#and that disclaiming some of the triggering material is probably best practice when it comes to both of these tbh

[kate-apologist]

🔥 For the Masquerade series

so this has....apparently become a hot take in the recent times but

i think that disliking the masquerade series for its tone is something that is perfectly acceptable, even if said person is in love with the locked tomb.

i've seen bits of this debate here and there, and while i understand where the baru defenders are coming from, i sympathize more with the locked tomb people (and not just because i love the locked tomb!)

i baru post a lot. i've answered an ask about baru where the person asked me to give a recommendation for it based on liking the locked tomb. i gave my honest opinion there, and in tags elsewhere: recommending these series next to each other without appropriately warning the reader about the darker tone, themes, and narrative of baru is not only rude, it's negligent.

while i understand that tone does not a book make, it is also vital to a narrative, and i believe that baru and tlt differ greatly in tone, and that should be disclosed from the outset.

i don't have the post saved (and if i did, i wouldn't want to specifically call someone out anyway) but i saw someone sarcastically saying that "of course tone is more important than the similarities on a narrative level" (not a direct quote), as if tlt and baru are really that similar on a narrative level.

these are, of course, my opinions but i don't think they're similar narratively unless you count the most basic premise of "queer protagonist against imperialism". here's the thing (at the risk of being wrong on the internet)

The locked tomb is not focused solely on the Empire at a systemic level until bits of the second book and more dominantly the third book. Are there elements early on? yes. are they in your face, immediately relevant or a key aspect of the narrative, especially on a first read through? no! Baru kicks off with it. tlt's empire is not graphically homophobic. Baru's is, and it is fundamental to both her character and pieces of the narrative.

They're similar in the chivalrous figure dying at the end of the first book, they're similar in the weird brain stuff, in some of the weird bits, but at a fundamental level, Muir and Dickinson are telling stories of empire in different ways at different levels. Baru hates the Empire from the outset, is constantly working against it while she's working for it. Harrow and Gideon are not like this from the outset, and because those are the central characters for the opening two books, not the BoE, not the other Lyctors, it does change the narrative. resistance to the mechanisms of empire in tlt is not the focus from the outset (but definitely becomes more important as the larger story unfolds and we move outside the bubble of the nine houses)!

I understand the urge to defend Baru when people from the locked tomb fandom do read it on recommendation of it being similar to tlt and end up disliking it for how dark it is. i understand wanting the narrative to be spread despite how graphic it is, partially because that is the reality for a lot of people. i wholly acknowledge i'm speaking from a place of privilege in terms of violent homophobia like baru faces and as an american in a world that has been colonized by america and other wealthy nations, so i cannot fully identify with baru as a protagonist or those who associate on a deep level with her. if you do, i'm not saying that's bad or that you shouldn't recommend the book! i do, but i do so always with the caveat that it's dark and graphic and that the narrative is heavily centered in this darkness.

i think the masquerade series is a valuable series, but i think recommending it to locked tomb enjoyers and expecting them to love it because they love the locked tomb (and especially the critique of colonization that muir is building) or hounding on locked tomb enjoyers for not liking baru because of how graphic and violent it is can be uncomfortable and potentially triggering for a lot of people. tone is not everything, but it is key to enjoyment, and questioning why books are lumped together the way they are can be beneficial.

i remember finishing tyrant and reading the author's note dickinson left, where they state they're not sure when they'll finish the fourth book because the series is draining to write. i remember sympathizing to that, because reading it is draining. i mowed through the locked tomb books in a matter of days. each baru book took me months. the depth of the locked tomb is there i'm not saying it isn't, but baru's is like a painfully gaping wound from the outset, where tlt keeps it hidden until near the end of the first book

i'll end here by saying that both of these series are dear to my heart, and both sit in my top five favorite series of all time. i understand the urge to defend baru, who feels like an underdog compared to the largely more popular tlt, i tend to do it all the time. i do think, though, the conversation surrounding these two series and how they relate to each other can be better and more productive, and generally more generative in discussions of current advertising practices of "book similar to x book, so you'll like book!"

[the19thduckpotato]

Blood of the Father (early Dad Might ficlet)

Disclaimer: we played fast and loose with the medical side of this story so please just focus on the Dad Might.  XD  

Trigger warning for blood and injury.  

As always, all the fondest gratitude to @my-favorite-aesthetics

Now then, on with the story!  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Plit...plit...plit... As Toshinori stumbled into his office, his blood dripped down in a ghastly trail behind him.  He was quick to shut the door then hobbled to his desk. The bottom left drawer held bandages,, the bottom right cleaning supplies.  He pressed his hand against his side with a grimace, fumbling out paper towels and cleaning solution. Leaving the drawer open, he awkwardly wiped the tile floor, soaking up the crimson spots.

"...and your office will of course have luxurious carpet in whatever color you choose," Principal Nezu had chirped. "Tile," Toshinori had quietly but firmly replied. "Hmm?  But why?" "I imagine I may be called upon even while I teach here.  And it's imperative that no one know my secret, sir." "Well of course, but how would carpet--" The tall blond had burst into a sudden fit of coughing at that moment.  Embarrassed, he had fought to regain control then held his blood speckled hand out. "Tile can be washed" he explained, eyes elsewhere.  "Carpet stains." The principal had regarded Toshinori with his bright beady eyes then nodded.  "Oh I quite understand!" he replied amicably.

A few moments later, he was at his desk and glanced back to make sure he  got all the spots Toshi swore darkly. The trail was still there, thicker and darker.  Idiot, he scolded himself.  In such a hurry, I didn't think.   He quickly dug into the left drawer now, his internal anxiety clock ticking loudly.  Sure that any moment, someone would burst through the door. Hurry hurry hurry!

Izuku's footsteps were loud in the silent hallway as he headed to All Might's office as he did every day after school. Sometimes Toshi was there, sometimes he wasn't, but he was okay with Izuku waiting for him and doing some homework. Then they would usually work side-by-side, Toshi on paperwork, Izuku on more homework, the only sounds turning pages and the clicking keyboard. Unless I take a nap... can I afford the time? Will he let me? Well, he's never objected... I've never asked, strictly speaking, but. He shifted the backpack on his shoulders. I can at least take my shoes and jacket off, that'll be nice. He smiled softly, glad to have a place to be so comfortable and casual in. As he approached Toshi's office, he heard the small clicking and thumping of someone interacting with the desk in there. Oh, good, he's in. He tapped on the door, opening it a crack. "Hi..."

Toshinori froze guiltily as he heard the tap, watched the door begin to swing open.  Nononono shi--!! Then heard the voice and relaxed fractionally.  At least the kid already knows my secret.  But he doesn't need to see me like this. He grabbed at the bandage roll, hoping to cover his wounds before Midoriya saw them... then groaned as he lost his hold on it.  The roll seemed to almost gleefully bounce off the desk and tumble toward the boy at the door, unraveling like mad.

Izuku froze, eyes wide, heart spiking in his chest. Then... "...Dang. What happened to you?" He opened the door all the way, picking up what was left of the bandage roll and walking over to the desk, trying to keep his voice casual. I'm probably succeeding... don't overact it... or just don't be worried, I'm sure this happens a lot. Keep yourself a pleasant presence, yes....

Don't freak the kid out.  He may know your secret but let's not ruin his idea of heroes for now. "Runaway Quirk," he explained, accepting the limp bundle that had been a tightly wound bandage roll.  "This poor woman had something like massive porcupine quills.  She was having a bad day and I tried my best to help her."  His upper left arm was sliced in several spots, his right forearm a bit as well.  His dress shirt was understandably in tatters, barely hiding the puncture wound on his right side.  "Easily fixed.  Was just trying when you showed up."

Izuku winced sympathetically, hissing through his teeth. "Ooh. Yeah, that stinks. Can I help at all?"

Don't show weakness. Toshinori sat up stiffly, grinning.  "Nah, I should be fine!"  He attempted to wrap his upper arm in the bandages, grimacing in pain and growling in soft frustration as the bandage thwarted his attempts to control it.

"..." Aahh... "...Are...you sure?" Izuku's voice sounded somewhere between concerned and puzzled. Surely he can't be serious... does he dislike my help for some reason? Does he not think I can do it? "I know how to wrap a bandage, it's okay..." He tilted his head, eyebrows wrinkling.

Toshinori fought with the bandage a moment longer as what he had managed to wrap was already staining red.  "I don't want to trouble you," he replied.  "This is noth--"  He hissed sharply through his teeth as his wounds began to painfully throb in immediate disagreement.

"...Forgive me, but I think I'll be more distressed if I walk away," Izuku pointed out matter-of-factly.

Toshi's head began to ache in tandem with his wounds.  "Perhaps," he said with some difficulty, clutching his side, "you're right.  Some medical practice.  A grand idea.  All right, come here."  He gestured toward the bottom left drawer before wincing again.

Izuku knelt on one knee, opening the drawer. His movements became softer and more fluid in response to Toshi's strained voice. He looked up attentively, waiting for the next instruction.

"Antiseptic," he wheezed.  "Some thicker bandaging material."  He began to realize the steps he had skipped in his wasted haste.  "I'll need you to...ah..."  He looked guiltily at Izuku, the dark circles under his eyes very evident.  "This could get unpleasant.  Are you sure?"

Izuku’s eyes were soft, but expressionless, as was his voice. He nodded once. “I’m sure.”

Toshi gazed at the boy for a moment and felt something stir within his chest.  Gratitude?  Pride in this boy?  Sudden determination to be as brave as young Midoriya was being at the moment? Kid.... He opened his mouth to say something then shook his head, ears pinking.  "All right.  I'll need you to pour some of that antiseptic on that cloth and press it against these slashes on my upper arm.  I might get...ah...loud..."

Izuku’s jaw tightened for a moment, but he hoped it wasn’t noticeable. “Alright,” he nodded again, putting the antiseptic on the cloth as requested, then standing, ready to put it on. He paused, asking, “...Do you need anything to bite on? I usually use my sleeve, but...” he motioned to Toshi’s ragged business-shirt sleeve. “Well, that’s not gonna work.”

Toshi seemed to only half hear him, resigning himself to being about to destroy his fan's image of him.  "Hmm?  No no, nothing like that.  I promise you, if it were that bad I would be visiting Recovery Girl."  He rolled back the tatters of his sleeve and took a deep breath.  "Whenever you're ready."

"Well-- if you're sure... do you want a countdown or not?" No, wait, I shouldn't have said that, that's one sentence too many, don't keep him waiting-- but I can't DO it now, that'd be rude...

Toshi regarded his student with a gentle smile.  "That's thoughtful of you.  But no," he added, tensing up once more.  "Let's go ahead and power through this, what do you say?"

"Alright." He put the cloth on, being as gentle as he could.

Toshi's reaction was immediate.  His back arched rigidly and he bared his teeth in a dangerous scowl.  His eyes squeezed shut as cords stood out on his neck. Don't scream, it'll freak the kid out, don't scream don't don't don't

"I'm sorry," Izuku whispered quietly. I know it hurts a lot.

Tears stood in his eyes as he tried to smile.  "No, I'm sorry for making you do this," he rasped out.  "You don't have to continue if you don't want to."

You don't have to smile. "I don't want to stop." He kept it on the wound a moment longer, counting to ten in his head, then took it off. "That's good, right?"

Toshi's muscles untensed as he smiled for real.  Kid....!  "Yeah," he replied in a somewhat strained voice.  "Yeah, that's true."

"Oh you mean the--"  Toshi peeked at the bandage and grimaced at the amount it had soaked up.  "--uh, yeah, yeah, you're doing great.  Just a few more spots to get." Haven't even checked my back yet.

"Okay. Where next?"

"Up to you, really.  Plenty to choose from, heheheh--ow."

Izuku winced in commiseration again. "You got any pain relievers anywhere?"

Toshi's eyes grew wide.  "Oh YEAH!"  He almost slapped his own forehead... if it wasn't for the headache he'd surely give himself doing so.  "Dig in that drawer some more for me, please."

"Sure!" He crouched down again, rummaging about, looking for bottles. He held one up. "This one?"

Pain-bright eyes squinted at the bottle and Toshi nodded.  "That's the one.  Thank you, young Mi--" Weak. Torino's voice.  Toshi tried not to squirm.

Izuku read the instructions on the bottle and shook out a pill, holding it out to Toshi. "You need water?"

Can't even sort out your own medicine let alone bandage yourself. ...stop... Toshi rubbed his aching head, trying to listen to his student. Some great hero, tcha!  You shouldn't even need medicine.  If you had taken care of One for All like you were supposed to-- Stop. Young Midoriya asked him something but Toshi couldn't hear him over the relentless Torino gremlin running amok in his head now. --then you wouldn't even need help.  Back in my day--your MASTER'S day--we were actually made of sterner stuff.  But here you are, whimpering like  some lost abandoned puppy with a thorn in its paw.  Shaming every hero that came before you, shaming your Master-- "I said STOP!"

Izuku froze, shrunk against the desk, eyes wide. N-no you didn't!! What did I do wrong?? I'm sorry!!

Toshi looked up, his heart freezing as he realized he said the last aloud. Your fault. His breathing was ragged, his eyes remorseful.  "Forgive me," he mumbled.  "That was not directed at you, I swear."

Izuku's face morphed to concern, though his body stayed frozen. "Then-- who..."

And now he thinks you're crazy.  Perfect.  Just keep digging that hole, junior. Toshi stared at his hands miserably, wanting to talk but not wishing to burden so young a face with such adult problems.  "...water, please," he whispered, hating himself for shutting Izuku out.

"...Okay...." Izuku placed the pill in Toshi's hand carefully, making sure his hand was gentle when it brushed against the large, shaking one. Standing up from where he crouched, he set his backpack on a mostly-clear part of the desk, pulling out a partially-empty sports bottle and holding it out. "Is this good? I can go and get a cup from the break room if no."

"This is perfect," Toshi replied, really meaning it.

"Okay." Izuku smiled softly, more in his eyes and voice than his mouth.

Coddled by a child. Toshi placed the pill in his mouth and sipped water.  ...and what is wrong with feeling cared for? The Torino voice fell silent at that.

"You're still bleeding," Izuku half-whispered. "That's a lot of blood gone so far, are you sure you shouldn't be worried?"

Toshinori's face crinkled pleasantly.  "Kind of goes with the job," he confessed.  "I uh... can you ah..."  His ears blushed red now.

"Yeah?" He tilted his head. ...Keep going? Do something else? Oh dear, I should hurry... he's still bleeding, that's bad....

"I haven't really looked at my back.  Could you ah..." I need a new shirt. He pulled out more bandages and poured antiseptic on them.  "...check it for me while I get my arm here, please?"

"Yeah, I can." Izuku moved around to the back of the chair. "How did she get your back, anyway?"

"She was like that one blue character in your video games--the speedy hedgehog?  Mach?  ...anyway, she was moving kind of like that and I was shielding some bystanders."

Izuku blinked. "Ma--Sonic, but yeah." Didn't they have Sonic when you were a kid?? "--Oompf, yeah. That must have been really hard." Did you not get to play video games? ...Aaww, that's sad.... Right away, he noticed a large patch of blood staining a mostly-intact patch of shirt on Toshi's shoulder. "Okay yeah, there's definitely something there... I can't really get a look at it, though." He took a look at the rest of the ruined garment. "Your shirt is... pretty much done for, though..." He grimaced. "Do you think I should cut it instead of you taking it off?"

Toshi gave an embarrassed smile.  "Maybe.  I'm sure me trying to take it off would prove both futile and possibly pull some muscles I shouldn't be moving at the moment.  Ah, scissors are in the other drawer."

Izuku nodded (which Toshi couldn’t see) and moved to poke in the other drawer.

Toshi bit his lip.  The kid might have to dig some bits out, too.  That's asking a lot, even from someone as devoted as him.

Izuku pulled out the scissors, keeping them angled down and away from Toshi as he moved to the back of the chair again, then carefully and quickly snipping through the remnants of the bloodied shirt.

Toshi cringed and waited for the pull of shredded fabric from skin... completely unaware of the three inch piece of Quirk quill still embedded just below his shoulder blade, like some large splinter.

Izuku carefully snipped around it, leaving a small piece of fabric stuck with the quill in Toshi's back, his lips pressed into a thin line.

"How is it back there?"   A tiny snort of a giggle--oh no a pun ee hee!--quickly dissolved as he remembered he needed to remain professional. Also, laughing hurt. ...but it was a nice pun.  Maybe--does young Midoriya like puns?

"...nnh." Izuku let his head thunk onto the headrest of the chair. A muffled snort escaped.

Toshi heard the groan and began to apologize for the words...when he heard the snort.  Turning his head carefully, he looked to Izuku with faintly impish eyes.  "You caught that, huh?"

“I did.”

A smile was threatening to sneak out.  "....my apologies, I kinda like wordplay.  Must be a hero thing," he explained quickly.  "The quippy one liners and all.  Yeah!"

“I’ve noticed,” Izuku continued to snip, grinning. “And they’re all very funny...” he got stuck at the collar.

A warmth was flickering in Toshi's chest now, hopeful.  "Y-yeah?  ...oh hey, having trouble there?  ....wait, what is THAT?"  And he pointed the piece of fabric still lodged below his shoulderblade.

"...Ahm."

One eyebrow rose, the other scrunched down.  "Ahm?"

"That's a piece I couldn't get out. That, if her quills work like porcupine quills, I probably can't get out." His voice softened regretfully. "...All Might..."

