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animatedminds · 3 years ago

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Star Wars: Visions - Episode 8: Lop and Ochō

Early reveal for the rest of the review: this is by far my favorite of the films so far (who knows, maybe Episode 9 will extremely wow me, but until then...), for what is actually a variety of reasons that I will probably go into at length. And because there’s nothing I like better than to nerd out at length, there is better time than now to delve into... Episode 8: Lop and Ochō Developed By: Geno Studio Directed By: Yuki Igarashi Another one that uses a brief narration to approximate the opening crawl of the films, again to great thematic effect.

This is also another one with an explicit timeframe. During the rise of the Galactic Empire, we focus on a formerly isolated planet that has reached out to the Galactic Empire in hopes that the Empire’s influence can modernize their society (some very clear Japanese historical subtext here), leading to many aliens immigrating to the planet. This includes Lop, a homeless bunny-girl alien (mildly jarring, since Gamorreans aside animal-people aliens is something you’re more likely to find in Wing Commander) who escaped from captivity and one day bumped into the patriarch of the ruling clan of the planet and his young daughter. The daughter - Ochō - insists on adopting Lop, leading to her father bringing her into the family: and so Lop and Ochō become like sisters.

Years later, strife strikes as the patriarch - Lop and Ocho’s father - realizes that the Empire only intends to exploit their planet and mobilizes a guerilla force to strike back. But Ochō takes the opposite opinion: without the Empire’s influence, their backwards planet is doomed to fall behind no matter how noble their culture is, so they must submit to ensure their own future. This rift explodes as Ochō formally joins the Empire and their father steps up his efforts to fight back, while Lop stops at nothing to stop the fighting and bring her adopted family back together again.

The very first thing I’m going to focus on here is the choice in how the story opts to approach the setting. Here, instead of getting a Jedi who visits this planet, seeing these people as an outsider does in the way most of the other shorts set up narratives of this type, the focus is on this particualr culture and how its individuals see the Empire’s presence. You are immersed into these people and their ideologies, their history and how Lop and Ocho fit into it all as heirs in the next generation. This is a fantastic way of doing this - you may recall that back during my review of The Village Bride, I commended that short for giving the people of that short a distinct means of looking at the Force, but even in that one the people were secondary: objects of the Jedi’s perspective. Here, Lop is technically an outsider, but that only outlines the prominence of the setting and storytelling as she is then raised alongside this new family and world.

The presentation here is very similar to something like Lost Stars, a book in the current canon that I’ve always seen as one of the best Star Wars novels made in the last few decades. Like Lost Stars, this short uses the characters culture to set up their upbringings and situations, and then applies that to the issue of the Empire: Lop chooses to oppose the Empire - or, more accurately, to try and bring Ochō back home - because of how much her adopted people’s attachment to family has shaped her. Ochō chooses to join the Empire because she sees nothing but the big picture, her good intentions leading her down a draconian path, and as the story goes on her conceit as an entitled heir eventually starts to show itself. The conflict does strike similar beats as the one between Thane Kyrell and Ciena Ree for similar reasons: the story makes sure we know why these characters are going to split before the split happens.

The characterization is good, is what I’m saying. A great example of doing great, distinctive character work in a short amount of time.

I should also get the visuals. This short combines bright, modern character designs with a very classical, painted aesthetic for the world around the characters. This gives it a very classic animation feel, like watching a Miyazaki movie or Sleeping Beauty: the location art of this episode is among the series’ best, and the action animation manages to combine a fluidity of motion with a simplicity of choreography, in a way not unlike The Ninth Jedi - another of the shorts whose action animation stood out.

Back to the plot with another interesting track: the story makes it unclear how strongly force sensitivity plays a role, which also gives it a good contrast to the others which generally don’t just star Jedi, but are almost exclusively about Jedi intrigue and entanglements: Lop is clearly strong with the force, but she has no context for that and her objectives have nothing to do with being a Jedi - she is centered around her people and her family. The lightsaber we see in the short - fantastically - has a backstory similar to the Darksaber we see throughout The Clone Wars, Rebels and The Mandalorian: centuries ago, a Jedi was trained from this warrior culture, and instead of passing their saber down to a padawan or giving it back into the Order, this Jedi instead passed the saber down through their family, again cycling back to the way this short uses the characters’ unique perspective and history to approach the setting rather than the other way around. The people in the short only have legends of the Jedi, and the only thing that’s significant here is that the sword featured is the prized possession of their clan.

This gives the story a lot of room for questioning, especially as the ending is open rather than definitive: is Lop going to learn more about the force, and if so will she do through the lens of her people? Who was this old Jedi, and does the sword have a history like the Darksaber does? And most importantly: the war against the Empire does not end with the end of the short: where will it go from here? Will Lop and Ochō ever be reunited? There is a degree to which this short comes off almost like a pilot for a longer story, which would serve me just fine - for the reason I’m about to get into now: As always, a purpose of these reviews is to look at how much potential these shorts - which are currently non-canon - have to some day become canon, or even at least be followed up on by the studios involved. The potential there comes down a few key factors: the major one being the amount of support these shorts get from the fanbase. But another is in how easily or organically these shorts can be incorporated into the framework of the Star Wars universe.

And are the chances for this short’s incorporation good? ABSOLUTELY. I generally judged the other shorts’ potential on how little they contradicted the world and setting around them. With this one, however, its simpler to think of it from the opposite direction: this is exactly the kind of stories that gets told in the Star Wars universe today. There are several stories I can think of just like this in concept that were made within the last few years alone, or even being made right now: the current canon loves its stories about X culture in one corner of the galaxy and how its reacting to the rise of the Empire, which heroes come from there and why. Where those heroes go in the end. The comics, especially, always seem to be on the lookout for more focus characters to play with, but I also mentioned Lost Stars earlier, and that’s a very good point of comparison: for the same reason Lost Stars makes for one of the best prose installments of the current canon, Lop and Ochō has a lot of open real estate it can waltz into to define its own part of the universe.

Besides a couple superficial stylistic things (the symbols on the lightsaber blade, as I mentioned before, Star Wars doesn’t typically do strictly “animal people” as species - that’s more a Wing Commander thing - but that doesn’t mean they couldn’t if they really wanted to), there’s nothing really stopping this thing from getting canonized. I really hope people make some noise for it, because I’m being serious when I say this of all the films has The Best Chances of being followed up - minus The Duel which, of course, was already getting a followup before the series even released.

All in all, I mean it when I say this was my favorite of all of the shorts. It, pound for pound, has everything that I found enjoyable about this set of films all in one package, ever interesting means of approaching the Star Wars universe that I was looking for, all of the interesting ways of looking at situations we already know that I was hoping for, with a set of endearing characters on top of it.

If we can get more stuff like Lop and Ochō in the future, I would be more than happy. If we can get more Lop and Ochō specifically, all the better for it. I also mean it when I say I hope people make some noise for this one. It’s worth it.

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overdramaticly-dying · 5 years ago

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Want a New Show to Watch??

Ok, so, you wanna know a show that’s incredibly underrated, is being treated terribly by its studio, and has a lot of its fans terrified that it’ll be ending prematurely?

Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

This show deserves so much more love and attention, so here’s a list of why you should at least give it a chance:

1. The Family Dynamic

I’m starting with this one because its probably my favourite thing about the show, and the thing that got me hooked in the first place- the family dynamic in this is incredibly sweet and enduring, but it’s not overkill either.

They explore and show a lot of heartwarming moments, but also display their family dynamic in a really natural way too- it never seems fake. they also have genuine struggles as they try to work through their differences, and it feels real.

(the sibling interactions are on point btw)

(also there’s a lot of hugs)

2. The Storyline

I know a lot of cartoons now share the ‘starting out as just a fun cartoon, then later becoming more serious,’ but I still need to mention that the way it escalates seems natural and well-paced.

If you’ve watched previous TMNT shows, then yes, it does seem a lot more comedic and different than what the other incarnations gave, but that’s what I love about it- it’s a lot different.

But if you’ve never watched or read anything TMNT- guess what? You’ll still really enjoy it because you don’t need any previous experience with anything TMNT!! They explain everything simply and introduce the characters and what they stand for almost immediately.

What I’m trying to say is, it has a really good plot that’s entertaining but also filled with the world’s lore.

And character development?? Hell yeah! There’s a lot of it to go around at first (although the show does take a somewhat slower approach to it).

which brings us to the next part...

3. Characters!

Obviously, the main characters in this show are great- you got the four turtles and Splinter, and a really colourful cast of villains. But the thing I love the most about the cast is how diverse they are!!

Not to mention the girls in this show feel like real characters. And I don’t mean they have traumatic backstories and stuff, I mean they’re treated the same way all the male characters are. And I know this might sound like a small factor, but there aren’t exactly a lot of shows (especially action cartoons) where it isn’t drilled into you that the girls in the show ‘are strong fighters, wow look at them!’

its never brought to attention that they’re different, just like... yeah, ofc she can fight, of course she has just as much personality as the guys...

Look at these girls, I love them

Also, bonus: as of right now, there’s no forced romance! There’s mention of a past romance, but other than that?? Nope, none. And it’s great.

4. The Animation/Action

I felt like these kinda go together, but this show is absolutely STUNNING, and the action sequences are so much fun to watch- I admittedly look away a lot of times when watching action shows, but I literally watch every scene of this show. It's really captivating and easy to watch- just look

IT’S BEAUTIFUL

Not to mention the character designs are adorable??? And just look at some of these backgrounds

5. The Comedy

Ok, so this show does have a more comedic side to it than previous incarnations, but I have to say that it’s actually a really funny show- or at least to me- everyone has a different sense of humor of course, but speaking from a personal opinion, this show is freakin hilarious.

When I first heard what people were saying about it, I assumed rottmnt would have a lot of crude humor, which... isn’t really my thing. I tend to find it annoying more than humourous (again, just my taste), but it actually doesn’t have very much??? Not to the point where I found myself annoyed with it, or even noticing it.

instead, the comedy is more on situation jokes- idk if that's the right way to say it, but like, the jokes relate to whatever situation they’re currently in, their interactions together (A+ sibling interactions, seriously guys) along with a healthy dose of running gags- and there’s also a bunch of TMNT easter eggs in the show, so it turns out to really be a fun time

In conclusion:

This show is really good, and honestly deserves SO much more attention, so please give it a try if you haven’t already.

I briefly mentioned before that it’s being mistreated, and it is- Nick is taking it off-air in certain countries, it hardly gets any advertising or merch- it really seems like they’re trying to kill it, and with no news of a season three, a lot of us in the fandom are concerned.

Please please please give this show a chance, it’s genuinely amazing, and it tends to be ignored.

I know this show has it’s fair share of long-time tmnt haters since its so much different, but the way I see it is this: It is different, and that’s good. we’ll probably always get another TMNT show sooner or later, so the fact that this one, in particular, is straying from what we’re used to isn’t bad. I love how different it is! And if you still don’t like it, that’s fine! No one ever said you had to like it!

And if you’re hesitant to watch it because you’ve never watched anything TMNT before- don’t be! It’s really great, and deserves to at least be given a chance!

#Rise of the tmnt #rottmnt #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #tmnt 2018 #leonardo tmnt #mikey tmnt #raph tmnt #donnie tmnt #I'm just really hung up over the news ok?#this is my way of dealing

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wthtorke · 5 years ago

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Swimmer’s Tide

AP had found him during a hunt on Earth, he wasn't the tallest or strongest human he had ever seen in his life, but there was just something about him. He knew they we compatible ever since he laid his eyes on him, maybe it was the small amount of human DNA in his blood that made him feel like so.

Or maybe AP just never paid attention to humans in this way before, not that any of them deserved this kind of attention coming from him, he knew of stories and rumors of Yautjas deserting their clans for human mates and some going as far as to bring them into their own clans-, as if they were equal.

Disgusting.

Humans are pests, they are everywhere and many at once, weak as anything, needy and arrogant, annoying prey.

AP wasn't really expecting to fall for one, not in a million years, but then again, maybe that was what humans called ‘karma’. Nobody hated human mates like AP did….before he met his own, that is.

AP first saw him at what he supposed was his home, doing something AP never really saw a human do,

Swimming.

He swam peacefully around the vast pool in his backyard, moving his limbs freely with a calm expression on his face.

The sun had yet to fully come up, AP had completed his mission and was returning to his ship in the woods when he heard the water splashing.

The pink and orange hues from the horizon blended with the pool's blue ones, casting an almost heavenly light onto his skin, marbled as the light shifted with the waves his hands made in the water, short hair wet and stuck to his forehead, mouth slightly open as he huffed, trying to regain his breath.

AP had to go back to his clan, report his mission and well, go on with his life, but something called his attention back to the human male as he lifted himself off of the pool and reached for a nearby towel, probably done with his morning exercise.

AP didn't know if that man was beautiful to human standards, for he didn't detect anyone else in the house, or any sign that someone lived there with him, he didn't seem undesirable, but AP didn't know anything about human mating either.

But AP would be lying if he said he wasn't...captivated, for a second.

Upon arriving at his mothership, AP reported to his superiors and walked back to his quarters to rest from the trip. As he settled down, his mind kept drifting back to that one moment on earth.

AP knew himself well enough to know he was doomed, for the first time he wanted to touch a human but with no murder intent behind it, he was disgusted and ashamed, he went through so much to be the best enforcer, the strongest, the fastest-,

And all of that to unite himself to a human?

Well, not that anyone would say anything, considering AP's impeccable challenge matches and that he could beat the lights out of anyone in this ship if he so much desired to. If they appreciated their lives, they would stay quiet.

He sounded like a youngblood, foolish, cocky, and well, foolish.

He saw this human once.

Maybe if he saw him again, observed him? Maybe if he studied him…Maybe then he'd come back to himself and his firm opinion on how pathetic and useless humans are.

"I'll be going to earth again", he informed his commander, the very next day.

"So soon? There were no calls, that quadrant is dealt with for now. Unless you're going for...recreational purposes?"

Recreational, sure.

"I have my eyes set on some human maggots I found during the quest".

"Then good luck on your hunt, may Paya be with you", his commander told him, like he told everyone who went somewhere to hunt, being a commander sure sounded tedious.

AP restocked his ship that same day, not being one for patience, he debated whether or not bringing his dogs with him, and decided he shouldn't underestimate the humans, even if he didn't plan on doing anything too serious in their home planet.

Opening the space bridge, AP turned his ships invisibility on and set the course to where he pinpointed the human's house, he wasn't stopping in the same forest for he wasn't stupid, it would be a walk but he didn't mind nor care, as long as he did what he had to do, it was fine.

"Right there, see?"

"No, not really, are you sure you saw uh...what did you say it was?"

"The light shifted there as if there was a...well I don't know, like when you splash water and it’s transparent but still visible? But up there"

"I think you just had water in your lashes man, there's nothing up there, or maybe it was some mist? You said it was early morning"

"I don't know...it sure did freak me out bad, ran inside as soon as I saw it"

"What, you thought someone was coming for you? Out of everyone around here? There's a drug dealer like next door"

"You heard about the bloody murders they found last week?"

"Oh come on"

"I'm totally serious, dude!"

"I know you are, that's why we're going back inside and we're going to play some video game and drink that whole cooler of soda I bought, you promised me, come on", his friend said, grabbing his arm and all but dragging him back inside.

Glancing one last time close to the trees, he sighed and got inside.

AP landed on earth in the opposite direction of his initial mission, stretching his legs outside his ship as he scanned the area, deciding where he’d place his traps to ensure no one would find his ship while he was out.

Taking a brief look at his map, AP glanced at the direction where the house would be and set for it, jumping up the trees and past them, going as fast as being silent allowed him to.

- “I think you’re overreacting man, I mean-, fuck how did you get that boost, fuck you! I mean, they did say on TV that the murders were like animal-based or some shit”, his friend said, turning the controller according to his Mario Kart character, like it’d help him in any way. “Animal-based? What the fuck-”,

“Yeah like some bear on steroids killed those people and shit-, fuck!”

“One of the men was ripped in three, dude, three! Three different parts of one single body!”

“It’s the police report, not mine, now stop fucking cheating you rat”, his friend laughed, pushing his arm as they finished their match.

“Police report my ass, they wouldn’t drop the classes if it was just some bear…”, He said, getting up from the couch, hand going through his short locks as he walked over to the fridge.

“Are you eager to go back to college? Cause I sure as fuck am not, Mr.Merman.”

“Shut the fuck up, Ethan” , He snapped, closing the fridge. “I’m gonna go out to buy food, you stay here and entertain yourself while I’m out, try not to break anything, will you? Ass”, he rolled his eyes, grabbing his wallet from the counter and heading out.

“Get me a turkey sandwich!”, He heard as he slammed the door closed, jogging down the stairs from the front porch and down to the street, the sun was beginning to set, orange and golden hues spreading against his skin and clothing as he walked.

He walked for about a minute before the very same dread feeling came back to him, made his hairs stand on end, and a chill run down his spine, jaw tightening shut, he stopped walking, slowly looking around. He felt like prey, like a deer staring into the fast coming lights that would surely be his death.

The street was one that seemed to come out of a horror movie, eerily quiet, only leaves hustling about. No children playing on the sidewalk, working people probably already inside their houses, only him and whatever was watching him about.

Looking up at the trees on the other side of the street, he squinted, trying hard to see anything and dreading seeing it as well. Seconds passed by and he decided to brush it off, if it was the murderer, he would have been dead already, and if it really was ‘a bear on steroids’ like his friend said, he’d hear it from a good distance, right?

“Right…” He muttered to himself, resuming his walk down the street to the grocery store.

From up the trees, cloaked, AP chuckled to himself. ‘At least he’s not stupid, or well…that stupid. AP had gotten to the house only to find another male there, one he didn’t know of, it wasn’t his human, he didn’t care. Seeing the trail of his human’s scent out the door, AP followed it until he spotted him, while human wore too much clothing to a Yautja’s liking, the tight fabric clung to his form, clearly displaying the adapted body of a swimmer. Tall, broad shoulders, long limbs, toned muscles, thin waist, strong legs.

AP’s head slowly cocked to the side as he so shamelessly watched the human’s legs flex as they walked, gaze slowly coming back up to his rear, lingering there for a few seconds before moving upwards to his back.

They were definitely compatible.

#Let the gay boys have a piece of Ap too lmao #yautja #yautja x reader #yautja x human #human/yautja #Alien #alien vs predator #Assassin Predator #upgrade predator #Ultimate Predator #ap predator #male reader #The Predator #predator #predators #headcanon #Fic #My fic

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dimensionwriter · 5 years ago

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Hammer Away

Gender Neutral! Orc x F! Reader

Word Count: 2,756 words

Warning: None

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So, hi. So big news, I'm working on a way to start up commissions. Since I have some free time, I would be able to do them now. So watch out for that post if you are interested. For now, enjoy this beautiful story.

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Moving to the city was a big deal for you. It was your first step towards that adulthood freedom you always heard about and creating yourself for the future. It was your time to shine in this world.

And things seem to be going great. You got this cute contemporary apartment that was high up, so you could see the sun rising over the city. You got this cool job at a retro cafe and worked at a library on weekends. Things were looking up in your life.

That was until the lot next to you got sold and all of a sudden a hotel was going to be built there. You really didn't think much of it since it didn't block your beautiful view. But your opinion changed really quickly.

You got into the habit every morning to walk past the construction site and peak over the wooden fence to see what was going on. There would be a bunch of orcs working with a bunch of construction equipment. The way they just move so easily with such massive objects just captivated you.

At first, they didn't notice you, but around the 5th day, they did. It shocked you to peek over the fence and see a group of talking orcs stop and wave at you. You were not prepared for that and embarrassingly, you may have ducked down while running away.

You didn't peak over the fence for the next two days. You knew it was a dumb thing to do, but you were too scared of them getting mad at you for always peaking over. You didn't want to seem like one of those creepy humans that was always staring at other creatures like they were some type of zoo animal.

On the 8th day, you grew curious again when you heard what sound to be wielding. You went to a new part of the fence, a few feet from your normal spot, and peaked over. A small one couldn’t cause any damage, right?

The foundation of the building was already built and they seemed to be working on the exoskeleton of it. Bars of metal were being lifted up by cranes along with orcs carrying them around as if they weighed nothing.

You noticed that one orc was staring at you. As soon as you made eye contact, his eyes lit up and he turned to an orc carrying an arm full of sandbags and tapped them. The working orc turned around with a confused look before their eyes landed on you. They seem to jump at seeing you, causing their hands to release the sandbags…right on their foot.

You ducked down at the scream that got ripped out of their throat. You were quick to run to your job after that. There was no way they weren't going to be mad at you now.

A full week went by with you avoiding the construction site like the plague. You were too scared to even go near it. You were expecting a manager to come up to your door and yell at you for distracting and injuring his workers. What if that orc tried to make you compensate them? You can't afford that. How much does damaging someone’s foot cost?

The Monday of the third week, you walked out of your apartment building to see that the wooden fence had changed into a wire fence. The amount of dread that overcame you felt like a tsunami. Whomever was watching over you was finding a huge amount of humour in your suffering?

You walked as fast as you could past the construction site. But you weren't fast enough.

