#and its not just some secret mystery feature that only other people can use but Never I

[toomanythoughts2]

Headcanons of Nathan sharing happy childhood experiences with his bandmates because they all have shitty childhoods and he loves tolerates them.

Nathan pours warm laundry on Toki when he's in his room. Toki is so happy when he does this because it's always so warm and everything smells so nice, and Nathan is saying stuff like, "Are you all warm now, little buddy?" and it makes him feel giddy. Also very regression coded.

When Murderface is suffering from nightmares, Nathan will touch his face and glide over the ridges and contours of his facial features to lull him back to sleep. Murderface always acts like it won't help but the affectionate touch always knocks him out in seconds. It's a very private thing that happens between them and Murderface doesn't like the idea of people knowing and making fun of him.

When swimming, Nathan will pick up his band mates and throw them as far as he can. Pickles will usually get the most distant being smaller than everyone, but Toki will ask for it the most. He also plays other games like Sharks and Minos, Colors, and Marco Polo. He will judge the others diving board jumps, play ring toss, and time races. He'll ask them to perform handstands, which Skwisgaar is exceptional at, and do flips in the water. Afterwards, they all get naps in their chairs because swimming knocks them all out.

Nathan will remind Skwisgaar to put lotion on his hands after practice because the strings dry out his skin. If he doesn't do it, he'll put it on himself, which usually includes him pulling on his fingers, pressing into his palm, and rotating his wrists. Skwisgaar never says anything about them but he will admit that his hands feel better when he does that. Nathan will also remind Murderface to put on his eczema cream and will put it on him when he tries to fight him about it.

Nathan is the reason that the other band members like Disney so much. He was the OG Disney adult of the group and had to basically bribe them to go to Disney. He planned the whole thing, showed them hidden Mickeys, taught them how to use the Fast Lanes, told them specific history of the rides and even some notorious bad visitor stories. He made sure they got good seats for the parades and the fireworks, and even let Toki climb his shoulders for a better view. He would have picked up Pickles but he was content standing next to him. He made them fall in love with going to Disney because his parents did the same thing for him.

He regularly has "sleepovers" with Pickles. Usually held in his own room, Nathan will go all out and rent a movie, get popcorn and candy, get into his nice PJs, bring out comic books and soda and all the stuff that he used to do while at a sleep over. They would build a fort and drink and smoke while watching "Transformers" and make bad commentary about the movie like they were on "Mystery Science Theater 3000." They would then fall asleep with the lights still on at around 3am because they were too busy laughing and giggling at each other from the exhaustion to actually fall asleep.

When Mordhaus (apartment) got storms, he would calm down Toki and Skwisgaar by teaching them all of the old sayings of what thunderstorms, lightening, and thunder are. "Thunder is just god going bowling and getting a strike." "When you hear lightening, that's because god sneezed." And he would teach them how to calculate how far away the lightening is by counting the seconds between a lightening flash and the sound of thunder. They would still be a little shaken up, especially Toki, so he would try to keep them as calm as possible.

Nathan has a secret language that only him and other bandmates know. It's incredibly stupid and easy enough to decipher, but its the fact that they have it that makes it special. Sometimes they use it during meetings to talk to each other without others understanding them. They'll tell jokes, talk trash, or just say nonsense cause they can. Over time they forgot about it but by that point it didn't matter because they've been friends for so long that they naturally created their own language with English.

[bunniesanddeer]

Hi,

Just recently found your stories! I love how you write Alastor! I have a request and I apologize if its long.

Reader arrives at the hotel and unbeknownst to everyone they can see people’s pasts, mainly their earthly lives, once they touch them. Which usually isn’t a problem until she meets Alastor. They see his past as well as the fact that his soul is owned by a mysterious entity.

As time goes by, Alastor and reader form something of a friendship and he can sense reader is powerful and repeatedly tries to get them into a soul deal. One evening while at the bar, he’s trying to make a deal when reader, somewhat drunk, states “no power I have can help you with your deal.”

One of those “oh shit” moments and reader runs only to get caught by a very agitated Alastor. They explain how they know and don’t know who the deal is with etc trying to calm him down. He realizes they have known this whole time and not spoken of it so he feels he can trust them.

Sorry sorry sorry this longer then it sounded in my head!

Hi! Sorry this took so long! So much has happened, and yet so little. In the middle of trying to buy a home, and my full-time job has been kicking my butt. Sorry if this is OOC, or anything like that. I have been having a hard time writing at all!

Everything

Pairing: Alastor X Reader

Warnings: Mild horror.

Word Count: 2,093

Maybe it was the psychology degree. Maybe it was that strange empathy that had been instilled into you as a survival response. Either way, you don’t know what caused it; when you ended up in Hell, because of course you did, you found out you had a strange ability, one that startled you. At a single touch, the entirety of someone’s life was made known to you; all their secrets, their thoughts, and even their afterlife. Their lives were heavy burdens, and so you settled on wearing gloves. You could minimize the damage to your psyche, and to your soul, if you avoided it entirely. No one would find out, if there was no risk of you using it.

Time was hard to measure in Hell, and so you couldn’t tell how long it took you to find a comfortable, enough, routine in Hell. You wore soft gloves, and only took them off when alone, or when they got soiled. You had a job, and you were living a boring rerun of your life on Earth. That was until you saw the advertisement for the “Hazbin Hotel”, looking for employees. You recalled the Princess, Charlie, making a fool of herself on the news only a few months prior. She was endearing, and the reminder and call for employees drew your attention. Without thinking too hard on it, your decision had been unconsciously made. You were going to apply. 

The main lobby was large, and had family portraits of the royal family hung on the wall. There was a bar and couches on the far side of the room. There was no one but the bartender in the room. The grumpy cat at the bar drew your eyes, and so you made your way to him. 

“Ah, hello?” You called to him, trying not to startle him. 

Sharp pupils lazily flickered towards you, and the cat-man let out a grunt. 

“I’m here to maybe, apply for a position here,” you continued. You extended a hand and introduced yourself. “I was a therapist, and although it has been some time-”

“I don’t care. You’ll be talkin’ to Charlie,” the bartender interrupted, taking a swig of his drink. “She probably already knows you’re here.”

Sure enough, a white blur was bounding down the steps, exuberance filling every part of  her form. “Oh hello! Hello! My name is Charlie,” she said, grabbing at one of your hands and shaking your whole body with her handshake. “You said you were a therapist?”

Now that she had settled into being mostly still, you could make out her features better. She had blonde hair, loosely tied, and cherub cheeks. Her large eyes were filled with such wild hope, that you feared ever needing to tell her ‘no’. This was the Princess of Hell, Charlotte Morningstar. 

“Uh, yes, I was!” You try to match her tone, and notice other people filling into the lobby. “I specialized in correctional counselor. I worked with those in the prison system, trying to help them avoid recidivism. Along with programs in the prison, we helped them acclimate back to civilian life, and keep their records clean! I also worked with some after they left.”

Charlie’s eyebrows shoot up into her hairline. “Oh wow! That would be PERFECT.” You watch her smile grow, and she turns to the woman that was now standing next to her. “You hear that, Vaggie? This is great, right?”

Although you were hesitant, this felt like the right move. So with a little forced pep to your step, you accepted the offer she made only minutes later, and joined the Hazbin Hotel team. That was before you realized Alastor was there. 

Months into your stay was the first time you accidentally touched anyone. You had been in your room, organizing some of your things, when Alastor barged in, yelling about some Angel Dust annoying him. The two of you had a weird friendship going. He would poke and prod you, and you would laugh it off and speak your mind about what you thought was ‘wrong’ about him — all in good fun, of course. Because of your general comfort with each other, he liked to barge into your personal space more and more often, and it had led to a few close calls. Now, though, was far too close. You weren't wearing gloves, and he had his arm wrapped around your shoulders.

“My dear, you simply must tell Angel Dust that his attempts at wooing are preposterous!” Alastor flipped you around so you were facing him. “He has no musical talent at all, I’m sure! How would it ever work?”

You scrunched up your face, and stared up at him. His bright red pupils widened as you laughed. “Al, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Ah, what fooey!” Alastor grabbed at your hand before you could pull it away, and it happened. Everything. All the terrible words and looks in his childhood. His mother’s soft smile, and her softer hands cupping his face as tears rolled down his cheeks. Angry voices telling him to leave. The cool feeling of metal under his hands. Warm liquid pooling beneath his feet. The chains wrapped around his throat. The abject hate he felt. The way every single choice he made had to be done precisely. The spark of joy he had to smother around people he loosely defined as friends. The control he desired like smoke in his hands. And then it was gone, and Alastor was giving you an odd look. 

“Are you alright, dear?” His head cocked, and the static that constantly coated his words quieted down. His thumb rubbed across your bare skin once, before he pulled his hand away from you, letting it clasp around his microphone. 

“Uh, yeah. Zoned out there, for a moment. No worries,” you said, trying to discourage his well-known prodding. You couldn’t handle it, right now. You shrugged your shoulders. “I didn’t get much sleep, last night, I’m sorry.”

When he finally let it go, and went back to his ranting, your mind slowed down. Now that it had happened, it was only a matter of time before something slipped. Would you die, because of what you knew? Would his master order him to slaughter you, or would he do it happily himself? Or would he use you, thinking that your power could save him, when the inevitable confrontation occurred?

You could only worry and wonder. There was nothing you could do to change it now. And so you kept your mouth shut, and waited.

The inexorable fate that awaited you, came weeks later, when the staff had settled in together to drink. Angel Dust was working, Sir Pentious had squirreled himself away in his room, and Charlie and Vaggie were out having ‘date-night’. The group, including Alastor, were several drinks in. 

Husk poured Alastor another drink, rolling his eyes at the Radio Demon’s antics. Alastor was telling a wild tale, and it had you and Niffty cackling, although it seemed she had heard it before.

“And just as he turns back to yell at me, he slips, and falls! Splat! Straight onto the concrete!” Alastor lets out a raving cackle. Niffty giggles, her drink splashing a bit as her whole body shakes. You wipe a tear from the corner of your eye, and try to calm your breathing.