Toshi's breath caught sharply in his throat, not at this new information but at the tone the boy used saying his name.  It sounded...concerned?  worried?  scared?

Izuku's voice was so low and small it was almost a whisper. "I don't... think I can do this properly. You've lost a lot of blood, n... I've never taken care of anything this serious before. Do you think...."

You IDIOT. The Torino voice was back. "Oh my boy, please forgive me.  I foolishly thought that I--" Admitting you screwed up? Toshi's gaze dropped.  "Let me call Recovery Girl.  Could you....could you stay with me?"

"Of course..." His hand curled carefully around an unhurt part of Toshi's arm. "I'm sorry. Believe me, I would have avoided her too if I could," he said with a small, lopsided smile.

"Don't get the wrong idea," Toshi replied firmly.  "If you are hurt like this--though I pray it won't happen often--please, please seek medical help as soon as possible."  He looked guiltily at his stained shirt tatters.  "I came here because I thought I could-- I mean, because her office is much farther than mine.  And people would have worried."  And discovered my secret.  "I don't want that."

"Yeah, I would. I don't think I could move much in the position you're in." He grimaced, finally managing to get through the shirt collar. "...Though to be fair, I think people would worry more if they saw you with infected old wounds... of course, I'm sure you didn't know how bad it was, given your surprise at... that." He gestured towards the quill, gently moving the shirt and discovering an entirely new form of panic. "...Ah."

"You keep making new noises that I'm not entirely sure I'm comfortable with," Toshi teased.  "What is ah?"

"Sorry. Uhm." Izuku looked a bit like a nervous frog, his voice squeaky. "I maaaaay have uhhmmmmm snippedatinybitofyourhairimsorry"

Toshi b l i n k e d.  Very.  S l o w l y. "HERE, EAT THIS!" "Ah," he replied in the same tone young Midoriya used, unsure how to respond to this new information amid all the rest.

"It's just a tiny bit, I promise! You can't even notice, it's just..." he gently brushed at the little snippings of Toshi's dandelion floof. "There's, ahm. Bits."

"Bits," Toshi squeaked. Did he shiver just now as the kid brushed the newly snipped bits?  Goosebumps speckled his arms and the warm feeling in his chest grew a bit more. I'm torn up, losing blood, getting a haircut while having a spine imbedded in me....and yet I'm ok with this.    ....??????

"You can't even tell, really... it's just-- I don't want it to get into the wounds... a-and of course it's your hair, I didn't mean to obviously but--"

Toshi snorted.  Then giggled.  The giggles became laughter.  And though it hurt, the laughter grew louder.

"aaAaAaaAA"

Toshi jumped at that, then winced in pain.  "Good or bad?" he gasped.

"--Huh? ...Oh. Sorry. I was just still freaking out that I cut your hair."

"Oh right!"  Toshi snorted again and then winced again.  "Doncha worry, my power doesn't leak out of my hair!  That was a one time thing."

"...Oh. That's good." Didn't even think of that....

Even so, Toshi tried to peek at the golden snippets.  "Oh right, I was calling Recovery Girl."

Izuku nodded. "I think it's safest, yes. I don't think I could pull that spine out without... well." He made a face. "Doing a lot of damage I'd rather not describe." He looked at the chair. And the floor. And his hands. "Also, you're bleeding Everywhere. And I'm not sure you can keep that up for long."

Toshi made a moue of distaste, glancing about the room.  "Hrhm.  True."  Is it bad that I'm super curious to see the spine?  How did I not even notice--wait.  ow.  OW.  Oh there it is.  O W.  frack. He held up one of his few unstained fingers to silence Izuku as he called the nurse's office.

Izuku nodded, placing the slightly sticky scissors on the desk. He watched Toshi make the call, wondering if there was anywhere he was supposed to be applying pressure until medical assistance got there.

((TBC))

[hopeandlimerence]

( warning long post lol I’m sorry I got carried away also some triggering topics about ann’s life )

GETTING  TO  KNOW  THE  MUN :

NAME : Danielle NICKNAME :  Dani FACECLAIM :  

PRONOUNS : she / her HEIGHT :  5′3 BIRTHDAY :  January 25th AESTHETIC : Lots of t-shirts, jeans, I wear bows in my hair a lot, I almost always wear mascara but sometimes I like to wear the whole eyeshadow, foundation, eyeliner, lipstick, etc.  LAST  SONG  YOU  LISTENED  TO :  Ashes by Celine Dion  FAVORITE  MUSE (S)  YOU’VE  WRITTEN :  My top 3 favorites have been 1. Ann (this blog) 2. Semira from underworld @ my multimuse @inacciaio and Marisa Coulter, who I’ve yet to play on tumblr, mainly because there isn’t a His Dark Materials/Golden Compass fandom on tumblr but with the BBC/HBO show coming out soon, hopefully that will change~

GETTING  TO  KNOW  THE  ACCOUNT :

WHAT  INSPIRED  YOU  TO  TAKE  ON  THIS  MUSE : I am insanely fascinated with Ann Fleming’s life. Like I’ve always been a James Bond fan, ever since I was a child, and I’ve also always been into history, so when a biopic miniseries came out called Fleming: The Man Who Would Be Bond, I was really intrigued by that, so I began doing research on Ian Fleming, Ann Fleming, and when I started researching them, I kept having more questions, and those answers led to more questions because they were very complex people with very complicated lives and relationships, especially their relationship in particular. But after a while of researching Ann, I began forming an attachment to her honestly, like her life was hard, man. People made her out to be this person who had it easy because she was rich and because she came from a good background but like 1. her family didn’t even really want her, like her mother died when she was young, and her father wanted nothing to do with her until adulthood where they somehow became friends like ??? okay 2. she had such a lack of affection growing up plus physical and emotional abuse and neglect gave her such a warped view of affection and love, like it hurts me 3. her relationships were honestly so broken and painful and it’s complicated to describe them. like Ann enjoyed cruelty. she found comfort when her partner was cruel to her. at her core, in her subconscious, she craved things like agony, violence, meanness, and her last husband Ian Fleming had similar childhood abuse that led him to crave the same things, which was why they were both so connected with a deep understanding of each other, yet so volatile and destructive towards each other. and they both thrived yet were barely holding on by a thread at the same time with this kind of mentality and desires. they both insisted that they were each other’s true loves however, being very passionately in love and having a surprisingly loving and affectionate relationship despite all of the ways they hurt each other, and the only time their relationship ever truly “died” was when they got older, their sex life slowly diminished, and Ian began seeing other women, then Ann seeing another man out of spite.  4. she outlived almost everyone she ever cared about. She outlived a. her parents, b. all three of her husbands c. her youngest sister who died of alcohol poisoning d. a lot of her best friends e. she had a miscarriage d. and probably the most painful, her youngest son killed himself in his early 20′s. Like her life was tragedy after tragedy and in the end she had to face it almost completely alone. By the time she was near her death, now diagnosed with cancer, the only people who were really close to her and still alive were her two children Raymond and Fionn who both had their own lives and responsibilities, living far away, etc. So yeah, I became extremely attached to her and there have been so many times during researching her life I’ve just straight up cried. Was she a perfect person? No, of course not. But she also had a lot of wonderful qualities among her faults, like she was a wonderful friend who genuinely liked putting others before herself, she so badly wanted to be a good person and tried her hardest to be, and she recognized most of her faults when she either realized them or someone pointed them out to her. So me being so passionate about this person + the miniseries coming out, of course I had to make Ann into a muse. WHAT  ARE  YOUR  FAVORITE  ASPECTS  OF  YOUR  CURRENT  MUSE :  I love how charismatic Ann is. Like she can talk her way into a lot of things, she is friendly to pretty much everyone, and she can blend in to practically any crowd. Even people who are wildly different from her with wildly different opinions, 9/10 times she still wants to be friends with them. Also I 100% love writing all of the crazy shenanigans she got into. Like I have a book of letters written by her, to her, about her, etc. and so many of them contain fucking gems of wacky stories, wild adventures, quirky little happenings in life and her friends lives and they’re a a joy to read and a joy to portray.  WHAT’S  YOUR  BIGGEST  INSPIRATION  WHEN  IT  COMES  TO  WRITING :  When it comes to writing Ann, a lot of music and any kind of scenes from movies or tv shows that remind me of her or her life. The miniseries is especially an inspiration, Lara Pulver’s portrayal of Ann was absolutely perfect and it’s why Lara Pulver is my face claim for Ann. Her book of letters is also a huge inspiration to me, so if I ever need inspiration for writing Ann, I’ll usually either 1. listen to her ever growing playlist 2. watch the miniseries again or 3. read her letters FAVORITE  TYPES  OF  THREADS :  I love shenanigans. They’re probably my favorite of all time. Along with that though, I also like shippy things, angst things, with Ann they usually go hand in hand, but there will still be a lot of fluff in between. Some of my favorite letters between Ann and Ian are the ones talking about how much they love each other and how wonderful they think the other is, some of their letters are honestly so sweet and mushy, it’s adorable.  BIGGEST  STRUGGLE  IN  REGARDS  TO  YOUR  CURRENT  MUSE :  Writing some of the hard stuff is definitely a struggle. I’m always partially afraid of writing it because I don’t want to upset anyone who might be going through/has gone through some of these things, though that’s why in my blog disclaimer in my rules, I try to get across that I am going to be discussing these really hard topics on this blog, because they were huge parts of Ann’s life and personality, like without these things, Ann wouldn’t be an accurate representation of who she was. And speaking of accuracy, of course with Ann being a historical figure, I always worry that there may be certain things of my interpretation that are grossly inaccurate, or disrespectful, and it’s never my intention and I hope that this is never the case because as said above, I genuinely care about Ann. I love and adore her, if I could meet any historical figure ever, without a doubt it would be Ann. Not because she’s the best historical figure or anything, but because she’s so fascinating to me and I feel such a bond with her as stupid as that probably is. Like I’ve been researching her since I was 17 and I’m 23 now, I care about her honestly more than I probably healthily should lol. Ann means a lot to me and I hope that my writing is doing her justice, and I hope that I’m portraying her as accurately as I can without the ability to do something like interview her or have every single piece of information about her life.

TAGGED  BY : @shcrpwits TAGGING : @lettergave, @mysterymanjoseph, @warringpeace @revcl @wineinthewidow @motherwitch @magaprima  @killedinstead @betterhealing @blockbustertm @ineffablemum @pressedsuits @pierre-renaldi @hatesamateurs @hrhmonpetitchou and anyone else who would like to do this! 

[allsortsofgeekery]

One of Us is Lying: Chapter 1

Synopsis: Five high school students, all from different social groups and ranks in the popularity hierarchy, walk into detention on Monday, September 24; only four walk out. Remy Kallagher was murdered, and the surviving four are all suspects. But who did it—Logan, the valedictorian and student council president, Roman, the star athlete, Patton, the adorable member of the homecoming court, or Virgil, the infamous school drug dealer on probation?

🚨IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS🚨

I do not own this story or these characters. This fanfiction is based off of the novel, “One of Us is Lying”, by Karen M. McManns. I do not claim ownership to anything.

This fic will be dealing with lots of heavy and upsetting topics, so it is VERY IMPORTANT that you read the trigger warnings before you read.

The ending of this fic will be slightly different from the original book.

Word count: 1,750

Trigger Warnings: poisoning, drug mention, cursing, severe allergic reaction (let me know if I’ve missed anything!)

Pairings: eventual analogical

Without further ado, let’s get to the story!

Logan

2:55 PM

Monday, September 24

“NF better end it with her boyfriend, JG, because one night away from her and he’s already sleeping with his girl on the side, KT. Sorry, babe!”

“Turns out the adorable little bookworm WC isn’t as do-no-wrong as we thought. Give her the shot, and she’ll steal your man—which is exactly what she did to her “BFF”, LJ. Turns out, hooking up with your best friend’s boyfriend doesn’t do wonders for your friendship—or your reputation. Back to the books, WC.”

“We’ve all heard about JK’s one night stand with QD from a post a few months back—but it’s apparently not so one-night-standy after all. The two were caught making out in the closet at Q’s Halloween party, making everyone wonder if they’re still going strong. Trick or treat?”

Logan Sanders stood at his locker, scrolling through the day’s most recent gossip posts. The lengths he’d go to to stall today. He usually pretended he didn’t care about the posts—most of the time, he really didn’t—but sometimes he couldn’t help himself. Besides, he’d do anything to delay what was about to happen.

“Hey, bitch,” a voice said from behind him. Logan cringed inwardly. He tried to close out of the app, but it was too late. Remy Kallagher had already reached out, hand closed around his wrist and eyes set upon his phone screen. “Reading my very own posts?” Remy asked in a mock-flattered voice. “I’m honored, Mr. President. But it’s old news. Just you wait until tomorrow. You’ll love it.”

Remy’s eyes glinted in a way that Logan didn’t like. He yanked his wrist out of Remy’s bone breaking grasp and shook his head. “Believe me, Remy, my reading your posts is a very rare occurrence.”

Remy grinned like a Cheshire cat. “It won’t be for long.”

Logan’s eyes narrowed. “What’s that supposed to—“ he was cut off by a small buzz from his phone. There was a single message from Valerie Rosario, a girl on the Mathletes team with him.

“Hey! Are you coming to Ellen’s Coffee for practice today?”

A bubble that showed Valerie was typing appeared in the bottom corner of the screen, and then a second message was added:

“Jared’s here!”

Logan felt his face grow hot. Of course, he realized fully that among all of his extracurriculars and classes, it would be pointless and silly to pursue a romantic relationship. Even though Jared Williams had perfect, toothpaste-commercial teeth and polo shirts with his initials monogrammed into them and may very well be the first hot mathlete ever.

Regardless. Logan definitely didn’t care that stupidly smart Jared Williams was at Mathletes practice today. And he definitely didn’t care that he couldn’t make it today.

Remy leaned over and grinned his catlike grin. “Jared Williams, huh? Spill the Tea material or no?”

Logan went hot. “Spill the Tea” was Remy’s gossip app that the entire school read. He claimed he posted all of the gossip there to help people, but he really held it over everyone’s heads and used it to keep them in line. And it worked—ever since he had started the blog, nobody ever crossed Remy, because they knew he could dig up dirt on them. The whole school read “Spill the Tea”, no matter how much they hated it, though—it was their number one source of gossip and news. Even Logan wasn’t above it.

Logan had never been featured. Obviously. There was only one thing that could have possibly made it onto the site that concerned him, but Remy couldn’t know about that.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Logan said, shouldering his backpack and shoving past Remy. He couldn’t be late for his sentence. His unfair sentence, he reminded himself. To his annoyance, Remy still tagged along, a pest that Logan couldn’t seem to shake.

“So, where’re you off to, Mr. President?” Remy asked, employing the nickname he had been using since Logan had been elected Student Council President. It was beyond infuriating. “Off to one of your extracurriculars?”

“Don’t I wish,” Logan muttered under his breath as he came to a stop in front of Professor Walker’s door. Remy looked at him expectantly, willing him to move. When Logan stood his ground, the color rising in his cheeks, Remy suddenly burst out laughing.

“You?” He said between snorts. “Oh, sis! What’d you even do?”

“Nothing,” Logan replied, his tone and expression even. “I was falsely accused.”

Remy wasn’t having it. “Sure, okay, whatever you say, Prez,” he said between snorts.

Logan opened his mouth to respond, but Remy had already pulled the door open and stepped into the lab.

Logan took in the odd gathering. Definitely not the type of people he had been expecting—well, except for one. Virgil Macauley, the school’s notorious drug dealer, grinned like he had just won the lottery when he caught sight of him.

“You make a wrong turn?” He remarked, a shit eating grin on his face. “This is detention, not student council.” Logan flushed a fire engine red.

“Mr. Macauley,” Professor Walker said from behind the teacher’s desk. “This is not the time for commentary.” Virgil tipped his chair back and rapped on the desk with his fingers in reply.

Logan took a quick inventory of the other delinquents stuck in detention; other than himself, Remy, and Virgil, there were only two others: Roman Prince and Patton Hart. Neither seemed like the type to get a detention to him, but he supposed the students from the popular group were all wild cards. It was odd seeing Patton without his boyfriend. Even now, he looked utterly lost without him. Logan wondered bemusedly if it had taken a crowbar to pry them apart.

“Mr. Walker,” Logan began once he took his seat. Professor Walker looked up and quirked an eyebrow at him, but said nothing. “Please. There’s been a mistake, sir. I don’t know how that phone got in my backpack, because it does not belong to me. This is mine,” he said, pulling it out of his backpack and showing him. Mr. Walker sighed and steepled his fingers.

“Mr. Sanders,” he began. “These are the facts. You are not supposed to have a phone in my classroom. I found a phone in your bag. You broke the rules, you suffer the consequences. Case closed.”

“But sir—“

“I trust I should not have to repeat myself, Mr. Sanders, unless if you would like a second visit?”

Logan fell silent, but the others—save Remy—were now staring at him with a newfound interest.

“Mr. Walker, I think we’re being pranked,” Roman declared. He brushed a sandy curl out of his eyes. “The phone you found in my bag wasn’t mine, either.”

“Mine, either!” Patton piped up, looking between the two of them with wide, curious blue eyes. “I always keep my phone in my locker, I promise!”

Patton looked so earnest that even Logan had to admit that Mr. Walker was being stubborn when he shook his head.