"Hey! Human! Watch out," someone yelled. You turned your head towards the construction site to see a small white object speeding towards you.

You didn't have any time to move. By the time you would've moved your leg, the ball would smash into your face. If you tried to dodge it, your body would move too slow since you just used precision time standing here and thinking.

You flinched as you saw it get extremely close. But instead of feeling your skull getting knocked into next week, a thick arm wrapped around your waist. You were dipped slightly and spun. What?

You open your eyes to see a figure above you. They seem to be a sort of shadow as the early sun creates this giant glow around them.

They tilted their head to the side allowing the sun rays to reach their face. You were met with a dark brown eye and a light green eye. Their hair was flowing down and seemed to encase you within them. The left side of the hair was pitch black while the right was pale white. They were really cute.

They opened their mouths to speak, but nothing came out. Their tusk was jutting out and touching the infinity ring dangling from their nose. A dark green forest was painting their skin as they stood still.

You leaned your head back and saw their muscular right arm was sticking up above you. Wrapped tightly in their fist was a softball. So that's what the white object was.

"I-I-I," they stuttered out like a broken record. You lifted your head back up and looked into their eyes. Their green skin was turning a dark blue colour and was spreading fast. Were they okay?

"You can let me up," you mumbled. Your legs were starting to cramp from being at this angle for so long. Most of your weight was in their arms, which you were kind of grateful for.

"Sorry," they yelped, yanking you forward. Everything blurred for a second before you were slammed into a stop. Their giant hand was gripping harshly on your shoulder as they held you up. You think you may have gotten whiplash.

"Thanks for the help. I gotta- I need to go to work," you slurred out trying to regain your being. Everything felt like it was still spinning.

"Of course. Sorry for being a nuisance," they squeaked out, shrinking into themselves. In your state of dizziness, you barely manage to give them a thumbs up before stumbling away to your job.

The next day, you felt kind of scared to cross past the construction site. You thought about it yesterday and began to wonder why a softball was flying that fast through a construction site. You may know nothing about the job, but you're pretty sure it doesn't require a softball.

You walked at a fast pace as you got closer to the construction site. This time you were going to keep a close eye out. No softball is going to catch you off guard this time.

As you walk past, you realize orcs work a lot faster than humans do. The exoskeleton of the building, which looked to be 7 stories, was already done. Except for one long metal bar that was extended a little over the fence. There were a few orcs on it that were yelling at someone on the ground.

"Bro…she's right there…just talk…okay fine." You looked down on the ground to see who they were talking to. You recognized them instantly.

It was the orc that saved you yesterday. Today, their hair was pulled into a high messy bun that looked like it was going to fall apart if someone blew on it.

They glanced over at you and seemed to jump up high like a cartoon woman seeing a rat. You blinked slowly at them and waited for maybe a wave or something. But they just stood there with wide eyes and seemed too afraid to move. Were they frightened by you? Well, they probably were since you probably damaged their hand because you were too slow to move, and now that you looked at them, they looked like the orc that you caused to drop that sandbag. Yeah, they definitely had a reason.

You turned your head away and was about to walk away. When you hear a voice above you scream," Whoospie. Oh no, human!" It was so sarcastic and insincere that you thought maybe they were making jokes about what happened yesterday.

It was until you saw a wall of green running towards you. You barely had time to turn your head before you felt a pair of arms wrapped around your waist. You were wrapped into a ball full of muscles. A strong wift of cinnamon and pine flooded your senses. They smell really good.

Something cold and wet splashed on your arm causing you to jolt in surprise. The thing around you let out a shiver from that weird substance splashing onto it. It seems that they took most of the hit instead of you.

Slowly, the arms unwrapped from around you and you were pulled straight up. You glanced up to see a pair of brown and green eyes staring down at you in slight panic. Water slowly dripped down the front of their face into their soaked shirt.

"Sorry-dry-um," they let out a low cough before starting again," You didn't get wet, right?" They scanned their eyes briskly over you as their eyebrows furrowed in concern.

"I'm fine, but you're not," you yelped, taking in their soaked form. The white shirt they were wearing was completely see through now and they're jeans were a very dark blue. It wasn't cold, but it would still be uncomfortable standing there soaked. "Stay here."

You turned around and ran as fast as you could to your apartment. You felt so bad for always getting in this orc's way. This poor orc has had their foot smashed in, hand probably bruised from that softball, and now they're soaking wet.

Maybe it would be better if you took a different path to work. You're like a bad omen to this site. Yeah, that's the plan.

You returned back outside with two pairs of towels. The orc wasn't standing where you previously left them. You did tell them to stay there, right? So, where did they go off to?

"Dude, that was so smooth. The way you slid in and wrapped yourself around her," a squeaky voice whispered nearby. You realized that the talking was coming from a portable building.

"It was anything but smooth. Didn't you see how she ran away?" Another one sighed out with a small whimper at the end. You held the towels tightly as you tiptoed closer to the building.

"She probably was too flustered from how awesome you are! I saw her whisper something to you before she ran away. Spill it," a deeper baritone voice cheered on. The sound of a loud hit followed by coughing came from the building.

You stepped towards the building and noticed a small window. It would hypothetically be the perfect height to peak in through. But from all your previous tries, it always ends up in something bad.

But, if you only do it for a few seconds, you should be fine. A few seconds peak won't change anything. Yeah, just a tiny peak.

Tip toeing over to the window, you took a deep breath to calm yourself. You just want to make sure that the orc is okay then you will leave. They have been taking a lot of hits for you and you never got a chance to repay them.

You slowly stood up until your eyes were leveled with the window. Inside of the room were a bunch of chairs around a small table. All the chairs were filled with orcs, but one orc was sitting in the corner balled up. You could see their soaked shirts from all the way over here.

“I wasn’t paying attention to what she said. All I was thinking was that she smelled really really good. Then I blinked and she was running away. Guess my monstrous size scared her,” they mumbled out in defeat. Their hand slowly went up into their hair and started gripping it harshly. The others in the room started to instantly express their disbelief.

“If she was scared of our size, then why has she been coming by here for the longest time. People don’t tend to frequently visit something if they fear it,” the orc closest to them spoke, patting them gently on the head. Their hands untangled themselves from their hair allowing the black and white strands to fall over their face.

Since you were so busy staring at the orc in the corner, you didn’t notice the female orc across from the window staring at you. She bumped the shoulder of the man beside her and flicked her head towards you. Putting a hand over his mouth, he whispered for everyone to glance at the window. It was loud enough for everyone to hear but the poor orc in the corner and you.

“Maybe you should just plainly ask her out,” the female orc in the corner said with a smirk. The orc jolted straight up and stared at her in bewilderment. They furiously shook their head as they squeezed themselves into the corner. “Andy, I’m telling you, you’re just overthinking it.”

“Trust me, she wouldn’t go for someone like. I’m not going to shoot my shot, if I’m in the middle of the ocean, millions of miles away from a hoop,” the orc, who you assumed was Andy, rambled sliding down the wall. The other orcs shook their heads at him and you felt that some of them were glancing at you. Have they already noticed you?

“I am telling you that the hoop is right there, I mean right there,” an orc turned his head so he was staring right at you. Instead of ducking down, you stayed put. You were kind of liking where this was going.

“I’m nothing more than a lump of sea grass floating through the ocean,” Andy whined out balling up. One orc stuck his hands out and pretended to strangle him in frustration. After a second, his rage dissipated and he just sunk into his chair.

The female orc let out a low groan before yelling,” Forget it.” Andy jumped a little and their pretty eyes were widening in panic as they looked around confused. “Ay, human up there. Are you interested in going on a date with this orc?”

Finally, Andy’s head lifted up and spotted you through the window. You had given up a while ago after figuring out they could see you, and was standing at full height. You are kind of surprised that Andy didn’t notice you before. It’s kind of adorable how clueless they are.

“I’ve been standing out here for a while hoping for one,” you joked, sending them a wink. Andy’s face exploded into blue as his brown and green eyes sparkling with happiness. They jumped up and tripped over the chair in front of them, but recovered quickly. Within a quick second, they were staring you dead in the eyes with so much hope.

“Are you free this afternoon? Or is that too soon? I can go with any schedule of yours,” they babbled out rocking on their feet. Their hair was floating around them like some sort of halo. Gosh, this adorable hunk of orc has had a crush on you this entire time. You feel that it should have been the other way around.

“This evening is fine. I should be able to meet you right here around 6. How does that sound?” you asked tilting your head to the side. Their eyes melted slowly and you swear small lights of hearts appeared on their eyes.

“It sounds perfect,” they whispered, giving you a giant smile. You leaned forward and pressed a swift kiss to the window. Even though you didn’t touch them, their face hued darker and their eyes were shining so hard.

“Now, I better get to work before my boss gets mad. See you in a couple of hours,” you yelled jumping off the ledge and running to your job. You just hoped your boss wouldn’t mind you being so late. But whatever was facing you at work, you felt you could deal with, especially when you have a date with such an adorable orc.

As you ran down the sidewalk, the last thing you heard from the construction site was,” I guess you can still make the hoop from the ocean,” followed by loud laughter. A smile made its way to your face as you turned the corner.

See you at 6, Andy.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Once again I am creating these soft orcs. I promise, one day I will create something better.

Anyway, please leave a Like and Reblog. I love it so much when you guys Comment, I think i reread them like 20 times. It's nice to see that people actually see this content instead of it just passing by in this overwhelming source dump.

Thank you so much for reading. As said earlier, keep your eyes out for a post about commissions from me.

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keyofjetwolf · 4 years ago

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Bonus Question Answers! (non-anime heat 1)

I asked a silly question! You gave me incredible answers. SO VERY MANY INCREDIBLE ANSWERS. Now, I present my favourites!

Another that was so so so hard to narrow down. I did have to make special mention, though, at the sheer volume of you who (correctly) pointed out Haruka and Michiru either spending their quarantine fucking, or frustrated at being unable to fuck. Thank you, heroes.

If your answer is listed below, you’ve earned an entry in a random draw to win a GIFTENING liveblog OF YOUR CHOICE

—

Q: The Senshi are all quarantining together! Describe what a wonderful/terrible/wonderrible idea this is. (YOU CANNOT BE TOO DETAILED)

~~~

* First things first: if the Senshi are all quarantining *together*, then they must be old enough to be not living with their parents (or lack thereof). Furthermore, they must be living in a place big enough to accommodate all of them. Now, the Outers already have a huge fuck-off house, so if we're cheating and saying ALL the Senshi, not just the Inners, then we can say that Usagi and the girls moved in with Haruka and the girls after high school. Usagi and Makoto and Minako have almost certainly snubbed college; Ami and Rei not only attending, but Ami is aiming to get her Master's, so both of them have to take online courses. Setsuna is teaching them. Haruka and Michiru graduated from college *ages* ago. Hotaru also has to take online courses, but for high school since she'd be about that age at this point. Chibs is not here because she's smarter than to travel back in time to when there was a GLOBAL PANDEMIC. Now then! Usagi is moping because she can't see Mamoru or Chibi-Usa, so she reads manga and watches TV to distract herself. As per her usual she mostly shoves her nose into what everyone else is doing, then gets distracted by a passing butterfly and chases it until she finds something new to stick her nose into. She's honestly taking the quarantine the hardest, even though she's living in a house with all her closest friends. The delivery guy knows her by name and by her super-cute hand-sewn (by Makoto) pink-and-white bunny mask. Makoto has sewn everyone custom masks, actually, which brings us to... Makoto naturally is doing the cooking and cleaning and laundry, and while she does love doing these things, she's now doing them for NINE PEOPLE, and Usagi has never learned to fold a sock in her life, and Ami folds socks but is crazy busy with her coursework, and Minako/Rei/Michiru/Haruka can't be bothered for one reason or another, and Makoto is about to explode because everybody assumes she'll do everything and do it smiling and normally they wouldn't be WRONG but COME THE FUCK ON YOU GUYS. She is in a constant state of being two steps away from an explosion. The only saving grace is Setsuna, who does actually help out in between teaching online courses, and who patiently listens to Makoto vent, because she understands that if Makoto melts down, so will the rest of the household. Makoto has a pink-and-green rose mask; Setsuna has a wine red mask with black stitching. Ami has vanished into her room. STUDY, STUDY, STUDY, STUDY. She is literally taking four courses at once because with a global pandemic, a) what else is there to do with one's life b) the rest of the household is utter chaos c) MUST DEVELOP VACCINE. She has actually be helping researchers online with this under an anonymous name. She *wants* to go out and volunteer, but understands that the best thing she can do is quarantine properly. She is constantly lecturing everyone about Best Quarantine Practices, to the point that the others mostly tune her out now. This is only piling onto her constant stress. Hotaru visits her occasionally with tea and textbooks so they can study and destress together. It's good for both of them, especially since Hotaru, with her health issues, is the most at risk of all of them. Hotaru's also used to isolation, so she's a surprisingly stabilizing presence for everybody. Ami and Hotaru both have standard hospital red-lined white masks along with their custom masks (Ami's is light blue with dolphin clasps on the side; Hotaru's is designed based on that optical illusion that's either a lamp or two people facing each other), because you need one for when the other is in the wash. Minako has become a Twitch game streamer and beauty YouTuber and is updating both CONSTANTLY, with YT guest star appearances by Michiru (who is always effortlessly and flawlessly beautiful) and Rei (who is using Minako to promote her own YouTube channel). Minako tried to get Usagi to be the camerawoman for her YT show but Usagi wanted to be the star too much, so now Minako as strong-armed Haruka into doing it. Haruka is bored out of her mind because she can't go out on drives, so she helps Minako out without complaint. Sometimes she even guest-stars on Minako's Twitch streams, depending on the game. Getting to film beautiful girls making themselves even hotter? Sure, she's into that. Minako's mask is glittery gold with red ribbons for cords; Rei's mask is black with flame decals on the sides; Haruka's is a solid black, tight and sporty; Michiru's is seemingly plain white, "coincidentally" complementing Haruka's, but is made of fine linen and silk. Rei meanwhile doesn't actually know what her channel is about and didn't give two shits about YouTube until Minako started doing it, but Minako is actually raking in a stupid amount of cash from doing this, so Rei figured, how hard could it be?? Right now she's somewhere in between doing her own beauty channel, doing paranormal investigations, cooking channel (she proudly presents instant meals as time- and money-saving masterpieces without an ounce of self-awareness. Haruka has had to hold Makoto back from suplexing her more than once), and a video review column where she tries things out and gives her opinions on them. She's *absolutely furious* that her channel is not as popular as Minako's. She's also strongarmed Haruka into being her camerawoman. Michiru allows this because watching Minako and Rei fight over their respective channels is the most amusement she's had all year. Ami asks Rei when she finds the time to study. Rei ignores her. -- @ayu-ohseki [I said spare no detail, AND YOU DID NOT. Thoughtful, considered, and a fun read start to finish, amazing.]

~~~

* It is the best. Minako has a captive audience, Makoto has everyone to cook for, Rei has taken charge of how to Do Everything, Ami can hole up with her books and tutor Usagi, Usagi has all the time to play games and read comics. It is the worst. Minako has a captive audience and they want new stories faster than she can make them. Makoto has everyone to cook for and they eat so much all the time. Rei has taken charge of how to Do Everything but no one will listen. Ami can hole up with her books but that doesn't mean its quiet enough to read, and she can tutor Usagi but that doesn't mean Usagi is even making a small attempt at listening like in the group study sessions. Usagi has all the time to play video games and read comics, but no one will let her, especially Rei. -- @cakeandpi [Loved the Dickensian Best of Times/Worst of Times structure, precisely the level of epic this clusterfuck needs.]

~~~

* In the best of situations, it is difficult to find housing for nine people on short notice, and these are not the best of situations. Given that she had, from at least the age of four, been bound to the moon by a curse of blood, it should not have come as any grand opportunity to Michiru that the opportunity to recuse herself from larger society life would be immediately and aggressively offset by Haruka's invitation for the Senshi to come quarantine at the Kaioh beach cottage.

One might assume that perhaps Usagi's parents, or Ami's mother, or Rei's grandfather, might have objected to their children being out of their sight in such a time, but that is to discount the general narrative inconvenience that seemed to pursue Michiru to the last. "Babe, there's like 6 bedrooms in the place," Haruka has said, quite missing the point entirely that Michiru had made it her goal to make use of everyone one of them. And so, here she was, where one might be sipping a glass of champagne on the veranda overlooking the sea, lover at her side, instead she was listening to the endless sniping between Rei and Usagi as they pattered about the house, there was no lover next to her, but only Ami with her endless piles of conspicuously books that Michiru felt quite certain had been selected for the view their covers provided others, Mako sending away the cook for what were noted to be COVID concerns but Michiru felt were more the concern of her longing for the spacious kitchen. Her mind preserved her enough not to speak of Minako, nor of the fact that the one she would have beside her was currently playing Mario Kart with such. Hotaru and Pluto were there, also. Michiru took another deep drink of the wine. With the volume she was consuming, she would have to switch to boxed wine. At this rate, she may qualify as hand santizer herself, which nearly stayed her hand. Usagi wailed loudly at Rei. Michiru took another drink. No Matter, she thought, for I will not die before my appointed time. The Moon will certainly see to that. -- @docholligay [You absolutely catered this to me and you know it, you whore. Hilarious AND beautifully written, I detest you.]

~~~

* Usagi is thrilled to have all of her favorite people in one place. Mako will cook! Ami will read to them! Mina will write and Rei will direct plays for them all to perform! Haruka will make sure they stay fit! Michiru will teach them etiquette! Hotaru and Setsuna will also be there! Her favorite cats will be there to purr and offer guidance without actual knowledge and nagging! Yay! After a week, Usagi is still relentlessly happy. To be otherwise would be to admit that her friends are not perfect, perfectly suited for each other, and perfectly happy. She hasn't seen Haruka and Michiru at all in days; they commandeered the back bedroom with it's own bathroom and the others only know they're still in there by the noises *ahem*, by the food delivery people who keep coming to the door, and the empty food containers that appear in the hallway. Mina and Rei are not speaking to each other after the Hair Clip Incident. Ami is still diligently serving as a go-between, but Mako refused and will not give either of them any of her cooking, so Rei keeps making Hello Curry and leaving the kitchen a disaster, while Mina somehow keeps convincing Haruka and Michiru's uber eats drivers to give her stuff. There is only one litter box for the two cats, and that is not enough. And Artemis keeps leaving the seat up on the toilet. No one knows how, or why, but he does. Hotaru and Setsuna are also there. Worst (best?) of all, Usagi doesn't miss Mamoru at all, and hasn't actually noticed his absence. He's been missing for three days. -- @incorrecttact [I ADORE the little touch of Usagi having to aggressively fake it because even she is struggling THIS CANNOT BE ALLOWED. You made me bark laugh at the end. Glorious.]

~~~

* Rei's Journal: It's day 8 under lockdown and I have somehow managed to retain my sanity. It has not been easy. By day 4 Minako and Makoto were at each other's throats because Minako tried to clip her toenails in the kitchen, due to Ami holing herself up in the bathroom. Makoto threatened to make Minako eat a toenail burrito, and by God I think Minako actually would eat it just to show Mako up. It has been a struggle to keep Usagi from eating all the food, and I fear she is contemplating the idea of eating Luna and/or Artemis. Ami is retreating further and further into her shell. She has solved every math problem in every math book she had at her disposal, and is now showing withdrawal symptoms. The walls of her room are covered in math equations. I am doing as best I can; my rations of "Here!" Quarantine snacks have been balanced to last me for at least the next week, but after that point I am not sure what happens. As a shrine maiden, I'm used to long periods of silence in my meditation. It's been difficult keeping my focus with Usagi and the others slowly losing their minds, but I am a survivor if nothing else. If I could survive D-Point, I can survive this... Wait I didn't survive D-Point FUCK. -- @judedeluca [Rei’s journal, yes, thank you for catering to me directly, I appreciate your service and killer ending.]

