needs to be somewhat plausible.

Respheal

But that's completely plausible

mathtans

Maybe the plants are just talking at a different pitch around Adela. Doesn't hear certain frequencies. Could hear... dandelions? (They're significant and all...)

Tenor | Shinavar

On the people of Xi: Sounds like some seriously oppressed shit - like, for comparison, the levels of xenophobic hatred similar to America and Muslims right now.

(Just with more severe repercussions)

(Or actions, anyway, considering the deahs mentioned)

keii4ii

Yeah, it's really bad to say the least

Joichi [Lavender Tea]

thank you Kabo and Keii!

SevereWxEddie

I wonder about the connection to Earth! Especially the existence of the railroad. It seems like technology levels vary wildly across Keol: where Ethan landed, there were simple farms all around, and he and the party boarded a sailing boat. Now their destination has a railroad (with what looks like a diesel locomotive) and all of the tech that requires. I wonder if the railroad is around because of its proximity to the city with all the Red Gaters? Those who come through the Gate bringing their knowledge with them?

Superjustinbros

oooooh

RebelVampire

adela and danbi's mom are sisters

Tenor | Shinavar

Oh god

RebelVampire

my plausible but crazy theory

Respheal

So the gates do space AND time shenanigans? Are the time flows of Earth and Keol linked?

keii4ii

The tech disparity was largely inspired by the situation in Korea in recent history! Countryside vs cities had huuuuge differences, like different worlds

Respheal

Or will the gate sometimes grab a person from like....the distant past or future

mathtans

Oh, I like when the real world is mirrored in ways one doesn't necessarily realize.

RebelVampire

that is a good question res

SevereWxEddie

@keii4ii ahhhhhhhhhhh

mathtans

Res: Maybe Ethan returns only to become his own dad?

Superjustinbros

Now I want to see that happen

Oh snap

Tenor | Shinavar

Math: GGGGGGGGG

I debaed that once but I couldn't work it out

Superjustinbros

Paradox, much?

Joichi [Lavender Tea]

@Respheal that is a good question, makes me think about portal travelling in a new way

keii4ii

That actually has huge implications with THIS story

Not canon but if it were

Ethan being his own dad, I mean

Draco Plato

that'd be awesome

Joichi [Lavender Tea]

LOL why does it reminds me of.. a film somewhere. can't remember it. Maybe I'm thinking of Back to the Future

Superjustinbros

"My future self is my daddy"

keii4ii

"When I grow up, I wanna be just like my daddy!"

Superjustinbros

XD

Joichi [Lavender Tea]

then oh shit... wished too hard

Superjustinbros

Pretty mcuh that

Draco Plato

you are your daddy

Joichi [Lavender Tea]

NOOOO *epic screams

Draco Plato

then you're like damn i sucked as my own dad

and now i have nobody to blame but myself

Superjustinbros

This talk

Draco Plato

that sounds like something i'd write, lol

Superjustinbros

@mathtans you are so good at this

RebelVampire

haha im gonna be honest, i entertained the idea of ethan being his own grandfather for a bit

as a theory

Draco Plato

i did too for a moment in the beginning, lol

Tenor | Shinavar

Futurama proved it can be set up ?shot

RebelVampire

but i was like "no no its probalby just ptsd. probably"

Joichi [Lavender Tea]

omg.. I love how this convo became a paradox XD

Draco Plato

and then i thought naaaaaaah they won't go there

Respheal

the cats in the cradle with the silver spoon, l-little boy blue...and the--the--

Kabocha

Ethan's real name is Fry.

Superjustinbros

inb4 let's paradox this world even further

SevereWxEddie

YAAAAAASSSSS

keii4ii

My brain is exploding

Superjustinbros

Boil, Grill, or fry?

RebelVampire

i did wonder if keol was just korea of the long forgotten past though. as a theory to explain the connection

Draco Plato

ah that could be

Superjustinbros

Maybe, i'd believe it if that was the case

SevereWxEddie

Wibbly wobbly timey wimey shenanigans ensued? I thought that at first too.

keii4ii

I haven't shown the map yet, but the geography is very different

Superjustinbros

oooh!?

Joichi [Lavender Tea]

Hmm that is plausible, if Keol is an ancient Korea.. although I have to look it up

mathtans

Originally as I started reading I did wonder if it was still like Earth. But enough stuff happened pretty soon to dispell that notion.

Superjustinbros

I googled Keol and I jsut got things related to music

keii4ii

Keol is way bigger than Korea ever was, for one thing

mathtans

That language connection thing is really interesting though. I wonder if humans get sucked in who don't speak Korean and are kind of screwed.

keii4ii

Yeah, Ethan would've had an even harder time if he didn't speak any Korean

Megaparsec

I suspect most of the people here did cross over from Earth at one point, because of the language and physical similarity. Possibly some kind of super-Gate pulling in a whole group of people?

Joichi [Lavender Tea]

YESS, i thought about that too, going; dang I envy you Ethan. I wouldn't be able to speak to ANYONE at all if I were in Keol

Megaparsec

In the far past of both worlds

Kabocha

Did the Rencho also speak Korean?

SevereWxEddie

@mathtans yes, didn't the lady with the M&Ms say she had that problem? (Her actual name escapes me)

keii4ii

Renchos speak their own languages in their home world, and have to pick up Korean when they come to Keol

Superjustinbros

lol

keii4ii

Same with Elyeos

Though Inductors are required to learn at least some basic phrases in the most common Elyeo language

Tenor | Shinavar

Yeah like 'You're under arrest' /shot

Superjustinbros

Do there exist translators in Keol?