“Boys, you knew the rule. Put the conspiracy theories to rest. In the meantime, you are all to write a five-hundred word essay about how technology is destroying the fabric of society as we know it,” Mr. Walker said, handing out notepads and pens. Patton’s brows furrowed again.

“But...Mr. Walker, if we don’t have computers, how do we know when we hit five hundred words?” His soft features scrunched up in confusion. Walker merely tapped a finger on the pad.

“Count, Mr. Hart.”

Roman

3:07 PM

Monday, September 24

He could hear the sounds of baseball practice going on outside without him. Roman rested a hand on his cheek and gazed at the clock. He had only been in here for less than ten minutes? Good god, he didn’t know how he was going to make it until four. He had just started his third paragraph--written in perfect, loopy cursive--when Remy raised his hand.

“Yes, Mr. Kallagher?”

“Can I get some water?”

Mr. Walker rubbed his temples. “Don’t you have any with you?” Remy smirked and shook his head. Walker heaved a sigh. “Very well. There’s a sink with some cups by the wall. Be quick.”

Remy saluted lazily and got up. Roman turned his attention back to his essay--or tried to, rather, because at that very second, the sound of screeching tires squealed from outside. Already on his feet, Roman raced to the window.

There was a red Camaro that looked as though it hadn’t been used in years that had crashed into an ordinary gray Volkswagen. The accident looked minor, probably nothing more than a fender bender, but it was enough to get Mr. Walker moving.

“Mr. Sanders, keep the room contained. I’ll be back in a few minutes,” he said to Logan before rushing out the door to inspect the damage. But by the time they even turn to look back out the window, the cars are already pulling out of the lot.

“Huh,” Virgil breathed, pressing a hand to the window.

“Well...at least nobody’s hurt…” Patton started unsteadily. He bit his lower lip.

Remy had already backed away from the window and perched himself on a desk, picking up his cup of water. “Bitches. This is perfect.”

Roman quirked an eyebrow. “How’s that?”

“You ever seen ‘The Breakfast Club’? This is, like, real life Breakfast Club.”

“I don’t understand what you’re referring to, Remy,” Logan said in his monotonous way of speaking. Remy rolled his eyes.

“Sure you don’t. Think about it. You’re all, like, walking movie stereotypes. The nerd,” he said, pointing his chin at Logan. “the homecoming prince,” nodding at Patton, “the jock,” a pointed glance at Roman, “and the basket case.” This earned him a growl from Virgil.

“Even so,” Logan started, his arms folded across his chest. “What does that make you?”

“The nuisance,” Virgil muttered from the far corner of the room. Remy narrowed his eyes at him for a split second before turning his attention back to Logan and grinning almost wickedly.

“I’m the omniscient narrator, Prez.”

Logan raised an eyebrow. “In ‘The Breakfast Club’? As far as I know, there was none.” Remy’s almost-evil grin widened.

“Maybe not in ‘The Breakfast Club’,” he conceded. Then he grinned and held up the cup in a strange sort of toast to the five of them. “But there is one in life.” Then he drained his cup.

Roman glanced at Patton. Patton looked back, looking thoroughly confused and possibly a little disturbed. Roman opened his mouth to tell Remy to stop being weird, but Remy dropped his empty cup to the ground.

His eyes bulged, and he clawed at his throat. Roman at first thought that he was joking, but suddenly the others were standing, too, staring at him with looks of concern.

“Remy…?” Patton began, but Remy didn’t show signs of responding. Instead, he fell off of his desk and hit the ground with a thud.

Taglist:

@sparkletastic-cookiedough @mijako98

[advocatewrites-blog]

Into the Unknown Part 4 Chapter 1

Into the Unknown

Fandom: Undertale, Coraline (book), Over the Garden Wall, Paranorman, Gravity Falls (season 2)

Characters: Frisk, Norman B., Dipper P., Mabel P., Coraline J., Wirt, Greg, the Cat, the Frog; Sans, Toriel, Papyrus, Undyne, Alphys, Asgore,; the Other Mother, the Beast, Agatha P., Bill Cipher, Asriel D., Chara D.,

Pairings: Not the focus. Alphys/Undyne, with mentions of Papyrus/Mettaton, sans/Toriel/Asgore, and Wirt/Sara. Due to the nature of Undertale and the dating segments, there is also interpretable Papyrus/Wirt, Undyne/Mabel, Alphys/Dipper, Napstablook/Norman, Mettaton/Norman, Mettaton/Mabel, Sans/Dipper, Sans/Norman, and Sans/Greg.

Rated a high +K for violence, mild language, horrific elements that may be disturbing to younger readers,  mentions of child abuse and bullying, character death that is sometimes permanent, and mentions of suicide that may be triggering. These elements remain relatively unchanged from their source material, which most all are for children, but discretion is advised nonetheless.

Disclaimer: Undertale was created and owned by Toby Fox. Coraline was created by Neil Gaiman and owned by Bloomsbury and Laika. Over the Garden Wall was created by Patrick McHale and owned by Cartoon Network. Paranorman was created by Sam Fell and Chris Butler and owned by Laika. Gravity Falls was created by Alex Hirsch and owned by Disney. Any other work mentioned or homage are property of their respective owners. This is a fan-made, nonprofit work that only seeks to entertain. Please support the original franchises.

“so I’m a sentry in snowdin forest, right? I sit out there and I watch for humans. it’s kind of boring. fortunately, in the forest, there’s this HUGE locked door. and it’s perfect for practicing knock-knock jokes. so one day, I’m knocking ‘em out, like usual. I knock on the door and say ‘knock knock’. and suddenly, from the other side…I hear a woman’s voice.

“‘who is there?’ so, naturally, I respond. ‘dishes.’ ‘dishes who?’ ‘dishes is a very bad joke.’ Then she just howls with laughter. like it’s the best joke she’s heard in a hundred years. so I keep ‘em coming, and she keeps laughing. she’s the best audience I’ve ever had. then, after a dozen of ‘em, SHE knocks and says ‘Knock knock!’ I say, ‘whos there?’ ‘old lady!’ ‘old lady who?’ ‘Oh! I did not know you could yodel!’

“wow. needless to say, this woman was extremely good. we kept telling each other jokes for hours. eventually, I had to leave. Papyrus gets kind of cranky without his bedtime story. but she told me to come by again, and so I did. then I did again. it’s kind of a thing now.”

The human is still listening, eyes wide and mouth full of burg. Its LV is at 5, meaning it’s still definitely a murderer. But it’s hard to remember that after seeing it pass through the puzzles his bro set up with a smile on its face, watch it engage with them. Watch it Spare.

“one day, though, I notice she wasn’t laughing as much. I asked her what was up. then she told me something strange. ‘if a human ever comes through this door…could you please, please promise me something? watch over them, and protect them, will you not?’ now, I hate making promises. and this woman, I don’t even know her name. but, someone who sincerely loves bad jokes…has an integrity you can’t say no to.”

He doesn’t know what he’s thinking. He can’t shake the boat in a meaningful way; everything is on a schedule, and nothing he does changes. But he has to know.

“do you get what I’m saying? That promise I made to her…do you know what would have happened if she hadn’t said anything? buddy…

You’d be dead where you stand.”

He didn’t mean to speak so forcefully; slip out of his font and use the tone he uses when he Judges. But the effect is immediate. The human’s eyes widen in fear and it runs still.

In a way, that’s all the answer he needs.

But then it starts crying. The other occupants of Grillby’s start to look at them, and he squirms under the attention. It raises its hands and starts to move them. It’s crude Hands, not helped by how much it’s trembling. He manages to get most of it.

Didn’t mean—accident—thought she would stop—didn’t know—not me—not myself--

How old was this kid anyway? It’s shorter than he is, and that’s saying something. Their hands shake too much and there are bruises on their legs and under their sweater. Old enough to kill? You don’t commit genocide on accident, but if they were half as upset about it then as they were now…

What did they mean by not myself?

I’ll fix, they sign. I’ll go back and save her. I promise.

*RESET

He sees it that time. The world stops. He watches it move backwards, like someone were rewinding a tape.

sans wakes up in his bed, like he always does. Usually, it takes him a long time to gather up the energy to restart the timeline again. He’ll lie in bed until Papyrus wakes him up and demands he go to work, and sometimes after that. This time, however, he jumps out of bed and makes some corrections to his notebook.

don’t trust them

Four are the Stars An Undertale/Gravity Falls crossover By the Poor Sap Advocate

Chapter 1

“How’d you think we ended up down here?” Dipper asked as he looked around.

“We fell, of course,” said Mabel, who was in the middle of making herself a daisy chain out of the more squished golden flowers. She gestured upwards, where just the faintest glint of blue skies and sunlight could be seen.

“Do you remember falling down somewhere?”

“Nope!”

“I don’t remember Gravity Falls having any mountains big enough for…this,” said Dipper.

He tried thinking back to what happened. He remembered Mabel was planning a party for the reopening of the Mystery Shack, they were hanging out in the gift shop…flashes of red and blue…then nothing.

“And how are these flowers growing, anyway? There’s like no sunlight down here!”

Mabel looked back down at her daisy chain in confusion.

“Do you still have your grappling hook?” Dipper asked. “Maybe we can—”

Mabel was in the air before he could even finish that sentence. She loved using the grappling hook, especially when she had a legitimate reason to use it.

Mabel scaled upward towards the highest ridge of the cliff. She grabbed onto the ridge with one hand, then jumped as she tried to grab the ledge above. Her hand stop on the sky. There was a loud booming noise, as though someone has struck a gong. The sky began to ripple like waves in a lake.

Mabel tumbled back down onto the golden flowers.

“MABEL!”

“What was that?” Mabel said as she sat back up, as though nothing had happened. “It feels like I just ran into a wall.”

Dipper’s mind started racing. There was something at the top of the mountain, something not normal. More Gravity Falls weirdness to investigate.

He took another look at Mabel and the distance she fell, and decided he would investigate it once they were looking down at it again.

“There’s a cave this way,” said Dipper. “We can probably hike our way down from here and see if there’s another entrance that’s not blocked by paranormal entities.”

Mabel pulled herself off the ground and dusted herself off.  “You lead the way, bro!”

She had a new sweater on, a blue and violet striped design with a red heart in the middle. And for some reason, it felt very familiar to Dipper.

Frisk found themselves in the woods once again.

It was not the Unknown again, they put together quickly. It felt too…different. In fact, if it weren’t for the heat and the sun above, they could have thought they had made it back to the forests in Snowdin. It felt like magic was in the air.

Another thing different from the Unknown was how quickly they were able to find humans. And how many there were in one place. The sounds of crowds and traffic were audible within seconds, and they wandered towards its source.

It was hard to describe what they found. It was less of a house and more of a hovel.

“Alright, step right this way! The first tour of the new and improved Mystery Shack!”

The Cat wouldn’t be able to find them for a while. They could kill time, at least. Frisk wandered into the group and hid behind legs.

They were actually surprised that they were found so quickly. The Mystery Man leaned close to them, one eye inspecting them closely.

“Don’t think I didn’t see ya sneak in, kid,” he said. “Your parents in this group?”

They shook their head and shrugged.

“You gonna pay your way in yourself?”

They had to dig through their pockets a bit, but they managed to find a gold coin from the Underground and handed it to him. What shock he had that a child was carrying gold wore off on him quickly. He inspected it carefully, even going so far as to biting on it, before deciding he was satisfied and turned back to them.

“I don’t see too many kids with solid gold on them,” said the Mystery Man.

Frisk responded by giving him another gold coin.

“Good answer! Right this way, kid!”

Dipper took a step, and fell through the floor.

This was about the fourth time he had done that, and frankly it stopped being funny after the second. Mabel propped herself up on the pedestal and waited for him to come back.

“Hey, Froggit, you’re looking good today!” She called.

The Froggit in question gave an embarrassed burble, dropped a few gold coins, and hopped on its way.

“Why do they have so many puzzles leading up to their house?” Dipper asked as he emerged from the vent system.

“Maybe it’s a monster thing,” said Mabel. “Did the journal have anything about a kingdom of monsters?”

“Not that I remember,” said Dipper. “I just wish Grunkle Stan had given the journal back before all this happened.”

He took another step, and fell through.

Mabel took a bite out of the spider doughnut.

“Ew…crunchy…”

Dipper tumbled back upstairs.

“No journal’s gonna make you good at puzzles, bro,” said Mabel.

“The answer’s down there,” said Dipper. “I just can’t remember it all the way. Here’s another question: why would monsters have puzzles that are so easy to solve?”

“Maybe they’re just waiting for a stupid enough human to solve them,”

“They wouldn’t be waiting for human down here.”

“Toriel was.”

“And you trust her?”

“What?” Mabel asked. “She’s a delightful goat mother, how suspicious can you be of her?”

“I’m just saying,” said Dipper. “We’re stuck in the land of monsters, you were literally bounced off a shield preventing us from escaping, I almost got killed by a flower, and there’s this nice old goat woman who wants us to be her children.”

“You’re just being over-suspicious. She’s perfectly fine!”

“There is something I must do,” said Toriel. “Please stay here.”

She put her book down and made a beeline for the staircase. Dipper’s blood ran cold.

“…perfectly fine….” Said Mabel.

“We’re going,” said Dipper, already running to catch up with Toriel.

“That was a pretty cool snail fact though!”

It was hard to describe the Mystery Shack. If Frisk had to, they would say it was not worth the 2G. The decorations were fake; some insulting so, and some just insulting. The real mystery of the mystery shack was how readily everyone bought it.

They exited through the gift shop, fitting considering the rest of the tour, bought a map of the area with what gold they had left, and returned to the woods.

They had hiked through the forest long enough that they were decently hidden when it started to get dark. The Mystery Man may have taken their gold, but it was unlikely that anyone else would.

There was still no sign of the Cat.

Once they found a clearing far enough away that they wouldn’t be spotted, they curled in on themselves and fell asleep.

They were only asleep for about an hour when they woke up to the sounds of the Cat’s low growl.

He stood in front of them, ready to pounce. His eyes were focused on the bush in front of him, so much so that Frisk wondered if he could even see them. When they shifted and waved at him, he jumped into the bushes.

A very human-sounding voice screamed out.

It took Frisk a few tries of trying to grab him and pulling his tail to get the Cat to withdraw from the bush. Something was in its mouth. No...someone.  They were humanoid, barely the length of Frisk’s arm. Most of their hair was tucked under a red cone of a hat.

It was some kind of monster, Frisk realized. A gnome, if they had to guess.

Frisk looked to the Cat disapprovingly. The Cat rolled its eyes, but put the gnome down all the same.

The gnome didn’t respond. It ran past before Frisk could ask it any more questions.

The Cat said something, complaining about the gnomes trying to capture him and ride him into battle, but Frisk was only half paying attention. There was magic in these woods.

Author’s Note:

[ko-chan-the-blueberry-donut]

O Fortuna Chapter 6: Down the Rabbit Hole, a Miraculous Ladybug Fanfiction

WARNING: Marinette does have a breakdown and shows signs of depression in this episode so if this is a trigger please skip.

Disclaimer: I don’t own Miraculous. Really excited for the new season.

----------------------

“A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it.”

—Jean de La Fontaine

-------------------

Chapter Six: Down the Rabbit Hole

Plagg munched on a piece of camembert as his human partner was fretting with his tie in the mirror.

“Just pick one—it’s not like you’re going to blow up if you pick the wrong one.” Plagg pointed out, rolling his eyes. Adrien turned to glare at him.

“This is important, Plagg! My father has never wanted my friends over, much less to meet them over dinner—everything has to be perfect!” Plagg threw the last of his cheese into his mouth, savoring the taste.

“Yeah yeah, you sure it isn’t to impress your girlfriend?” Plagg teased. Adrien blushed, turning away from him and made himself busy with his tie.

“Not your too, Plagg! Marinette isn’t my girlfriend—I just want her to be comfortable and my father to be happy!” Adrien protested. Plagg just shook his head exasperated and flew up into Adrien’s suit jacket.

“Whatever helps you sleep at night.” Plagg said, settling himself. Adrien rolled his eyes and fixed up his suit.

“Come on, father is waiting.” Adrien said, heading out of his room to go to his father’s study. He stopped, hesitantly knocking on the door, and entered. His father stood, preoccupied by something in his hand, and Adrien cleared his throat.

“Father?” he called. Gabriel turned his attention towards him. “It’s almost time. Are you ready?” he asked. His father appeared to be lost in thought, looking towards him and then to the object in his hand before pocketing it.

“Yes. Yes it is.” Gabriel responded. Adrien smiled while father and son exited the study to meet their guests.

------------------------

“Marinette! There you are! What took you?” Alya asked. Marinette panted a bit, having jogged there in heels. Nino stood beside Alya in a navy blue suit, white shirt, and red tie. “You look great, girl! I knew you would look cute in that dress!”

“Sorry… parents were talking to me.” Marinette replied, blushing at the compliment. She felt so out of place in her dress, not used to dressing so fancy for a dinner. Her fingers flickered over the material of her dress nervously, wondering if perhaps she dressed too plain for Adrien and his father.

“I was thinking you weren’t going to show for a sec.” Nino said, rubbing his neck, but he gave her a grin. “Maybe we should exchange numbers so we know nothing happened to you next time?” he suggested. Alya smiled excitedly.