~~~

* Everyone's locked into separate rooms by day 2, or make-shift rooms with blankets taped to the ceiling. By day 3, there's lines on the floor. Ami makes a timetable for when everyone can go to shared spaces like the kitchen or bathroom. Usagi is distressed that all of her friends can't get along, even as she has an existential crisis about not wanting to be around them herself. Rei is suddenly the mom friend, when Mako realizes that trying to help everyone leads to her stress-baking leads to her taking too much time in the kitchen leads to everyone more pissed off. Minako is alternately drunk off her ass and egging everyone on, or making notes for pressure cooker situations to add to training. Haruka gets more sullen than anyone's seen her, Michiru loses some of her polish as her nerves finally fray by the end of the week, and is cussing people out by day 9. Setsuna immediately regrets her decision not to hunker down at the time gate. Hotaru's glad to be included but so anxious she starts collecting the house's lamps in her area. Ami has to make a timetable for using those as well, so Hotaru doesn't call death to them all. Somehow, they survive. When things let up, they all promise not to speak of it again, at least not directly, and then immediately all take at least 3 days to be by themselves in their own spaces. -- @katrani [Usagi’s existential crisis, yessss. Hotaru stress-hoarding lamps though, everything I never knew I wanted.]

~~~

* Ordered in Michru's least loss to greatest, or conversely, Usagi's greatest loss to least: 1) they stay at Michiru's mansion. It's huge. It's spacious. Michiru disappears within minutes and isn't seen again until 14 days later. Pluto finds her easily enough for tea, Rei does so out of dogged determination, and Haruka doesn't have to try. Usagi does, but she gets lost easily and there are so many snacks everywhere, she gets distracted. what's that? A room filled with tvs? another with comics? Mako worries about her getting cavities and uses the greatest kitchen ever to cook things up. She almost never leaves there. Ami poisons the pool every time she leaves as part of the great Hatemace. Chibs and Hotaru get a chance to be kids and actually play. If the starlights are there, Seiya and Haruka have a dramatic face off. Mina makes sure to leave graffiti everywhere. Despite her best efforts, she can't find Michiru's weakness. Artemis and Luna take a vacation. 2) They stay at Usagi's, Minako's, or Ami's. They do not stay at Rei's because Grandpa is old and Rei has put the fear of god in anyone who dares come to the temple. The houses/apartments are small and cramped with just the five inners. With everyone else? Chaos. Artemis and Luna are glad they aren't affected and escape. Chibs conveniently stays in the covid-free future/"look, I already have teh vaccine! I don't have to stay here with you". Hotaru contemplates reincarnating again. Mako enjoys time with Usagi's mom, cooking together (no, she isn't crying, you're crying). Minako takes extremely long showers to piss Michiru off. Michiru is not sure how she got forced into this, she feels the hand of god in play and curses the writer internally. Pluto unravels the mystery of super!spy!Usagi's Dad but no one will ever know the answer to that. Ami escapes online and plays sims where they all have their own rooms, with Jet's help. Rei turns on the stove and pretends its the great fire to meditate. Haruka likes this long sleepover! She's never got to do one before! Usagi agrees and they plan horror movies and games and fast food. If the starlights are there, Seiya plans an even greater slumber party. Usagi helps both because more parties are always better. 3) They stay at Mako's two-room apartment. Chibs doesn't even step into the past, she's heard the horror stories from her aunts. Hotaru begins the sequence for the end of the world. Word of god or no word of god, Michiru refuses to go. When the narrative railroads her into it, she claims the balcony for herself, furnishes it, and locks the door so no one else can come. Pluto stays in the void, unreachable by all. Mako has never seen her apartment so filled and noisy and she's both elated and afraid for her plants. Her plants are terrified and tremble the entire time. Rei lives in the oven. Minako claims the bathroom--a toll is required for anyone else to enter. Ami puts all her brainpower to finding a cure to escape this hellhole. The bedroom is a nonstop competitive slumber party, and Minako, Haruka, and Seiya have a song off. A toll is still required to enter the bathroom. Usagi breaks onto the balcony once to hug Michiru. -- @kumeko [I love the different branches, ALL THE SHENANIGANS]

~~~

* (Putting Inners in college so Ami isn’t on call as a doctor) The good news is that the Outers�� ridiculously spacious mansion is, in fact, ridiculously spacious enough to accomodate eleven people (I’m certain Mamoru was not in your intentions, but it was agreed that Mamoru is a good quarantine podmate who will follow all necessary rules, and also Usagi would be insufferable if he’s not there and Mako points out that he lives alone and the social isolation would be killer) and three cats. Haruka’s happy to have Minako around all the time, and Pluto and Hotaru are thrilled to have Chibs. (Rei asked why Pluto and Chibiusa can’t just go back to their own times. Pluto gives a lengthy explanation about past and future virology that may or may not be total bullshit. No one really knows with her.) Ami is continuing her studies, as she does, and has a consistent schedule involving Study Hours and Socializing Hours. She does, however, make sure to swim in the Outers Mansion Pool every day at the same time Michiru customarily does. Neither of them says anything about this. Their rivalry continues. Michiru knows every nook, cranny, and secret passage there, and can easily avoid anyone who’s gotten stir-crazy should she so choose. Mako has taken command of the kitchen, and cannot be talked out of doing all the cooking. The food is delicious, nutritious, and is basically Quarantine Baking Times Twelve. Her skills are appreciated by all. Mamoru is likewise well-behaved, and mostly spends his time being quietly useful, spending time with Usagi, and listening to classical music with Michiru without otherwise interacting with her, making him the one man whose presence she will tolerate. The cats are well-behaved. They are the ones who are quarantining well. Minako, of course, is dying of boredom by the month and a half mark, and proceeds to take up a wide variety of hobbies, only to move on when they turn out way less fun than the video suggested. She annoys the others to show her how to bake tarts, or paint, or whatever it is Pluto does all day. Eventually she does find something she enjoys enough to stick with - wirework. While her preference is for jewelry, she does work with larger scale stuff just enough to present Mamoru with her masterpiece - Chicken Sculpture 2.0. (He seethes.) Rei, meanwhile, has also taken up new and exciting hobbies, but she will determinedly stick with each one until she has reached an arbitrary goal of Accomplishment. Even when she hates them, as is the case with birdwatching, Zumba, Mako’s attempts to refine her sense of taste, and trying to follow professional wrestling. She does take to cross-stitching once she discovers it’s basically stabbing something until it’s art. Felting, too. Between that and cleaning she’s a delight when she and Minako are not grating against each other. Which is frequently, with them both taking up all these new hobbies. (When assigning rooms, Michiru thought ahead. Rei’s and Usagi’s are next to each other, at the end of the hall. They bicker as much as ever but everyone else can get distance when really needed.) Usagi is happy to be somewhere with all her dearest friends, all the time! She is VERY BAD at waiting patiently until everyone else’s Productive Hours are over, be they online classes and homework or painting or quietly stealing Mamoru’s abstract mosquito coil shirt and throwing it through the Gate of Time and into a void where it will never again darken their sight. (Pluto isn’t a monster, and replaces it with a similar but less incomprehensible white T-shirt with a pattern. Mamoru assumes this was Minako’s doing.) Artemis assigns himself as resident Blonde Disaster Watcher, while Chibiusa - currently visiting as a roughly 14-year-old, matching Hotaru - smugly points out that she’s handling quarantine just fine. This prompts a round of furious research by the rest of the house as to whether or not cats can drink alcohol. Haruka’s practically run down a path around the Sprawling Kaioh Estate on which the mansion sits. How can she angst gaily without a mission? Sure obviously staying home and keeping safe is the most important thing and she will do her part, but that’s not nearly dramatic enough to hate herself for if she decides she’s quarantining inadequately! Michiru decides the best thing for this is to take her, Usagi, and Minako and sit them all down with empty scrapbooks. Usagi and Haruka emerge after the pandemic with eighteen volumes of Important Friendship Scrapbooks. There’s an adorable doodle of them high-fiving on the title page of each one. They designed it themselves. Despite this all, quarantine does actually pass without any of them killing each other, though Haruka and Michiru do strongly consider sending the others to Hikawa Shrine instead. Grandpa Hino can manage all this energy. No one except Chibiusa thinks to ask how Hotaru’s doing. They forgot to check her room. -- Regalli [I know legit sadness in my Senshi Heart that I cannot see Haruka and Usagi’s scrapbooks with my own eyeballs. Loved this whole thing, but fucking Hotaru at the end hahahah]

~~~

* It's all a matter of perspective. Mako and Ami will keep themselves consistently busy with cooking/baking, plant caregiving, reading, eating sandwiches, etc. Mako will eventually cave, after like, day 6 and there are 3 dozen scones, they lost count of cookies, and they've got frozen meals for weeks. Rei keeps telling her to stop cooking because she stumbled into Mako's apartment with armfuls of Here! Curry! and convenience store meals. Usagi is sooooo boooooored all the time and that's a dangerous combo with Minako being soooooo booooooored all the time. The Rube-Goldberg machines, the destruction, the pranks. More about Rei sadly as I know you don't particularly care for her at all whatsoever: she is a rollercoaster. Every day is too different but it's also always the same. Usagi is eating too much of her food but nobody else is eating enough. It won't go bad this way, but Usagi STOP I GOT THAT KIND OF CHIPS FOR ME. She finds some peace with Michiru who herself trying to keep a grasp on her ~*ara*~ ness but won't admit that by day four has been wanting out. "The girls are sweet" she convinces herself as she listens to another screaming match between Usagi and Rei while Minako snapchats everything. Haruka lost it by the second day, she can't stand not doing anything and not being in motion. At first this was channeled into doing small workouts that Mako sometimes participated in from a distance, but those have stopped. How long have you been laying on her floor today, Haruka? You gonna get up and have something to eat today Haruka? Hotaru and Chibs keep themselves busy with games and movies (Chibs and Usagi fight over the TV), Setsuna plays sometimes but is just happy to watch and enjoy these moments of peace. Chib's pride is on the line because she is getting bored by day 5 but she will not be sooooooo booooooored like Usagi. Mamoru begins to bring them all takeout by day 10 and slips Michiru a bottle of wine when she comes down, she is grateful, the label brings a tear to her eye, he knows good wine. Luna and Artemis are there. They sure are cats, and they can come and go if they want. They are envied. At some point they are all laying in the living room together. They don't know how long, someone's playlist is playing in the background. They don't care. It's the longest anyone has gone without talking. It's the one of the few times they've truly felt connected with one another as a team. Minako then asks, "If I ate myself, would I become twice as big or cease to exist?" It was nice while it lasted. -- @thatonemoonie [Every detail is divine, but oh my god Minako’s question at the end, THANK YOU.]

