#and now she’s inspiration for this huge character like wow

[lvlyyoonji]

does chappell roan know that she’s one of the inspirations for the vampire lestat and if so i wonder how she feels about that

[soapsbaby]

Bookworm

Summary: Your CoD Partner finds you reading a smutty novel. Characters: Simon "Ghost" Riley, Johnny "Soap" Mactavish, Kyle "Gaz" Garrick, John Price, Kate Laswell, König, Alejandro Vargas, Rudy Vargas, Valeria Garza, all x gn!reader Rating: NSFW (mdni) Word Count: 600ish

Simon

He doesn’t fully get it but if you love them, he does too. He's never once criticized any of your hobbies, if they make you happy, he supports it.

He has definitely found his way to have fun with it though, his favorite way is to make you read them out loud while he eats you out, making you repeat every line you didn’t manage to get out clearly enough for him to understand.

“Oh, Baby, what was that?”

Johnny

He loves your voice, he could listen to you for hours, so he loves when you read them out to him. Usually he’s just sprawled out on top of you, head on your chest while you run your fingers through his hair and read to him.

He keeps commenting everything to make sure you know he’s still awake, with little sentences like “Hm. Would you like that?” or “We should try that” or “That sounds horrible, I’m sorry.” if it’s a particularly wild scene.

Definitely falls asleep at times, though.

Gaz

It started with you telling him all of the plots of the books you were reading but since he seemed so intrigued you just started leaving the books on his bedside table once you were done with them so he could pick them up too.

It has become a tradition for you to leave little sticky notes on parts you especially enjoy so he can take inspiration (and he does).

Price

He enjoys them, especially since it makes it easier for you to express your needs and desires to him when you can otherwise be a little shy about them. He likes having you cuddled up to him and reading them out to you, reenacting them while he does, if possible.

Laswell

She picked up a few of the ones you finished and wasn’t convinced, telling you they were silly and unrealistic, but the next time you picked up your e-reader, she downloaded your favorite authors’ entire bibliography for you.

König

If you love something, he loves it too, but it took him a while to get used to those books, he was scandalized by the types of things you decided to read. 

“Listen, I thought I was mostly fluent in English… But the words in here…” 

Alejandro

Now this man will indulge you. Be it reenacting scenes, taking inspo, hell, he’ll even dress like your favorite characters if you ask him nicely enough.

He’s into roleplay anyways so it’s not that much of a far cry for him to get into the characters you find yourself fantasizing about. 

Rudy

He’d be lying if he said he fully gets it, but it’s your interest and so he appreciates it as much as he appreciates you and always shows interest when you wanna share any of the stories with him. 

He’s a huge bookworm as well, so a lot of the time you will cuddle up together somewhere, both reading your books.

He sporadically looks over your shoulder and if he spots you reading a particularly explicit scene his fingers will find their way between your legs, getting you off while you read .

Valeria

When she first saw you reading one of your smutty little novels she grabbed it from you, reading it out loud to you to fluster you (which worked, of course).

“Cariño, what the hell are you reading, hm?” You straddled her, desperately trying to grab the book out of her hands, miserable failing to do so. "Wow, you little slut."

[bonefall]

I'm still wading through some brain fog so I'm not writing as much as I want to, currently. But I have just been absently sketching Willowpelt because she's been on my mind

I had initially been working with the "hyena" face in mind, but I've been playing around with the "villainous role" idea for Ferncloud's Parting. I mentioned it to my partner who pointed out that big, strong profiles like that are overused for "vengeful" characters.

Besides, I really love drawing that face shape anyway, so I figured I'd move away from it since it's going to be on a LOT of RiverClan cats in particular (they have longer muzzles than other Clans because they hunt in water).

I'm leaning towards "bat" now... maybe I'll retool it so it's more deer-like. Deer are totally underused as inspiration for harsh characters...

Anyway ready for some WIP material? Plus a recap of Ferncloud's Parting for all who need a refresher

(oh wow it got long. The power of girlies <3)

FERNCLOUD'S PARTING... Refresher!!

Replaces Graystripe's Vow completely, taking place just after the Impostor has been deposed and is imprisoned. Ferncloud is now the main POV, accompanied on her journey by her childhood best friend Cloudtail and the Impostor's surviving lackey, Bumblestripe.

The goal of this SE is to explore Ferncloud's relationship to her younger brother, Ashfur.

(BB canon: Ferncloud and Elderberry are the older kits of Brindleface. Ashkit was a singlet born shortly before his mother's death, raised by Fern, Elder, and their grandmother One-eye. Fireheart botched the Queen's Rights while claiming Cloudkit, but for all intents and purposes was socially his Mi... which he was not good at being. Cloudtail was Ashfur's mentor and Ferncloud's childhood friend.)

Ferncloud is asking herself the question; "What could I have done to prevent this?"

A lot of secondary questions revolve around this... Does this make her responsible for what Ashfur has done? Did she teach him anything that contributed to who he is today? Does that make her responsible?

Cloudtail is in a similar situation, as Ashfur's mentor and someone who only ever wanted to help his friend. Could HE have prevented this? He wants to find out.

Graystripe, oldest cat in ThunderClan, accompanies the little group as far as the mountain... and decides to stay there, with his golden boy, Stormfur.

Bumblestripe had come along with them all, for... a lot of complicated reasons. But the most relevant is that he had been one of the Impostor's most loyal, brutal enforcers. Berrynose was killed in a huge skirmish, and now there's just Bumblestripe left alone to shoulder his sins.

After saying goodbye to his father for what's probably the last time, getting to meet the mythical oldest brother he's been compared to his entire life, and seeing Cloud and Fern looking to visit the Old Forest Territories... Bumblestripe goes with them even further to make sure the old cats stay safe.

Like Graystripe's Vow, I'm planning to keep the split chronology. It goes back and forth between Ferncloud in the Broken Era, and Ferncloud back during the Fire Era.

The ultimate moral here, the point I want to build to, is that Cloudtail and Ferncloud did exactly what was expected of them. They raised a loyal warrior who holds the code above all. They're only responsible for Ashfur insofar as they were responsible for teaching him the same values of vengeance, violence, and distrust of outsiders as was expected... in Firestar's absence.

(Though... there's lots of other questions that I don't think FP will answer. Like, COULD they have truly stopped him? Can they ever understand WHY, if they don't currently? There's a LOT of feelings here and I don't know if all of them really have answers.)

WIP STUFF TIME

Here's new stuff, I've either not mentioned this before, or I've mentioned it in passing without actually linking it to Ferncloud's Parting.

I have a LOT of ideas here that I have to start sorting through. I think these characters are all really interesting so it's really a matter of cutting down all these little details into something more coherent.

When Ashkit is young, he's a child. There was nothing particularly outstanding about him, besides the fact he was a bit lonely and eager to please.

There's a bit of an air of "loss" when Ferncloud thinks back to Ashpaw's childhood. Elderberry and One-eye will be dying soon after the "flashback" segments, so when she goes back to the modern era, thinking about them feels bittersweet.

I also want to sneak in that Ferncloud feels jealous over Cloudtail's mateship with Brightheart lmao, because she has a crush on Brightheart. (Note, maybe tie this to Ashfur being obsessed with Squirrelflight, with Fern questioning if her jealousy rubbed off on Ashfur)

Through helping WarriorClan, Bumblestripe feels REALLY good. They don't know anything about his past, his struggles, or his failures as a person. He's just a hero to them and that feels... good.

Watching Bumblestripe be good, learning more about his issues and WHY he did what he did while following Ashfur brings Cloud and Fern some insight... but not entirely what they need. Is Ashfur just a Bumblestripe on a bigger scale? Or are they just learning more about how good of a manipulator Ashfur is? In which case... where did that ability to manipulate come from?

Fang/Honeysuckle might be Bumblestripe's half-brother. If that's the case, Bumble is... frustrated by it. MORE of his dad's complicated legacy.

Ferncloud and Cloudtail probably have some short discussions about how much is really appropriate to teach to WarriorClan... after all, they're here questioning if any part of Ashfur was THEIR fault, what if they accidentally teach them something terrible?

But at the same time, Ferncloud is the Educator of ThunderClan, and these cats can't write. The Glyph system would be very useful to them, and they're begging to learn more about Clan culture.

Putting a pin in that part, for now. Will tie back more into the conclusion that the Clan cat party ultimately reaches.

BACK IN THE PAST; Firestar is away bringing back SkyClan in Firestar's Quietus. Everything that is done is without him.

Longtail, the deputy, is blinded and a leader does not immediately rise to fill the space in ThunderClan.

And in BloodClan, their trading partner... Scourge does the same. Oops! WRONG TIME, SCOOJ!

Planning to retire, Scourge announces an event called The Frenzy. He will choose the next leader from whoever accomplishes the biggest achievement in the given timeframe. This is how BloodClan passes on leadership.

He gives his chosen heir, Claw, their first Frenzy Achievement-- the fang of a dog from his own collar. Anyone who wishes to take power instead must accomplish a feat even bigger than what had allowed SCOURGE to take power in the first place; Killing a dog.

Fury is a challenger. She does NOT want Scourge's chosen heir, Claw, to lead BloodClan next. Claw will continue the trading and friendliness towards Clan cats, which Fury wants to end.

ENTER WILLOWPELT

Willowpelt ALSO wants this trading with BloodClan to stop. She feels it's gone too far.

BloodClan killed her mate-- Whitestorm. Firestar might have been willing to just throw his life away for this, but she's NOT.

She's recovering from a boar bite, currently, but it's scarring up nicely... and she's willing to pretend she's injured a little longer if it shakes suspicion off her.

She doesn't WANT to be allies with Fury, but if her goal is to bring BloodClan back into isolation... then, Willowpelt will do it.

And Fury promises her something else; Revenge. Scourge is the reason why Whitestorm died, and together, they can ruin his plans and make him watch as his peaceful little power transfer crumbles into ash.

GOOD SETUP IMO but I still need to work out what nefarious deed they'll do, exactly. All I know is that Fury will betray Willowpelt at the height of it. Maybe something about taking over Barley's barn. Maybe Elderberry gets killed.