“Oh yeah! We need to exchange numbers! Marinette, give me your phone!” Alya commanded, and Marinette obliged. She put in hers, Nino’s, and Adrien’s numbers in the phone and handed it back to her. Then she handed Marinette her phone so Marinette could put in her number. Marinette took less time to put in her number since it was just hers. Alya couldn’t help but bounce in excitement. When she received her phone back, Alya bit her lip to conceal her joyous grin and texted the number to Adrien with a winky face. Nino rolled his eyes when he saw her text towards his male best friend.

“Hey, look who’s here.” Nino pointed out, seeing Adrien exit his mansion, wearing a black suit, black shirt, and green tie, and looking at his phone, obviously receiving Alya’s text. Unlike Alya though, he didn’t hide the happy expression on his face at receiving Marinette’s number. He looked up to see them outside the gate and waved. Approaching the gate, he opened it and bumped fists with Nino.

“Hey, you guys are all on time!” Adrien noted grinning. Alya turned a teasing look towards Marinette.

“Welllll, one of us almost didn’t make it.” Alya chimed in, nudging Marinette who smiled weakly. Adrien turned his smile to her, making Marinette’s knees weak.

“The lady of honor missing out? Well we can’t have that, can we?” Adrien bowed to her, holding out his hand, a sincere smile on his face, and Marinette felt her heart skip a beat. “Are you ready, milday?”

Marinette stared at his hand like a deer in the headlights. A discreet shove from Alya is what snapped her out of it and she quickly grabbed his hand, a current of warmth shooting up her arm. He gently led her inside the gate, and they proceeded to walk to the door.

Alya quickly took out her phone and snapped a photo while Nino shook his head at her antics.

“You know you’re practically shipping your boyfriend with another girl, right?” he pointed out. Alya pinched his ear.

“It’s not cheating if he’s not dating me like your pea brain seems to think, now is it Nino?” Alya grinned, dragging him into the courtyard by his ear.

Marinette, Adrien, Alya, and Nino entered the house by themselves. The Agreste family gave Natalie and the Gorilla the night off since Gabriel wanted to personally meet his son’s friends.

Standing at the top of the staircase stood the Agreste patriarch, poised and elegant as usual in a suit of his own design. He smiled professionally as he saw his guests arrive, and made his way down the stairs to greet them.

“Welcome, my son tells me a lot about you all. I hope you find tonight enjoyable.”

“Of course dud—I mean, sir!” Nino spoke first, bowing his head slightly in respect. Alya and Marinette curtsied politely. Gabriel nodded his approval. He gestured them to follow him.

“Shall we retreat to the dining room?” the four teens followed him into a large dining room with a table that could probably sit twenty easily. Gabriel sat at the head of the table, with Marinette and Alya on his right and Adrien and Nino on his left. “So Adrien tells me you all are close?” he questioned.

“Of course! We’re the best of friends.” Alya answered, smiling at Adrien and Nino, who smiled warmly back. She turned to Marinette and continued just as welcoming. “We’ve just gotten to know Marinette, but she’s quickly becoming one of us, right, Mari?”

Marinette jolted a bit at the informal address, and gripped her skirt with her hands anxiously, nodding quickly. However, she couldn’t stop the grin on her face at being included.

“Yes… we’re friends.” She whispered happily. For the first time, she felt happy to call people her friends. Alya touched her hand under the table, and Marinette intertwined their fingers. Gabriel peered at her in interest.

“I see, do you enjoy being friends with my son from what you’ve seen, Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng?” he questioned. Marinette caught Adrien’s eye, and she quickly turned to look at his father before her heart exploded.

“Yes, sir. Your son… he’s been really nice to me, and so have Nino and Alya. I like them. I like them very much…” Marinette admitted. Something glinted in the older Agreste’s eyes, but Marinette couldn’t decipher it, but he seemed satisfied with what she said because he smiled gently at her.

“Good. Friends are important. Always stand by them, and they’ll never leave your side.” He told her, and Marinette wondered why he seemed saddened by his answer. She looked around to see if anyone else noticed it, but it seemed like no one really noticed as Nino was quick to reply.

“Yeah! And with Ladybug and Chat Noir protecting us, we’ll never lose each other.” Nino exclaimed. Gabriel composed himself, and Marinette’s brief glimpse into his soul was gone.

“It’s always good to remember that sometimes heroes don’t always succeed, young man.” Gabriel advised. Alya bristled a bit, feeling like her being Ladybug was personally attacked. For some reason, Marinette saw that Adrien was personally offended by that too.

“Father, Chat Noir and Ladybug will always be around to save the day! That’s what they do! You don’t have to worry about a day where we’ll be hurt because we have heroes to help Paris always.” Adrien protested. Alya followed.

“Nothing will beat Ladybug and Chat Noir—they’re our heroes! Hawkmoth won’t know what hit him when those two finally beat him.” She added. Gabriel looked at them, specifically Adrien’s earnest face, and shook his head with a tired smile.

“Of course. We’ll always have Ladybug and Chat Noir.”  The food arrived and each of them began filling their plate. “Who knows? There may be more heroes protecting Paris in the future.”

“Yeah, like Marinette!” Nino pointed a fork at the raven haired girl, winking. “The way she beat Jackady and his men makes up a pretty good resume.”

Marinette squirmed a bit, feeling like this was treading into too familiar territory. If Tikki could hear this whole conversation in Alya’s purse, she’d probably be angry that Marinette rejected her, only to emerge as a hero after all. Gabriel was watching her discreetly the whole time, assessing her.

‘She really hates the spotlight it seems.’ He thought.

“Me? A hero?” a panicked laugh emerged from her lips, her heart pounding against her ribcage. “Don’t be silly, Nino! What would I fight akumas with? Rubber bands?”

“Hey, don’t sell yourself short.” Nino told her. “You’re pretty scary with those rubber bands.” The whole table shared a laugh, but Marinette couldn’t hear it over the pounding of her own heart. Gabriel quirked an eyebrow at the girl’s behavior.

It seemed she had a few secrets of her own…

The meal went on without an issue and Marinette was able to calm herself down through jokes and steering the conversation away from Ladybug and Chat Noir. She saw how much, despite his stoic presence, Gabriel Agreste cared for his son. She hoped Adrien felt as loved as she felt by her own parents. Once the meal was over, the four of them stood up from their seats.

“Father, may we go to my room to hang out?” Adrien asked politely. Gabriel patted his son’s shoulder.

“Yes, but I request that I borrow Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng.” He replied making the teens blink in surprise. “I wish to give her a reward for saving my life.”

“Oh no, sir! You don’t have to do that!” Marinette protested, waving her hands. Gabriel spoke.

“Nonsense. It’s the least I could do. Think of it also as a thank you for being friends with my son.” Marinette looked to Adrien, who looked just as shocked, but gave her an encouraging smile and gestured her to go.

“We’ll see you afterwards.” He said, and Marinette nodded. The blonde then led Alya and Nino away, the latter commenting he hoped Adrien’s dad would give them presents for being his friends too.

“Follow me, Mademoiselle.” Gabriel commanded, standing from his seat, and Marinette gulped, not sure how to handle this intimidating man now that his son isn’t there to soften him. She quietly followed him to his study, the atmosphere a little eerie from the dark hallways.

He opened the door and led her inside. The lights blinded Marinette for a moment after being in the dark for a little bit. He shut the door behind them and took a seat at the desk. Marinette blinked, just standing at the doorway, before realizing that he wanted her to sit. She jumped like a scared mouse, before scurrying towards the chair across from him. Feeling more like this was an interview than a friendly meeting, she sat up straight.

“Tell me, Mademoiselle—”

“U-um, just Marinette is fine, sir.” Marinette interrupted. He paused, as if the idea of being so informal was foreign to him, before nodding consent.

“Marinette then.” He acquiesced. “Before I give you your reward, tell me, how important is my son to you exactly?” Marinette blinked in shock.

‘Well that was certainly out of the blue.’

“I’m sorry… what?” she questioned. Gabriel looked at her seriously.

“My son. How important is he to you?” he repeated himself. “At dinner, you all admitted that you have just gotten to know my son recently. In this short time that you have known him, how much value does he have to you?” he elaborated. Marinette blinked.

“I… um… we’re just friends, sir.” Marinette twiddled her fingers, looking away from his intense icy stare, her face flushing at the thought of Adrien’s smile and how he always seems so kind to her.

“You have feelings for him.” Gabriel stated, not bothering to phrase it as a question. Marinette squeaked, eyes wide in alarm and stuttering. Her entire face glowed like a firetruck.

“I—that’s not! How did you—”

“During dinner, you could barely make eye contact with him and you speak of him fondly when I asked you questions about him.” The older Agreste supplied, not bothering to sugar coat her obvious behavior. Marinette sunk lower in her chair, her cheeks and her ears glowing red. “Do you only like him because he’s a model? What do you know about him? Are you only friends with my son because you like him more than friends and you want him to feel the same?” he questioned her relentlessly, making Marinette want to crawl into a hole. “Are you using my son, Marinette?”

That question struck a chord with her, and Marinette stood up, glaring angrily at the pale blonde haired man.

“No! I would never use Adrien! Adrien is very kind—even from the beginning when I thought he was a bully like Chloe! He’s always looking out for me and trying to make sure I am comfortable!”

“You’re really cool and I know we don’t hang out a lot, but I wanted to get to know you more.”

“I do. You’re always by yourself. Maybe we can be friends?”

“Also… you can always hang with me. I really like hanging with you.”

“Even when I didn’t want him around, he… he keeps coming back, letting me know he’s there. Him, Alya, and Nino… they always keep coming back to me even when I push them away… even when I don’t deserve it… “ Marinette pushed the tears back. She clenched her fists at her sides, her eyes like blue flames as she glared at Gabriel. “I would never use Adrien! Not when I don’t even deserve his kindness.” She finished, shaking. Gabriel didn’t seem fazed by her outburst. He seemed to have gotten the answer he wanted, as he continued his bizarre questions.

“Do you believe that heroes always win? That good always triumphs?” Marinette stared at him, not sure why he changed the subject, but her mind flashed to Ladybug and Chat Noir, to Alya and Chat Noir. Alya who protects her in and out of costume and Chat Noir with his stupid puns and his desire to make her smile even when the circumstances are dire, and she knew that whatever Hawkmoth had to throw, she had faith that she had chosen the right Ladybug. That she had passed the torch to the true Ladybug, and in turn gave the true Chat Noir his perfect partner. She may not have been able to protect Paris, but she knew with those two around, Paris would always be safe.

“Yes.” She answered certain. “No matter how dark things get, no matter how it seems hopeless, good always will come and defeat evil. There’s always been a balance. Evil will always be there, but good will also always be there to keep it at bay.” Marinette explained.

They gazed at each other, one intent, the other confused, and the clock chimed, reminding them it was late. Gabriel sighed, smiled, and reached into his pocket. The item glinted prettily from what Marinette could see, and he laid it on the desk in between them. The raven haired girl examined it curiously.

‘A peacock pin?’

“You have answered all my questions correctly, Marinette. In return, I know you are the perfect one to receive this reward.” She looked at him in puzzlement. He gestured her to take the trinket. “It’s yours. This is my reward. This is something very precious to me, and I know now in my heart that you are the one that is meant to have it.”

Gazing at the peacock pin, she reached towards it, intending to ask why exactly he put her through a test and why was the item so precious, but she never got the chance. As soon as her fingers touched its smooth surface, the pin alit with a celestial, heavenly blue glow.

“Ah!” the light blinded Marinette, causing her to cover her eyes from its brilliance. It took a bit for the light to clear, and Marinette found she had some black spots in her vision. She blinked her eyes furiously to rid of the effect of the radiant light, and when she was satisfied she looked at the pin, finding big eyes staring back at her.

Her heart stopped.

The being peered at her, its eyes full of wonder. Its gaze was watery, as if they couldn’t believe this was actually happening, the emotions overwhelming them.

Marinette felt herself die inside.

“Master?” its tone spoke, floating towards her, reaching towards her.

No…

“This is Duusu, Marinette.” Gabriel spoke. His kind tone did nothing to calm her, only serving as announcing her sentence. “You have been chosen to be her partner.”

And she felt herself snap.

“No! No! No! Nononononono!” she screeched, turning around and scrambling to flee.

“Master?” the thing, the kwami, begged. “Don’t leave me. Please don’t leave.” Its eyes tearing up. It flown after her but she was too fast and she paid the peacock kwami no heed, slamming the door open and running as fast as she could. All that registered in her mind is that she needed to get away, far away from that room, that man, and that mansion.

‘Nonononono! How could this have happened?! I gave Tikki away! That was it—I’m not a suitable Miraculous holder! How did Gabriel Agreste get a Miraculous?! Does Alya know? Did Gabriel Agreste give me the Ladybug Miraculous? Does Adrien know?’

Her panicked mind halted like a sudden brake on a car. She stopped running, standing there panting in the middle of the street, her eyes wide and fearful, her thoughts going into overdrive.

“Is… has it all been a lie?” she questioned herself. “Did Alya know? Do they all know about me giving away Tikki? Is this a sick game to get me to have a Miraculous?!” she looked back on all those times Alya as herself and Ladybug said she’d make a great hero, how Chat Noir seemed to pay special attention to her, and how Gabriel Agreste had chosen her to have another Miraculous. Was this Tikki’s idea? Did she want her to be a hero so bad she put Alya up to this? Were they all in on this?!

Her paranoia overwhelmed her, she started pulling her hair and crying hysterically, not knowing what to do. She didn’t know what was genuine or if it was false. Her heart was hurting at the thought of it all being a lie. She had finally opened her heart, and it could have all been for nothing. The Miraculous continued to haunt her wherever she went.

She would never be free.

With a broken sob, she began running again, tripping and scraping her knees a couple of times, to her home. Her parents were asleep by now, and she hurried into her house, bolting the doors several times. She shut all the windows, locking each and every one. They would not follow her here. She wouldn’t let them. She fled to her bedroom, diving under the covers and finally succumbed to despair. Her sobs shook her whole body, and she gulped air like she was drowning. She didn’t notice her phone was buzzing for the last thirty minutes.

Marinette didn’t know how much time has passed as she hid in her dark room like a fucking coward. She couldn’t believe that when she was finally ready to move on, the Miraculous came back into her life to remind her of her failures and how incapable she was to wield one. What was Gabriel Agreste thinking?! Was he so stubborn for her to have a Miraculous that after giving her the Ladybug one failed, he needed to shove another one in her face?! She choked on her sobs, her entire body feeling the betrayal. Was that his plan? He was only being kind to her to bring that accused item in her life. And what about Alya, Adrien, and Nino? Did they know anything about this? She didn’t know. She didn’t want to know. All she knew was that she needed to be far away and lock herself away before she could do anymore damage.

So engrossed she was in her crying, she didn’t notice that her trap door opened suddenly, and someone hurriedly entered her room.

“Princess?! Princess?! Marinette?!” a terrified male’s voice sounded, tearing the blanket away from her distraught form, leaving her exposed. Blue eyes locked with glowing green ones and her breathing became erratic, bordering on her having a panic attack.

“N-No!” she flattened herself against the wall. “No! You can’t make me do it! I won’t do it!”

Chat Noir gaped at her, obviously scared at seeing her in such a state. His frantic mind tried to comprehend what she was talking about.

“Marinette—”

“Don’t you understand?! I am not the one! I’m a failure! I can’t do anything right!” tears fell down her cheeks and she gasped for air. She was suffocating. She started running her nails across her chest, feeling like her lungs were constricting as she sobbed. “Tell him I don’t want it—I’ll just mess up again! You don’t need me! No one does—I’m just a clumsy, mess up—”

She was interrupted mid-rant as Chat Noir grabbed her wrists, ceasing her clawing at herself, and pulled her to him so suddenly she didn’t register she was in his embrace until they were both lying on her bed. She hiccupped and tried to pull away, but he wasn’t letting her.

“Don’t ever think that, Marinette. Please don’t.” he whispered, his voice breaking. “People love you. You have wonderful parents who adore you. You have friends who think you’re amazing.” He held her tighter. “You have me. You’ll always have me.”

“N-no! It’s a lie—it’s all a lie! If people knew…” her voice cracked. “If they knew the truth, people would be ashamed…. This whole time… it hurts.” She despaired. Chat Noir just held her.

“Whatever Gabriel Agreste did to you, he will not get away with it.” Chat Noir vowed darkly. Marinette’s eyes snapped open.

“No! Don’t! Adrien loves his father—you can’t hurt him!” Marinette protested. “It’s me—I can’t go back there. I can’t!”

“You don’t have to.” Chat Noir reassured her softly, stroking her hair.

“You and Ladybug… you should leave me alone too.” Marinette cried, tears falling out of her eyes. “All I do is mess up and I’ll just make it worse for you…”

Chat Noir scoffed and pushed her bangs out of her eyes.

“What kind of knight would I be if I left my princess to fend for herself when she’s like this?” he whispered.

“Dumb cat…” Marinette sobbed as he held her. The guilt and paranoia weighed heavily on her mind, drowning her in her own thoughts.

Chat Noir, however, was there to keep her afloat. He would stay there all night if he had to.

And he did.

[xylune]

“Thin Ice” - Levihan fanfic teaser

I’m writing this in celebration of our beloved titan expert’s birthday. I was hoping to have it finished and published on the day, but things like incoming category 5 hurricanes and dead car batteries and other bullshit have slowed my progress down. This is going to be a two-parter. Hopefully, I’ll have the first part finished and uploaded by tomorrow before the weather starts getting bad.