~~~

* Michiru does not have enough wine and the Moon will pay for what she has endured. -- the Lord of the Sea [Summing it up in the perfect single sentence, brilliant.]

~~~

* It's Usagi's idea, really. Quarantine procedures are announced and she can't help but imagine what it will be like for all her friends. Minako, stuck with family she doesn't get along with. Ami's mom under even more stress as an essential worker, probably avoiding her daughter to keep her safe from the virus. Makoto, completely alone! Rei, probably regressing from not seeing other people! This cannot stand. Usagi has visions of Mako making gigantic family style meals and keeping things scrupulously clean. Ami contentedly petting Luna and Artemis and keeping them all up to date on how things are progressing. Minako livening the mood by driving Rei insane. And all is right in Usagi's world. It IS like that... sometimes. Being stuck together 24/7 has its ups and downs, and there has never been a situation as prolonged as this one. There are tense moments, and fights over silly things like toilet paper and Usagi running up the phone bill by calling Mamoru so often. It's cramped. Ami tries to keep them up on their distance learning, and checks temperatures daily. They try some disastrous DIYS and recipes when supplies get low. Usagi and Rei have an emotional moment when one night, she tries to secretly use Moon Healing Escalation on the city. In the end, they come through stronger than ever, like always. Just with a lot more appreciation for distance and personal space. -- @yunyin [All incredible, but you absolutely fucking GOT ME with Rei catching Usagi trying to heal the city, DELICIOUS ANGST]

---

I’ll be drawing for the bonus liveblog around the start of THE GIFTENING 2020 (currently looking to be Monday, 11 January 2021). Each bonus question is another chance to earn an entry! I CAN ABSOLUTELY AND SHAMELESSLY BE BOUGHT.

#THE GIFTENING 2020 #THE GIFTENING 2020 admin stuff #THE GIFTENING 2020 bonus q

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sparklingchan · 4 years ago

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Stray Kids AU

Stray kids in hogwarts

A/N: This was a very, very long pending AU and I'm so glad its turned out so good. I might have added some animals as patronus which are not actually mentioned in the books or movies or even pottermore but bear with me lmao. Also the houses are totally based on my opinion so you're open to disagree but please don't hate on my work :(

1. Bang Chan

House : Gryffindor

Patronus: Kangaroo

Wand : Aspen wood with Phoenix feather core (10 inches)

Favorite subject : Astronomy

Part of the dueling club and the quidditch team.

Born to a muggle mother and a pure blood father, Chan had spent most of his childhood in normal muggle schools,among other muggle children.

At home,though,he was surrounded by magic all the time. The moving pictures,the flying broomsticks ,the talking doormats,his gryffindor parents had a hard time explaining things to him at home.

On the day he received the letter of acceptance from Hogwarts ,his happiness saw no bounds. He spent the next few days imagining his life there,captivated by the stories his father told him.

And when the day arrived,he was more excited than anyone else on the Hogwarts Express to be finally visiting the place he had heard so much about.

During the sorting ceremony,the moment the hat touched Chan's head, it immediately yelled 'Gryffindor !'

By the end of his second year,he was already a seeker in the Gryffindor quidditch team and also an active member of the dueling club.

He was easily liked by teachers and students and his friendly, sweet nature was what made you fall head over heels for the quidditch team captain in your 6th year at Hogwarts.

You two were the same age but you being in Hufflepuff and him being in Gryffindor, you could only admire him from afar.

Having played with him on the same field for years ,it was hard not to admire the brilliant boy from Gryffindor everyone adored.

But you only got to know him properly when you guys ended up at the hospital wing after a tough game of quidditch against each other.

And needless to say,your relationship changed completely from that day onwards.

2. Lee Minho

House: Slytherin

Patronus: Cat

Wand : Cedar wood with dragon heartstring core (7 inch)

Favorite subject: Defense against the dark arts.

Part of the dueling club.

Born to pure blood parents, Minho had grown up fascinated by magic and the idea of one day being able to use it on his own.

The day he received his acceptance letter, he had danced around the whole house in excitement of going to a place where he'd have no restrictions on magic whatsoever.

And when he finally stepped into the infamous castle,he was spellbound by the beauty of the place and the mystical world surrounding it.

His parents,though both ravenclaw themselves,always knew that Minho would one day be sorted into Slytherin.

And they were absolutely right because the moment the professor put the sorting hat on his head, it said 'Slytherin!' in a thundering voice.

He was a mischievous, witty yet charming person. All the ladies would swoon over him and when he joined the dueling club in his 4th year,his popularity increased even more.

Being from the same house as him,you would often bump into him in the common room or the hallways and just like all his other admirers,you would patiently wait for him to notice you one fine day.

You two were good friends,at the least and you've also noticed that he talked to you more than any other person despite being so famous.

Not wanting to give false hope to yourself ,you denied it everytime people asked you if you two were dating but deep down,you wished you were .

During your 5th year,you got into trouble with the teachers for a small prank you played on those annoying Gryffindor girls, resulting in you not getting your parents' signature for a trip to Hogsmeade.

You were super upset and angry until Minho came into the common room,asking if you wanted to spend the day together since you both were the ' only Slyhterins ' in Hogwarts at that moment .

You agreed, of course, and that turned out to be the best decision of your life.

3. Seo Changbin

House : Hufflepuff

Patronus: Bunny

Wand : Cherry wood with dragon heartstrings core (9 inch)

Favorite subject: Potions

Part of the dueling club and Chess club.

His parents were both muggles who had never known anything about magic or Hogwarts so they were a very confused when their little son started doing things which didn't have any logical explanation behind their occurrences.

When Changbin received the Hogwarts acceptance letter,he was THRILLED.

His parents agreed right away,happy that there was a place where Changbin might meet people like himself and feel more at home than he ever will in the muggle world.

His sorting ceremony was very intresting ,mostly because the hat took so much time choosing between Slytherin and Hufflepuff and finally decided he belonged to the latter.

Changbin had a vibrant aura around him,making it very easy for him to make friends and acquire the teacher's favour.

A smooth talker and quick thinker,Changbin quickly found a place in the dueling club and the chess club.

He was also your best friend since the first time you met him at the Hogwarts Express.

Coming from pure blood parents,you explained everything to him patiently and answered his questions without complaining.

And even though you got sorted into Ravenclaw,your bond with Changbin stayed the same till the 4th year.

For years you had repressed your romantic feelings for him but one fateful night in your 4th year,during Christmas Eve,you ended up spilling out your feelings in front of him.

Needless to say,he was glad that he could finally call you his girlfriend,something he'd wanted to do since the first time he entered the halls of Hogwarts with you by his side.

4. Hwang Hyunjin

House : Gryffindor

Patronus: Llama

Wand: Alder wood with unicorn hair core ( 10 inch)

Favorite subject : Transfiguration

Part of the quidditch team and gobstones club

Born to pure blood parents,Hyunjin had been introduced to magic from a very young age and naturally, he found comfort in it.

It was his birthday when he received the letter of acceptance and instead of the expected reaction of excitement, Hyunjin looked very proud.

The castle walls echoed with the stories his parents told him and it didn't feel like he was going to a boarding school at all ; it felt like he was coming home.

His sorting ceremony too was quick . The moment the hat was put on his head, "Gryffindor " it yelled with pride.

He was very famous among the female students as well as teachers and as years passed by,his popularity only increased.

Although initially he only wanted to join the gobstones club, he ended up trying out for the quidditch team in his 3rd year.

Rejected in his first attempt,he tried out again in his 4th year but this time he had a different reason to try out ; you.

A quiet Hufflepuff with muggle born parents,you had caught Hyunjin's eyes when you were protecting your friends from some bullies.

He had never felt that way about any person before so when he tried to befriend you,he was surprised that you were colder than expected from a Hufflepuff.

Nevertheless, he continued bothering you for a long time and when he heard you were trying out for the quidditch team,he couldn't help himself .

Both of you got in the team and from there on,you and Hyunjin had a wonderful journey together.

5. Han Jisung

House : Slytherin

Patronus: Squirrel

Wand: Ebony wood with Phoenix feather core (7 inch)

Favorite subject: Potions

Part of the quidditch team and school choir

His mother was a pure blood while his father was a muggle, which means Jisung has had the best of both worlds since he was born.

Talkative and chatty,it was very difficult for him to be quiet about the flying utensils and moving pictures in his house,when around his friends.

His reaction to finally getting the letter of acceptance was a mixture of screams,yells and songs.

As his Slytherin mother predicated , he too got sorted into Slytherin almost even before the hat was put on his head.

He tried out for the quidditch in his first year itself and surprisingly,he got into it. By the 5th year,he was a potential leader of the team.

Jisung was also a very keen and creative man who found solace in music which lead him to join the choir in his second year at hogwarts.

Rumored to have been rejected by multiple people, Jisung didn't know that he had secret admirer who would do anything for him -You.

You were in Gryffindor and given the rivalry between your houses,your friends often discouraged you from talking to him so you only ever noticed him from a distance.

But it all changed when he once fell down the stairs of the hallway,and there was no one but you there.

You helped him up and took him to the hospital wing,all whilst he was partly passed out from falling down so many stairs.

When you went to visit him after he had recovered ,he gave you a soft peck on your cheek,thanking you and asked you if you wanted to go on a date with him someday.

And needless to say,you replied with a big yes!

6. Felix Lee

House : Hufflepuff

Patronus: Canary Bird

Wand : Chestnut wood with unicorn hair core (11 inch)

Favorite subject : Herbology

Part of the chess club and charms club

Felix was born to a pure blood father and a half blood mother who were both witty Slytherins back in their day.

When he received his acceptance letter from Hogwarts , his parents took him out on a fancy dinner to celebrate this small yet significant achievement.

Soft spoken and observant,the sorting hat took quite a while to choose between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff but finally ended up choosing the peaceful house of Hufflepuff for an equally peaceful Felix.

His years at Hogwarts were full of adventures, strong friendships and of course,magic.

Having a keen interest in chess ever since he was a child,he joined the chess club in his 2nd year. Never had he seen such big,life size chess pieces and he was more than sure he'd found his place in this huge old castle.

He was exceptionally good at charms spells which led his friends to encourage him to join the charms club and in his 4th year,he decided to finally give it a try too.

You ,too, were exceptionally talented in charms spells and your attention was immediately stolen by the smily boy from Hufflepuff the moment he joined the charms club.

You approached him first ,unusual for a proud ravenclaw like yourself , but you couldn't help yourself around his warm,welcoming aura.

Felix and you befriended each other quickly but both of you knew,deep down in your hearts that there was more to your relationship than just that.

Stolen glances and accidental brushing of hands became intolerable for you. Everyone noticed how you two just fit together ; like puzzle pieces.

You confessed to him first ,the night before your O.W.L exams and you were more than relieved when he told you he felt the same.

From that night on you and Felix have been inseparable and frankly speaking ,you wouldn't have it any other way.

7. Kim Seungmin

House : Ravenclaw

Patronus: Dog

Wand : Alder wood with dragon heartstrings core (11 inch)

Favorite subject : Defense against the dark arts

Part of the school choir and chess club

As one might expect, Seungmin was born to into a family of pure blooded Ravenclaws .

His training in magic started even before he joined Hogwarts and when he was finally given the letter of acceptance, he was filled with confidence and pride.

Obviously, just like every single member of his family tree,he too was sorted out into Ravenclaw ( although the hat was very close to placing him into Slytherin)

He had a burning passion for singing which led him to join the school choir a few months into his first year at Hogwarts.

He didn't have a very huge friend circle ,he liked to stay within his own circle and one would rarely see him going out of his way to make new friends, but you on the other hand were the most famous girl in Ravenclaw.

Desired by many ,envied by some and adored by most ,you were a person who had people to talk to everywhere you go.

People liked being around you,not just because you were friendly and nice but also because hanging out with you would give their social status a huge boost.

But little did they know that as friendly as you appeared in public,you had your heart tightly guarded by high walls. Walls,which you only hoped one person would ever cross ; Seungmin.

Sitting in front the front rows of the classroom or in the dining hall, your eyes would often wander around into the corners where Seungmin would be sitting with his friends,laughing ,eating and enjoying.

Unlike popular belief,you were extremely bad at many things, most important of which was the defense against the dark arts, which coincidentally ( and much to your relief) was Seungmin 's best subject.

Taking the opportunity ,you asked him if he could help you with the subject and although reluctant in the beginning, he agreed to it.

Soon ,you started spending hours in the library with him . Sometimes studying,sometimes just talking. You started missing your social gatherings just to be with him.

You enjoyed his quiet yet honest personality and realised you'd rather have one honest person in your life than hundred liars who pretended to like you.

And when he kissed you late one night in the library ,you knew he too would rather have you than anyone else.

8. Yang Jeongin

House : Gryffindor

Patronus: Fox

Wand : Cherry wood with unicorn hair core (8 inch)

Favorite subject : Herbology

Part of the choir and quidditch team.

Jeongin was born to a Slytherin mother and a Ravenclaw father,both of whom were from pure blood families.

Young and curious, he often found himself intrigued by the magic used by his parents and patiently waited until he could do the same as he grew up.

Receiving his acceptance letter was both a joyous and sad moment for him ; joyous because he'd finally be with people like him,sad because he'd have leave his parents house for most of the year.

Although his parents predicted him to be sorted into either Hufflepuff or Slytherin,they were surprised when the sorting hat yelled 'Gryffindor ! '

Like Seungmin, he too had a passion for music and he soon joined the school choir.

Joining the quidditch team, on the other hand was a result of constant nagging by his father who claimed he was a great player back in his days.

Jeongin didn't expect to get in but he did and that's what led him to you - a curious eyed Hufflepuff who was often bullied for being muggle born.

He would see you running away shyly from your bullies in the hallways but when on the quidditch field,you were a complete monster.

He too had tasted defeat at your hand but he liked it anyway . He liked everything about you.

And when years later,he asked you out on an official date, he reminded you of that defeat and made you promise to never leave his side to compensate for what you had done.

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tabbyrp · 3 years ago

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{Tropes in the Wild West, part 4} {Cont from [x]} @brooklynislandgirl @tarnishedhalo

Sleeping in the saddle required two things: skill and a steady horse. Sam considered himself reasonably adept at the fine art of riding and Red Wing, in his humble opinion, was one of the finest mares to grace the lands. Rattlesnakes didn’t spook her in the slightest. Streaks of lighting could split the heavens while thunder roared, and it would barely raise a flick of the mare’s tail. Not that her resilience in that regard had been tested lately. Along each step of this ride, started a goodly time before the first cock’s crow and continuing well past the sun’s zenith, the sky stayed clear and the ground bone dry, dust kicking up with each strike of the hoof. A current flicker of wind sent a near hand’s worth of grit straight up Sam’s nose, made him sneeze violently, and dragged him out from the otherwise pleasant doze.

As the cowboy righted himself, drawing brim of hat higher to survey his surroundings, it became possible the horse had roused him on purpose. They had reached the stretch of trail which led a winding path to the Riley stead, beaten down over the years by equestrian hooves, plodding cattle, and the occasional trip by cart or wagon. Sam knew it well, even if lately he had not travelled it as often as he should, matters between him and Riley being ever complicated since the incident. Complicated, but not uncivil. As horse and rider trotted towards the house, Riley was there to greet them, the setting sun causing two waiting glasses of whiskey to ascend into sparking gold.

Later, Sam reclined in one of the family’s chairs, still plump with padding despite a long journey from the old country. His stomach was full from a hearty meal and weary bones found comfort in the stillness. Miss Beth and the other guest had both retired gracefully once the plates were cleared, disappearing with lanterns and laughter that spoke of a secret joke between them. Sam was none the wiser as to how Miss Tabitha had come to be part of the residence. An innocent inquiry over dinner had been deferred by Riley and enforced with that certain set to his posture. The one that taught men quickly to keep civil tongues in their heads about Miss Beth. Miss Tabitha appeared to raise his same guard dog hackles, though Sam was wise enough to resist laying bait to see what Riley would bite over.

Their previous partnership had worked well for numerous reasons, one being Sam’s calm balance to Riley’s strong will. Caution tempering boldness, except for when those bold choices were exactly what the situation required, and Riley had always been willing to lead the charge. Fearless was how Sam had viewed his friend from the first moment they met, two young bucks about to learn how this wild land needed to be treated. Now, Riley appeared weary as he poured them both a fresh glass of imported drink, one that Sam took a light sip from, lest he give in to temptation and fall asleep right then and there.

Perhaps Riley took pity on him after the long journey, for he skipped the polite type of conversation that would involve asking how the cattle were faring and what the other cowboys had been doing whenever granted free time to carouse in the township. “Now that the ladies are gone to bed, are you going to explain why you’re really here? I know you miss my cooking and the wit of my conversation, but it’s a long journey for one meal.”

There… there… beneath the crooked smile, lingered a ghost of the Riley he remembered. It hurt Sam in the chest, for he was about to snuff it out before the flame had time to grow. “We’ve got trouble at the ranch.” He gave Riley the due respect by facing him square on, as was right when about to ask a man for aid. “The kind that only you and your sister know how to deal with.”

They left the following morning. The two men had spent time in discussion about the safest mode of transportation. A small wagon was slower, though it had advantages should anything untoward happen out on the trail and they needed to defend the women. Riley was prepared to begin greasing the axles when Miss Beth emerged from the stables, her steed in a trot while she led another by the reins. Miss Tabby, being from the town and used to working on her feet instead of in a saddle, had clutched the pommel tight to keep from lurching off, though she carried a grit of determination that Sam could find respect for.

Both were dressed ready to travel, supplies and bags strapped securely in place, with Miss Beth making statements implying that the men should hurry up before they were left behind. Riley was none too pleased, that much was plain, but arguing would only waste more daylight. Even a horse whipped until bloody could not complete the journey between sunup and sundown. Making camp at night always carried a risk, although there were certain spots on the plains where lingering too long meant not rising come the dawn, and Sam had no intention of becoming grub food. Not today, at least.

Compared to Red Wing, with her steadfast nature, Sam’s friends favoured more spirited equines. Riley needed only a light squeeze of thighs to send Sally into a rocking canter, man and horse in perfect unison as they scouted ahead for trouble. Miss Beth’s gelding was a restless creature, endlessly flicking his mane and resisting the reins, keen to break free from a plodding walk. On occasion she split off, never travelling far, mostly to examine a particular shrub or other object of interest. While the brother and sister pair were absent, Sam and Miss Tabby engaged in idle conversation. He learned she was not a whore, despite a residence at the saloon, and nothing more about what bound her to the other. For all Miss Tabitha demurred, she did so with a warmth that few white women ever offered Sam.

Miss Tabitha’s charisma, however, took a dent when it came time to stop for the day. After horses were fed and a fire stoked to life, she insisted on breaking off pieces of her dried apple and depositing them outside the edge of the stone circle which Miss Beth and Riley had lain around their camp. Protests about attracting animals landed on deaf ears. Even after the ladies fell asleep, huddled together nose-to-nose beneath woollen blankets, Riley suggested Sam leave things be. So, he did, until a pair of ruby red eyes appeared in the shadows and four claws, scythe shaped like a barn cat if not so large and twice as thick, dug into the offering.

Sam looked away, deciding it best if he saw no more if he were to cede to his friend’s request for restraint. Already a part of him screamed to wrench a log from the fire and strike the cursed creature away into the blackened landscape, if not send it screeching back to the hell from whence it came. “It’s gone now.” Riley’s low, steady voice drew him away from those malignant urges, and indeed, when he glanced towards the darkness, nothing stared back at him.

“Is she like you?” Sam’s question hung in the air. Riley sighed, reaching to toss another fistful of kindling into the fire before standing.

“You can take first watch.” The man clapped his shoulder, unapologetic for everything, and made his bed beside his sister. Stars spread across the night sky and a chill carried in the air, making it hardly scandalous for Riley to roll onto his side and tuck in behind Miss Beth, trapping in the warmth of her body. A few hours later, when it came time for Sam to stretch and rouse his companion, he equally made no mention of how Riley’s hand had drifted during slumber, one arm draped heavily over his sister and a lock of Miss Tabby’s hair twisted around his fingers.

The remainder of their journey passed quick enough, the foursome covering ground faster than Sam may otherwise have predicted. He estimated it barely an hour past midday when they crossed the invisible property border to the cattle ranch which he called home. Previous plans for expansion in both land and numbers were currently postponed. Waiting for better weather, the current herd needing all their attention in an endless hunt for blades of grass still holding moisture. A dam and her offspring had wandered away from the rest, nosing at the ground as the group rode past. Sam would have to round her up at some point. There were other matters to attend to, and Riley had expressed his desire to deal with those sooner rather than later.

Further within the boundary, while far away from everything else, stood a corral. The small collection of wooden beams and panels nailed tight together, if certain slants to joints suggesting a hasty assembly. Remaining atop their horses, Sam led them closer. Slowly, cautiously, for even steady Red Wing gave a nicker of protest at the approach. One of the other ranch hands had draped a circle of rope at roughly a yard’s distance from the enclosure, locking it down with heavy iron nails. That was where Sam halted them. Close enough for a clear assessment, far enough for safety.

It took a moment or two for the dozen bovines within to notice their presence. Leathery heads lifted, empty eye sockets unseeing and gaunt nostrils sucking in the air. Their hair was gone, every last strand, leaving behind bleached skin that clung to gaunt bones. Unlike the docile mother cow they had passed, these creatures shivered and swayed, endlessly shifting their weight from one spindly leg to the other. The largest of them rocked forward, pressing up against the fence. It licked the air with a decaying tongue, got a proper taste of the observers, and gave a guttural howl. Two more went flank to flank with the leader, catching the scent. Sinewy necks extended towards Sam and the others as far as captivity allowed, falling short, yet still teeth flashed as jaws snapped wildly, bone clicking against bone.

Miss Beth and Riley exchanged a look, the elder saying something under his breath. Sam possessed enough experience catching his friend’s muttered comments to piece together this one. It’s spreading. Riley raised his voice to ask what methods they had tried to dispose of the creatures with, impassive while Sam listed off lead bullets, noxious poisons, and an attempt with an axe which left the wielder with a broken arm. “Take Tabitha up to the quarters.” Issuing what was more order than request, Riley dismounted with his old engraved pistol in hand, his sister following and starting to unstrap certain bags from her saddle. “And bring a few strong men back with you, along with some shovels.” Being dismissed caused a protest from Miss Tabby, and it took another terse, private conversation between her and Riley until the lady relented.