But, I have one very strong feeling in mind; Ferncloud probably ends up killing Fury while Ashpaw watches or even helps.

Hmm... maybe Graystripe (becomes deputy as soon as Firestar gets back for handling this crisis so well) ordered them to let Fury go.

But Ferncloud looked at Fury, and decided that Willowpelt was right about one thing. Most BloodClan cats cannot be trusted.

The code does not apply equally to outsiders.

Maybe I WILL have Fury end up killing Elderberry in some way, and then give Ferncloud and Ashpaw a conversation about it. "Those who don't live by the code will not be protected by it. And we must protect our Clan... even if Graystripe doesn't realize it."

I could make it clear that Fury is not a threat at that point, having been beaten in some way and Claw ascending to BloodClan leadership. OR I could have left it open-ended, like, maybe Fury would be a future problem, maybe not. Not sure yet.

Willowpelt of course will also need to experience some consequences for this... unleeeess, I have Graystripe let her off really easy exactly because she's Clanborn, which even Cloudtail is frustrated about, maybe even coining the term "Codebreaker" as an insult under his breath.

In any case, Ferncloud never told Cloudtail about how she secretly killed Fury. It's too juicy to have her reveal it to him in the modern day, explaining that it IS her fault, she DID teach him the wrong thing.

Hmm... I'm talking myself into it. Though I did also like the original vibe that Ashfur's tyranny was kind of unknowable, trying to make sense out of a senseless thing he did. I think it feels a lot more interesting for Ferncloud to have been hiding this for literal years, and now feeling like she has to "pay the world back" for what she did.

Maybe even build towards something metal about Fury's grave. Hmm... maybe to hide the murder, she buried her in Elderberry's freshly dug one, since no one would notice the soil had been recently disturbed as it was JUST dug.

Buried my sister and my secret victim in the same grave. ~Just Girlie Things~

Cloudtail sitting here, War Criminal to the right and Secret Murderer to the left like "can i ever be around normal people. like, just once"

Jokes aside... Cloudtail needs to point out something very important. Ferncloud regretted what she did, and she never did what Ashfur is doing. She never sought power, when Firestar came back she's lived a long life without ever once undermining him, and even her beliefs have softened over time.

She was a Traditionalist back then, but is Fire Alone now. After everything. The destruction of the forest, loss of her kits, WindClan rebellion, reveal of Squirrelflight and Leafpool's secret...

She's helped to raise every new generation as the Educator. And yet, Ashfur, the Impostor, is unique.

And look at Bumblestripe... being Graystripe's son didn't stop him from being the Impostor's lackey.

We all make our choices. HE made his. You made your own.

But... I don't feel like Ferncloud can entirely accept that as an answer either. There would be a very forlorn sort of feeling here. Yes, we all make our own choices-- but we influence each other. For better and for worse. And she refuses to avoid responsibility for that.

Maybe in that moment I'll have her make the choice to return home, and BE the one who becomes the Light in the Mist to face Ashfur in the Dark Forest. Seems to be coming together.

[kj-yikes]

Do you personally like Andrea Rojas as a character?

I honestly wasn't a huge fan at first, but I think with some rewatches, I've changed my tune.

On my first watch of S5 when she's first introduced, I think I kinda brushed her off. She was fine but not the most compelling to me. She seemed written as kind of a means to add depth to the Kara/Lena rift (Lena needed to get away from CatCo, Lena needed more backstory for why betrayal hurts her so much, the weird way they wove in Lena's magic and how she needed the medallion to stop Lex) and Andrea really shakes things up at CatCo, so I was kind of annoyed about her at first. And then Crisis happened and honestly I fucking hate Crisis because I feel like they handled it so poorly on Supergirl (idk how it was for other arrowverse shows) and she just kind of seemed confusing post-Crisis, so I didn't really give her much attention.

But now that I've watched Supergirl, like, so many times, she's grown on me and I get a little upset about how they introduced her as a character just to totally underwrite all her character development with crisis. Andrea is actually a really tragic character, to me. Here are some moments that really shine for me pre-crisis, and I wish we had gotten a little more depth especially post-crisis:

(putting under the cut because wow, maybe I need to read/write some Andrea fics? I clearly have a lot of Thoughts?)

I do like her backstory with Russell and it adds to her character. Their meet-cute is adorable. And she's definitely a "you jump, I jump" kind of gal even with Russell. "Don't kill Russell, he's useful to you." Andrea is super smart and strategic. We don't get a "please don't kill him, I love him, what you're doing is wrong," change your mind/inspire hope kind of speech like we'd get from Kara. Andrea doesn't know a lot about Leviathan, but she knows enough to realize that showing that Russell could be useful is a better tactic to saving him than begging for his life. And it kind of works, sort of. He's alive.

Andrea fiercely loves. Lena asks her to drop everything and go pretend to be explorers to find some medallion that may or may not exist, during a very tumultuous time in Andrea's life, and Andrea does it. She accepts some mysterious bargain for her father's life, then kills when she has to to continue protecting her father. She reasons with Leviathan for Russell's life. Truly, she will do anything for those she loves.

But that's where the tragedy happens. She loves Lena. She loves Russell. But when she has to choose, she chooses her father first, and it destroys her other relationships eventually. (And the fact that her post-Crisis, Earth Prime father blames her when Obsidian tanks is heartbreaking, but I guess we'll get there.) She says it's the biggest mistake of her life, that she never wanted to betray Lena, that the medallion is a burden. I honestly want to know why the medallion unlocked her powers. What does that mean? I have so many questions.

Andrea pre-crisis is a pretty sympathetic character too. She doesn't kill because she's evil. She does it to protect the people she loves. Yeah, it's for evil Leviathan, but honestly I think that's what makes Eve a sympathetic character to me too. Getting blackmailed to do evil things because you love someone? That's some interesting shit, and I do think we kind of get some payoff on this post-crisis.

The scene where Andrea asks for Lena's help to break into the DEO is delicious to me. Andrea just wants to fix her mistakes. She wants to do good, too. ("Honey, when I look at you all I can feel is pain." Why can't queer people have normal breakups??) Lena says she's tired of people hurting each other. She reluctantly agrees to help Andrea (which is, in a way, betraying Kara for Andrea) and then turns around and betrays Andrea (she seems to be all bark and no bite though. "Russell, put down the scalpel" LOL Katie's delivery is so good there). Lena's hurt (she just wants to be someone's #1 for once) and she lashes out like she normally does. It's so deliciously messy and heartbreaking and makes for a good story. There's no doubt that all three characters (including Kara in this, because it's hard to talk about the theme of betrayal without her) are motivated by love, and they all choose to handle it in such different ways.

Idk. I could go on. They really packed quite a bit into the 7? 8? episodes before crisis and I think it pays off pretty well. And then crisis happens, and Earth Prime Andrea is there and....??? They let us lean on knowing Andrea's character pre-crisis but do nothing to distinguish her or tell us what her Earth Prime backstory and motivations are (this just seems to be the common theme with crisis. Like, how does Kelly react to crisis? I think she gets her memories back, but like, she doesn't even know Kara is Supergirl at this point, so??? Anyway this is about Andrea not Kelly).

They get rid of the Russell backstory completely (? I think?). She still has the medallion, so I guess she betrayed Lena, but Lena seems over it because Andrea is useful, so they don't even really get a good reconciliation since Lena brushes it off (not that they ended pre-crisis on good footing, but at least everything was out in the open?).

The only real scene I think has some substance is when Andrea is tasked with killing Supergirl, but even then, I feel like this scene does much more to show Lena's character arc than Andrea's given that we're given practically nothing about Earth Prime Andrea. If you think of it in light of where we know Earth-38 Andrea ended up, it's kind of beautiful to watch Andrea make the choice to be the person she really wants to be (@fazedlight has a really great post about this).

I also think the scene where Kelly finds Andrea crying after the Obsidian debacle to be quite poignant, but only through the lens of knowing Earth-38 Andrea. Earth-38 Andrea sacrificed everything for her father, and her Earth Prime father is so quick to push her under the bus.

I'm getting things a little out of order in my head and I don't have time to go watch, but I think after that, Andrea chooses to kind of rescue herself, make sure she's set up when everything falls apart. I think this is an interesting choice for her. I love that she's choosing herself for the first time, and not doing something self-sacrificial for someone else. But it's still pretty morally gray of her to break into her father's account to buy up her shares of Obsidian. And then, later, she tries reconnecting with Lena for what seems to be the sole purpose of getting a scoop, which Lena doesn't appreciate.

Are those examples of Andrea being who she wants to be? It could go two ways: one, yes, this is her being who she wants to be, and that person is someone who's gonna do anything to get to where she wants to go. I could see it, but it's kind of a sad way for Andrea, who loved so fiercely in Earth-38, to end up as a character. Two, it could be that choosing to do good is hard, and sometimes we slip up. If that were the case, I wish we had gotten more from her as a character at the end of S5 and into S6. Lena and Andrea do somewhat reconcile I think (I’m not quite remembering exactly how, but I remember they’re friendly by the time Lena goes to Newfoundland), but we don't get a lot of them after that.

SO. Do I like Andrea as a character?

Yes? Earth-38 Andrea is certainly an interesting and tragic character. Earth Prime Andrea? Eh. Earth-38 Andrea was kind of set up to be an interesting comparison to Lena and Kara’s falling out and then they were like, well I guess she’s on Earth Prime but we don’t really care to redevelop her backstory. It’s a shame, because I think they could’ve done so much more, especially with her relationship with Lena.

[lightofraye]

No way! GLEN POWELL?!?!?!? You're a fan too????!!!!

Oh boy.

All caps. Tons of exclamation marks and question marks.

I'm in trouble, aren't I?

Because... yes! I'm a huge fan of Glen's! And it's not because he has a hot bod either!

(Thank you, Top Gun: Maverick, for that volleyball scene. Ahem.)

But no, in all seriousness, the first role I distinctly remember him in was playing that stock market guy in The Dark Knight Rises--the one who promptly got his head beat in by Bane.