“That is so fucked up, Al. Why?” You wheeze. “Why do you do this?”

“Because-” and he hiccups, which sets you off into more giggling. “Because life is a tragedy, and tragedy is hilarious.” He sets his drink down, and slots himself onto your seat, squishing you as he does. “As you know, my dear, I take quite a liking to anything that makes me laugh.”

He’s incredibly drunk, there is no way he isn’t, because he fucking taps your nose with one red claw, and mutters “Boop”, under his breath. You shake your head, feeling like you’ve drank more than you had. Your eyes feel the tiniest bit fuzzy and you laugh at the strangeness of it. 

“Are you alright, Al?” You ask, scooting over just a little, trying to get him off of your hip. “You seem out of it.”

Husk grunts, “He’s always like that with whiskey and rye. Should’a seen him a couple years ago-” His voice cuts off, and you look over to see the death glare Alastor is giving him. It settles when the bartender stays quiet with an eye roll. “Oh, whatever.”

Alastor hums, and then returns to looking at you. “You know, my dear, I could really help you out, down here, if we were to make a deal! Imagine setting up your own little clinic, and helping all the wayward souls down here!” He giggles again, and his smile widens. “Or you could manipulate them all to do your bidding with your strange mind medicine!” 

You shake your head. “C’mon Al, you know I’m not interested in that.”

Alastor shakes his head, his ears flopping back a little. “Then not that! There is plenty I could give you, for just one, little deal!”

Without thinking, you mutter, “I have no power that can help you with your deal, Al.” 

Your heart stops in your chest, and you stare at Alastor as his entire demeanor changes. His eyes are wide, and his pupils are tiny pinpricks of light in his dark sclera. His hand grips at the arm of the couch, and you know you’ve fucked up. Before he can say anything, you dart up, and out of the lounge. 

With the sudden surge of adrenaline, you feel nearly sober. Your feet pound at the floor as you dash down the hall, and up the stairs as quickly as you can manage. You slide around a corner, and sprint down a hallway before you hear the static. 

The normal white noise has been replaced with a thick static, heavy with screams, and the hall is getting dark. It feels as if the torches on the wall are being snuffed out, even though you can see them still softly glowing in the dark. Your heart pounds, and your breath catches as you hear Alastor’s music playing at a distance. He’s not nearly far enough behind. Is there anywhere in the hotel you could even hide?

It doesn’t matter, because he’s right behind you in only seconds. His form has grown enormous, and he takes up the entirety of the hallway. One large hand stabilizes him by pressing against the wall, and the other wraps around your torso, fingers wrapping around your form easily. He squeezes you, just enough to let you know how much power he has over you, and he brings you level to his face.

“How do you know?” His voice is rough, and deep, and the static and screams re making your head hurt. When you don’t immediately answer, he squeezes just a little, and shakes you. “HOW DO YOU KNOW?” 

You let out a rough sob. “I can just tell. If I-” your voice cuts out as you cough from the previous exertion. “If I touch someone, I know just about everything about them, from their mortal life, to here in Hell.” Tears roll down your face, and you heave. “I tried to avoid touching you! It’s why I wear gloves! But you caught me off guard a few weeks ago!”

Alastor’s gaze doesn’t waver, but his expression does, just a little. You keep talking.

“I didn’t tell anyone, and I wouldn’t! That goes so far against my morals. You know that. Haha. Patient confidentiality.” You squeeze your eyes shut. “I’m sorry. I wish I could have prevented it, and I wish I could help you now that I know, but I can’t!”

Your form is set on the ground, and you want to curl up, so badly, but you don’t. Instead, you open your eyes, and see Alastor, at his normal size, adjusting himself. 

“Yes, well, I suppose there’s nothing to be done.” He flicks his eyes to you. “If you say anything, ever, I’ll gut you, do you understand?”

You merely nod, and he nods in return. He takes a breath, and then offers you a hand, and you take it. 

He gives you a sly smile, as you are wiping your face off with his handkerchief. “I’ll get a deal out of you, yet, my dear!” And he says nothing more, as the two of you make your way back downstairs. 

You hope, with everything you are, that he doesn’t.

Thank you for reading! My taglist is pinned on my page. I will try to have the two other requests I'm working on out soon! Sorry for the wait. Having a chronic illness, a job, and house huntng is hard, haha!

Taglist: @wen01203 @alastorssimp @girl-nahh-two @numetalnerd2007 @justchillingandhavingfun @alastorssimp @wen01203 @lemonyboy97 @fairyv-ice

[bitterkarella]

Midnight Pals: Tenebrous at 3

Matt Blairstone: i'm matt blairstone of tenebrous press Blairstone: publisher of such quality literature as split scream Blairstone: featuring bitter karella's The Ballad of Horse Girl Blairstone: available where ever fine books are sold King: sorry, what was that name again? King: i forgot Blairstone: it's bitter karella Blairstone: B-I-T-T...

Blairstone: a lot of people know us mostly as the publisher of Bitter Karella's the Ballad of Horse girl Blairstone: but in 3 years Tenebrous Press has published plenty of other fine horror literature Blairstone: like the anthology Your Body is Not Your Body, featuring Bitter Karella's The Divine Carcass Blairstone: and the Brave New Weird anthology, featuring Bitter Karella's Low Tide Jenny

Blairstone: i'm matt blairstone and this is my associate alex woodroe Blairstone: an authentic Romanian crone King: kind of young for a crone isn't she? Blairstone: oh it's state of mind Alex Woodroe: i cast the evil eye upon you, nenorocit

King: tell us more about tenebrous press Blairstone: well it's an indie press dedicated to all that's weird Woodroe: foolish youth hold your tongue! Woodroe: these occult secrets are not for the ears of ignorant outsiders! Woodroe: begone, outsider! your kind isn't welcome here!

King: look i'm just trying to get some service at this mysterious roadside inn at the edge of the dark woods King: and it's almost like you don't want my business Woodroe: in old country, we chase you with pitchfork mob for less than this!

King: fine maybe i'll just be on my way Woodroe: leave but be ye warned! Woodroe: stay off the moors! Woodroe: stray not from the road! Woodroe: don't go into the deep dark forest! Woodroe: and stay away from the mysterious castle! King: that's a lot to remember King: i'd better write this down

Blairstone: can you believe that we've been publishing fine horror such as Bitter KArella's The Ballad of Horse Girl for 3 years now? Blairstone: where does the time go? Alex Woodroe: only in america! Woodroe: what a country! Woodroe: in America, you find party Woodroe: in soviet Romania, party find you! Woodroe: [turning to camera] the fun fact is that pigs, like humans, can get sunburned

Blairstone: wow! 3 years! can you believe it? Woodroe: in romania, we mark occasion by sacrifice of the cockerel and eating of the turnip Woodroe: we thank president Dracula for our good fortune Woodroe: and vice president Frankenstein Woodroe: and speaker of the house wolfman Blairstone: i'm learning so much

Blairstone: of course in 3 years we've published other things Blairstone: like colin Hinkley's the black lord Blairstone: about an eldritch god in the woods menacing an innocent family Woodroe: in old country, is documentary filmed in real time as it happen

Blairstone: and Anthony Engebretson's lumberjack Blairstone: about a lumberjack who's a real fuck up Engebretson: he's also dealing with this evil imp Engebretson: but yeah also he's a fuck up Woodroe: in America, you jack lumber Woodroe: in old country, lumber jack you!

King: wow it sounds like you've got some real WEIRD literature there! Jeff Vandermeer: did someone say... WEIRDDDDDD?? Blairstone: That's right! there's so many weird and unusual books Blairstone: and its all happening right now... Woodroe: at tenebrous press!

In all seriousness, Tenebrous Press is doing incredible work on the indie horror scene and, if you haven't read their offerings, you owe it to yourself to take a gander over at https://tenebrouspress.com/. My very first story ever published was The Divine Carcass in Tenebrous' Your Body is Not Your Body, and I would not be where I am today had it not been for Tenebrous. Go see what weirdness they've got cooked up for their three year anniversary!

[queereads-bracket]

Queer Fantasy Books Bracket: Round 1

Book summaries and submitted endorsements below:

The Radiant Emperor series (She Who Became the Sun, He Who Drowned the World) by Shelley Parker-Chan

In a famine-stricken village on a dusty yellow plain, two children are given two fates. A boy, greatness. A girl, nothingness… In 1345, China lies under harsh Mongol rule. For the starving peasants of the Central Plains, greatness is something found only in stories. When the Zhu family’s eighth-born son, Zhu Chongba, is given a fate of greatness, everyone is mystified as to how it will come to pass. The fate of nothingness received by the family’s clever and capable second daughter, on the other hand, is only as expected. When a bandit attack orphans the two children, though, it is Zhu Chongba who succumbs to despair and dies. Desperate to escape her own fated death, the girl uses her brother's identity to enter a monastery as a young male novice. There, propelled by her burning desire to survive, Zhu learns she is capable of doing whatever it takes, no matter how callous, to stay hidden from her fate. After her sanctuary is destroyed for supporting the rebellion against Mongol rule, Zhu takes the chance to claim another future her brother's abandoned greatness. Fantasy, historical fiction, alternate history, epic fantasy, adult

Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger

Submitted endorsement: YA featuring an Indigenous ace (!!!!) main character, bloodline magic, crime solving, and a ghost dog!