Perhaps it was none of his business. Still, as he and Miss Tabby rode away from the corral, Sam took in the downcast twist to her expression, and said in a tone of someone making merely a passing mention, “He’s only like that with people he cares about.” She sighed, lips parting as if to reply, but whatever she may or not have intended to say was cut off by the sound of a single gunshot ringing through the air. A high-pitched scream, bestial and ferocious, came after, then another crack of the gun. Miss Tabitha covered her ears and Sam took her reins, leading the horse with the sounds of death following close behind.

#brooklynislandgirl #tarnishedhalo #the AU that just won't quit #au: on a steel horse I ride [weird west]#/all errors are my own/

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danwhobrowses · 4 years ago

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One Piece 1000 - 10 Confessions as a One Piece Fan

Although we did the Initial Thoughts a week ago (a long week ago, damn) which you can read here I wanted to do something for the official release of One Piece’s 1000th Chapter At first it started out to be ‘10 things I wanna ask Oda that I don’t think we’ll ever know’ but I couldn’t think of 10, then I was gonna do a General opinion post about it, but didn’t want it to come off too negative. So I am settling on a confessions post, which will have elements of these anyway.

So as we have a happy 1000, let’s talk about some stuff I usually don’t get to talk about in One Piece

Note: There will probably be spoilers so make sure you’re up to date

10. Late Beginnings I think the first confession I have to have is that despite being older than One Piece I am unfortunately not a ‘Day One’ fan. In fact I think I mainly got into One Piece around mid-Whole Cake Island arc, before I had of course known about One Piece, it was a ‘Big Three’ anime after all but the most I knew about it was that they had a guy named Luff-y and another called Zorro, and it was about ‘Pirates who can’t swim’. My curiosity only developed when in a youtube deep-dive of anime clips I kept being recommended One Piece clips, and decided to give a couple a go. Most of them were Paradise arc stuff from the anime, the dub voices were mostly atrocious so I stuck to sub. I was happily surprised about the amount of fun and emotional weight these clips gave me, which led me to check where One Piece was as of current and backtrack from there (Ironically I did the same with Beastars). I did eventually get caught up around the time of the Mafia Meeting and I’ve kept up with each chapter since.

9. I mostly still prefer the Pre-Timeskip looks When I first felt this I thought it to be pretty controversial, nowadays not so much. I understand that Oda wanted to change the look for many characters but some of them did feel like a downgrade. I think the ones who got it worst was Franky, I think it’s the bulbous shoulders, Franky was no stranger to body horror from Enies Lobby to Sabaody but I kinda preferred that he still had a lot of his humanity rather than looking like an action figure. Otherwise I think Robin, Nami and Chopper had it bad, maybe Brook too but his was more fashion than design; the women in general took heavy hits by Oda’s proportion design - I mean I get it boobs are nice but proportions are what make them better - but Robin also underwent a skin color change in the anime, who pre-timeskip shaded her skin darker than in the manga and corrected it to match the manga, I think most of us would’ve preferred Robin to have kept the darker skin tone and possibly even the fringe, Robin’s hairstyle (and her fashion in general) can be hit and miss. I go to and fro about Nami, other than the general waist and bust adjustments I think it fits her character to use her sexuality a bit, she was no stranger to that pre-Timeskip, sometimes though I can’t tell whether I preferred her with short or long hair (Short was definitely better on Nojiko), I do think though that Oda could have her show less skin, she is still very pretty in outfits such as Water 7, Thriller Bark and even her fake pirate disguise in the early chapters/episodes. Finally with Chopper I think it was a bad move to alter the hat, that was a memento from his father figure Hiriluk, it’d be like if Luffy altered his straw hat or Zoro replacing Wado Ichimonji, I do also feel that the design for Chopper’s points while easier to draw don’t look as good, I think a lot of it is the scruff, or lack thereof in favour of smoothness, Walk Point is fine but Heavy Point, Guard Point and Horn Point seem less threatening, Monster Point especially too, in Enies Lobby he looked like a cave painting of menace and destruction, now he’s smoother and his scruff lighter so it’s not as good. The rest of the designs I’m quite fine with though.

8. I wish some markings stuck as well Tattoos and Scars seem to be optional in the One Piece world sometimes, unless it’s branded in molten heat like the Dragon’s hoof, Sun Pirates logo or an attack from Sakazuki. While Nami’s redesigned tattoo has stuck around and Luffy and Zoro’s scars persist, they are mainly character reminders/mysteries for huge moments in the story, and I kinda wish that some of the Straw Hats had littler markings, not just scars either. For instance, the Alabasta X on the arm, I really wish that stayed on each of the Alabasta characters’ arms since it was a symbol of friendship with Vivi, I also wish that Luffy kept the 3D2Y mark on his arm. In terms of scars though it would’ve been nice to see the characters a bit more battle-worn; Zoro’s ankle scars from Mr. 3 have faded and frankly he should be covered in little and long scratches given his fights with Mr. 1 and 2 years of Mihawk Training, Nami’s shoulder scar is hidden completely by her tattoo and she has no scars on her hand (from fake stabbing Usopp) or foot (from blocking Miss Doublefinger), Usopp himself could’ve used some small scratches because lord knows how there’s even still bones in his nose plus he was in murder island for 2 years, Chopper could at least have a small bald patch from when his shoulder was impaled and burned by Shura’s fire lance too, other than that there’s just Jimbei’s potentially missing shoulder scar from Marineford, though Oda has kept it obscured a lot so maybe that is still there. I understand why Oda doesn’t or forgets to, but it would’ve been nice if we lived in a vacuum of no time limits and whatnot.

7. Dead End Adventure is my favourite One Piece film I don’t know what it is, but Dead End Adventure just gives me the most fun out of the One Piece films. It has a good side plot and the side character Shuraiya was a blast of a character. Granted, Gaspard wasn’t too good of a villain side for actually harming the straw hat and his defeat was a bit underwhelming but the race, the settings it was all fun. It is not to say I don’t enjoy any other One Piece movies, I delight in the horror fuel of Baron Omatsuri - and that killer final punch - and Z’s tragic tale of a fallen marine, Strong World has that epic entrance to the party and Stampede also had some great team up moments and fantastic writing for Usopp and Smoker but Dead End Adventure always feels like the movie I could watch in any mood.

6. Skypeia and Fishman Island are some of my favourite arcs While I can understand the criticism of the Long Ring Long Land arc (especially since the anime dragged out the Davy Back Fight) it surprised me that people found Skypeia and Fishman Island arcs to be boring or less entertaining than previous arcs. Everyone has their preferences of course but I felt that Skypeia and Fishman Island were very powerful arcs especially with the theme of racism. Both had glorious setting design different to the common customs of the world we had seen, Oda made both Skypeia and Fishman Island feel very much lived in with its own budding culture and prejudices, with a villain who was dead set on destroying everything just to have their way. With Enel and his priests we were able to push several characters to newer limits, with Robin showing her fighting capabilities, Zoro learning his projectile slashes, Chopper having to endure fighting 3 priests and even Usopp growing all the more braver in the face of seemingly indestructible opponents and later gaining access to the dials. With Fishman Island it was different because it was basically a ‘flex arc’: where the main villain is meant to be a stepping stone rather than a threat but even then the symbolism of the enemy is what’s significant with them, the inherited hatred of humans. But at the same time we do learn new strengths from the crew; Red Hawk, the use of armament Haki, Skywalk, Hell Memories, Franky Shogun, Usopp’s pop greens, Nami’s weather eggs, Brook’s Soul Solid and his new DF power (which is possibly an awakening), as well as the first true steps of Jimbei joining the crew. The biggest strength of both arcs is the flashback as well, like Wano would in present time both arcs demonstrated that Oda can carry a story without his main characters and still keep it as captivating as ever, be it the friendship of Noland and Calgara, the tragedies of Otohime and Fisher Tiger or the life of Kozuki Oden and the man who would be Pirate King. And the impact of Fishman Island and Skypeia’s flashbacks both come back around in Dressrosa with the dwarves and Koala, and Fishman Island really does kick off the whole Yonko saga with Luffy challenging Big Mom, these arcs were definitely significant as they were entertaining with silly faces, strong fights, challenging themes, lorebuilding, good side characters and unique twists. And the overall message of healing from the past is still significant to this day. Through Wyper’s sacrifice and the Bell ringing to Jimbei giving blood and the Ryugu royals wanting to attend the Reverie, it is all very powerful stuff and while the arcs are similar in nature its their similarities that make me love them. Also the cover stories with Enel and Gedatsu on their own mini adventures are fun

5. I really want to know where Ghin is Ghin/Gin was such an interesting character in Baratie. Given that this was right before Arlong Park too so we had not seen a character conflict with different loyalties in One Piece until then, his gratitude to Sanji against his loyalty to Krieg created a fantastically complex character, but then he left and we didn’t hear about him ever since. Did he survive Krieg’s poison gas? Is he still with Krieg? One reactor of the episode said “maybe he’ll become the next Don” which was a concept I kinda really liked. The guy was pretty strong given that he had bested Sanji at that time, and since he didn’t appear in a cover story my mind does wonder. It’s not just Ghin either, a lot of the early East Blue characters kinda fell off the map; where is Morgan? Last we saw he was sleeping as he sailed past Jango, where is Kuro? For someone wanting to resume piracy after some years off he has been very quiet, where is Krieg? Only Arlong and Morgan were arrested and the latter escaped so the rest of these characters are a mystery. Recently in Wano I am still wondering where Law’s crew that he brought to Onigashima went, as well as Caribou - where is that slippery bugger?

4. Basil Hawkins is probably one of my Top 5 Supernova There’s something about that dude I gravitate towards, which makes it quite frustrating when the anime decides to add extra malice and creepy faces to him. Hawkins in Wano is still a victim, if anything he is simply a prisoner with better working conditions, if he thought he could survive escaping Kaido he would but he doesn’t so he won’t, he’s also gonna feel sore about Drake betraying him and letting Law cut him up, so it annoys me that Hawkins is seen like a villain. Not only does he have an extremely interesting Devil Fruit and creativity with it but he’s also audaciously confident in his fortunetelling, even Luffy ran from Kizaru at Sabaody while Hawkins looked at his cards while Kizaru was about to boot him to holy hell and said ‘nah I’m not dying today’, you gotta respect that moxie. At the same time though as a pirate he has that shades of grey element, he’s okay with letting some of his crew be disposable and we don’t even know to what end, he doesn’t look like a guy too concerned about being Pirate King or having riches. I also get a good laugh in that his hobbies are interior design, it makes me really want to see what the inside of his ship looks like. I think as a top 5, I have Luffy, Zoro, Law, Hawkins and then Kid, Bege, Killer and Bonney are not far behind with Apoo dead last because fuck Apoo. Kid and Killer are cool but I do feel like they need a bit more character, Bege earned some points in being funny and his care for his family in WCI and then there’s Bonney - I really hope we dig into Bonney’s significance, she feels really important and that mystery keeps her fresh whenever we see her. Drake too has only really started to become interesting because of SWORD, we could still see more fleshing but for now he is like bottom 3. It’s a shame Urouge has to be so low, he’s not bad but he’s not spectacular either, gotta admire his hobby of lovemaking though, you do you Urouge.

3. I don’t think that either of the ‘Most Beautiful Women in the World’ are the Most Beautiful Women in One Piece The in-world consensus seems to be that the Most Beautiful Women in the World are Boa Hancock, Komurasaki and Shirahoshi, and granted they are very pretty, but the most? Not for me. I mean, y’all know that Nico Robin, Nami and Vinsmoke Reiju exist right? Makino as well is stunning, as are Tashigi, Bonney, Margaret, Ishilly, Nojiko, Vivi, Rebecca, Pudding, Perona, Cosette and I’m sure a few others, realistically I think they could all give them a run for their money. I get how for those three their beauty is a plot point (Boa it’s drilling home Luffy’s obliviousness to it, Komurasaki it’s the swerve of her not being awful and for Shirahoshi it’s due to Vander Decken IX pulling the creep factor on her) but it would’ve worked the same way without the ‘world’ hyperbole I think. As much as Oda is iffy with proportions and rarely writes women with as much attention as the boys he sure knows how to make them attractive.

2. Some of my favourite individual Straw Hat scenes aren’t in Canon If I were to have a top 5 moments of each character, it may surprise you that some of it comes from movies or filler episodes, particularly Sanji’s flexing on Jessica in the G8 Arc (in fact, Jonathon is one of my favourite marines, T-Bone is in there too, but I don’t have room to fit that). Some are of course obvious because of how iconic they are but it does go to show that sometimes filler isn’t all bad. Since you’re probably curious: As a Group Goodbye Merry [Enies Lobby] Entering Shiki’s Palace [Strong World] Walk to Arlong Park [Arlong Park] Entering the Grand Line [Reverse Mountain] vs a Stuck Oars [Thriller Bark] Jimbei Giving Luffy Blood [FMI] Vagabond Drill on Big Mom [WCI] Leaving the Big Mom Pirates [WCI] Returning in Wano [Wano] Trying to argue with Luffy [FMI] Brook vs Chess Soldiers & Big Mom [WCI] Flashback [Thriller Bark] Breaking Mother Carmel’s Picture [WCI] Baron Corpse vs Dog Minks [Zou] Hysterically laughing at seeing Duval [Sabaody] Franky vs Senor Pink [Dressrosa] Playing with the Kids [Punk Hazard] vs Fukurou [Enies Lobby] Freedom Roller [Wano] Trapping Caribou in the Barrel [FMI] Robin I Want to Live [Enies Lobby] Clutching Spandam [Enies Lobby] Throwing Usopp under the bus [G8] vs Yama [Skypeia] Clutching Tequila Wolf guards [Amazon Lily] Chopper Monster Point [Enies Lobby] Flashback [Drum Island] Chopper Man (& Minoru Kazeno) vs Usobada [Chopper Man Special] Don’t blow the whistle: Immediately blows whistle [Skypeia] Dr Chopper the definitely Human Doctor not wearing fake glasses [G8] Vivi w/ Karoo (she counts okay!) Goodbye speech [Alabasta] Escaping Bon Clay [Alabasta] Karoo Digging Luffy Out [Little Garden] Luffy Fan Club Meeting [Reverie] Slapping Usopp awake [Drum Island] Nami vs Kalifa [Enies Lobby] Standing by the kids [Punk Hazard] Saying goodbye to Bell-mere [Arlong Park] Helping Luffy vs Cracker via Lola’s Vivre Card [WCI] Luffy WILL be Pirate King [Wano] Sanji ‘I needed a light’ [Skypeia] Flexing on Jessica [G8] Saving the Vinsmokes [WCI] O-Soba Mask [Wano] vs Doflamingo [Dressrosa] Usopp Alabasta speech [Alabasta] Awakening Observation Haki [Dressrosa] Sogeking Theme Song [Enies Lobby] vs Perona [Thriller Bark] Saving Luffy from the fire [Stampede] Zoro Nothing Happened [Thriller Bark] vs Ryuma [Thriller Bark] vs Mr. 1 [Alabasta] vs Gyukimaru & Kamazo [Wano] “He’s sweeping our floors that fiend!” Test of Luck [Loguetown] Luffy ‘On the Sea, you fight Pirates’ [Wano] Red Roc [Wano] vs Katakuri [WCI] Haki clash with Doflamingo [Dressrosa] Punching Saint Charloss [Sabaody] I will have to say that for some characters I could go to 20 so if one’s missing it may’ve just missed the mark, such as Usopp and Nami vs Enel or Luffy putting back a Zombie or Stealth Luffy, I mean it is 1000 chapters as well as movies and filler episodes/specials...

1. I’ve learned quite a lot due to One Piece Since my fascination started with a deep dive of checks, I did start to learn a hell of a lot more not just about the franchise itself (you know it’s almost catching up BATMAN on total sales, which has been around more than 3 times longer?) but I also learned a lot about stuff Oda has used as a reference key; folklore, actual pirates, actual practices, the amount of detail Oda puts in is astounding. Which does lean into another thing I’ve learned, One Piece has changed the way I approach some of my ideas for writings and whatnot, before I would be afraid of either spoonfeeding or being too vague, Oda’s mastery not only in storytelling but character development, character quality and pacing has both helped and intimidated me a lot of times, I mean consider this: it took hundreds of chapters to get a proper backstory on Luffy, the main character, how unprecedented is that? Often I could fall into the trap of making sure you knew everything about the main character from day one but now I wonder about what’s necessary for the now and what can I work on. Another thing that both inspires and intimidates me is his drawing, I suck at colours and still do, and a lot of Oda’s attention to detail is incredible considering he’s gotta whip that out on the weekly, but at the same time you see some of his rough sketches and they’re pretty similar to a rough sketch of my own, so in a way it’s a ‘there’s still hope for you’ moment seeing those. I can’t say I’ve learned Japanese from listening to One Piece, but I have picked up on some stuff, some hiragana there, some phonetics here, I also appreciated some of the stuff kaizokuou-ni-naru does (I won’t tag them in case that’s a bit rude to do it out of the blue but check out their tumblr) when it came to deciphering the Japanese of chapters and the little puns and hints Oda puts in his native tongue. And of course any One Piece fan has learned one thing above all else: Patience. Oda himself included, it took over 20 years to get to 1000 chapters and we still have plenty of questions to ask, plenty of islands to see and thus plenty of chapters to go. So Straw Hats off to you Oda, and a happy 1000th!

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surveys-at-your-service · 3 years ago

Text

Survey #449-450

(both from yesterday)

What do you dislike about the house you live in? It's in the suburbs. Have you thought more about your funeral, or your wedding? My hypothetical wedding. Dinosaurs or unicorns? DINO BOIZ. What do you think of Maroon 5? I like some of their old stuff, and one or two of their newer songs, like "Payphone." What about Coldplay? I enjoy them. Fall Out Boy? Love 'em. Katy Perry? She's okay, I guess. There are a few songs I enjoy. Have you ever snuck into an R-rated movie when you weren’t old enough to see it without parents? No. What is your favorite Disney show? I don't have the slightest clue what's on Disney nowadays. What do you miss most about elementary school? Digging tunnels in the sandbox during recess with my friends. :'( When was the last time you saw the person you had your first kiss with? The start of February 2017. Hard to believe it's been four whole years... Is there anything hanging from the doorknob in your room? Ha, yes. Mom got me a little sign that says, "If I can't wear my flipflops, I'm not going," lmfao. All I wear are flipflops. What's your opinion on wearing pajamas in public? Do you yourself do that? I LITERALLY couldn't care less. I wear pjs in public sometimes; it really depends on where I'm going. What was the most severe punishment your parents gave you when you were growing up? Taking away technology was the worst. Do you usually fill up at the same gas station? Mom goes to a few different ones, depending on proximity and price. Have you ever owned any pet birds? What kinds/colours? I have not. I used to want a cockatiel for a long time, though. Do you pay much attention to your YouTube recommendations? If so, what was the last video that caught your attention? Kinda, I guess. I'm not sure what was the last recommended video I clicked. What has been the happiest time of your life so far? It's complicated. Most of my best memories are from high school with Jason, yet at the same time I was HORRIBLY depressed. I think my most pure happiness when I was really progressing with recovery. Moving on from him, losing tons of weight, feeling motivated... Have you ever had a crush on a celebrity? Who? My two biggest celebrity crushes ever have been/is Link Neal and Mark Fischbach. Do you have any fears you would rarely admit to anyone? Nah. Admitting fears isn't a big deal to me at all. What website do you spend most of your time on? YouTube. What did you have for dinner last night? A chicken sandwich. What could you talk about for hours? Meerkats, Silent Hill, Mark... Do you have a lamp beside your bed? Yes. What's your favorite ice cream topping? Chocolate syrup. What was the last TV show you binge watched? Avatar: The Last Airbender. Would you rather eat burgers or tacos? Oh, burgers for sure. I don't likes tacos. Did your mother change her maiden name when/if she got marred? Yes. Do you use TikTok? Nope. Are you closer to your mother or father? Mom. Do you own any costumes? No. Would you care if your SO went to a strip club? Hm. So long as they're not laying hands on any of the strippers and they ASKED me first, I don't think I'd care? I'm pretty sure I'd also only be okay with that if we were a long-term couple where very strong trust has been built. How helpful are your parents to you? Would they help you to pay for your first apartment? College? Where does the line end? They are so, so very helpful and I'm pretty sure would go to the ends of the earth to help me in any way they could. I know they WOULD help pay for the things you mentioned, but it's not something I want them to do. I want to be able to financially provide for myself, one day... Have you ever had to evacuate due to natural disaster? No. What video games did you have when you were growing up? LOADS. I looooooooved video games. What was the first election you ever voted in? This last one, actually. Can you hear anything right now? Yeah. I'm watching Gab play the Resident Evil 3 remake on hardcore mode. What's the coolest, most unusual pet you can think of? I've always thought sugar gliders were quite interesting as pets. I wanted one for a looong time, but I am not informed on how well they do in captivity and if it should even be legal for me to truly want one anymore. Have you ever seen a UFO or other weird object in the sky? By definition, it was a UFO. Sometimes I do even wonder if it was an alien spacecraft, given JUST how strange that shit was. I won't explain it again, just 'cuz I've done it in many surveys before. Are there any albums you know every single lyric to? I could probably nail Ozzy's Black Rain. What's your go-to painkiller? Advil. Does your mom have a celebrity look-alike? No, but there's a celebrity with her exact name. Do you think it’s pretty when 100s of balloons are let loose into the sky? NO NO NO NO NO that shit is SO upsetting. Where do you think they end up??? It's littering. Animals get choked and tangled by them all the time. What do you draw more than anything else? Definitely meerkats. Have you ever visited someone in a psychiatric home or ward? No, but people have visited me in one. Have you ever received a parking fine? No. Are you in any group chats? Who's in them? No. Do you have a lisp? No. Do you have an Instagram account? Do you use it often? I have three, but one's pretty much dead. I don't post stuff regularly on my other two either, really... Can you parallel park? I would absolutely hit another car. Have you ever played paintball? Did you get hit? No, that shit's dumb. You can get really hurt. What was your favorite fairy tale when you were a kid? Maybe Little Red Riding Hood? Are your parents still together? If not, do you know why? No. Mostly financial disagreements, but I know there's stuff I don't know. Have you ever been evicted? Why? Yes, because we couldn't keep up with rent. Have you ever worked as a manager or supervisor? Noooo. What was the last thing you voted for? So Snake Discovery (a reptile channel I love) hosted an enclosure build-off recently, and the winners were selected by fans via voting. The guy I voted for got 3rd. What's the most amazing animal you've ever seen in captivity? I've been very close to an elephant at a zoo once. They're magnificent. Having been to Sea World as a kid (I would NEVER go now), I also saw the killer whale show. As much of a spectacle as it was, it was animal abuse regardless. Do you like white chocolate? It's okay in small doses. Have you ever eaten snow? Yeah. Do you talk to your pets? Um, duh. Have you ever adopted a stray? (Cat or dog?) Cats, yes. Do you read about any mythology? (Greek, Roman, Norse, Egyptian, etc) No, not by my own will. I DO love mythology, I just... don't read it. Do you ever use bath bombs? No. Have you ever gotten angry at an employee and complained to the manager? No. Have you ever sent your food back at a restaurant? Yes, because they got my meal wrong. I was REALLY shy to do it, but I made sure to do it politely and apologetically. Do you sleep in a bra? What mad lad sleeps in a bra???????????? Has your ex ever gone out with someone close to you? No. Can you suggest someone funny on YouTube? I'll go for someone what isn't my obvious vote, ha ha. There are truly so many, but Garrett Watts is high on the list. Elena Bateman, too. Can you do a handstand? No. Has anyone close to you ever been suicidal? Yes. Have you ever broken someone's heart and didn't care? Tyler sure acted like I did, and to be entirely frank, I didn't care very much, but only because it was a HUGE overreaction and I knew he'd be fine quick. What color is your hairbrush? It's just a white comb. Who was your most recent call from? My psychiatrist. Have you ever watched someone die? Only animals... It's the absolute worst. Are you currently "seeing" someone? No. Are you friends with someone who's autistic? I might be, but I know my niece is on the spectrum. Do you like humans? To be entirely transparent... I think I wish humans were never a thing. We've done so, so much harm to the planet, some things irrevocable. Earth would be a much healthier, far more peaceful place if we'd never existed. Do you like pandas? I love pandas. P.S., fuck outta here if you're one of the people who don't support conservation efforts for them. That shit blows my mind. What do you think of Evanescence? They're great. Amy's voice is absolutely incredible. I don't even think that's an opinion, but global fact, ha ha. What do you think of Avenged Sevenfold? I like some of their stuff. I haven't heard a whole lot though, honestly. What do you think of Halestorm? ^ Do you think you are attractive? God no. I don't see me as an attractive person at all. Do you like dinosaurs? I love 'em; I was OBSESSED as a kid, and my first aspired job was a paleontologist. Do you like lasagna? No. Do you share a room? No. When was the last time you climbed a tree? Never, actually. Have you ever been hospitalized for more than 2 weeks? I think my longest was three. What can you do that none of your friends can do? I dunno. Why did you last go to the airport? Mom and I were dropping Sara off so she could go home. Who was the last person to see you in your underwear? My mom. Who’s the most attractive female you’ve ever seen? Maybe Alissa White-Gluz from Arch Enemy? Or my friend Alon. I'm certain there's more, because women are just so fuckin beautiful asdkfajlwejkrjqwe Red, white, yellow, or pink roses? I actually like the original, rich red. Do you think someone would ever want to marry you? Well, two people have, but one absolutely doesn't anymore and the other knows that it's not healthy or emotionally safe for either of us to imagine that at this time. I don't know if anyone ever will again. Do you like Thanksgiving? No. Like I enjoy the focus on thankfulness, but the history isn't right and I don't enjoy the food. Do you ever wear colored eye liner? No. Have you ever used a darkroom? No. Have you ever been "popular"? No. Has someone ever tried to convert you? Yes. Have you ever been told that you dress like a slut? No, not that how someone dresses has any relevance to their sexual activity. What’s your most recent obsession? Final Fantasy X jfccccccc. Video games or board games? The former. Are you scared of tarantulas? As much as I talk about them... you can probably tell I have a massive interest in them, ha ha. However, even though I love them, they're still sorta scary. Like, threat poses are no joke. And it's terrifying on the very rare occasion they hiss. During Covid, do you wear a mask or no mask? I'm fully vaccinated, and yet I still wear a mask because I'm a considerate human fucking being. Do you have a PlayStation 4? No, but I reeeeaaally want one. :/ Have you ever played Fortnite? Nah, not my type of game. Do you like anime? Yeah. Have you ever been on a boat? Yeah. I was always SO excited as a kid when Dad would take the boat out for a fishing trip. Have you ever played Kingdom Hearts? I've played some of it with Jason. I wasn't a fan of it. Have you ever built a snowman? Yes. DC or Marvel? I don't really have a preference.

