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simptasia · 4 years ago

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lost characters based solely on how i portray them in my text post memes

jack: constantly crying and/or screaming. no emotional stability. no social skills. terrible bedside manner. endearingly bland. into powerful women. loves the red sox... a lot. daddy issues. doesn’t believe in himself. has shitty tattoos. being crushed under the weight of everybody’s expectations. more or less hot. he is not cool at all. repressed attraction to guys. chronic hero syndrome. adorably embarrassing as a dad. passionately and violently overreacts to the mere concept of people believing in things. mansplains but in a non malicious way because he is literally that oblivious. gets into fights a lot. dissociates in mirrors. gets injured a lot but doesn’t wanna make a fuss. thinking about caves

kate: desperate need to protect women. bi. is frustrated by jack and sawyer’s personalities but wants to fuck them oh so much. rowdy. feminist. biceps. will call you out. is love with claire and jack and sun and- she has a lot of love to give. she can be ur angel or ur devil. exasperated. doesn’t understand astrology but she’s trying. she’s the slytherin friend every hufflepuff needs. uses guns. doesn’t know how to cook. go to relationship advice is “dump him” or “suck his dick”. just because you put things in her vagina doesn’t mean you know her. gemini

hurley: sad clown. haha laughter! hiding real pain! has debilitating mental illness. he’s doing his best to stay positive. virgin. genuinely kind soul. overwhelmed by food. awkward around girls he likes. much smarter and wiser than anybody thinks, including himself. a special boy who we all love. says dude a lot. the only valid rich person ever. doesn’t like himself. sees dead people. kinda silly. also he’s fat (but i don’t joke about it in a cruel way)

sawyer: compulsive need to nickname people. from the south. bewildered by charlie’s english slang. covering up vulnerability with jokes and being mean. loves juliet. is an asshole but a loveable asshole (this varies, mostly he’s an asshole). conventionally attractive to the point of boring. got a Thing going on with miles. can’t stand daniel being smart around him. babies freak him out. treats animals poorly

locke: very supportive and new agey type. i’ve made two jokes about him encouraging people to jack off, that wasn’t on purpose but Okay. he doesn’t know what its like to have friends. he says Deep Sounding but odd things. he’s super duper into nature. he suffers. he’s very forgiving of ben to the point of absurdity and he desperately wants ben to love and fuck him. or maybe they are fucking. Who Knows. he loves knifes

sayid: sexy, suffering shannon fucker. he doesn’t respect boone. his life is an endless parade of misery culminating in going on autopilot. respects women

jin: he has no idea what’s going on and his life revolves around sun

sun: beautiful. perfect. very passionate about gardening

claire: bi. frequently ignored. cutesy and sweet. super into astrology and new age stuff. her cheery demeanour can only hold on so long before she loses it. kinda dumb. has baby. vanilla, at least for now. loves charlie but is kinda frustrated by him. goes feral and “kitten thinks of murder all day” sums it up

charlie: that he needs attention and validation to survive would be a gross understatement. bi. trans. punk. stupid. english. really horny and slutty. adores music more than anything. drug addict (again, i refuse to be cruel). severe jealousy issues. inferiority superiority complex. hates himself but will get offended if you hate him. can’t take any form of criticism. is bewildered by sawyer’s american-isms. bit of a madonna whore complex. smol but will go the fuck off like a terrier nipping at ya heels. catholic and riddled with catholic guilt. goofy and obnoxious and he knows it. passive aggressive. terrified of bees. nice ass. mood swings. did i mention he’s short? anyway here’s wonderwall

ben: ugly. just plain terrible. beaten and bruised. seething with rage and pain on the inside. virgin. liar. just causes problems on purpose. resembles a lemur or rat, rodents in general. loves bunnies. doesn’t think sex is real. just a really bad idea for him to be around juliet. has no friends. doesn’t care about other people. says creepy shit just because. he knows he’s a terrible person. killed people. the friend nobody likes and a general nuisance to the other characters

(also my literal first text post meme about ben was a joke about him eating his parents??? 2014 sapphire, i wanna talk...)

juliet: mom friend. seems very calm but she’s screaming on the inside. basically she’s the This Is Fine meme. depressed. has big tits. low-key kinky. feminist in a very gentle way. has no ill will towards kate and will only fight her for fun. concerned for daniel’s well being. has no chemistry with jack. loves sawyer. flat measured calm way of speaking. she’s breaking apart at the seams but will offer you a nice glass of water :)))

michael: has a son..... uh...... enjoys minecraft?

(i’m sorry)

desmond: scottish. drinks. easily and constantly confused. magic psychic time powers, like visions and electromagnetic dimensional stuff. easily angered. fucked off by the concept of time and destiny in general. hhhhhhhot

smokey: Hello Fellow Humans I Promise This Is My Own Skin Haha

miles: bi. aro. loves money (trying to fill the hole in his heart with money and things). emo/punk. pretends not to care but he really does care. thinks emotions and romance are dumb but of course is emotional... and kinda wants love. but not that he LIKES you or anything. exasperated. thinks everybody else is weird. kinda slutty or at least trying to be. masochist and into BDSM. mean to daniel for no reason. daddy issues. resting bitch face. jaded, bitter and salty. responds to romantic things dan or char say with vulgar or mocking comments. grew up poor. can hear dead people. trying too hard to be edgy. deadpan snarker. Fuck Off I’m Not Sad Don’t Look At Me [cries only around the audience and his mom]

walt: becoming older than 10 was when things went downhill for him

shannon: seems vapid but is more than that. deeply insecure. feels she can’t do anything right. constantly put down as worthless by other people. yeah she’s sad but she Looks Great. wants sayid to pound her (mood)

(gee, that was dark)

richard: very old and ageless. sees ben as a son figure. really not holding it together. seems smart but he has no fucking idea whats going on. cult mindset. quips curtly back at miles’ vulgar jokes. in love with miles based on very little interaction. misses his dead wife. has a cute giggle. is also hot. overwhelmed and just wants to go into the jungle and scream

frank: doesn’t understand what anybody is talking about. the only normal person here. doesn’t understand these kids today with their weird kinks. just wants to sleep. pilot. bit of a conspiracy theorist

boone: bi. stupid. soaked in blood a lot. (L I T E R A L L Y all of my boone jokes are about him being dumb and bi and horribly injured and combos of those. i haven’t even made any incest jokes! what the actual fuck)

ana lucia: “[with tears in her eyes] DO U WANNA FIGHT??”. highly volatile. lesbian. bros with jack but will roast him. angery, sad and underloved

daniel: bi, agender, neurodivergent, just, just especially brain weird. The Scientist trope but kind of a shitty scientist. smart. in love with charlotte. in love with desmond. likes rats a lot. talks weird and soft spoken. withdrawn and polite but with bursts of bitterness. his mom won’t let him live the live he wants to live. time travel weirdness. loves music. gifted kid burn out. has a mental and emotional collapse. thinks a hydrogen bomb will solve all his problems. skinny. touches people a lot. he’s not okay. romantic. overwhelmed. memory problems. his lack of life experience and softness is used to contrast miles. takes some statements literally. pretty vanilla (for now) and doesn’t know what certain kinks are. likes that charlotte is Tough & Rowdy. doesn’t swear much. bad hair. was unhinged in college. has radiation poisoning

libby: neurodivergent and in love with hurley

eko: yeah... i’ve legit only used him for jokes where charlie says something EXTREMELY vulgar and eko says “go to church”

charlotte: bi, loud, passionate, beautiful, angery, knows All The Languages, huge nerd, loves daniel and thinks he’s a Snack, outspoken feminist, archaeologist/anthropologist and wants to explore some fucking ruins, The Lost Lenore trope, loves chocolate, exasperated, great smile, subtly insecure, doesn’t get that she could just tell daniel how she feels, has had many indiana jones like adventures (off screen, of course), for example: crashing her dirtbike into all 7 wonders of the world

danielle: french and unhinged, has seen some shit

alex: just a young lady with no chill

jacob: suffers from terminal apathy. has little understand of human behaviour. doesn’t care about people. he just plain sucks. has no endearing qualities. causes many problems. beats the shit outta richard. doesn’t like technology. so removed from humanity that he’s a touch uncanny valley

christian, eloise, charles and anthony jokes each have their own kind of flavours but fuck it, i’ll sum them all up as: contemptuous cunts who deserve to die

aaron: just a baby boy. does baby things. has like 5 parents

vincent: a dog. a good boy. does he know more than he lets on? is he mysterious? no, he is just a dog

#and as you can see this is 98% accurate #this is mostly just a summary of these people pfffttt #interjected with memes and orientation headcanons #i haven't made many jokes about sayid or sun or jin or michael #i haven't found them very dunkable #it's not like im avoiding them either #i just work with whatever joke sparks with me #anyways holy SHIT i make so many different kinds of jokes about charlie #you can tell the ones i favour making jokes about from this huh

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theheartofpenelope · 6 years ago

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SIMPLE THINGS - Chapter two

Chapter two - a flashback to their first encounter. Enjoy gentleman!Tom or tipsy!Tom. Feedback always (and very much) appreciated. ;-)

Tag list: @winterisakiller, @devikafernando, @scorpionchild81, @messy-insomniac-bookgirl, @smutsausage, @hiddlesbitch1 @noplacelikehome77 @wolfsmom1 @meh1217 @dina-bln @lilaeye39 @tinchentitri @fairlightswiftly @nonsensicalobsessions

Author’s Notes/Warnings: Not beta’d.

Also on AO3 through this link

Bonus: click here for the pinterest moodboard (always updated)

Chapter 2

Flashback to eleven days ago

It had been eleven days ago, when they had enjoyed an incredibly pleasant evening together. It was quite silly really, an unexpected turn of events. You know, in the way life suddenly decides to sneak up on you and turn order into chaos. Just for the sake of it. So yes, ‘unforeseen’ would be the word for it. But the term ‘fun’ comes to mind as well or entertaining, liberating and carefree.

It all started when Tom attended ComiCon with some fellow actors. And that is where he had first run into her. Or better yet, the other way around. She was called in to settle a particular edgy paparazzi-situation Tom and his colleagues had involuntarily found themselves in.

She didn’t really stand out between the crew. She stood at an average height of 5’7 and was dressed smart in a simple, yet elegant, tailored sleeveless navy jumpsuit with a pair of open toe shoes to match. Her chestnut locks were pulled up in a messy bun.

She had handled the predicament with grace and a smile that instantly made you overlook the mean streak lingering in her stern repartee. She had dismantled the proverbial bomb with ease and humour that had left Tom enchanted. So much so that he found himself walking up to her when he’d laid eyes upon her again. He felt the need to express his gratitude, which she had waved off straightway, stating she was ‘only doing her job’.

And so their respective lonely paths had crossed for the first time that summer.

After a sincere smile and the expression of appreciation on his part came the introduction to their real selves, a joke was told, an anecdote shared and ultimately a farewell exchanged. As you do.

She was easy on the eyes he would have to admit as we walked away after that first encounter. She was a very straightforward professional but next he had come to discover she possessed a captivating persona. As unyielding as she had handled the trespassing ‘journalist’, so warm and bright was her smile when she thanked Tom for his simple act of kindness towards her.