Why did it make an impression on me? Because I believed it when he stood up to Bane. It was a stand out scene.

Later, Hidden Figures, I remembered liking John Glenn--and hilariously didn't make the connection of the actor! Not until much later. He made other small roles that I remembered... and then forgot the actor. (Hey, life is busy.)

Then Top Gun: Maverick came out and I remembered sitting back in my seat and going, "Who the fuck was that?!"

Because wow. Arrogant, snarky, could back up his claims. It was another Tom Cruise in so many ways. Hangman, Glen's character, was just like Maverick, Tom Cruise's character. He popped on the screen and I just had to know more about him.

Cue a deep dive in his history, his Instagram, and his roles. And discovering he was in other roles that I liked!

Then learning about his history as an actor. He said it was Denzel Washington who inspired him to make a try for it in Hollywood--a real try.

By 2007, Glen had made a few roles, small ones, but he credits Denzel for putting faith in himself. Trying out for The Great Debaters, Denzel asked Glen to come back and try for a bigger role... and to drop his noticeable Texas accent. Glen was determined to impress the movie's producers--and succeeded.

He was just 17 years old.

Glen recounted Denzel's advice to him:

"This race, Hollywood, it's a marathon, not a sprint," Powell relayed from the Oscar-winner's advice. "You're running your own race. Don't look in the other lanes. It doesn't matter how fast somebody else is going, where they're going, or if they look better doing it. It doesn't matter."

When he tried out for The Expendables 3, he wrote to Sly Stallone and explained why he was the best choice for the role. Later, Stallone told him it was the reason he got the job.

He then got into Ryan Murphy's Scream Queens on Fox. (And making friends with John Stamos!) It helped him show off his comedic skills and helped make his name in Hollywood.

He actually admitted when he got into Hidden Figures, he was worried he ruined it. It was such a powerful movie and he feared he wrecked it. (Needless to say, no, he didn't. That movie shone!)

He made a rom-com with Zoey Deutch on Netflix that also cinched his skills as an actor who could do romance, comedy, and Top Gun (along with The Expendables) showed he could also do action. He's very well-rounded as an actor.

But what really catapulted him was Anyone But You with Sydney Sweeney. For the last few years, Hollywood had struggled to make really big rom-coms (in my humble opinion). Most just don't really break the box office.

Then Sydney Sweeney came along with her clever mind and manipulated the hell out of the chemistry between her and Glen. It worked too well--he had been in a three year relationship with Gigi Paris.

During the filming of Anyone But You, there were so many candids, behind the scenes photographs, that left quite a few convinced Sydney and Glen were having an affair. (Sydney is very much engaged with her longtime boyfriend of, what, 6 years now?) But some speculated it was too much for Gigi and she broke it off.

It's never been confirmed as to why they broke up, but it was interesting....

Then Glen went and adopted a freakin' adorable dog, a mutt, and named it Brisket. That dog has been with him everywhere now! Even during promos!

What I like about Glen? He includes his parents in a lot of his movies as extras! He's frequently seen with his niece and nephew, photographs with them all the time... and a couple of years ago, reenacted, I kid you not, some scenes from ELF in New York with his family. (Seriously. Watch it. I couldn't stop laughing.)

He's made a hit for Netflix with Hit Man. Twisters is doing pretty well in theaters. He's so busy I'm staring at his schedule and thinking to myself, "When does he have time to breathe?!"

What I'm also impressed with is how, upon talking to Matthew McConaughey and realizing how soul-sucking Los Angeles could be, Glen sold his home in Los Angeles and relocated back to Texas!

My last tidbit of amusement? He has green eyes. He's Texan.

Seriously, what is it with me and green-eyed men from Texas? Yeesh.

(I turned into a gossip columnist. Haha!)

[rmorde]

Trigun Manga Reaction

Now, back to Volume 1 Chapter 9!

Insurance Ladies know they are going above and beyond what is normal here. But, they still continue as consummate professionals.

THIS IS SO ADORABLE!!! SO CUTE SO CUTE SO CUUUTEE!

I like the tiny little details that hints something about the characters too.

The most obvious things are Milly's childish expression (playful) and Vash's one leg raised on the seat position (gremlin). However, "no nonsense" Meryl's feet are placed inside the table's rings! You'd expect her to put them by the side of the table but nooooo!!! They need to be IN the ring (she's not above them all!). LMAO.

Tbh... I think the Kaite & Vash relationship feels more fleshed out here in the manga than the anime. I guess it's because of the Rem conversation. It added more weight to their interactions.

Also, they're adorable! Kaite is one sharp kid calling out Vash's bullshit. Vash, like a dog with a bone, keeps deflecting.

Oh wow. This is a huge difference from '98. Kaite was totally alone when he approached the crew.

And this is just as painful and hard to see because, you can absolutely understand the crew's reaction and feelings. What Kaite did was wrong. At the same time tho, he is just a kid who didn't know better. Taking out their grief and fury on him is not right.

Gosh... It makes me think of Little Vash and The Great Fall.

I wonder what exactly went through Vash's head here. In my perspective, Kaite is reflecting Vash unknowingly in this scene. But it's so painful because he's just a kid. He should never have been put in this position. He is too young to be on this path for atonement and redemption! It's just wrong.

Hmmm. Another big difference. Interesting. The Plant was never mentioned in '98 at all.

So, Tristamp followed this manga arc more closely. Some elements are remixed such as Wolfwood replacing Kaite, the Gung-ho Guns substituting BDN as a threat, and the race is avoiding destroying a town instead of avoiding falling off a cliff. All beats are the same tho.

HOWEVER!

I think '98 has a more logical timeline personally because they are in a hurry to stop the ship right? It's a critical moment. If you think about it, there should not have been enough time for Vash to regroup with Kaite after the duel. So, '98 having these two events happen simultaneously is actually good.

Another benefit is Kaite's offer to help feels much more genuine when he was alone and away from Vash in '98. It really sells the idea that this is entirely his own decision despite the risks of retribution.

Of course, Vash didn't influence him in the manga too but by visually having him there with Kaite, it kinda undersells it imo.

Oi. Vash. That's no way to talk about your sister!

While I do appreciate the changes on the Plant design in Tristamp, I really like the '98/Manga more. They're both excellent designs for Sci-Fi but I just really like the 90's flavor of magical Angel Power Plant... which appeases my thing for magitek.

Tristamp tho is a modern flavor of alien Faerie Power Plant - not bad but not my cup of tea. However, the glowing lines feature is wonderful! It reinforces the idea of them being power plants because they have "circuits" in the body. Restraining myself from saying Magic Circuits!

Oh... This is a really fascinating set of panels that I think both '98 and Tristamp haven't adapted well.

'98 kinda skipped this. However in Tristamp, the emphasis on Plants is very clinical. Not sure if that is the best way to describe it, but, in the plants feels so much more objectified in Tristamp. I guess the horror element about the human-plant relationship is further emphasized there.

It's contrasting the manga which seems to be more focused on the awe-inspiring side of it like in the scene above. The scientist waxes poetic and is practically making a religion out of the whole thing.

I guess, to put it simply, the manga effectively shows how humans see Plants worthy of worship. Meanwhile, Tristamp displays how humans see Plants as just a life-essential battery.

So beautiful... Oh...

What if the re-design happened because animating expressive individual feathers would be a pain for Orange staff? GASP! Is that why everyone's hair were cut short?! Because hair is tedious to animate. OMFG... IS THIS WHY MILLY WAS CUT OUT IN SEASON 1 since she really really long luscious locks?!

I kid. I kid. 🤣

Oh. That's really clever remixing by Studio Madhouse. So '98 Miss Purple Avenger Episode is like a "Prototype" of this manga arc. This is where Vash having to prevent an explosion of a Plant came from.

Okay. Another great difference... I've been saying that a lot in this chapter. Sorry.

In '98, Vash dealt with this alone and the only witness was terrified. It focused more on the mystery.

However, here in the manga, Vash is not alone. Humans must work with him to save the Plant and everyone. He can only buy time but it's up to them to stop the whole thing. It's a really nice display of Vash's hopes and beliefs regarding human-plant relations. ----> BTW, the art in this page is really pretty and interesting! (1) The almost "gradient" like transition of Vash's coat to the bulb is so creative. (2) The drawing of the Plant resembling a blooming flower: feathers as ray florets, the plant/sister as the disk floret, and the wires as receptacle/stem.

These pages are so gorgeous and the way the slowing down of the heartbeat was shown through the interspersed tiny panels is just really good.

ROFL. The human instinct of "I don't know what's going on but it's helping so I won't pry anymore and I'll just roll with it!". Love to see it!

I think this arc is so good because it justifies Vash's often criticized brand of hope - his endless patience at giving humans chances to bridge the gap between their species.

Humans can work together and save themselves with just a little push. They won't rely on exploitation forever.

People can realize when they are wrong. They can atone and redeem themselves. They do not stay cruel and ignorant forever. They are capable of change. ----> Also, this art is so perfectly adapted in '98. This page, actually, all the pages relating to this collective effort of humans to save the ships (with a bit of an assist from Vash) is so heartwarming to read. ----> Oh... Kudos again to '98 because since they relegated the 'Vash prevents a Plant explosion' to an earlier episode, the episode covering this particular plot had him out of commission. So, the stakes have become higher. Humans must set aside their differences and work together to save each other and Vash too.

And finally, humans are more than what they seem. They are complicated. What could be an enemy at first could turn out to be an ally that can save you later.

This entire conclusion to the conflict is just good and very... Vash. This is what he wants for Knives to see and understand about humans.

I think '98 really did well in adapting the essence of this arc. Tristamp is complicated because now, on hindsight as I read the manga, the episodes are basically hard-carrying and working overtime telling multiple plot lines at once!

Let's see... in Tristamp's version of this arc:

Wolfwood was working double time in the narrative as "Kaite" and one half of the "Good/Hope of Humanity". Not to mention he has his own conflict going on too.

