#although once again so many characters have names of some of my relatives

[diari0deglierrori]

I have le regret de vous informer that I actually like this french show

[deluxewhump]

Erik's Journals pt 3 (2014-2015)

Content Warning for entire series: institutionalized slavery of a minor (11-18), emotional abuse and manipulation, dubious comfort, pet whump, disordered eating, violence, guns, mutilation (off screen, no main characters), corporal punishment, sexual content/dubcon ( character is 18+), broken bones, death of a parent, unreliable narrator

3. Non Serviam

April 2014 

Last week Carlo asked me about his dead mother.

He’s never asked before. I suppose I assumed he would eventually, but I didn’t expect him to do it on a red eye from Seattle to BWI. 

I always get him a seat with me in first class. Some people find this rude, and think I am wasting valuable space. I don’t understand the point of treating my pet like checked baggage. They are meant to be companions. That’s the whole point. Furthermore— it’s a paid seat on a commercial flight, I can buy as many as I like. 

Carlo was tired by the end of the trip, but he never complained. I noticed he was cold on the plane, and I’d given him my jacket to use as a blanket. It was quiet, somewhere over the dark plains of Kansas when he set down his paperback copy of The Stand.

“Sir?”

He is always good at remembering to use honorifics in public, although he could certainly have dropped them now in the relative privacy of our seats. I reminded him only once, on the very first trip I brought him on. Always remember to address me as Sir when you speak to me in the presence of others , I’d said low in his ear, so as not to chastise him in front of the entire room.

He’d been wide eyed and a little embarrassed at my correcting him anyway, and never forgot again. He’s as sensitive to criticism as the rest of us, I’m afraid. 

“Mm?”

“Do you know what my mothers name was?” he asked. 

There was a small chance I hadn’t heard him correctly. I leaned closer to combat the steady engine hum of our dimly lit aircraft. “Come again?”

He hesitated, probably thinking I’d heard him, was displeased by the question, and was giving him a chance to redact it. 

“I didn’t hear you, angel. What did you say?”

“…Did you ever… see what my mother’s name was?”

I turned a bit in my seat to better regard him. He had never spoken directly of this mother, and I couldn’t remember it coming up since the Christmas movie that made him cry when he was eleven. “May I ask what’s got that on your mind?”

He toyed with a button on the sleeve of my jacket that lay over his lap. Anything to look away from me. “I don’t know. I was just wondering. I don’t remember it, is all.”

“When we land, it’s going to be two in the morning.” I reminded him. “Then we have the drive back to the house. Why don’t I give you your file tomorrow and you can look it over yourself?”

“What file?”

“I requested it from the state of California when you first came to me. Everyone who stays in a state home has an intake file and a discharge file. It’s not a lot, but it’s got the information you want.”

He looked up at me. He looks pouty when he is tired, and I think he knows it. “Is there anything bad in it?”

“Like what?”

“I—I don’t know. About me?”

I pet back a stray lock of his hair, dark as midnight in the hushed cabin. “Now, what bad could they possibly have to say about you?”

“They didn’t really like me there.”

That was perhaps more than he's ever said about the state home. 

“It’s a very clinical report. Impersonal. But it’s yours. You can read it. And then we can talk about anything you want to. Though I don’t know much more than what’s in that document.”

He nodded and leaned into my touch so I would brush his face with my thumb like he liked. 

“Is that book scary?”

His cheek dimpled in a grin under my hand, like he knew I was teasing him. Scary was a word for a child. 

He is going through books like pamphlets lately. I’m aware that many don’t allow their pets to read books, or access the internet. There’s probably a large overlap with the ones who put their pets in the luggage holds of airplanes like stowaways. It’s no wonder then, why they don’t want their companionship. That level of censorship and control is absurd. I don’t know what the hell I would talk about with him if he wasn’t allowed to look at anything. 

“It’s about a superflu called Captain Trips,” Carlo told me. “It wipes out like ninety-eight percent of the world population in the nineties.”

“Wouldn’t that be lovely.”

He opened the book and fanned through the pages. I didn’t know if I’d truly put him at ease or if he was quick to change the subject because I’d made him nervous.

“There’s a character called the Dark Man. He’s the bad guy. Or he’s supposed to be right now, we’ll see. He’s kind of cool though. He talks to people in their dreams and he has these wolves that are kind of like his familiars. He’s a lot more alluring than the good guys, honestly. That’s probably the point. It’s doing a pretty obvious good versus evil thing.” 

“Sure,” I nodded thoughtfully as if he’d made some complicated academic assertion. “The Devil was God’s most beautiful angel. But I have to say, anybody with wolf familiars sounds kind of badass. Non serviam."

He huffed a laugh at my use of the word badass. “The parts with him are the most interesting, anyway.” He laid his head on my shoulder, bold in his sweetness. 

“Almost there,” I told him. “Tomorrow morning you can sleep in as much as you like.”

“Today morning,” he mumbled, pointing to my watch. It was after midnight. 

“Today morning indeed.”

It was another ten minutes before his mothers name came to me, buried deep in the years since I’d seen it on the page, his file now tucked away in the back of a locked drawer in my desk. 

Luca, Chiara. 

And Carlo was thinking of her. Wondering about his dead mother’s name. I wonder how long he waited to ask me if I knew it? Did he worry I would consider a question about his past an overstep on his part? A mother— something as vital and basic to his identity as anything could possibly be? How is a dead woman a threat to what he is now? I would have to harbor some deep hatred of him to be angered by that question. I’ve thought of it since. I suppose a lot of keepers do hate their charges, on a basic, even subconscious level. I never have. He’s just a baby, despite the new moments of teenaged surliness. He’s a pet, yes. But he’s my pet. And I believe he’s entitled to a name, so he is. I knew I’d given him enough of my love already that even just my coldness would break his heart.

I was tired, too. Tomorrow, I thought. In the light of day with a cup of coffee. I’d give him her name, and feed him something sweet to combat the bitterness. 

4: Rite of Passage

August 2014

Carlo is fourteen this year. With the even birth year of the new millennium, it is easy to remember.

When he was prepubescent, he was fairly simple to handle. He soaked information like a sponge and was eager to please. He thought this estate was the world and I was the presiding general. Now he has a hot-and-cold temper, a sullen look I catch on his face now and then. He still wants desperately to please me, which he now seems to recognize and resent in himself.

Perhaps I let him read too much, or watch too much. Speak to too many people. Knowledge is power, but it can be a curse to the powerless. Have I been too soft with him? Too proud? Martin may have been right in that regard, though when he said it, the boy was only twelve, and mine for under a year. I was annoyed with him for suggesting I do much more than provide a house pet with a bed and a tutor, at that tender age.

His newfound restlessness birthed the idea of putting him out in my warehouse with my employees, a few times a week at first. He has already been accused of biting my right hand man, Keith (to my genuine surprise and amusement) and is simultaneously more docile with me than before. I understand the child is not a dog, that he has a full developing psyche under that mop of curls. I had hoped for just this — to show him other spheres of life in the hope that he would appreciate more fully the refinement and dignity of the ones I give him access to. 

My on-property warehouse is a modest ten thousand square feet, corrugated tin and sheet metal, and it supplements the work we do at O&H.  I will not put the use of it in writing, but I regularly employ an average of ten men to oversee the facility. It is both easier and cheaper to run this off my own property than to outsource.

The men I employ are rough around the edges. None of them are (convicted) felons, but almost all of them have multiple misdemeanors, or are simply immigrants with inadequate documentation. I pay them very well, so they feel loyal to me. 

Their work does not reveal the nature of mine, and the only ones who know what it is exactly they are doing out there are Keith and a few others, who are thoroughly vetted. Even as a pet, a non-entity, and a fourteen year old child, they suspect Carlo has more education, comfort, and opportunity than they have ever had. This embitters them to him. As it probably should.

I told Keith in no uncertain terms: if any of the men besides him lay a finger on that boy in any manner I would have the perpetrator castrated and feed the offending parts to the dogs.

I know they have been rough enough with him to produce the desired effect without crossing any lines I would not wish to cross. He is my favorite, after all, no matter what surprising things he says to me or who he bites, and there is a sweetness in him I do not want to put out entirely. Carlo has always been an investment in the future.

Yesterday, he witnessed something in the warehouse that I’m not sure how he will be affected by. 

One of the new men (not yet thoroughly vetted, not yet my inside man) was caught out as a police informant. I was almost flattered they’d send someone undercover to try and infiltrate my modest operation. They must not have been able to get a warrant from any judge in the county, many of whom I knew fairly well. 

After reviewing the evidence with Keith, I had him bring two of my hounds to the warehouse. A few of the men smoking outside dropped their cigarettes when they saw me, and eyed the dogs with curiosity as they followed us inside.  

Keith confronted the informant, who held his hands up and played dumb at first. A small crowd formed around the scene, maybe eight of my men and Carlo, hanging back in silence to watch what would happen. The dogs snarled and yipped, waiting for any command of permission from me. Keith held them tight, boots planted wide with the effort. I stood like an overseer, hands in my pockets. 

“What’s your real name, Mike?” I asked him. “Care to tell us?”

It was Chris. He did not care to tell us, and raised his palms in the air, swearing on family members and God he didn’t know what I was talking about.

“Our new friend Chris is a police informant,” I said gently, like it was career day. “Has been for two years. He sold all his old friends for a plea deal. They’re in prison now, aren’t they Chris? He’s lied to me. He’s lied to you. He’s deliberately been trying to gain your trust, in order to fuck us over. What do we think?”

A man named Milo, who sports a Reichsadler tattoo on his weathered neck suggested I shoot him in the head. I paced a circle around Chris, took out my gun, and fired it into his shin. He fell and erupted in screams. My right ear rang from the close range shot, muffling them. The men didn’t move, except for Todd, who spat towards Chris passionately and called him a snitch, a pig.

”Not a pig, Todd,” I corrected. “Just a rat. He doesn’t even have a badge.”

I nodded to Keith, and he let go of the dog’s leashes. Their frenzied baying echoed off the corrugated ceiling as they snapped and tore at the young man’s clothes. Bleeding, shin shattered, he shrieked and flailed in the dirt as if on fire.

Before they could do irreparable damage, I whistled and they heeled to me, teeth pink with blood and foam, panting.  “Let him bleed somewhere else,” I said, and two of my men stepped forward to drag him out by his arms, moaning, his left cheek torn open. 

My gaze fell on Carlo in the semicircle then, standing only a few inches shorter than Milo and Todd. He lifted his eyes from the trail of blood in the dirt to me.

“Thank the rest of you for your cooperation,” I said to the remaining men. “Your dedication doesn’t go unappreciated. I will split what would’ve been the next month of his pay among you. You’ll see it by the end of the week.”

This elicited a few enthusiastic yessirs from them. 

I turned and stepped through the open loading door into the sunlight, dogs at my heel. 

5. The Lesser Evil

May 2015 

This is an incident I am not pleased to report, but will anyway. I do not keep these logs to sugarcoat anything, they are meant to be a true account. 

Yesterday evening Carlo joined me on the back porch of the house, where I was on the phone with an associate, taking in the first warm weather we’ve had all spring. It’s been drizzly and chilly, so the pink evening sky and balmy air was a welcome respite.

Carlo never joins me on the porch, and I watched him climb into one of the wicker chairs beside me, curious what new mood had brought him out. He’d been in the warehouse that afternoon with the men, and he had a streak of what I thought was grease or dirt on his cheek. I finished my conversation, and hung up the phone. 

“Even you couldn't resist this weather,” I commented.

He didn’t answer, which I consider a bit rude, but I pick my battles with him. I drained my glass of bourbon and leaned forward to address him with something more direct.

“Would you like something to drink? I’m going to top this off and come back out.”

He glanced at me guilty. He was well aware, especially after our last trip to Martin’s house, that it was common for pets to be responsible for things like fetching their keepers a refill on their drink. I did not buy a maid, though, I bought a companion. Or rather, an investment in what would one day be a companion. He knows how to make a drink, how to serve the dinner table. But it is not his constant duty. 

“No thank you,” he whispered. I turned to look at him more closely. He was pale, to the point of looking ill. He was curled in the chair defensively, like a wounded animal. I realized the streak of dirt was not dirt at all but a bruise

I got to my feet, squatting down in front of him at his level so he raised a pair of frightened eyes to mine. Why was he frightened? There was no mistaking it. 

I raised my hand to tilt his chin upwards, turning him to the side so I could see the bruise on his cheek. “What happened to your face?”

He dropped his eyes.

“Carlo.”

“It’s nothing.”

“It’s not nothing. It’s clearly a bruise.”

Reluctantly, he revealed his left hand, which the right had been covering protectively to show me a ring finger that was not curled with the others, but stuck out at an odd angle, broken. He was shaking.

I felt only shock at that moment, but I must have looked angry, because he covered it again and whimpered like he was holding back a sob. I understood now why he was so pale.

“What happened?”

He blinked back tears. I reached to his unbruised cheek and held it in my palm. 

“Carlo,” I said gently. “You’re alright. Look at me.”

He did.

“I’m going to fix this for you. It’s okay. I want you to stay right here. I’m going to get you something for your pain before I fix it.” I stroked my thumb over the corner of his mouth. “Do you understand?”

“Yes,” he whispered, and pressed his lips together tightly again.

I returned with a strong little pill, faster releasing than the other opiates I had, a glass of water, and a splint.

“Take this.” I squatted back down in front of him and held the glass for him so he could wash down the pill I’d fed him.

“Let’s give that a few minutes to start working. You will feel a little funny, but that’s a good thing. Don’t be afraid of that feeling. It will dull your pain, I promise.”

He nodded, watching my face for every expression, as if trying to determine if I was upset with him.

“I want you to tell me what happened. No editorializing.”

I could pull the footage, and I would, but I wanted to hear it from him.

“Did this happen in the warehouse today?”

It had.

“Did someone do this to you, or was it an accident?”

He looked away miserably. “Both?”

“Tell me what that means, please. Lo.”

At his nickname, he dared a glance back into my eyes.

I brushed his dark hair back from his clammy forehead. “You’re not in trouble. Nothing you might have done out there warranted this, or that bruise on your cheek.”

Tears spilled, finally, and I brushed at them with my thumbs, careful of his bruised cheekbone.

“It was nothing,” he said, throat tight with tears and pain. “I… I made Keith angry because I wouldn’t help him with something.”

“What was he requiring help with?”

“He was… welding a… a barrel with a leak in it. I wouldn’t hold a piece of the metal. Because of the welding torch. I…. I didn’t want to go near him while he was using it.”

“You thought he might hurt you with it?”

He shrugged. Of course he did. 

“Has he ever threatened you with something like that?”

Keith knew better than to take a fucking blowtorch to my pet, but it did’t mean he hasn’t threatened to. I decided to drop it, for now. 

“What happened next?”

“I… I refused, and a couple of the guys heard it. He says I shouldn’t talk back to him in front of them. And I know I shouldn’t, but…” he looked at me beseechingly, wondering if I understood.

“But he was holding a blowtorch,” I said. “Go on.”

“He just shoved me is all, but I lost my balance, and I fell. I hit my head on one of the pipes. The part that kinda sticks out.”

“And your finger?”

“He didn’t mean to. I don’t think.”

No, I thought. He wouldn’t have dared. 

“He pulled me up and made me hold the… the metal piece he was welding on. It was hot, from the fire, so I… I tried to pull it back, and he was trying to make me hold onto it, and….”

“Did he notice he had broken your finger?”

“I don’t know. My eyes were shut so I didn't look at the light from the torch. Coz it'll burn your eyes. I- I yelled out, I think. But I covered it up, and he gave up. Told me to… to fuck off. The guys had been laughing, but by then I saw they were just standing there. Kind of like… Not sure what was happening. I wasn’t sure what would happen, either.”

“And did you come in after that?”

“Not until I was supposed to,” he whispered, like it might be a trick. “At four.”

I tilted my head, my annoyance at Keith’s idiocy overshadowed by affection for my young pet, who was better trained than I gave him credit for.

“You should have come to me,” I said as gently as I could, so he knew it was not a reprimand. “You know I would not want you to stay out there and suffer if you were hurt. Don’t you?”