Consequently, when he found out later on that she was desperate for tickets to the Globe Theatre, he had taken it upon himself to set his publicist on the task at hand. Because he somehow found it was the least he could do. He was “British that way”, he had joked to her when he informed her on his gift to her..

He was only scheduled for 2 separate appearances at ComiCon on two consecutive days. But on the rare occasion they had been in each other’s vicinity at ComiCon, they’d always exchanged a - short but - pleasant word. Right up until the last night….

The World Cup Soccer Tournament was coming to a close and the entire country was in a cheerful state due to their country’s unexpected winning streak. That particular night was they were playing the Semi-Final against England. Tom and some of his soccer-minded colleagues did not hesitate to accept the generous invitation to watch said Semi-Final on a big screen one of the ComiCon organisers had set up in his backyard.

The promise of watching the Semi-Final in privacy with drinks, BBQ, home prepared salads and dessert was a prospect Tom absolutely did not want to turn down. After living out of his bag for so long, this kind of homely invitation was virtually a no-brainer. Also, England was playing the Fifa Semi Finals! As a proud Brit you do not refuse an offer like this, even if you are quite possibly entering the lion’s den.

It had been a pleasant surprise that she was attending the evening as well. She was all dressed down in summery attire, her auburn locks now pulled up in a high ponytail to defy the summer heat and the country’s tricolour haphazardly applied on her cheek by an enthusiastic friend. She was all smiles and relaxed. Her name was Charlotte.

Finally; a name to put by her attractive appearance.

The nervous happy atmosphere surrounding the World Cup had rubbed off on all spectators and promptly switched into outright excitement when the referee whistled the end of the match. Charlotte, self-acclaimed ‘not-the-greatest-soccer-fan’, had literally dropped whatever she’d been doing during those finals minutes of the match and cheered out heart and soul with the rest of the locals at their country’s victory. It was quite the sight. Tom, though disappointed at heart at his country’s loss, could only grin at Charlotte’s enthusiastic outburst when their eyes briefly met.

Yes, England had lost the game – agonisingly so - but the spectacle of so much joy quickly made Tom and his friends partake in the erupting celebrations nonetheless. The entire city seemed to burst into much anticipated, yet unexpected, festivities. Alcohol flowed freely, the music was cranked up and amateur fireworks were lit. On the big screen images flashed by of impromptu parties that made it to the streets where people bonded, laughed and danced. And kissed.

My god, did they kiss…

In that stupendous garden at the riverside, a party had started on its own. And true to form, Tom had danced with several women in the course of the evening. He couldn’t help it. He was “British that way”, he’d joked. Yet again. It was no exception that he would dance with Charlotte as well at some point.

It was just silly laughter at first and an improvised dance. She danced quite well. He liked that. She humorously called him out on re-using his silly joke. ‘So much for originality Mr. Hiddleston. Is that how it works? Only eloquent when the lines have been fed to you?’ He quirked an eyebrow and spun her around as a silly retaliation. Again. And again. And again. Only to hear her giggle louder and louder, until she had admitted her defeat and dizzily clung to his chest. He chortled at the sight and his inner tennis geek surfaced; ‘fifteen- love’. (ed. in tennis, love means having a score of zero or nil.)

It was the beginning of the end.

They did not break away from each other after that dance. Tom came to discover Charlotte was a great conversationalist and repeatedly caught himself mistaking her for a native speaker as they delved into a mishmash of subjects, albeit slightly intoxicated at one point. Looking back, he might regret some of his tipsy comments, but he did not regret that kiss…

Maybe it was the atmosphere at the riverside, where the music softly faded to the background and the dark night complemented the magic of fading fireworks. Maybe it was the slightly philosophical twist their conversation had been taking. Or maybe it was just the effect of copious gin-tonic, but he could swear there was this magnetic pull that he found he could not resist.

With the fireworks officially rounded up, all the guests slowly started making their way from the waterside back to the patio. Once their own gin-tonics were finished Charlotte suggested following the others and leaving the pier she and Tom had been lounging on. Tom, quick on his feet, offered her his hand as Charlotte made an attempt to rise herself up from the wooden platform. With a smile she accepted his gentleman-like offer.

The softest summer wind graciously blew a hint of her perfume into his direction. That wasn’t helping him much either. On the contrary. As she stood before him her soft fragrance of white musk and jasmine was merely the last drop. Her hands rested in his a little while longer while she came to balance on the gently swaying pontoon and pleasantly sighed.

The water was quietly lapping and the soft background music was sometimes drowned out by laughter of friends. It was a beautifully summery and starry night. Her dark brown eyes glistened in the moonlight as she looked back up to Tom to signal she was ready to head back now. She was greeted with his tipsy, lopsided smile. And then, there it was.

With her hands still in his, a gentle tug on his side sufficed to pull her just that little bit closer to him. He moved as if his was on autopilot. Mesmerized by the night and all it had entailed for him so far. He had kissed her softly at first, his lips just brushing against hers, as if he was just testing the waters. His one hand released hers and smoothly travelled to her cheek where it brushed some loose strands away, after her ear. A second kiss followed shortly after and this one was less tender, more vigorous, and more lustful.

Charlotte had closed her eyes and allowed herself to get swept away in that unexpected moment where Tom’s mouth claimed hers while his hands softly but surely pulled her into a very desirous embrace. It had been a long time someone had conquered her in the way he – perhaps accidently – had done. In her mind this aspect of her life had been closed off, like a finished book, or the empty jar after all the fireflies had fled. But now, somehow, it seemed as though maybe one firefly might have stuck around somewhere.

Yet, she was the first one to pull back. Her forehead resting against his as their lips left each other. Her fingertips that had carefully caressed his soft beard, slid down to his chest, keeping him both close yet at a safe distance. Wordlessly she slowly came to herself again.

She adored being cradled into his strong arms. He was tall and mesmerising, intelligent but with a dry sense of humour, he was both playful and polite, a flirt and absolutely adorable a few drinks in. And particularly that last aspect worried her the most.

Tom immediately and solemnly apologized to her, explaining he had no hidden agenda, no pretences. It had simply caught him off guard. He was not a one-night kind of man and he swore he didn’t suspect her to be that either. It was just the night, the atmosphere, the alcohol, her… Although he chose to not disclose that last remark.

Charlotte was well aware that all he said was in fact true. And that’s how, while Tom had wanted to ask her to keep the incidence between them, she had come to beat him to it, claiming her job demanded discretion. Which was truthful. And that perhaps ‘this’ could just remain a little secret? Between them?

She combined a coy smile with a slightly playful wink when she added she however intended to take that kiss as a compliment, if he didn’t mind that.

Thàt, he most certainly did not.

Their paths had crossed one last time the following day. Charlotte was in the foyer tending to the tasks at hand. When Tom and his entourage crossed her, they exchanged a warm smile and a polite nod. And that had been that. Their paths set to disentangle to never meet again. However, life never really listens to manmade plans now does it?

#tom hiddleston #tom hiddleston x ofc #simple-things

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gaymariarobotnik · 6 years ago

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So I’ve been thinkin a lot lately about the Chao Garden in Sonic Adventure 2, yeah? And I was gonna post something way earlier, but it was kinda just a fun lil headcanon. So like..what if the location of the chao garden was on the Ark? Think about it; everyone including Eggman can access it, the warp pad in the main room looks similar to the one in the pyramid base, and it’s clearly located in outer space.

But Eden, what purpose would it have being on the Ark? Well I’m so glad you asked ;)

You see, it’s mentioned a lot that Gerald wanted to test the properties of chaos when working with the artificial chaos, and he had to have some sort of component in that, right? What a better component to have than chao? Now I’m not saying he made the chao into these things obviously, but what if they were just tested with near harmlessly? The chao garden is made up of three different environments, dark, normal, and light.

We can clearly tell that the Hero garden is based off of the Mystic Ruins, so it’s almost like their made-for habitat. This is where they can thrive to their utmost and really be happy. The normal garden I would think is just one that maybe Shadow and Maria had access to to play with the little creatures, as it was a simply livable environment for anyone, and it gives Maria a small touch of Mobius.

However, I spent awhile looking at the dark one. I know what you may be thinking. “Oh no, she’s gonna go make an edgy theory about the dark garden~” and..no, but something did come to mind. It was silly, but I was writing junk last night all like “I wonder what the Black Arms’ homeworld looked like if it still exists, that’d be weird.” (I was playing Starfox Assault like the stupid gay I am and got inspired by the Aparoid home planet concept) and then I thought, y’know..the red fruit in the dark garden look awfully similar to the ones you see in Shadow the Hedgehog..

So basically what I was thinkin was, what if the dark environment was based off of the Black Arms’ homeworld? ( a very small portion at that, but still) It would kinda make sense, seeing as Gerald would want to make sure that a chaos powered being could be compatible with whatever Black Arms DNA he would be given. It wouldn’t just be Shadow on the line, but also Maria.

So Idk I just think the Chao Gardens are a neat touch even if they’re just for fun but like also..they seem to me like they would’ve been perfect for ensuring Shadow’s viability in both chaos and alien environments~

#here she rambles #shadow the hedgehog #gerald robotnik #maria robotnik #sonic the hedgehog #black doom #sonic adventure 2

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joyofcrime-elinorhigh · 6 years ago

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Samurai Jack Season 5 REVIEW:

Thirteen years have passed, but the series does not age. It was a modern classic. Yet, the film's setbacks continued...Hope was lost. Got to get back, back to the past. Samurai Jack. Jack Jack...Jack Jack Jack.......Watcha? Well that was literally the worst intro conceivably possible and I've just lost all of my credibility. Let's do this!