RebelVampire

darn you geography. maybe keol is another dimension of earth where history took a different course entirely

keii4ii

I'm sure there are some?

mathtans

SevereW: I think that's later than I got to. ^_^;

keii4ii

like Lushaka still speaks the Rencho home world tongue, and could interpret if needed

SevereWxEddie

Ah, that'd do it.

keii4ii

The blue speech balloons were the Rencho language

when he was talking to Mr. Jaguar

Superjustinbros

oooh~

do I hear exparimenting with speech ballons with different visuals?

RebelVampire

on a side note i was sad for ethan that he found a fellow earthling...only they didnt really speak english

Superjustinbros

I always like when comics do that.

RebelVampire

that would be such a huge letdown for anyone(edited)

keii4ii

Note he had to switch to Korean for "arrows" and "archers" because Renchos don't have those words in their native languages

Darkhalo4321

ooooo

Kabocha

Yeah, I notice Ethan's text color changes if he needs to use an English word too

SevereWxEddie

That's a really neat method, by the way

Kabocha

and then Danbi's got a wispier textbubble to indicate his voice being very.... I dunno, soft? Scratchy? In my head it sounds somewhat raspy.

SevereWxEddie

Of telling readers what language is being used

Draco Plato

danbi's smoker voice XD

Superjustinbros

lol

keii4ii

Danbi is special

mathtans

Agreed. In the Korean version, is just the English words used, I wonder?

Superjustinbros

What would a speech bubble of someone sleepy look like(edited)

keii4ii

@SevereWxEddie Thanks! It's not a perfect solution but it works, and I'm happy enough with that

SevereWxEddie

You're welcome!

keii4ii

@mathtans I used a different font for English words in the Korean version. Wasn't doing the color thing at that time

Superjustinbros

oooh

mathtans

Before we close, I just want to say the colouring and shading and stuff is freaking amazing. High frequency of posts but also such quality.

Superjustinbros

Seconding this.

SevereWxEddie

Thirding

keii4ii

Thank you!

SevereWxEddie

The art is freaking gorgeous!

Superjustinbros

I'd like to say in personal thoughts- good luck with the story, @keii4ii. You got some really awesome plotlines and setpieces backed up with some great characterization and character designs and I hope it only gets bigger form there.

keii4ii

wait

Are CTPs allowed to end without a ship discussion

Superjustinbros

Especially something with lots of themes based on Korea.

Kabocha

OMG!

Darkhalo4321

I HAVE A SHIP

Kabocha

Lu/Ethan

Superjustinbros

I HEAR DSHIPS

Darkhalo4321

YES

Superjustinbros

FOUR MINUTE SHIP DISCUSSION

Tenor | Shinavar

I can't ship Ethan

keii4ii

The naval forces have been summoned

Tenor | Shinavar

It hurts too much

Darkhalo4321

Yeah, Ethan is a bit.... Not shippable RIGHT YET

Kabocha

Well, the naval was what he was focusing on

:'3

Darkhalo4321

But he's growing and I'm excited for the man he'll be later on!

Tenor | Shinavar

EXACTLY

HE'S TOO INNOCENT

SevereWxEddie

Well, the lack of navel forces was apparent in that one comic

Darkhalo4321

for now

keii4ii

Ethan's not quite emotionally ready for a long term, committed relationship yet

Kabocha

ANYWAY, ETHAN/LU IS THE SHIP I AM ON BOARD WITH

yet

Darkhalo4321

yet

Tenor | Shinavar

TBH I enjoy the idea of Danbi/Lu

Respheal

yet

Tenor | Shinavar

Super passive with a fucking troll

Superjustinbros

Shall we set sail? ;3c

Kabocha

Rebel it is super important that you italicise those yets

Tenor | Shinavar

+ Lu would protect Danbi who may be doomed to a life in prison

Tenor | Shinavar

he's already a dick who doesn't listen to orders

mathtans

I wondered if Ethan and Danbi would go somewhere. Maybe ship Ethan and the Queen? Calling it now.

Tenor | Shinavar

Just pocket the boy and go bouncing speedily away once healed /shot

RebelVampire

i sit on the Lu/Ethan ship myself. dont care about ethan's innocence the googly eyes are there

Kabocha

Math, you missed the Ethan is the Queen theory

Respheal

The "Ethan no" moments

Kabocha

or will be the Queen

Tenor | Shinavar

...Lu leaning on Danbi with this knowing ass smile at Ad, too like "Yeah. I know what he is. Does it bother you we're dating?"

Draco Plato

i was more for danbi/ethan but super don't think that's going to happen now XD

Respheal

But also catching Ethan when he was passing out after accidentally dokkabi'ing himself?

mathtans

Kabocha: Oops. Ethan shipped with himself then.

Tenor | Shinavar

-Talking myself more into this ship, fuck-

Darkhalo4321

YES ( to res's comment)(edited)

Tenor | Shinavar

-I can't draw this, the pain is real-

Kabocha

lmao

Superjustinbros

Heehee~

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- THURSDAY BOOK CLUB END!

Sadly, this wraps up this week’s Thursday Book Club chat for now. Thank you so much to everyone for reading and joining us! We want to give a special thank you to keiiii, as well, for making Heart of Keol. If you liked the comic, make sure to support keiiii’s efforts however you’re able to~!

Read and Comment: http://www.heartofkeol.com/

keiiii’s Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/keii4ii

keiiii’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/keiiii4

Comic Tea Party- Thursday Book Club

Next week’s Thursday Book Club will be about Finding Home by Hari. For participants, you have the next week to read as much of the comic as you would like~! We hope to see you on Thursday, October 4th, from 5PM to 7PM PDT for the chat in #thursday_bookclub!

Comic’s Main Site: https://tapas.io/series/FindingHome