Imagine an America very similar to our own. It's got homework, best friends, and pistachio ice cream. There are some differences. This America has been shaped dramatically by the magic, monsters, knowledge, and legends of its peoples, those Indigenous and those not. Some of these forces are charmingly everyday, like the ability to make an orb of light appear or travel across the world through rings of fungi. But other forces are less charming and should never see the light of day. Elatsoe lives in this slightly stranger America. She can raise the ghosts of dead animals, a skill passed down through generations of her Lipan Apache family. Her beloved cousin has just been murdered in a town that wants no prying eyes. But she is going to do more than pry. The picture-perfect facade of Willowbee masks gruesome secrets, and she will rely on her wits, skills, and friends to tear off the mask and protect her family. Fantasy, young adult, mystery, paranormal

[snugglesquiggle]

why dont more people talk about illurien

A dancing array of droplets swirls before you. In the midst of this storm stands a slender but extremely tall female clad in gray robes. She has no facial features other than her vivid blue eyes. With a graceful motion, she beckons to you. A strange creature composed of countless tears and raindrops, Illurien of the Myriad Glimpses is a collector of information and a keeper of secrets. She is fascinated by the contents of other minds, believing it is her right to obtain and preserve such knowledge for herself.

Strategies and Tactics: llurien engages those she meets in polite telepathic conversation, but this behavior is just an excuse to examine their minds. Once Illurien has selected the brightest intellect among her chosen targets, she moves in, subjecting her foes to her storm of visions. She uses her tempest lash to deal Intelligence damage to her preferred enemy, relying on her cloud of foresight to foil that opponent’s defenders. During combat, she sometimes uses her pointed knowledge to intimidate and threaten her opponents. If pressed, she uses plane shift to flee to the Athenaeum Nefarious (see Environment). Illurien travels the planes in search of knowledge and mysteries to steal and keep for herself. Sample Encounter: Illurien has come to steal information from one of the PCs’ sagacious allies. She talked with that NPC for a while, then attacked him, drained him of intelligence, and slew him. After the murder, Illurien methodically inspected the slain man’s organs and body parts to see his specific internal workings. The characters now have a grisly murder to solve, and the corpse, drained of much of its knowledge, utters only the name “Illurien” if questioned with a speak with dead spell.

Ecology: Illurien is a unique native of the Concordant Domain of the Outlands. Where she came from and who created her, if anyone did, is a mystery. Some suspect she is a minion of Vecna, but Illurien, Vecna’s clergy, and Vecna himself say nothing on this subject. She gains sustenance through collecting knowledge, but her consumption of other minds doesn’t destroy the information she gathers. Rather, that cognition becomes a part of Illurien and her storm of visions. Illurien doesn’t otherwise eat or drink, and unlike other outsiders, she doesn’t breathe. She has no physical needs or desires beyond her thirst for erudition.

Environment: Illurien resides in an extraplanar repository referred to as the Athenaeum Nefarious, a place so well hidden in the wilderness of the Outlands that few have found it—and fewer still return from it. The library contains stacks of dark and forgotten lore, baleful traps, vile guardians, and several one-way portals to other planes. A clue to the whereabouts of this sinister vault is the perpetual storm that enshrouds it. Only Illurien can use plane shift to arrive precisely within the Athenaeum Nefarious. The Shrouded Dispensary, a building 100 miles from the center spire of the Outlands, is where those who wish to speak with Illurien can call her. She comes if she’s willing, carrying a sword of the planes (DMG 228) and protected by the effect the Outlands has on magic, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities. Only Illurien can use the Dispensary’s planar gate, which leads to the Athenaeum Nefarious.

Physical Characteristics: Illurien is a graceful, human-like, female figure, roughly 8 feet tall, with shimmering silver-gray skin. She has no distinct facial features other than a pair of silver-tinted eyes with blue irises. Close examination shows that she is composed entirely of iridescent droplets, but this watery composition forms organs and even bonelike structures. So, despite her elemental nature, she does have vulnerable spots. Illurien touches the ground only when she must, otherwise floating or flying everywhere she travels.

Alignment: Illurien lets no emotions stand in the way of her calculated collecting. She can feign kindness when doing so suits her ends, but pleasantries can’t sway her. She enjoys plucking information from unwilling minds, and she doesn’t care if she causes suffering, but she isn’t gratuitously violent. Illurien is neutral evil. Society: Illurien considers herself a scholar, a collector, and a sage. The knowledge she possesses is in demand. Creatures from across the planes seek Illurien’s counsel, despite her fees, which are brutally personal and coldly constructed.

Typical Treasure: Illurien rarely carries treasure, but she might be caught ferrying a tome of disturbing teachings or a mystifying item to the Athenaeum Nefarious. If she is carrying valuables, those objects are worth as much as standard treasure for Illurien’s Challenge Rating (22,000 gp). The sword she carries to the Shrouded Dispensary is worth slightly more than this total. If it occurs anywhere other than the Shrouded Dispensary, Illurien’s death spawns hints to the location of the Athenaeum Nefarious in minds recently touched by the tempest lash. Creatures that survive her attacks might be left with the ability to find Illurien’s gloomy home.

(text is from Monster Manual V for D&D 3.5e)

special shoutout to this bit of homebrew that turns her into a playable class, i first encountered it many years ago; the writing's a bit scuffed, but it's where i first encountered her, what first captured my imagination and it's through managing to track it down that i remembered any of this beyond a vague idea of watery knowledge-hunter. and oh god.

when i was young, i just thought she was cool. now, though? i think i need to sit down

[blazehedgehog]

You mentioned on this Tumblr once about suggestions that SA2 upended its production near release but I can’t find the posts. I think it was to do with the E3 trailer only showing Sonic, Eggman and…Knuckles. It sounds believable given this is what happened to Frontiers.

A lot of the information I once believed about Sonic Adventure 2 has been thrown into question in recent years (largely because I think I kept bringing it up and that sent ripples out into the community where it ended up being treated like a secret fact.)

A lot of that information came from the old Sonic HQ news board, which wasn't strictly moderated. Some of it also came from semi-official sources but is generally believed to be debunked now, even though it's more just a lot of he-said-she-said. It's just in this case, one of the parties is a literal employee of Sega versus people who were a few rungs down the ladder.

That information included:

A Gamestop employee attending a retailers conference, giving us our first confirmation of SA2's "good versus evil" theme. Concept art was described of "Dark Sonic" and "Nails the Bat" (Shadow and Rouge). Art mentioned "Dark Sonic" was missing an eye in some art, and missing an arm in others. We have some of that art now. Other art we've never seen featured "an angel" (Maria?), a "goblin with a big nose" (Gerald?), and a creature made out of hundreds of eyes (an early Biolizard?) Interesting when you consider the art of Shadow missing an eye.

Early information focused only on Sonic, Knuckles and Eggman as playable characters, making it seem like they were the only ones available. A whole campaign and petition was created by upset Sonic fans over the absence of Tails in the story. A delay was announced by Sonic Team to "add more familiar faces" to the game, and a few months later, a revamped Sonic Adventure 2 with a new, more colorful logo was shown featuring Shadow, Rouge, and Tails. It's easy to think Shadow, Rouge and Tails were added to the playable roster later, but data for them exists all the way back in the PSO "SA2: The Trial" demo from Christmas 2000.

To my own specific memory, in addition to the "revamp" delay, I recall Sonic Adventure 2 being slated for February 2001 and getting delayed to June. In my teenager brain, I thought they were removing Adventure Fields. I have found absolutely no evidence to back this up, so I generally don't believe it, but I still have curiosity about why I remember it that way. This was nearly 25 years ago, though.

A North American issue of Official Dreamcast Magazine supposedly interviewed members of Sega about Sonic Adventure 2 and notably talked about a branching story system that did not make it into the final game. An entire scene was described featuring Sonic trapped in a submarine; the player was given the option to either make Sonic try piloting the sub or to pop the hatch and take his chances in the water. No such sequence or system appears in the final game, but a branching story system did make it into Shadow the Hedgehog in 2005. This magazine was officially endorsed and approved of by Sega at the time, so you would think the information would be as close to the horse's mouth as you can get. When asked at a convention a few years ago, Takashi Iizuka denied anything like this was ever considered for Sonic Adventure 2.

Generally speaking, Sonic Adventure 2 was originally unveiled as a darker, scarier, more serious game. You go back and watch the trailer included with SA2: The Trial and parts of it are almost presented like a horror movie.

SA2's tone did seem to go through a bit of a shift at some point during development. That scary, mysterious, adult-oriented tone became more like a Hollywood action movie, either internally or externally.

If I had to guess, part of the "familiar faces" delay was more likely to add Tikal, Chaos, Metal Sonic and Amy Rose to multiplayer. Probably Big, too, and it wouldn't surprise me if Big the Cat's secret cameos came around this time as well. How much things changed beyond that is very unknown unless we get lucky and somehow see what very early builds of the game look like.

The only thing I'm truly curious about anymore is the branching story system. Takashi Iizuka might deny it, but it obviously came from somewhere official, and the feature literally ended up in the game generally considered to be "Sonic Adventure 2 Part 2." He could be forgetting something or even straight up covering for someone.

[fairylandblog]

Faerie Jewelers

Jewelers from the fae are well known for their excellent workmanship and unmatched attention to detail. Often believed to possess magical powers, these artists create works that are not only visually stunning but also evoke a sense of magic. Usually imbued with natural energies and originating from magical realms, faerie jewelers work with rare and precious materials. Gems such as moonstone, star sapphire, and enchanted emerald, chosen for their unique qualities and ethereal beauty, frequently feature in their creations. Fairy craftspeople have passed down the mysterious art of making faerie jewelry over the centuries. Fairies make each piece under precise starlight or during specific lunar phases to capture the desired magical powers. The fairies have a strong bond with nature, as evidenced by the designs' frequent use of natural features like leaves, vines, and flowers. Faerie jewelry is characterized by minute, detailed embellishments, and each piece has a unique significance or narrative to impart. Faeries, with their dexterous hands and acute vision, can work with minute details that human jewelers would find impossible, creating works of art that seem straight out of a dream.