He blinked back more tears. “I- I don’t know,” he admitted. “I just didn’t want you to be angry with me. I didn’t know what to do.”

Recently, Carlo had been on a deep-dive of internet searches about the treatment of other pets in the big wide world. He didn’t know I knew this, but I have keystroke tracking software on all my devices. To his credit, he was on an incognito browser, though it did him no good. He watched videos and read accounts of horrific things done to less lucky people in his position, torture and rape, public humiliation, more torture and of course, wildly unethical medical experimentation on pets. 

Naturally, he was curious if my warnings and cautionary tales meant to keep him safe when we were traveling were exaggerated. Or perhaps some of the men out on the grounds had been talking of such things.

That, and after the incident with the police informant in our midst, I noticed he looked at me differently. Almost strangely, like he was seeing me for the first time. I suppose it had finally occurred to him what exactly I was capable of, of the things I could do to him if I was so inclined. Which I am not, and never have been.

“How much does it hurt right now?” 

He closed his eyes to take an inventory.

“I think less. My lips feel kind of numb. And my face doesn’t hurt anymore.”

“Listen to me closely. I’m going to set your finger, and splint it so that it heals correctly. I have done this more than once, in the Army. I know what I’m doing. If I didn’t, I would call Dr Stern.”

He nodded sharply, lashes grouping in tear-wet triangles. His trust moved me.

“It’s going to hurt. But it will be very quick. Then it will throb and ache, yes, but the worse pain will be only once. I don’t want to hurt you, Lo. But I need to set the bone.”

“Okay,” he said. “I know.”

I got him a clean dish towel to bite. I twisted it into a ropelike coil and placed it in his mouth for him. He let me, the poor sweet thing. I wondered if it reminded him of the video I knew he’d watched of the pet with the thick gag in her mouth, screaming on a table as two men flayed the skin from her feet. 

“It’s going to be quick,” I said again to reassure him. "It will be over in just a moment."

I counted him down to it, and on the count of one I set the bone. He screamed behind the towel. It was a noise of pain as I’d never heard him make. It went like a shot of sympathetic adrenaline from the pit of my stomach all the way to my fingertips and toes. It tapered to a sob, and then he was quiet. 

“Shhhh,” I hushed anyway. “Good boy. All done.” I would need to buy a better splint, but the one I had found in the first aid kit did the job for now. I set it around the broken finger, fastened the attachment that held it snug.

���All done,” I kept murmuring to him as if he were a little boy again, wrapping the whole thing in medical gauze to support and protect it. 

He let me, never once trying to instinctively pull his hand back. 

I took the dish cloth from his mouth, wet with saliva.

“You did well. Now let’s get something on that bruise.”

He let me pull him up by his undamaged hand. I led him into the house, my arm around his shoulders, and put him in my master bedroom, pressing the remote control to make my bed raise to an incline so he could watch TV. 

He thanked me drowsily, eyes glassy now from painkillers. I covered him in the softest blanket I had, and sat on the edge of my bed to brush a bruise cream over the deepening shadow of his cheek. 

“If he’d broken your cheekbone, I think I might have had him drawn and quartered in the front yard,” I muttered as I did it.

“M’sorry."

“No, angel. You are the single most important thing that belongs to me, do you know that?”

Through his medicated haze, he tried to focus on me, eyebrows knitting. I may never have said something quite like it to him.

He mumbled something about practicing the piano tomorrow, the meds getting the better of his consonants.

“No,” I said, feeling fond. “No piano practice anytime soon. You need to let it mend.” 

I left him there to sleep, and that night I brought him soup and soft bread for his dinner, and arranged for the doctor to come see him the next morning. 

Next

[hometoursandotherstuff]

Here’s a chance to buy an historic home that was featured on the TV show “Haunted in the Heartland,” for only $105K, ghosts included. The 1880 house located in Atchison, Kansas has 3 bds. and 1 bath.

The house was built by one of the original stone masons of Atchison and retains many original features. 

It has a central entrance hall. According to Lauren Pierce, the listing agent,  “They did some things on the TV show where they released all of the bad energy and bad juju, so there’s nothing but good people there now.” So, friendly ghosts. 

Adam Dilgert built the home for his family, including a wife and daughter. At some point, a relative named Frances also lived in the home. Although they’ve long since passed on, their spirits are believed to be present in the home.

“I have had a few things happen to me. I was cleaning and staging the house, and brought a rug for the end of the bed. I left the house for 10 to 15 minutes, and when I came back, it was nowhere to be found,” Pierce says. “I searched everywhere and nothing was there, so I chalk it up to the ghosts.” (Where the hell did that rug go, then?)

There was also an incident with a pen. Pierce recalls she and a business associate were both using a pen, which they left on a counter in a room. Later, when they returned, the pen was gone. (Who wants to live with a thieving ghost, though? It doesn’t return your stuff.)

The homeowner’s cat was missing once, but then just appeared in a doorway. (Well, that could be normal.)

“There have been a lot of different occurrences that have happened there, but nothing bad,” Pierce says.

“The house has a lot of character and a lot of the original workings in the home. So honestly, the house needs a little bit of TLC, but it’s already up and coming and just kind of needs finishing touches,” Pierce says.

“The perfect buyer is going to be someone that’s going to love it and not care too terribly much about the ghosts and just be friendly with them, and also someone who is going to want to rehab a little bit.”

The home was first listed for $120,000 in October. There have been two price drops since then. (I wonder why.)

“It was the first listing I ever got, and it was very exciting because it is unique. I knew it was going to be a little bit more work trying to get someone interested in buying it because you have to find the right person for this niche,” she says.

Pierce says that she brought a medium through the house who claims to have made contact with the ghosts.

“She, (the medium), said it was funny because they said they enjoy my rug, but I haven’t seen it again and I haven’t seen my pen again,” Pierce says. “But any other time, they gave everything back to the owner, like the cat.” Okay, this is weird.

https://www.remax.com/ks/atchison/home-details/919-atchison-st-atchison-ks-66002/7838281958727439648/M00000270/2409566

https://www.realtor.com/news/unique-homes/historic-kansas-was-featured-on-haunted-in-the-heartland/

[bakerstreetbabble]

Granada TV Series Review: "The Priory School" (S03, E06)

It's Arthur Conan Doyle's birthday today, and today I return to my series of reviews of the Granada TV series, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Once again, the game is afoot!

The Granada adaptation of "The Adventure of the Priory School" is dramatic and action-packed (particularly towards the end of the episode). But, although it retains some of the major plot points, it bears relatively little resemblance to its source material. Material from the original story is shuffled around, we are treated to a considerable amount of horse riding and bicycle riding, and there's an interesting scene where the main villain, Mr. James Wilder, meets a nasty end in a torch-lit cave. It's certainly an engaging story, but it's not quite the story Arthur Conan Doyle wrote!

Still, there is much to recommend, above and beyond the beautiful scenery of the English countryside. Noted Shakespearean actor Alan Howard portrays the Duke of Holdernesse to great effect. (His long red beard described in the story has been replaced by bushy red sideburns.) Jeremy Brett brings his usual intensity to the role, and Watson is given quite a bit more to do than in the original. The dramatic pacing of the adaptation is quite good, I think, and less dialogue heavy than the original, so the story flows fairly convincingly. As an occasional student of Latin, I also enjoyed the tiny little detail of the headmaster, Dr. Thorneycroft Huxtable (surely one of the greatest character names in the whole Canon), greets all the students with, "Salvete discipuli!" (Hello, students!)

I was intrigued by a dinner scene towards the middle of the episode, wherein Holmes and Watson joke a bit about the origins of the Holdernesse family (they started out as cattle thieves). An outraged Dr. Huxtable gets a little peeved with Holmes' s disrespect of the Duke, which leads to a scene that is not in the original story where the detective shares his deductions on the role that the German teacher has played in the boy's disappearance. It seemed to me that it was a bit out of character to be joking about an aristocrat, as he usually shows great deference to those of high station, but the scene was certainly well played, especially with all the pipe and cigarette smoke that created a visually interesting effect.

Perhaps this is a good point to pause and consider the challenges inherent in adapting Doyle's stories to the medium of television. While they often have their fair share of action and adventure, many of the stories in the Canon tend to be rather heavy on dialogue. We are often given much of the exposition, and often much of Holmes' s investigations, in the form of characters telling other characters what has happened. To make an effective TV drama, of course, the writers have to show rather than tell, and to a great extent, most of the episodes I've watched thus far have done a pretty good job of doing so. Added to the visual nature of TV is the necessity to make stories fit into the format of a 50-minute episode. For some stories this means trimming the plot considerably, while for others it means padding the plot with more material.

Overall, I believe the adaptation of "The Priory School" is one of the better examples of handling the source material in a manner that retains much of the flavor of the original, while demonstrating a willingness to depart from the source where necessary, in order to provide a better dramatic structure for the medium in which they are working. I certainly found this to be a worthwhile installment in the series. Feel free to share your thoughts on the episode, particularly if you have ideas about how much an adaptation should adhere to the original story.

My apologies to anyone who has been following my series of Granada reviews, for skipping last week's post. We had a very busy weekend, and there simply wasn't time to watch an episode and write a review. This review will get us back on track as I near the midpoint of my viewing experience. Thanks for reading!

[albertonykus]

Doraemon Movie Review: Nobita and the Birth of Japan (1989) and Nobita and the Birth of Japan (2016)

What is Doraemon? The title character of the Doraemon manga and anime is a blue robotic cat from the 22nd Century who keeps an array of high-tech gadgets in a portable pocket dimension on his belly, and has traveled from the future to improve the fortunes of a hapless schoolboy named Nobita. Although relatively obscure in the English-speaking world, Doraemon is a Mickey-Mouse-level cultural icon in East Asia (and some other regions, too). The Doraemon franchise was a big part of my childhood, and there are still elements of it that I enjoy now.

Doraemon has released theatrical films almost annually since 1980, most of which involve Nobita and his friends (kind Shizuka, brash Gian, and crafty Suneo) getting swept into adventures thanks to Doraemon's gadgets. Despite being of potentially broad appeal to fans of science fiction and animated films, there are very few English reviews of the Doraemon movies, so I'm embarking on a project to write about all the films that have come out so far. Good luck to me…

Movie premise: Nobita and his friends run away from home to... 70,000 years ago, before humans lived in Japan.

My spoiler-free take: A movie with a very promising narrative hook, but a very disappointing resolution to the main conflict.

The 2016 remake though? For overhauling the climax and keeping the best elements of the original mostly intact, it’s very possibly my favorite Doraemon film.

POTENTIAL SPOILERS AFTER THIS POINT

Review: This movie starts out pretty strong. The premise itself is an intriguing one that provides insight into each of the main characters: it’s not rare to see Nobita or Gian getting in trouble with their mothers, but why might spoiled Suneo or responsible Shizuka want to leave home? And what about Doraemon himself, who often takes on the role of a guardian figure for the kids? Connecting this story concept with the dispersal of humans into Japan is also a very creative idea. (I previously discussed the scientific references in this film here.) It’s quite fun to watch the protagonists set up their own secret base in the Pleistocene.

Unfortunately, the primary conflict is where the film falters for me. The main characters barely contribute to defeating the villain other than unwittingly leading the time police to his hideout, which felt extremely unsatisfying. They don’t even get to successfully escape from the hideout by themselves, despite Nobita launching a heroic rescue of the others. So enticing premise aside, I’ve always found this story disappointing.

Star rating: ★★★☆☆

Better luck with the remake, perhaps? I hope so, because as of the time of writing, this is also the last Doraemon movie remake I have left to review!

Review: My goodness, does this remake ever fix my main problem with the original! The climax is substantially modified, with the main characters now doing most of the work in bringing down the villain (and yes, everyone gets to do something helpful). The film even finds a way to add a plot-relevant role for Dorami! Meanwhile, the rest of the story remains largely intact, which is essentially how I would have preferred it.

I also love the end credits artwork in this remake. Something I’ve noticed is lacking in many Doraemon movies (even some of the best ones) is that they rarely revisit the inciting incident that kick-starts each adventure. In the original version of this movie for example, the children’s grievances against their families are hardly brought up again after they set off for the Pleistocene (outside of some hallucinations Nobita gets when he is lost in the snow, which ultimately don’t amount to any narrative importance). The end credits here are set to scenes showing what everyone gets up to once they return home, providing closure for that subplot. Besides, I think the art style used for the credits is very uplifting and adorable.

Do I have any criticisms of this movie? I suppose I do, but most of them would be issues that were already present in the original. For instance, when the protagonists attempt to revisit the prehistoric tribe they’d befriended, they are shocked to find that the entire group has been captured by the villain. However, it never occurs to them to try traveling to a time before the tribe was captured.

Another is the mystery of Shizuka’s disappearing spear. Doraemon clearly gives everybody one of his Shock Spears when they first arrive in the Pleistocene. Yet when the group later fights the villain’s minions, Shizuka’s spear is inexplicably missing, and she spends the encounter cowering behind Nobita. The spear’s absence is especially noticeable here, because in the original film, Doraemon was the one who did all the fighting in this sequence. Shizuka is even shown carrying the spear in some scenes following this, but it’s never present in any situation where it would actually be used. At least she gets to contribute during the final battle...

Okay, I will name one thing that I think the original did better: I probably prefer the designs of Nobita’s pet griffon and dragon in that version. Even with these quibbles though, there are enough positives here to make up for them in my opinion. Nobita and the Birth of Japan 2016 may very well be my favorite Doraemon movie released so far, and for that I’m giving it the full five stars.

Star rating: ★★★★★

Original or remake? If it weren’t obvious already, I’m a fan of the remake. The original provided a solid foundation, but the remake takes it to new heights.

[spw-art]

Because Nigel is in @original-character-championship and there isn’t much information on him or his kind out in the wild, I’ve decided to create a…

NIGELLIAN FACT SHEET

Nigellians are extradimensional beings who live on a plane not too far from ours. While they can’t be seen or felt by us, they can be heard. A radio may be playing but it’s not on, or it’s unplugged, or there’s absolutely no way any sound should be coming from it. That’s a group of nigellians singing together!

Nigellians are gregarious, sexless creatures that were born from the spirit of glamor. They’re made up of a single color, relatively short compared to humans (between 3 and 5 feet in height), and are experts at mimicry. They use their mimicry to copy voices and put on performances for one another.

Another strange trait of nigellian is their ability to multiply. A nigellian may split himself into as many copies as he pleases to create a band, orchestra, or choir consisting of only himself. While they do like to perform and “jam” with others, if they have no others to do it with, they are more than happy to multiply. Once they are done, their copies merge into one nigellian once again.

Nigellians are not malicious nor would they ever think about being malicious. They’re peaceful creatures and cannot fathom using their ‘powers’ for anything but good.

Nigellians are all “male” despite being sexless. They all use he/him although many do not present masculinely.

Nigellians are a very music and entertainment focused group of creatures, pulling from the aesthetics of 70’s and 80’s rock and metal. Of course, they could pull from just about anything if they want, they’re very into music fashion and expressing themselves through their appearances.

They are named after Nigel Nigel because Nigel was the first one. :)

Check out my #nigellians tag for more on them as well as other nigellian characters of mine!

Here are some little graphics about nigellians that I made a year or so ago for a class!

Do you want to make a nigellian oc? Go ahead!! I love these silly guys and would be more than happy to see them spread into the world.

[watertribe-enya]

For the ask game. 13. 14. And 15.