Meryl was the second half of the "Good/Hope of Humanity" that works with Vash (Plant) in saving people.

Unfortunately, with BDN being replaced by the Gung-ho Guns, there is nothing that echoes the "Hidden Depths Enemy Turned Ally"... character...No way... OMFG! WOLFWOOD WAS SUBSTITUTING FOR THAT ROLE TOO IN THIS ARC!!! Poor Woofwoof!

Roberto is a unique addition since he is a Tristamp OG, but I think he represents well the approach taken by Orange with Trigun. He is like the "Flaws/Indifference of Humanity". He is good but experience had turned him into someone that's jaded and refuses to rock the boat (unlike Meryl). His age and 100% ordinary human status prevents him from surviving long enough to change his disposition too (unlike Wolfwood). It's pretty in line with Orange's more emphasis on the "darker" aspects of the story.

WHA-?!!!

Eh? Eh? EHHH?!!

WHY WAS THIS CHANGED IN '98?!!! THIS IS ADORABLE AND COOL!!! AHHHH!!!! NOOOO!!!!

But... then there won't be Meryl and Milly supporting injured Vash. NOOOO!!! Augh. AND THERE WON'T BE TRISTAMP VERSION OF THIS! AHHHH!!!!

Oh. So, the singing is in the manga too. That's a surprise. I thought it was a '98 original scene.

Awwww. ಥ_ಥ

[bengiyo]

Sukiyanen Kedo Do Yara ka Ep 4 Stray Thoughts

Last week, Soga and Sakae started going on dates. However, they were only doing things Soga liked because he was so excited to share them with Sakae, and Sakae is kind of a pushover in his attempts to make Soga happy. I'm still thinking about that horrible outfit Sakae wore. However, Soga got worried that he was forcing his interests on Sakae and asked around to see what Sakae liked, so they went to play squash. Soga wasn't very good, but they managed to have a great date out of it. We left at Kazuyo confessing to Sakae.

I love Kazuyo. She got rejected and immediately demanded a performance review. Glad Sakae didn't lead her on, because his friend definitely likes her.

Episode 4' It's his birthday, what now?

Wow, Kazuyo is amazing. She's processing her disappointment, but still joined their team to help with Soga's birthday.

Gothic and Halloween are not the same thing, but I am very excited about this party.

Whoa, they showed Sakae kissing his ex. That's a huge deal.

I'm really into the decorations!

Kazuyo's shirt would work for this party I'm going to for a parade.

It's really cool that BLs are starting to take the rejections of its female characters seriously. I like that we get to see Kazuyo processing this and still helping.

Don't forget to invite your friend so he can flirt!

WEDNESDAY

Damn! She slapped him!! I love this energy from her.

Few things make me happier in romance than someone expressing how they feel leading to a closer and better relationship between everyone. Kazuyo didn't get romance from Sakae, but here she is crying with him in his corner and inspiring him to be more forthright with Soga.

I love seeing adults confess to each other. Soga wasn't sure if it was a bit, Sakae assured him he was serious, Soga thanked him for sharing while admitting he was a bit surprised and overwhelmed, and Sakae told him to take some time to consider it. I love it here.

Oh lord why is the ex back now?

Next week looks great. The ex is around and invades the sauna!

This show is so excellent. The character writing is so clear and so strong. The drama is light but believable. I'm rooting for everyone, and it feels like Sakae is a real gay person.

[ronqueesha]

I've been developing my death knight as a new WoW roleplay character in my head for a while.

I don't have every detail planned, but the things I know about her:

Her name (for now) is Rosalyn Kwesha.

She was a small time thief and petty criminal in Gilneas before the worgen curse afflicted the population. She gained quite the reputation for her lawbreaking among the poor and downtrodden. She wasn't quite a robin hood figure, the people just liked it when someone made the king and his laws look bad.

She was in the prison that player worgen characters go to early in the introduction questline. The one absolutely infested with feral worgen. This means she was one of those people who was turned by the curse into a mindless canine monstrosity who attacked the player, and was killed.

Not long after, Bolvar Fordragon the lich king rose Rosalyn and several others as he secretly built up his forces. This new crop of death knights would prove useful to him during the legion invasion and other conflicts. Rosalyn herself was just one of many rank-and-file undead soldiers the lich king held in reserve, not an important adventurer.

When Sylvanas Windrunner destroyed a huge part of the lich king's power by destroying the helm of domination, Rosalyn was freed of her magical compulsion to serve him. She did not take part in the shadowlands story, instead she immediately ran from the servitude of one bad king to see the remains of her home and the ashes left behind by another bad king.

As of now, the former thief turned undead worgen is struggling to build a new life. The old Rosalyn is quite literally dead and gone, but the new one still lives inside her skin.

So she's like a mix between my other OCs Saoirse and Iona. but also a werewolf.

Like all of my OCs, she hides her true feelings under a mask of falsehood. Where the real Rosalyn is lost and full of regrets over a wasted life and an unjust death, the fake persona she puts into the world is much more upbeat and pleasant.

The main sources of inspiration that my brain obsessively clings to are the songs "Run Away to Mars" by TALK and "Dial Drunk" by Noah Kahan.

This line in particular sticks with me:

"I ain't proud of all the punches that I've thrown in the name of someone I no longer know."

I guess my muse is trying to say Rosalyn had someone she deeply loved in her past, who is perhaps still alive and several decades older. Someone who has moved on without her, but Rosalyn is stuck in the past, full of regrets and sorrow over what was taken from her.

[nerdieforpedro]

So basically I’m just checking my notifications this morning and I had some good tears (I promise) thanks to three very supportive friends (we’re friends so it is written):

@magpiepills told me that I’m creative and prolific, the quantity increases but the quality never drops. So opposite of a franchise. 😭 Like I…Just wow.

@angelofsmalldeath-codeine said that she’s hooked on my Dieter series because she finds in compelling. It was supposed to be a silly rom-com because I want Pedro to be in one so I wrote for Dieter (he screams rom-com to me) 👀 What really? The goat is a supporting character at this point.

@megamindsecretlair enjoyed both my Sard’ika Sessions and has been following my Dave York series. She said she was gonna miss Din and the read which is a very high complement because that means I wrote something that connected (and was increasing in smuttyness). As for Dave she’s intrigued about how manipulative Dave is with Kiara and how she’s not innocent herself. (She knows he got in her house without a key, hasn’t given him a key. He still is coming in that house when she’s not home. The man still doesn’t have a key. They’re both toxic. 🫡)

@avastrasposts and @secretelephanttattoo who are writers I look up too and am often inspired by concurred when I told them about Bat’s wonderful words. 🥹

Huge thank you’s to the tagged people above and to everyone who had read my fics and been sweet enough to comment, reblog or even like the things. ❤️

I have to finish with my eyes watering now (happy watering) and go to the store. I need honey for my tea. 🍵 Honey without tea for me is a travesty! 😑 It’s just how I like it.

[narwhalandchill]

(soo ignition teaser thoughts ig)

hmmmm im ngl the trailer itself as a like prelude to what is coming in 5.0 intrigue and plot wise is like. compared to the region teasers that came before w lazzo and overture. its just. its kinda bad im sorry KWKJKWDJKWDJK like okay cool seeing the new cast and production value is high as always (+ music) but its such a middling teaser for the story itself?? it feels like a powerpoint presentation of the cast more than anything narratively coherent with an inherent draw and mystery

like theres mavuika speaking to the flame thingy (xbalanque that u? "one entombed in the primal fire" perhaps????) with some intrigue i suppose as well as her brief thing w capitano. ororon also appearing to be working together or aligned with capitano given theyre standing together there which could make for an interesting plot thread but beyond that its very.... eh. its not giving us a lot to grip onto ya know???? and thats rly a shame especially since i also felt that way abt the teaser in the 4.8 livestream. i wish we got more

and sure theres a tournament wahoo but like. its really Not helping to hype up that thing when half the introduced cast isnt being like "OMG the tournament!!!!1!1 this is HUGE!!!1" (or even. "oh no this is BAD!!!1" to set up basic conflict. like why would they dread it?) but instead just. "oh right... the tournament 🙄🙄" like who thought that was a good idea 😭😭 if the PEOPLE of natlan dgaf abt the big plot event happening then how am i as the viewer supposed to feel majorly invested in it . wow theyre tossing a ball around . wow nobody wants it guess ur tournament is having a bit of a PR issue in the making mavuika lmao

anyway i wouldnt even call myself a true capitano glazer despite being a fatuiHQ enjoyer on the side but like. that hmph still carried welcome capHIMpeaktano truly o7 JWDJWDJKDWJK also did yall see the. anemo-ish turquoise flare when mavuika is confronting (?) him? wonder if thats a thing with her flames or is it implying cap as anemo or sth.... i think itd fit him decent enough but ya. looking forward to HIM for sure

(+ congrats to him for losing the goofy timbs from arles animated short lmao like his design looks so fucking sick now)

character design wise uhhhh. well theres the obvious huge fucking issue here and while id say that hoyo p much already showed their true colors on the matter with sumeru that doesnt rly. make it any less disappointing and egregious wrt all the cultures and peoples theyre So willing to gather inspiration from in all possible aspects Other than the diversity of the people themselves. like its just... bad and such a shame but also not very surprising unfortunately.