"Thin Ice"

 A Levi/Hange story

 *Disclaimer: I don't own any of the canon characters or the world they belong in. This is for non-profit entertainment only.

  It was a rhetorical question. He knew why they were out there, he just still didn't understand the logic behind how they were conducting this venture.

 The crunch of snow under their feet and the howl of the wind forced the captain to pitch his voice louder so that the woman just ahead of him could hear him. "Why are we out here?"  

 Hange looked back at him. "We went over that already. There's an abandoned supply tower somewhere in these parts. We're going to need as many weapons and supplies as we can find."

 Her next words were nearly lost in the wind, and the half-mask she wore under her furred hood for protection from the elements further muffled her voice. "...money cache, too."

 "What?"

 He sped up his pace to get closer to her. They'd left their horses in the sheltered stables next to a worn out, abandoned shed. The place was once used as a camping waypoint and resource storage. The direction they needed to travel from the waypoint was too treacherous for the horses, hence the decision to go on foot from there.

 "I said that there could even be a money cache, according to the old inventory paperwork I found. We could use more of that, too."

 "But you don't know for certain." Levi stopped, looking around at the snow and wind-swept path they were on. They were heading for the base of the mountain. He narrowed his eyes against the chill, trying to peer further into the distance. "I think it's a waste of time, Hange. Why the hell didn't you just send a scouting party out here to investigate?"

 "Because they'd have probably gotten lost," came her answer. She stopped too and adjusted her goggles. Her eyesight wasn't as keen as Levi's—even less so now since she only had one good eye to see with.

 "Could have brought Sasha with us, at least. She'd know this area."

 Hange turned to face him. "Sasha is still recovering from her injuries. I'm not dragging her out into this. Our goal right now is to confirm whether this tower is still standing and if it has any supplies left in it. Once we've done that, we'll mark the way and send a transport party out to collect."

 "If the damned tower has anything to collect," he grumbled, "and if we find it."

 "Levi, I'm doing my best. Our manpower is at an all-time low, we need weapons and materials, and going into titan territory to get that right now isn't an option. We're both able-bodied and experienced enough to do this ourselves, and you aren't a deskwork kind of guy. Since when do you thumb your nose at doing a little legwork?"

 "I'm just not thrilled about you being out here." He snapped his mouth shut immediately.

 "Me? Why not?" Hange blinked at him.

 "Because you're the commander now, idiot. You're also our titan expert. If we lose you, troop morale is going to be even more screwed than it already is. You shouldn't take careless risks."

 For a moment, anger flashed in Hange's good eye, making it's color appear a brighter shade of russet. It faded within seconds, and her gaze softened on the captain. "You can't keep me wrapped up like china wear, Levi. After all we've been through, after the sacrifices Erwin made, you know better than most that a good commander has to take risks."

 "Not for the hope of a few broken weapons and stale food supplies," he retorted.

 "Are you finished, grump?" She put her gloved hands on her hips.

 "Tch. Come on. Let's get this over with."

 He trudged on ahead, almost petulantly. His body was tense. There weren't any titans in this area, and yet Levi's senses were on alert. Something besides frustration was causing his adrenaline to run high. The captain looked around with narrowed gray eyes again, and he spotted something in the distance that caught his attention.

 "Oi, over there." He pointed to the north, where the foot of the mountains loomed. Something was at its base. He could see the crooked, column-shaped structure peeking out amongst the frozen trees, rising just above them.

 Hange came up beside him to look. She pulled out a spyglass and held it up to her eye. "I think that's it, Levi! You found it!"

 "Don't get too excited yet." He held his hand out. "Let me borrow that spyglass."

 She handed it over, and Levi employed his ODM gear to take to the branches of a nearby tree. Finding a perch on a sturdy one, he crouched low and balanced himself. He looked through the spyglass to make sure he hadn't just mistaken a jutting rock formation or broken tree for a man-made structure.

 "It's a tower, all right," he called down to his companion. "It looks like your hunch was correct; at least about it still being here. Whether it's actually your supply tower or not remains to be seen."

 "There's only one way to find out," she crowed enthusiastically. "Let's hurry!"

 Levi came back down from the tree, and he handed her spyglass back to her. Hange took off immediately, hurrying across the open field between them and their goal. Levi followed her. He was just about to tell her to slow down when he heard an ominous crack. It had come from up ahead where his commander was at. The captain looked down, squatted and brushed aside some of the snow with his hand.

 It wasn't a snow-covered field they were crossing to get to that tower.

 "Hange," Levi shouted, straightening back up. "Get back! It's a lake, and the ice is—"

 The ice cracked further, opened up and swallowed her whole like a titan before Levi could finish hollering his warning. Hange's surprised yelp was all he heard from her before she vanished with a frigid splash.

 "Hange! Shit...!"

 He looked around, and he acted quickly. He anchored his gear hooks into the unbroken ice, and he took a running dive. Sliding over the snow-crusted surface with his wires trailing behind him, he plunged in head-first after his imperiled commander. The water hit him like knives. He nearly expelled the breath he'd taken before submerging when the shock of freezing cold hit him.

 ...He couldn't see anything...

 Levi searched around blindly, hoping there wasn't a current that might have carried Hange too far away already. His knuckles scraped against ice when he reached up, thinking she might have floated back up.

 He was under ice. Somehow, the hole he'd dove in through wasn't above Levi's head anymore. He looked up through the murky water, searching for light. It was dim due to the overcast skies and the glassy ice distorting it, but he could see it. He swam towards it, still searching around for any sign of Hange. A hand...a foot...anything. He'd haul her out by the hair if he had to.

 He was losing breath, and his limbs were getting heavy. Levi tried to find the break in the ice so that he could take another breath, but all he kept finding the barrier of ice, instead. They were both going to die, and the Survey Corps would be leaderless. Worse yet as far as Levi was concerned, Erwin's vision would die with them.

 Something grabbed him, and Levi impulsively struggled against it out of reflex. He realized it was Hange when her chilled, pale face came into blurry view, inches from his own. She grabbed his hand, and they started to rise through the water. Hange placed his hand on something—he could barely feel it—and he realized it was one of his gear wires. He grabbed it as tightly as he could. Levi and Hange used the wires to guide them to the exit hole, kicking and pulling their way along.

 They broke through the water at the same time, and Levi pushed at Hange's back from behind to help her out of the water. She in turn grabbed his hands once she was on the surface of the ice. Only when she pulled Levi out practically on top of her did Hange draw a ragged, choked breath. They both rolled onto their sides and coughed up icy water. It took several moments for both scouts to catch their breath and recover enough to speak.

 "Alright," rasped Levi, frigid puffs of cloud rising from his bloodless lips, "screw...the tower. Can't...get to it...in this...condition."

 Hange's teeth were chattering, and her voice stuttered. "C-c-couldn't...agree more."

 "Shelter," gasped Levi. "Back to...the shack."

 "W-w-we c-can w-w-warm up there," came her unsteady response.

 "Grab...onto me."

 Hange looked at him, reminding Levi of a half-drowned hawk. Her drenched hair was already going stiff with ice.

 "Do it," he urged. His eyeballs were going to freeze, he thought. So would his whole face, for that matter. If people thought he lacked facial expressions before, they might soon mistake him for a statue.

 Hange grabbed hold of Levi's coat, crawling half on top of him with a groan as he rolled onto his stomach. He tried to reach his gear triggers, but his hands were stiff and his position awkward. Hange caught on, and she operated them for him.. They slid across the ice back toward the bank of the frozen lake where Levi had anchored himself before jumping in.

 "W-whee," Hange sputtered huskily. "S-sledding on a...midget-t-t."

  "Shut up," Levi snapped.

[andylocksmithtipsntricks]

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If you want a heavy-duty, definitely-going-to-do-the-job fire extinguisher, then Amerex extinguishers are your best bet. The firefighter we talked to gave them top marks for reliability and effectiveness.

We chose the B402 for our recommendation because it’s a more manageable five-pound size, and the extinguisher’s solid steel casing brings its weight up to nearly 10 pounds. It releases a forceful dry chemical cloud to swallow fires fast, but testers say that the cloud is also enough to swallow the person spraying it, driving them from the room.2 The spray also leaves a substantial mess behind.

Amerex extinguishers are fully rechargeable, which is nice, since they’re the priciest fire extinguishers on our list. But we recommend double-checking the tamper seal and the pressure gauge if you buy your Amerex on Amazon, as Amazon customers report receiving recharged extinguishers with broken seals or without a full charge.

Pros

Firefighter recommended

Reliable

Rechargeable

Effective

Sturdy

Cons

Messy

Potentially uncharged to start with

First Alert Standard Home Fire Extinguisher: Best for Budget

Best for Budget

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A tight budget should never prevent you from keeping your family safe, which is why we wanted to include the affordable First Alert Standard Home Fire Extinguisher. It costs only around $25, so you can purchase one—or more than one—without breaking the bank.

Despite its low price, the First Alert Standard Home Fire Extinguisher is still rated to handle most home fires, including fabric, wood, paper, flammable liquids, and electrical fires. It’s rechargeable, but the cost of recharging is high enough and the cost of this extinguisher is low enough that it probably makes sense to just buy a new one after you use it.

With its aluminum casing, it’s not as sturdy as the Amerex, but it’s lighter. It’s a good choice if you have kids or older adults in your home who might not be able to lift a heavier extinguisher.

Pros

Mounting bracket included

Lightweight materials

Low price tag

10-year warranty

Cons

Low-grade materials

The Fireman Fire Extinguishing Spray: Best for Convenience

Best for Convenience

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As a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) member, I had to take a training class on properly using a fire extinguisher. Unfortunately, most people don’t get that kind of training, which is why we included the Fireman Fire Extinguishing Spray on our list.

The Fireman is a portable aerosol can with a trigger nozzle, making it super easy to operate. (If you’re still unsure, it also has clear instructions on the back.) It sprays a non-toxic wetting agent that’s A, B, C, and K certified, and cleaning up the residue requires only soap and water.

Bonus: the can is only about 10 inches tall, so you can store it in a kitchen cabinet. But be careful storing it near food, as some customer reviews say the cans can spring a leak.3 For this reason, we recommend buying the two-pack, just in case one loses pressure.

Pros

Easy to use

Compact

Not messy

Grease-fire certified

Cons

3-year shelf life

Potentially leaky

More Fire Extinguishers That Are Worth a Look

We found a few more fire extinguishers that didn’t quite make the top three, but had enough good qualities that we think they’re worth considering as you shop around.

First Alert Tundra Fire Extinguishing Spray: Portable Pick 

Like The Fireman, the First Alert Tundra Spray comes in a compact, portable aerosol can, but it got bumped down lower on our list because it doesn’t have the easy-to-use trigger nozzle. You have to press down pretty hard to get it to spray, but when it does, it covers a wider area than the Fireman.5

It’s also nontoxic, and it leaves a dry residue that you can wipe up easily. Like the Fireman, it’s rated for class A, B, C, and K fires, so it’s great to keep in the kitchen.

Kidde ABC Multipurpose Home Fire Extinguisher: Disposable Pick

While we found the Kidde ABC Multipurpose Home Fire Extinguisher among the easiest to use, our firefighting friend said it’s not always reliable.

It’s made of aluminum, like the First Alert Standard Home Fire Extinguisher, so it’s lightweight and portable, but unlike the First Alert, it’s considered disposable—no recharging. Still, at around $20, the Kidde Fire Extinguisher is one of the least expensive fire extinguishers on our list, so you can stock up.

Things to Consider Before You Buy

Types of Fires and Extinguisher Ratings 

Before you purchase a fire extinguisher, it’s important to understand the different types of fires. Chemical fire extinguishers are filled with different fire suppressants, and choosing a type of extinguisher with the wrong contents could actually make a fire worse (like throwing water on a grease fire).

Household fires fall under three classifications, depending on the type of fuel burning. The most common fire extinguisher classifications are A, B, C, and K.

Class A: Solid combustible materials that are not metals, like wood, paper, cloth, plastics, and rubber.

Class B: Flammable liquids, like gasoline, oil, grease, and paints.

Class C: Electrical equipment, like appliances and outlets.

Class K: Cooking oils and greases, animal fats, and vegetable fats.

ABC fire extinguishers will handle most household fires, but just to be on the safe side, it’s smart to also have a K-rated fire extinguisher on hand for your kitchen.

Extinguisher Placement

Once you’ve selected the best fire extinguishers for your home, placement is important. You might want to store your extinguisher right next to your stove, but fire extinguishers shouldn’t be subjected to high temperatures. Also, if your stovetop bursts into flames, you won’t want to be near it.

Instead, place fire extinguishers in locations no closer than 5–8 feet from potential fire sources like deep fat fryers, fireplaces, or clothes dryers. This way you can access them quickly and safely in case of a fire. Make sure that there is always a fire extinguisher no farther than 40 feet away from any location in your home.

Practicing Extinguisher Use 

After your fire extinguishers are in place, don’t just set them and forget them. Make sure everyone in your household knows where they are and how to use them.

Take the time to read their labels, and rehearse the steps you would need to take to operate them in an emergency.

Remember P.A.S.S.:

Pull the pin,

Aim the extinguisher at the base of the fire,

Squeeze the trigger

And Sweep the spray across the base of the fire.

Maintenance 

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends installing a fire extinguisher on every floor of your home and having it inspected annually. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) takes that counsel even further, recommending that you install separate fire extinguishers in your kitchen, garage, basement, and car. Put them in plain view, within easy reach of adults—though out of reach of children—and near an escape route.

Follow these guidelines for regular maintenance on your fire extinguishers:

Check the pressure regularly. The pressure gauge needle should be in the green zone. Replace or recharge any extinguishers if the needle is in the red zone.

Monitor for damage. Make sure the pin and tamper seal are intact. Check for dents, leaks, rust, or other signs of wear.

Shake it. If you have a dry chemical extinguisher, many manufacturers recommend shaking it monthly so the powder does not settle.

Get it tested. Get your extinguisher pressure-tested every few years by a professional, as per the manufacturer’s recommendation.

Recharge. No matter how much (or how little) was used, if you discharged an extinguisher, it needs to be recharged. Your local fire department may offer this service, or you can find a professional recharging company in your area.

Discard. All disposable extinguishers must be discarded after use.

IMPORTANT

For your safety, never attempt to use a fire extinguisher to put out a fire that is larger than an office-sized trash can. Fires double in size every 30 seconds, and once a fire gets taller than the space between your feet and your knees, it can get out of hand much quicker than you might expect. Rather than trying to put it out, immediately exit the home or get a safe distance away from the fire and call 911.

Fire Extinguisher FAQs

Fire extinguishers seem complicated. Shouldn’t I just let the fire department handle a fire?

Remember, with flammable materials, fires can double in size every 30 seconds. A fire the size of a trash can becomes the size of a coffee table in a minute, the size of a sofa in 90 seconds, and flames as big as a full-size bed in two minutes. You and your fire extinguisher are your first line of defense. It may take firefighters five to 10 minutes or more to reach you, which is more than enough time to lose your home or a life.

How does a water mist extinguisher work?

Water mist extinguishers are best for class A fires (flammable materials like wood, fabric, and combustible plastic) especially when there’s a danger of electrical shock.

Unlike chemical fire extinguishers, water mist extinguishers use a clean agent with no residue so cleanup is easier, but they’re less effective on class B and C fires, and may even make them worse.

What’s most effective on class B and C fires?

Carbon dioxide extinguishers work best for class B and C fires (flammable liquids and electrical equipment) because they smother the fire and cool it very quickly with a cold discharge.

What else can I do to protect my family against fire and flood?

Security systems are a smart way to protect your home and family against fire, flood, carbon monoxide poisoning, and of course, intruders.

Professional safety monitoring gives you an extra set of eyes on your home to help you handle emergencies. Incorporating smart products into your security system can help your devices work together, like having your thermostat turn off your home’s air circulation system when smoke is detected.

How We Picked the Best Fire Extinguishers 

To research the best fire extinguishers, we talked to a firefighter to learn from her experience which extinguishers were the most effective at putting out fires and which were most reliable long-term. We also watched videos of different fire extinguishers in action, read more than 100 reviews from customers about their successes and failures using each extinguisher, and visited manufacturer websites for more information. Our full methodology explains more about our methods for reviewing consumer products.

Sources:

Amazon, “Amerex B402 Customer Reviews”

Amazon, “The Fireman Customer Reviews“

YouTube: MyCupOfJoe, “Tundra Fire Extinguisher Review“

Related Pages on SafeWise

What Should I Do in the Event of a House Fire?

How Do Home Security Systems Protect Against Fire and Floods?

Best Home Security Systems

How Does Fire Response Work?

How to Properly Use a Fire Extinguisher

*Amazon.com list price as of 12/17/19 11:37 a.m. MST. Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. Safewise.com utilizes paid Amazon links.

Certain content that appears on this site comes from Amazon. This content is provided “as is” and is subject to change or removal at any time.

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SMX Extra time: What actually issues for search engine optimisation success – Search Engine Land

Director of search engine optimisation at Path Interactive, Lily Ray, was one of many SMX West audio system for the “Machine vs. Man: What Actually Issues For search engine optimisation Success” session in San Jose. Quite a lot of questions round credibility, authority and advert transparency had been submitted by session attendees, so Lily took the time to reply them for us.