I'm gonna go ahead and do this for different fandoms I'm invested in, if you have a specific fandom in mind please send it with the ask ^^

13 worst blorbofication

Can I say the Colletor from The Owl House? I cannot even blame the fandom too much, since the show did it too. But as soon as the little guy was freed from his prison and got a cuddly child form many seemed to forget the terrifying behavior he showed beforehand. Like he was supposed to be an ancient, morally grey entity, not a n overgrown toddler whom everyone was mean too. And then came For The Future and he really was just an overgrown toddler whom everyone was mean too. Him laughing at some of Belos' cruelties? That was actually Belos fault, because he taught him opposite day logic and that pain was funny! (An actual take I've seen) Actually children don't have a single mean bone in their bodies, unless they were abused! Nevermind the fact that children do cruel things all the time, without any abuse involved. Hell, even King himself showed plenty of cruel and mean behavior earlier in the show. And I doubt that Eda was as shitty as a parental figure as Belos was (even though she was highly questionable too earlier on)

And although I haven't seen any really bad takes along with the character, Zolf "I committed genocide and enjoyed it" Kimblee getting ranked relatively high in character polls. Higher than Scar and Hohenheim at least. How? Why? What does this guy actually bring to the table that's so enjoyable? Okay, he called Hawkeye and Mustang out, but so did Scar!

14 that one thing you see in fics all the time

Dead Guy Jr. naming syndrome. It doesn't bother me as much if it's one or two characters doing it for a kid, but if half the cast does it for all their children it gets weird. It's especially prevalent in Fullmetal Alchemist fanfictions in my experience. You can seemingly pick any fanfic about the further adventures of the characters and always have little Ninas, little Maes, little Trisha, little Urey, little Sara and the list goes on.

Furthermore, Roy Mustang the excellent father figure. You know, the guy who's first reaction was to shake a crippled little boy wildly, without even confirming it was the kid he was looking for and mad at XD. The guy who never interacted with either his best friend's widow and/or his daughter. Who picks fights with a kid half his age. Name one parental thing he actually did for the Elric's, aside from trying to shield them from Hughes death.

Also portraying certain (usually villainous) characters as sexual abusers/predators when there were no hints of that in canon. To be clear, I'm not judging you for dealing with such dark themes, it just gets a little exhausting for me personally. For example I really like Rex Godwin from Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's, a character who is morally grey on the best of days, and usually behaves really shitty and manipulative towards the main cast, and it often goes "Oh a new fanfic featuring him, what a rare occurence...oh it's one of those".

Having Jonathan Joestar as this innocent almost virgin, who only had sex because canon dictates it, and even then only once. I get that he's victorian and all, but the guy was married for five days before his untimely death, not one night.

15 that one thing you see in fanart all the time

Portraying Dio Brando as Jonathan's dearly missed brother whom he would hug instantly after reuniting in Heaven (that goes for fanfics too). It's okay, completely ignore the fact that Jonathan would have massive beef with him for once again trying to kill his family. Or killing all those innocent civilians. Or having children and dooming them to live with their usually abusive mothers.

And pretty much all of the above things apply here too.

[after-nine-at-the-oasis]

Hey y'all! So, for just under a year, I've had a review for the Season 6 finale of The Good Doctor sitting in my drafts. There's barely anything, and I've never had the motivation to get around to it, so I'm going to do a really quick one here. I'll try and do a more in depth one with that draft in the future, but the finale season (😭😭💔) premieres in a couple of days, and I want it out before then. I'm super busy and tired so I don't have the energy for the full thing lol, so here's just something to ease my mind.

I'm sad to see Danny go :(. I'm glad he's doing what's best for him and that he's not mad at Jordan (because yeesh I understood him but that hurt me, hurt on all sides lol), but I'll miss him </3. Maybe one day he'll come back :') (although in current context I doubt it buuut you never know). And poor Jordan too 😭.

Also thank goodness Jerome and Jared are okay xD. I mean okay is a relative term here but yk. Anyway, I'm so glad they're okay we went through enough this episode 😭❤️ xD.

AAAHHHHH PARK AND MORGAN ARE BACK TOGETHER!!! WHOOO YAYYY FINALLYYYY!!! They took their sweet time huh xD. Like, the show lol. Still, they're gonna be a family together :'DD I'm so happy. They're adorable, I love them <33.

:OO Andrews is quitting! That's wild tbh. I mean good for him, and Dalisay too, but dang xD. Brave move man, lol. You better hope it works out xD, with her I mean. But nah, I'm happy for them :DD.

Iirc Lim and Glassman were with the patient who couldn't move or was almost brain dead or something like that, and I'm so glad they found a way to help her improve :'). I'm proud of them <3.

I don't remember who was on the case with him but I remember Asher's patient's father (I believe) died and I felt so bad for him 😭. Poor Asher :(. And poor the guy's family! They just kept doing heartbreaking things this episode xdd. Also the little Asher and Jerome moment at the beginning of the episode <33 my lovelies.

AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH SHAUN AND LEA HAD THEIR BABY :'DDDDD!!! I'M SO HAPPY FOR THEM HOLY CRAP 😭😭❤️❤️❤️🥰🥰😭❤️😍🤩🥳🥳🥳🥳❤️. AND THEY NAMED HIM STEVE AARON AAAAAHHHHHHHH 😭😭😭😭😭💔❤️❤️❤️❤️!!! I'm not okay thank you very much <333. I love them all so much :'))).

Also VOEIAMPFWNIAH GLASSMAN WHY. HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME. I MEAN I KNOW WHY BUT SIRRR 😭😭😭💔💔💔 I DON'T DESERVE THIS!!

Y'all can't/don't believe how much I'm stressin. Again, I do not deserve this xd.

Anyway but him sending the gift was so cute 😭😭😭💔💔❤️❤️❤️. But just aUOAGH he was SO CLOSE TO GOING INNNN-

Once again, I don't deserve this <3.

xD But seriously, even if the hat part made me SAD, I loved the whole storyline <33. And I am so glad Glassman sent a gift xd. They'll make up eventually :')). It would be absolutely WILD if they didn't, and it will be pain until they do, but I'm sure they will lol.

Anyway!! There was a lot of drama between people this season (though there always has to be), and sometimes it was stressful, but I really enjoyed this season. There were so many great moments and I just love all these characters so much <333. And let's not forget the new characters!! Danny and Dani (I still find it absolutely wild that they never addressed that btw lol) were icons, and I was sad to see both of them go but they were really good for their time on <3. They were both super unique and I also loved seeing a disabled character in Dani :D. Her journey helping Lim with her own journey was amazing, and I kind of relate as a disabled person <3. And Danny was also super great, it was nice to see him stick to his reasons and decisions a lot. For a one season character he was really complex and I like that :)). Also his relationship with Jordan was great <333. It was also wild to see Kalu return this season lol!! It took some adjusting (though I enjoyed that time too) but I love having him back :DD. I love all of these guys so much and I can't wait for next season <333.

Sooo yeah!! I absolutely loved this episode, it was so dramatic and so good. I'm so excited for the next season!

This has been my review for. . .

The Good Doctor, Season 6, Episode 22: Love's Labor

I loved it, it was such a culmination of the season. I'm scared of the drama but also so excited for it, and everything else about next season. I'll be back then for my review of. . .

The Good Doctor, Season 7

See you then!!

[calistayed]

          Hello  and  welcome  to  my independent, selective,  private  roleplay  account  for  an original character, Mason  Mayfield. This  blog  is  rather  low  active  and  will  contain  major  dark  themes.  Please  approach  with  caution.  I  also  ask  that  you  read  my  rules  and small about under the cut  before  following.

          Exclusive: zoomingupthathill ,           Affiliated: zoomingupthathill ,

                            Rules to follow! I'll keep it simple: Mun: My name's AJ! I love characters, love talking about them all the time. I love to read and write. I mostly read horror, and recently found it's actually a favorite genre of mine. I'm a nerd, a dork, hella shy, and would love to be your friend!

Please be kind and respectful! If there are any issues with me, please come to me in an appropriate manner. I don't bite, I promise. We all know we can't read each other's minds!

NS.FW. It might be present. He is of age in his main verse, but I'm deciding if even if I want to just make a sideblog for more of that stuff. Either way, I will only write it with those I feel comfortable with for it isn't something I write normally.

Shipping. I love to ship. I'm opened to it as long as we both are good with it, and talk about our muses to see if they click.

Controversial characters. Totally down to write with any type of character. I won't limit myself. If this bothers you, please do not follow.

Triggers. I'll tag what I can/remember. I will NOT write with drunk muses. This doesn't need to be tagged for your threads, I just don't want to deal with it one-on-one.

OCs/Fandoms. Totally chill with OCs, just have some type of an about page. I can try and fit my muses into anything, and will follow blogs I can see working (even if I don't know the fandom).

Be patient! I have a full time job and a few other blogs I hop on. I usually go with the flow, see what muse I have. Plus please be aware that I struggle with depression. Some Days are good and others not so much.

OOC. I love to chat ooc. Through IMs or discord. Whatever works for you. Although, discord is only open to mutuals.

Icons. As of right now I don't have any icons. Even when I do make some I'm totally fine if we don't even use them at all. It's not a make or break thing for me.

Exclusive. I have one exclusive Max which me and the mun talked here and there about these two. I may add more to exclusive depending on plotting and such other things.

MUTUALS ONLY!!!!

                              Small about (cuz I am hella lazy):         any questions about anything please feel free to message.

Name: Mason Mayfield Nicknames: Masey, Mase, Ace Age: 19-20 (s4), 17-18 (s3) Gender: Male Traits: Kind, responsible, loyal, impatient, stubborn.

Mason is the older sibling to Max, and can be argued as the younger or older brother to Billy. Before Billy, Mason and Max were a fair close bonded siblings with the perfect amount of annoyance to each other. However, he grew up fast. Still rather young, he became the man of the house once their father was out of the picture.

Then, as their mother got involved with Neil, things started to shift between the family dynamic. Mason noticed the change the older man brought into the home, and noticed the way he was around Billy as he grew older. Mason spoke with their mother several times, saying how he felt uncomfortable, saying how it wasn't good for any of them to be around Neil.

Once the Fall of 1984 came around, Mason decided he wasn't going to move with his family. He opted to stay with a relative, making up as many excuses as he could for he didn't want to be in the same house as Neil. Mason knew the news didn't sit well with Max, but he made a silent promise he would make enough money to take Max, and maybe even talk to Billy, and get away.

Summer of 1985 came and Mason decided to move to Hawkins with a good amount of money to his name. Happy to see his family again, he only got the cold shoulder from Max. Mason let her be angry, and decided to get a job at the mall to earn even more money. Mason hoped he could talk to Billy at least, but he was also rather distant.

Spring of 1986 came far too quickly. The death of Billy and abandonment of Neil made Mason work long shifts to help support them. Still, it was hard to focus with the strangeness of the town finally hitting him, and the fact of high schoolers getting murdered didn't help.

[asoulofatlantis]

Great... Towa coming with us will make the Erebonian-Bitch inside me even more homesick ^^'

Of course, she is talking to Crow. Who else would she be talking too? But... I hate to be the one to say this yet again but... if he is here... why isn't he here? If you get me. Crow can't be too far away, given that he knew where things in the City happened. And how did he get his hands on Info from the CID given that he sure as hell is on their "suspicious" - list as well. (Heck, I can not even blame them this time... he is a former Terrorist after all...)

What's bothering my Baby? And why is her saying his name bringing tears to my eyes? Gee...

Okay! Stop with the names-dropping! It makes my homesickness worse.

I think I end this for today. After spending half an eternity in Märchen Garten again (and after Towa and Crow successfully made me want to play Cold Steel AGAIN) and given that I might have overdone it on the first day that I felt slightly better and yet didn't even took my usual nap... I am not strong enough or willing to do more side-missions right now.

Given how at this point I am roughly through half of the game I think can make a first impression review now.

First of all let me tell you that if you only would do the main missions and only the necessary parts of the Märchen Garten, the pacing of this game would actually be really good - at least so far. Sadly, as soon as you aim to do all the optional stuff, the pacing is ruined. Especially if you use Märchen Garten to grind and get your hands on useful items, you will realize that this absolutely destroys the pacing. However, despite that, I feel like the pacing is still a bit better than it was in the first game, if you have done all the optional stuff there and funny enough, I think that is also partly because of Märchen Garten, because it makes the game feel a lot more balanced than the first one, as the fighting relatively equals the time we run around and talk to people. So regarding Pacing I would give it 3 out of 5 points at this time.

Music is mostly the same than in the previous game, but nothing annoying there. Opening song is good and works well when it is used in-game and I say all in all the way the music is used is also better than in Kuro 1 so a 4 out of 5

Battlesystem was just slightly overworked and its a mixed blessing. I do like the idea with the magic, but its just not really efficient in my eyes. I like it tho, that you are finally able to know better whos turn it is next in the turn-based battles. And I still like the idea behind the mix of active- and turn-based battle. Although active-battle has gotten a lot harder on floor 7 of the Märchen Garten. In any case I give it a 4 out of 5, because there is still something missing and the magic aspect in active battle still needs some adjustments.

The characters should get a 5 out of 5 because they are all great and ... likeable in their own way and even the ones you dislike make you do this with passion. HOWEVER there have been multiple instances of OOCness in this game and that is why I think I have to take one point away. 4 out of 5 points.

The plot... well... the plot. When I was just watching the game the plot seemed mostly awful. Its not that bad if you play the game yourself. But its also not that much better either. The fact that they overdid it with the dead ends in the intermission and that most deaths didn't make you as the players feel anything is one of the reason why the plot just isn't good enough. I do see the need for this rather filler-arc kind of game better now tho. I give it an overall 3 out of 5 points for now.

Sidemission are mostly "good" you have some boring ones among them but a lot of them have some interesting twists and turns or end with some scenes/moments that were worth it. 4 out of 5. Sometimes its just really too many of them, which, once again, is bad for the pacing.

Anything else? Hm... nah, not at the moment.

Id say the game is overall medicore.

[friedrichnapier]

I have so many of these bitches that I don't have enough energy to realize them all-

BUT at the moment I'm working on a group of characters who are servants/workers of the Hellsing Mansion. And of course these bastards are fucked up. But now I would like to single out one particular OC who at the moment has particularly sunk into my soul. And I want to note right away that Laura partially pushed me to create it. Because werekins are cool-

Many of us have heard the statement that hares are cowards. People perceive them as cute, furry creatures who are afraid of every rustle. However, this is far from the truth. Hares can be quite aggressive if you try to show aggression to them, and they have a set of sharp incisors, claws and strong hind legs, which they are not afraid to use if necessary. And about hind legs, by the way, it is worth talking separately, because they are able to break the bones of the aggressor and cause serious damage, and in some cases even kill if the skull was fractured. In addition, they can show aggression even to their own species: fighting for territory, breeding partner or food… Name reason, and most likely among a number of reasons for the conflicts of hares among themselves there will be one. And this is not to mention fact that in non-threatening season these bastards can eat carrion to replenish balance of nutrients in their body.

From the above, we can conclude that hares are far from cowards. They simply know the seriousness of their position as the main source of food for predators and try once again not to get into trouble, but this does not mean that they will not try to give selection in case of anything.

However… What if hares were at a different stage of the food chain? What if they were significantly larger? What if they had a power similar to predators' power? Power of super-predators…

Aaand so we come to main topic of our discussion: my babygirl Ester!

Ester is a werehare hare. And I'll tell you there: even other werekins don't like these creatures. Possessing superhuman abilities and powers, their belligerence borders on recklessness. They are insanely stubborn and terribly bloodthirsty. They will chase their prey until they overtake and turn it into bloody mincemeat. And when I talk about mincemeat, I mean mincemeat: as a rule, their only remains is cereal, consisting of ground meat, skin and bones. And, unlike their animal "relatives", if they're in danger, they will not try to hide or run. They will attack aggressor head-on, and they will not stop until they die or until a bloody mess remains of the enemy. And Ester, although raised in human society, still shows similar habits towards those who threaten safety of Hellsing and Integra in particular.

When creating her design, I generally started a lot from the appearance of real hares: her facial expression and eyes should convey a similar vibe. Like, look at these assholes, they're scary as fuck.

Story of her appearance in mansion is extremely funny shit, however, I think I'll save it for another time. Thank you for your attention, I really wanted to share my girl with someone- :D

What’s your favorite Hellsing OC from other creators?

Honestly ? A LOT of them.

But my faves have to be Zemi by @corvidcrybaby , Bryn by @valentinebride , Briar by @nuclearforest (who I’ve drawn for a commission!!), anything by @merumely , and Sabine the wolf hoe by @rotten-hearts-sharp-teeth

If I’ve forgotten you I apologize I am not very bright.