People frequently use faerie jewelry for purposes other than decoration; it is not just ornamental. Many items are believed to offer protection, bring good fortune, or enhance the wearer's skills. A ring, for example, could enhance the wearer's creativity or intuition, while a delicate necklace might provide protection from evil spirits. People who believe in the magical qualities of these objects greatly desire them due to the delicate yet powerful enchantments they possess. According to certain traditions, wearing specific faerie jewelry may even enable the wearer to view the fae's invisible world and cross over into the magical world. Faerie jewelry is appealing for reasons other than its magical qualities. They are valued heirlooms and collector's goods because of the exquisite beauty and individuality of each piece. The vivid gemstones, organic designs, and fine filigree work combine to produce a timeless elegance that goes beyond regular jewelry. People view owning a piece of faerie jewelry as a unique opportunity that showcases their appreciation for both the supernatural and artistic talent. It is possible for collectors and aficionados to spend years looking for these unique treasures, frequently traveling long distances to secret faerie gatherings or clandestine markets. Many human artists have been influenced by faerie jewelers, attempting to emulate their enchanted aesthetic. These man-made pieces nevertheless have the whimsical and otherworldly quality that characterizes faerie jewelry, even though they might not have the magical touch of genuine fairy creations. Faerie jewelers continue to captivate and inspire with their complex workmanship, unique jewels, and nature-inspired designs. In an effort to evoke the same sense of wonder and magic in their creations, human jewelers frequently research the ancient fairy tale lore and skills. If they are lucky enough to earn the trust of well-known faerie communities, some even work together, picking up knowledge straight from the source. Literature and other media also demonstrate the faerie jewelers' cultural influence. Numerous fairy tales and fantasy books contain tales of enchanted jewels, which frequently represent love, power, or destiny. These stories instill a massive obsession with faerie jewelry in the public consciousness, feeding off of it. The elaborate and enchanted creations of faerie jewelers serve as a source of inspiration for numerous writers, filmmakers, and artists who create imaginative worlds in which these gems play a major role in the story. Furthermore, rituals and significant life events are often associated with faerie jewelry. In faerie culture, people can present a piece of jewelry as a sign of commitment, a gesture of love, or a milestone for entering maturity. Family heirlooms often inherit these extremely sentimental items over time. Various human societies wear faerie-inspired jewelry at weddings, christenings, and other events, believing it bestows blessings and protection on the participants.

Of special importance are the materials used to make faerie jewelry. In addition to the well-known gemstones, faerie jewelers use materials such as spider silk, dew drops, and even caught moonbeams. The faeries weave these components into the jewelry in ways that appear inconceivable by human standards, endowing the items with a shimmering inner light and a magical quality. The amazing artistry required to handle such fragile materials demonstrates the faeries' unmatched talent and connection to nature. In summary, faerie jewelers have a special place in both the human and magical realms. Their enigmatic and enchanting designs never cease to enthrall and inspire. Whether due to its elaborate designs, the magical qualities it is believed to possess, or its cultural significance, faerie jewelry continues to represent beauty, wonder, and the timeless appeal of the mystical.

[alln64games]

Space Station Silicon Valley

NA release: 21st October 1998

PAL release: November 1998

JP release: N/A

Developer: DMA Design

Publisher: Take-Two

N64 Magazine Score: 91%

Space Station Silicon Valley is a mission-based puzzle platformer where you reanimate the corpses of dead animals (don’t worry, they’re all robots). It was developed by DMA design (makers of Lemmings, GTA and Body Harvest) and is an immense amount of fun. The game did ship with a bug that meant that you couldn’t pick up one of the collectables, but I played a version that had been patched by fans that fixes the issue.

You play as Evo, a robot that loses its body as he and his hero-for-hire partner crash into a mysterious station that’s on a course for Earth. Evo ends up as just a chip, but discovers that he can take over the bodies of deceased animal robots.

In each level, you must complete multiple objectives, usually done by killing the animals, taking over their bodies and using their various abilities to complete what you need. It all sounds horrific and disturbing when trying to explain it, but the game manages to be incredibly charming throughout this, with happy music that is played through the station speakers (which you can destroy to shut them up).

Discovering how each animal moves and how to use them is one of the main things I love about Space Station Silicon Valley. They all have different kinds of movement – some are like a typical platformer, others are like cars and some can only move when jumping – and the powers have various uses that aren’t just needed to solve the puzzles of the level, but to find all the collectables. This concept was also a large part of Super Mario Odyssey, so my like for this is probably why I loved that, too.

Each level has 15 power cells hidden in it to find, some are in plain view, others are hidden extremely well. A few of them can be quite frustrating to get to, such as some high up ones requiring using a vulture’s awful flight to get there. The game’s dreadful camera also doesn’t help matters, as you can never get a good look around and the cameral often likes looking downwards.

The other kind of collectable is a hidden trophy in each level, which is found by doing a secret objective. Sometimes these are obvious, such as the second level having a racetrack, and often killing everything will yield results, while others are very tricky, such as listing to penguins make sound and recreating it on a keyboard (being tone-deaf, I looked that one up).

Still, even with these annoying ones, it was a joy to collect everything. I’m not 100% completing every N64 game, but this one was one where I wanted to do so.

At the end of each of the four regions, you’ll encounter a level where you find a piece of Evo’s original body. These are quite different to the main gameplay, featuring different events. For example the second area ends with a Jetski-like race called Walrace 64 where you have to win a race as a robotic walrus boat.

Once all these are done, the final mission is defending Earth against invading robots, but unfortunately is probably the weakest level of the game. Still, that slight downer is just the end of a wonderful experience.

While the difficulty is more of a rollercoaster than a curve, you do get used to some of the techniques the game uses, and the wild and wacky robot animals are always an absolute joy to discover – each time you see a new one, you’re eager to kill it and give it a spin.

Space Space Station Silicon valley is a wonderful platformer and one I think more people should try out.

The important thing, though, is that you’ll keep on coming back to it until you’ve found every animal, explored every single nook and cranny, and beaten every bonus game. It’s compulsive, addictive and most important of all, it’ll have you grinning like a rabid chimp while you play.

- Martin Kitts, N64 Magazine #22

Remake or remaster?

A remaster would be great for this. Have it adapted into widescreen, give it a new camera and fix a few things here or there. A few bonus levels would be nice, too.

Official ways to get the game.

There is no official way to get Space Station Silicon Valley

[intcritus]

"not a bad view is it ?" gallagher would ask, sliding up next to welt, arms leaning against the railing separating the dreamers from the depths of the dreamscape. before them, the grand theater, as ominous as it was striking with its blue hue and symbols in the sky. hard to look away, the hound would still let his eyes wander towards his company. "something tells me that you've seen far more beautiful sights though ; care to entertain an old dog with some ?"

to some, it would have been enthralling, to continue to look as though starved for new sights. welt had lived a long time, and had seen a great many things, and yet he would never turn down the chance to gaze upon anything worth looking at. and yet when the option of the grand theatre and his current company, it doesn't take a genius for welt to turn his gaze to gallagher, ❝ ━ it's a compelling sight, i'll admit. it continues to draw your eye, not because of it's size but because there's something mysterious about it, and you want to know it's secrets. ❞ there's a contemplative tone to his words, mind always curious about everything. he's a connoisseur of knowledge, it's his bread and butter. and penacony held a wealth of mysteries and knowledge.

considering gallagher's words, a small smile curved welt's lips, thinking of all of the mundane things he'd experienced that could be considered beautiful. ❝ ━ i'm not sure my definition is the same as yours. i've witness small moments of beauty, the smiles of triumph after using a drone as a kid, meeting other life forms in another universe.❞

yes, his definition of these sights and experiences were none other than memories, more than anything. taking off his glasses, welt rubs at his eyes, wishing for sleep but knowing it was a futile thing. regardless, he's out here and has company and that's more than he has most nights, ❝ ━ it sounds.....extraordinary but sometimes the battlefield pops into my head when i think of beautiful sights. i've probably been in more than most people in my lifetime. or when i animate something. just creating something with my hands can be considered among these things. ❞

staring back up at the sky, cleaning his glasses off with his scarf, there's a wistful expression on his features. some days, he appreciates any new experience, and yet there are some nights where he would have appreciated his parent's wisdom, his mom's hugs. the time for that has passed, and perhaps so have they but he can only move forward. ❝ ━ re-writing a story that has come to completion...sometimes i think that would be the prettiest sight, then maybe i could see the end and be happy about the plotholes. ❞ / @avaere

[autisticsupervillain]

FTF: Boss Battle

The show where we put a team of characters up against one much stronger or haxier character.

This Week's Fighters....

Gordon Freeman vs The RED Team!

Conditions:

RED Team restricted to stock. Gordon has Full Arsenal.

Scenario:

G-Man wants Gordon to steal some Australium from The Administrator. RED Team tries to stop him.

BOSS: Gordon Freeman

Many shooter heroes have gone up against impossible odds. Conquered incomprehensible threats from beyond the stars and bested physical gods. And yet, the greatest of all these heroes isn't an uber space marine or a super masculine macho man. No, Gordon Freeman is simply an ordinary scientist with a crowbar.

Gordon Freeman was once a diligent theoretical physicist working at the top secret lab known as Black Mesa. However, one of Gordon's experiments accidentally punched a hole into another universe, causing an alien invasion. Gordon is forced to fight for his life and fend off the invaders, making him the savior off Earth. Unfortunately, this puts him on the G-Man's radar, forcing him to serve the mysterious being and his employers for the rest of his days... until Half-Life 3 comes out... assuming it will.

Luckily, G-Man mostly seems to want Gordon to kick alien ass and Freeman's got plenty of tools for the job. For starters, he never goes into battle with his trusty HEV suit. The Hazardous EnVironment Suit comes with a whole bunch of nifty features, boosting his otherwise normal human stats to superhuman levels. With it, he's durable enough to tank military air strikes with 134 megajoules of force behind them and survive hits from lasers that do this to solid steel walls.

Source:

Moreover, most of Gordon's stronger weapons can kill Alien Grunts, who are strong enough to completely obliterate steel gates. By using Gordon as a measuring stick to estimate the size and thickness of the wall, it can be determined that it would over half a ton of tnt to generate this kind of explosion, roughly 0.723 tons of tnt to be precise.