Everybody talked about that creator is essential to construct trustworthiness. What ought to we do if we’ve a small web site (15 pages) and our content material writers aren’t a widely known creator?

Ray: The very best factor to do is to attempt to domesticate your authors’ profiles, even when it means ranging from scratch. Begin by constructing creator bio pages that give context into who your authors are, and why they are often trusted to put in writing about these subjects. Set up hyperlinks between these creator bio pages and any associated creator web sites or social media profiles, particularly LinkedIn and Twitter. If the proprietor of your organization has extra experience than your authors on the subjects they write about – particularly YMYL subjects (medical, authorized, monetary, and so forth.) – then contemplate disclosing on the web page that the proprietor reviewed the authors’ content material for accuracy.

If in case you have a really credible creator, however their on-line or social footprint is minimal, will serps not view them as reliable?

Ray: In this type of scenario, I don’t assume serps will view them as “not reliable,” however slightly I don’t imagine you’re going to get the added enhance of getting your content material written by well-known, respected authors. I believe any effort to reveal who your authors are and provides some background into who they’re is an efficient factor, even when that creator doesn’t have a big on-line footprint but. (That is, in fact, assuming that the creator doesn’t have a pre-existing dangerous popularity and is taken into account not reliable.

If the very best content material is recognized as greatest as a result of it supplies distinctive worth, does that argue for focusing content material efforts on area of interest subjects greater than broad subjects? So go extra for depth than breadth?

Ray: I imagine that “depth above breadth” is an efficient philosophy in case your purpose is to create content material that ranks nicely organically. As a result of there’s a lot competitors within the search outcomes, in case your content material just isn’t one of many high 10 greatest articles on the subject, it’s not going to earn any natural visibility. Subsequently, providing strong, extremely considerate articles that supply deeper experience than that of competing pages is a method more likely to produce higher outcomes than spreading your content material technique too skinny. Moreover, given Google’s elevated give attention to experience and authoritativeness, specializing in area of interest subjects and offering worth on particular subjects is extra more likely to end in your writers being perceived as material consultants.

Clearly disclosing the way you monetize your website appears to be an overarching theme for achievement. What’s one of the best ways to try this?

Ray: Transparency is essential. For many firms, an “About Us” web page in addition to clear “Phrases and Situations” needs to be adequate to point to customers what the aim is of your web site and the way your organization makes cash. Nonetheless, in case your website runs adverts or collects and sells leads, it’s essential to make these info apparent to the consumer. Disclose the place commercials are positioned on the web page, and/or contemplate together with a discreet disclaimer that explains what occurs when the consumer clicks on the hyperlinks that make your organization cash. This may be written as a blurb towards the underside of the web page, contained within the footer, or talked about within the Phrases and Situations.

On the slide the place we had been requested to determine the adverts: Does this imply that native adverts, even these ran although Google, are on the best way out? It’s my understanding that native adverts are deliberately designed to mix in.

Ray: I don’t imagine native adverts are on the best way out. Google understands that many websites depend on advert income as a way of existence. Nonetheless, I do assume Google is turning into stricter across the high quality and placement of native adverts. Advertisements needs to be distinguishable from the principle content material of the web page, and shouldn’t deceive the consumer into pondering they’re a part of the principle web site expertise. Most respected advert networks have built-in performance to point which hyperlinks are adverts. It’s also essential to make sure you can vouch for the subject material of what’s displayed in your adverts. They need to not offend or shock customers, and their content material ought to typically align with the principle objective of your web site.

We now have merchandise on our web site which are discontinued by the producer. We flip off the power for the shopper to purchase the product. The shopper can nonetheless lookup the product on-line and it generates visitors to our website. Does this trigger our rank to go down?

Ray: If the product is completely discontinued, it’s a good suggestion to 404 the web page to keep away from a poor consumer expertise. Leaving the pages lively may be labeled as “Tender 404s” in Google Search Console as a result of Google doesn’t need to serve pages the place the product just isn’t out there to searchers seeking to buy that product. Nonetheless, many SEOs have seen success by retaining a lot of these pages stay, however providing different priceless content material on the web page, comparable to buy historical past or hyperlinks to associated merchandise – particularly if the product will probably be coming again in inventory.

How do the algorithms resolve which websites are authorities on belief? For instance, does the AI decide that BBB is reliable, or is the algo fed that info?

Ray: Regardless of being requested an analogous query many occasions, Google has declined to explain the precise course of the algorithms use to investigate trustworthiness, or which websites it particularly seems at in making these determinations. Nonetheless, Google does advocate that its high quality raters have a look at the next web sites as a part of their evaluation of popularity info: Yelp, BBB, Amazon, and Google Buying. Proof from many websites impacted by latest algorithm updates point out that perceived trustworthiness throughout a wide range of respected sources seems to presently be a rating issue. A number of well-optimized web sites with nice website structure, nice web page velocity and powerful on-page optimizations noticed monumental visitors declines for causes that look like tied into exterior trustworthiness.

After the [Medic] algorithm replace on Aug. 1, what are the principle areas for an e-commerce well being website to replace, enhance, modify? 

Ray: A website that’s each health-related and e-commerce may face a double-whammy of E-A-T points. On the one hand, because you provide well being content material, it’s essential that your website presents correct, unbiased medical info; cites its sources; works with medical professionals to overview the content material, and is FDA-compliant. Past these health-related issues, it’s additionally essential to observe greatest practices for e-commerce E-A-T compliance: providing a safe check-out course of, good customer support, clear info on returns and exchanges, and good exterior evaluations.

About The Creator

Wendy Almeida is Third Door Media’s Neighborhood Editor, working with contributors for Search Engine Land, Advertising and marketing Land and MarTech At present. She has held content material administration roles in a variety of organizations from day by day newspapers and magazines to international nonprofits.

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10 Things You Should Know About SEO 2019

Perform you aspire to turn into a Lookup Engine Optimizer (SEO)? By merging a new way to work along with SEO and prioritized lists associated with recommendations—not to mention competitor evaluation and keyword monitoring—Siteimprove SEO will be your all-in-one tool to develop traffic, prove ROI, and effortlessly create content. All the SEO tendencies listed here may have started in late 2017 or earlier 2018, but their true advantage could be reaped in 2019. Google's David Mueller said on Twitter, along with the disclaimer of him placing his user hat on (ofcourse not Google hat), that relabeling older content as new, with simply no additional changes is a poor SEO hack. All of us associated with creatives, designers & developers function alongside our SEO & articles teams to ideate, research, style & create remarkable infographics and interactive content for brands that will get shared across the internet. 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[asaspro-blog]

Some tips for the newer players - something I gave to my (IRL) friends that helped them start having more success. Feel free to add on!

New Post: https://fortnite.asas.pro/some-tips-for-the-newer-players-something-i-gave-to-my-irl-friends-that-helped-them-start-having-more-success-feel-free-to-add-on/

#fortnite #game #fun #esport #news

Some tips for the newer players - something I gave to my (IRL) friends that helped them start having more success. Feel free to add on!

I had a few friends who just started playing this wonderful game and asked me for some (general) advice on how to get better and hopefully win some games. I sent them this and they claim it actually helped so I figured I’d post it here for some of the newer members of this awesome community.

Full disclaimer: I’m not a streamer or YouTuber trying to gain anything out of this, and I’m also not a god at the game but I average 8-12 kills / game and win somewhat consistently. This got pretty long, but feel free to add on if you feel like I missed something!

Learn the map inside and out. Don’t drop in the same place over and over. You should know the layout of every major and minor “town” on the map.

Macro vs. Micro: Understand the continuity of the buildings in the game. Once you learn the map as a whole, start learning the map in tiny bits and pieces. Once you realize the house at Salty is the same house as the one on the western side of Pleasant, you’ll have a much easier time getting loot faster which means more 1 on 1 wins.

Learn the chest locations. They spawn in the same locations, but they’re random in a sense that they don’t ALWAYS spawn there every game. The difference between knowing the chest is in *this corner of the attic (when flying in) instead of that corner, is the difference between surviving the first 30 seconds of the game or not.

Learn ammo box locations. Unless you’re running from an enemy who’s shooting you in the back or running from the storm with no meds, opening ammo boxes is SO vital. You might not have a sniper or rockets right now, but when you get to the top 15 chances are you will, and you won’t regret opening those ammo boxes throughout the game.

Learn where loot drops (not chests) are! There are certain spots that guns can show up. These will be your best friend when flying in and will be the difference between life and death more often than not.

Understand how the storm works. After landing you're told where the first circle will be. You have 3 minutes until the storm actually starts to move in, which will take another 3 minutes to fully finish. That's 6 minutes of looting until you have to be within that white circle. Once the circle creates different angles on the map, you'll learn that you may be able to outrun the storm (you running is faster than it closing in). Use this to your advantage! I call it, "being on the slow side of the storm" – run to these parts and stay right in front of the storm while it's at your back and use it as a line of defense.

Learn situation gameplay (watch streamers if you want to learn faster). Understand when it’s time to rush, build or run away. It needs to be completely based on instinct, with little hesitation.

The first 60 seconds of this game are crucial (flying and picking up a weapon). Practice flying down and learn how far away to jump and stay at a 45 degree angle towards your destination. If you want to go tilted, I've found that jumping towards the middle of loot lake and descending at a 45 degree angle gets me there pretty damn quick.

Shotguns DON'T spawn in chests. Shotguns are OPTIMAL in the first minute of the game. If you know where loot spawns are (not chest spawns), try to grab a shotgun first. Your goal is to be one of the first ones down and first one to get a gun in your area.

The second you get shot, or shot at (it’s fairly simple to know in this game whether those shots you hear are for you or someone else), start to build a 1 by 1 box with stairs up. Never stand still in that box, because you don’t know who has high ground with a sniper at the back of your head. Constantly strafe while peeking over trying to find who shot at you.

If you’re running in or from the storm and you see an enemy, assess whether it’s advantageous to fight or let them go. What’s your health / shield at? What weapons do you have? How far away are they? How far away is the storm? How much farther do you have to run? If you get in a battle and win, do you have meds to survive the storm immediately or for the period of time you’d need to?

Understand the loot system and what works best for your style of play. You need to figure out (through playing more) what weapons / meds you should have. There will be a time when you kill someone and you must grab all the weapons / meds you can immediately to survive the storm, and you better know whether or not you’re taking mini shields vs. bandages, rocket launcher vs. grenade launcher, shotgun vs. rockets vs. sniper etc.

Always assume these things: 1. Every enemy has full shield and health, and they probably have bandages / potion. Don’t assume you’ve got them until they actually go down. 2. Every enemy has a shotgun so when you rush them with yours, you better be ready to either take them down quick or build to survive. 3. Every enemy is going to build once you shoot them, and if they start building, you need to already know your next move. Build with them and push, build with them and try to get a snipe, heal up and wait, put a launch pad down and flee, etc. 4. Every enemy has a sniper, so don't peek too long. Use third person views to your advantage.

It might sound ridiculous, but start looking at every floor, wall and ceiling when you walk into buildings – the last thing you need is to be killed or weakened by a trap only to have everyone know exactly where you are and that you’re weak.

Have your inventory set up to your advantage. AR first, shotgun / rockets second, sniper third, meds/shield fourth / fifth is what I use. I run around with my rockets or AR (depending on the situation) and I know exactly what I’m one, two or three clicks away from at all times. Find what works for you and stick with it.

Unless you have necessary meds, try to start moving from your location 1 minute before the storm starts to ensure you don’t get stuck. The storm should NEVER kill you unless you engage in a fight while in the storm or right before it reaches you. Don’t beat yourself. There are 99 other people trying to do that.

Understand the med time vs. storm damage. The storm takes off 1 HP (no shield) for the first two waves. Once the second storm reaches its destination it immediately turns into 2 HP at a time. Then it’s 5 and then 10. If you’re low on health and have a medkit, remember to start it before you hit 20 HP if the storm is about to go down by 2. If you have a campfire you can put it down to stall your health while you bandage / medkit up. Shields are useless in the storm.

When looting your enemy, have your pickaxe out so you only pick up materials, ammo and meds that you can stack. Example: If you have 2 medkits already and see one on the ground, that medkit might actually be 2 or 3 medkits. If go to grab it while you have your Gold SCAR out, you will drop that scar for the additional medkits because you can't carry more than 3 in one slot. If you have your pickaxe out, you will pick up the amount of potions/ medkits / bandages that you can carry and wont result in dropping any weapons.

Take advantage of being by the edge of the storm and wait for people running out. Remember how many times you've come out of the storm late?… well, it's not just you.

Be smart and safe. Have floors already out before you slide down a mountain and give yourself floor boards every second or two of drop time to ensure you don’t take fall damage. Again, don’t beat yourself.

Understand how the gunplay in this game works. It’s not perfect. There is bloom on every gun (except snipers). Even shooting gold rockets at someone’s feet may not kill them. Expect the unexpected.

Always crouch when you shoot your AR. It increases your aim by an unimaginable amount. If you want to run and shoot, that’s fine, as long as you know a majority of your shots will spray randomly. Again, understanding situational gameplay will dictate how you fight sometimes.

Jumping while shot-gunning can keep you alive and makes you harder to hit, but you also lose the ability to move while in the air.

If you’re in a battle, after you shoot rockets immediately pull out your AR or shotgun (depending on the situation). No need to sit there and reload your rocket launcher while you get shot in the face. Use the travel time to your advantage. If they don’t build, that means you’re getting shot. If they do build, shoot their walls down before your rocket does.

Snipers have bullet drop based on how far away an enemy is and you have to account for it every shot you take.

Tapping the trigger when using your AR makes it much more accurate vs. holding it down and spraying – much more effective at range.

Practice building and don’t stop until it’s effortless with muscle memory. The best players aren’t the best because of their aim, it’s because they don’t let you get shots on them. Whether you rush them with a double pump and rockets or try to snipe them from across the map, you won’t hit them because of the way they build and they’ll counter whatever you’re using immediately after building to safety.

Learn how to edit every single structure. You should know how to make doors, kill holes, windows, openings in rooftops / floors, larger openings in walls in case your wall is built into the ground and you cant build a door, etc. Editing is just as important (if not more) than building itself.

Have fun. There’s nothing worse than someone who constantly complains about losing, or lag, or RNG or bloom or bugs. Everyone’s playing the same game and at the end of the day it’s just that – a game. Have fun with your friends and play more. You’ll get better over time and when you win consistently there’s nothing better.

TILTED TOWERS

As someone who goes to titled pretty much every game now and is usually the last man standing, here are my tips:

Drop earlier than you think and fly down at the right angle. You shouldn't be flying straight down, rather at a 45 or so degree angle.

Go for the shotguns on the rooftops before the chests that you know of.

Stall in the air and pick a rooftop / building you haven't seen anyone drop on. You may love that one big grey building, but you increase your chances of surviving by staying out of the shit for the first minute or so.

USE YOUR TRAPS. Can't express this one enough. Those traps on ceilings will increase your kills (and get you better loot) every game.

Don't chase. Any Halo players here? Chasing gets you killed. You'll run into a trap, you'll run into an enemy using third person around the wall to shotgun you, or you'll run into a third enemy. Your goal is to survive, not get 100 kills.

Never stop moving. Don't sit in one building, or on one rooftop. Don't stop moving because you can be seen from pretty much everywhere. (People from pleasant park can technically see you…)

If I missed anything, feel free to add on to the list!

TL;DR: Learn the map like the back of your hand (chests/ammo boxes/buildings/landscape). Get better at understanding situational gameplay (watch streamers / play more). Understand how each gun works and when you should use each one (again, play more / watch streamers). Practice building as much as you can as well as editing and HAVE FUN!

EDIT: Wow, we’ve got some awesome additions to the list in the comments. Keep ‘em coming! I'll try to update the list with the respective user below:

From /u/MrYoc

Med stacking: Small shields stack x 10 Big shields stack x 2 Med packs stack x 3 Bandages stack x15

You won't take fall damage if your base is only 3 stories high. Anything more and you can take fall damage from falling out.

Use mini potions first (gives up to 50 health but cant go past 50) and full potions / slurps after.

Use bandages first (they give you up to 75 health) and slurp juice / campfires after to get full health.

Use your traps in your base!

Use your third person view to peek over your building or hills / around walls

Reload after kills

Wood has the quickest build rate and most immediate health if your base is getting spammed, brick has more health once its built but takes longer to build initially and metal has the most health but takes longest to build. Learn when to use each material.

From /u/Superb_llama_jeans

Use natural cover when deciding to heal up in late game If you have natural cover from the landscape (hills, mountain, trees) and your back is to the storm, heal up without building in order to not give away your position.

From /u/Blast_OGK

Don't run in straight lines, jump or zig – zag.

Assume everyone has a sniper, don't peek too long!

[type2diabetestreatments-blog]

The 411 on Depression + Diabetes

New Post has been published on http://type2diabetestreatment.net/diabetes-mellitus/the-411-on-depression-diabetes/

The 411 on Depression + Diabetes

Last week we talked about Celiac Awareness Month. Turns out May is also National Mental Health Awareness Month, so for our ongoing 411 series on diabetes complications, today we're tackling something that you might not even realize is a complication: depression.

Although not typically listed as a diabetes complication, it is well-documented that depression affects people with diabetes in large numbers. No surprise to us PWDs, considering all the crap we have to deal with: from guilt over blood sugars, to frustrating insurance battles, to the day-in and day-out weight of managing every tiny detail in our lives. We know full well that the hardest part of having diabetes may be the psychological side.