Also use this to promote your OC(s) !!! Reblog this shit with your characters I wanna see em !!!

[alluringjae]

queen of hearts - sjn

summary: for the first time, one of your star students hasn’t been fetched right after class. but when she finally does, you weren’t expecting such a fine man to be her father.

pairing: johnny x female reader

word count: 5.5k

genre: fluff, romance, comedy | ceo and single dad!johnny + ballerina!reader + modern day!au

warnings: mentions of an absent parent, johnny being an overthinker, sexual innuendos (ten saying dilf hehe), slight explicit language, technical terms of ballet, a mini reference to mean girls

author’s note: sooo i came in touch with my former dance life, which led me to write this. there are links for the variations i used; their names are underlined when they’re mentioned. i am going to get technical with ballet terms here (even when my ballet knowledge decreased), so to any dancers reading, i really did my best, so please don’t come for me or do correct me for any mistakes.

although one character and her dance background, plus the name of the setting, are real, everything else about it is still a work of fiction.

i miss dancing, no cap.

leave me some feedback, constructive criticism or hellos!

Ballet student and teacher by day, a soloist of the Korean National Ballet at night.

This was your daily routine, and it wasn’t the typical 8-5. But it’s debatable whether or not it was worse, because you’re always going overtime. That’s the thing when you’re an overachiever. Nonetheless, you loved what you do. It’s the lifestyle you gradually built since your preschool days.

Mornings on the weekdays were mostly vacant since all the kids were still in school. You’d start at 10 am for a warm-up class for the company. Before you delved into teaching and assisting, you’d train right after your lunch break. Partnering class, en pointe class, 1-on-1 sessions with choreographers, self-practice, then the company night class, that’s the organization of your week.

Now adding the teacher title, you mostly handled kindergartners to 5th graders in the academy aspect of the company. Your first teaching class would start at 1 pm. It’s when the younger students who finished their morning classes zoom into your assigned dance studio. One class would last an hour and a half, then you have a 30-minute break in between another class with the older kids. Their lesson repertoire was more strenuous due to the added across-the-floor lessons and jumps. Water was always your best friend, water refilling stations located everywhere in the company building.

You wouldn’t say you’re a strict teacher, but you weren’t shy to correct anyone from wherever you stood. You’d lightly align their arms or back properly so your students were working on the correct body parts. Compared to the other teachers, a lot of students enjoyed your kind yet frank approaches. Your former students, who’ve already gone to the higher levels, missed your lively presence and wished repeatedly that they want you back as their teacher.

“Teacher (Y/N), I miss you so much! Teacher Ten is so intense. I get the jitters especially when we’re en pointe on the floor.”

“Teacher (Y/N), Teacher Sicheng and Teacher Seulgi scare the heck out of me during partnering class. Especially when I tried to lift my partner, I keep losing focus because of Teacher Sicheng’s never-ending comments!”

Not to be sadistic, but you’d simply laugh at their minuscule complaints. Even if they’re struggling in the academy, those comments were directed to fix their techniques if they wanted to breakthrough.

“Kids, you’re going to be fine! They wouldn’t say or do those things just because they wanted to. They’re here to push you to the next level, like how I used to do with you. It’s a cut-throat industry after all.”

This was always your reply, bittersweet and truthful. Not everyone makes it, unfortunately, so if you’re really striving, you’d do whatever it takes. Throughout your career, you’re relatively impressed with how far you’ve come.

Trainee at 17, Corps de Ballet at 18, Demi-Soloist at 21, and Soloist at 23.

You’ve been a soloist for 4 years. The final stage, which was to become a principal dancer, is your running goal. Becoming a soloist was praiseworthy enough because you’ve seen so many give up in the Corps, but claiming a spot as a principal dancer has been the ultimate dream. Since you’ve watched Swan Lake for the first time at 4 years old with your parents, that’s where you found a passion for dancing and the stage. Here you are years later, practicing numerous variations daily, performing in opera houses, and mentoring all these gifted kids.

Your last class with elementary kids, which began around 5 pm, reached its end once all the students curtsied in front of you and scurried to their mothers or their nannies. The remaining plan on your agenda today was the company class at 7:30 pm, which exceeds the average hour and a half. It’s worse during show season. There have been times everyone went beyond midnight to polish every scene from head to toe.

Currently, there’s no upcoming show for the public, though the annual summer recital for the students was around the corner. Selected members of the company were chosen to perform individually in it, which was both exciting and intense. It’s also because it’s an evaluation on whether you’d get promoted in status or staying put. You’ve partaken in 3 recitals in the past, two of which elevated you from the corps and demi-soloist ranks. The recent one, however, didn’t change your soloist ranking.

It was a major first in your career in ballet, and after finding out the result of the latter, it emotionally pained you. Recalling how much soul you put into that piece, the rejection from your artistic director clenched your heart. Though in time, you moved on from it and viewed it as a stepping stone. Also, Sicheng and Ten personally stormed your apartment to pull yourself together with wine and pizza after going on a short leave.

Since you were trainees, Sicheng and Ten were your best friends in and outside the company. Working daily to occasional barhopping, that’s your youth summed up. It wasn’t because you didn’t like the girls you’ve worked with (though a lot of them were fake and bitchy), but these two were frank and humorous as hell. Together, you’d help each other with your goals rather than be competitive. Over time, Ten leveled up to a principal dancer for 2 years running while you and Sicheng were still soloists. The way you’d watch Ten take all the big roles, that’s where you want to be one day.

Back in your last teaching class, the entire dance room was vacant. Since it’s mainly used for ballet classes, you’d either run through anything you’ve practiced from the company classes and polish it or warm up a little bit more.

Except for today, this was the only free time to sew a new pair of pointe shoes because your current ones were dead. Dead in a sense that the hard shell turned soft, which won’t be able to support you when you’re up on your toes. You’re not taking any risks of minor injuries especially when you’re in the current lineup of company members performing for this upcoming recital again. You have to prove to everyone that you deserve a position as a principal dancer.

As your legs sprawled in a half middle split, your sewing equipment laid in front of you like you’re about to perform surgery, a tiny girl stood by the ajar studio doors. In her neat bun and holding on to her small duffel bag, you’re convinced everyone has gone home already since it’s quite late.

You may have your priorities as a company member, but she was still your student.

“Minji!” You shouted her name, speedily waving your hand. You’re not one to have favorites, though you couldn’t help wonder how extraordinary she was. She’s always taking charge in demonstrating the lessons to everyone and improving every session in the 3 years she’s joined the academy. “Come in! Come in!”

At age 7, she’s gotten taller through the years, above the average from how you see it. She must have amazing genetics. Her legs sauntered in seconds to you. Sitting down across you, she marveled at your setup. Specifically, at the fresh pointe shoes.

“Are those yours, Teacher (Y/N)?” She perked up, caressing its soft fabric and playing with the mini bows of the drawstrings.

“Yes, it is, Minji!” You answered while trying to insert the thin thread through the small eye of the needle. “Why are you still here? Is your nanny stuck in traffic or something?”

“My nanny went on sudden leave, so my dad’s the one fetching me. But I think he’s running late from his job.”

Oh, this was a first to know about her father. In all the years she’s been your student, you rarely caught sight of him, even in recitals. Maybe he sat in an unknown section, but you’re pretty much acquainted with all the parents of your students. Even if some were snobbier than the rest because they wanted their child to have more stage time, you still got to know them out of respect. Quite odd, if you said so yourself.

After deep concentration, the thread triumphantly passed through the eye so you tied the two ends of the thread in a double knot. Seeing as Minji attentively watched you, you tasked her to cut the ribbons of your shoes according to the trail of pencil marks. This was so she wouldn’t cut it too short or too long. While she did that, you hammered your shoes against the floor to soften the hard front, bending the shank back and forth so the arch of your feet could move without difficulty later.

Minji wasn’t expecting such loud sounds, her entire body shaken awake. Her facial expression was priceless, explaining to her, “Once you get your first pointe shoes in a few years, this is one of the basic things you need to do so your feet won’t hurt too much while dancing.”

“Will you be there to teach me how to make my pointe shoes?”

“Absolutely! Come to me first then I’ll mentor you all that I know.”

The process of sewing and breaking new pointe shoes engraved your mind since your adolescent years, with changes along the way. Inspired by some tricks from your former teachers, but there were some differing rituals you followed. There’s no definite process of it, just as long you’re comfortable to dance after.

With your feet, you stepped on the hard boxes of the shoes to soften it more, creating a popping sound. Followed by sewing your elastic bands in. For your ribbons, you liked to burn the edges with a lighter so the thread of it won’t run. Kindly asking your cute assistant for the lighter beside her, you scanned the edges back and forth the flame. In seconds, the edges had a distinct mark, fully closed. From there, you slid your feet to your shoes to make final sewing adjustments. Sewing your ribbons took you another few minutes, plus adding superglue inside the shoe so the shoe won’t collapse when it unstiffens and scratching the shank with a cutter so you won’t slip later while dancing.

Voila, the final product is done! Hopefully, it can last you a week at least.

“Wow, Teacher (Y/N), it looks pretty!” Minji applauded, collecting the mess you’ve both made to dispose of later. You, on the other hand, gave her your thanks once you applied some bandages on your big toes and put on your toe pads. Slipping inside the shoes and tying them, you rose up back to your feet and headed to the bar to break them in. From plies-relevésto forced arches, the shoes gave you the sensation that they were an extension of your feet. The ease flowed through, meaning you were ready to practice your variations.

While you stepped your shoes in rosin for friction, your curious student moved to the front where the mirror lied to watch what you’ve prepared.

“What variation are you dancing to?”

“This is the Gamzatti variation from La Bayadere.” You replied, tapping the play button on your phone and racing to your position on the side. Talking a short ballet walk, you strongly prepared your arms before the music of the orchestra takes off.

This variation consisted of a lot of jumps and turns. Grand jetés, attitude turns, chaîné turns, you needed a lot of core control and proper spotting so you won’t get dizzy. The thrilling music lessened your nerves because you enjoyed learning this piece from one of the principal dancers, smiling and letting the music guide your legs. Once you nailed 3 consecutive grand jetés, the variation ended with a sus-sous and the wrists of your hands flicking upwards.

Holding it for 5 more seconds, you landed back on your feet with heavy breathing and a need for water. But before you could, small claps and cheers from Minji in front erupted. Momentarily, you’ve forgotten her presence because dancing solo puts you in your own space. You’d never let anyone take you away from it.

“Teacher (Y/N), that was wonderful! Are you performing that in the summer recital?”

Yikes, she’s right but she wasn’t meant to see it yet. Solo performances from the company members for the recital were top secret, only unveiled during the production rehearsal. Well, you didn’t think this through, but you didn’t mind.

“Can you keep a secret?”

Time ticked a lot faster today, only 10 minutes left until the company class on the ground floor whereas you were in the second. Just a few steps down the stairs away, yet Minji was still here. You only presumed that within your hour break, her father could’ve made it already. But maybe he’s stuck in traffic or at work.

“Minji, my class starts soon. Have you contacted your father?”

“I already texted him earlier, but he hasn’t responded. This happens often, he’s a busy man.” She bowed in front of you suddenly. “I’m sorry, Teacher (Y/N) for the hassle.”

“Oh no, please!” You shook your hands so she’d stop. Because this situation was relatively new, you were unsure of how to handle it. Or that was until you remembered what Ten texted you earlier. “Minji, the blinds of the main studio are going to be lifted so anyone from the outside can view us practicing. Would you like to watch until your dad gets here?”

With her insistent nodding, she situated herself in one of the seats in the front row. When you entered the main studio, your two close companions already carried a metal barre to the center and leaned towards it while observing you walking to them in your flat shoes.

“I see we have a bit of an audience here.” Ten glimpsed at the young girl, astonished by the many dancers prepping and chatting away with their cliques from the glass barrier.

“Her dad isn’t here yet, and you did say the blinds were up today. Might as well give her a show while she waits, you know.” You lifted your right leg to the top barre, stretching it with your arms.

“Hmmm, shouldn’t her dad be more cautious though? It’s getting late and it’s a Thursday. Doesn’t she have school or something?” Sicheng pointed out, discarding his muscle tee to straighten out his leotard.

“That’s not my business though. She’s just my student, and since she’s still here, I have to entertain her while she waits.”

Before your friends said anything back, the artistic director of the ballet company strutted her way to the center of the room. It’s a common rule here that once she entered, everyone must be silent to listen and race to any free spot in the numerous barres spread out if they haven’t.

“Alright, everyone. We’ll do the typical barre, then before doing across the floor exercises, I’ll be requesting those performing solos already in the recital to dance any variation tonight as another evaluation on who deserves to perform twice.” She eyed the pianist directly beside her. “Proceed first with two demi-pliés then one grand plié. Don’t forget to do the port de bras of each position.”

As the live piano music played, your focus was divided. Partly properly executing the exercise while your artistic director roamed each barre area, partly thinking about what variation to perform. This was a first for the company, and everyone was just stunned to hear the breaking news. It’d be nice to get an extra opportunity to showcase to people your potential.

30-40 minutes flew by quickly. As the guys carried the bars to the side to clear out the floor and the girls changed to their pointe shoes, the artistic director ordered all the performers of the recitals to stand in a line in front of her. Everyone else was seated around the room, so the interested eyes of everyone were on you. There were 10 performers, half are from the corps and the other half are either demi-soloists or soloists. You and Sicheng stood beside each other, internally shaking with nerves under the intimidating eyes of the artistic director. She used to be a principal dancer for the Stuttgart Ballet in Germany before moving back to Seoul, making her undeniably capable of leading all of you.

“Okay,” From her seated position observing the 10 performers, her finger pointed at you directly. “Ms. (Y/L/N) (Y/N), you perform first.”

Your nerves intensified and more sweat streamed out your upper body. Even if going first felt more relieving, no one was ever brave enough to perform individually in front of the esteemed artistic director. Principal dancers aside from Ten that you’re close with were intimidated when they have 1-on-1 or partnering sessions with her. But anyhow, in less than 2 minutes, you’d be done. This wasn’t the first time she’s had your full attention either, so you’ll treat it like the other individual performances you’ve had.

You smiled to yourself when the other soloists left you alone, while you gave the name of the variation you’re dancing to the pianist. Running to the side to put on a practice tutu, the artistic director asked, “What will you be dancing for us tonight, (Y/N)?”

“I’ll be dancing Queen of the Dryads from Don Quixote.”

The last time you did this variation was 3 years ago during the recital that didn’t change your position as a soloist. Even if this variation hurt to think about for a while, it was still one of your favorites to watch and do. Moving on, you could only muse how powerful and beautiful you felt at that time. This isn’t an easy piece to perform in your opinion. Yet according to the members of the company, this was their favorite solo of yours.

As the starting notes unfolded, you took a deep breath and elegantly walked into the frame. You only wished you wore your fake crown again for this. Minimal smiling and light arms, you imagined yourself as an actual queen who captured the eyes of many. In this case, your fellow seniors and juniors held their breaths at the captivating sight of you.

Off you go into a series of glissade jeté developpé on relevé at elevating heights, then a fouetté arabesque and another arabesque on relevé before ballet walking again to the side to dance across the stage. Sissonne to the front, right developpé to the front on relevé, pique to prepare for a single pirouette, you gracefully did a chassé to the front twice and stood on your toes with a sus-sous.

Doing it a few more times, the climax of the entire variation was nearing. Returning to the center, you took another deep breath and lifted your left leg for the Italian fouettés. Spotting to the front and back while maintaining your balance, the variation approached its end with lame duck turns, posing with your arms were positioned at a 45-degree angle, your back slightly arched and your left leg doing a tendu derriére. Your eyes reflected at the mirror in front, surveying your alignment. Once your 5-second hold was finished, you properly put your arms down and closed your back leg into 5th position.

The applause from everyone in the room roared, Ten and Sicheng wolf-whistling even for more support. It’s a usual thing every time any of you perform individually, and no one minded it. The artistic director grinned, giving a quiet clap from the front before calling out the next performer, who was from the corps. Bowing to everyone hastily, you paid more attention to spot your student by the window. She was smiling ear to ear, waving both hands at you.