Hello everybody, my name is JoyofCrimeArt and it's finally time for me to finally talk about the show that everybody in the animation community was talking about...about a month or so ago. (Dang self imposed hiatus.) From the director of "Adam Sandler get's into wacky situations as a vampire for ninety minutes 1 and 2" come the long awaited fifth season of Samurai Jack! Now before we start this, I feel that it's important for me to talk about my feelings on the first four seasons of the show. the first thing to get out of the way is that I did not watch Samurai Jack much when I was a kid. I started watching the series about a year ago, after I heard that a fifth season was announced. So basically, I have no "nostalgia." for this series. Also I haven't seen every episode of the old series, but I have seen a good handful and from what I've seen, it was pretty awesome. The show has one of the most creative premises for an animated series I've ever seen, and takes full advantage of all the possibilities that it's world presents. The show has a level of artistry that I have not seen from any other animated series except for maybe "Over the Garden Wall." And it has a very memorable cast of characters. (Even if said cast of characters is only about three guys.) The show was sometime truly unique, and there really isn't anything else like it. Except for Genndy's "Star Wars: Clone Wars" series, which is more or less Samurai Jack with a "Star Wars" mod skin over it. The show isn't perfect though, at least in my opinion. Sometimes the pacing can be a bit too slow, and a lot of times episodes are really just one long action scene. This wouldn't be a problem except most of the time it's Jack fighting some generic bounty hunter or monster who was just introduced in the episode, so it's hard to find them that interesting. Unless it's Aku, or a few other stand out villains, most of the foe's that Jack face tend to have really cool powers and designs, but not much personality. But those are small problems in an otherwise great show. . But how does this sequel season hold up. (And yes, it's a sequel season not a reboot. It's set in the same continuity as the old show so it isn't a reboot, dang it!) A lot of times in the past when a series comes back after being cancelled for a long time, it tends to come back not as good (*COUGH COUGH! FUTURAMA! COUGH! COUGH!*) does Samurai Jack fall into this trap or is it a rare exception to this rule. Let's dive in and find out. Oh, and the first part of this review will be mostly spoiler free, and then I'll have a warning before I get into spoilers. And when I say spoilers, I mean anything major that wasn't revealed in the first official trailer. Just for a heads up. Samurai Jack season five opens up fifty years after the first four seasons. It's basically the same old story, as Jack travels around helping people from the clutches of Aku and his minions. Only this time it's a more grizzled Jack, who has a beard, wears all black, uses really big guns, and has a motorcycle-HEY, COME BACK! I PROMISE IT'S NOT AS DUMB AS IT SOUNDS! Jack has become tired of all of this. Aku has destroyed all of the time portals, so he has no way to get back to the past. And to make matters worse Jack has lost his sword years ago, which is the only thing that can kill Aku. So Jack has been basically trapped in this limbo for fifty years, with no hope of every truly defeating Aku. (He doesn't age anymore due to a side effect of the time portal.) Meanwhile, we get introduced to the Cult of Aku. A cult who worships Aku as a God and is for some reason only made up of woman. I guess Aku likes his cult EXTRA THICC! (*Obligatory "Extra Thicc" joke...check!*) The High Priestesses of this cult gives birth the seven daughters, and we see that they are all raised from birth to become the perfect killing machines. And so this team of assassin's known as the "Daughters of Aku" lead by one of the daughter named Ashi (You know she's the leader cause she's the only one who has a name.) head out to find Samurai Jack and destroy him once and for all. So in case you couldn't tell, this season is MUCH darker than the past seasons of this show. But it manages to be dark without coming off as needlessly edgy, which is a really impressive feat. In fact Samurai Jack may be one of few "darker and grittier" continuations of ANY franchise actually works to the series advantage. It's not infallible, as there are a lot of scenes that do feel like there just being needlessly bloody and violent just because they can now, but for the most part the darker tone works to the series advantage. Serious issues are tackled, and they treat them seriously. Jack is driven by guilt over not being able to save people from Aku, and this guilt haunts him, both in the form of visions from his "past self" who is very reminiscent of Mad Jack from the old series, but also in the form of a ghostly horseman who wants to claim Jack and make him fall into despair.

The series tackles themes of depression, PTSD, child abuse, suicide, and weather or not it's okay to kill in self defense, and it doesn't sugar coat it either. So many adult shows just use raunchy humor and violence for a quick joke. And there's nothing necessarily, I like a lot of adult cartoons, but it is great to see an adult cartoon actually tackle adult issues with this level or respect and seriousness. So many adult cartoons just have characters kill people just cause' but this series actually poses questions about weather it's right or wrong, and makes it clear there's not always an easy answer. I have a lot of respect for this season for tackling these issues, and for doing it in a way that feels natural. This series really plays up all the implications that the first for series posed when it comes to the world that Jack lives in. Innocent people do die, and Aku and his bounty hunters do kill people. And the fact that Jack's been seeing this destruction and carnage for fifty years, and is powerless to truly stop it, it makes sense that he's beginning to lose sight between right and wrong. It makes sense that's he's getting PTSD visions in the middle of fights. And it makes sense that he's contemplating suicide. He can't die of old age, and no robot or bounty hunter is able to kill him. He feels like he's going to be wandering this world forever, and you quickly see why he wouldn't want that. It's really well done, and I give the series a lot of props for tackling these issues. In fact this type of stuff is probably my favorite element of this season. The show also still looks amazing. The designs and creativity are still very much there, and in some respects are even better than the old show. There are some scenes like the temple battle in episode two that honestly feel down right cinematic. The show still has it's quite, atmospheric moments, but the show also has a much brisker pace, due to actually having a continuous narrative. I like the brisker pace of the season...for the most part, but I'll get to that later. The action is still amazingly well done, and it's great to see an action show that is actually successful both critically and in terms of popularity. It's been so long since we had that. It's also neat to see an american action show that is target strictly for adults. We so rarely see that, and I'm glad that this was successful, and hopefully this seasons success could lead to more action adult animation in the future. Honestly, this is how a sequel series or a reboot should be done in my opinion. It captures the essence of the original, but does add enough new elements to make it unique. It would of been so easy to not make the series any darker, and just make it a bunch of standalone episodes, and then maybe do a two part finale wrapping everything up. But I like how it took a risk, and it clearly worked out for them. But yeah, onto the flaws, I... HEY! You're not allowed to have criticisms of this! This is Genndy Tartakovsky we're talking about! He can't do any wrong you casual plebe! Well, I believe that no one is perfect, and that everything has some pros and some cons, okay? I respect Genndy a lot, but even he has his duds. Have you seen his Cartoonsitute pilot "Maruined?" Of course you haven't, because it's awful! And before you say that Samurai Jack is flawless, I present you this scene where the animators forgot to give Jack a beard...

0 out of 10! Needs more beard!!!1! One thing, I don't really like what this season did with Aku. I kinda get what they were trying to do. They wanted to show the similarities between Jack and Aku, and give them a sort of symbiotic "Batman/Joker" style situation. Both are immortal, but neither of them can be happy until they kill the other and neither can. That is actually a really cool idea, and in theory I think it could really work. But the execution is where it falls a bit flat for me. He's just to silly. And I know he was silly in the old show, but he was also scary and a real threat. He doesn't feel that threatening in this season. The world he created is threatening, but the problem lies in the fact that, while everything else in this season is given a darker tone, it's surprisingly the villain who stays the same. I think this Aku could work for Cartoon Network, but not adult swim. Characters like the High Priestess come across as more intimidating then the God they worship. Aku also seems kinda like a wimp, afraid to fight Jack if Jack has his sword, even though he fought Jack in the old show a ton of times while Jack still had his sword. Because, even with the sword, Aku was still a shape shifting demon God who could kill you with heat vision. But here they all just act like once Jack has the sword he can just walk up to Aku and just kill him. Episode seven and a bit of episode nine are really the only episode where Aku feels like old Aku. I know they want to make him silly because everything else is so heavy, but if Gravity Falls can make a villain be as terrifying and comedic as Bill, then they could of balanced it with Aku.

Oh, check it out. Aku twerking. Interesting how NOBODY CARED WHEN SAMURAI JACK DID IT! Also, there are point in the season that are incredibly rushed! I know earlier I like the pacing, and I do in terms of actually events in particular scenes and episodes, but when looking at the season as a whole, it's impossible for me to not notice the pacing problems. Event's weren't necessarily rushed, but arcs where. I can't go into the specific problems until I get to spoilers but the pacing is probably my biggest problem with the season. If there is one thing you can say about Samurai Jack is that it NEVER felt rushed. It always took it's time when it came to presenting a scene. That's why so many episodes would start with Jack just slowly walking across a landscape. I can't really go into specific examples without going into spoilers though so...let's get into spoilers. THIS IS THE SPOILER SECTION! So let's talk about Ashi. I really like the concept of her. An assassin trained from birth worshiping Aku who ends up becoming Jack's sort of sidekick. Ashi and Jack do have a good dynamic going on once Ashi begins her redemption arc. I like how it's not just a student/master relationship, as they both teach each other things. Jack teaches Ashi to let go of her hate, and Ashi teaches Jack to let go of his regret. This stuff I really like, and I think it works really well. The problem I have is that Ashi's whole character arc feels incredibly rushed! the issue stems from just how devoted Ashi was to her cause at the start of the season. She literally spends all of episode four trying to kill Jack while inside the sand worms stomach, and makes it very clear that she is willing to kill herself as well as long as she makes sure the samurai dies with her. She is completely unphased about her sisters being killed, because her life and the concept of life in general hold such little value to her. But then she just see's Jack not kill a ladybug and suddenly, Bam. She no longer wants to kill him. MIRACULOUS! And yeah, I know Jack tells her that everything she knows is wrong, and she wants to know why, but if she's this brainwashed then why does it work so quickly. She's known Jack for like a day, and has spent at least eighteen years being told to never trust him. I know she see's him sparing the ladybug, but she also saw Jack sparing her life countless times, and that didn't effect her. It was only when he saved the ladybug when she decided to not kill him. And speaking of rushed, oh boy oh boy, let's talk about episode eight. Let me get this out of the way, I can see a scenario where "Jashi" as others have called it COULD work. The two have very good dynamic together. Yes, it is a little weird cause Jack is literally old enough to be her grandfather, and he is also the only man she's ever had any form of serious interaction with, and it could be seen as a bit of taking advantage of her, but I can let that go on the grounds of it just being a cartoon. I'm not totally closing the door on the possibility of a relationship. The issue is that nothing in the previous episodes seems to imply that there relationship was like that. And then in episode eight were just suppose to buy it. And I don't. This relationship needed more then just one episode to establish itself. Still though, Jack being hilariously awkward almost made up for it.

Jack: So Ashi, did either of our parents explain to us how sex works? Ashi: Nope. Jack: Damn it. And there are even more examples of times where the pacing seems to be a bit rushed, but those are the two main ones. Honestly, I don't know why the pacing is like this. Part of me feels like maybe the series could of been better if it had a few more episodes to flesh out all of the ideas, like maybe thirteen instead of ten, but even then I'm not so sure. Cause there are a lot of moments in this season that, while usually cool, aren't exactly needed for the plot. Like Scaramouche's whole subplot in episode six. All that is needed plot wise is that he reboots, sets out to go tell Aku about Jack losing his sword, and that's it. We don't need to see him come up with all those schemes to board the boat, our minds would naturally just fill in the blanks on how he got there. Then we could have more time on Jack contemplating suicide. Yes, we would of missed Tom Kenny saying the word "penis" which would obviously be a tragedy, but from a purely plot perspective, we didn't need it. Or Ashi's whole battle with the orc army in episode seven. We don't need that. All we needed was Ashi to fight her mother. It's not like the orc army really accomplished anything. Heck, honestly did we even need Ashi to fight her mother. I mean I guess it was to give her arc a sense of closure, but she had already denounced Aku and, now knowing the ending of the series, it's not like the priestess was going to survive anyway. Then we could of had more time with Jack on his spiritual quest, instead of him just making tea with Buddha, and just laser zapping Old Jack. And then there was that one episode in the middle of the season, where Jack and Ashi weren't even in it at all, and the whole episode followed around some old guy in a lab coat ranting about McDonald Schezwan Sauce! I have no idea what THAT was about!