It's no wonder that the Centers for Disease Control reports that people with diabetes are twice as likely to suffer from depression.

Now, just to clarify: clinical depression is quite different than the "blues" or "diabetes burnout," in that it is a chemical imbalance in the brain. It does not simply fade away and it's not just the occasional "I hate diabetes!" outburst. But diabetes burn-out and other mental health issues are just as important to take care of, and burn-out can often be a trigger to more serious distress.

And the connection works both ways.

Some of the common signs of depression are:

Persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" mood

Feelings of hopelessness, pessimism

Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness

Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities that were once enjoyed, including sex

Decreased energy, fatigue, being "slowed down"

Difficulty concentrating, remembering, making decisions

Insomnia, early-morning awakening, or oversleeping

Appetite and/or weight changes

Thoughts of death or suicide, or suicide attempts

Restlessness, irritability

Whether you think have clinical depression or just going through a rough patch in dealing with the emotions of diabetes (which is as much a roller coaster as our blood sugars!), it is important to seek help as soon as possible. Depression, burn-out, and mental fatigue can have unwanted effects on your health and diabetes management. For example, a study in the Archives of General Psychiatry shows that women with diabetes and depression are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease, which is already one of the most common diabetes complications.

Treatment

Clinical depression is quite treatable if you get the proper help. Although it may be difficult to find a psychiatrist or psychologist who understands diabetes the way you do, it's still important to get your depression symptoms treated.

Medications, such as tricyclic antidepressants, have been shown to be helpful in treating depression in people with diabetes. But they often have side effects, such as weight gain and nausea, which are clearly undesirable and may impact your diabetes management. Once you start taking an antidepressant, you'll want to work with both your psychiatrist and your endocrinologist, and not suddenly go off the drug without direction from your doctor, as quitting cold turkey can be very ugly!

Another route that can be effective even without the use of medication is psychotherapy or "talk therapy." This can often help work out issues regarding stress and guilt that build up over years of dealing with diabetes. It is well-recognized that psychotherapy is an important component of mental health treatment.

Korey Hood, a clinical psychiatrist and type 1 diabetic, tells us that even if you're unable to find someone who knows about diabetes specifically, you can play educator to your therapist about how diabetes effects your mental state.

"In the process, you're able to teach [the therapist] about diabetes, and have them increase their appreciation and understanding — and then in turn, they can counsel you on coping strategies for stress and anger or help build your communication skills with your family members," Korey explains.

Lee Ann Thill, a PWD with type 1, fellow D-blogger, and board certified art therapist in New Jersey, says that therapy has had a profound impact for her in coping with diabetes. "Personally, I value being able to share my feelings about diabetes with the people in my life, but since diabetes is already a burden on them, I try to be careful about how much and when I share. One of the things that I've most appreciated about being in therapy is the opportunity to unload the fear and anger I have about diabetes without feeling like I'm upsetting someone I love. Before getting therapy for myself, I underestimated how my feelings about diabetes were contributing to my depression, and I underestimated the value of having a safe, confidential place to share those feelings."

How to Find a Therapist

The main option for finding a therapist, just like with finding a physician, is to look up those covered under your insurance (assuming you have mental health benefits). Psychology Today and the American Psychological Association both have locator tools to find someone in your area, and you can specify your search to include people who deal with chronic illness, and then cross-check to be sure they're listed in your network.

Your local diabetes clinic may also have a list of nearby health professionals with whom they have a referral relationship. If you have an open relationship with your endocrinologist (which we hope you do!), talk to him or her about anything you're struggling with. Depression almost always impacts your diabetes management, and it's your physician's duty (and best interest) to help you get the help you need.

If you don't have insurance coverage for therapy, or if you don't like anyone in your network, don't be afraid to expand your search. Many professionals will work within your financial restraints to get you the help you need. Lee Ann recommends just picking up the phone and calling around. It can be difficult to determine areas of specialties from listings, so it's often easier to determine over the phone whether or not someone is experienced with diabetes. Ask questions about their experience, their credentials, and how they work.

"Having a therapist you like who understands your issues should be a priority when seeking treatment," Lee Ann says. "Anyone who can't take the time to help you understand what they do probably isn't someone you want to see."

Lee Ann also suggests looking "outside the box" when it comes to mental health professionals: "Family therapists are a great option, especially because diabetes is a family disease. I'm an art therapist, so I encourage people to investigate art, dance/movement or music therapy. In creative arts therapy, you'll be able to talk about your problems, but you'll also get to use the arts medium to express your feelings which can facilitate therapeutic progress."

We also hope you've heard of the Behavioral Diabetes Institute, a San Diego-based practice that's well-known for its team of specialists in diabetes. Although they're limited in geographic scope, director Dr. Bill Polonsky is a frequent speaker at diabetes events and has written a seminal book on the topic, Diabetes Burn-out: What To Do When You Can't Take It Anymore.

Other Reading Material

If you can't get to a therapist right away, there are some other good books that address the emotional issues of diabetes and chronic illness:

* Psyching Out Diabetes - Written by former President of the American Diabetes Association, Dr. Richard Rubin, who's an expert and principal investigator in several long-term studies of psychosocial and life-style issues with diabetes. Although the book is several years old and some of the technology talk is outdated, dealing with the emotional aspects of diabetes is "evergreen."

* 101 Tips for Coping with Diabetes - Keeping it in the family, Dr. Stefan Rubin is Dr. Richard Rubin's son, who has lived with diabetes since 1979. Both Stefan and Richard have spoken at the CWD Friends for Life conferences about living well with diabetes. This book covers tips for handling stress, anger, depression, meal temptation, and more.

* How to Be Sick - Recommended by Psychology Today and the Huffington Post, this Buddhist-infused book on "how to be sick" takes a spiritual approach to living with a chronic illness. While it might not be for everyone, spirituality has been shown to affect people with diabetes in positive ways.

Last word for today:

Depression, like diabetes, is manageable and treatable if you get help, so don't wait. Whatever you choose to do, just know that you are not alone!

Disclaimer: Content created by the Diabetes Mine team. For more details click here.

Disclaimer

This content is created for Diabetes Mine, a consumer health blog focused on the diabetes community. The content is not medically reviewed and doesn't adhere to Healthline's editorial guidelines. For more information about Healthline's partnership with Diabetes Mine, please click here.

Type 2 Diabetes Treatment Type 2 Diabetes Diet Diabetes Destroyer Reviews Original Article

[enemymine2000]

Fandom rambles: Eye colors

Disclaimer: Okay, I'm a Sterek fan. I became one without so much as seeing one episode of that god-forsaken show that pairing originated from. I started watching after about a year of reading purely Sterek fanfiction. I stopped watching after season 5, because no matter what, I simply couldn't take that amount of stupid anymore. I refuse to rewatch it for the same reasons.

I started to ramble to myself about „stupid Paige and stupid fans for taking Peter's words at face value“ like many times before a couple of days ago, when again some fan took Peter's narrative and made it the basis of a pointless case about Derek's „type“ and blue eyes and his transformation. Don't even remember the correct context anymore. Didn't stop me from continuing to ramble. So it wrote it down to get rid of it. Hopefully.

P.S. English is not my first language, but the language in which I always operate when browsing my fandoms. I know I make mistakes. But I don't care. Also fandom wank not welcome. Just stating my opinion here and putting out my headcanon.

That being said…

I believe Derek became an alpha again when he “died” and thus triggered his transformation into full wolf.

Don't give me that "but his eyes were not red"-argument. Eye colors are deciving in canon at best.

We were fed the line that betas who have killed innocent lives have blue eyes, normal betas have yellow ones and alphas' glow red practically from day one. But there is barely evidence supporting it. Yes, Scott's eyes turned red after becoming True Alpha - whatever that may be. But in all seasons since Scott never actually has shown true "alphaness". He doesn't lead, instead he practically disbands the pack after Derek leaves for hopefully greener pastures. He just has one real beta, an unwilling one at best and isn't seen to have a real connection with Liam.

When Scott was bitten by Peter it was all about him being practically enthralled by his alpha and being forced to go out and hunt (and kill) with him. Nothing of that sort ever happens between Liam and Scott.

Practically all of the planning for the pack and most of the "education" of the beta(s) is in fact done by Stiles, who is the glue that keeps all these different people together. Yes, Derek's eyes turn red after he killed Peter and thus ascended to “alphaness”. Just like we are led to believe Peter's eyes turned red after killing Laura. We never actually see how the eyes thing works when there is a natural progression from one pack alpha to the other like it had to happen to Laura, when Talia died in the fire. Or how the “alphaness” chooses its next "host", when not forced to “jump ship” by killing the previous one. In scientific terms "We just don't have enough data!"

Okay, so what about how someone becomes alpha. Scott became alpha supposedly by sheer strength of will and character - or so says Deaton, who is an unreliable narrator at best, because the sneaky bugger doesn't like to share important information.

We saw Scott getting stronger for a while, but it only started after the icebaths. Which were supposed to stop the sacrifices of the parents, but were clearly surrogate sacrifices. So something fishy there.

Okay, Darach sacrificing parents was stopped, but Darach's aim of sacrifices was fullfilled. Only they came back and each brought something with them. Because, you know, the door was ajar.

The void came with Stiles, Allison had walking nightmares of Kate and turning into her, but Scott saw himself becoming more werewolf.

So true alpha my ass!

Scott brought something more powerful with him, woke the beast inside him and that was, what was able to push through the mountain ash barrier and turned his eyes red.

But Scott rarely feeds that beast, because he is a special little flower, who rather have everyone he loves die, than really do something to protect them. Who rather manipulates others to do the dirty deeds - like biting people or just being responsible for things. And can't fess up to his responsibilities, when he actually did do something - like taking care of his freaking beta after biting Liam, like admitting to using Derek non-consentually to bite Gerard so he himself didn't have to.

So the power seems to dwindle again. Maybe it (the thing that came back with him or simply his spark, because something must transfer to spark a transformation in a previously purely human being) even transferred some to a better host - again thinking of Liam, who is ever so angry and willing to do, what needs to be done. Alpha material if I ever saw one (and somewhat reminiscent of Derek pre-giving up his alphaness for Cora).

As stated Laura became alpha after her mother and former alpha, Talia, died in the fire. Talia, as stated by Gerard, was made something of a leader because of her rare ability to fully shift. He never stated whether she became an alpha before or after aquiring that ability.

But my theory is, she became alpha after she could shift into full wolf.

Hear me out. I think it is a genetic trait, that runs in families of born werewolves. Which is why it's so rare. Bitten weres will never be able to achieve it, because they lack the genes (active gene combination more likely, but I don’t feel like going all biology AP here). And born ones will need it from both their parents to do it. And even then they seem to need a certain state of mind.

We know Derek only achieved the full shift after he came to terms with his own humanity, after letting go of his anger issues and accepting his own fallacy. His "death" at the time of his first full shift is only a coincidence.

Talia is shown to have a sort of nearly eerie calm, a serenity about her in the scene where she meets Deucalion, despite the serious topic and dangers discussed.

Fandom thinks that the Hale pack has been matriarchial, because Talia's alpha went to Laura. Again, not enough evidence.

Assuming my hypothesis is correct and the serenity of the the full shift enables the werewolf to become alpha in their own right, Talia could very well have become alpha outside of the normal order. Which is supported by Peter's feeling that he should have been alpha and has "always been the alpha". Maybe he was actually next in line of natural succession and being groomed like Laura had been groomed, but then Talia went and became literally one with her inner wolf and the spark went to her after their previous alpha died. And she went on to lead her pack in a strong and confident way.

So no killing, but also no normal inheritance. Something different. Something a true “True Alpha” should be able to do.

Something Scott never did and Derek always tried, but couldn't do, because he couldn't embrace his wolf after feeling at guilt for the fire for so long and being angry at the world and especially himself for it.

But Derek let go of it all, when he sacrificed his spark so Cora could live.

Peter - being the instigator behind it - probably had hoped that Derek's “alphaness” either reverted back to the family line, therefore himself, or simply vanished, so he would have only to deal with one pretty incompetent alpha (Scott; in contrast to an alpha, who was willing to learn, to do what was needed and became stronger for it) to claim it for himself again.

And Derek's name didn't appear in the deadpool anymore, while Scott's bounty rose, while Peter was again in a prime position to manipulate him. Maybe even getting him to willingly give up his spark to him?! (Berserker-plot; “I can’t even keep myself safe and am a danger to my friends, here,Peter, take that burden from me.” - But there was Stiles and his somethingness and Derek evolved and disposed of the threat and well, it didn’t work out. Next plan. Damn, Eichen House. How inconvenient.)

Derek evolved. Losing his spark allowed him to come to terms with his life. He let go of his anger and Stiles took its place as his anchor. Humanity in its purest form. Flawed, spastic, vulnerable, but oh so strong.

Coincidently he died to be "reborn". I think, his eyes just would have started flickering back to were-life at some point anyway, but him being in mortal danger probably sped up the process a lot. Because werewolf healing couldn't have gone amiss in that situation and human Derek was a bit left without it for a moment here.

Now "reborn" or evolved, Derek possesses the same serenity as Talia did. He knows how to lead, but chooses not too. But he is responsible enough that should the need arise, he would take up the mantle once more. Which will be when his eyes will turn back red. But he doesn't need that additional sign of power right now, so they flash blue.

Okay, blue eyes.

Supposedly eyes flash blue, if a were killed an innocent. But what defines an innocent? Neither Deaton, Derek nor Peter ever give details.

We are shown scenes of Peter's narrative of how Derek's eyes turned blue. I don't call them flashback for a reason.

It is not Derek's story!

Evidence: Peter and Derek were impossible to roam high school at the same time. I don't know about your schools, but any adult not belonging to the faculty had to announce their present at my school. Without good reason you would be banned from campus if caught. (Again: I'm in Germany, where we don't have security guards in public schools and aren’t paranoid af.) Still Peter was supposedly always there to give young Derek advice and watch it all go down.

According to his driver's license Derek was 22 at the beginning of the show (born November 7th, 1988 according to Google). The Hale Fire was supposed to have happened at least 6 years prior, which is the amount of time Peter spent in a coma. So Derek was 15/16 during that time, which would make the possible timespan between Paige and Kate no more than a year.

Peter was born during the 1970s. Which according to the timeline of the show would put him in his early 40s about now, so maybe late 30s at the beginning of it. Let's say he was 38/39, when he went on his alpha rampage.

Meaning he was 32/33 at the time of the Hale Fire and about 31/32, when Derek supposedly fell in love with Paige in his sophomere year.

That's a big fat "nope" right here. One thing for a 22 year old to stroll the boundaries of campus and sometimes enter the school undetected while its in session, but 32 is a stretch even with good werewolf-genes.

On top of that I believe that would it have been Derek's story, he never would have fallen into Kate's trap the way he has. He would have been extra wary including anyone not family in any kind werewolf business. Not to mention still grieving.

No, Derek fell for Kate's trap because he was still able to trust her with his secret. And the innocent life lost which turned his eyes blue was his own among others. He lost his innocence and felt personally responsible for the Hale Fire.

No, Paige was Peter's first love and the reason his eyes flash blue. He was the high school basketball star, he was bright-eyed and slightly narcisstic. It would therefore be in character for him  „to keep the things he finds“ - meaning having Paige bitten to keep her with him forever – and to keep her save from dangers the only way he knew how.

The Nemeton was cut down somewhere between World War II (the events surrounding the summoning of the Nogitsune in the internment camp) and 2003, when the meeting took place. Derek not knowing the members and details of the Alpha Pack would make more sense if it was Peter's story.

A 15year old beta would not have been involved in the meetings and I doubt Talia has told her children more than she absolutely had to about potential dangerous pack business.

Although Ennis was supposed to have bitten Paige in Peter's narrative, Derek shows no sign of recognition or special kind of anger towards him, apart from Ennis kidnapping and killing his betas of course.

15 year old Peter however, possibly groomed to become the next alpha by his parents until shortly before that, would personally know alphas of different packs. Maybe even a younger Ennis, who maybe just became alpha himself and needed to have more betas. For an alpha is always stronger when he has more betas.

Peter is an unreliable narrator, for he will always put himself in a favorable light and to have the story around Paige fit into the time in which he told it to Stiles, he mixes in the element surrounding the meeting of the packs with Talia in the old destillery.  

So he can use his own personal story to manipulate the pack around Scott against Derek's attempts at leadership and at the same time disclose some of his knowledge of the members of the Alpha Pack.

Peter never shows and tells without some form of personal gain.

Also in hindsight it would make so much more sense for Talia taking Peter's memories of his daughter Malia, if having to mercy-kill Paige had been his story.

Realizing that his lover, the Desert Wolf, wanted to kill their child and probably having to fight the mother to get her to back up and definitively having to give up the baby for its own safety, would be a painful memory Talia would want to spare her brother.

(Remember we only get the Desert Wolf's unreliable narrative of events in season 5, when Peter was already taken by the Ghost Riders and therefore erased from memory of all involved. Corinne would therefore only have Talia to lay the perceived blame onto.

So she may not have been forced to bring the child to term, but did it because she actually loved Peter. Or because Peter told her that it was also his and she could leave, after she had delivered the baby. But she would not have been able to remember when she started to track her daughter down.