“You did amazing, Teacher!” She mouthed. Hearing words of praise from members was one thing, but hearing them from students was another. You’re so used to watching them and giving them your compliments that you often forget that you’re a dancer first before a teacher. Seeing them all delighted, saying that it motivates them more, showed that you’re doing a great job teaching them. You’re a reflection of what you pass down, and all you want was for them to be the best they could be.

From her jolly expression, a tall masculine silhouette hovered a part of the window. Her instinct of giving a brighter smile when the hand of said silhouette patted her head then carried her duffel bag again, that could only mean one thing. Excusing yourself to the artistic director, you stepped out to bid your goodbye and maybe meet her father. Minji and the tall man were about to leave the building if it weren’t for your breathy voice calling them out.

“Seo Minji and Mr. Seo?”

They stopped their tracks. Minji was fast to react, familiar with your voice and racing towards you for a sweaty hug. Meanwhile, your focus shifted once the masculine silhouette came into full view. You finally understood why Minji’s growth spurt spiked up, noticing that he was taller than Sicheng.

The top buttons of his shirt were off, yet he kept his formal blazer on. His hair was a bit tousled, some strands falling in front of his forehead. He must’ve run here. Peeking through were some roots of his scruff growing. His eyebags were almost as dark as his brown hair. Yet by the way his Rolex remained spotless, you blatantly assumed that he was more than well-off. Especially when the ballet academy was one of the most prestigious ones in Seoul.

Out of all the parents you’ve met, none of them appeared youthful like him.

“Teacher (Y/N)?” Thanks to Minji, you moved your staring eyes away from him. This was another first, since meeting only the fathers of your students wasn’t your norm. Meeting young-looking fathers, to be specific.

“O-Oh,” You ate your words, suddenly blanking out. “You’re leaving me without saying goodbye, Minji? Not polite of you.”

“My father was rushing right after watching your performance, and I don’t know why.” She responded, her finger scratching the top of her head in confusion. Speaking of said father, his strong presence appeared right in front of you. The wrinkles of his forehead creased while his eyes barely looked at yours.

“Uhm,” His fingers toyed with his Rolex. “I apologize for my tardiness. I got caught up in work and all, plus her nanny le-”

“Mr. Seo.” You halted his rambling, already aware of the situation. Like father, like daughter. “It’s fine. Minji loved watching us practice while waiting, and she wasn’t a bother either. You have nothing to worry about.”

“Phew.” He swiped an imaginative bead of sweat from his forehead, displaying his relief with his playful nature.

At age 23, Johnny Seo started his own company in the fashion scene and it grew internationally in the coming years. Then when Minji unexpectedly joined the picture, he’s been multi-tasking to make ends meet. Lately, as a CEO, he has had meetings and conferences on a daily. So, his position as a single father was always tested. It worsened when he rarely has proper time to spend any time with Minji unless it’s the weekend or late in the evening. Breaking it down, it wasn’t because he didn’t want to meet you. It was more like he couldn’t when his schedules were packed from head to toe.

Having the guilt of taking your precious time, “Seriously though, I am sorry for being late. Her nanny resigned suddenly, and I have no time to find her replacement.”

“Mr. Seo, again, don’t worry about it. As her teacher and a company member, I am practically here 24/7 so it won’t be a nuisance at all if this happens again.”

“Thank you so much, Teacher (Y/N). That is your name, right?” He planted his palm on his forehead, stressed. “Being a single parent is hard. I am always forgetting things.”

A part of you couldn’t restrain from feeling sorry for his struggle. Taking care of a child should be the work of both the mother and father, not one of them being absent. You’ve feared this would harm Minji, but she’s a strong girl.

“The fact you didn’t forget to fetch Minji despite the late time is still something to be happy over. I’m not a parent or anything, but parenting, in general, is a challenge.” You added an insight, patting the head of the young girl beside you. “Cut yourself some slack, Mr. Seo. I’m sure Minji still loves you, right?”

Minji shouted a big yes, now clinging to the leg of her father. “It’s okay, dad. Really.”

Over the years, Johnny has been doubtful of his parenting skills. He was an only child, and he struggled to ask for guidance from his own parents due to the shame of having a kid at a young age. So, he’d ask for help from his other friends and co-workers. No matter how many times they’ve reassured him that he’s doing well, he’s an overthinker who always reflected on the bad scenarios. There’s also that pressure to find someone who can fill that absent position not just for Minji, but for himself too. No matter how many girls he’s asked out or been set up with, he failed in the love department badly.

It’s the soothing way you voiced out your truth that made all these negative thoughts running through his head freeze briefly. Over the past 3 years since Minji started ballet, she always had a great story about you to share. One of them was how ballet made her a lot happier because of your influence. If he had at least an hour of his day to meet any of his daughter’s mentors, it would’ve been you.

“Do feel free to call me Johnny instead.” He casually introduced himself, taking his hand out for you to shake. “Mr. Seo makes me feel like I’m at work right now.”

Despite his informal approach, you understood his intentions and returned the action with a promising smile. “Pleasure to finally meet you, Johnny.”

“Pleasure is all mine, Teacher (Y/N).”

Earlier, the nerves from performing in front of the artistic director died down fast. But for some reason, they rose back up when you’ve spoken to this man in a matter of minutes. As someone whose feelings don’t flourish in a single glance, why did this man specifically deliver you such a strong effect?

If it weren’t for Ten calling for your name by the door, you would’ve held on to Johnny’s hand longer, which would’ve been inappropriate. Letting go first, this was your cue to return to your class.

“I must head back inside, Johnny. Don’t sweat on fetching your daughter late, though she is still a student with school the following day. Right, Minji?”

Minji nodded as Johnny kept that mind, knowing where he has to improve next.  “Yes, Teacher (Y/N). Thank you again, sincerely. I’ll definitely see you again in the coming days until Minji has a new nanny.”

“That’s no problem with me at all, Johnny.”

Soon as Johnny held his daughter’s hand to exit the studio and you were re-entering the studio with an impatient Ten, he swerved swiftly as if he forgot something.

“Oh by the way Teacher (Y/N), I saw your whole performance awhile ago. I was blown away, you deserved the applause.”

Although you could only distinguish his silhouette, you didn’t suppose he watched you from head to toe. Most parents or nannies would’ve dragged their kids out of the studio once they find them like they were on a tight schedule, so this was novel to experience. That performance showed your prime too.

“Thank you, Johnny. See you again soon.”

Giving a final nod, you led yourself back to the studio, not bothering to acknowledge the erupting heat on your cheeks and entire body. Not to sound narcissistic, but compliments weren’t foreign to you. You’re conscious of the hard work that you put in your talent and if they pointed out your greatness, why would you deny it? However, receiving one from Johnny was like gearing your engine with new fuel.

Before you could try to reject these harboring feelings, Ten was fast to pick up on it. You cannot hide anything from this man at all because body language was like another language he’s fluent in (aside from the other 5). Unlucky for you, the saga continued.

“You’re so into dilfs, (Y/N)!” He shrieked in your ear, nudging your shoulder repetitively. He placed things in his own way, yet they always shocked you because it was so inappropriate. Typical Ten for you.

“Shut up, Ten!” You objected, watching the other performers. You’ve improved in ignoring his remarks over time. That was until Sicheng sat down beside you after his solo and got up in your business. That placed you in the middle of boys from the water sign clan of astrology. They just loved getting down to your love life, going raunchy and whatnot.

“Who’s into dilfs, Ten?”

“A Miss (Y/N) beside you, who met Minji’s dad awhile ago, was basically eye-fucking him.” Ten elaborated, planting his elbows on your leg and gave you a sneaky glare. “Minji’s dad is fine as fuck, guys! I’m telling you, like a literal god! I’m surprised this is the first time he showed up here after 2-3 years?”

“How come (Y/N) is always getting students with good-looking parents? Especially the single moms.” Sicheng slumped his shoulders, attempting to get your attention too. “Is he that hot, (Y/N)?”

“Yah.” Sighing with annoyance, you’ve given up trying to appreciate one of the corps dancers with her rendition of Dulcinea from Don Quixote. “Don’t speak of Johnny like that. You barely know the man, yet you talk about him so unprofessionally."

“Oh, Johnny is his name, huh?” Sicheng sing-songed, bobbing his head. He’s certainly going to stalk him later on social media, you felt it in your chest. Like it was ESPN or something.

“Talking about being unprofessional, yet you’re here referring him as Johnny, not Mr. Seo.” Ten barked back, his lips pursed and one eyebrow lifted.

Just as soon as you could retaliate, the artistic director’s velvety voice boomed the room.

“Alright, thank you to the performers. I will deliberate with the staff and principal dancers over the weekend, and let you know the results on Monday. Now please, let’s proceed to the center.”

Everyone began to spread out on the wide floor, snatching a good position so they could monitor themselves in the mirror. Maybe you’ll defend yourself later after class because now, you needed to beat everyone else and have a crystal-clear view of yourself doing these following exercises.

In the meantime, Johnny was in the middle of driving Minji home. He had a designated chauffeur, but he gave him the night off because he wanted to spend time with Minji. Around this time, she’d be sleeping soundly, but instead, she’s boosting with so much life. She hasn’t even eaten dinner yet, which was the first thing on Johnny’s agenda now.

Playing Coldplay in the car, Minji belted some lyrics from her favorite songs while Johnny smiled to himself while listening to her attentively. Taking a breath, her thoughts reverted to her fantastic ballet teacher and shared them with her father.

“Dad! Don’t you just think Teacher (Y/N) is so cool? Ugh, I want to be just like her when I grow up.”

“Oh, to become a ballerina like her, you have to work hard every day and memorize lessons fast. Are you up for it, Minji?”

“Absolutely, dad! I want to pull off perfect jumps and turns like her one day!”

In the other after-school activities Johnny enrolled Minji in the past, none of them compared to the passion she had for ballet. Her work ethic was alike to Johnny’s: if they want something, they’ll do whatever it takes to make it possible.

Aside from being a star student in her school, she’s aiming to be a star ballerina. Being the supportive father he is, Johnny was on board to do what it takes to make it happen. Unlike his parents trying to mold him into the next heir of their company, he’s all ears to the dreams of his daughter. His only dream for her was to be live long and happy, not to merely pass on anything.

Johnny lost so much in his young life, so he doesn’t want to lose Minji in any way. As much as he loves his profession, he wanted to be an active father as much as time allowed it. He mostly received complaints from others that he’s not prioritizing his time well, but after hearing your kind words, this heavy weight on his shoulders decreased. All this doubt started to vanish after meeting you for the first time.

“Dad! Isn’t Teacher (Y/N) so beautiful?” Minji honored whilst gazing at the twinkling night sky. “She loves what she does and shines at it.”

Johnny was accustomed to his female co-workers throwing themselves at him due to his attractiveness, more than flattered even to have them feeling weak for him. Yes, there were times he used it to his advantage, some he frankly turned down. 

However, the radiance you carried whether you’re dancing or not was something Johnny couldn’t cease wondering about. Unknown to him, he’s the one getting weak. Behold, an unlocked first for the confident CEO.

“Yes, Minji. I do think Teacher (Y/N) is absolutely beautiful.”

[writeyouin]

Hi there, can I request a headcannon list for tfp ratchet? Something where Reader, who is usually very easy going and wears a smile on their face is one day very quiet, only for Ratchet to find out that their family is practically estranged from them when they found out that they're gay. ty for your work!

Transformers Prime / Reader Insert – Family

A/N – Hey, so this got pretty angsty and bittersweet. I just hope that all of you know that being gay is great. It can be so difficult to be proud when someone doesn’t accept you, but I promise that the world gets better, especially when you find other supportive people. Friends are the family we choose for ourselves, and I hope that message stays with all of us.

Warnings – Angst.

Rating – T

For once, Ratchet found himself able to work peacefully in the base. The other Autobots were out on various missions. Jack, Miko and Raf were in school. Agent Fowler was at his own official place of work, and you had gone straight to the archives room as soon as you had entered the base.

‘Yes,’ Ratchet thought, satisfied. ‘All is quiet.’

It took him a long time to turn his processor to you. While it wasn’t unusual for you to go about your own business, it was certainly out of character for you to pay so little heed to Ratchet.

Sure, you always let him work when he was busy, but you also always greeted him with a smile, pestering him until you got one in return.

Ratchet couldn’t remember a day when you hadn’t told him not to be such a sour-puss, or sang his name until he paid you heed. Out of the humans, you were his partner, helping him in many a scientific task, once he had taught you what to do.

You joked, you sang, you danced, and you laughed. So, what had changed today?

Yes, Ratchet had found that he was able to work better in the peace and quiet that had befallen the base, but was there such a thing as it being too quiet?

“Bah,” Ratchet grumbled. He was over-reacting.

You couldn’t always be the easy-going, happy-go-lucky person who radiated warmth and life throughout the base. There had to be a limit to your seemingly endless supply of energy. Reassured in his conclusions, Ratchet got back to work. You would come to see him when you were ready to, and probably with some data from the archives that he needed.

Hours later, when Ratchet was sure that he was close to a breakthrough in his research, he found that he had hit something of a mental block. On the rare occasions when that happened, you were always there to talk him through his problems, or listen to him rant until he figured out what he was missing. It seemed that you always had a way of sensing his troubles.

Ratchet waited to hear your voice, but he was met with only silence. There had been a time when he worked alone, needing no such reassurances from anyone, but that time was long gone. The simple fact of the matter was that he needed your seemingly endless supply of positivity to spur him on.

Muttering to himself in a way that only those with old souls do, Ratchet left his work console in search of you.

“(Y/N), do you have a minute?” He called, upon distractedly entering the archive room. “I need to bounce some ideas off you.”

You stared up at Ratchet with hollow eyes. Ratchet had seen every emotion possible in his fellow Cybertronians. He knew sadness, guilt, despair, anger, resentment, and longing. As a medic, it was his job to heal the mind as well as the body. He had sworn an oath to help those in need where he could, and clearly, you needed his help now.

“(Y/N), what’s wrong?” Ratchet said, getting straight to the point; he never wasted time beating around the bush where people’s health was concerned.

“Hm? It’s nothing,” You answered in a dull monotone that didn’t suit you.

“Don’t lie,” Ratchet reprimanded.

You looked to the ground sadly, making Ratchet feel somewhat guilty that he hadn’t spent more time adopting a soothing tone. Still, it was too late for pleasantries now, so instead he waited for you to speak.

When it became apparent that you weren’t going to answer him, Ratchet spoke again.

“You can tell me now, or you can tell me later. Either way, neither of us are leaving this room until you talk. Clearly something is bothering you, so you may as well get it over with now.”

You knew that Ratchet wouldn’t really hold you verbally hostage against your will. If you told him that you weren’t ready to talk about what was bothering you yet, he would leave you be. Still, you didn’t want him to worry over you, nor did you want him to treat you like you were made of glass, afraid to say or do anything that might upset you.

“I’m just having a hard time right now… With my family,” You admitted.

Ratchet considered your statement momentarily. Cybertronians rarely had problems with so called ‘family.’ While all Cybertronians had creators, it didn’t seem to hold the same weight as the title of parent. Besides that, the few Cybertronians that did have family by Earth definitions were usually estranged from them, or their relatives were dead. Ratchet had a nephew, Medix, out in the galaxy somewhere, but he had not seen the young bot for quite some time.

Humans, he had learned, had strong familial bonds where possible. Ratchet wasn’t sure that he had the cultural understanding to help with whatever was troubling you; however, perhaps just the simple act of listening would alleviate your troubles.

“Would you like to talk about it?” He asked.

You swallowed your fears, wondering exactly where you should start. Although you knew that Ratchet would not judge you for whatever you might say, your irrational mind reminded you of your previous rejection, injecting you with fear that it would happen again.

“I…” You began, closing your eyes against tears that threatened to spill. “My family don’t want anything to do with me.”

“Why?” Ratchet demanded, offended on your behalf. You were wonderful, positive, intelligent, and caring. What cause could they possibly have for abandoning you?