(and really it just. looks especially bad given they clearly Can put melanin on people its just... enemy mobs only.)

beyond that i kind of dont have anyone that super catches my eye rn??? mainly because . well leaks moment eek but its basically official info now so basically. xilonens existence as a geo and a 5* (which like . u dont need leaks to guess she will be im sorry jdwjdw) was leaked a bit ago as well as the patch she should appear meaning. im actually in chiori rerun savings mode since its very high chance that she will be back w xilonen if anyone. so thats my plan for now kjdwjkdwjkdwjk

in terms of the actual cast i do like kinich and ororons designs v much, the design motifs of the latter especially are interesting bc those eye-like patterns are almost giving quantum symbol (= black hole imagery) to me???? and thats V interesting especially if hes actually working w capitano and the fatui. now him being a cat boy or whatever animals ears those turn out to be isnt like sth thats huge for Me personally but i do think hes valid and also W for anyone whos into that, congrats guys im happy for u ! but like fr itd be such an insane twist if hoyos Finally introducing the void quantum abyss whatever element w him (and maybe cap too.) bc that symbol Rly is looking Curious. or then hes just electro lol. for kinich its like. yeah fair he might be xiao-tighnari-gaming from minecraft ill admit that but. i do like the color scheme and his outfit a lot JKWJKDJKDWJKD so like i forgive it

w the girlies i overall find them all like. quite nice but so far without any personality + lore known its hard to settle my complete thoughts on them just yet. tho citlali being pink is super refreshing for genshin since we do have a shocking absence of it so like shes definitely one im drawn to, chasca looks interesting and like she could play a bigger part plot wise (maybe?) so that might be neat. both her and citlali being cryo is kinda surprising?? but cool. maybe ill get to unbench my shenhe and play some cryo teams again lmao freeze has been dead in abyss for so long now....

xilonen again w the kemomimi isnt sth im particularly into or not into but she looks cool, depending on personality and how her kit synergies turn out (+ assuming the chiori rerun, the fate of those pulls too), i might try for her as well? theres an Energy to her i like it. if she has proper Attitude and flair thats gonna be a massive bonus for me

mualani i think is rather bland to me, sth about her outfit and design just doesnt click for me even if the shark thing from the teaser before is neat and everything. the chibis are never sth im actively drawn to but like both do look okay, im kinda hoping kachina could be a lynette moment for 5.x and end up a free 4* since her exploration roomba looks p fun

anyway then theres. mavuika and i. well at least the design wasnt. That concept art one (ThoseWhoKnow...) . so instant massive W improvement solely on that basis holy fucking shit but ehhhhh im sorry i still dont know how to feel abt the very modern like. biker bodysuit thingy. im not a huge fan of the bodysuit type designs anyway so its not that surprising but still. her eyes + hair is absolutely stunning tho like not a question at all.

tbh in a way i kinda feel like having too many Thoughts on her design is kinda just unnecessary bc like. shes the archon. of Course the kit is going to be insane so i will get her anyway (UNLESS a pyro onfielder JKWJKJKWJKWJKWFKJ like god please no). and in terms of like is her design and energy from what this vid is giving us good enough that i wont like. Actively resent having to get her for meta and strong teams??? Absolutely. so in that sense ig its all cool lmao

but yeah. idk i just think as a teaser for the upcoming story its rly a shame how weak this felt for me???? like sure overture ended up being a bit of a misleading teaser since it gave the impression of arle as this mastermind of the fontaine AQ which didnt rly happen but it still served as a source of hype and intrigue. and yes lazzo is sth that can Never rly be beat in terms of how out of nowhere it was and how fucking insane the whole harbinger reveal went (+ elogia cinerosa existing) for lore and long term hype but its just. unfortunately those 2 are the regional teasers this natlan one is supposedly meant to parallel and it just didnt deliver anything comparable to those for me

like still looking forward to natlan and seeing the rest of its cast (like im fairly convinced the flame thingy might be xbalanque and hes gonna be a big deal ultimately or sth) and where it goes and all its environments but this trailer didnt rly. grip me the way i wouldve expected it to. which is unfortunate kdjkdwjkwjkdwj but yea thats all

[snowthornes]

A warning: ahead is a very very long essay-slash-ramble about Salyra, a character from Crown of Exile by @ramonag-if . I have a lot of thoughts about her complexities as a character as well as the tragedies of her relationship with the MC, so I figured I should just put them all into words before I explode. If you haven't read CoE yet, please do — you won't regret it!! Especially if you're a huge fan of complicated, "okay wow this hurts" family angst and heart melting romance. 🥹✨✨

Salyra is someone who possesses the self-created tragedy of a hero. When Salyra believes in something, she believes in it with her whole heart, and she'll stop at nothing to fight for it. She's... the hero that many adore, but hurts those closest to her, directly or indirectly. Like her family, who've heard nary a word from her for all those years, not knowing if she was alive or dead. Like the MC.

Salyra's sacrificed countless things for her cause, and those sacrifices sometimes involved the hearts of those who loved her.

She's willful. Willful and determined. Great qualities for a rebellion's leader/figure of inspiration; not so much for when you're trying to patch up a relationship with your child who had long thought you dead, and had suffered for it.

It's like she thinks that if she pushes enough, if she shows MC the depths of her sincerity, it'll make MC accept her after all those years. It doesn't. For certain MCs, anyway. It only serves to push them further away.

Right, this is going to swerve into more specific territory. I'll be going into a little more detail on my MC's relationship with Salyra. The relationship between Salyra and my MC just... fascinates me.

Salyra is the high priestess, adored by the people of Ishari. MC... is MC. They were discriminated, mistreated, and followed with gazes of spite and distrust in Cyre because of their Ishari blood. Once MC returned to Ishari, they were greeted with — surprise, surprise — even more gazes of distrust and suspicion! Partly because of their blood guard parentage, partly because of their loyalty to the exiled prince, etc etc.

You stare at Rana, suddenly conflicted with anger and betrayal. You never wanted a sister, you only wanted a mother. Rana stares at you, suddenly gripping onto Mama's arm and twisting behind her, as if afraid to look up at you. A look of disappointment flashes through Mama's eyes, but it is directed at you, not Rana. It is a look you remembered Mama using when anyone would upset you as a child and now, you find yourself bearing the full force of her frown. You would laugh were it not so painful to think about the life you were robbed while Mama evidently moved on.

"Avriel," Mama murmurs. "You are my son and I know that I have not always been there for you, but I would like to remedy that. We cannot gain back what we have lost, but we have time now to find each other again."

"I need to go," Mama murmurs. "Rana needs me, Avriel. So does Danzor."

For a moment, you catch sight of your mother, but she does not see you. After returning to the temple, she has washed and changed, the priestesses who had been chanting earlier, now crowding around her. Anu called Mama the High Priestess and you cannot help but wonder just how long she has been in Ishari.

It's these. These scenes. Salyra has built a life in Ishari, a life without the MC. A loving family, a figure loved by the people... this is all that MC knows of who Salyra is now. The Salyra presented to him is a hero. A golden existence, a light in the dark, fearless leader of the rebellion.

(They need you? What about me, Mama? Do I not need you as well?)

(Those who had looked at you with suspicion now look at her with respectful, even admiring eyes. Salyra has a life here. But you — you are just the same. You are an outsider still, whether in Cyre or Ishari.)

Avriel is genuine and soft hearted, but he has a spine of unbending steel. He is proud. All those years mourning Salyra, grieving for her, only to find her alive and well in Ishari and with a family that she so clearly (and here we have a peek into Avriel's pain induced bitter thoughts, because honestly, that sad and angry child from so long ago never truly left him) prioritizes over him.

It's like his life has been rendered into a bitter joke.

What does Salyra want from him? Does she expect him to come and go as she pleases, there when she wants him and gone when she doesn't? Is he expected to wait in the wings as Salyra tends to her new family, only playing the part of a loving son when her eyes turn to him once more? Salyra, his mama. Salyra, now the head priestess, looked upon with respect by the very people who had looked at him with such suspicion.

(^ Above is Avriel's current thought process. Yes, he's a real mess. Irus is having a hell of a time soothing him, as the usual gentle-eyed man is currently very much like a wounded cat with its claws out and teeth bared, eyes set in a glacial glint.)

And honestly, those words might be quite unfair to Salyra. We do not know what she's experienced. Not yet. But are the words left spoken and unspoken between mother and child always fair? I think not. Salyra's expectations of MC could be called unfair as well, depending on the MC you're playing.

I just. I just find this so tragic. Salyra is a deeply complex character. Her greatest strengths are also her deepest flaws. Ironic, how the qualities that made her a hero could be the very thing that chills the heart of her child. I remember you said that Salyra will wise up on how to treat the MC in a future chapter, but wow. The tragedy of Salyra being her own undoing and the detoriation of the relationship between lauded mother and outcast child is just. Wow.

Also. leaving this here because Irus + Nearly Feral with Rage MC is everything:

You nearly laugh, the bitter rage that has been festering beneath your skin like a swarm of wasps, threatens to erupt from your skin. Prince Irus settles a hand on your shoulder and instantly, you are looking at him, noting the concern in his gaze. All at once, the rage leaves you, until you can finally breathe once more.

[sarah-sandwich-writes]

for the title ask game: We Were Gods (we were kids)

I want to hear more about that one, that's a riveting title! :eyes:

Ahhh yes, so originally this fic was inspired by the song Battle Cries by The Amazing Devil. It's a duet and like a divorce song? "This isn't a break-up, dearheart, it's a season finale!" I got the title from the lyrics where one part sings the line "We were gods" and then the other part echoes it with "We were kids" and that's just *chefs kiss* perfect fanfic title thank you TAD <333

The premise was childhood friends to estranged almost lovers to supers fighting on opposite sides to reluctant allies to (finally) lovers. And it was going to be a parkner fic (peter parker/harley keener). It was going to be an epic slow burn spanning nearly their whole lives.

Then I thought why not pry it out of its fanfic foundation and stand it on its own as an original concept? Harley is essentially my OC and Peter could be shaped into an OC too and the plot I had in mind had hardly any of the source material in it so why not? I'd just tweak some names, create my own super powers and aliens and then boom! Book!

Didn't work 🙃 I wrote a 110k draft and got to the end and was like wow this sucks. I half-assed the world building and tried to hang onto plot devices that just don't work outside the mcu (they don't even work within the mcu but I digress) SO now we're back to square one: making it a fanfic. Except it's not really square one because I have 110k that I need to snip and prune and repot back into a fic.

Actually it's more like 85k bc I have to re-write the beginning since I ended up keeping that part for my book, but the rest just needs reworked into something I like with the characters that we know and love plugged back in. It's going to be a massive revision project but not any more difficult than writing the thing lol

But anyway! It's going to feature super villain!Harley which I am very excited about. He is sooooo tortured in this one and Peter has the shittest luck in the whole world <333

I don't have a good excerpt to share so here is the high-level outline for part one!