Look, I'm not saying that Genndy Tartakovsky jerks off to Ashi being shown in immense pain but...No, that's exactly what I'm saying. I'm not kink shaming, I'm just sayin'. Speaking of which, I wanna talk about something in episode six that really bugs me. I find the reason Jack loses his sword to be kinda stupid. Or at the very least, flawed within the logic of the show. In this episode, Aku turns a couple of baby goats into giant monsters and has them attack Jack. Jack, angry about the loss of the last time portal, ends up giving into his anger and kills the baby goats. This is treated as a bad thing, as the Gods make Jack lose his sword because of this. But what was Jack suppose to do?! Let the goats kill him, even though Jack is the only one who has a chance of stopping Aku? There was no way to reverse the effects of Aku's curse. And this wouldn't bother me to much, except earlier in the season we got a whole arc about how it is okay to kill in self defense. The Daughters of Aku are a lot like the goats when you think about it. They were turned against there will to kill Jack. The only difference is that the Daughter's of Aku were mind controlled from birth and the goats were mind controlled with magic. How come it's okay to kill Aku's Daughters but not the goats. If anything Aku's Daughters should have more value, not just because there human, but because Ashi proves that they could be turned good. Who's to say that Ashi is the only one who Jack could of shown the light? There really isn't much implying that all seven daughters couldn't have been reasoned with if they went through the same things that Ashi did? The show just seems like it has some conflicting messages on this subject, and for some reason acts like Ashi was the only one of the Daughters of Aku who could ever possibly be redeemed. Also we see Jack eat meat! So he clearly kills animals! But whatever. I know it's kinda a nitpick but when the whole season makes such a big deal about killing and Jack's sword it's hard not to notice the inconsistencies. So let's talk about the finale. Outside of episode eight this seems to be the thing that fans are the most split about. Some fans think it's great, while others find it to be a bit of a disappointment after thirteen years of build up. Before I get into the finale though, I just want to say that I CALLED ASHI BEING THE LITERAL DAUGHTER OF AKU! (Kinda.) When the series first started I guessed that Ashi would be the literal daughter of Aku. But then when it seemed like they weren't heading that direction I figured, "Eh, I guess I was wrong." But I was right! Ha!

Jack: DAMN IT, AKU! STOP MAKING ME FALL IN LOVE WITH FEMALE VERSIONS OF YOU! FOOL ME ONCE, SHAME ON YOU. FOOL ME TWICE, SHAME ON ME! Anyway, there are definitely a lot of good elements in the finale. The army of past characters coming to Jack's aid, while definitely predictable, was really cool. It really helps fit the theme of Jack's actions having an influence on the world. The fight itself was also cool, and it was great seeing The Scotsman actually reunite with Jack one last time, even if it was a bit brief. My only main gripes with the finale are that, one.) We never really get a truly epic final battle between Jack and Aku. All we get is a quick curb stomp battle between Jack and Past Aku. We don't get any fight with Jack and future Aku, and it's a bit disappointing since this is literally the only Jake/Aku fight in the whole season, not counting the one in episode six where Aku just runs away. We don't really get a truly epic Jack/Aku on the same level that we got in the old seasons. and two.) I honestly find the ending a bit to happy. I know that sounds weird, considering the fact that it's a bit of a bittersweet ending, but it just felt a bit out of place to me that Jack actually did make it back to the past. The whole season prior really made it seem like it wasn't going to go that way. They seemed to set things up like they were saying "No, Jack can't undo all the horrible things that Aku has done in the past. But that doesn't mean he should give up. He can still defeat Aku now, and free the future from his reign of evil." I mean it kinda makes all the grief he felt in the begining of the season seem less meaningful if he just undoes it. And yes, I know he still had to experience all off that, but still. Also I don't like how it just erased all of the characters who we've come to love over the years. Or are they alive in the future, just a less evil future? I don't know, the show doesn't tell us. It feels really sudden and, again, kinda rushed. I know this ending is kinda controversial, and I don't hate it, but I do find it interesting that a series that fans waited so long for the conclusion to was so unsatisfying to so many people. Like what if other series that have continuations come back and have unsatisfying endings, even if those endings were the ones the creators intended. It'll be interesting to see. So yeah, I didn't hate the ending by any stretch. I wouldn't even call it bad as much as I would call it off. But then again, maybe after thirteen years we all had the ending sort of worked out in are heads to the point were any ending that didn't match our head cannon would seem a bit off. There's also some weird fridge logic things to. Like why does Ashi wait till there wedding to stop existing. Did they get married that day? Considering how quickly they feel in love I wouldn't be surprised. Also, did going back in time undoing the whole "immortality" thing or not, it wasn't very clear. What happened when the Emperor dies? Will Jack just be emperor forever. Considering all the crap Jack's been through in the future there's no way ANYTHING in the current timeline would be able to kill him...and he no longer wants to kill himself. Have we just gone full alternate history here? Will Jack live till WWII? Will Japan in this timeline join the allies, as Emperor Jack refuses Hitler's offer to join the Axis due to how much Hitler will remind him of Aku? WILL JACK FIGHT HITLER? CAN HITLER'S "SPEAR OF DESTINY" WORK AGAINST JACKS SWORD? WHO'S MAGIC WOULD BE STRONGER? CAN WE GET A SEASON SIX WERE JACK FIGHTS HITLER? PLEASE adult swim?! PLEASE!? PLEASE!?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ct9h_BtUZKI

SPOILERS ARE NOW OVER! So those are my thoughts on Samurai Jack season five. You might get the impression from all of my complaints that I didn't like the season all that much, but that couldn't be further from the truth. I may be critical, and yes, I do have my problems with the season. But that doesn't make the good stuff in the season any less good. In general I tend to be more critical and nit picky about things I like than things I hate. This is because I expect more from them. Despite it's flaws Samurai Jack season five was still a fun ride from start to finish. The animation is just as, if not more, amazing than it was in the first four seasons. The acting was great, especially Phil Lamar does some really amazing acting as Jack. The darker story line required a lot more emotion behind some of these lines, and he was able to pull them off great, despite how stoic is performance usually is. The action was just as good as ever, and I love the darker road the series took. While I do like a lot of immature adult cartoons it was nice to see one of the only adult shows that actually felt "adult." Sure parts were rushed, the ending was a little wonky, and there are definitely plot holes but as a whole, I think I liked the episodes in this season more than the handful of episodes I've seen of the previous seasons. While that run may have had less plot holes and was less rushed in it's delivery, the stuff in this season is just so good that I can overlook some of the flaws. In the end I'm glad that this story did finally got a proper conclusion, and that the road that we have followed Jack on for last sixteen years has finally come to an end.

So that was my review of Samurai Jack season five. I know I'm a little late to the party on this, but I wanted to make sure that I got it right. What did you think of the review, or the season or series as a whole. Leave your thoughts in the comments down bellow. I'd love to hear what you think, even if you don't agree with me one hundred percent, and start some kind of conversation. Leave a fav, follow, or comment if you liked the review and have a great day.

(I do not own any of the images or videos in this review all credit goes to there original owners.)

https://www.deviantart.com/joyofcrimeart/journal/Samurai-Jack-Season-Five-REVIEW-687392078 DA Link

#Smaurai Jack #Samurai Jack Season 5 #Review #Toonami #Rick and Morty

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dunkshotdreaming · 6 years ago

Text

The Serpent and the Raven

Genre: fantasy, HP au, fluff/romance, friends-to-lovers Warnings: heavy creative liberties taken on the HP world; nothing apart from that though, I think! well besides that the story moves on super quickly,, oops Characters: Leo x fem!reader, very brief mention of VIXX members.Word count: 2,977 Story type: oneshot

Waking up today, you thought it was going to a typical, boring Monday. However, life has its ways of popping up seemingly out of nowhere, like tripping on invisible string. Hm, ok maybe that’s not exactly what I was going for, but of no importance. You went about your morning ritual, noticing something was off. The house is painfully quiet, I’m up for school and there’s not a peep, it seems everyone in the house is asleep- WAIT WHAT IS THIS, YOU’VE ACTUALLY OVERSLEPT!

In your rush to get ready, you almost fail to notice a big, beautifully sealed, professional looking envelope atop your bed. A single feather lays across the letter. What could this be? When you reach out to grab it, it opens itself. What sorcery is this?!

“You’ve been accepted to Hogwarts University of divine studies” the letter has unfolded itself… and spoken to you. How could this be? You pass it off as another crazy dream, and play along with the oddities occurring. An owl flies nearly into your window, perching just barely on the edge outside. You open the window to get a better look at this majestic creature, and it invites itself into your room. It finds comfort atop a suitcase strewn about the room. Wasn’t that tucked away in your closet? Before you can retrace your steps, the owl’s grabbing your belongings, underwear and books alike, carrying them in its beak to your suitcase.

Briefly, you stare in shock, jaw close enough to the floor to clean the floor. But then you snap out of your trance, something even weirder has happened. The owl has brought in friends, at first is just one, two, suddenly a dozen owls appear, carrying your suitcase out the large window. And it’s all you can do try and stop them, but you’re too late, the envelope somehow appearing behind you and pushing you outside the window. Snap, your room’s on the second floor though! One second you’re in your room, comfy in pajamas, the next you’re free falling outside your window on an adventure akin Alice’s Wonderland… … but then suddenly the feeling stops, and you’re no longer falling. Rather, you’re floating in mid-air, two large wings appearing where previously only skin laid upon your back. Clumsily and carefully, you manage to make them flap, a few feathers if your own lost in the heavy first attempts. Perhaps humans were never meant to fly, you think, a fleeting thought at most. Because then something wonderful happens, your wings start working and you’re soaring above every building in town, aimlessly following the flock of owls carrying your belongings into the night. It’s all you remember, hours later, when you wake up feeling exhausted, surrounded by an unfamiliar hustle and bustle.

“This sounds like too many people to be just my family, do we have company?” But no, you couldn’t be more wrong, for it is YOU who is the guest. Opening your eyes, you discover yourself in unfamiliar territory. What of the strange dream with the owls? Were you drugged and kidnapped? No such thing, sweetheart, relax. You’re at Hogwarts! What’s that, you ask? A school for the extraordinarily gifted children, for divine arts. Think of it… as a magical magnet school! What’s that, you don’t recall enrolling? Silly goose, you don’t enroll here, you’re SELECTED. It’s only the utmost prestige, really. Come now, to the dining hall, first years must get sorted. Up now, quickly!

As you sit on a bench in the mess hall in confusion, following the masses of children your age who seem so excited, you furrow your brows, cursing yourself for leaving your glasses behind. You hadn’t noticed until a small chuckle accidentally escaped his lips, that a boy across from you at the table where you sat had been watching you. His narrow eyes widened embarrassment at being caught, cheeks lightly flushed, slim lips agape. He turned around to face the front of the assembly, as did you when you heard bells ringing. The assembly passed in a blur for you, muted interest and wonder. How could a hat speak? What was this “Sorting” everyone kept mumbling about? It wasn’t until then that you noticed where their eyes trailed off to, the four large banners hanging overhead, from the ceiling. A red, a green, a blue, and a yellow, each with its own mascot and a name you presumed, illegible despite squinting because of those darned glasses. It was your turn next, and so you sat, and the Hat was perched upon your head, grumbling until he came to a decision. “Ravenclaw!” he screeched. Some cheered, some groaned. You could swear you faintly heard one of the girls in green complain, “Not another one*”.

Making your way over to the sea of blue robes, you attempted conversation with your peers. No one seemed to know who you were or where you came from, just mentioned you arriving mysteriously last night with some owls and a bag. Okay, that’s strange, because that’s exactly like your dre- “Excuse me, miss.” You turned to face the raven-haired boy from earlier, across the table. “Pardon me for staring, but.. I’ve never seen a girl like you around these parts, I didn’t mean anything bad by it.” The way he was all flustered and trying to clear things up made your heart swell inexplicably. It seems he wanted to get on your good side, and now that you took a closer look around, he was right. Everyone around seemed to have much narrower eyes, slimmer faces, they all shared qualities that made you stand out.