Source:

The suit also has a built in radiation detector and an ai voice that informs him of any grievous injuries. Upon sustaining an injury, he's pumped full of painkillers potent enough to let him shrug off bullet wounds. Similarly, the suit's antitoxins are strong enough to reverse the effects of headcrab poison, which leaves him on the brink of death with just a touch, in seconds. Hell, he can even tank hits from antimatter weapons, endure extreme heat and cold, endure dangerous acids, and shrug off high voltage electricity. Even morso, the suit can be upgraded, allowing him to leap several Kilometers when using the long jump module.

He also carries a large array of guns. While Gordon has the typical shotgun, AK, and RPG ensemble you would expect from a shooter protagonist, he also has some unique guns. He carries two crossbows, one shoots tranquilizer darts while the other shoots bars of molten metal. He carries the Gluon Gun, which shoots unstable Gluon particles so powerful that they make people explode, the Tau canon, which shoots Tau particles, or molecular particles that make up matter on the Quantum Level, and the hive hand, which shoots alien bugs at people like a wasp machine gun. His Pulse Rifle shoots energy projectiles and, when charged up, shoots a ball of antimatter that bounces around everywhere and erases everyone it touches on contact. His most iconic gun, however, is the gravity gun, which manipulates gravity to allow him to throw anyone and anything that gets in his grasp around like a ragdoll, even erasing people with its antimatter energy should he grab them with it thanks to a handy upgrade the Combine gave it. And that's not even the only gun in Gordon's arsenal that can flat delete you, as the Gluon Gun can destabilize the Gluon Particles of its target and rip them apart on the subatomic level.

With these powerful weapons, Gordon has fought off impossible odds with ease. He stopped an alien invasion within the span of a week at most and turned the tide of a hopelessly one sided war against a galactic empire in the span of two days. He curb stomped his way through the US Military, is fast enough to react to and dodge rockets, and has even impressed the reality warping G-Man with his remarkable abilities.

Source:

Having said that, he has a few weaknesses. For one thing, his suit's durability relies on its battery, so he'll frequently have to recharge it if he gets hit too often. He also doesn't wear a helmet, which leaves his squishy human head exposed for his superhuman enemies to crush.

Despite that though, Gordon Freeman is universally beloved as the savior of mankind and is dreaded even by godlike, reality warping aliens. That says a lot about a man who used to just be a pimply scientist. The right man in the wrong place can achieve just about anything.

Team: RED Team

It began in 1850. Wealthy English industrialist Zepheniah Mann, owner of Mann Co, was convinced by his greedy, idiotic sons to purchase land in the US to expand the company. Zepheniah agreed, only to discover that the lands he purchased were useless dust bowls and lifeless gravel pits. Not only that, but he'd contracted many horrific diseases during his trip to the states that quickly ate up his health. Dying bitter at his incompetent sons, Zepheniah would write his last will on his rotting skin, splitting the worthless lands between Redmond and Blutarch to ensure that they would fight over it for the rest of their lives.

Desperate to get the other's half of the fortune, the Brothers Mann would turn their halves of the company into Reliable Excavation Demolition (RED) and Builders League United (BLU) respectively, using them as fronts to wage eternal war on each other. In their pointless bid to get this worthless land full of fuck all to themselves, the brothers would hire nine of the greatest mercenaries in the world to fight for them. The exact same mercenaries. For both of them. Don't think about it.

They would cycle through numerous teams over the years, until the 1960s where we'd meet the most iconic ensemble of the RED Team. The Team that would come to be known as Team Fortress!

The Scout is fast talking brawler from Boston he thinks he's hot shit and thinks he's God's gift to women. Because he is. Canonically. God told him so. He's easily the fastest person on his team, more than quick enough to outrun trains and flat out dodge rockets. And while he's certainly not book smart by any definition, he's a good enough scrapper to kill a Heavy in one on one melee combat. If he can't bust you up with his bat, then the wide spread of his shotgun would likely shred you to pieces, while his pistol finishes you off. He's swift enough to somehow double jump, durable enough to drink radioactive soda, and strong enough to blow you out of the park with his taunt kill. Hell, he's durable enough to survive three of Soldier's rockets blowing up in his face simultaneously, despite being heavily injured, tanking a combined energy equivalent to 0.007 tons of TNT!

Source:

The Soldier, otherwise known as Jane Doe, is batshit crazy patriotism personified. He wanted so badly to fight in World War 2 that he went on a one man crusade against Germany for years before learning that the war ended in 1949. He's mad enough to wrestle bears while covered in honey and crazy enough to try to fly by shooting rockets directly at his feet. Which makes it sll the more absurd when it actually works. A madman with a rocket launcher is one thing, give him pseudo flight and you've invited death himself onto the battlefield, raining rockets down from the skies and bludgeoning your teeth out with a shovel when he lands. Or blow you both up with the grenades on his chest. Or just shoot you with a shotgun. Whatever works.

The Pyro is a mysterious pyromaniac of indefinitive origin, indeterminate gender, and very definite lack of sanity, viewing all the chaos and death he brings through the fantastical lens of Pyroland. In reality though, she's burning down everything in sight with reckless abandon, either with their flamethrower or with their bare hands. Ryu would be filling a lawsuit if he wasn't currently ashes. And lest you think that's all the Pyro has, many a foolish Soldier has forgotten about the power of airblast and paid dearly for it. With a burst of compressed air from her flamethrower, Pyro can juggle enemies in the air and send projectiles and rockets back at the enemy.

Tavish Finnegan DeGroot, aka The Demoman is one of best and most dangerous Demomen to ever roam the Earth. If he weren't, he wouldn't be able to discuss it with you, now would he? Despite his constant drunkeness and lack of depth perception, the Demoman can easily blow the enemy to pieces with both the careful placement of clever sticky bomb traps or the ruthless spamming of bouncing explosive pipes. He can even take a note from the book of his dear friend Soldier and blast himself into the air with his bombs.

The Heavy Weapons Guy is easy to mistake for a lumbering brute, but beneath the muscle and thick Russian accent is a brutal and intelligent mercenary. Mikhail is a gulag survivor who works to provide for his family and possesses a degree in Russian literature. With enough beef to out muscle the rest of his team and a massive minigun loving naned Sasha, the Heavy rarely needs to think too hard to mow down everything in sight. And if he does, he knows exactly how to best rip a man in half or blow the head off with a shotgun.

Deil Conagher aka The Engineer is a humble Texas gadgeteer with eleven PHDs. While his trusty shotgun gives him an option in a fight, Engie is much better off building supports for his team, such as massive minigun sentries with built in rocket launchers to protect the base, ammunition and health dispensers to restock his team, and teleporters to keep his team on the frontlines and tele-frag any poor sap who stands on the other end of it.

What Mr. Ludwig lacks in his regards for the Hippocratic Oath, the Medic makes up for in his mad scientific expertise. Don't let his lost medical license fool you, the Medic is a veritable genius. His most iconic invention, the Medigun, can heal the brutalized bodies of teammates, put people's bodies back together, and can, when fully charged, render whoever he's healing temporarily invincible. He was once able to resurrect the dead by just... putting their blood back inside them and even managed to steal his teammates souls and surgically attach them to himself in order to scam Satan himself. His bonesaw can hack to pieces and his syringe gun gives him a method of self defense from afar.

Nick Mundy is a rugged, relaxed outdoorsman from the outback with a tense relationship with his parents and also the greatest marksman on Earth. While his machete and SMG give him options for dealing with close quarters combatants, the Sniper is most at home sitting back and blowing the heads off whoever he's been paid to kill this week. He's a professional. Nothing personal.

The Spy is the mysterious master of disguise of the team, with a penchant for acquainting his knives to the spines of his unsuspecting foes. His watch allows him to turn invisible for a limited time to best ambush his foes, while his disguise kit allows him to impersonate anyone on Earth, from your teammates to even famous celebrities.

Despite the team's frequent zany antics and at times debatable intelligence, they are the greatest mercenaries on Earth for a reason. Together, they've beaten everything from killer bread monsters to evil wizards and even a robot army. They are, for better or for worse, the greatest team of gunmen on the planet. Often, for far worse.

Throwdown Theme:

Throwdown Breakdown:

So... Gordon doesn't wear a helmet. If knly the RED Team could take advantage of that somehow. Like say they had a, I dunno... Sniper of some description. Don't know anyone like that, guess Gordon stomps.

But in all seriousness, it's a question of if the RED Team can keep Gordon distracted for long enough for Mundy to get his shot. And, in short, no. Not at all. Naturally, Gordon is much stronger. Much. Much Stronger.

What I mean is that Gordon is a wooping 103x stronger! (0.723 tons of TNT vs 0.007). Meaning it's entire possible that Gordon simply mows throw the whole team before Sniper can even get a single shot off. That is a massive problem, as even Gordon's regular guns should be strong enough to reduce the mercs to giblets with a graze with that gap.

Hell, Sentry Buster explosions completely obliterate the mercs and those themselves are much weaker than Freeman at 0.09 tons of TNT.

Source:

Medic is a necessity for this fight to even be debatable. The Medigun's ability to pull mercs back together after they've been annihilated is safety net they desperately need. After Heavy and Pyro get shredded and put back together (they are the ones meant to be engaging head on after all), the team will likely split up to keep Freeman from decimating them all. I tragically don't see Heavy really surviving the early fight due to his low maneuverability and Medic possibly might not either. Once Gordon sees him resurrect someone, he'd likely make Medic a priority, leaving the team without their method of taking hits. Thankfully, Gordon isn't likely to wipe immediately. A bunch of people comparable to, if not superior to Gordon in speed all running in different directions means Gordon is guaranteed to miss a few of them at first.

However, this forced split up would turn the game into an intense game of cat and mouse, giving a certain stealth expert the time to shine. While any Merc could theoretically ambush Gordon and shoot him in his obviously unarmoured head if they play their cards right, Spy is in the best position to do so. Gordon has no way of seeing through invisibility and given Spy's specialty, he's liable to go invisible as soon as the fight starts. This gives him the perfect opportunity to just... shoot Gordon in the head while invisible. Problem solved.