Part 1: Childhood

Peter’s parents die in a plane crash. He moves to Rose Hill to live with Uncle Ben and Aunt May and meets Harley

Harley has his hands full with… his dad just walked out. He wasn’t abusive. It was just shocking and all at once. They thought something terrible happened, but after they report him missing Scotty at the corner store stops by and says he sold him scratchers. Then a few hours later the sheriff stops over with his hat in his hands and tells them his truck was found in the lot at the airport in Nashville. “Let him go,” Mama says. “Don’t want no man who don’t wanna be around. Let ‘im go.” And that was the end of that.

Peter arrives while Harley is getting used to being the only one home after school. Abbie’s off with Mrs. Farley in town while Mama works, so it’s just him most days ‘til Mama gets home around 5.

Starts hanging out with the Parkers. They keep him ‘round for dinner. Scares Mama the first time bc he didn’t ask ahead and wasn’t home when she got there. She demands to meet them.

They get on great and once they learn of her newly single situation they offer to watch Harley in the afternoons until she gets home from work. No need for payment or thank yous—it just so happens that Peter could really use a friend right now and they’ve been getting along so well.

So it begins. No creek. No pokemon. Peter and Aunt May clash like the dickens, but Uncle Ben is always cool and rational and settles things before they go too far. It’s nice.

Peter is obsessed with planes and tracking flights and researching news of lost flights, crashes, etc. Huge fear of flying, but not of heights. This fear stays with him, even when Harley turns into a flying superhero.

EJ is Harley’s bully. Harley is a talkative little nerd with a stutter and a penchant for mathematics. He attracts the mean types and Peter has a loud bark and never has had the good sense to back down from a fight. The shared battles cement them together.

After being blindsided by his dad leaving, Harley had to reevaluate everything he thought about family. Family is no longer who you get along with, despite differences. It’s no longer who you put on a smile for. It’s who you can disagree with and still hug and laugh with at the end of the day. It’s refreshing that he always knows where he stands with the Parkers. They have big feelings and they don’t bury them, but they’re solid. They’re dependable. They’re there.

Then the Parkers move to New York and leave Harley behind and his theory on what makes a family falls apart all over again.

[hyun-xxe]

Did I Cross the Line? (JUNGKOOK X F!Reader)

Summary: You and Jungkook are happy together and are deeply in love. However, no matter what you still have doubts. Did you cross the line?

*heavily inspired by Billie Eilish new song “WILDFLOWER”*

You hated the way onions made your eyes burn and water, but you push through and chop some up to place in a pot.

Usually on Fridays it was leftover night, but something in you wanted to make a special dinner because you saw something on Instagram.

Everything feels better when you felt your fiancés arms snake around your waist and give you small kisses on the back of your ear.

Smiling, you place down the knife and give him a smile, pecking his lips. 

“Hello my love.”  you whisper

His smile is wider and he leans in to kiss you on the lips a little longer, “Hello to you too, my Love.”

You see him turn around and grab something, “What do you have there?” you asked, trying to peer around his form.

He chuckles and whips out some Lilies that he bought, “For you.”

You eyed the flowers and grab it. In your heart, you knew you should be jumping for joy and giving him a kiss, but you couldn’t. You couldn’t do that because these weren’t your favorite flowers.

During the months of you guys dating, you’ve always had thoughts of a lot of things, and this just solidified it. You knew he didn’t mean it, but it just naturally happens. 

Lilies weren’t your favorite, they were your friends favorite.

1 year ago…

You remember the first time you met your best friends boyfriend. She decided to hold a dinner with some friends to introduce him.

When you arrived at the restaurant, she stood from her seat and wrapped her arms around you, squeezing the life out of you. 

“You made it!! I can’t believe THE Y/N made it!!” she laughed.

You hugged her back, laughing along, “Oh shut up Lydia!! I always make it.”

She grabbed your hand and dragged you to the table where you can only spot a strange man.

“Jungkook, this is my bestie Y/N! Y/N, this is my amazing boyfriend!”

You extend your hand to shake his, to which he takes and smiles, “Nice to meet you, Lydia talks highly of you a lot.”

A chuckle left your mouth as you sat down across from Jungkook, “I’m really glad! She talks highly of you too.” you then turn to your friend, “Where are the others?”

She sighed, “They had to cancel. They were all coming together from the same place and the subway is on lock down because of a threat.”

Your eyes widen, “Oh wow, that’s really scary.” 

Your friend immediately changed the topic so you can catch up and also get to know Jungkook.

After that night, Lydia called you all night to talk more about her new relationship and you didn’t mind one bit. After all, ever since she was little she always wanted a boyfriend and now that her dream was coming true, you were happy for her.

At work a few days later, you decided to take your break and explore a little to different stores. That’s where you met Jungkook again. 

He spotted you right away and walked up, “Hi Y/N! what a coincidence seeing you here!”

You looked at him surprise, “Jungkook, hi!! Yeah, that’s crazy, what are you doing here?” you ask.

He smiles and holds up an action figure, “I am a huge nerd for these things and love to collect them, I know it’s stupid.”

You shake your head, “Stupid? Not at all, I love collecting these too! Especially Marvek characters!”

A gasp leaves his lips as a huge smile overtakes his face, “Really? I’m glad you do, Lydia doesn’t so it’s hard getting her into it.”

“Yeah, I’ve been trying to get her into this, but it’s just not her thing.” you laugh, “but she’s still amazing.”

He checked his watch and widen his eyes, “Oh, speaking Lydia we have a date tonight, I should head home to get ready.” he walks toward the door but then turns to look back, “What flowers should a man show up with?”

You smile, “Lilies, those are her favorite.”

present..

“Are you ok? Do you not like flowers?” he asked, taking a step back.

You shake your head and take the wrapping off the flowers, “Uhm, no these are pretty. Thank you.”

As you were putting water in a vase, he sees the expression on your face, “Well, it doesn’t seem like it.”

You sigh and hang your head down, “These aren’t my favorite flowers. You know that Jungkook.”

He tilts his head in confusion before realization hits him, “O-oh, i’m sorry Y/N, i don’t know how i forgot, I didn’t mean to.”

Nodding your head, you place the flowers in the vase, “Yeah, I know, it’s whatever.” 

Jungkook noticed the tears in your eyes and he felt bad, “No, it’s jot whatever. I’m sorry Y/N, I sincerely didn’t meant to.”

You start to cry and you grabbed a tissue to dry the tears, “It’s just so hard, so hard Jungkook.” you whisper.

“What’s hard? Is everything ok?”

You turn off the stove and shook your head again, “No, I just don’t wanna say. I don’t wanna ruin things between us.”

Jungkook tried grabbing your hands softly but you pulled away, “Please just talk to me.”

“Do you know how hard things have been? For a while now, I’ve been feeling so fucking guilty. So insanely guilty and terrible.”

“What happened? Is everything ok?” he kept questioning, panic laced in his voice.

“Do you see Lydia whenever you’re with me? Is she in the back of your mind? Because no matter what, she’s always in mind and I can’t help but feel so fucking guilty!” tears kept rolling down your cheek and wouldn’t stop.

“Please, calm down, it’s ok.” he tried reassuring you but you couldn’t calm down. Everything - all the memories of them and of you and him kept plaguing your mind.

“You just don’t get it.” you cry, “I’m a horrible friend.”

1 year ago…

You were in your kitchen cleaning up after you cooked yourself dinner. Tomorrow is your day off so you cooked yourself something nice and wanted to watch an old rom com.

However, a knock was heard on your door and it confused you. There was no one you were expecting, especially this late at night.

Before opening the door, you peeked through the hole and noticed your friend outside.

You quickly opened the door and that’s when you saw Lydia’s sad, tear stained face.

“Oh my gosh Lydia, what happened?!” you pulled her inside and locked the door, “Are you ok?”

She doesn’t say anything but pulls you into a hug and cries loudly.  “I hate it Y/N, I hate this feeling so much!!”

You hugged her back tightly and rubbed her back, “Lydia, what happened? What hurts?”

She pulls away and you dry away her tears, “We broke up.”

Things fall apart and time breaks your heart, I wasn’t there but I know

You both lay on the couch, and you listen to her every word.

She was your girl, you showed her the world 

You fell out of love and you both let go

Feeling her head in your shoulder, her tears soak your sleeve but you don’t mind. You only care about your friends feelings.

She was crying on my shoulder, all I could do was hold her

Only made us closer until July

The days after their breakup, she was still in despair and you allowed her to take time. After all, a broken heart was the worst feeling ever.

You got a text from Jungkook randomly one day and it confused you. However, there was no need to be mean when it was a mutual breakup between the two and Jungkook wasn’t a bad guy.

jungkook: Hi y/n, how are you?

you: Hi jungkook, i’m doing good lol just work and resting. hbu

jungkook: doing good too. how’s lydia holding up?

you: she’s doing much better, thanks for asking.

jungkook: i’m rlly glad! i was worried for her for a sec…

you: me too, but i’m glad she’s feeling much better

jungkook: me too. also, are you going this saturday to Lionel’s house?

you: yes, more than likely! why do you ask?

jungkook: no i was just wondering!

the convo went on but died off, which was natural between you two. There wasn’t much to touch base on since he was no longer with your best friend.

But even so, he still managed to text you here and there just to talk. It didn’t weird you out at all.

As days went on before your friends mini party, you started to feel sick which was rare for you. Ever since you were little, getting sick was a weird phobia of yours and you tried your very best to prevent it.

However, this sickness couldn’t be prevented and it left you bed rested. Your whole body was weak and your throat was hurting even worst.

You texted Lionel to tell him you couldn’t make it and that you were sorry, but you knew for sure your sickness wouldn’t be cure by then.