There was a time that Ratchet believed that Miko was estranged from her family, but it turned out that they simply wanted what was best for her, and they thought the answer to that lay in America. All the same, sometimes the girl would take the ground-bridge to Japan, so she could watch her parents through the windows of their familial home; it was the only time that she was ever sombre.

Ratchet instantly knew from your tone that this wasn’t the same.

“Don’t worry about this, Ratchet,” You told him, courage abandoning you when faced with telling him of your troubles.

One stern look from Ratchet told you that this issue wasn’t going to be dropped. You loved that he cared for you enough to ask about this, yet you also hated it. There was a time that you felt that you could tell your family anything, and it had cost you everything; you would be remiss to make the same mistake again.

However, pinned by Ratchet’s penetrating gaze, you felt obliged to continue with your story, explaining what had happened.

“Three years ago today, my family stopped talking to me… I just get sad around this time when I think of it.”

“(Y/N), please tell me what happened between you and your family.”

You wiped your eyes with the back of your arm, your voice cracking when you next spoke, “They don’t want me because I’m gay.”

Gay? Ratchet searched his memory banks for a brief conversation he’d had with Jack. Gay was the term humans used for attraction to the same gender. He remembered that humans had this primitive idea, usually based on perversions of religious texts, that attraction to the same gender was shameful, disgusting, or dangerous.

Anger flared inside Ratchet’s processor. Both as a medical professional, and your friend, he wanted nothing more than to give your family the telling off that they deserved. However, as good as that would make him feel, this wasn’t about him, nor would it help the situation.

“There is nothing wrong with being gay,” Ratchet said resolutely, showing support in his unwavering stubbornness. “And your family are foolish for thinking so. I hope one day they get their heads out of their afts long enough to see what a wonderful person you have grown to be, and when that day comes, they had better beg your forgiveness.”

Although those weren’t traditional words of comfort that Ratchet was offering you, you knew that he was doing his best.

“Thanks, Ratchet,” You murmured. “I hope so too.”

“Well…” He hummed, clearly unsure of where to go from here. “Would you like to help me with my research?”

You smiled sadly, “If it’s all the same to you, do you mind if I have a little alone time today?”

“Of course,” Ratchet nodded. He was about to leave when he thought of one more thing that had to be said. “Cybertronians know little of family matters. That being said, the other Autobots and I are honoured to have you as a part of ours.”

“Thank you, I needed that.”

Ratchet gave a sympathetic smile, leaving you in the archive room and vowing to check on you again before you left.

[cantdanceflynn]

HERES MY PROPAGANDA RANT TO VOTE FOR AUDREY BC I DONT FEEL UP TO DOING ANYTHING ELSE BUT I CANT LIVE W NOT DOIN ANYTHING

1: SHES SO TIRED. JUST. LIKE EVERYTHING ABOUT THE WORLD SEEMS TO MELT AROUND HER, SHE CAN BARELY KEEP HER BEST FRIEND ON HER SIDE, SHE IS LITERALLY FIGHTING THE INEVITABLE END OF THE WORLD, AND YET!! SHE ALWAYS FINDS TIME TO HANG OUT W SOME OF THE KIDS AROUND AND REASSURE THEM, TO KEEP INFIGHTING AT A MINIMUM, TO TRY AND TALK TO PEOPLE AND TEACH THEM HOW TO USE THEIR POWERS. SHE IS THE LIVING DEFINITION OF CHOOSING KINDNESS AS A THIRD, UNMENTIONED PATH, EVEN WHEN NOTHING SEEMS KIND

2: SHES GOT A KICKASS SPIDER HYBRID GF NAMED ARIA AMONGST THE ARMY OF VOID CREATURES AND THEY SEND EACH OTHER CUTE LIL MESSAGES W ONE OF HER SPIDERS AND ALSO AUDREY ENDS UP KINDA DEFECTING TO THE VOID ARMY FOR ARIA(MOSTLY BC THE LEADER OF HER SETTLEMENT GAVE UP BEING "CIVIL" AND STARTED HUNTING DOWN AUDREY(THE LEADERS SON WAS AUDREYS PREVIOUS LIFE AND INSTEAD OF HIS MOM TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR BEING PARTIALLY THE CAUSE OF HIS DEATH, BLAMES AUDREY) BUT ALSO BC OF ARIA) AND HAD THIS RLY RESPECTFUL RIVALRY BEFORE THE WHOLE "OH HUH. GUESS WE'D PROBABLY BE BETTER OFF NOT FIGHTING HUH" THING VDJKXCJKCSKHCSHKCSHKCSKH(WHICH, ID WRITTEN OUT YEARS AGO SO ITS WAY BELOW MY USUAL WRITING LEVEL BUT ILL PUT IT UNDER THE CUT AT THE END OF THIS)

3: EACH OF HER PAST LIVES IS A FULL CHARACTER, WITH THEIR OWN INFLUENCES ON HER MENTAL STATE IF SHE CHOOSES TO COMMUNICATE WITH THEM!!! HER HISTORY IS THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD ITSELF, AND YET SHE USUALLY REJECTS THIS HISTORY BECAUSE OF THE STATE OF THE WORLD SHES IN. OBVIOUSLY FOLLOWING WHAT THEY DID WONT HELP HER, AND SHE HAS A WHOLE HUGE ARC COMING TO TERMS WITH THE FACT THAT SHE CANT IGNORE AND HIDE EVERY PART OF HER BECAUSE THATS THE DEFINITION OF HISTORY REPEATING ITSELF!!! (WHICH IS BY ITSELF META OF THE CLASSIC ISSUE W STORIES LIKE THIS, WHERE THE MAIN CHARACTER FEELS RELATIVELY STATIC, AND HOW MAYBE JUST ONCE THAT CAN BE THE CHARACTERS BAD CHOICE INSTEAD)

4: SHE HAS SO MANY FRIENDS!!! I MENTIONED WISP ALREADY, BUT SHES FRIENDS WITH A GOOD PORTION OF THE PEOPLE SHE HELPS. FOR EXAMPLE, A NYMPH WITCH IN TRAINING AND A DEER-MAN PAIR OF KIDS WHO ACCIDENTALLY CURSED EACH OTHER AND SHE HAS TO KEEP THEM FROM MAKING IT WORSE WHILE TEACHING THEM HOW TO UNDO CURSES, OR AN ANGEL AND DEMON COUPLE OF TROUBLEMAKERS SHE CAUSES CHAOS AND BREAKS UP MOBS WITH, OR A SMALL GROUP OF SELF PROCLAIMED PIRATES WHO NAVIGATE ABOVE THE VOID!!! THE CAST LITERALLY HAS HUNDREDS OF FULLY FLESHED OUT CHARACTERS WITH THEIR OWN ARCS, AND SHE TENDS TO TRY TO FIND ALLIES EVERYWHERE!!!

5: IN A SIMILAR VEIN, HER FAMILY!! DESPITE BEING VERY DIFFERENT, SHE GETS ALONG WONDERFULLY WITH THEM AND TENDS TO BE VERY AFFECTIONATE WITH HER SIBLINGS, ALTHOUGH SHE DOES HAVE TO KEEP THEM FROM GETTING INTO HER MORE DANGEROUS BUSINESS LOL BUT SHE CARES ABOUT THEM SO MUCH AND REALLY JUST TRIES TO KEEP THEM SAFE

IM TOO TIRED TO WRITE MORE RN IM GONNA PUT THAT WRITING UNDER THE CUT(ONCE AGAIN, OLD AS SHIT, NOT REPRESENTATIVE OF MY WRITING SKILL AND ALSO I WAS BAD AT PARAGRAPH BREAKS)

Audrey jumped behind a wall. What was that? She glanced behind the wall, checking to make sure that she wasn't seeing things, that the adrenaline hadn't gotten to her and it was real. And it was. An eagle hybrid, with lizard patternings and tails, and bat wings too. Tactically, it was a monster, and there would be very few ways to defeat it. She could slice the wings off, grounding it. But that wouldn't do.......... She shook her head. She should not have taken the sword this time. It hadn't even come in handy for the five minutes where she was fighting with.......... Aria! Where was she? Maybe she was her opponent, but she wasn't going to hope she fell to that beast. Or, well...... not a beast. The hybrid was clearly enraged, possibly through injections or some kind of pain stimulator. She stared at the sword in her hand, wondering how one of her previous lives ended up this analytic, before sheathing it. She didn't need the horrible, horrible interjections into her thoughts while hiding from that, and trying to find Aria. Based on her surprise, this hadn't been part of her plan. Which at least said something about her pride. Audrey wasn't sure what, but it said something. 

She stood up, cautiously looking behind her at the hybrid. They were still enraged, and clearly looking for something. Ok. So avoid the hybrid's search while finding Aria and getting some answers about what the heck just happened. She didn't dare run or unfurl her wings, so she stuck to walking around the empty halls, avoiding the banging coming from the arena. In retrospect, the room probably was more of a makeshift arena then she'd realized originally, but she was sticking with the name. As she walked, she kept glancing at the walls. There were little things everywhere, from the surprisingly beautiful art and murals on some of the walls, to the lockers that had been dragged to the walls and leaned against them; decorated with stickers and old christmas lights and the occasional name tag. How had the entire city been convinced that the voided soldiers were unsavable? That their humanity was gone forever? Because here it was. It had so clearly never ever left. 

She kept walking, until she passed a dark room with some level of noise coming from it. She could still hear the hybrid behind her, so this couldn't be it. She considered it being a trap or a trick of some kind for all of a second before she stepped in. Even with her wings folded against her back, they still created a glowing aura around her. Enough that she could at least see most of the room, and the cobwebs that covered the ceiling. And the black legs poking out of the darkness in the corner. And the spiders. And........ This was a cave. Aria lived in a cave. She approached the corner and saw Aria, face covered by her arms, sitting on the floor. From the twitch of her ears, she'd heard Audrey enter the room. Eventually she spoke. 

"I know, Cresa, I know. I couldn't defeat her in time, and you had to release your experiment. Might as well get it over with. Which of my favorite spiders do you want to take this time? Are you gonna return them in one piece this time? Or will they be unrecognizable?" The spite in her voice was lethal, and Aria buried her head deeper. "Sorry. I didn't mean to be so rude. I'm really sorry, I really am." The words were quick, and sounded more recited then genuine. 

Audrey stood there before speaking. "Well, I'm not Cresa, and I don't know who she is. But if you don't want me to, I won't touch any of your spiders." Her voice was cautious, but as genuine as she could make it. She'd had time to cool down. She wasn't going to mock Aria again, especially not like this. Aria's head shot up, and her eyes met Audreys. There were tears in them. Lovely. Audrey had never been the best with emotions, and with the combination of the sword? What the heck was she supposed to do here?

Eventually she sat down next to Aria. She couldn't hear the hybrid anymore, although she wasn't sure if it was because of the humming or that it had just stopped. "So....... does "Cresa" take your spiders and hurt them a lot?" Aria gave her a look. She wasn't sure what it meant, but it was one. "Ok, first of all, I don't fail that often, and it's really rude that you're just assuming that. Second of all, yeah. Experiments of all sorts, from taking them and fusing them too other creatures, to messing with their consciousness, to just straight up killing them. Perks to being able to feel them and their feelings at all times are low." She let out a teary sigh as Audrey just sat there, thinking. "Well, why haven't you left? You don't have anything stopping you, you made it to the rock for the first five or so times we talked. And there are places, small as they are, that the Void can't reach."

Aria glanced at her, and held out a hand. "If you actually care, I could show you?" She started wiping away her tears with her other hand, as Audrey took her outstretched hand. "Of course I care. You're a person, and that means you should be listened to. Not always taken into consideration, but you seem nice enough when you aren't trying to stab or poison me." Aria giggled at that, and pulled Audrey after her. She was surprisingly strong and fast, and Audrey had to unfurl her wings to keep up with her as she ran down the hall, taking a few turns quicker then she could notice them. The route had to be muscle memory at this point. After a few turns, Audrey noticed how Aria was using her extra limbs to push off walls and gain momentum, making her faster then Audrey could be normally at the best of times. She made a mental note to try to do something similar. Eventually she stopped, using her legs to cause friction and slow down, meanwhile Audrey had to force her wings to close to not fly halfway down the hall.

"We're here. Be careful. Don't touch anything, please." Audrey was about to ask why, but as she got her balance back and looked up, it was obviously clear. The room was dark, but in color, not light. Huge carved stones with names, dates, and different statements and honors on each one stood in rows. Different colored gems with black streaks through them were inserted into the top of each stone. "It's your graveyard. Because the bodies are just liquid when voided ones die." Aria nodded and stepped inside, retracting her extra limbs and keeping her other ones at her side. Audrey followed her, doing the same. It was only respectful, and voided or not, it's what they deserved. Aria moved carefully to a specific grave, and touched the gem on the top of it. Audrey followed her, staying quiet. 

"This is our graveyard because, as you said, when a voided dies, it just becomes void. But I'm not a voided. The hybrid wasn't a voided. None of the Luni here are voided. So instead of trinkets and weapons, they get a proper burial. And my mentor wasn't voided either." The gem started glowing, turning the roof of the grave transparent. A body, preserved by flowers and void, with a kind face and a stab wound through her stomach, was underneath it. "Daisy. She was bound to this place. Even if she didn't love what she had to do, she loved this place so much. When she took me under her wing, I promised to stay here. When she died........ from an attack, I was still going to stay. But things got worse. I was considering it for a while. But then I searched a little harder. And found her again. You can come out." 

At Aria's prompt, a bright, sparkly ball of yellow light came out of the stab wound. "She became a spark", Audrey whispered, keeping her voice as quiet as she could. Aria nodded, smiling. "And if I left? She'd never be able to lift me up. She'd fail, and be caught in a loop. And I'd never want that to happen to her. She was my mentor, and made it so I didn't lose my powers. I owe her everything." The spark whirred around faster, clearly happy, before doing something resembling turning to Audrey. A noise that could be vaguely understood as a distorted "blorp" came out of it. Aria giggled, clearly happier now. "This is my........ this is Audrey. Audrey, say hi to Daisy. Daisy, blorp hi to Audrey." The spark complied, as did Audrey, who reached out to touch it. The spark shied away, back into the casket. Aria sighed. "Unless you want to pass out from electrocution, I would refrain from touching it. I had to learn that the hard way."

Audrey pulled her hand back. "So, how are we going to deal with the eagle hybrid? We need to stop them before we can do anything else, or else they're gonna become a problem real quick." Almost as if on cue, the noise grew louder. Much louder. Aria began adding webs to the corners of the room frantically, right as the roof around the doorway collapsed. The hybrid rose from the rubble, and rushed at Audrey, who used her wings to fly above it. Aria had finished the supporting cobwebs, and extended her extra limbs, beginning to move around the room slowly and calculatingly. The hybrid turned to her, and tried to ram her, before Audrey dropped on them as quickly as possible. It plowed into the ground, unlodging an empty grave and a light blue gem. Audrey winced. "Sorry!" Aria shook her head. "It was empty! Don't worry, just focus on getting it out of here!"

Audrey nodded, and flew off it, flying to the collapsed doorway. The hybrid ran at her, charging again. "The same move? Really?" She sprang up, leading it to run right under her. Unlike last time though, it gained its footing, and ran down the hall, using its tail to grab and bring Audrey with it. She brought her wings in to avoid extra pain, and looked behind her. Aria was following her, using her legs like before. Eventually, about halfway through the original route, she caught up, grabbing Audrey's hand and using her legs to create enough friction to pull her out of it. The hybrid realized she was missing soon, and turned back around as she and Aria gained their balance. It stood in front of them, trying to figure out who to attack. Aria went on the offensive. "I know how Cresa does these! There should be something, probably a syringe, around the wings. I'll slow it down, you chop it off. You've got that sword, and that'll easier then hoping to get it out and not knowing if it's still injecting." Audrey nodded, opening her wings and unsheathing her sword.