Which she incidently only stated doing once Peter had disappeared. Never once during the fourth season, when there was a certain confusion about the Desert Wolf and the She-Wolf – who turned out to be a werejaguar; how's that for a misnomer – was there any indication Corinne was travelling north to Beacon Hills. She was simply there and assassinating things/people in the deserts of Mexico and Southern California.)

So, back to topic:

Paige nicely fits into the hypothesis of Peter being next in line for alpha in the Hale pack, but then Talia went and managed the full shift, making her spark go all alpha and throwing that plan out of the window. And leaving Peter with guilty-blue eyes shortly after. (Maybe even because he didn’t want to go to his better-than-thou sister for help with finding this yellow wolfsbane which Chris used to cure Gerard and Peter, walking encyclopedia on all things supernatural, surely at the least had rumor about before having Paige bitten. I mean, come on, the Hale’s where supposed to be as very old family and they sure would have taught the knowledge of all variations of wolfsbane to all their children! He might in panic not have remembered, what exactly, but Peter surely would have known, that Talia would have ways to help. Instead he hid in a root cellar. - But that is a whole nother ramble.)

Since the alphaness needs to have a next generation - the only thing we know for certain - Laura becomes next in line, while Peter is pushed back even further.

Derek gets roped in by a young, ambitious hunter chick, which leads to most of the family being killed and his eyes turning blue.

Fast forward 6 years Peter kills Laura and becomes alpha the „unnatural“ way, bites Scott, because he is at the wrong place at the wrong time and an alpha needs betas.

Scott becomes flashy yellow eyes and refuses to learn how to be a werewolf, just how to use its powers, if he can stop suck so much at life with them. (Like creeper-stalking his (ex-)girlfriend or becoming the number one jock in school.) The only thing he really doesn't like is when someones is to be killed. No matter who and why, he can't have that.

Cue the Darach, who wants to kill pretty much everybody. Scott gathers all the will and power he possesses (or which possesses him) and breaks through her mountain ash circle. The exertion sparks the possible alphaness every werewolf has or allows the thing he brought back through the door to take over for a moment, just enough to spark the flame. Flare the red eyes.

Questions left to ponder, should new information get available:

1) Theo's eyes stay yellow even after killing. Is that because he is a chimera or because he doesn't feel guilt?

2) Malia's eyes are blue. Because she accidently killed her adoptive mother and sister and feels guilty about it? Or is it because she is a werecoyote and not a werewolf? (Different concepts of social structure and as loners more likely to kill, if even in self-defence? The Desert Wolf is a merciless killer and Malia states without emotion, that coyotes kill their young.)

3) Kate's eyes glow green? Some unexplained powers? Or simply a matter of different species? And why did she work towards the plan with Peter? Yes, he turned her – with his claws, which is another WTF?! - but he is not her alpha, because he is no alpha anymore and well, she hates all weres. 4) Jackson’s eyes are snake-like green-ish as kanima, sometimes glow orange-ish and flash blue after being “killed”, subsequently anchored by Lydia and then turned into a werewolf. So do have kanima only glowing eyes, when called by their master? Or before they start their transformation towards the cocoon-thingamabob? If a were-species can change (through change of personality and) another bite or deep claw-injury, why doesn’t it happen all the time during fights? (Bonus: Does that mean Hayden is now purely werewolf without a trace of chimera? Also Jackson is still technically Derek’s beta. Why would Derek allow his beta to leave him without ever mentioning him ever again? I am utterly confused by this god-forsaken show.

[advocatewrites-blog]

Into the Unknown Part 2 Chapter 4

Into the Unknown

Fandom: Undertale, Coraline (book), Over the Garden Wall, Paranorman, Gravity Falls (season 2)

Characters: Frisk, Norman B., Dipper P., Mabel P., Coraline J., Wirt, Greg, the Cat, the Frog; Sans, Toriel, Papyrus, Undyne, Alphys, Asgore,; the Other Mother, the Beast, Agatha P., Bill Cipher, Asriel D., Chara D.,

Pairings: Not the focus. Alphys/Undyne, with mentions of Papyrus/Mettaton, sans/Toriel/Asgore, and Wirt/Sara. Due to the nature of Undertale and the dating segments, there is also interpretable Papyrus/Wirt, Undyne/Mabel, Alphys/Dipper, Napstablook/Norman, Mettaton/Norman, Mettaton/Mabel, Sans/Dipper, Sans/Norman, and Sans/Greg.

Rated a high +K for violence, mild language, horrific elements that may be disturbing to younger readers,  mentions of child abuse and bullying, character death that is sometimes permanent, and mentions of suicide that may be triggering. These elements remain relatively unchanged from their source material, which most all are for children, but discretion is advised nonetheless.

Disclaimer: Undertale was created and owned by Toby Fox. Coraline was created by Neil Gaiman and owned by Bloomsbury and Laika. Over the Garden Wall was created by Patrick McHale and owned by Cartoon Network. Paranorman was created by Sam Fell and Chris Butler and owned by Laika. Gravity Falls was created by Alex Hirsch and owned by Disney. Any other work mentioned or homage are property of their respective owners. This is a fan-made, nonprofit work that only seeks to entertain. Please support the original franchises.

Start from beginning / Previous chapter / Next chapter (soon)

Chapter 4

“I didn’t expect a laboratory in a place like this,” said Greg.

“What?”

Wirt was pulled out of his thoughts as he looked up. A building sat in front of them, plain except for the words “LAB” printed on its side.

“Oh,” said Wirt. “Well, maybe we should go around then.”

“I’m not sure if we can,” said Greg. He pointed to the rest of the road, barely a cliff left from where the lab ended.

“Then we’ll run in,” said Wirt. “And we’ll be very polite and we won’t stick around long enough for them to figure out we’re human.”

“Sounds like a plan. Lead the way, Spuds McKenzie!”

The frog croaked and hopped towards the lab. Two automatic doors slid open and the three walked in.

There was only one light source in the lab, a monitor that filled the room with an eerie blue glow. There was no one around, Wirt realized. The light hum of machinery felt a lot louder than it really was.

“It’s you!” Greg said, and pointed to the monitor.

Wirt turned. His reflection stared back.

“We’re going,” said Wirt as he pushed his brother through.

They were not halfway through the hallway when the lights snapped on, startling Wirt to a stop. A door opened beside him as a small dinosaur monster walked out. Its eyes instantly fell onto the two.

“Hello!” said Greg.

“Oh. My God.” It breathed. “I didn’t expect you to show up so soon! I haven’t showered, I’m barely dressed, it’s all messy and…”

It stopped its pacing and took a deep breath.

“Uh…h-h-hiya! I’m Dr. Alphys, King ASGORE’s royal scientist,” it said. “B-b-b-but I’m not one of the bad guys! Actually, since you stepped out of the Ruins, I’ve been, uh, been ‘observing’ your journey through my console.”

“We noticed,” said Wirt.

“I-I was originally going to stop you,” said Dr. Alphys “But there’s something about watching people on a screen that really makes you root for them. So I want to help you.”

“I think we’ll be fine,” said Wirt.

“But Wirt!” said Greg. “We could be famous!”

“She’s the only one watching us!” said Wirt. “And that’s weird!”

“A-a-actually, uh…” said Dr. Alphys. “T-t-there is a problem of…that. A long time ago, I made a robot named Mettaton. Originally, I built him to be an entertainment robot. Uh, you know, like a robotic TV star or something. Anyway, recently I decided to make him more useful.  You know, just some small practical adjustments. Like…uh…anti…anti-human combat features? And, uh…now he’s an unstoppable killing machine with a thirst for human blood?”

Wirt’s blood ran cold. A set of heavy thuds filled the room and echoed about.

“So what you’re saying is,” said Greg. “We’re going to be on TV?”

“OH YES!” A highly processed voice rang out through the lab.

The child was not there when the Cat awoke. Neither was Beatrice. The Cat could not help but think these two were related.

“ �|ҁ�w6 ,” said the man who spoke in hands.

“I believe they mentioned they can do that,” said the Cat. “Is that why you want me to follow them?”

“ �|ҁ�w6 ?”

“Hardly,” said the Cat.

“e �|?”  said the man, a tease in his voice that the Cat could not quite figure out. “ st-font-�|ҟ�  ҏ� �|Ҏ RESETTING� w6 ?”

The Cat said nothing. He was right of course, and he did not want to admit it out loud.

““,” bri"," MERCY�|Ҍ� w6 ,” said the man. “eigh�|Ҏ �w6.  MERCY “,” reast-theme3|�v�w6 .”

Frisk was the first true visitor to Aunti Whispers’ cottage in a long time. Most visitors just got eaten.

“There’d be no point to eating you, of course,” said Aunti Whispers in a tone that was probably supposed to be jokingly. “You would always just come back. It’d be a waste of perfectly good spices.”

The tea was served by a young woman who was more dust than skin. It was made of golden flowers. Aunti Whispers ordered it especially for them. It was a rare plant in the Unknown, but Frisk recognized the bright colors and sharp fragrance of that in the Underground.  It felt familiar, and not just because of that. It smelled like the Mr. Dad Guy that the Other Toriel had created. It reminded them of the flowers that had broken their fall when they first fell down, and again in the Dump.

“Now go rearrange the bones of the past visitors,” Aunti Whispers said to the servant girl.

“I already have, Aunti Whispers,” the girl said, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Then clean the floor. Our guests have tracked in quite a bit of mud.”

Frisk couldn’t help but feel a wash of shame as the servant girl’s shoulders slumped and she resumed to her chores. They cocked their head to the side, a quiet indication of confusion.

“It is best that Lorna keeps to her chores,” said Aunti Whispers. “Working will keep the beast within her at bay. Now then, child, what brings you to the Unknown?”

Frisk started to sign.

“I’m afraid I do not know the language of hands,” said Aunti Whispers. She did not say it cruelly, but it was still disappointing. Frisk fetched the paper pad and pen.

How did you know I could Save?

“You are not the first person to enter the Unknown and use the powers of your Soul.” said Aunti Whispers. “A few of them are downstairs now.”

I didn’t know I could do it, wrote down Frisk. They don’t write down the part where they found out they could do it.

Aunti Whispers hummed in thought. “Lorna! Fetch me a book from my bookshelf. Mysteries of the Soul, Volume One. Think it’s by some fellow named Faux.”

“Oh no…” Alphys said.

“OH YES!” Mettaton announced as he popped over the kitchen counter. “WELCOME BEAUTIES AND GENTLEBEAUTIES TO THE UNDERGROUND’S PREMIERE COOKING SHOW! COOKING WITH A KILLER ROBOT!!! PREHEAT YOUR OVENS, BECASE WE’VE GOT A VERY SPECIAL RECIPE FOR YOU!”

“A cake?” Greg asked.

“RIGHT YOU ARE, MY LOVELY ASSISTANT!!!” Mettaton said. “GO AHEAD AND GATHER THE INGREDIENTS. THEY’RE RIGHT ON THE COUNTER BEHIND YOU!!!”

“We’re not going to be a part of any cooking show,” said Wirt.

“It’s just a cake, Wirt,” said Greg. “And the audience is counting on us.”

“LET’S GIVE THEM A HAND FOR ENCOURAGEMENT!!! Mettaton said.

A confetti cannon exploded from behind the kitchen set, covering Wirt.  Greg clapped along before getting to work. He dropped off the eggs on the counter, dropped the sugar on the eggs, and the milk in the sugar.

“PERFECT!!! GREAT JOB BEAUTIFUL!!” Mettaton said. “NOW WE JUST NEED OUR SECRET INGREDIENT!!”

“Love?” Greg asked.

Mettaton held up a chainsaw.

“A HUMAN SOUL!!!”

“Wait, wait, wait!” Wirt said. “Don’t you have a substitution or something?”

“WHY WOULD I EVER NEED ONE WHEN THE REAL THING’S RIGHT HERE?” Mettaton asked.

“Well, what if someone’s….vegan?”

“VEGAN?”

“Well—”

“THAT’S A GREAT IDEA, SWEETHEART!!!” Mettaton said. “ACTUALLY, WE DO HAVE AN OPTION ON SET!! MTT BRAND COMVENIENT HUMAN SOUL SUBSTITUTE!!!”

Mettaton pointed off the kitchen set and out of the room. A wooden cabinet with a jar sat in the corner.

“That looks suspicious,” Wirt said.

“YOUR IDEA, BEAUTIFUL.” Mettaton said.

“I’ll get it! I’m a lovely assistant!” Greg said.

Greg ran off the set. The cameras followed him. No sooner did he lay a hand on the counter did it shoot up into the sky, taking Greg with him.

Wirt let out a series of panicked noises he could not quite form into words.

“OH DEAR. WHAT A TRAGEDY,” said Mettaton. “WELL, WE’RE ON A SCHEDULE, SWEETHEART. IF YOU CAN’T GET THEM BACK IN ONE MINUTE, WE’LL HAVE TO MOVE ONTO THE ORIGINAL PLAN!!!”

The phone rang.

“I know this looks bad,” said Alphys. “B-but I think I have an idea. S-see that button on your phone that says JET PACK?”

Wirt looked down at the phone.

“Press it,” said Alphys.

Wirt knew exactly where this was going.

“TIME’S RUNNING OUT, SWEETHEART!” Mettaton reminded.

Wirt swallowed, looked up to Greg so he wouldn’t have to look at the phone, and pressed the button.

He was a good twenty feet in the air before he could process his feet left the ground. He was not much higher when Mettaton began to throw things at him. The sense of vertigo faded as his attention shifted to dodging puffs of flour, eggs, and cups of sugar.

He had passed Greg by the time he was actually able to get his bearings. He looked just in time to see the jar that Greg had tossed it start to fall. Neither of them could catch it in time. It collided to the ground in a mess of glass and red goo.

“HUH,” said Mettaton. “HOW ABOUT WE GO TO A WORD FROM OUR SPONSORS, AND WE’LL FINISH UP WITH THE CAKE WE MADE AHEAD OF TIME!”

Mettaton flew off closer to the real set. Wirt managed to catch himself and fly down as the dresser coiled back into himself.

“That was fun!” said Greg.

“That was terrifying!” said Wirt.

He pulled Greg closer to him, stopping him from going back to the set. Mettaton was talking to his cameramen, and wouldn’t see if they left.

“How about we leave before he notices we’re gone?” Wirt asked.

“But I wanted to try the cake,” said Greg.

It took Lorna a minute to find the book. It was old and musty, with binding falling apart at the seams and pages nearly yellow with age. It was big enough that it hit the table with a thud, regardless of how carefully Lorna put it down. Aunti Whispers turned the page carefully, leaning in as she read. Frisk tried their best to read over her head. They could only make out vague shapes; heats in different colors with pigment that faded over time, and carefully sketched triangle patterns.

“Souls hold a type of power,” read Aunti Whispers. “It holds their owner together and shapes their personality, no matter what they may go through in life. Bravery, Justice, Kindness, Patience, Perseverance, Integrity…the strongest of these, Determination. The power is rare, but its powers are innate. The ability to persist after death, or rewind time. To fix what went wrong, or what went right.”

I thought it was like a video game, wrote down Frisk. Every time I felt determined, it was like I was saving the game.

Aunti Whispers made a face of confusion. Frisk supposed she did not understand what a video game was.

“I will admit my knowledge of how Souls work is lacking,” she said. “That was not the kind of magic I work with. If you truly want to find the powers of your Soul, you should try to look within the Kingdom of Monsters.”

Frisk perked up.

That’s what I want to do! They wrote. Do you know how to get there?

“There is a way,” said Aunti Whispers. “But I do not know it. How did you end up in the Unknown in the first place?”

Another wash of shame overcame Frisk as they started writing. I reset.

Aunti Whispers studied them carefully, eyes cold with something Frisk could not read. “Were you here before?”

Frisk shook their head. They started to write things down, that they were in the Underground at first and then the Other World, but Aunti Whispers spoke again.

“The other ones that used Determination were much older than you, you realize. They were much more in control of what they could do. If you came about the power recently, you may not be well-equipped to use it. One small slip, and you may have traded places with someone.”

Frisk nodded.

I know I have, they sign. That’s why I want to go back. But not before I fix things.

Aunti Whispers did not understand.

Lorna did not fall asleep until well into the night, as her body finally collapsed from exhaustion. Frisk did not fall asleep until after that. Though Aunti Whispers had proven she had no ill will towards them, her house was not exactly comfortable sleeping in.

When they woke up, Lorna made them a small breakfast of things they couldn’t quite eat and more tea. Aunti Whispers only emerged to give Lorna more orders and give a final warning to Frisk.

“Beware my sister, Adelaide. She lives in the pasture. She must not be trusted.”

The Cat was waiting for them outside the house, curled up in a tree.

“I was wondering when you’d step out,” said the Cat. He sounded like he did not care. “I take it that little trick was how you ended up in the Other World, yes?”

Frisk nodded.

Didn’t mean to, they signed. You were in danger.

The Cat watches them carefully, as if looking for a sign they were lying. His sign reading was not too good, but he could ready body language.

“I don’t believe Beatrice will be joining us again,” said the Cat. “Do you know the cause of that?”

Frisk nodded. They didn’t want to say, and the Cat probably would not understand them anyway.

The two of them head off into the unknown.

Author’s Note: I am so sorry for the late update! I drank too much eggnog and lost track of time! Hopefully this should be the last of it, and the good news is I’ll post the next chapter tomorrow since it is rather short.