Raven boy extended his arm your way, offering a sheepish grin. “I’m Leo, by the way. Leo Jung.” Whispers stirred the crowd that had previously been watching you two in silence. You hadn’t noticed that he was wearing a green robe, not blue, as you didn’t know the difference between houses or the rivalries. You’d earnestly just wanted a friend, all this craziness had you exhausted, and homesick. Whispers of “What does the Jung kid want with HER?” made your nerves prickle, you didn’t know if you should be nervous. You didn’t have any time to react though, because Leo grabbed your hand and tugged you after him as he fled the messy hall. Gossip flew faster than the owls who’d carried your bag, of the famed Jung son befriending the scholarship exchange student. There were even rumors about you two running away to elope, but you’d only just met?! It was like high school all over again, that’s all you could think. Your feet carried you thoughtlessly, following behind Leo like a small ragdoll behind his tall stature. Now that you’d had the time to take in his appearance, he was rather attractive. Towering over your smaller frame with his broad shoulders, walking gracefully on long legs seemingly at three times your own pace. You arrived at what appeared to be a garden or a forest before he’d finally stopped walking, you couldn’t be fully sure.

“Please don’t listen to what the people say. I may come from a prominent family, but that doesn’t mean I’ll let that keep us apart. I don’t even know your name, but judging by the way you’re so indifferent… you have no idea who I am, do you?” You shook your head, it was the truth after all. He took his lower lip between his teeth, licking it anxiously. “I’m not here groveling at your feet asking for a big favor or anything, I hope, but... what do you say to being friends? I-If you say yes we can start over, a-and I’ll explain everything, I’ll even give you a tour-!”

You squeezed his hand, forgetting for a moment that you’d been holding hands this entire time, focusing on how comfortable you felt with a complete stranger and why that didn’t feel odd at all. He did keep his word though, he taught you of the houses and their names, of their origins, and of his family’s snobbiness. He loved animals and children, not wanting anything to do with the family business; you even caught him secretly checking up on the garden’s plants mid conversation, whether he realized he was doing this or not was an entirely different question. You learned of the red Gryffindor’s bravery, and of yellow Hufflepuff’s loyalty, before he proceeded to tell you about the remaining two houses, each of your own.

You belonged to Ravenclaw, he explained slowly, carefully, the details of his face mesmerizing you all the while. His brows scrunched in thought, the way his hands would fidget like he wasn’t used to another’s presence, even his constant lower lip licking as he spoke eloquently yet shyly. Leo’s soft voice surely did not match his sharp gaze and rather gothic raven hair. Ironic, that the raven haired boy belonged to the house of serpents instead. The blue Ravenclaw, your house, was home to the folks who enjoyed studying, who constantly loved learning new things. You’d won many scholarships, and not for lack of trying, from your studies to your sports, it only seemed fair to be placed there.

Leo hesitated for a moment before continuing, before claiming his residence in the green Slytherin house. Slytherin were known for their cunning, but ran with a chip in their shoulder. Some held their chins high, the pride of being in a prestigious placement, while others (like Leo) didn’t seem to care much about… well, a damn thing. He was placed there simply because everyone in his family has been there for generations, and he seemed bored out of his mind even thinking about this. Slytherin was known for its tendency to produce dark wizards as well, Leo didn’t elaborate on this, the topic making him come off a bit edgy and antsy to change course, so you let him.

You asked him about his dreams if he didn’t care for the business, and he bowed his head between his knees, covering his face with those long, slender fingers of his. Leo mumbled out an answer, having to repeat himself for being so soft-spoken when flustered. “A teacher,” he whispered. “I love working with children, especially small ones. But there’s no way my family would ever approve… they’d put anywhere I try to run away to out of business, guaranteed.“ He opened his mouth to speak once more, as he finally looked up, his eyes meeting your face and making your cheeks heat up some. But just then, some rotten Gryffindor punks decided to run over and pelt you with… tomatoes, great. Kidnapped by owls, brought to a magic school, and now pelted with food, could life GET any better?

Just in time, Leo pulled out a wand, stopping the tomatoes barely an inch from impact. With a sigh of relief and a flick of his wand, the fruits went flying back at three scoundrels who’d dared attempt hurting you in the first place. You thanked him for the help, with him mumbling softly that it was nothing. Boldly lacing your hand in his, a change to his earlier shyness, Leo croaks out a soft thanks as well. You can’t seem to understand why, when he’s the one who saved you, but just as if reading your mind, he whispers. “Thank you for saving me… from this hell of a school. I’ve never had a friend before.” His gaze is so strong yet his voice is so weak and you just can’t help but feel bad for the boy in front of you, knowing he’s had a life as difficult as it’s been regal. Dealing with family like his and being expected to live up to a famed title put immense pressure on such a young boy, he was barely now becoming a man.

Reaching your free arm upwards to wrap around Leo’s shoulder, you held him close in silence, knowing no words needed to be said at this moment. If he needed a friend, then a friend you would be. You pretended you were deaf to his sniffles, blind to him hunched over your body, and mute for the time being. He was your savior in more ways than one, and you’d decided as long as you were stuck at this school, you’d stay by his side. What seemed a childish promise on an emotional wreck of a first day of school resulted in a precious, blossoming friendship. No one messed with you for fear of Leo’s wrath, notorious for his temper. He’d become like your shadow, though the rumors never did die down.

A few months later, in the middle of working on a project together, he asked you out. You brushed it off, thing it a mere joke. “Cut it out Leo, that’s not funny. Now come on, we need to study these for the quiz on poti-” His lips on yours cut you off before either of you had time to process what had just happened. Desperate for an escape, he tried to turn and run, but you grabbed your wand and shut the door so he couldn’t. Trying to bite back your smile, you attempted an interrogation. Which only resulted in him backing you up into the long study desk, Leo looming over you, resting his forehead against yours delicately before shutting his eyes.

His confession came as sweet as candy, as pure as clean rivers. Nothing but his love for you spilled through his words, but he couldn’t stop now, no he’d come too far for that, it was now or never. Leo was pleasantly surprised when you kissed his cheek, playing with your uniform shyly, accepting his confession. His arms shot out to wrap around your waist so fast you’d almost feared he’d break something. Your relationship had to remain a secret, for public’s sake. Rumors were just that, but if word or proof got out… Leo feared his father’s wrath. You were talented, a gifted young thing, but you were still born from muggles, from..humans. And that was unacceptable in the wizarding world. Like a purebred dog and a street mutt coinciding, star-crossed lovers. (lady and the tramp anyone?)

Despite this, you two managed to make it near the end of the school year without getting caught, and it was the most wonderful experience of your mundane life. With his wand, Leo could make any dream a reality. Even sneaking around and hiding in a closet could be paradise, with the proper enchantment. Speaking of paradise, there’s some trouble there now. Mr. Jung, Leo’s dad, came to visit the school on formal affairs. (wizard pta?) But what he witnessed was his son “goofing off with the charity case”, and he was surely enraged. His father threatened to expel you if you did not remove yourself from his son, but Leo interjected before you could be turned into a toad or such, bless his heart. After some fancy footwork around the subject (and just the right spells), Leo managed to get his dad to back off you two. It was a long and rocky road, both of you eventually making a few other friends, your boyfriend also discovering his passion for singing along the way.

You’d decided to study a more traditional route, a doctor perhaps, and you’d desperately wanted to return to your family. After your studies at Hogwarts were complete, you’d both graduated at the top of the class of your respective houses. Leo talked his father into letting him become an elementary school teacher, how he managed that you would never know. He continued with his passion for music, but his fondness for magic was never far behind, though kept a secret for only others like yourselves to see. With a lovely recommendation letter from your beloved Hogwarts, along with your accumulated accolades, you’d easily made it into an Ivy League school. Majoring in medicine and soon after becoming one of the top pediatricians of the country, perhaps even the world.

You and Leo lived together, not truly comfortably settling down until you’d finished your hospital interning and him with his shadow teaching. After all was set and done, and jobs were acquired, Leo took you back to your school reunion and proposed to you in the very garden you two had snuck off to on day one. You’re not sure which one of you two cried more, but the ring was absolutely gorgeous, of that you’re sure. The ceremony was small but elegant, both your families and closet friends attending; his family insisting on paying, likely just to show off; but you’d agreed, to help satisfy their egos. Not three years later, you’d had your first child…ren. Surprise, twins!

Ok maybe not a surprise, you’d adopted them after consulting a specialist who’d decided your body wouldn’t cope with the stress of pregnancy well. Years after the owls made off with your bag, and the raven befriended the serpent, you could say you got your happily ever after. Even if happily is subjective to the screaming infants in your arms, eyes bloodshot from the endless hospital shifts and long nights of parenting. Leo was the epitome of fatherhood, from food to diapers to lullabies. The fact that you two had some magical assistance didn’t hurt one bit.

And so here ends the tale of the star-crossed lovers who found their way, an eventful tale from start to finish. The scaled boy who couldn’t move on from his past and the winged girl who refused to stay still, to let dreams just pass her by. Though in nature the serpent may eat the raven, this story is one of magic and friendship, one in which they need one another to survive. As the children grow and the magic remains, one thing was constant through time and space. And that was the love between the dear couple who overcame every obstacle thrown their way, because winners never quit and quitters never win.

A/N: I originally wrote this on kik to send to a friend, and only just recently edited this whole chunk into paragraphs, so my apologies for any mistakes. I also haven't really proofread it yet, just caught a handful of typos at best. If you guys have any questions though or wanna help by pointing out a typo, feel free! I’m also sorry if it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense bc I basically redid a lot of how Hogwarts actually works but I wrote this story at like 4am and don’t remember half of this anymore, oops

*This story was written for a friend of mine some time ago (2016 I wanna say?). Long story short, she’s a Ravenclaw and I’m a Slytherin, so “the girl in green” was just my cameo bc I know a lot of Ravenclaws and when she told me she was one I was like “WHY IS EVERYONE A RAVENCLAW NOWADAYS” lmfao.

#vixx scenarios #leo scenarios #taekwoon imagines #vixx fanfics #kpop harry potter au #hp aus #kpop scenarios #kpop fanfic #vixx oneshot #dunkshotdreaming #not gender neutral #this one's an oldie again oops #i apologize #i'm trying to get used to the formal of here again;; i'm too used to aff #also it's hard af to concentrate bc both my parents are blasting shit rn #dad's music has been annoyingly deafening all day flcknnf i hate speakers :') (ok not rly but like WHY SO LOUD GDI)#...end rant im sorry fhdfkhhe

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tylahartist-blog · 7 years ago

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Zodiac Signs as teens

Aries : Aries teens charismatic traits is Athletic body, youthful attitude, a need to take the lead, aries teens tend to dislike Inactivity, delays, work that doesn't use one's talents, some aries teens are lazy depending on there chart, but aries teens tend to like comfortable clothes, taking the lead, physical challenges, individual sports. Aries teen tend to have courage, determination, self-confidence, enthusiasm. Aries tend to get Impatience, silly arguments, allowing fear to limit choices, activity is the key word for ‘’Aries’’ so we most likely be seen doing pretty much anything active. Aries tend to have a lot of friend’s, or usually talks to everyone. Quick and easy to get along with, an Aries native makes an incredible amount of connections in a lifetime. Aries style seem more edgy laid back like hoodie, jacket, and skinny jeans some converse to throw on it. Chill with almost everyone in the school,and out. Stay’s away from harsh drama but somehow get caught in it.