Ok, it would be easiest to dive under its wings while distracted. She never thought she'd appreciate the tactical thoughts, but here she was. She took off, flying around and waiting for the perfect moment. The hybrid ran at her, and she moved to the side at the last moment, and it hit the wall. Before it could grab her, Aria covered it in thin cobwebs. Audrey dove under its exposed wing, but didn't see anything like a syringe. She flew out and shook her head. "Let it out, and let it ram on its other side." Aria drew back. "I don't think I need to let it out." Audrey looked behind her, only to be rammed into the wall by the hybrid. Her wings protected most of her body, but they took quite a beating. The hybrid fell to the ground, and she managed to fly over it, before falling to the ground. Aria grabbed her sword before she could stop her, chopped off the syringe, and dropped it, shaking her hand and covering it in spiderwebs, before starting to move Audrey. She tried to complain, but then her eyes closed, and everything went black.

She woke up in Aria's room, on a platform of cobwebs. It was even darker in there then the last time, as she got to her feet. She tried to unfurl her wings, make it a little lighter in there, but her wings were bandaged tightly, both with actual bandages, and with cobwebs layered thickly on top of them. She couldn't see anything, but she could feel something in the room. In a second she felt six arms, four of which were sharper then normal, wrapping around her torso in a hug. "Oh thank Void! You're alive and ok! And guess what! Cresa didn't even find you! She would have probably used you in one of her experiments, but she didn't and you're ok!" Audrey was more then a little surprised, and broke the hug quickly. "Sorry. I was just so happy that you were still alive. The only way I even knew you were alive was because you weren't ash yet." It was definitely Aria. And she was way more affectionate then before.

"How long was I passed out for? And why are you so huggy?" Aria was silent for a bit, before speaking. "About twelve hours. I've been up for a while. I think you might need to be going." Audrey gulped and nodded, trying to take the bandages off her wings. Then she felt Aria take them off, unwrapping them carefully. "You had something in a few hours when we fought. I hope it isn't too late now." Audrey sighed, before unfurling them and getting a good look at Aria's face. She had bags under her eyes and was literally shaking. "Aria, did you really not sleep the entire time I was out? You really need to!" Aria shook her head. "Nope. I did not. I was too worried." Audrey sighed. "Why? And, before you answer that, get some sleep. I have to go. Now." The sadness in her voice was unavoidable, and Aria's shoulders slumped. But she listened, staying quiet and laying down on the cobweb platform, probably meant to be a makeshift mattress. Audrey crouched down and ran a wing along her back, before exiting the room.

She flew through the hall, pushing off against the walls to gain momentum, and eventually reached the arena. The hole in the roof was still there. She flew out it quickly, and began heading for the light blue dome on the horizon. Only when she was halfway there did she realize that she'd left her sword behind. And it hadn't been in the hallway. But she shrugged it off. Aria had probably just taken it. Using her cobwebs. Her very flammable cobwebs. Yeah. That was it. Sure. She just had to hope that Wisp wasn't too mad at her.

----------------------------- Back In The Hall ---------------------------

Cresa picked up the sword, her hand turning melty as she held it. Interesting. She knew those runes well. The void would find this very interesting. If she was lucky, it would even spare her from having to dole out punishment to Aria and Ayla and whatever the hybrid was named. She didn't know which one had escaped. But based on how much destruction each had caused, that would be unlikely. At least she could hide Aria's new...... friend from the void. That would be enough to count today a win, if she could achieve that much for her.

ROUND 1, SIDE A, POLL 2

Onya ( @god-mouths ) VS. Audrey June ( @cantdanceflynn )

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( art by god-mouths )

What is your baby's name? Pronouns?: Onya (she/her)

Is your baby from a fandom or original?: started out as a toh but this is an oc baby now :)

How old is your baby?: 8

Tell us about your baby!: Onya lives in a foster home with ~6 other siblings! She as the baby of the family is very pampered by her Ma. she is a very business minded toddler, and can broker a deal with the best of them. Negotiated for a higher wage for her uncle simon (35). loves magic, loves centipedes and bugs.

Anything else you want to add?: she is silly!!!

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( art from this picrew )

What is your baby's name? Pronouns?: Audrey June, All pronouns but prefers She/Her

Is your baby from a fandom or original?: Completely original

How old is your baby?: 16

Tell us about your baby!: She's a Phoenix, in human(or, in this life, werewolf) form. While she can technically access the memories of her past lives through items that represent their lives, she prefers not to, as she doesn't like them affecting her thoughts. While she technically is disguised as a werewolf(has some traits, although has trouble passing around normal werewolves), she was adopted by a rabbit hybrid couple. And also bc I hadn't mentioned her whole story takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where a void god has taken over 99.99% of the world, aliens basically controlled by the void god rule the areas taken over by the void god, and the rest of humanity, all in small settlements or individuals shielded from the void god, have been with mythical creatures and cryptids and whatnot for so long that basically everyone is a combination of some mythical creatures genes. She has a best friend in a Banshee hybrid(and one of the few rare magic users) named Wisp, even if she had to turn down their romantic advances. She ends up spending most of her time either breaking up fights in her settlement, one of the few big ones left, or tutoring hybrids that are having trouble or in trouble, but she tends to take secret flights and hang out around bowling alleys and arcades to chill out.

Anything else you want to add?: She's basically my oldest oc, having gone through so many changes, but I love her more then anything. She didn't sign up for this, she just wants a good life w her family and friends, but living in the state the world is in means plans don't stay

[albertonykus]

Doraemon Movie Review: Nobita's Treasure Island (2018)

What is Doraemon? The title character of the Doraemon manga and anime is a blue robotic cat from the 22nd Century who keeps an array of high-tech gadgets in a portable pocket dimension on his belly, and has traveled from the future to improve the fortunes of a hapless schoolboy named Nobita. Although relatively obscure in the English-speaking world, Doraemon is a Mickey-Mouse-level cultural icon in East Asia (and some other regions, too). The Doraemon franchise was a big part of my childhood, and there are still elements of it that I enjoy now.

Doraemon has released theatrical films almost annually since 1980, most of which involve Nobita and his friends (kind Shizuka, brash Gian, and crafty Suneo) getting swept into adventures thanks to Doraemon's gadgets. Despite being of potentially broad appeal to fans of science fiction and animated films, there are very few English reviews of the Doraemon movies, so I'm embarking on a project to write about all the films that have come out so far. Good luck to me…

Movie premise: Nobita and his friends encounter pirates while searching for treasure out at sea... no, not the other time they did that.

My spoiler-free take: Enjoyable overall, but I have many complaints about a certain major subplot...

POTENTIAL SPOILERS AFTER THIS POINT

Review: In general, I think this one is pretty good. Gian and Suneo get to do something cool. The Mini Doras have a lot of screentime, which is usually a plus. Quiz the robot parrot, who speaks in riddles, is a fun character.

However, I have one major issue with this movie: the fact that about half of it is taken up by a goddamn “Shizuka gets kidnapped” subplot. Not only that, but relative to the amount of time spent on it, this may be the most poorly executed arc of its kind in the Doraemon movies so far. First of all, the reason given for why Shizuka gets kidnapped is frankly very silly. It’s because the pirates mistake her for their captain’s daughter, Sarah, who supposedly looks a lot like Shizuka... except the two of them have completely different hair and eye colors. Both this and the fact that Shizuka doesn’t seem to know any of her kidnappers should have tipped the pirates off to their mistake, but they never properly catch on. Furthermore, when we meet Sarah herself, there’s absolutely no indication that she has a history of getting lost or running away, making it even more of a stretch for these pirates to immediately assume that she was the same person as this frightened, dark-haired girl that they encountered on a random ship.

(One pirate does point out the hair color discrepancy, only to be hastily brushed aside.)

In addition, to facilitate this kidnapping, the filmmakers once again invoke Shizuka’s disappearing weapon. Right before she is captured, the protagonists are engaged in heated combat against the pirates that have boarded their ship, during which everyone, including Shizuka, is clearly wielding a weapon. We even see Shizuka use hers (the Reversal Cape, to be specific). Yet in the scene where she gets kidnapped, she is suddenly left defenseless on the deck, with no explanation for what happened to her gadget.

Okay, let’s pretend that the reasoning for and circumstances around the kidnapping do make sense. It could at least serve an important narrative purpose, right? Maybe it motivates the other main characters to go after the pirates, starting a new chapter in their adventure... Well, it does, but this turns out to be unnecessary. Shortly after Shizuka is kidnapped, the protagonists rescue a boy lost at sea, who turns out to be Sarah’s brother, Flock. Having left the pirate crew himself, Flock also hopes to give his sister a chance to escape. That alone probably would have provided more than enough reason for the main characters to help track down the pirates, as it’s unlikely (at least in the movies) that Nobita and his friends would turn down the chance to help another kid who is in need.

All right, but maybe Shizuka could make some valuable contributions by being among the pirates. Perhaps her bonding with Sarah becomes significant— Hmm, not really. Sarah is pretty much on the same page as her brother from the beginning. Well then, maybe Shizuka can use an outsider’s perspective to help convince the main antagonist not to follow through with his plan— Uh, nope, that doesn’t happen either. There’s even a scene where she is the only one present in the same room as the main antagonist, but nothing of that sort plays out. The most plot-relevant thing Shizuka does in this movie (helping Nobita save Doraemon from being trapped inside an energy ball) occurs after she is already reunited with the others, so I am really struggling to see the point of the kidnapping subplot here.

I’ve got it; clearly, it was a setup so they could feature a bunch of extinct animal cameos while Sarah was showing Shizuka around the pirate ship! ... That still could have been done without the kidnapping though.

Oh, I do like this movie’s ending song. It has an unusual style for a Doraemon song, but it’s got character. I actually don’t hate that it’s become the current opening theme for the regular anime series, though I’m still scratching my head over why they ever decided to replace one of the most iconic anime opening songs of all time* in the first place.

*If you’ve never lived in a region where Doraemon is popular, you might think I’m exaggerating here. I’m not.

Star rating: ★★★☆☆

[ravennm84]

Serafina

Part 2     Part 3

Based on @unmaskedagain post “Marinette’s Haunted Doll” this is my take on the story and the kind of things Serafina would have done to get even. There’ll be three parts, and will hopefully be posted through the week. Blood, gore, and character death ahead. You have been warned.

She was seven years old when her Grandma Gina’s sister, Ramona, passed away. Marinette couldn’t remember ever meeting her. Her dad said that she was a very private person and didn’t get out much. Since she had never married or had any children, all of her relatives were asked to come over to the house and divide the property before the rest was sold and equally divided. 

While her parents had been in the kitchen, looking over some family cook books, Marinette had wandered around the old house until she came to a small room. It was full of spiderwebs and old toys, which greatly interested her. She spent a long time looking through the boxes and shelves until she found a locked chest in the closet. Remembering the key she had seen in a dresser drawer, she retrieved it to see if it worked. It was hard to turn, but she heard the click and was able to open the lid. Inside was a box with an envelope laying on top of it. Curious she opened the envelope and read the note as best as she could.

“If I’m dead, Serafina killed me.”

Tilting her head in curiosity, Marinette set the letter aside and opened the box. Inside was an old looking porcelain doll. It was covered in spiderwebs, the dress was old and ripped, she was missing a shoe, and the hat looked like it was stained with red paint. 

“Are you Serafina?” She asked the doll before carefully lifting it out of the box. “I don’t think you’re bad, you just look lonely. But don’t worry, I’ll take care of you!” Giving the doll a gentle hug, the little girl got to her feet and left the room and letter behind. Finding her parents, she asked if it was okay to take the doll home so she could take care of her.

Tom remembered seeing that doll when he was a kid and had always thought it was creepy, but if his little girl saw the good in it, he would trust her. And since none of the other relatives wanted anything to do with the doll, it came home with them. 

Once home, the little girl raced up to her room with the doll and immediately got to work. She threw away the old dress, hat, and shoe before cleaning away all the dirt with a washcloth and carefully combing out the knotted hair. Then Marinette got to work on making Serafina a brand new outfit with new shoes and a hat. It took a few days, but she was really happy with what she came up with: a pink Victorian dress with rose and pearl accents, a wide brimmed hat with maroon feathers, and maroon slippers that tied with ribbons around the ankles.

Proud of what she had made, Marinette held the doll up high as she twirled around her room. She had been interested in fashion and clothes for months now, and making the pretty outfit for Serafina was a lot of fun. If anything, it proved to her that fashion design was what she wanted to do.

“I hope you like your new clothes, Serafina. You make the perfect little model, so I hope you don’t mind if I make more clothes for you later on. I promise to only make you clothes that will make you feel pretty.” Giving the doll a kiss, Marinette placed her next to her computer before skipping down stairs for dinner.

~oOo~

Serafina had not been expecting this when the young girl, Marinette, had opened her box. It had been decades since anyone had shown her any kindness. For so many years, she had been passed from person to person, shoved into boxes and hidden from sight or attempted to be sold off. Serafina had had no choice but to punish many of her past owners, and she had not been lax with their punishments. 

But she didn’t feel the need to do that with Marinette, this girl was different. She wasn’t afraid of her. She didn’t scorn her and hide her away where no one could see her. No, this girl was kind and made Serafina feel loved; something she hadn’t felt in nearly a hundred years. Staying with Marinette, she knew that she would be happy. So, no one needed to die here.

And she was.

The porcelain doll smiled quietly on Marinette’s desk as the years passed, and felt more for this girl than she could remember with anyone else. She felt beautiful whenever Marinette used her to experiment with a new outfit before she would make a full sized outfit for herself. She had fun when the girl would sing and dance around the room, sometimes even picking her up so she could dance with her. She felt entertained when she would play movies on her computer, one time watching a movie about a haunted doll like herself; they didn’t watch much before she turned it off, but Serafina thought it was funny. Scratching people and leaving notes wasn’t scary, she had done much scarier things than that.

As Marinette grew into a teen, Serafina felt proud as she grew from a shy girl into a fearless superhero. Her owner had a lot of love and light to give, so it made sense to her that she became Ladybug. She also felt scared for the girl, not wanting to lose her to Hawkmoth, but silently promised her that if she was ever hurt, the people who hurt her would pay her back in blood.

Serafina was also aware of the tiny god that gave Marinette her power, just as Tikki was aware of her. No doubt, the god could sense the darkness that dwelled in her porcelain body, but realized that she cared for the girl and would not harm her. So the little god wisely said nothing, she would hate it if Marinette suddenly feared her.

After all, the three of them were happy and at peace.

Until the day Marinette came storming into her room, complaining about a girl named Lila. From what she could hear, this girl was a liar and was using her friends. Knowing how much her human cared for other people, that didn’t sit well with how it would affect her. Then she didn’t hear anything about the girl for months. But when she was mentioned again, it quickly got worse from there. 

Serafina heard about the threats, the lies, almost being akumatized, her crush Adrien telling her to take the high road, all of it. She watched as one by one, her friends turned against her. Bullying her while accusing her of being a bully until only three of her classmates remained. She knew that the teacher and principal were useless and even accused Marinette of being a problem, especially after the expulsion. Serafina had nearly enacted her revenge that day, but held back when she was reinstated the next day.

Nathaniel, Rose, and Juleka were the only people left that believed her or even bothered to try and help in her class. There was also Kagami and Luka, Juleka’s brother. Serafina would admit, that boy was sharper than most. When he first saw her, his blue eyes studied her intently for a long moment until Marinette spoke up.

“That’s Serafina, she’s been passed down through my family for a long time. She was in really bad condition when I got her and took a lot of work to get her fixed up, but it was worth it. She was my first ever model and I’ve never felt lonely since she’s been around.”

Luka looked back over at the doll and gave her a smile. “I can tell, I’d bet no one gave her the proper love or attention until she came to you. And I think, if she could talk, she would say that you kept her from feeling lonely too, and all she wants is for you to be happy.”

Serafina liked that boy, a lot more than she had liked Adrien when he had come to play video games. The boy genuinely seemed to care for Marinette. And even though he could somehow sense that she was more than just a doll, he didn’t spill her secret. Yes, she approved of this one.