Since you were alone, you couldn’t wait for someone to bring you food, so you knew you had to get up and make it, but your body was just so weak.

jungkook: hey

you: hey jungkook

jungkook: i heard from lionel that you can’t make it. is everything ok?

you: yes it is! i’m just a little sick.

jungkook: are you ok? do you need anything?

you: no i’m good! thanks for asking though that means a lot :)

you turned your phone off and tried going back to sleep, but before you could fully sleep, your doorbell rang.

Groaning, you walked towards the door and opened it only to see Jungkook standing there with groceries.

“Jungkook? what are you doing here?” you open the door and usher him inside. “It’s freezing outside!”

He places the bags on your counter, “I brought some stuff to make you dinner.”

You tilt your head in confusion, “But why? I was going to.” you coughed a little.

Jungkook looked you up and down, “Not to be rude, but you look too sick to do this. Besides, I remember Lydia would tell me how stubborn you were when it came to asking people for help.”

He began making soup for you, cutting the veggies and adding them to the pot. He did it so effortlessly and with ease, making you stand there in awe. 

Noticing you standing there, he helps you to the couch and turns on the TV for you, “Please, just rest. It will be done in a little.”

A few minutes later, soup appeared in front of you and it made your mouth water and your sinus go away for a little. “Thank you so much, you have no idea how much this means to me.”

He gave you some medicine and helped you with a lot of other things. 

That was when you started to notice him.

A few days later there was word that he was sick, so you decided to repay the favor and do the same for him.

This is how things started. It was the little things you both did for each other, the increase in conversations and visits to each other.

He seemed perfect in every way and you both shared so much in common, but there was one thing hindering you from making a move: Lydia.

The guilty feeling eats you away everytine you think of Jungkook and you hate it. So, you try pushing him away, but he wouldn’t let that happen.

“Y/N, I know you don’t want me to say this, but I like you, a lot.”

hearing that confession changed everything and in that moment you forgot about everything as you kissed him.

You wanted to push him away, but he was just intoxicating.

That’s when you both started to date under the radar and it was perfect, you loved it.

Now I know that you love me, you don’t need to remind me. I should put it all behind me, shouldn’t i?

However, you couldn’t help but compare your guys relationship with his and Lydia’s. no matter how much you try and get that out of your head, it would linger. 

Every date he took you on would make you question if he took Lydia here and if he wanted to come so he could be reminded of her.

Doubts began to grow but you tried throwing it out because you know Jungkook feelings for you were true.

But I see her, in the back of my mind all the time. Like a fever, like i’m burning alive

Like a sign

Did I cross the line?

When Lydia found out about you both, you expected her to get angry and never want to talk to you again, but she was cool about it. 

She tried reassuring you that it was ok and that they both broke things off so it was ok. 

Still, even her words of reassurance wasn’t enough. 

Well good things don’t last and life moves so much fast

I’d never asked who was better

Cause she couldn’t be more different than me 

happy and free in leather 

That was one thing that kept you up at night. You and Lydia were both different in a lot of ways, so you couldn’t help but think if he preferred her over you.

Did he prefer to do things with her and the things she liked? Did he liked doing that? Or did he prefer things with you?

You never voiced your thoughts to your boyfriend in fear that he would feel bad, so you kept quiet 

And I know that you love me

You don’t need to remind me

Wanna put it all behind me but baby

I see her in the back of my mind all the time

Feels like a fever like i’m burning alive 

Like a sign 

Did i cross the line?

After he proposed to you, it was your first valentines together as fiancés and you were excited. 

He took you to dinner, bought you some gifts and took you to the hotel room to make love to you.

Everything was perfect and you felt like you were in heaven. As he was sleeping, you stayed up a little later to admire the ring on your finger.

This was to signify that you both were going to have a future together and you couldn’t wait.

Looking at your fiancé, you noticed him heavily asleep and it made you squeal as he looked to cute.

You poked his nose for fun and loved seeing him sniffle as he tried swatting your hand away.

Laughing, you did it once more and he swat your hand away again.

“Lydia, not now please.”

That name made you freeze and your heart sank. 

All this time did he think of her? All your moment with him, even the intimate ones, did he think you as Lydia? 

Were you her replacement? Was this all a lie.

Tears started to fall and you got up to go to the bathroom. You didn’t want to wake him up and have him see you cry.

You say no one knows you so well

But everytine you touch me, I just wonder how she felt 

Valentine’s day, cryin in the hotel 

You cried yourself an hour before cleaning yourself up. Not wanting to bring this up and bury it deep, you just left it behind. 

This was just one incident, you knew he didn’t mean it and that it was just natural for him. After all, they were together for a while.

I know you didn’t mean to hurt me so I kept it to myself 

And I wonder

Do you see her in the back of your mind? In my eyes?

present day…

Hearing all of your doubts throughout your relationship, Jungkook couldn’t help but feel horrible.

Knowing that he accidentally said his ex name on Valentine’s day, a day that was meant for just you two, caused him to start crying out of guilt.

“Why didn’t you tell me? Why did you keep all of this to yourself?” he asked, holding you tightly.

“I was scared. I didn’t want you to start overthinking like I was and i just wanted things to be perfect.” you confessed.

Jungkook held your face softly in his hands, “Listen to me love, whatever you worry about, i worry about. Whatever you’re thinking, I want to think. Whatever hurts you, I want to know what or who is hurting you.

“When I asked you to marry me and you said yes, Y/N you have no idea how happy I was. You’re my everything and I am so obsess with you. Me and you are whole and whatever you go through, we go through together and make it out as one.”

Hearing those words made you smile and you leaned into his hands, “I’m really sorry, i thought keeping this to myself would make things better.”

He shakes his head, “everything would’ve been good for me since i would’ve thought that things were good. Please, tell me these things. Lydia was in the past, everything i felt for her is gone. You’re mine, I’m yours and goddamn am I happy to know that. I love you so much and I want you to know that whatever you’re feeling is valid.

“i’m sorry for that valentines night, you didn’t deserve that.”

You smile and kiss his lips, “It’s ok, i’m glad i let this all out because it feels so much better. I love you.”

He gives you a kiss and smiles, “I’m not gonna lie, Your hands smell like onions. You want some help?”

You both laugh as you both decided to continue cooking, the Lilies long gone and thrown in the trash

[bababaka]

What i'd change in this piece of media! Or just rewritting it. Because truly it is right now.

Today's episode is.... Twilight!

Because for some reason i started thinking about Edward and Jasper and how they could be fixed and it turned into this clusterfuck. Anyways.

Twilight.

It is so damn boring! But it has potencial.

Ok. Let me explain myself. I started reading twilight's fanfiction without having ever watched the movies. At the time the movies came out, i was too young to take any interest in it, although the women around me did, and they fawned over Jacob and his shirtless scenes. Which was how i was team Jacob (not anymore tho ew)

Nevermind that, thing is, i only watched the movies after reading the phenomenal and creative fics. So, to me the movies paled in comparison.

Don't get me wrong. Twilight was a huge sucess, so it clearly did something right. This is only my opnion, okay?

Lets go.

So, the author created so many interesting characters and then proceeded to give us the most boring ones as the protagonists.

And Edward and Bella are actually interesting. But we got stuck with their annoying versions.

And beyond that, the really interesting side characters never have a chance to be developed. T-T

Not as much as they deserved at least.

And please, the Volturi needed a spin off of their own. Something akin to The Originals and The vampire Diaries.

Anyways, in this first part, i want to talk about how we could get into and actually develope the characters. I'll talk about each movie later.

First, our protagonists. Edward Cullen and Bella Swan.

Ok. I would LOVE if we had Edward at his antihero phase. Maybe at the tail end of it, maybe at its climax.

Would love to see Red Eyes Edward. Avenging men and women who were raped, tortured, murdered as he battles with his own sense of humanity and self hatred. Trying to do something good while still being a monster.

And yes, he would still be his edgelord self. But now his breakdowns would happen as he is covered by someone else's blood and insides. Rocking himself in a alleyway's corner, looking at nothing as the body at his feet just gets colder and colder.

At some point, he would kill someone inocent. Who was wrongly accused of something. And when he discovers this, he sees his victim's mother crying, yelling at the heavens, begging for answers, for justice. For something. Anything. And Edward would hate himself for thinking for a moment he could do good. "You're a murderer, a demon. You're the one who deserves to die."

And then we have Bella, just as she is. I wouldn't change much about her really. Just make her a bit less "not like other girls" and lessen her infatuation with Edward. Or maybe amplify it. But in a different way. She is taken with Edward not because wow, he is handsome, misterious or smth. But because he is weird. Maybe even have a monsterloving Bella. Who is fascinated by this idea of an angel of death. But as she encounters it, him, she realizes nothing is black in white. He kills people. Humans like her.

She would be attracted, but terrified. Battling against her morals. He has to feed, but he kills only those who are criminals. But who is he to play the judge and jury? And would be interesting for Edward to become more attached to life and morals (as in, murder is murder, bitch. Stop killing people even though theyre criminals and deserve it. Youre not God).

I would love to see their oposing ideas inspire each other and provoke drama and grownth.

Also, id love to see Bella's reasons to be a vampire to be more than Edward. I saw this idea on tiktok i think. And it makes so much sense.

Her reasons would be: she is a bit of a history nerd and wants to be there as historical moments are happening and live to see its repercursions; she is afraid of getting old( but not dying, since she is suicidal and has a kinda morbid curiosity about it); she doesnt want to lose Alice, or Emmett, nor Jasper or Rosalie and Carlisle and Esme; she wants to feel part of something, this family, something she severely lacked as a child and still do as a teenager.

I want a Bella that is in love and obssessed with Edward, but as the story goes on, she learns to be independent. She learns how to be confident in her weird self. And have more than just Edward, although she is very much in love with him.

She would not get pregnant. But would be a vampire because dude. She is so much better as a vampire. Lord above. And well that would be the culmination of her character growth.

Next episode:

Alice, Jasper and him being a confederate soldie or smth :)

Reminder, if you do not agree with me, thats okay. If you want to let me know about your opnion, be nice about it.

Aaaand, this is only for fun. I've never read the books, and its been a long time since i've watched the movies. So, chill.

Part 2 is among us, yo.

Here.