Taurus : Taurus teens are very actively creative,and dependable, patient, musical, practical, and Stubborn, uncompromising, possessive. Taurus teens like gardening, cooking, working with hands, music, romance, high-quality clothing. Th best to be around in my opinion. Values surrounding family are usually strong and fixed to the point where the young Bull will do anything to protect them no matter what. Taurus style seem more chill you can guess they dress so good but yet so chill stylish, like some vans will do or what not. Does not wan’t get in to drama at all.

Gemini : Gemini teens have a lot of curiosity, and ability to share ideas, adaptable, affectionate, kind. Gem teens likes music a lot, magazines, books, blogs, chats with nearly anyone, short trips around town. They don’t like Repetition and routine, being alone, being confined. Geminian teens are social and love spending time with friends and family. There will be times when this outgoing sign would want to go bungee jumping, and there will be times when sitting at home playing cards will suit them. Soo the gemini style is usually more chill, and urban.

Cancer : So cancer teens are usually compassionate, emotional sensitivity, fierce protection of loved ones, tenacity. So Cancer charismatic medium build, round face, prominent chest, a tendency to take charge. Cancer teens are very relaxing near or in water, art, home-based hobbies, a good meal with friends, helping loved ones.Have no problem helping people out on homework or anything.

Leo : Leo teens of course likes warmth, humor, pride, joy, creativity, passion, generosity, and even the theater, being admired, taking holidays, fun with friends, expensive things, bright colors. By far the most generous of the zodiac, Leos teens make loyal and giving friends. They'll go out of their way to help even when it conflicts with their own schedules.

Virgo : Virgo Teens are very practical, loyal, hardworking, analytical, kind,and really like cleanliness, animals, healthy foods, books, nature. Virgo teen’s tend to worry, shyness, overly critical of self and others, all work and no play. A Virgo teen is a helpful friend to have indeed. They are excellent at giving advice, and they really know how to problem solve.

Libra : Libra teens are Social, fair-minded, cooperative, diplomatic, gracious, they really like harmony, sharing with others, gentleness, the outdoors. Libra teens really dislike in there generation Injustice, violence, conformity, and loudmouths. Un-loving and willing to help out, the Libran makes an excellent friend. Even though they can be late and indecisive, once they're on the scene, they're ready to go. Libra’s tend to spread some gossip though, but use there charm, and prettiness to not get heated up.

Scorpio : Scorpio teens are very passionate, stubborn, resourceful, brave, a true friend. Scorp teens like Truth, facts, being right, teasing, longtime friends, a grand passion, a worthy adversary. Sincerity and truth are strong components of the Scorpio's friends. It can take some time before really close bonds are formed, but once done, the Scorpio teens will remain dedicated and loyal. Witty and intellectual, they prefer companions who are humorous and easygoing. Suspious of people in school, and stay away from the fake as well, wan’t no part in stupid drama as well. Tends to expose a lot of people of their lies, and fakeness, sometimes in drama.

Sagittarius : Sag teens have great sense of humor, idealistic, generous, and Travel, being outdoors, freedom, philosophy. Sag teens are very culture aware. Whether it's stimulating conversation or a hike through the mountains, you can expect this sign to be surrounded by friends. Sagittarian teens are a ton of fun and downright wacky at times. They love to laugh and to get everyone around them going. Sagittarians teens make friends from around the globe, enjoying the various takes on life and culture.

Capricorn : Cap teens are responsible, good managers, disciplined, self-control, dark sense of humor. Cap teens really like family, tradition, quality craftsmanship, understated status, music. Cap teens are chill but weakness is Know-it-all, unforgiving, condescending, expecting the worst. Cap teens Combining a strong wit and a love of humor, the Capricorn teens makes for terrific company for those they choose as friends in, and outside school. They will surround themselves with people who are honest, loyal, and like-minded when it comes to working values. Hates gossip most of the time.

Aquarius : Aqua teens are fun with friends, fighting for causes, helping others, intellectual conversation, a good listener. Aqua teens usually have Good looks, beautiful eyes, angular faces, thin build. Aqua teens are can be activist for this generation, they are very progressive, original, humanitarian, independent. Aqua teens tend to be very shy, and quit. Even though Aquarian teens are great with groups of people, it takes a bit when it comes to making close friends. Deeply sensitive and cautious, closeness means vulnerability to an Aquarius, and this is not something to be taken lightly. Aqua teens are very good role-models for this generation, Being visionary types, Aquarians teens love to engage in careers that aim to benefit humankind in the long-run. Aqua teens tries to break up the drama.

Pisces : Pisces’s teens like Spiritual themes, time alone, visual media, time to sleep, romance, music, swimming. Pisces teens are Soft, sometimes frail to medium build. Face easily shows emotion. Pisces teens like on or near water, especially the sea. The movie theater. Pisces teens weakness are can be a victim or martyr, fearful, overly trusting, sad, desire to escape reality. Piscean teens are gentle Pisceans make some of the best friends there are. In fact, they often put the needs of their friends ahead of their own. Loyal, dedicated, supportive and compassionate, no problem is too big for the Piscean to take on.

#zodiac signs #zodiac #Aries #Leo #aquarius #capricorn #zodiac side of tumblr #astrology

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dreemurr-skelememer · 7 years ago

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💀 Buttercup and Cardamom! 🐐

okay so im keeping this in a read more since its really long

⭐Buttercup and Cardamom AU Headcanon Masterpost!⭐

1.(Undertale)

*Buttercup-

Personality: Kind, patient, intelligent, and shy…

Interests: Reading, Painting and Cooking …

Favorite Food: Avocado and Guacamole…

Fav Color: Gold…

Powers: Flaming bones, blue and orange magic, shortcuts/teleportation and gaster blasters…

💛💜

*Cardamom-

Personality: Kind, playful, brave and loyal…

Interests: Singing, Dancing and Gardening…

Fav Food: Pie and Ice Cream…

Fav Color: Purple…

Powers: Flaming bones, blue and orange magic, healing magic and karmic retribution…

FUN IDEAS FOR THE SIBLINGS:

1 Buttercup bullied a lot during childhood, thus making Cardamom gain a protective streak.

2 Buttercup is a master chef while Cardamom is the ultimate gardener.

3 Buttercup is bad at gardening (at any kind of outdoor activity) while Cardamom is bad at cooking but is aware of it.

4 Buttercup is a shipper and Cardamom loves to tease them about it.

5 Cardamom LOVES puns, pranks and knock-knock jokes while Buttercup likes puns and jokes but prefers silly animal videos.

6 Cardamom loves fashion while Buttercup is neutral with it.

7 Both love anime and manga.

8 Both of them love Star Wars and Harry Potter.

9 Buttercup has monophobia while Cardamom has a blood phobia.

10 Both siblings would be willing to die for the other.

11 Buttercup and Cardamom have such a strong bond that it’s unbreakable across all alternate universes.

12 Buttercup is not only great at painting and art but with knitting as well.

13 Cardamom loves to do sports, their favorite is basketball.

14 Cardamom also knows all kinds of dance styles.

15 Buttercup would write fantasy novels in the future.

16 Buttercup’s nicknames is Butter while Cardamom’s would be Cardie.

17 If Buttercup had a tumblr blog, it would a mix of his art, his fanfiction and reblogs of cute animals. If Cardamom had a tumblr blog, half of it would be videos of their song covers or original songs that Cardie made and the other half would be reblogs of what their family posted or the things that Cardie likes.

18 Buttercup will suffer from depression during their teenage years but would be pretty good at hiding it and Cardamom would feel sad, scared and powerless at what’s happening to their smaller sibling.

19 Both Buttercup and Cardamom would view Sans as the ‘Fun Parent’, Toriel as the ‘Smart Parent’ and Asgore as the ‘Responsible Parent’. Asgore is considered the ‘responsible one’ because he doesn’t let Butter and Cardie wander by themselves like Sans and Toriel would. (Since that’s what Sans and Toriel do with Frisk in Undertale! XD)

20 Both siblings love video games, specifically the Pokemon games.

21 If Buttercup had a undertale theme song it would be called ‘Star Eyes’ and Cardamom’s would be called ‘Trouble Maker’.

22 Buttercup though shorter, is the older sibling by a few minutes but everyone thinks that Cardamom is older due to Cardie’s height and protectiveness of Buttercup and both of the sibling were born in the summer!

2.(Underfell)

*UF Buttercup- Personality: Selfless, patient, intelligent, and tricky… *Cardamom- Personality: Good-Hearted, mischievous, brave and loyal…

*UF Buttercup would have one red eyelights and the other being gold.

*UF Cardamom would have red and gold eyelights, just like Toriel.

*Buttercup and Cardamom are rougher and edgier then their original counterpart but they are still the same compassionate kids and are undyingly devoted to each other.

*In Flowerfell, FF Sans would give Buttercup his star necklace and would give Cardamom his scarf!

3.(Underswap)

*Buttercup would have Cardamom’s playful and outgoing personality and Cardamom would have Buttercup’s shy yet sweet personality, but they would mantain some of their original counterparts traits and interests. (What they are is up to you!)

4.(Swapfell and Fellswap)

*They’re basically an edgy version of their Underswap selves!

5.(Reapertale)

*Buttercup- God of Stars and the Constellations…Powers: Telekinesis, Teleporting, Flight (with wings), star manipulation and can create light that looks like silver fire… *Cardamom- God of Rebirth and Reincarnation…Powers: Telekinesis, Flight (with wings), healing magic, can either create zombies or can reincarnate old souls into the next life…

(Asgore carries his trident (like in Undertale), Sans carries scythes and so Buttercup and Cardamom carry scepters.)

(Buttercup has black wings that have golden tips on the tips of the feathers, while Cardamom has silver wings.)

(Buttercup and Cardamom live with Asgore and Toriel on MT. Ebott (Home of the Monster Gods) but Sans and Papyrus visit as much as they can.)

(On a couple of random notes that are unrelated to the skele-goats, I headcanon that Reapertale Asgore’s powers are all of the elements of the sky including fire, sunlight, lightning, wind, rain, hail and snow…and Asgore has giant golden wings.)

(Actually, all of the gods have wings, Toriel has white wings, Sans + Papyrus have black wings, Undyne has yellow wings, Alphys has blue wings, Gerson has green wings, Muffet has purple wings, Grillby has orange wings, Asriel has rainbow wings and Gaster has dark grey wings with sparkles of purple, blue and orange in them… and if Frisk and Chara became gods they would both have red wings!)

6.(Outertale)

*Cardamom would have star eyes, just like Buttercup.

7.(Storyshift and Altertale)

*The siblings would rule monsterkind together should anything happen to Sans and Papyrus, since Asriel isn’t royalty in these Aus.

8.(UT Mob/Mobtale/Mafiatale)

*They would be born around the time Little Pup/Frisk is a teenager or young adult and after Frisk’s dies of old age, they would take charge of their parents’ gang.