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Do you prefer your nails long or short? Why? Short, because I can't keep my nails long for the life of me. I pick/peel my nails badly. Do you have any vinyl records? No. Are you still in touch with your best friend from high school? No. Have you ever visited any celebrity gravesites? No. How do you feel about archaeology? It's extremely fascinating. Would you have a big cat (like a tiger) for a pet if you could? No. I could never provide the environment they need, and it's simply not safe. They are not domestic animals, and even the ones that seem most tame can surprise you. What are your favorite smells? Cinnamon rolls, coffee, lilac, fresh baked bread, barbecue, etc. Have you ever had to block people online for harassing you? I'm not sure, actually... What is your favorite thing to do on The Sims? Surveys have a lot of questions about those games... I only ever played the ones that focused on animals, and I think I most enjoyed breeding them and naming the bbz. :^) And watching their behavior. Which hair color you've had has been your favorite? Red. If you were stupid-rich, would you ever actually want a mansion? No. I do not need all that room, nor am I wasting my money on such excessive space. What drinking games have you played? None. Do you take lessons for anything? No. Has something really heavy ever fallen on you? No. If you wear makeup, what colors do you usually wear? Only black. Does your shower have curtains or a glass door/wall? Curtains. If you have more than one pet, do they ever get jealous of each other? One is a snake and the other is a cat, so. Is there a room in your house that you don’t like going in? No. Besides salt and butter, do you put anything on your popcorn? Nothing besides what you mentioned. Are you lonely? I'm way too lonely for it to be healthy. Do you like pineapple? Yep. Have you ever seen fireflies? Yes; they're endemic to here. Have you ever trespassed? As a kid, yes. Do you raise your hand or participate in class? I did sometimes. Are you afraid of heights? Yes. Are you afraid of the dark? No. Would you ever be your school’s mascot who wears that costume? No. Have you ever written a poem? I've written a lot. Would you ever be a tornado chaser? FUCK TO THE HELL NO. What is your favorite thing to eat with bbq sauce, if you even like that stuff? I hate bbq sauce. Have you ever had to do a class in summer school? No. Have you ever been to the rainforest? No. Ever thought about writing a book? Yes. Have you ever had a dream where you killed someone? Yes. Have you ever solved a Rubik’s Cube? Nope. Have you seen all of the Jaws movies? No, only the first one with Tyler. It was aight. Have you ever had a black eye? No. Is your ex sexually attractive to you still? I haven't seen a picture of Jason in years, and I don't want to. Not because I care about how he looks now, it'd just be extremely triggering to see his face. I still find Sara gorgeous. Have you ever been to couple’s counseling? No. How often does your employer ask you to work overtime? N/A When was the last time you were scared? Ummmm I really can't say I know. What’s your favorite song by Rihanna? "Disturbia" is where it's AT. There's this synthwave edit of it that I positively adore. Can you speak binary? No. Have you ever had a pet that you disliked? A family pet, yes. Do you like boys with long hair? UGH yes. Do you like root beer? Not really, no. Do you like ice cream cake? Not really. Do you ever dream of yourself dying? That's not all that rare in my nightmares. What song always makes you sad? I think two songs are tied for what makes me most sad: "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin and "Eternally Yours" by Motionless In White. Were you mean as a little kid? No; I was a sweet kid. Have you ever tried spam? No, it looks SO gross to me. How fast can you run? This is pathetic, but I don't think I CAN run. My knees are too weak. I think my weight coming down on them would just make me crumple over. Have you ever bought something from Spencer's? Yeah. Have you ever been on a diet? I've tried diets many times. Do you prefer light or dark jeans? Dark. When you listen to music, do you generally sing along, or just listen? I almost always just listen. Do you have any of your exes as friends on Facebook? Yeah. Who was your first love? Do you ever miss that person? Jason. I miss his memory every day. I say "memory" because it's been years, and I have no way of knowing who he is today. How many cars are parked at your house right now? One. Has anyone ever told you you’re a control freak? No. Do you know anyone who has gone missing? If so, were they ever found? Not personally. What was the spiciest thing you’ve ever eaten? Some wings with extremely hot sauce at Buffalo Wild Wings. Have you ever deliberately tried to get someone drunk? Um yeah, no. Do you like sprinkles on your ice cream? No. I don't like sprinkles in general. Do you know how to do the moon walk? No. Has anybody ever told you that you have a good singing voice? Yes, somehow. Onion rings or french fries? French fries, for sure. Who is the best cook that you know? Dunno. If you have your ears pierced, when did you get them pierced? When I was a kid. I don't remember the age, but I was old enough to decide myself that I wanted them pierced. If you have siblings, have they moved out or do they still live with you? They have their own places now. Do you like fried rice? Yessss. Are there any animals you refuse to touch? Some bugs. Have you ever intentionally fed a house spider? I don't believe so, no. What makes you feel lucky? That I have the family I do. What is something nice going on in your life right now? Just the gym-going, really... Who’s the worst person you’ve encountered on the Internet? An old friend I just knew as Shakes. If death wasn’t a consequence, what would you try? Maybe sky-diving, idk. Has a teacher ever told you off? No. Have you ever told off a teacher? No. Do/did you take school seriously or not? I certainly did. How do you usually cope with breakups? Not well. I obsess over how something's wrong with me and I'm not good enough for anyone. Disney princess or Disney animal movies? Animals, for sure. What's your favorite Katy Perry song? It's evading me right now... Have you ever made/tried friendship bread!? Omg, I forgot that was a thing! I actually have. I've completely forgotten the gist of it or even how it tastes, but I remember I loved it. What do you want to know about the future? If I'll ever be content and happy. What's your biggest insecurity? My weight. Ever found something disgusting in your food while eating out? No, thank god. Does the area where you live have a good or bad reputation? A very bad one. Are there any holidays that you don't celebrate? Yeah, like St. Patrick's Day, among some others. If you could find out who you're gonna marry right now, would you? Yes. Save myself time and heartbreak. How important is it to you that your partner has the same religious views? I wouldn't date someone very religious. If they're more tame about it, that's fine, but I'd prefer to not date a religious individual. Do you own a Wii? Yeah. I've kinda been wanting to play Guitar Hero or Rock Band lately on it... Do you like a lot of cheese on your pizza? "A regular, reasonable amount of cheese." <<<< This. I really don't like when things are so cheesy that it leaves a ridiculous trail when you try to separate pieces. Have you ever been made fun of because of your sexuality? Not directly to my face, but I can guarantee people I know had certain ~opinions~ on it when I came out. I also like just came out as pansexual versus bi, and I'm not even telling a lot of people in my personal life because I know they'll find the concept absolutely ridiculous. What would you do if you found an abandoned animal? "Depends on what type of an animal it was, and whether it was friendly or skittish." <<<< This. I'm obviously not going to try to usher a rabid dog over to me (I'd call a rescue or something if the animal appeared potentially dangerous), but if the animal appeared safe, my heart would absolutely lead me to try and get the animal to come to me so I could take it home and try to find the owner. Have you ever kissed someone who had a tongue piercing? No. What singer/band do you think deserves to be more famous than they are? Jonathan Young from YouTube. He is INCREDIBLE. He deserves to be picked up by a label so badly. What is your favorite PlayStation 1 game? The original Silent Hill, no competition. Do you think objectum sexuals are real, or attention seekers? I really can't imagine someone pretending to want to fuck their car for attention. I don't get it AT ALL, and it's weird as shit to me, but I mean, I don't think people can control what they're attracted to. How far out of your age bracket would you date? 21-early 30s, probs. Have you ever had an STD? No. Have you ever tried pho? No. Pick one: Crash Bandicoot or Spyro? Spyro!!!! I have the original trilogies of both series, but Spyro is where it's AT. Does your job allow piercings or tattoos? I'm unemployed, but I wouldn't work at a job that didn't, honestly. If you could dye your hair any color right now with absolutely no restrictions, what color would you dye it? Maybe like a galaxy-esque mixture of layered colors. I've wanted that for YEARS. Have you ever known a white supremacist? This region is swimming in them. Have you ever spoken to a detective before? No. Do ladders scare you? Climbing them does, yes. Do you have any tattoos on your arms? Yeah. Have you ever thrown up on anybody? Unless I did unknowingly as a baby, no. How many people have you turned down when they asked you out? Uhhh two or three, maybe? What is your favourite kind of fruit cobbler? I actually haven't tried enough to have an educated favorite, but I can say I love peach. Do you hear any other people talking right now? I'm watching a let's player play Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, so I hear her, obviously. When was the last time you started a new medication? It's been a while, idk. What is your favourite type of nut? Cashews, I guess. I don't really like nuts, but I definitely like cashew bars. Where did you eat the best pizza you’ve ever eaten in your life? ... Domino's lmaoooo. Did you ever watch The Rugrats when you were a kid? Yeah, I loved that show. I even had two video games. Do you know anyone who was adopted? Yes. Can you name all 50 US state capital cities? No. Can you tie balloons? I can't, actually. Have you had a deep conversation with anyone today? Yeah. I wanted Sara's advice on something I'm dealing with. On your Facebook friends list, who was the last person to have their b-day? One of my sisters' was yesterday, actually. What did you/are you having for dinner tonight? I had Special K cereal. Name some healthy foods that you enjoy eating. Strawberries, apples, bananas, (sometimes) broccoli, other things that aren't coming to me. Who was the last person you Facebook messaged? My friend Girt. What flavor was the last cupcake you ate? The cupcake itself was chocolate, and the icing was uhhhh... blue? Apart from sleeping, what do you plan to do tonight? I haven't done anything of note. I'm probably going to bed soon. What’s the age difference between your parents? Two years, I think. When was the last time you ate an apple? Today. I have been on a big sliced apples w/ peanut butter kick lately. Have you had any caffeinated beverages today? I have soda every day. :x Have you eaten any chocolate today? What kind? Mom brought me a Reese's home today when she went out with a friend. How many different towns/cities have you lived in? Three. Have you ever written a song or poem for someone special? Poems, yes. Are you attracted to the last person you Facebook messaged? Not very much physically. Emotionally... I don't know. Do you have any ice cream in your freezer? What flavor is it? No. Ice cream is my #1 comfort food, so that's a big "keep out of the house."

#survey #surveys #random questions

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mimizepp · 4 years ago

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Greetings and salutations, hope I don’t bother you to much. May I please have a matchup for jjba? I prefer the part 1-5, but whatever goes. My pronouns are She/They and I’m bisexual with a preference to masculinity. My Myers Briggs type is INFJ and Enneagram type is 4. My star sign is Taurus. Im about 4’11..not to happy about it. I’m rather introverted, and can be considered not a people person. Because of me dressing in all black and taking a liking to gruesome things like slashers and murder documentaries. A friend of mine even likes to call me “discount vomitboyx”. I’ve come to the conclusion I just scare people off. In reality, I’m intimidated by everyone around me and find it hard to start conversing, which may or may not come off as rude to people. When I finally become comfortable with someone I start to become really sarcastic and joke around with them with witty banter. Most of my humor comes off really insulting, but I’ll apologize and say it’s a joke if it becomes a problem. I’m not good with overly sensitive or dramatic people at all, and I can’t stand kids. I’m a huge animal person though. I have my moments where I can get really feisty, or very quiet and closed off. I’m the type of person that has very strong morals and opinions. I keep them to myself and bottle them up. If pushed far enough I’ll become unforgiving, and become aggressive. Especially with the types mentioned above. I find the most comfort in just being in my room drawing, reading and or listening to music ( My Chemical Romance, Godsmack, Mindless Self Indulgence, Get Scared, sometimes Tally Hall or Mother Mother ). I’m a plushie maniac and when I fall asleep you can always see me cuddled up to one of them. I find it because I’m really touch starved. I’m guilty of being very submissive, and I suffer from autism, depression and anxiety. I have small tics, but they only flare when I’m overly stressed or mad. I’ve also been developing a eating disorder. you do get to this, thanks for your time. - Coii

i match you with…

*°:⋆ₓₒ formaggio! ₓₒ⋆:°*

- you two are a perfect pairing, formaggio a lax and fun-loving cheese man and yourself a captivating dark soul that’s a bit of a softie deep down. formaggio sees you for all that you are and he loves each and every bit, never taking a moment with you for granted

- formaggio is v laid back and you’ll never have to worry about him being caught up with senseless dramatics, though every so often he may act a bit thespian just to tempt a reaction... teasing you is a guilty pleasure that he can’t help but indulge!

- your introverted tendencies are no issue for formaggio. he loves everything about you after all! he’s also become pretty turned on to murder documentaries since the two of you got together, and can’t fall asleep without one playing on the tv

- formaggio understands you exceedingly. he can always tell when you’re about to become extra plucky or if you’re about to fall into a bout of quiet isolation. he’s a great voice of reason and comfort, having the most soothing energy that is greatly beneficial if you’re ever feeling out of it. formaggio is also fine with letting you have some space if you insist, but he loves consoling you with a big hug + cuddling up to one of your fav slasher movies (he usually does his best to sit through them, slowly but surely he’s building a tolerance!)

- he loves your humor, and is always quick to fire back a few teasing jokes when you’re both feeling playful. he especially loves that amidst your dislikes, theres a soft-spot for animals. he’ll defo introduce you to his cats with the biggest smile on his face :)

- he’s a sucker for some pda / showing his love through physical contact, so be prepared for loads of hand holding while you’re out and hours of cuddling up with him and a few plushies when you’re at home.

- pls you two are gonna have sm fun roasting one another

* a close second for you, far from formaggio on the spectrum of jojos men, was rohan! *

#jjba matchup #jojos matchup #jjba #matchups #matchup #formaggio jjba #formaggio jojo #vento aureo

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notapaladin · 3 years ago

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and thank the lord i don’t have my way (1/3)

HELLO FRIENDS IT IS THE ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF ME POSTING THE FIRST OBSBLOOD FIC EVER. So you get not one, not two, but three fics today! Blame @arahir

Acatl has let the boundaries stay open for far too long. Tonight, he closes them. Tizoc attempts to object.

Also on AO3.

The Revered Speaker’s chambers are very dark and very cold. Never mind that it’s the rainy season and that the air at sunset was filled with steam rising off the puddles of the day’s deluge; the sun set long ago, and Metztli the moon illuminates nothing away from the path of the windows. The walls are splashed with murals of war and conquest that must surely be blood-bright in the light of day; they are muted and faded now, shadows on shadows.

They aren’t as faded as the man on the Revered Speaker’s sleeping mats. True, Tizoc-tzin, emperor of Tenochtitlan, is approaching his middle age, but his hair is still black and his limbs are still straight. When he smiles—cold and cruel as that smile is—he has all his teeth. He dresses in the finest quetzal feathers, turquoise, jade; even here, alone on his mat covered with jaguar skins, his loincloth is finely embroidered cotton. An emerald rod pierces his nasal septum. He is covered in the riches of his Empire. He should be magnificent, a true symbol of the power of the Mexica.

He should have died six years ago.

Acatl knows this. His bare feet are silent on the tiled stone floor, and his god is silent in his head. Mictlantecuhtli evidently has not deigned to share whatever opinion He has on this with His most faithful servant. Good. Acatl’s long since made up his mind regardless.

Tearing open the boundaries had taken all three High Priests. Closing them, but leaving them that tiny bit ajar, had taken two High Priests, the Guardian of the Duality, and the Revered Speaker of Texcoco. But to slam them shut...well. Acatl is High Priest for the Dead, High Priest of the Lord of the Place of Death, and he can do that with his bare hands.

He stops at the foot of the dais upon which Tizoc’s mat rests. For a long moment, he simply looks at the snoring, twitching man currently rumpling the blankets. He inhales. He holds for a count of three.

He could do it with his bare hands. It would be easy. He’s no trained warrior but he’s strong enough for this, strong enough to put his hands around Tizoc’s neck and squeeze until he turns purple, until his eyes bulge, until he rolls back limp. It’s what Tizoc would have done to him. (What he would have done, and what he probably—gods, he probably would have made Teomitl watch.) Or there’s his knives, lethally sharp, whose wounds always fester and never heal. It would take only the smallest scratch to have Tizoc rotting from his blackened heart outwards, to have him die slow and incoherent as pus oozes forth from every pore, whimpering like an animal, like the clergy of Tlaloc in their pens—

He exhales.

No. He will do this properly. At least this, too, is easy; he dares not chant out loud, but his lips move in the words of a prayer as his magic builds low in his gut. It won’t take much. Tizoc’s life hangs by a thread as it is, and he holds it tightly in his hand.

Tizoc stirs. Snorts. Rolls over.

He nicks his forearm, dabbing a single fingerprint of blood on the dais. And he keeps praying. The edges of the boundaries yawn wide as a mouth, ready to swallow Tizoc whole. The completion of this slow weaving will close them. My Lord, he thinks, I deliver this soul unto Your keeping.

Tizoc wakes, sees him—and screams.

Acatl smiles. He knows what Tizoc must be seeing. A man-shaped figure, his eyes voids, his bones shining like moonlight through the black glass of his skin. It’s a terrifying visage; even Teomitl, who is used to it (Teomitl, who is in awe of it, and that still knocks him flat when he thinks about it too long) flinches when he spots it out of the corner of his eye. Tizoc has always been craven, and now he looks so horrified that for a moment Acatl thinks he might not even get to finish the spell.

As the magic begins to pool together—a feeling like muscles tensing to spring, a beast of shadows preparing to leap—Tizoc finds the breath to yell, “Guards! Guards!”

He takes a breath and lets it out. His skin is an ordinary brown again, bones no longer visible through shadowed muscles, but Mictlan still leaves him feeling like a hollow shell. His voice is the voice of a corpse. “They won’t come.”

Now he supposes he has to give Tizoc credit, because the man tries to lunge for his eyes. Tries and predictably fails; already the spell Acatl’s cast is leaching through his veins, and his limbs will not obey him. Sadly, the same can’t be said for his shrill voice. “What have you done to them?! Traitor!”

He remembers sunlight on the water, and a smile that was even brighter than that. Remembers a murmur of, “Thank you, Acatl.” He lifts his chin, letting pride leak into his voice. “They are following orders tonight.”

Tizoc’s eyes move like rats in a trap, but he’s not a complete idiot. There’s only one man the army would fall into line behind so easily. When he speaks next, he sounds almost resigned. “...My brother,” he spits. “So you have corrupted him.”

Acatl grits his teeth, but there’s no need for him to lose his temper here. “Teomitl is a far better man than you could ever dream of being. You ought to thank me for your years of life; he would have put you down like the dog you are ages ago.” And I should have let him.

“I will have you flayed. I will loop the flower garland around your neck myself, I’ll make those traitorous siblings of yours watch, and then I’ll put them to the sword—”

There’s more, but Acatl isn’t paying attention. He’d once thought that no mortal justice could compete with the need to keep the Fifth World intact; he still thinks that, but by now he’s learned that sometimes pursuing justice and doing his duty are one and the same. It’s taken him long enough. Oh, he’d wavered at first—that first time Teomitl had shared his plans for the future, not even him following it up with a declaration that he was going to wait was enough to stop his heart from sinking. But then Tizoc had come back—no, had slunk back into the city, like a coyote with its ears flat and its belly pressed to the ground—and he’d been nearly stunned with the wrongness of it. That Tizoc could lead an army to its death and then let an entire priesthood to be slaughtered like beasts—it’s not an affront that can be borne. His incompetence will tear the Empire apart if the Tlaxcallans and Tarascans don’t get to them first; each campaign leaves Teomitl a little more tired, a little more snappish and run-down. Soon he won’t be able to carry the army on his back anymore.

The man he loves has new scars. He blames Tizoc for that, but first and worse he blames himself. It was his hand that put Tizoc on the throne, and it will be his hand that removes him from it. There’s only as much justice as he can make, after all.

Mictlan gnaws at his guts again, and he lets it scour him clean. In and out and in again, he breathes. The spell pulses like a living heart. Tizoc must feel it, because he bleats, “What do you think you’re doing?!”

He whispers the rest of his prayer, ignoring Tizoc for the moment. This spell is rarely used, not because of the cost—a few paltry drops of blood—but because of its very specific conditions. It only works on dead souls, not dead bodies, avoiding the attention of the Wind of Knives. It would not do to cheat a comrade of His captive. Rare is the soul that can die without harming the body; how helpful it is, then, that Quenami crafted Tizoc a new one. He must remember to thank him. “Sending your soul to Mictlan where it belongs. None will see any hand in your death but the gods’ wills.”

Tizoc’s breath rattles in his lungs. “Blasphemy. I can’t imagine your precious sister—”

“My sister? The Guardian of the Duality? That sister?” Acatl feels himself smiling. “I am restoring the order of the world. She would hold my cloak for me.” After all, she hates Tizoc too. Not as much as he does—she’s a good woman, she doesn’t nurture her grudges the way her menfolk do—but quite enough to look the other way should his soul be severed from his body by what looks to all the world like a common attack of the heart. Such a tragedy, she’ll say, and meet his eyes, and smile. He kneels to wipe away his bloody fingerprint, the only sign of his presence here tonight.

Tizoc is still trying to defend himself. The fool. “You—you can’t,” he splutters. “What about...” Eyes roll wildly as he casts about for an excuse, and finally alights on one he thinks must work. “Your patron! Surely, surely Lord Death can’t approve—”

“My lord,” Acatl says, with a gentleness he doesn’t feel. “I brought you back into this world after your death, breaking all natural laws in the vain hopes that you could do the one single task you were crowned to do. Lord Death will rejoice that I have now taken you out of it.”

“You’ll never get away with this!” he snaps. “Quenami...Quenami will...”

Ah, yes. Quenami. Acatl snorts. “You imagine he will still be alive to avenge you?”