Even is Spy does die in the early bloodbath, there are some scenarios where the team can still win this. Pyro is fast enough to airblast back some projectiles early on and kill Gordon that way, but he's unlikely to survive thr bloodbath due to a lack of mobility options. Similar to Sniper or Engineer. But, Scout, Demoman, and Soldier likely would due to their own movement options. One well placed sticky trap is that would be needed to get Freeman's head.

There's this misconception that the TF2 Mercs are all incompetent idiots who do their jobs by accident moreso than on purpose. And while some of them are fairly stupid and they're all very unhinged, it's pretty consistent that they can organize very well when the chips are down. They know how to fight. How to strategize mid-fight, and even how to plan. And against a threat as overwhelming as Freeman, that would definitely shine.

This Throwdown's Winner is...

The Red Team!

The Boss has been defeated!

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 5/5

Book Blurb: Olivia Atwater returns to the world of Half a Soul with “a sharp and beautiful gothic romance” (Alix E. Harrow). Dive into The Witchwood Knot, and enjoy a dark faerie tale set in a magical version of Victorian England.

The faeries of Witchwood Manor have stolen its young lord. His governess intends to steal him back.

Victorian governess Winifred Hall knows a con when she sees one. When her bratty young charge transforms overnight into a perfectly behaved block of wood, she soon realises that the real boy has been abducted by the Fair Folk. Unfortunately, the lord of Witchwood Manor is the only man in England who doesn’t believe in faeries—which leaves Winnie in the unenviable position of rescuing the young lord-to-be all by herself.

Witchwood Manor is bigger than its inhabitants realise, however, and full of otherworldly dangers. As Winnie delves deeper into the other side of the house, she enlists the aid of its dark and dubious faerie butler, Mr Quincy, who hides several awful secrets behind his charming smile. Winnie hopes to make her way to the centre of the Witchwood Knot through wit and cleverness… but when all of her usual tricks fail, who will she dare to trust?

Review:

A gothic faerie tale featuring a magician pretending to be a victorian governess in order to solve the mystery at the heart of Witchwood Manor while dealing with monsters... both fae and human alike. Throw in a dash of romance, a stolen young lord, a tricky fae pretending to be a butler and a protective familiar cat and you get a absolutely fantastic read. Winifred Hall is hired to be a governess to a spoiled young lord as a favor to an old friend, a friend who just happens to be living in a manor that is said to be haunted and cursed by the fae. Winifred is actually a magician herself and is beginning to realize that the magic and curse surrounding this manor is much darker than she realized. When the young lord is kidnapped, she'll have to delve into the dark fae realm to get him back and the games are only just beginning. The more she pries into the truth of the manor the more she is realizing that this is a very complicated knot and that she'll have to rely on her wits to try and make it out. It doesn't help that there is the very dark and dubious faerie butler, Mr. Quincy, who is hiding so many secrets behind his charming smile, is the one person she'll have to help her navigate the fae realm of Witchwood Knot... There's a price for everything when it comes to the fae and what price will Quincy ask of Winifred? I have to say I fell absolutely in love with this book. I cannot wait for the next books and to see where Winifred and co go. Winifred was a wonderful protagonist, she used her tricks and wits to get by and after everything she went through she was still strong and resilient. The romance was very soft and sweet and I just adored the relationship between Quincy and Winifred. I also have to say Ollie, my sweet sweet boy, a true star in this book, a familiar cat after my own heart. This book was the perfect mixture of gothic romance and fairytale! I can't wait to read the next book!!!

*Spoiler: Winifred was sexually abused (forced to kiss her older male employer) until she summoned the Lady of the Hollow who took her under her own wing and vanished said abuser. Winifred knows she is blueblood but has no recollection of her family or her true name. She grew up as the ward of the Lady of the Hollow and of Lord Socrcier (hint at the previous 3 novels). She knows Lady Longell (owner of the Witchwood manor) and the lady knows that Winnie is a black magician and can help with saving her grandson. Mr. Quincy is a formieg, a separate entity from faeries and lives off of blood and iron (things faeries fear). He was bond to serve the Lady of Mourningwood but wanted to save some of the people of Witchwood Manor as best he could. Winnie and Quincy fall into a romance, a sweet and gentle one. When Quincy is forced to take Robert by his lady lord, the Lady of Mourningwood he does (he inadverdently saves him from being killed by lord Longfell) Lord Longfell is the reason the faeries are cursed in Witchwood and he killed his own mother and was going to kill Robert, he made a deal with the other formeieg, Quincy's brother Secundus who was freed when a drop of Lady Hollow's blood fell onto the earth (Quinct had saved and freed the Lady of the Hollow when she was a young child trapped with the Lady of Mourningwood). Secundus wanted revenge against the faeries and thus is the reason why there are no faeries in London (he is also the reason the Lady of the Hollow has disappeared and why Winnifred is trying to find a way to free her). Winnie gets back Robert and Quincy kills the Lady of Mourningwood, making him the new Lord of Mourningwood. Quincy and Winnie take Robert as their new student and Winnie now is set to free the Lady of the Hollow who was trapped by Secundus all the while the Hollow lady's husband (lord sorcier) lays asleep beneath the hollow land which is now taken over by Tritia (Quincy and Secundus's sister who has also been freed). Now they'll have to find a way to trick Quincy's siblings and free the faeries).

*Thanks Netgalley and Starwatch Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

[moonlightreal]

Unicorn series books

Let’s read some unicorn series books!  I’ve got a few series and I’ll hit up the library for some new stuff.

Secret of the Unicorn Queen 1988

A classic, always fun.  Sheila is helping her friendly neighborhood mad scientist when she falls through a portal into another world!  Where she meets a band of women warriors trying to protect the kingdom’s unicorns from evil.These books being from the time, they’re written more like fantasy books than childrens’ books; there are definitely some silly elements but the warrior women are all such memorable characters and the world is surprisingly built for such thin books.

You may scoff, but these books are good enough that when they became hard to find at least two people posted scans of them, just to make sure they wouldn’t be lost. 

This series is also just begging for a fanmade sequel.  Sheila uses the stuff she happens to have in her backpack-- a can of soda, chewing gum, her walkman-- to solve problems and convince the people of Arren that she’s a sorceress-- what will the next girl to come to Arren have in her backpack?  

Unicorn Chronicles 1994

Are brilliant.  Has anybody not read them really?

Unicorns of Balinor 1999

Princess Arianna has fallen through the gap to Earth and lost her memory.  She and her bonded unicorn Sunchaser must get back to their realm of Balinor and defeat the evil Shifter who has conquered the kingdom and disappeared the royal family.  The story wanders a bit, with different plot elements being added and taken away, but the characters and the unicorns make it good.  Mary Stanton is a horse person, and you can tell.

This series is worth reading, but it’s also a bit muddled.  Ms. Stanton was writing to a brief and you can tell; the writing is a little clunky and the line of the plot goes and stops and finally ends without getting to the end.  Some fan really should step in and write a last book tying everything up.

Wish Upon a Unicorn 1999

A series that doesn’t even have a series title and will be completely eclipsed by a movie of the same name. Also could be called the Vicki Blum unicorn series after its author.  Young Arica falls through a crack in the floor into a world of unicorns, elves and trolls.  As expected there is evil oppressing the kingdom and only Arica and the unicorns can save it.

This series has sunk out of sight and while I wouldn’t say it deserves it, the books are not as good as the other unicorn series of the time.  

The Unicorn’s Secret 2001

These books are aimed quite young, my copies has “Ready-for-Chapters!” blazoned across the top and they are in large font.  If you don’t mind a very quick and simple read the series is quite lyrical and lovely.  A little girl named Heart rescues a wounded mare who gives birth to a unicorn foal. Soon they must flee Heart’s cruel guardian to search for their real home.

My Secret Unicorn 2002

Young Lauren’s pony Twilight turns into a unicorn when she says a magic spell!  Together they solve problems like, “a horse is afraid to jump!” and “friends aren’t getting along!”  Linda Chapman is a prolific author of childrens’ fantasy under several names.  She also wrote the Stardust and Sky Horses series.  For books aimed at tween girls they have a surprisingly rich level of detail and magical worldbuilding that place these books just above the “too childish” line.

Unicorn Princesses 2017

Seven different colored unicorn princesses rue the Rainbow Realm of funny magical critters. Unfortunately their friendly neighborhood wizard-lizard keeps messing up his spells and causing trouble!  I’m not going to read the rest of these but I do kind of want to steal the wizard-lizard and stick him in a Winx fanfic.

Unicorn Rescue Society 2018

A series that includes remarkably few unicorns for the title.  It is the tale of two kids whose mysterious teacher is a member of the titular rescue society.  He’s never seen a unicorn but he intends to see one! And rescue it!  An attitude I approve of.  Each book in the series features a cryptid or supernatural critter in its geographical location, with factoids about the place.  Good stuff, but written just that little bit too young for my taste.

Unicorn Academy 2018

Ten year old girls and boys go to a boarding school where they meet their bonded unicorns!  Each book follows a different girl and her unicorn as they discover their magic talent, deal with the obligatory snooty mean girl, and chase after the mysterious cloaked figure who keeps trying to sabotage the magical lake that supplies water to the whole country.  The first book also includes magic frogs, which gives it a plus but the series is aimed too young for me to want to read the rest.

Unicorn Quest 2019

Eleven year old Claire and her sister Sophie find a passage into a magical world.  The unicorns are gone, the people are divided, and evil wraiths are terrorizing the populace.  And the girls have gotten separated when Sophie, who’s just recovered from a major illness, went into the magical world alone and disappeared along with a valuable unicorn artifact.  Claire must track down her sister and find where the unicorns have been hidden away.

Skandar series 2022

Only the first book in the series seems to be out yet, but it is great.  These unicorns are violent carnivores that can be semi-tamed by bonding with riders at birth. Unbonded unicorns grow up feral, violent and immortal so they rot away while still living.  Our hero Skandar has made it through mysterious opposition to bond with his unicorn but it looks like they have a forbidden power instead of the usual elemental magic.  Plus, a villain has appeared and is doing villainy things.