9.(Horrortale)

(Let’s pretend Sans was pregnant with Buttercup and Toriel was pregnant with Cardamom around the time of Asgore’s death, shall we?)

*HT Buttercup- Personality: Calculating, patient , and insane… *Cardamom- Personality: Manipulative, loyal (to their family) and insane…

*Buttercup and Cardamom live with Toriel, so they could be safe from the rest of the Underground. Sans, Toriel and even Papyrus are violently protective of them.

*Sans and Papyrus would often visit the ruins to see the kids.

*They would join Aliza on her journey, cause their curious about what the rest of the Underground looks like.

*Cardamom and Buttercup won’t try to eat or hurt Aliza unless she tries to hurt or be mean to either of them…

10.(Dancetale)

*Buttercup’s dance style would be Tap Dance and Cardamom’s would know multiple styles, since Cardie is great at dancing in the original universe.

11. (Undersail)

*Skele-Goat Mermaids for the win.

12. (Birdtale)

Buttercup would have Blue and Orange wings and Cardamom would have Red ones.

13. (Overtale)

*Buttercup as a human would have a Soul of Kindness.

*Cardamom would have a Soul of Integrity.

*In this AU, they would be adopted.

*Buttercup would be half-british. (Since Buttercups can come from Europe, including Great Britian.)

*While Cardamom would be indian. (Since the cardamom spice, comes from India.)

14. (Pokemontale)

*Buttercup would have Dragon, Fire and Psychic Types.

*While Cardamom would have Fairy, Plant and Psychic Types.

*Buttercup’s starter would be a charmander, while Cardamom’s starter would be a chikorita.

15. (X-Tale)

*They would join the royal guard, like Sans and Papyrus.

16. (Errortale)

If a version of Error that belonged to a ‘Buttercup and Cardamom Sansgoriel AU’ existed, he would never stop searching for them and if he finds them, he would either be filled with happiness and relief or suffer from a reboot…

17. (Inktale)

Ink would be a troll and jerk to Buttercup and Cardamom, even if they are his kids. (I mean look at Paperjam!)

18. (Underfresh)

A couple of fresh parasites that Fresh gave birth to and are now possessing a version of the siblings? XD

19. (Underlust)

*All monsters are cured from the lust injections in this AU, so Buttercup and Cardamom are pretty much the same here…

20. (Reborntale)

*Buttercup and Cardamom would both be reborn into angels.

21. (Underkeep)

*They both would be a couple of fancy and regal fashionistas and would be called ‘The Little Darlings of Monsterkind’. (In this AU, Buttercup loves fashion almost as much as Cardamom.)

22. (Gaster Blasters AU)

Since only Buttercup can summon gaster blasters, only he can turn into one like Sans and Papyrus…

💖 And those are all my ideas for the Sweet Skele-Goat Siblings! So, what do you think? 💖

😍

th is is way overdue lmao i apologize

there are some that i dont agree with, like the ff one because i quite enjoy it just frans,,

i dont think sansgoriel will ever happen there tbh lmao

and for the humans, hmmmm

i could fix that, because someone sent me a buncha human designs which i really like!

i agree that buttercup would be british hm hm

though, with cardamom

they would be a scottish redhead with albinism

freckles are kept

the rest are fine!

probably last post about these two i’ll make for a long time

because i have so many asks and im too tired and too bored to use them

#buttercup and cardamom masterpost #long post #important #ref #buttercup #cardamom #thx for the asks but im tired #submission

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ars-simia-animus · 5 years ago

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You’ll Rise Up, Free and Easy

Chapter Five: “The Boy’s Done Wrong Again”

Summary: Tony revealed his suffering to Ana and Jarvis. He wanted them; he longed for their comfort. They decide how to approach their lives together now, knowing the danger imposed on the young boy they love.

Trigger warnings for this chapter: descriptions of child abuse and injuries.

June, 1868

Tony visited the Potts’ estate a couple times during their summer stay in Canada. He met Samuel’s mother and father, as well as his sisters, the first time and saw Samuel’s parents again on the second playdate. It seemed to him that the entire family was always at their home; but, surely his father and mother were away sometimes , Tony reasoned.

Samuel’s father, Virgil Potts, shook his hand and said, “I am very pleased indeed that our Samuel has you for a friend!”

Tony was bewildered by this and couldn’t remember how he’d replied. Mr. Potts shook his hand every time he saw him after, too. He was a very cheerful man for being so professional in appearance.

Mrs. Jennifer Potts, ”Jenny” Mr. Potts called her, was very quiet, but affectionate. When he said goodbye, she would take both his hands and squeeze them. “Thank you for visiting our home,” she said, like the moan of wind in a deep well.

As for Samuel’s sisters, Tony liked them, but they seemed more like ghosts or fairies than real people. They were twins and both invalids. They didn’t venture far from the settee the entire time Tony saw them. Their dresses were entirely ruffles and lace and ribbons. Ginger hair, a little blonder than Samuel’s hot pepper hue, fell in locks onto their shoulders so that, between their curls and their flounces, they were like two pom poms.

Samuel spent long hours playing with his older sisters, who were too sick to leave the house. They were asthmatic and also frail from a disease that Samuel, if he knew it, never named. “I love them, but I dearly love being outside,” he told Tony guiltily. So, he played with them until they drowsed, then changed his clothes and ran out into the sunshine and the wind.

Tony carefully carried the large kite he’d made Samuel in both arms. He’d used the birdlike schematic Mrs. Ana and he had designed the summer he was seven-years-old to construct a swan. The tail of the kite was made of pink silk stockings that his mother had thrown out, since Samuel said white and pink were his favorite colors. Tony made the swan’s eyes blue— a blue like chilled lips, like Mr. Jarvis’s eyes— and its legs were green, even though green legs were not naturally occurring in real swans. But, Samuel liked green.

He met his friend in the pasture near the western extremity of the Stark’s estate. Samuel was sitting by his chokeberry tree, reading. Samuel, like Tony, marveled at tales of knights in armor, but he read more poetry and folklore than Tony.

There was a fairytale on which he was especially keen. Seven brothers became swans and were transformed back as human by wearing shirts knitted from nettles. That is, except for the last brother, who lived forever with one arm still a swan wing because his shirt was unfinished.

Tony was irked by the tale. There was no logic to the curse or the cure and it seemed the rules kept changing arbitrarily throughout the plot, just to cause the characters sorrow. At least in Arthurian legend, the magic followed a system. Samuel said, “But can’t you just imagine how it feels to have a swan’s wing or wear clothes made of nettles?”

Tony could imagine this. It was how he felt all the time around his father: irritated, taunted, suffocated. “I suppose.” He said, “Why would you want to, though?”

Samuel shrugged and almost surrendered, then he said, “Because I feel that way. And it’s nice to see how you feel show up in a book someone else has written. Even if it’s a fairytale, eh.”

Tony disagreed. He didn’t want books to remind him of the way he felt; he didn’t want to be reminded by anything. Books were a stronghold, a protective armor, and a chance to hide. “What do you have to feel nettled about?” Tony sounded much more argumentative than he’d meant to.

Samuel only shrugged politely.

When Tony presented the swan kite to Samuel, his friend examined it with slowly rising awe. He touched the pasted papers of the wings and his mouth began to hang open. Finally, he asked, “You didn’t really make this, did you?”

Tony blushed and kicked the tufted ground. “Well, take it, you silly ass! It’s yours!”

Samuel mindfully held the kite, listening to it crinkle, and lifted it from Tony’s hands. Then he surprised Tony by setting it on the little mound by the chokeberry tree and whirling back to Tony with a grin. Samuel cried, “thanks!” and swiftly pecked Tony on the cheek.

Two very powerful sensations bore into Tony’s body, one in his ribcage and one below his stomach. He chuckled and pushed Samuel. Then, the two raced the swan kite across the field, running all the air from their lungs until their chests were burning. Tony ran faster and faster and didn’t seem to slow until he collapsed in the grass, feeling as wide open as the sky.

Samuel coaxed the kite from the air. Once they had their breath back, he led Tony to a large patch of wild blackberries. They played knights, battling through enchanted brambles to a forgotten kingdom besieged beneath. As they battled the thorns, they filled themselves with the fruit.

Tony giggled. “Your mouth is all purple!”

“The magic of the bramble dragon has taken hold of us!” Samuel exclaimed. He took a blackberry and smeared it thickly over his lips. They became dark like Tony’s hair, with thin splashes of red-violet like cordial wine.

Laughing, Tony grabbed more berries from the gnarled briers. Occasionally he scratched himself or caught the fabric of his play clothes on the thorns, but he didn’t mind. “Haste, pluck his brier bare and he shall surely fall, a trophy to our Chivalry!”

By the time Mrs. Ana hiked out to the very end of the field, calling for him to return for supper, Tony’s fingers, mouth, and clothes were stained. She looked at him and began to laugh. “You look like a grape-treader of Eger who stomped while standing on his head! Come, I believe you’re to have dinner with your parents tonight. Guests are here, so you’ll need to look presentable.”

Tony and Mrs. Ana bid Samuel farewell. Mrs. Ana gave the other boy a particularly warm smile and a wink before turning in the direction of the main house. Tony clomped ahead of Mrs. Ana, bragging about how Samuel had loved the kite and how strong it was. Then, he said, “I am going to build a kite strong enough to carry a person.”

“Oh!” Mrs. Ana said. “Well, I hope you’ve been giving your Mathematics your full attention.” Though, she knew he had; chiding was just a natural way for a governess to talk to her charge and Tony enjoyed verbal sparring.

He smirked. “I will build one that can carry you!” He promised grandly.

“Far be it from me to say you couldn’t.”

When they reached the garden patio, Tony’s mother was there, lingering while the staff cleared the glasses, table service, and bottles with only a little bourbon or sherry left at the bottom. Tony thought that his father’s guests must already have arrived. Maria was sniffing but her face was unmarred; it may have been a nervous tic. She was often edgy when Howard had guests.

Maria saw them, saw the dark stains all over Tony’s mouth, saw the brambles still stuck in his hair, and saw the carefree look on his face. She darkened and cried, “Anthony! — bimbo cattivello ! Do you have no sense?”

Tony was quiet. He had grown to internalize his mother’s rejection, choosing to feign apathy when she became emotional. Usually, it incited Maria to try harder to elicit a remorseful response from him.

“Your father’s business partners are here for the evening and you return twenty minutes until supper looking like a tramp child!”

“Forgive me, fair damsel, for my most impertinent appearance.” Tony began, cheekily, and Mrs. Ana clicked her tongue. “I have forsook thy honor—“

“If all you’re able to act as is a fool, you will not play with that child again. Your father already disapproves of him.”

Tony went cold throughout his torso. “Mother, if I had known guests were coming, I would not have dared to be a child today. I would have woken as an adult—“

Mrs. Ana intervened. “Young sir, you will not speak to your mother in such a fashion. Go to your bath directly .” She tried to move him toward the house, but Tony stubbornly planted his feet. His friendship with Samuel had been threatened and he would not tolerate it.

Maria abandoned trying to scathe him with words. Instead, she looked at Mrs. Ana. “Mrs. Jarvis, I recall telling you that he needed to be dressed for guests by six o’clock.”

“We were just on our way to his bath when you addressed us, madam. It’s already drawn in his room. If there’s nothing else for you to discuss with him, I can have him dressed in time.” Mrs. Ana replied evenly.