[aurora-313]

Sometimes characters with just one scene become extremely popular. Why do you think that Masaki took off and has a huge fanbase, while our dear boy Kaien has like 3 fans total? Why isn't he insanely popular?

I admit that personally I have strange tastes, not to be a hipster, for example I liked the chemistry between Fin and Rey and so no romance between Kylo and Rey, and to the internet I'm of apparently disgustingly wrong opinion.

I can't say I have the definitive answer but I can give my two cents:

Masaki has the advantage of being Ichigo's mother and the circumstances surrounding her death are somewhat mysterious.

Ichigo is the main character and she functionally serves as a major source of his angst for... extremely questionable, vague plot and character reasons. (mostly because the plot can't function if anyone bothered to tell Ichigo literally everything he has every fucking right to know, but hey... -.- )

But if I may tangent for a moment: Masaki being a Quincy is something that still has me seeing red. There's a whole other plot progression that could've made more sense and been far more concise without unnecessarily dragging a boring Quincy cast and an Aizen knock-off with a bad mustache out of the dumpster. Which would've also tied everything up in a bow with Aizen's defeat without destroying every modicum of Ichigo's agency... but that's another post for another time.

Circling back to your question: I think if the anime adapted the scenes more faithfully, especially in Soul Society, we'd have seen a larger fanbase for Kaien. A lot of Kaien's references were simply omitted. EG; Ukitake wondering what Kaien would do in the whole scenario (up to and including likely literally kicking Byakuya's ass), Rukia asks his memory why would people come for her, Byakuya flashing back with disgust and a modicum of respect when he compares Ichigo's ferocious will with Kaien's and the abandoned implied reincarnation storyline Kubo set up then abandoned during the Aizen confrontation then we'd have a lot more fans of him.

A majority of fans got into Bleach through the anime, and the anime omitted massive parts of the story that removed meaning from Kaien's character. Worst still, the last thing we see of him is an Arrancar puppeting his corpse. Which means a lot of his 'personality' is relegated to some doppelganger twisting him into monstrous parody. What a note to end on, right?

At the same time, I can see why his presence was so diminished across the manga. He entered the narrative as Rukia's source of guilt, as Ukitake's source of inspiration, as Ichigo's spiritual predecessor, as the one who introduced the concept of heart to Rukia and then gracefully bow out when Rukia allowed herself to take his final lessons to heart (pun intended) and absolve herself of guilt, symbolized in her third Zanpakutou power. (I am shocked however that given Rukia's fight with As Nodt, that we didn't get a cameo in that fear cage, especially considering given, canonically, her most horrific memory was of Metastacia!Kaien... but hey.)

But given how Kubo forgot the Visoreds were the ideal counter to the Quincy and forgot they had their masks, reducing them to chumps, how could I expect him to remember someone like Kaien...?

...

Wow. You admit to liking those characters? I'd delete them all in a heartbeat if I got Kyle Katarn, Jan Ors and Mara Jade instead... but I wouldn't trust Lucas Fims to write their way out of a paper bag if their life depended on it right now.

[w0rld0flight]

Rest and Relaxation (Project X Zone fanfic)

Hello everyone! Before we start, I just want to say that it's been a while since I last wrote a fanfic, since the last time I wrote one was in 2023 (Last year!) so I decided to get back to writing for one this year.

I actually first started writing this in April of this year, because that month in particular has been really stressful. So this fanfic is a bit personal for me.

This fanfic is also inspired by the 101 Dalmatian Street episode "Dawkins Strikes Back"

Another thing to keep in mind is that this story takes place after the events of Project X Zone 2.

With those out of the way, please enjoy.

______________________________________________________________

It was a long day for Reiji and Xiaomu, as they still have to do work, even after all of their adventures came to an end. Working has felt endless to them, much to their stress.

“UGH!!! THIS WEEK IS THE WORST!!!” Xiaomu yelled out in frustration.

“Woah! Calm down, what has gotten into you?” Reiji asked.

“Reiji, you don’t understand.” Xiaomu answered. “This week has been SO STRESSFUL FOR ME!!!” Out of anger, Xiaomu sat on the floor, which was then followed by Reiji sitting right next to her.

“Xiaomu…I understand how you feel.” Reiji responded. “This week has been very stressful for me too, so don’t worry.” Xiaomu then took a deep breath to calm herself down.

“Sorry about that, Reiji…but I feel calmer now” She apologized. “You know what? Let’s go outside, I think that would be nice.”

“Good deal.”

______________________________________________________________

Reiji and Xiaomu have arrived at the park. Outdoors, it was very sunny, and the weather was very clear. Unfortunately, for Reiji, he doesn’t know what to do. In fact, he wanted to take a nap, but he just couldn’t fall asleep at all. Xiaomu, on the other hand, is playing a video game on her game console- a cozy video game at that- and she seemed to be really into it.

“Woah! Reiji! Look at this! I caught a big fish!” Xiaomu excitedly said, showing off her game console to her husband.

“Wow…that sure is big…” Reiji responded.

“You know, Reiji…this game is very chill and relaxing! You can customize your character, talk to the other residents, plant flowers and trees, catch sea creatures, create your own items, and even more! This game is a lot like real life...but better!”

“You’d rather live in a video game than in the real world?” Reiji asked.

“Reiji, dear, you just missed the point of the whole game, didn’t you?” Xiaomu questioned. “Yeah sure, the things you do in this game are also the things you do in real life, but more relaxing and less stressful!”

“Well that’s because you rely on game mechanics to do all the work.”

“Exactly! That’s what makes this game chill! Now time to go back to playing!”

Xiaomu returned to playing her cozy video game, while Reiji tried his best to fall asleep. But then suddenly, Xiaomu’s game console died down.

“Ugh, I should’ve charged it earlier.” She said, and so she put it away and just stared at the space in front of her. Sitting at a bench, all she saw was a huge lake.

“Okay, I just need to take off stress. This isn’t hard at all.” Xiaomu thought to herself. Except the thing was it was actually very hard. She just stared at the lake. She stared, and stared, and stared…but nothing is working. No matter what she was doing, she still felt very stressed out.

______________________________________________________________

“Xiaomu? Reiji? Are you two okay?”

Xiaomu opened her eyes upon hearing the familiar-sounding voice. That voice belonged to none other than Valkyrie.

“Oh! Umm, hi Valkyrie.” Xiaomu said, feeling a bit down. “You see, we…um…” Valkyrie then noticed Xiaomu’s expression. She, along with Reiji, looked quite worried.

“Hmm…you two look quite stressed out.” Valkyrie commented. “What’s the cause behind it?”

“Well, as you can see, this week has been really stressful for the both of us.” Xiaomu answered.

“Oh…I see. In that case, why don’t you two follow me?” Valkyrie offered the both of them her hands, which they reached out to.

______________________________________________________________

30 minutes have passed. Reiji, Xiaomu, and Valkyrie all have found themselves in a forest. This leaves the former two very confused, wondering why they are now in the woods of all places.

“Uhh, Valkyrie, why are we in a forest?” Reiji asked.

“You see, since the both of you seem very stressed, I wanted to take both of you to a very peaceful place.” Valkyrie answered.

“Oh, it sure is…uh, very peaceful.” Xiaomu responded, observing the environment around her.

The trio continued to traverse the forest. They walked and walked as they encounter different forms of nature, from the plant life to the little critters wandering around the woods.

“Wow, nature really is beautiful, huh?” Reiji commented.

“It sure is.” Xiaomu said. “It’s pretty serene too.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear that, because we’re here!” Valkyrie said, and presented to them a spot in the forest: A huge open place surrounded by trees, grass, and the sunlight shining down.

“Amazing…I’m so impressed.” Reiji said.

“This place is a huge open space, so let’s sit down on the center.” Valkyrie said, and so the trio sat down.

______________________________________________________________

It was quiet.

The forest was very tranquil, with the only sounds heard being the soft chirping of the birds and the gentle winds blowing.

“It’s very peaceful here.” Xiaomu said, smiling. “I like it.”

“It sure is. Now, let’s lie down on the grass, should we?” Valkyrie said, with the three of them following suit.

“The sunlight…it’s warm and relaxing.” Reiji said as he and Xiaomu felt the sunlight’s warmth bathing them. The two of them felt like they’re about to drift to sleep, their eyes slowly closing.

“It sure is.” Valkyrie responded. “Now, just relax and take a deep breath.” Valkyrie then did what she had said. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply through her nose, feeling a calm sensation in her body, mind, and soul. Then, she slowly and gently exhaled through her mouth, and felt like all her troubles dissolved.

“Now, can you two do it?”

Reiji and Xiaomu followed what she did. They both inhaled deeply, feeling the cool, clean forest air in their lungs. As they exhaled, they can feel all their stresses and worries fading away. Their minds and hearts now feel much calmer.

“Now, just let the gentle, calming winds bring peace to your minds and hearts. Let the sunlight shining down bring you warmth. Listen to the sounds of the rustling tree leaves and the songs of the birds. There’s nothing to worry about anymore. Only peace and the sounds of nature.”

And so, Reiji and Xiaomu, along with Valkyrie, have drifted off to a peaceful sleep in the forest.

______________________________________________________________

An hour and 30 minutes later, Reiji, Xiaomu, and Valkyrie all woke up from their nap and stretched out their arms.

“Well, that felt good.” Reiji said. “How long were we asleep for?”

“Hmm…over an hour, it seems.” Valkyrie responded, to which Xiaomu giggled.

“Huh, it was worth it though. We feel much better now! Thank you, Valkyrie.”

“Anytime.” Valkyrie answered. “So, what are you two going to do now?”

“I guess we’ll stay here for a bit.” Reiji answered. “It’s really calming in here.”

“Sounds good. In that case, I’ll stay here with you two.”

And so, Reiji, Xiaomu, and Valkyrie all stayed in the forest for a little longer, just listening to the sounds of nature.

______________________________________________________________

Thanks for reading everyone! Project X Zone is a series I got into this year, and I hope to make more fanfics for one of my favorite games ever :3