I liked the first one enough to immediately put the second on hold at the library.  

[regalfairytaleacademy]

Welcome to Aquadormancy !!

Aquadormancy was founded on the Independent of the Fairy Princess of the Oceans. It's used to be the dorm for fairies, magicians and mermaids, but it currently for students in kinds of species.

Students in this dorm are actively in sports and more extroverted to people. They sometimes do their missions independently, but preferable to help others. They has always been friendly with pixies and visits them at Pixie Village every year.

Although it's representative element is water, Aquadormancy was not always predominantly covered in water. In fact, it used to be the exact opposite sometime during its expansive history, during which half-women, half-serpentine beings called the Melusina roamed the realm in place of the merfolk, who they were at war with. It is unknown what caused the sudden shift in the realm's geography but, as the kingdom' landmasses shrunk in response to the oceans expanding, the Melusina began going extinct as due to their weakness towards water. As the Melusina were dying out, the merfolk thrived in place of them until one Melusina was left living alone on an island. In the end, the Melusina has fully extinct after Fairy Guardian and her husband attacked her with the power of water.

Building

Aquadormancy is a dorm predominantly covered in water with a few jungle islands. Those islands currently not allowed let the visitors go there, as it is described as the most dangerous. In the book, there's some abandoned ruins of ancient buildings also rest both above and below the ocean waves which were never explained. It is thusly connected to all the oceans of other countries within Twisted Wonderland.

Terrestrial

The dorm's castle on the land features an Arabian Palace. The roof looks like a spiral shell and the walls are colored in ivory covered with small colorful shells. Past the entrance hall is the marble staircase, then a long hall direct to the dorm leader's bedroom that is in angle where has the sea and moon can be seen.

Fountain - It locates at the outside of the entrance. Once was a boring displayed object, but after it become the most popular thing on Magicam. They said the fountain start at night when water gushed, surprisly happened as water suspended ponds were illuminated by soft lights. It is described as the most colourful and dreamy fountain at night.

Portal - Connected to the Fairy Village for quick access. The color of ring portal is pastel pink with butterflies. It not only for students, but also for pixies from Nymfevilla when they needed to get to the dorm just in time. It is in the secret room that only dorm leader can open.

Ballroom - The place where they dance or doing gymnastics. All the gym equipments and clothes are prepared with the magic case.

Swimming Pool - The place for students who have a passion for swimming. It is also for them to train their fast abilities. The germs and wastes on pool occasionally be cleaned by the water pixies after students had left.

Undersea

In the underwater, the building was designed in Denmark Castle. The outside has coral reefs, algae and more aquatic plants as decorations. Externally, it glows with lights.

According to the book, the depth of the oceans does not have a definitive bottom, and the Fairy Guardian even referred to the Oceans of Water Realm as the "Heart of All Oceans" when a dimensional shock wave triggered a tidal wave on Twisted Wonderland.

Portal - Linked to all the oceans of other dorm. It is for merfolks, if they want to go to other places. Each oceans of dormitories has a specialized Selkies who are tasked with guarding the portal at oceans.

Secret Library - It is the more ancient and mysterious library that guards all secrets from the kingdom, above and under the sea. It has a school of white sharks as a guarded of this library day and night. The archeomagic site had evidences about the black pearls.

Although completely immersed in water, it is specified to be full of perfectly-dry books of all genres, ordered in an immense spiral of shelves. It has house millions of volumes, and contained the Fortune Teller Book (Water Realm Enemies book).

Dorm Wear

The tradition and cultural clothes is the best choice for the dorm. But for the gym suit, they allowed to wear any styles they like. The accessories may have jewelries and pearls. Any aquatic plants and objects like corals as the main core.

[unikittybigbrightworldau]

Location “Wiki Pages”: Charm Valley

—-

Debut: TBA

Location Influences: Thra (The Dark Crystal), Skylands (Skylanders)

Ruler(s): Arcentharion (leader) 

Inhabitants: Trey, elves, Lego humanoid sorcerers, dragons, other mythical creatures 

Sublocations: Skyspell Tower

—-

Charm Valley is one of the locations in Unikitty: Big Bright World. It is led by Arcentharion, an old wizard. It’s a fantastical land where most of the world’s magic wielders live, and it’s said to be where all the magic in the world comes from.

—-

Geography: Charm Valley, as its name suggests, is located in a very deep valley with tall cliffs around it. 

Charm Valley can be entered by passing through a cloud of mist that hangs around it. The easiest way to reach the bottom is by following a trail that leads down a steep downward slope. The other sides of the gorge are surrounded by large plateaus. A waterfall spills from the plateaus into the rivers that go through the valley. Lots of it is wooded by evergreen coniferous trees. 

Architecture: The buildings in Charm Valley are made out of materials like wood, stone, cobblestone and hay. People either build them or conjure them up. Many Charm Valleyans make their homes in cottages, cabins and farmhouses. Some live in giant mushrooms, giant geodes or holes in the ground. Others live in towers like the Skyspell Tower, Arcentharion’s home on a cliff that looks over the valley. Doors tend to be circular, triangular, or otherwise uniquely shaped. Places of business unique to Charm Valley include taverns, old-fashioned shops, inns, and healers’ rooms. Places are illuminated with torches, candles, or Light magic. They also use windmills to help them make food. 

Clothing: Charm Valley’s climate is like that of a taiga, so its inhabitants normally wear long robes that cover their arms and legs. These garments are usually colored to show the type of magic their wearer practices, such as Fire magic users wearing red and orange ones. They might feature accessories that also show what type of magic they practice. Some people like to make their own kinds of outfits that go beyond the typical robe fashions. 

There are wizard robes made specifically for funerals and weddings. Their funeral robes are grayish-blue or grayish-purple, which are also the kinds of robes that Ghost magic users wear. Wedding robes always tend to have light colors.

Currency: Charm Valley’s form of currency are glints, which are sparkly colorful coins. Their denomination is determined by their size and color. They are named after the bright lights that can be seen when magic is around.

Defense: Charm Valley is defended by groups of sorcerers who are skilled enough in magic to ward off danger. They have to go through extensive magical training to do it.

Education: Children in Charm Valley go to school in school cabins that work like old-timey schoolhouses. There, they just learn all of the important skills they’ll need in life. They don’t have any school clubs or programs; students are only there to listen to the lessons. They finish school in their teenage years, and higher education isn’t a thing.

Culture: Charm Valley’s demonym is the name of the place itself. When describing something related to it, you say its name (ex. a Charm Valley gristmill). People who are from there can be called Charm Valleyans. 

Charm Valleyans are known for being fantastical dreamers who think big. They’re also known for being quite mysterious. They wouldn’t reveal their secrets, as every good magician never does. They prefer to use magic instead of technology in their daily lives, so there’s little to no machinery there. The ten types of magic are Water, Fire, Air, Earth, Life, Ghost, Light, Dark, Time and Space.

No one in Charm Valley is named after their being; everyone is given a proper name. The elves are usually given special elven names.

Parents usually create pieces using Life magic to then build their children with.

Their most important holiday is Age-of-Mage, a huge feast gathering to honor past generations of magic wielders who lived in Charm Valley. Dozens of candles are lit on the table, and they dine on their traditional foods. They also offer foods to the spirits of the past wizards. The atmosphere of the feast is quiet so that the spirits can come visit them.

They also celebrate the biannual Dragon Migration. They throw a party for the dragons to see them off when they migrate to distant mountains. Later in the year, they throw another party to welcome them back.

Charm Valleyans also celebrate the Summer Solstice and the Winter Solstice. The dates of the two depend on what Space magic users see. When the planet aligns with the sun just right, which it does on the Solstices, the magic in the valley becomes rich and plentiful. Both of them are celebrated by lighting fires to represent the bountiful magic sparks. During the Summer Solstice, large torches are lit, and the people roast foods on their hearths. For the Winter Solstice, they celebrate indoors in a tavern or ballroom, where they enjoy drinks and light a cozy flame similar to a campfire.

Charm Valley’s idea of wealth stems from how skilled in magic you are, but they treat those who aren’t very skilled kindly. 

In Charm Valley, birthdays are celebrated with annual family dinners. When it’s a kid’s Wand Ceremony, there’s a very large banquet that happens around the time of the event. At that banquet, the birthday teen gets to eat their food in adult-sized portions for the first time.

The Wand Ceremony is a Charm Valley tradition for young wizards there and in other lands. It’s done on a child’s 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, or sometimes 17th birthday, depending on when they feel ready for it. The event, in which the birthday teen receives a proper magic tool, marks their passage into adulthood. During the ceremony, the teen is presented with a bunch of magic tools, such as staffs, wands, scepters and amulets. They choose the one that speaks to them the most. 

Charm Valleyans have done bizarre courtship rituals to attract someone before marrying them. These practices are still done today to mark an agreement to marry, and how they court someone can depend on the type of magic they practice.

The leader, Arc, comes down from his tower to officiate at weddings and funerals. Either that, or an experienced magic user is appointed. Family, friends, and random people looking for something to do gather around to see the marrying people. They watch as they enter a private chamber. The marrying people will mix their magic by lighting a spark together on a candle-like stick thing. The spark will rise out of a chimney-like hole and into the sky to show that their love is infinite. The spark will cause a thread to appear, which Arc (or whoever’s doing these rites) will tie around the marrying people’s wrists. An incantation of good luck is recited, and then the people emerge from the chamber married. They celebrate with an elaborate wedding feast. There are about seven courses and accompanying music from a musical group. It’s held in a tavern or in a forest clearing, and it goes on for several hours. 