Tizoc goes, if possible, paler. “You wouldn’t.”

He remembers, with a slow uncoiling of rage, the blade at his throat. The way Quenami had smiled. He’d wanted to carve it off his face. “I might,” he growls, but even as he says it he knows he’ll be lucky if Teomitl doesn’t get there first. “You should be happy. You’ll have company on your journey.”

He’s breathing harder now. Hyperventilating. It’s panic, not magic; he can’t even face death like a warrior. “No—no, you can’t—”

Acatl’s spine stiffens. “Only the gods and Teomitl tell me what I can and cannot do.”

“...Heh,” Tizoc spits. “Is he fucking you?”

He considers this. They’ve been discreet—possibly not discreet enough if Tizoc is asking that question, but then the man has always been paranoid of any influence on his brother, even before he was his Master of the House of Darts. He can certainly imagine Tizoc suspicious of what else Teomitl might have been learning from him, and if he’d only known then what he knew now...well. He is a man, and not a statue. Tizoc might have been right about something for once. But he isn’t, and for a moment Acatl weighs whether he deserves the truth. It’s not something he’s ever had to say out loud; Mihmatini is the only one who knows, and she doesn’t want to hear details. Finally, a bit of uncommon smugness curls his lip. “Actually,” he says coolly, “most of the time I’m fucking him.”

Disappointingly, this does not cause Tizoc to expire immediately. Teomitl will be quite displeased to have lost that bet. “You—you vile—you foul—”

Then he starts coughing, wet and disgusting, and blood gathers at his lips. Acatl lets Mictlan’s power fall away from him like an old cloak. “Rant all you like, my lord. Your time is ending. Teomitl will erase all you’ve done as though it’s never been, and the foundations of our Empire—of our world—will grow stronger for your absence.”

“I’ll kill you,” Tizoc hisses. “I’ll haunt you from beyond death, like those ghosts you’ve been slaying throughout my reign. You’ll never sleep soundly again.”

Interesting. He hadn’t thought Tizoc had been paying attention. He hums noncommittally, shaking his head. There will be no more such hauntings now that the boundaries are properly closed.

Tizoc is panting harshly now, beyond speech. Good. The guards are still nowhere to be seen, which is a further relief; as loyal as they are to Teomitl, he still doesn’t want to put them in a position to lie about whatever they might see.

Not that there is anything to see. Over the next few hours, Tizoc’s soul will unravel from its moorings so slowly, so carefully, that no magic his fellow High Priests could muster will be able to tell it’s anything other than a natural death. (He knows Acamapichtli won’t even look. He still mourns his clergy, and now they’ve been avenged.)

Acatl turns away. He’s done here. By the time the sun rises, Tizoc will be dead.

He has things to do before then.

#obsidian and blood #acatl #tizoc #teocatl #teomitl #paladin writes stuff

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hybridfanfiction · 5 years ago

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Yours To Keep

Slightly inspired by Pinnochio

Pairing: Hermit Crab Namjoon x Taehyung

Word Count: 3,303

As far as life as a captive pet went, little Namjoon the hermit crab had it pretty good. He often missed the coastal home he was taken from, as well as his brothers and sisters that were now undoubtedly scattered all over the country - if any of them were even still alive. He’d learned the hard way during his time in the pet shop that many hermit crabs didn’t live very long, as most humans didn’t feel the need or desire to do all the work to give the crabs a proper home.

This is why he was eternally grateful that he was picked by the best human out there. He could still remember the day that Kim Taehyung came to the little pet shop and peered thoughtfully into his cramped plastic tank a whole ten years ago. The baby crab did his utmost to impress the boy, though he was surrounded by others, and showed off his shell that admittedly wasn’t the best, but it was the best he had. He made sure the boy saw that he was a beautiful purple color in a sea of brown. When the boy looked around and then reached inside to touch the little hermit crab, he’d allowed it and was very proud that he didn’t pinch the boy even once.

Taehyung had taken him home that very day and named him Namjoon. The hermit crab now lived as close to a life of luxury as one of his kind could get. Taehyung spent so much time and money perfecting Namjoon’s habitat. He now had a huge ninety-gallon tank all to himself that had the perfect humidity and substrate as well as plenty of fun things to hide in or climb. Taehyung had researched for days to find Namjoon the most beautiful shells of all shapes and sizes, so he never had to work too hard to find a good one as he grew. He even had a separate tank that was used just for playtime since Taehyung loved to do tricks with him. Normally those of his kind had to be kept in groups, but Namjoon had always been a little different than his siblings, preferring solitude most of the time. Besides, this way he had his Taehyung all to himself.

Namjoon was especially blessed because as a creature that was normally more active at night, he had an owner that was much the same. Taehyung was usually busy during the day as well, but that never seemed to stop him from staying up until it was nearly dawn some days playing video games or watching television. He often took the time to talk to Namjoon, not knowing that the little crab actually could understand what he was saying. He would always angle the television so that Namjoon could watch too, attempting to talk to the crab like he would anyone else as he made comments about the movie or anime. Namjoon didn’t know much about the human world to have much of an opinion, but he did enjoy listening to his Taehyung speak, so he was happy enough.

The only time Namjoon wasn’t the happiest was when Taehyung had one of his many friends over. Taehyung didn’t talk much to him then and often his friends would try to poke at the little crab and pick him up roughly. Thankfully Taehyung would scold his friends for messing with Namjoon and they all eventually learned that he wasn’t to be handled by anyone except Taehyung.

Eventually, Taehyung got older. Once he started high school, he began to leave the house more and more. He still took the time to make sure that Namjoon was fed well and his tank was still perfectly maintained, but he didn’t talk to Namjoon as much as he used to. Every now and then he would vent to the little crab as he cleaned up his tank, but no longer did he act like he was his best friend. He had a new best friend now - a human with plump lips and smiling eyes that sometimes brought Namjoon fresh mangos since the human didn’t like them but the little hermit crab loved them.

Namjoon was often a little sad with this new change, but he knew there wasn’t much he could do. Taehyung was a human with the world at his feet. He didn’t know that to little Namjoon, Taehyung was his entire world.

The next four years flew by much like this, with Namjoon relishing every moment spent with his human as Taehyung grew taller and his voice deepened. Namjoon loved the way Taehyung’s voice sounded now - so deep and calming that as soon as he heard his human come home he’d scuttle towards the front of the tank to hear more. He’d also heard many of Taehyung’s friends call him handsome, and although he had no real concept of human beauty, he’d always found his boy nice to look at. He always smiled brightly at the crab and his eyes would shine with happiness and that was enough for Namjoon.

One day, Taehyung came home and Namjoon could hear excited yelling coming from the living room. His parents soon joined in and Namjoon grew curious enough to come out from the little spot he’d been burrowing in and rush towards the front of his tank. He observed his human as he breezed through his bedroom door and dropped his backpack off near his desk. In his other hand was a large envelope.

“Hey, Namjoon! You’re up early, huh? Guess what? I got into the college I wanted!” Taehyung grinned and peered at the little crab.

Namjoon clicked his claws curiously. He knew a little bit about college, thanks to the movies and shows that Taehyung’s showed him through the years. It was somewhere humans went to get smarter. But his boy was already smart, so why did he need that?

“Yup, everything’s all set. In a few months, I’ll be rooming with Chim and studying photography. It’s going to be great...” Taehyung’s smile fell as he stared at the little hermit crab.

“Oh no! What am I going to do about you? Mom and Dad already told me they didn’t have time to take care of you for me. Am I going to have to sell you? I don’t want to do that. I wish there was some way I could take you with me, Joon,” Taehyung’s eyes went glassy as they began to fill with tears.

Namjoon was thoroughly worried for the first time in nearly a decade. Not only did he not want to be sold to someone else who wouldn’t take care of him to the extent he’d gotten used to, but he also didn’t want to lose Taehyung. He watched his human make call after call, trying to find a reliable friend that would be willing to take on a hermit crab that needed Namjoon’s level of care. The little crab felt helpless, and if he had the ability to cry he was sure it would be happening now.

Finally, after many hours and lots of tears, Taehyung fell asleep hugging the giant crab pillow to his chest like he did every night that he was actually home. Namjoon watched over his boy from his tank, knowing this very well could be his last night with him.

Namjoon snuck a peek towards the closed window, observing the stars twinkle through the small number of clouds. Suddenly, a memory began to tickle at his brain. He remembered vaguely hearing a legend when he had been a tiny thing still living on the coast. It was said that the Goddess of the sea would grant a single wish to any born in her waters. Namjoon was a rather practical crab, and such a legend sounded ridiculous at best. Still, he was desperate, as he didn’t want to leave his boy. So, he closed his eyes and wished with all of his tiny heart to stay with the boy he loved.

Nothing happened.

Of course it didn’t. He hadn’t expected it to, really. He’d just be grasping at straws. Namjoon drooped sadly and began to scuttle towards his plants and rocks to hide away for a while.

Suddenly, the window snapped open loud enough to wake Taehyung, who was sitting up groggily and rubbing his eyes. Namjoon turned back towards the front of his cage and watched as something flew into the room.

It appeared as a big bubble of water, glowing an eerie blue tint. The little crab’s eyes flickered between the bubble and the boy who was staring at the water with a terrified gaze. Eventually, the bubble stopped near Namjoon’s tank, the light illuminating the set up within. Slowly, the bubble began to change shape until it began to resemble a human form.

Once it was done transforming, Namjoon stared back at a tall and beautiful woman. Her hair was a dark royal blue and fell to her feet in cascading waves. The eyes that pierced the little crab were the same shade of blue, but glowed and shimmered much like the bubble had. The dress she wore was like fine silk, soft and flowing as though it were made of water. Even a crab that didn’t know much about human beauty could tell that this person was ethereally stunning.

“Hello there, little Namjoon. The call of your heart was so strong I had to come,” the woman said as she peered into the tank. Even her voice was enthralling, forcing the crab to listen even through his fear.

“Hey, who the hell are you? This is my room. I’ll call the cops!” Taehyung shouted from his spot on the bed, holding his pillow above his head like it made a worthy weapon.

“Do not worry, human. I mean no harm. I am here because the little one called to me.”

Namjoon cringed internally as Taehyung’s gaze whipped towards the tank. He hadn’t known that she would actually come! He’d never meant to scare his boy.

“What do you mean? Leave my Namjoonie alone!”

“Ah, you have love in your heart for him as well. This is good. It may not be quite the same, but it will grow.”

The woman peered into the tank again.

“Do you still want me to grant your wish, little one?”

Namjoon nodded once and clicked his claws, hoping that she would understand if she was really the Goddess.

“Very well. So much love in such a little heart deserves a reward, after all. Then you have my blessing. Live a long and happy life, little one.”

The Goddess raises her hand and the eerie blue light surrounds Namjoon, lifting him up and out of his tank.

“NO! Namjoon! What are you doing to him?!” Taehyung wails as he scrambles out of bed.

“Calm yourself, human. He asked me for a boon and I found him worthy,” the Goddess chuckles as she watches Taehyung trip over his bedsheets trying to get to them.

Namjoon couldn’t begin to describe the feeling of what was happening to him. The blue light felt like it was piercing him straight into his soul and transforming everything. He could feel his very insides changing and shaping themselves into something new. As his body expanded, so did his brain, until he was suddenly experiencing all new emotions and thoughts that he hadn’t been capable of before. He was worried for the boy staring up at him in horrified fascination, but along with that he also felt utter unconditional love, of such depths he hadn’t known were possible.

The Goddess smiled encouragingly at him as he grew within her blue light until finally he was sitting on the floor as a whole new being.

Namjoon raised his claws towards his face, only to realize they were hands like his boys instead. He flexed the fingers, giggling as he wiggled them around. He followed the trail of the flesh suit on him, noticing arms and legs and weird hairs, all just like his Taehyung. In fact, he thought he might even be a little larger! Oh, what fun he was going to have being so big!

“Nam...Namjoon?” Taehyung stuttered, reaching out tentatively towards him.

“Tae Tae! I’m big!”

Namjoon smiled excitedly at his boy, realizing that not only was he big like him, but he could also talk like him too!

Taehyung seemed to freeze when Namjoon smiled, staring at his mouth.

“And...you have dimples,” he told Namjoon, his voice hushed and cheeks a little pink.

The crab patted his new fleshy face, suddenly worried.

“Is that bad?”

That seemed to loosen some of the tension in Taehyung’s shoulders as he chuckled softly.

“No, Namjoon. That’s good. Dimples are cute.”

“Oh,” Namjoon replied shyly. Taehyung often called him cute with one of his big boxy smiles, so he knew that word was a good one.

“Kim Taehyung,” The Goddess began, smiling fondly at the pair of them. “I give my charge Namjoon into your care, to love and care for the rest of his days. He has used his single boon to stay with you, and I have granted that wish to the best of my abilities. I have made him completely human and he will age at the same rate as you. There is also a packet of papers on your desk that will contain everything he needs to maintain a human life. I wish you both happiness. Love him well.”

“Thank you,” Namjoon hoped that though his words were still few, she would know that he was overwhelmingly grateful.

She nodded and smiled at him one last time before transforming back into her bubble and leaving through the window.

Namjoon and Taehyung watched her leave silently. It wasn’t until Namjoon shivered a little that Taehyung tore his gaze from the open window to stare at Namjoon.

“Oh! You’re...well...naked. You must be freezing!”

Taehyung jumped up and ruffled through his drawers, pulling out a pair of big sweatpants and a soft-looking sweater. He handed them to Namjoon and turned his back so he could dress.

Namjoon struggled, seeing as he wasn’t used to such a big form or so few legs, but he eventually figured it out. The clothes were nice, not as cozy as his shell, but they were soft and smelled like Taehyung.

“I’m done.”

Taehyung turned once he heard Namjoon’s whispered words, grinning fondly at the big man dressed in soft pink sweats. He sat down on the floor, and Namjoon dropped to copy him.

“So, I’m not going to say this isn’t really weird, because it is. But it’s still like, a good weird?” Taehyung mumbled, ruffling his own hair a bit.

Namjoon nodded, because yeah, even he knew it was weird and he was a crab.

Namjoon cleared his throat, his new massive-sized brain working hard to figure out what he wanted to say.

“I know this is strange, and when I made the wish I didn’t think it was really going to happen. I was just sad so I remembered the legend about her and did it. But I’m happy I did.”

“I think I’m happy you did, too,” Taehyung smiled. “I was so upset that I was going to have to give you away. I even thought about smuggling you into my dorm room, but we could have been kicked out for that kind of stuff.”

“You could have if you lived in one of those houses with college boys and they drink a lot. There was that one movie where they even had horses in the back. I was a lot smaller than a horse.”

Taehyung quirked an eyebrow at him. “You paid attention to movies?”

“Of course! I always watched the movies and stuff you would play, or listened when you talked to me. I loved when you talked to me,” Namjoon told him enthusiastically, not knowing how enthralled the other was by his deep dimples as he smiled.

“So, how do I look? Am I a regular human?” Namjoon asked, suddenly nervous since Taehyung kept staring at him. Maybe something was wrong?

“You’re...beautiful. Tall and strong-looking, with a big smile and pretty eyes. And your hair! It’s purple like you were before. I wonder if it’s permanent,” Taehyung mused as he reached towards Namjoon’s head.

Namjoon was both excited and nervous because this was the first time he was going to be touched in this form. Handling always made him a little nervous anyway, but he trusted his boy.

Taehyung’s fingers lightly touched Namjoon’s fluffy purple hair, and Namjoon was in heaven. It was so soft and the touch of Taehyung’s fingers ignited new nerves that made him twitch happily. So this was petting! It was wonderful.

Namjoon butted his head further into Taehyung’s hand to beg for more, making the other laugh giddily.

“Ah, Namjoonie, you’re so cute.”

Namjoon sighed happily, pleased that his human still seemed to like him in this form. He frowned when Taehyung pulled his hand away, causing the other to snort a laugh.

“Relax. I’ll pet you more in a bit. I want to see what else she left you. Hopefully, it’s some sort of birth certificate because right now you’re basically illegal,” Taehyung said as he jumped up and head towards a fat envelope on his desk.

Taehyung brought the envelope back over to Namjoon and plopped down next to him before opening it. He peeked inside, shuffling some papers around and pulling a few out.

“Well, welcome to the world, Kim Namjoon,” Taehyung chuckled and handed the paper to Namjoon.

The words were jumbled a bit at first, but once he concentrated they seemed to arrange themselves until he understood what it said. It was a birth certificate with his name in black bold letters, stating he was Kim Namjoon. This meant he was a real human now, right?

Taehyung gave little huffs of laughter every time he pulled out a new piece of paper.

“Hey, Namjoon. Did you know you graduated from my high school last year as valedictorian? And oh look, you’re starting college the same time as me.”

Now that piece of information caught his attention.

“Is it the same one as you?”

“Yeah, actually. Although your major is Marine Biology.”

“So I can stay with you?”

Taehyung peeked over at Namjoon, blushing slightly.

“Yeah, Namjoonie. You can stay with me. Chim can find a new roommate. I won’t leave you to the wolves.”

“There are wolves there?”

Taehyung giggled. “No. It’s a saying.”

“Oh, good. But I’m big now, so I can protect you from wolves if you need it.”

“Okay, Joon.”

Namjoon suddenly yawned loudly, the excitement and changes with his body finally catching up with him. Taehyung stood up and pulled Namjoon towards the bed.

“Let’s get some sleep, Namjoon. We can figure everything out later. For now we both need to rest.”

Namjoon nodded and let Taehyung tuck him under the covers before he slid in next to him.

But what made Namjoon happiest was when instead of hugging his crab pillow to his chest like usual, Taehyung instead wrapped himself around Namjoon. He’d never been cuddled like this before in his life, but he loved it. He’d never felt so special and loved before. He cuddled closer, smiling softly as Taehyung’s breathing slowly changed.

“Namjoon?” Taehyung’s sleepy voice asked, muffled a little by blankets and his position against Namjoon’s shoulder.

“Yeah?”

“You’re still going to be here when we wake up, right? I’m not dreaming and you’re not going to be the crab in my tank in the morning are you?”

Namjoon grinned, happy with the answer he had to give.

“I’m yours to keep.”

#bts #bts fanfic #hybrid!bts #hybrid #hybrids #hybrid!au #au #hybrid fanfiction #crabjoon #crab!namjoon #hybrid!namjoon #namjoon x taehyung #vmon #Taejoon #member x member

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hamletkin · 5 years ago

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ramble about the birds!

This is so sweet?? Like thank you so much. I posted that so long ago and it meant a lot to me thinking about all of the characters in that capacity and I spent a very long time on it and I know I basically asked for this but the fact that you took the time to actually ask it of me means just so much and I’m gay thank you!! On to the birds!!

Bill Denbrough (Mourning Dove): Cliche? Maybe. Mourning Doves are one of the most common birds in North America. You have probably seen thousands of them in your life. Their call sounds like a human crying and while Bill is definitely a person filled with grief and guilt over the death of his brother (fitting) that’s not the reason he is, to Stan, a Mourning Dove. The reasoning behind this choice stems from three key things! Two are logical, as Stan is, in that the Mourning Dove is a sociable and adaptable bird! It’s capable of living nearly anywhere! It can drink the nastiest of water and live just fine, thank you very much! The final reason comes from the fact that the Mourning Dove is a symbol of Hope. For Stan it doesn’t feel like it’s a religious or spiritual hope at all. It’s just a feeling that comes from Bill. Like with him everything is a little less murky, everything is a little less illogical, the world is a lot less of a mess even if the Losers themselves are messes. Stan has seen countless Mourning Doves in his lifetime but he doesn’t think their numbers make them any less special or any less beautiful. On the contrary, they’re a steady presence and image in his life and maybe he doesn’t know why he’s so excited to see even them having a dust bath but it makes him feel at peace.

Ben Hanscom (Red Breasted Nuthatch): Beep Beep, Richie. It’s not funny. Red Breasted Nuthatches are monogamous song birds and who better to fit this role than Ben, our pining poet friend? They’re quiet birds and beautiful with their plump barrel chests. Stan chose this bird to represent Ben due, also, to how clever it is. These birds seemingly have found a way around the laws of gravity as they can climb along branches in any manner they please and they create their own safe homes in trees as a pair and smear sap around the entrance to trap and dissuade predators from entering. This makes then, in Stan’s opinion, one of the best and cleverest builders with that extra step taking for protection. He has seen a few of them down in the Barrens in the trees, singing their tinny song for their mates.

Beverly Marsh (Rufous Hummingbird): Though it’s typically the males that have a reddish colored head the female Rufous Hummingbird often has beautiful orange plumage that Stan finds awfully reminiscent of Beverly. The females are also larger than the males. But it’s not just for surface value that Stanley chose a Rufous Hummingbird for Beverly! These birds are nearly constantly moving, they build their homes in defensive hidden locations and will attack other birds in their territory including much larger birds, squirrels, and chipmunks. They will end your life and Stan would love to watch in wonder as they do. They are incredibly brave and defensive birds who will defend their own. Stan has never seen one but he’d like to visit the West Coast someday so that he can. He’s sure they’ll pale in comparison to Bev...but it would still be a good experience. They’re seen as a symbol of love and the Losers love her so much!! They’d die for her.

Eddie Kaspbrak (Magpie): Specifically the black-billed magpie! These are loud and beautiful birds. They typically mate for life and when one pair dies it’s not uncommon for them to not take another mate. They also have been recorded getting divorced, so jot that down for the future, Eddie. Stan thinks a divorce proceeding between birds sounds hilarious and while he knows, of course, that there’s no Bird Court a magpie is already perfectly dressed to play a judge. Magpies often are seen to represent deceit and trickery and while that may to speak to Eddie’s mother, Stanley sees only how clever Eddie is. If he’s deceitful to anyone it’s his mother and as far as Stan is concerned, she deserves it. He doesn’t see Magpies as “tricky” so much as just incredibly intelligent and the bird is symbolic, in his opinion of a need to grow and to be bold and how sometimes, like the Magpie, you have to put yourself in danger to accomplish anything. Eddie is a lot braver than he thinks he is and that’s so evident in the way he puts himself in harm’s way for his friends!! Just like a Magpie!!! They are solitary birds but sometimes form loose flocks. Amazing birds!!!!!!! BRAVE BIRDS!!!! Eddie Kaspbrak. They also mourn the loss of their loved ones, how incredible is that?!? Oh geez, I just love them I’m sorry.

Richie Tozier (Nightingale): Nightingales are songbirds with some of the most beautiful singing voices. The sing night and day though only unpaired males sing at night, sort of like they’re pining. They are symbols representing longing and they are exceptionally hard workers though they seem to do everything with ease they’re experts at hiding just how hard they do work. They’re also smart and tricky birds The louder their surroundings, the louder they sing, just like Richie, right? Stan would love to hear and see them in person but so far he’s only heard them on a nature special. He thinks they’re probably one of the most incredible birds out there. They have a very strong migratory instinct, so much that they often kill themselves in captivity in trying to follow that instinct. Another tidbit Stan finds interesting is their ability to create over one thousand sounds which is an exceptional amount in comparison to most other birds!! They’re talented and bright and Stanley doesn’t care how common they are in literature; he thinks they’re the perfect fit for Richie Tozier.

Mike Hanlon (Northern Flicker): These are gorgeous birds! They’re woodpeckers who spend more time on the ground than in trees because that’s where they like to forage. Stanley has seen them before on walks through the Barrens or past the fields. They are resourceful birds and they can eat plants that are poisonous to humans and other animals. This Northern species typically migrate South for the winter including to some regions in Florida. Stan likes to discuss following this migration with Mike even though he’d never tell any of them which birds he sees them as. It’s just a personal thing for him. Some of them never migrate depending on how far North they live. Cough. They often repair broken nests even if they prefer to carve out their own. They’re also intelligent and defensive birds. Like!!! They’re so smart they’ll bang on things like metal or trees or rocks sometimes so loudly it can be heard a half mile away! And it’s super effective! Stanley thinks that’s just so incredible to see