And then, less than a week after she returned to school, came the worst day. They were taking pictures at the school and Marinette had worked so hard on a new dress; it was pale purple cotton with teacup sleeves, a tulip skirt and pink lace at the hem. It was so sweet and looked like she was going to a spring tea party. Then half way through the day, she came into her room crying. Her makeup was smeared, there were bruises and scratch marks on her arms, another bruise on her cheek, her hair was a mess and covered in dark blue paint. The same paint that covered almost half of the dress. Tikki was doing her best to comfort the girl as she showered. Marinette was unable to save her dress and ended up throwing it away before she cried herself to sleep on her bed. 

Serafina was angry, the kind of anger she hadn’t felt since Ramona had attempted to burn her in the fireplace… and that hadn’t gone well for her. Tikki flew over to face her. “I know what you’re thinking and I can’t condone you falling into old habits and killing her entire class. Despite how much they’ve hurt her, it would still break her heart if they all suddenly died.”

The doll actually considered that for a moment before picturing some very specific people. Lila, the liar that was trying to take away/destroy the person she cared about. Alya, the best friend that betrayed her, acted like a hypocrite, and took joy in hurting her. Adrien, the boy that not only broke his promise to help her as a civilian, but continually harassed her as a pseudo-hero. And finally, Hawkmoth, the person that was constantly putting her in danger. Everyone else that had harmed her would be punished, paying back the harm they had done to Marinette in blood, but those four would pay with their lives.

Tikki shook her head. “As angry as I am with Adrien, you can’t kill him. Marinette still has feelings for him and if he dies, she might never get over him. I can’t stop you from punishing them, but please try not to kill them. You know that she has a big heart and it would hurt her to lose any of them, so please keep that in mind.”

Serafina would have argued, but the little god was right. Killing around Marinette would only upset her. So she would do her best to punish them without killing them… although, accidents do happen. 

~oOo~

It was easy enough to sneak herself into Marinette’s bag the next day of school. It was even easier to select her first victims. One of her classmates, Kim, stole her backpack and dumped out all of her stuff, including her. The boy laughed about Marinette bringing a doll to school as he ran up the stairs to keep it away from her. It took little effort to make the boy trip, in full view of everyone that had been watching, and fall backwards down the steps. 

Serafina had landed at the top landing with a perfect view of the boy’s tumble, and it was oh so satisfying. She could see his knee bent in the wrong direction, a bone in his arm protruding from the skin, and blood dripping from the cuts and open wounds. But the sound was even better, all the cracking and popping of bone before he began crying like a little girl, begging for his mom.  Ah, she hadn’t realized how much she had missed those sounds.

When the principal came out to see what was happening, she hid her presence and let the principal trip over her and fall as well. He even landed on Kim, causing more injuries to both of them. She held back a laugh as the grown man wailed and cried until the paramedics arrived. Loading the two into the ambulance while one of the teachers called the Board of Governors. A representative, M. Rupere, quickly came to take over the principal’s duties while he was gone, and was surprised when a bunch of students tried to blame Marinette for the incident.

“And how is it her fault?” He asked the students that surrounded him. “Did you see her push or trip M. Le Chien or M. Damocles down the stairs?

“Marinette brought in a doll and Kim was distracted by it when he was going up the stairs, that’s how he tripped and fell,” Lila told him with tears in her eyes. “Then M. Damocles tripped over the doll and fell down the stairs too. It’s just like how she pushed me down the stairs last week and I hurt my knee. I think she’s actually trying to hurt people.”

The man looked at Lila for a moment before looking to the top of the stairs, but there was no doll there. Then he looked back at Lila with a stern glare. “Young lady, if you had been pushed down the stairs last week, you would have been severely injured just like your friend or M. Damocles. And whether or not it was Mlle. Dupain-Cheng’s doll that caused the incident or not, does not mean that she is at fault for the accident. To the principal’s office, right now. I think we should have a discussion as to why you are trying to blame another student for something she did not do.”

Totally shocked, the girl looked around to her followers for some support, but they were now looking at her with uncertainty. They had just seen two people fall down the stairs and receive severe injuries, so how was Lila walking around just fine without a scratch on her? Huffing in annoyance, Lila stomped her way to the office while the class stared after her, most of them noticing the lack of limp to her walk.

Serafina was pleased with how this was turning out, she had already punished two of the people that had betrayed Marinette and had begun sewing seeds of doubt with the liar. At the moment, she was hiding in the classroom, observing everyone so she could figure out the best way to punish them. She noticed Rose, Juleka, and Nathaniel sitting close to the girl and doing their best to comfort her. She also noticed Nino, a boy she had seen a couple of times over the years, casting looks back at Marinette. 

During the first break, the boy cautiously approached her, clutching his hat in his hands. “Hey dudette, listen… I, um, wanted to say I was sorry,” he said, having a hard time looking her in the eye. “After Kim fell, what that Governor dude said about Lila not being hurt, and the fact that I’ve known you forever. I felt so stupid. You would never push someone down the stairs or cheat or steal from someone like that. And I tried looking up Jagged’s discography to see if there was any mention of a song about Lila, and there was literally nothing. I tried telling Alya, but she didn’t want to listen and-”

Nino was interrupted by Marinette giving him a hug. Serafina smiled at that. The boy had thought for himself and admitted that he was wrong. He apologized and Marinette was willing to offer him forgiveness. She supposed that Nino could also be exempt from punishment, so long as he never betrayed the girl again.

Half way through the second lesson, Lila had returned to the class with two weeks worth of detention and had a meeting scheduled with herself, M. Rupere, and her mother at the end of the week. Serafina decided to let the girl’s empire fall before going in to completely destroy her.

During lunch, when all the students had left. Serafina got to work on punishing Mme. Bustier. She started by slamming the door shut, it made the woman jump and look around the room, but there was no one there. Then the giggling started, causing her to look around the room again. This time, she walked up the steps to see if anyone was hiding in the room, but she was completely alone. When she turned back to her desk, the papers she had been grading were torn to pieces. A bit panicked, Bustier tried to run out of the room, but the door was locked. As she struggled with the door, she heard the scraping of chalk and froze for a moment before looking at the board. Large words were scrawled in block letters: LIAR, ENABLER, MEAN, CRUEL, and the most frightening of all, YOU WILL PAY.

Bustier’s hands were shaking as she erased the words from the board, not understanding what was happening. Only taking a breath when the door opened and her students began to file in. Serafina quietly laughed at the teacher’s fear, she was another person that she would take her time in punishing. Payback for failing to help Marinette. For now, it was time to take out her biggest supporter. 

Again, it was much easier than it should have been to sneak herself in Alya’s backpack and go home with her. When the girl found her she sneered. “The klutz must have put you in my bag by mistake.” Then she smiled cruelly at her. “I think I’ll give you to Etta and Ella to play with before giving you back to Maribrat, maybe tell them that you need a makeover and give them some permanent markers too.”

Turning to take the doll out to her sisters, she stubbed her toe on her desk chair hard enough that she felt a crack and dropped back on her butt while hissing in pain. When she was finally able to think past the pain, she realized that she had dropped the doll and didn't see it on the floor. After wrapping her foot, she looked all over her room but couldn’t find it anywhere.

That night, things got… more than scary. Alya was absolutely terrified.

First, her computer turned on, on its own, and started printing off papers saying “YOU KNOW THE TRUTH”. She turned the computer off, only for it to turn back on after she’d climbed into bed and the browser pulled up past searches; specifically, the searches that proved that Lila had been lying. She had found that out after Lila had disappeared from school for months, but had kept to herself so she wouldn’t lose her credibility on her blog or have to admit to Marinette that she’d been right. Turning it off again, she’d decided to sleep on the couch when her phone suddenly let out a hiss and burst into flames.  

Letting out a shriek, Alya rushed to her door, and had just barely opened it when it slammed shut on her fingers, causing her to scream as she struggled to pull her hand free. She could hear her parents and Nora shouting on the other side of the door, trying to push it open, but it wouldn’t budge. Her head got fuzzy and she suddenly felt cold, she realized that she was going into shock. Her parents’ shouts became garbled background noise and Alya heard the sound of tiny feet running around the room. She tried reaching the light switch so she could see, but it was out of reach.

From the light outside her window, she could barely make out the movement of a small shadow, moving from one part of the room to another. Coming closer and closer to her with every sweep. Alya began tugging harder on the doorknob and her hand. She needed to get out. Something was in the room with her. She could almost feel the darkness creeping closer. It wanted to hurt her!

What happened next, Serafina couldn’t have planned better if she’d tried. Alya jerked back her trapped arm and the doorknob at the same time Nora threw her shoulder into the door as hard as she could. Sending the teenagers flying into her bedside table and her head hitting the corner with an audible *crack*. The doll smiled silently in the corner of the room as the paramedics were called and listened to her parents cries for their horrid daughter to wake up. They called time of death at 2:03am.

~oOo~

It was a bit more of a chore for Serafina to get back to the school, but it was still manageable as her mother had to inform the school of her daughter’s death and pick up her things. The woman had also noticed the information that had been brought up on Alya’s computer and thought that she had been up late chasing a lead. And as the lead had to do with the disturbing behavior of one of her daughter’s classmates, she thought it best to show the acting principal the information before taking her leave. 

Making her way back to the classroom, she saw that the news had spread already. Nino seemed to be hit the hardest, as it was his girlfriend, but he would get over it. Kim was still out of class, and likely would be for a few more days. Tikki saw the doll when she was peeking out of the purse and gave her a disapproving glare, but there was nothing she could do. And in Serafina’s defense, she had only intended on maiming the failed journalist, her death had been an “accident”.

When class let out for lunch, Serafina got back to work tormenting Mme. Bustier. Today, the door slammed and locked shut a few minutes after the last student left. The woman shrieked and was struggling to open the door when the giggling started again. Bustier started screaming for it to “go away” but the giggling continued. Turning back to the door, books began flying at her from all over the room, hitting her chest, back, arms since they were shielding her head.

Then the door opened to show a panicked looking M. Rupere. “I heard screaming, are you alright?” The red haired teacher looked extremely frazzled; her hair was a mess, eyes wide and dilated, and her hands were shaking.

“The books,” she said in a trembling voice. “There was giggling, the door wouldn’t open, and the books attacked me. And this was the second time!”

His eyebrows rose to his hairline as he stared at the woman. “Did you see who was throwing the books at you?”

Bustier shook her head in a frantic manner. “There was no one, the books just started flying at me after the giggling.”

Giving her a slow nod, Rupere gently motioned her to step out of the room ahead of him. “How about you take the rest of the day to recover? Some rest will do you some good.” 

To his relief, Mme. Bustier agreed and collected her purse before leaving the school. Looking around the room, he was confused to see all the books in place on the shelves. Curious, he went to examine her desk and saw essay papers… covered in red ink with large “F’s” on every one of them. Reading the paper on top, all he saw were a few grammar mistakes, nothing that should have resulted in a failing grade. A bit unsettled, Rupere called the Board to schedule a psychological exam for the teacher. Serafina watched the man with satisfaction, at the rate she was going with that terrible teacher, she wouldn’t be around much longer.

Her next victims were Max and Alix during science class. She switched a couple of labels on the tubs on their desk before hiding in the room to enjoy the show. Half-way through class, Max poured a large amount of reactive chemical into the mix while it was warming over a burner, and the glass exploded. The two screamed and cursed in pain as Max tried wiping the liquid away from his face, only succeeding in getting more in his eyes. Alix tried wiping it away with a cloth, not noticing in time that the fabric was also soaked in the chemicals that now covered her entire face.

Serafina was impressed with how quickly Mme. Mendeleiev reacted to the incident. Doaning on gloves in an instant and leading the two students to the chemical wash station. Both students looked to have chemical burns on their faces, arms and necks. She could already see the burns covering a large amount of their exposed skin. While the class was distracted, Serafina switched the labels back so it would appear that the two had not been doing as instructed.

When school let out, the doll hid away in Mylene’s bag and ended up going on a date with the girl and Ivan. They commented on the bad luck their class seemed to be having and wondered out loud at what the cause might have been.

Mylene was hesitant to speak as the two ate their ice cream. “Do you think… maybe it’s karma coming back on our class?”

“Why do you think that?” Ivan asked her, seeming genuinely curious. Deciding that their conversation might lead to something more, Serafina waited and listened.

“It’s just… ever since Kim fell down the stairs, it’s got me thinking. Lila says that Marinette pushed her but the only injury she says she got was a bad knee, and she’s been walking around fine since then. And then she tried blaming Marinette for Kim and M. Damocles, when Kim shouldn’t have been running up the stairs and M. Damocles tripped at the top of the stairs when she was still down in the courtyard.”

“You’re right, now that I think about it. Lila lied to that new principal and she did it really easy.” Ivan nodded slowly, his brow creased as he pulled out his phone. “I wonder if she lied about anything else.” Mylene watched over his shoulder as he looked up the story about saving Jagged Stone’s kitten from an airplane. There was nothing, the only article that came up about a pet was his crocodile, Fang. The story said that he had hatched the reptile himself seventeen years earlier and any other pet wouldn’t be as rock’n’roll as Fang. “I don’t think Jagged ever had a cat, this article says that he’s only had Fang for longer than we’ve been around.”

Mylene pulled out her phone and called Rose, putting the call on speaker when she answered. 

“Hi Mylene, did you hear anything about Max and Alix? Are they going to be okay?” The girl asked as soon as she picked up.

“Ivan and I haven’t heard anything about them yet, but we have a question for you, Rose, and it’s something only you would be able to answer.”

There was a slight pause on the line. “Go ahead.”

“Do you still chat with Prince Ali?”

“Sure I do! We video chat every Saturday and I send him videos of our performances with Kitty Section. Why do you ask?”

“Ivan and I were wondering… Has he ever mentioned Lila to you?”

There was another pause, although they could hear a hushed conversation in the background. “So, you guys figured out the truth about Lila?” When they didn’t respond right away, Rose continued. “I found out a few weeks after Lila says she came back from Achu. I mentioned Lila to Ali and asked him about the charities they had been working on together, but he’d never heard of her. And Ali is only working on charities involving children, nothing with the environment. When Juleka and I tried asking Lila about it, she got really mean and threatened us if we told anyone. I would have been akumatized if Marinette hadn’t been there to calm me down.”

Ivan and Mylene were horrified, not only had Lila been lying to them, but she had threatened Rose, Juleka, and probably Marinette too. “What should we do?”

“First, you should apologize to Marinette for how you’ve been treating her and let her know that you know the truth.” They heard Juleka over the phone. “Lila has been more terrible to her than anyone else and she keeps getting in Lila’s way to protect us and Nathaniel since we know the truth about her.”

“Who all knows?” Ivan asked, feeling a bit sick to his stomach. Sure, he and Mylene hadn’t really hurt her or done anything, but they hadn’t stood up for her either and they were supposed to be her friend.

“Us, Luka, Kagami, Nathaniel figured it out when she said she could introduce him to Stan Lee, Nino figured it out yesterday, and Adrien’s apparently known from the start but didn’t say anything because he doesn’t think her lies are hurting anybody.”

Both of them could hear the acid in Juleka’s voice when she mentioned Adrien, and they couldn’t argue with her. They knew he had led a sheltered life, but how could he claim that ‘lies don’t hurt anybody’ after sitting back and watching Lila and her friends torment and bully Marinette?

Mylene hadn’t even realized that she had asked that question out loud until Rose answered them. “He told us that it was Marinette’s own fault for antagonizing Lila, and ‘If she just took the high road like I told her, then Lila would leave her alone’. It took everything I had not to slap him.”

Coming from Rose, that really was saying something.

Serafina was then taken on a shopping trip to an arts supplies store, a card shop, and a stop at an ATM before going to Marinette’s family’s bakery. She smiled quietly and with great respect to the couple as they apologized to her girl, gave her cards, an entire bolt of soft purple cotton the same color that her ruined dress had been, a new sketchbook, and money to pay her back for some of the things that Marinette had given them over the past year. They even asked her to provide them with proper receipts, and admitted that they knew the amount they had given her wasn’t enough to cover everything. But they promised to pay her back before asking for anything else, as well as pay in advance for any future items or baked goods. 

The little doll would have cried right along with Marinette if she could. These two had proven themselves to her and would avoid punishment, just as Nino had.

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