Charm Valleyans believe that a dead person’s spirit still lingers after they break apart. So, they put their inanimate pieces in yards where users of Ghost magic can speak to their spirit. The pieces aren’t washed beforehand because it’s believed that if you do, it’ll wash away the person’s spirit. They’re put on a gurney-like thing that you carry and covered up with a sheet that the spirit can pass through. The funeral takes place in the aforementioned yard, where the dead person’s pieces are carried out to somber music. The guests have a moment of respect for them, closing their eyes and holding hands while a traditional song of mourning plays. Instead of being buried, the pieces will be covered in dirt, creating a tiny little hill. The person’s spirit is summoned from beneath the dirt, and the attendees say their last goodbyes to it before it goes to rest. Things are very quiet in the time before and after a Charm Valley funeral because it’s considered mindful of the spirits.

In Charm Valley, illusion magic is thought to be “show magic,” so its people think of illusionists and prestidigitation when they think of performances. There are also small musical groups that play at gatherings, at important events, and to introduce the leader whenever he shows up. They consist of a long vertical woodwind, a lute, a tambourine, and some drums.

—-

Trivia:

The fact that some of the citizens live in holes in the ground and the uniquely-shaped doors to the buildings are a reference to hobbit holes. 

Earth magic refers to rocks, crystals, dust and clay, while Life magic consists of plants, bugs, animals and healing magic.

Ghost magic relates to spirits, ghosts and the undead. People who use it can talk to the spirits of broken people, or even utilize them somehow. 

Illusions are part of Light magic because the illusory images created with it are projections of light.

Space magic refers to outer space and celestial bodies. 

Charm Valley hasn’t built any probes or rockets for space exploration, but they study space their own way. People who wield Space magic can magically see beyond them, so they can see into space. 

Charm Valley isolates itself from the other lands. This might be emphasized by the cloud of mist that hangs around it.

Imogen has lived in Frowntown all her life, but her family lineage comes from Charm Valley. A relative of hers that lives there is her aunt Hilda.

The Skylanders series is referenced with the ten types of magic being similar to the ten elements, and Arc’s appearance resembling Master Eon’s.

—-

In Other Languages

Arabic: وادي الصوفي / “Wadi Alsuwfi” (Mystic Valley)

Spanish: Valle del Encanto

German: Charme-Tal 

Swedish: Charmdalen 

Italian: Valle dell'Incanto

Swahili: Bonde La Uchawi

Portuguese: Vale do Encantamento 

Korean: 참 밸리 / “Cham Baelli”

Japanese: チャームバレー / “Chāmubarē”

Chinese: 神秘谷 / “Shénmì Gǔ” (Mysterious Valley) 

Polish: Mistyczna Dolina (Mystical Valley)

Greek: Μαγεμένη Κοιλάδα / “Mageméni Koiláda” (Enchanted Valley)

French: Vallée de L'enchantement

Russian: Мистическая Долина / “Misticheskaya Dolina” (Mystic Valley)

Hindi: रहस्यवादी घाटी / “Rehsyist Ghati” (Mystic Valley)

Thai: หุ���เขาร่ายมนต์ / “Hub Kha Raumnt” (Magic Valley)

Turkish: Büyü Vadisi

[almostcolorfulcolor]

Death Note, meet Supernatural- CHAPTER 3

Relationships: L (Death Note)/Reader, L (Death Note)/Original Female Character(s)

Summary: What if Death Note existed in a world with Winchesters in it? Would L finally have the evidence he needs to prove Light is Kira? How will L fare in a world where monsters are real and not every case is solvable by him? Lucky for him, there's a hunter here to work side-by-side with him. CHAPTER 1 CHAPTER 2

Chapter Summary: L starts telling Anne about the entirety of Kira case from his viewpoint. Anne meets someone...unpleasant. A/N: For people who've seen the anime/read the manga, you can skip this one. Just read the note at the end of the chapter.

Chapter 3: Kira Case Summary: Part 1

L doesn’t take his eyes off his cake till it’s all gone. Only then does he look up and open multiple files on the screen.

“Last October, I started the Kira investigation. Multiple criminals worldwide had been dying of mysterious heart attacks. The ICPO was at its wit’s end because it had no clue where to start. I dug in a little deeper and found that the first criminal to die of a heart attack was a person named Kurou Otoharada who was holding some hosta-”

“Yes, yes, sweetiepops. I saw your pissing contest. Viral everywhere. If that’s all, let’s move on.”

Sweetiepops looks annoyed at the interruption but continues. “I worked with the NPA as it was confirmed that Kira was in Kanto, Japan. We looked at the pattern of the deaths and found that they at night and on the weekends- an ideal time for a student. Just as we deduced that, the killings started happening every hour as if Kira was privy to our investigation and taunting us. There was a leak in the NPA so I called in 12 FBI agents in secret to Japan to investigate the NPA and their families.

On 14th December, they came in. On 19th December, Kira started experiments. Controlling the prisoner’s actions before they died.”

I cut in, “Hold on, controlling their actions how?”

“Raise your hand before you speak. Kira made one go to the bathroom, the other draw something and some others send messages to me. (Seeing me raise my hand, L’s voice turns exasperated. “Shh, I have the pictures, you can see them later. They seem nonsense to me but you can give them a look if you desire.”) On the 27th, all 12 FBI agents died of heart attacks. Before dying, they all had gotten the full list of all 12 FBI agents in Japan at random times. They also died at random times so there’s no way of finding out which FBI agent Kira used to kill all of them.

However, while looking at the footage of some of the agents' deaths that happened in public, one stood out from the rest. Raye Penber. He died after he got off a train and it seemed like- let me play the footage now and you can see for yourself.”

A video starts on the screen and as I turn to look at it, L turns to look at me. Like full-on staring with his thumb in his mouth. “Whatchoo doing, L?” 

“It’s not L, it’s Ryuzaki, for safety reasons. I want to assess your reaction to watching the video. Don’t mind me.”

“Riiiight.” Shaking my head, I pay attention to the screen. This Penber guy gets on the train, gets off around an hour and a half later and just hits the floor clutching his heart. But wait…is that…shock? His features are not too clear but I think they’re frozen in horror, disbelief. He’s looking at something- or someone- in the train, before it takes off and he drops dead. That’s something, but not all of it. “Hit rewind, Ryuzaki…that’s it, play now.” Where’d the envelope go?

“Any idea what was in the envelope? Or did he just conveniently forget it on the train?” I ask the room.

Asahi sits up straighter. “We noticed it but know nothing about it.”

“I’ll bet you anything that the names of your agents were in it. And Kira was on that train too. Someone Penber knew, and thought to be innocent, which explains the look of shock mingled with horror. Who was Penber investigating before the…experiments started?”

Asahi visibly pales. His voice trembles when he asks, “So you also think that someone Raye was investigating is Kira?”

“ Also , chief? So you’ve already worked this angle, huh? Tell me who’s our top star.”

“It’s me. Raye was investigating Deputy Director Kitamura’s and my family”, Light confesses, looking uncomfortable.

“But my son is cleared from suspicion, isn’t that right, Ryuzaki?”

“Yes, he was. But I think I best continue my explanation to help Miss Anne understand this better.

Upon noticing my suspicion that someone in NPA was causing the leak, several refused to work with me and only Asahi, Moji, Aihira, Matsui and Ukita stayed. Be quiet, Ukita-san is the one who passed away in front of Sakura TV, I’ll get to that. Anyway, they wanted deeper trust between us so I called them to my hotel and revealed my face to them. After we investigated the deaths of the 12 FBI agents, I came to the same conclusion as you and decided to install cameras and wiretaps in Yagami and Kitamura households. (My eyes widen in realization, prompting L to respond, “Yes, yes, he was Detective Superintendent Yagami, he resigned now, don’t use his real name.”) Everything was normal, but Yagamin-kun was too normal. He was certainly intelligent enough to do the murders. I immediately became suspicious of him but even when he was studying right before my eyes, the deaths continued happening. After a few days of this, I had to remove the surveillance. 

Of course, the killings never stopped. So I decided to enter the same college as Light-kun and revealed myself as L to him. If he killed me now, the whole task force would know he was Kira. I conducted some tests and played a tennis match to determine if he was Kira but he avoided detection in all of them. Unfortunately, Asahi-san had a heart attack at the same time so I had to halt my investigation.

We also discovered Raye Penber’s fiance, Naomi Misora, an ex-FBI agent, had suddenly disappeared. I worked with her on a case before and know she wasn’t the suicidal type. Which means she was investigating Kira on her own and Kira had killed her. 

Few days later, Sakura TV played the tape from Kira. I’m assuming you saw that?”

“The whole fiasco right to the end of the patriotic police blockade.”

“Ukita-san had rushed there to stop the broadcast and was killed immediately. Same happened to the other two police officers. Lucky for us, Asahi-san broke in using an armored truck to protect his identity, recovered all the tapes and stopped the broadcast. We sent the tapes for forensics in hopes to find Kira’s DNA or some clue. We listened to the tapes afterward and the gist was this- police agree to comply with Kira and all the policemen including myself appear on TV as insurance. If we didn’t comply or failed to broadcast the names of criminals on TV regularly, he would kill the Director of NPA unless the real L revealed his identity on TV. 

Based on those tapes, I surmised that this Kira was not the original Kira. The original Kira only killed the criminals or those actively hunting him like the FBI agents. Those newscasters were of no threat to him. Furthermore, Ukita and those two police officers died immediately even though their names were secret which meant this Kira only needed a face to kill. Also, a direct threat was not Kira’s style- he wanted a peaceful world with adoring people, and this move would make them hate him. So I contacted Light-”

I jump and push L behind me as a screech filled the air. Taking a defensive stance, my eyes fell on the door to see a blur of glittery pink and yellow barreling right at me.

“OHMYGOD!!! We’re going to be best friends foreverrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!”

A/N:

So, Anne meets Misa. The rest is just Kira case summary. I know this is slow and too detailed but please bear with me. All the Supernatural fans out there who haven't watched Death Note need these chapters. Once we get the details out of the way, we're going faster, I promise :)

Reblog, comment and ❣️if you enjoyed this!

Until next time, XOXO

CHAPTER 4