Stanley Uris (Gray Catbird): Catbirds are one of Stanley’s favorite birds. They’re quite common in Derry but he likes seeing them. They’re sort of plain to look at but are personable and Stan thinks there’s something beautiful about their uniform grey feathers. They make a cat-like sound but they can also mimic other birds and animals. They like hiding in thickets and will sing loudly unless faced with predators or potential mates where its song becomes softer. They aren’t typically afraid of predators and have been known to attack them and Stan both admires and envies that. Would he be able to do the same if his friends needed it? He hopes so.

I’m going to do another post for the rest of the birds because this got crazy long but thank you so much again!

#stanley uris #the losers club #losers club #richie tozier #eddie kaspbrak #ben hanscom #mike hanlon #beverly marsh #it 2017 #it 2019 #birds #headcanons #stanley uris headcanons #Anonymous

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worldcakecakecake · 5 years ago

Text

The Society of Romulus and Remus

Ludwig is the product of a centuries old curse that transforms him into a dangerous werewolf. His only chance for a cure is with Feliciano, heir to the Society of Romulus and Remus, a group of hunters who hunt on the supernatural.

…it…has been more than a year since I last updated this story…in fact, I was still in Florida last time I did…and…well…wow. I am…so sorry for how long it took…for those few who are actually…still reading this. I really don’t know how else I can make up for it…I feel like I have betrayed something. Yet…this story is still on my mind, I am determined to finish it, continue…even if it takes me a year to post updates…but I get the time when I can and here it is. I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 12

It was a matter of constant practice.

With enough use and adjusting, the headaches dimmed until Feliciano could use the spell without suffering the pangs and cringes that followed. He had learned the usage of the Bronze Stare’s basic properties, watching things from distances and being able to keep it for several minutes. Each day they would further his vision, until one day he managed to spot Treviso. Then came the difficult part of manipulating and kill, Ludwig starting him with just cutting branches from trees or moving rocks from their place. Here, there would be hints of those familiar headaches, but wanting to prove himself, Feliciano would push through until he fulfilled his given mission. They increased the difficulty with moving items Ludwig would place. Some heavy, others hidden and difficult to find, Feliciano successful in achieving all, always celebrating in a small feast of himself, his joy and smile bringing enough warmth to Ludwig’s heart, finding it endearing. Ludwig had wanted to practice on animals, but Feliciano was completely against it if it meant killing, so they settled with riding of ants and mosquitos, only manipulating larger animals. Ludwig considered Feliciano to have mastered the Bronze Stare when he managed to lead a wolf to a river to drink. It was a celebration that Feliciano enjoyed in embraces and Ludwig could not refuse, could not hold his smile and how comforting having him in his arms was, finding it harder each time to push him or deny the feelings that were starting to engulf him.

On the day before the examination, they spent it together just training, from the early sunrise to the now darkness at the top balcony Ludwig had for them reserved most of the time. They were tired, but Ludwig was confident, only now testing Feliciano on some theories, worded problems, or even reading other spells from the Bronze Stare chapter of his book, small ones that he didn’t find interesting to teach Feliciano earlier, only now something to aid his known knowledge, little tricks or small things that he could do to simply train that power. They sat each on their own sofa, seeming rested, loving the fire that Ludwig had turned on from the stoned hearth in the center. It was soothing in a night like this, its sparks massaging and just the only sound needed in this contenting silence.

Ludwig had a couple of minutes ago just closed the book, staring along with Feliciano to the fire, persuaded by its dance and its lovely colors.

“Have you done this test before?” Feliciano suddenly asked, not at all disturbing or out of place.

“Of course. Every beginner must take it.”

“How was it like?”

In Ludwig’s very honest opinion, easy, but he remained silent knowing it had to do with his own enhance abilities that got him the highest score of that round of students back then. He knew that if he mentioned it, it would seem unfair to Feliciano…who was not cursed with awful magic to transform into the very monsters he was teaching him to kill. Even if Feliciano was the descendant of demi-gods and destined to break his curse, his powers were still the mundane that some humans could manage.

He took a deep breath and tried to word it as best as he could. “I studied and prepared myself well. Elizabeta had been my mentor and I was with Gilbert in the same group testing. It was hard, some things were unexpected, but I faced them well and came out with a seal I deserved.”

Feliciano smiled, as if he was there to greet him after his test long ago, congratulating and prideful for him. “We’re you scared?”

“Of course.”

“Really?” Feliciano couldn’t find it believable in such an imposing man as Ludwig.

“They make us face real monsters. Sure, they have healers and anything to warn if it’s a dire emergency that the student cannot control, but you never really know how things will transpire, what you’re going to meet and how strong they can be. You tend to wonder if it would be enough.” Ludwig found himself feeling that very nervousness from long ago, staring to the experience in his hands, ones that had done the feat to get him here, showing him brave and victorious. Yet, it was a way to understand how Feliciano could be feeling now, the brunet’s eyes showing clear the anxiety and doubt for tomorrow.

“You must have been amazing! Probably the best in that group!” Feliciano glowed.

“I…actually…was,” he found himself admitting.

“That’s great!”

“It’s…only the first test though. They’ll be others afterwards…even more dangerous than this one.”

“Yes, but, usually afterwards you’re more prepared and experienced and can pretty much take anything. This one…this one is made to release the true hunter in us for the first time, it’s our beginnings and where we start…so it makes it a bit scarier.” Feliciano loosened himself, letting his legs fall to the side, the fire reflecting on him enlightening more that fear…and yet Ludwig was swayed by how the colors looked so charmingly on him, even with such doubts on him, ones that he wished he could erase with a sweet caress.

To replace that want and that idea from his head, he put the book on a near table. “We’ve prepared ourselves well. You have everything in your possession,” he sounded believing, which managed a smile on Feliciano.

“Do you…really think I can do it?” He tested.

“I’m pretty sure.”

“I doubt I’ll get something so cool like…the best in the group.”

“Feliciano, it doesn’t matter. I just want you to come back safe and well.” Something in those words stunned Feliciano, a miss in his eyes, one Ludwig couldn’t capture well as he looked away. “It’s all enough to get you a seal.” Ludwig then leaned to begin putting off the fire, a sign that they should be heading off now.

“Right…” Feliciano seemed to be put off along.

“Everything will be all right. I’m sure you’ll do fine,” Ludwig told as he stood, giving a hand for Feliciano to do so as well. They had to head back inside quick before it got too cold.

“And…Ludwig…” Feliciano kept them, even taking a strong grasp of the hand Ludwig just offered. “…Thank you, thank you so much for everything you’ve done to help me, all you’ve taught me and just…being an amazing teacher,” he smiled in earnest with a blush and shine in his eyes.

Ludwig was captive, staring back and letting the words embrace him from the coming cold, without a word or action to reply with. “You-you…you should leave that for later…per-perhaps when you have completed several tests-”

“I want to tell you now!”

There was such a force he couldn’t go against, falling silent yet again and simply…accepting this hold and this gaze Feliciano gave him.

“I want to let you know now…we…don’t know what could happen…” And now Ludwig was worried, having to rise both his hands to hold his.

“Feliciano, I already told you. They’ll be nurses and healers, they will have many watching making sure nothing too dreadful happens. I…myself, will be watching.” He got very close, hands close to his lips, head laying upon his to give him more comfort. Feliciano’s heart hitched, a simple blush growing, all pleasant, beautiful, this little moment leaving him frozen and without a proper way to respond.

He forgot completely why he was doing this. Ludwig couldn’t believe he had let himself be so daring, to answer to a deep part of him, to have this want to come nearer. He had to release it before it could get any stronger.

“Go and rest. It will help your body along with your mind. Try to relax and keep your mind away from the challenge. I’ll be at the gates with the other teachers early in the morning, you’ll find me there tomorrow if anything.” He let go of Feliciano’s hand and settled off without a gaze back, leaving Feliciano alone, who then decided to obey and head off as well. Before he was hid from the cold night air, he took one last glimpse to the starry sky and then the distance…making sure of what would be his path. It looked safe for now, with big wide-open arms that he was ready to fall into. He looked to Ludwig’s disappearing back, admitting…that he was going to miss him.

The test was to begin at ten in the morning, a good hour for all the students to wake, have their breakfast in the hall, make last minute preparations or just chat with their fellow companions or teachers. The main square of the base was filled with commotion as many came to join, not just students or teachers, but friends or others who were curious about the newly acquired skills of these new additions. Through here, students could get chosen to be apprenticed to high masters, gain new teachers, new access and a whole new archive of missions and these opportunities were there waiting for their proving. Ludwig was of course one of the many present, apart from the commotion, alone in a spot right by the very entrance, only a couple of students well in their place, ready for their call. Those closest to him, like Gilbert and Elizabeta, were off dealing with their own group of students, only having giving Ludwig quick greetings as they were huddled by last panics and questions. He was grateful that this season he didn’t have that, only but one single student which he hadn’t spotted yet, no matter how he kept his gaze attentive to his particular curls.

“Ludwig! How many little babes are you throwing in there today?” Came the high greeting of Keron Montaje, a fellow member that decided to join his side for the morning. He didn’t mind it. Keron had been one of his classmates back when he was starting. He knew him to be overly cocky, deciding to not speak to Ludwig for months after he had taken the most points from the first test. But other than that, they had shared in conversations when possible and had even gone a couple of times on missions together. Ludwig wouldn’t exactly consider him a dear a friend, but someone of good acquaintance that he preferred remained as so. To be honest, he much preferred his twin sister, Pisa Montaje. With Keron, everything was a competition, everything had a second meaning that he could take insult to and if his attention was not in outmost praise, he threatened and angered. Ludwig couldn’t always bear it.

“Just one,” he answered simply, turning away, not showing interest, in the hopes he would bore and head to another.

“Ah, yes, Feliciano Valenti.” The lustful tone in which he uttered his pupil’s name made Ludwig shiver with sickness. “And how do you think he will do in this test? Surely the impression that would live up to his family name.”

“He’s…his own,” which Ludwig honestly said in positive light, proud and hoping.

“Ah yes, he is indeed different, much more fragile and weaker. He makes do looking so divine.” Ludwig gripped his hands and gritted his teeth in insult. “We’ll see if he’ll make the points. Also, I must admit I’m rather jealous,” he admitted with a smirk, one Ludwig refused to answer to, remaining still and with his eyes on their search for his pupil. “Feliciano Valenti, all for yourself, alone, following your commands and teachings. Honestly, tell me, what have you done?” He neared.

“Teach him the ways of the society as well as any needed magic and skills for when he begins hunting,” Ludwig thought it obvious.

“Of course, but I meant, have you enjoyed from him?”

Ludwig was offended, not knowing if to feel despicable at himself for making anyone wonder if he was capable of such a thing, or at Keron’s dark and atrocious mind.

“No. He is my student, I would never use him in such a way.” There was true sincerity in his voice, one that surprised Keron, not expecting him to actually be serious and not done…anything.

“You…haven’t touched him?”

“Only when it’s needed in our practices, but other than that…no, I haven’t dared. He is the grandson of our leader, a respectable, creative, kind, young man who is looking up to me for proper guidance into the society. I wouldn’t betray or do anything to change that.” He determined well, not being able to hold the edge of anger to his tone.

Keron was left rather dumbfounded, without a word to say as Ludwig continued to challenge him with a menacing stare.

“Ludwig! Buon giorno! I’m sorry I’m so late!” And there he came, appropriately dressed, surely fed and with even a rather heavy backpack.

“Guten morgen. You are doing fine, there are still some ten minutes left for the test to begin,” Ludwig assured, breaking the menace he was sharing with Keron.

“Oh great! I was afraid it had already begun!”

“You seem very nervous,” Keron added himself, noticing how Feliciano fretted, moving his hand and body more so than usual.

“Oh, hi, Keron!” As excited, as plentiful, something that Ludwig now thought Keron didn’t deserve being shown from him. “To be honest, yes, I really am. I don’t even think I properly slept.”

“It is a dangerous test. I believe some had even died. But it is the best way to tell if any of the new members are worthy to continue on. Ludwig and I showed wonderful colors and came out as one of the best. It’s rather difficult to reach our same rankings and I don’t expect anyone to reach it today. Yet, I’m sure you will do enough to pass,” Keron smiled despite the deep poison in his words, one that to Feliciano seemed to ooze through his teeth.

“Uh…”

Ludwig sighed, taking Feliciano by an arm closer to him, hoping to keep him out of reach from Keron, “you’ll do fine. As long as you keep everything I taught you, you’ll be your grandfather’s pride.” Not the ideal words either, but enough to soothe and make Feliciano smile so sweetly.

“Isn’t that bag a little too big for the test,” Ludwig noticed, pointing and wondering if it could make things worse for Feliciano.

“It’s a lot of other stuff to keep me prepared just in case, some that Lovino suggested and well…food,” he chuckled, having Ludwig roll his eyes.

Keron noticed the slight tinge in Feliciano’s eyes, in Ludwig’s own smile, even the dear hold the taller kept on the heir’s arm. They could have stayed in whatever it was longer if it wasn’t for the sound of a horn being blown, signalizing for all to begin forming.

“You must go now,” Ludwig tried to hurry him.

“Yeah, yes.” But not before sharing one last deep glance, before jumping and taking Ludwig’s figure into his embrace, tight, loving and full. “Thank you…thank you so much for everything,” Feliciano wished and tightened almost like a…goodbye.

“Why-” Ludwig couldn’t question longer as Feliciano was off to the rows, taking his numbered place and preparing himself like all the rest. Keron gave what looked like a growl at the hold they just shared, one Ludwig couldn’t say his word in as he headed off, to where, Ludwig didn’t really care, he focused on turning to the formation of students.

He saw as his brother take the welcoming at the front, with a microphone to share some words of encouragement, jokes, and an explanation as to how the testing will work.

“I assume you have been taught well to know, but just in case,” he pointed then to the exit, a simple arch, a marked route into the forest surrounding the base. “You will all have three hours to go through this path and face whatever monsters that are to come into contact with you. Some of them are spells created by many of us, not real but as ferocious and you should take them as seriously as if they were a real threat. There are also others we had kept in our captivity, and perhaps actual beings that are lounging for a hopeful attack on the base. We have seers who will keep watch on all of you to make sure everything runs smoothly as well as to keep numbered your kills. The amount you slay and how you slay will determine your points, grade and decision if to stay in the society or not.”

Whispers spread between these hopeful students, with worries and plans.

“If you fail, we expect you to pack your things and leave the next day.”

Feliciano gave a tighter hold to the straps of his backpack.

“If you are desperate to stay, then you will have talk to our superior, Augusto Valenti, and your teachers, about a second chance. If you pass, you will immediately be leveled and granted new accesses that will help you to better develop among us. You will start getting accompanied missions and become a truly integral part of the society.” Gilbert looked over to two of the waiting guard members by the archway, inspecting, returning their glance to nod, signifying the path was ready to begin and thus the test.

“Now, go! The timer runs now. Make do and make us proud!” He shouted with a last hopeful glee before the first students settled off between the archway. Ludwig managed to keep a good stare on Feliciano, in a tight mess of people hurrying through the small entrance, letting himself be waved, no certain emotion to catch, only a deep sigh before it was his turn to pass through. Soon enough, the yard was left empty, all students gone and only but teachers and other members there to wait.

“He’ll do fine,” Gilbert came, noticing Ludwig’s agitation from afar, deciding on taking his side, a walkie talky in his hand and a near member ready to give him signs on how all was going. “You taught him well. None of your students have ever failed,” his brother smiled, then receiving a message that the first kill was done, writing and omitting the information to others.

The job continued right on Ludwig’s side as Gilbert communicated, but they were mute to him, only wanting to hear Feliciano’s name, desperately waiting for his return through that archway.

As he waited, he managed to keep himself from any other students, away from eyesight, a silent area of the forest, no marked path and no other threat to worry present. Feliciano could walk peacefully, a smile, even a little hum to go along with his steps as he climbed down, careful, as well as making sure that nothing creeped on him. He stood at a sudden victorious chant, echoed from somewhere deep in the forest, along with a particular ring that meant the killing of a goblin.

He was still too close, he had to keep moving.

He continued the descend of the hill he found himself in, his looks back but those of caution to make sure nobody, absolutely nobody was following his same way.

It had become busier, the judges having to call the help of others to keep well track, Gilbert had even left Ludwig’s side, his presence needed in the table where they tried to organize everything.

Lukau taking down a ring of shadow demons, placing him above the highest currently. Vladimir daring into a near river and catching a poisonous serpent. Alfred destroying one of the paths…but he at least stopped the mountain monster. A Yasmeen Ubaydli had been heavily injured, trying to save a gryphon from a ground serpent, members heading their way to help. And Tiaraoluwa managed to freeze a monstrous rabid vampire.

Feliciano Valenti…nothing, Ludwig had heard nothing of his name. He knew he didn’t miss it, as he hadn’t leaft the vicinity of the judges and could well hear all the mentioned names and all their progresses. In the hour that passed, his student’s name was not at all shown and with how busy everyone was dealing, they couldn’t really focus and check what he was exactly doing…unless he attacked something or was in danger.

Augusto joined the procession around this moment, smiling to all, none missing to tell him how all the students were doing. “What about my Feliciano?” He asked with endearment, leaning into the table hoping to find him with high numbers.

“Nothing for now, signore,” one eased, turning just as he received a message of another student spraining an ankle and needing instant health assistance.

“For how long has the test been going?”

“An hour, signore.”

An hour…and yet Feliciano’s name on the list was the only one without a single action or point. Augusto’s expression was unreadable, but Ludwig had learned to know that when he stood himself high, arms wrapped on his back in a particular strength, he was discontent and annoyed. Their gazes met that instant, Augusto with a blaming glare. Ludwig switched his glances back to the opening, as waiting and now beginning to get worried, for now working himself hard on remaining grounded in that singular spot.

The sounds of whatever battle were heavily distant, now Feliciano couldn’t even hear them, couldn’t even spot the encrusted rock and hill where the base was located between the trees. He was unfamiliar with this territory now, looking up to new expanses of wood, in the far distance a road, the one of his goal, a smile on his face knowing that it was reachable. He eased himself forward and forward, until he reached an old abandoned gateway, singular, in elder brinks surely from the times of Rome. At the very top lay the symbol of an ancient wolf…it looked kind, peaceful, gladly offering this escape gate to Feliciano, who stood before it in contemplation.

Pisa oversaw tracking, a singular device for her where she kept gaze on all the dots that represented a student, all extending across different parts of the selected ground. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, most students stayed within the first circle of the fields…but that’s when she noticed a singular dot on what they considered the third, the very last. Sure, one or two other students were in there as well, but not as close to the edge…not as close to the exit.

“Gilbert, Eduard!” She called them to come, pointing in the case it needed attention.

Eduard quickly checked the computer, and all was running smoothly as it should, meaning that there was indeed someone at the edge of their protected testing field. “Who is that?” He asked.

“That’s-” she clicked on the dot and got a card of information, “-Feliciano!”

All in the table raised at the mentioned, looking straight to the computer, even Ludwig came as close. Whispers arose, worries, wonderings, all as the dot still stayed where it was.

“What is he doing?” One questioned, Ludwig hoping he’d knew, but he was just as perplexed as the rest.

At the commotion, Lovino pushed himself between all, until he had the screen to hold and stare, as if demanding the contraction to tell him all.

Feliciano touched the arch, humid, somehow soft, the last reach he had of the base, of surely his family, what he was. It was with the marked hand that he said that farewell.

The dot inched more and more to the exit, all holding their breaths, Lovino taking a tighter grasp of the monitor.

“He is not…?” One whispered.

Feliciano passed under, as if breathing new air, in a release like swimming into a new ocean. Already the breeze he felt was like a soothing liberation, telling him to go out there, to where he wanted, belonged and could start a whole life anew. He ran to it, without hesitation or looking back.

Panic settled, all rummaged, shouted and many of the members began movement.

“We can just go get him back!” One shouted, thinking it obvious.

“We only have coverage on those who are inside the territory of the society. Outside, all signal is cut and there is no way to trace them,” Pisa reminded, as she was desperately trying to find some new way to get Feliciano back on the map.

“Sir, what about the test?” A whole group had hurdled now around their leader awaiting instant command.

“It shall continue. I will not let my grandson’s insolence ruin a chance for others. Roderich! Go with your men to the edges of the territory in case he comes back. It could perhaps be he got lost and is looking for his way.”

“Right away!” He headed out with a group that moment.

“Keron!” The man raised his head from his bore expression to all. “You go and trek our outskirts. Find him and bring him here by force if you have to. Those lands are not safe and I prefer he is not there any longer.” Keron smirked, intentions that made Ludwig sicken, yet he stood and headed to his own group, quickly making their way out.

Augusto was to head out himself, mostly just to use his magic and get a specific location. If he had to get him himself, so be it.

“Signore, please, let me go out there as well!” Ludwig hurriedly came over, a beg to him that was surprising to the elder.

“You will not! I do not know what’s going on, Ludwig, but this gives me suspicions of you.”

“I swear, Augusto, I don’t understand it either. I never taught him to do this and he didn’t tell me anything. I’m being honest. Let me at least make it up and head out!” Ludwig was blocking whatever way he had to continue.

“I have enough men doing that.”

“They don’t understand Feliciano. I can talk to him!”

“There is no time to talk on such a forest. We don’t have control of what’s in there. My grandson’s life is in terrible danger and I will not have him be threatened by more creatures like you!” The venom was striking, leaving Ludwig halted, insult and shame that didn’t let him block or move forward, a misery that kept him and made him think useless.

Augusto, despite how he helped, gave him a high position in the society and teachings to his young grandson, still did not fully trust him…and still couldn’t see him beyond the monster he had seen and knew Ludwig truly was. He had tried so hard to show himself the man he was, proving above many others, surely one of Augusto’s best and with a name known worldwide, and it was great betrayal that despite his achievements, he could never go beyond his condition to Augusto. Yet Ludwig couldn’t take to just stand there as he watched their leader move away, as his pupil was in danger, as his person continued to get doubted and shamed. He gripped his hands, scowled…growled…and decided on working on his own, turning and following his accord. Luckily, everyone was too busy, the courtyard was a disarray and so Ludwig could make his own exit in the mass. He took to the forest, a path for himself alone, ready and determined.

No matter what they thought of him, no matter the commands, he had to save Feliciano.

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#The Society of Romulus and Remus #gerita #gerita fanfiction #gerita fanfic #gerita fic

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