With a sniff, Maria adjusted her jaw. Then she stepped closer to her son and lowered her voice. This was not her usual manner. And Tony was struck by her tone. Mrs. Ana noticed as well, apprehensively, how the woman was trying to intimidate him. “If you do not behave respectfully this evening, I cannot guarantee what your father will do.”

With that pronouncement crackling in his spine, Tony allowed Mrs. Ana to shepherd him inside the house.

January, 1903

Tony never showed up at the Parkers’ house to take Peter to the university library. Peter had even sat on the stoop for a while, watching, around eleven, until May discovered him and shooed him inside, out of the cold. “You plan to catch your death today?” She fussed.

“What if I was meant to meet him in Greenwich Village?” Peter asked May anxiously. If that were the case, it was impossible to make it there in time for the lecture.

May bit her lip. “Perhaps, motek .” She said, finally. “It would be more sensible for him than to ride such a distance and then back to Manhattan, with you. However, Mr. Stark seems the type to see to every little detail…”

Peter understood what she meant. Tony was a meticulous planner, despite acting insouciant, and he worried over others. It was unlikely that he wouldn’t send a carriage even if he didn’t come himself.

At 12:30, Peter was convinced that Tony had purposefully not come.

June, 1868

Ana sat in a wing-backed chair in their bedroom at the Toronto estate. She hated this style of chair; there were no such chairs— so pretentious and unyielding and overbearing— in her cottage home. Girdled in her own arms, she leaned uncomfortably on the armrest, watching Tony sleep in their bed, the “wing” of the chair hovering behind her. The nervous jerking of her ankle sent the foot of her one propped leg flopping in the air. She’d chewed her lip until a pinprick of tinny blood could be tasted.

Father whipped me .

Tony had whispered to them last night, almost as though he were not in control of the confession. Immediately it had hit Ana’s stomach like a draught of icy water. Something was unnatural, wrong, about it.

The entire household knew that Howard was severe with his son. It was no secret that the man was punitively minded and the young heir was often disciplined for some infraction or other. Ana disagreed with Howard’s harsh attitude and his method of correction. Yet, she knew she had no right to contest his authority as the boy’s father.

It had been the most difficult for Ana to bear when Tony was younger and still begged not to be punished as his father took him into his study. He was far more resigned to his lot now, not protesting, yet still resisting the hold on his arm.

Ana felt she had abandoned him when the study door closed. So, she would wait in airless suspension, hearing everything, until he slunk from the room, cowed and sullen and marred by teartracks. He always glared at her, embarrassed and desiring to be alone. But, even if he seemingly hated to see her there, she wanted him to know that he would not be forsaken, no matter what.

Often, if she were present for the transgression, she could convince Howard to let her, as his nurse or governess, handle Tony’s discipline. Then, she would take the boy to the nursery or outside and they would speak about expectations as the Stark family heir and what constituted appropriate behavior. Then, if Ana felt Tony needed help remembering the rule, they discussed a consequence that made sense to them both. It was usually something like thinking of three alternate responses to a rude reply he’d given; or, he would take an enforced respite from his tinkering if he’d neglected other duties.

However, if Tony struck the right nerve in Howard with his actions or words, his father couldn’t be dissuaded from taking his son to the study.

Yet this — Ana agonized as she waited for Tony to wake— this was different. Even when he was as young as six, Tony never sought comfort after punishment. He preferred to hide in the attic with his metal soldiers until he could reappear and pretend nothing had happened. This was the first time he came to them; and, Ana nearly cried to think he’d lain on the floor, not daring to approach them when he was so hurt and frightened.

Jarvis was disturbed as well. He had met her gaze in the dark. They hadn’t spoken, too worried that they’d wake the little mister. As soon as the morning light was strong enough, Jarvis opened the curtains and Ana lifted the fabric of Tony’s night shirt, revealing his back.

She forced her eyes closed and felt her husband cover the boy again in warm blankets. The child shuddered but slept on, whining once. When she opened her eyes again, she saw Jarvis sitting next to her, his hand on Tony’s shoulder, as if anchoring the child in sleep. She had no breath; all she could do to communicate her intense, unspeakable feelings, was frantically shake her head, look away, look back at her husband, shaking her chin as though she were an earthquake in human form. Jarvis answered lowly, “I know.”

They moved to the other side of the room, behind a dressing screen to discuss their course.

“Has he ever done this to the child before?” Ana whispered through trembling jaws to her husband. She felt fierce, her fighter’s instinct and maternal instinct roiling together as one tremendous and dark storm in her gut.

Jarvis breathed through his nose. “No.”

“Edwin,” Ana said. “I know the child has been punished beyond what I considered age appropriate before, but,” — she hissed— “this is...”

“I will speak to Mr. Stark.” Jarvis said firmly.

“This is not discipline.” She couldn’t stop. Her spirit was riled and charging against its restraints. “I don’t care what the boy said or did to anger him. It’s wrong!”

Jarvis nodded and brushed a thumb against her eyes, drying tears. Though he was not so verbal with his outrage, she saw him quiver. “If you can trust me to address it with Mr. Stark, I would ask you to keep Tony comforted in the meanwhile.”

Ana chewed her bottom lip. She said, “First, could you retrieve a bottle of salve and some breakfast? I don’t wish any of the staff to find him here. No need to inflame Mrs. Stark as well. You’ll never be heard then.”

Jarvis dressed and did as she asked. He passed a hand over Tony’s hair, hardly touching him, then left for Howard’s office. Ana sat in the wingback chair and kept a vigil. Soon it would be seven o’clock, when the little mister always waked. She would tend to him then, to the prickly hot belt-lashes down his lower back and thighs, tend to the blue bruises of a hand that was clamped on the back of his neck, undoubtedly holding him down, and she would feed him the breakfast waiting on the tray. But, how she could tend to his heart, she did not know. She only could try.

January, 1903

Peter opened the door to Mr. Hogan—Happy— standing on their stoop. His expression was stoic as ever, but Peter noticed a wrinkle under each eye that made him appear even more haggard. “Good afternoon, Mr. Hogan! Did I misunderstand Mr. Stark’s intentions about our outing? Am I still to go meet him?” He asked, all in one breath.

“Peter, bambino , don’t make the man stand in the doorway,” May said from the hallway. She appeared and spoke to Happy. “Come in, sir!”

Happy reluctantly entered, removing his snow-dusted hat. “Pardon the intrusion.” He said to May. Then, he turned his attention to Peter. “Mr. Stark sent me to deliver this message.” Then he added to himself grumpily, “instead of a messenger ” before speaking up again. “He regrettably was unable to meet you today. Nor did he present his lecture at the university, due to unfortunate circumstances.”

Peter’s heart bucked. “Is he okay?”

Mr. Hogan appeared annoyed. Perhaps he felt that it wasn’t Peter’s place to ask about the household’s affairs. Still, he answered. “Mr. Stark is well, but he will be staying in Long Island for an indeterminate time.” With this, his voice seemed to strain.

Anxious curiosity bubbled in Peter. He didn’t want to irritate Happy further, but many awful possibilities were percolating in his imagination. May must have guessed at her nephew’s distress. She pressed Happy in a courteous tone: “I don’t mean to pry, but, could we ask what’s caused Mr. Stark to stay away from his home?”

Happy melted a little. Peter noted the changed expression whenever Happy glanced at his aunt. “I believe Mrs. Stark means to speak with you herself, but,” he said, “Mr. Jarvis has fallen quite ill.”

May covered her collarbone with a hand. Peter felt his brow contract. “ O porvero! ” May whispered. “That dear man...”

“Is there anything I can do?” Peter asked with eager, innocent eyes.

Happy regarded him more compassionately this time. “No, I’m afraid not.”

“Will Mr. Jarvis get better?”

The stiffness returned to Happy’s voice. “I don’t believe it’s my place to say more than I was instructed.” He glanced at May, looking for support, and back to Peter.

“Why is Mr. Stark going to Long Island if Mr. Jarvis is sick?” Peter asked, not relenting. May placed a hand on his shoulder; he read her expression and quieted.

Happy drew a breath that seemed to indicate this was the last he would say on the subject. “Mr. Stark is taking Mr. Jarvis home.”

September, 1868

Tony snapped another of his pencils in half. The sound was sorrowful, wasteful, and Ana was beginning to lose her patience. All he’d done the past hour was sulk at the writing desk. Now he drew pencils one by one from the box, and snapped them until the pieces were so small his fingers couldn’t apply enough pressure to a single break point.

When the first one cracked, Ana was so unsettled by the act, she didn’t address it at all. The boy just sat at the desk, staring at the splintered halves in his hands. His mood had turned volatile ever since they had returned to New York. When the next pencil broke, she remarked lowly, “I daresay you have plenty of work on that desk to occupy you without seeking other entertainments, Little Mister.”

Tony’s eyes turned to her. Keeping that languid gaze locked with hers, he split the pencil again. Ana bristled.

After Jarvis had spoken to Howard about the cruel treatment of his son, there had been no other such incidents; Jarvis and Ana had kept close watch. She didn’t know what her husband had said to Howard, but she was often impressed by his skill in telling superiors what they did not wish to hear in a manner that they accepted nonetheless. (This was not her gift.) Plus, Howard truly respected Jarvis because of his diligence and effective service. He was more a confidant and steward of the household than a butler.

Nevertheless, even without further evidence of abuse, there had been many nights when Ana lie sleepless, painstakingly listening for sounds of violence. “Edwin,” she would whisper.

“I’m awake, if you’re inquiring.” He answered. He turned toward her and caressed her cheek.

“He would come here if he needed me, right?” She gasped. “He’s not somewhere… alone…”

Mercifully, her husband understood. “I will go check on him, if you wish, beloved.”

She frowned. “No, I will go and return directly.” Then she slipped from bed, dressed in her robe and slippers, and took a candle into the foreboding hallway of the mansion. Tony would always be in his bed, asleep— or, disassembling some contraption in an insomniac burst of passion, but otherwise unburdened, unharmed.

“Those are your supplies for completing your work.” Ana reprimanded as reservedly as she could. “If you break them into such difficult sizes, you will still need to use them to write.”

Tony rolled his eyes. He hunched over and tossed the pieces onto the desk. “Not as though I can’t buy more.”

“You will use them, as I’ve said.” She reiterated firmly. “Only when they’re gone, will I order more.” To this, he huffed loudly. “What’s bothering you, Little Mister—?“

“Do not call me that!” Tony snapped. After a few harsh breaths, he jumped from his seat and paced the room.

Ana regarded him with surprise before folding her arms. She leaned back and gave him her attention. However her expression made it clear that his behavior was not well-received.

“That’s not a proper way for you to address me.” He continued, his face a shade more pained than angry. His volume steadily increased with each word. “And I’m not a child in need of a nurse.”

“You’re right,” she said. “Not about being a child; I believe that you’ll discover that eleven years is not sufficient experience to be considered an adult— as you’ve proven just now.” She gritted her teeth, struggling to keep her breathing calm. Regret was already forming in her; her last statement had only further provoked him. He stood coiled like a viper. “But I don’t address you properly. Now, tell me, is something bothering you, Mister Anthony?”

The sound of his given name flicked him like a whip. This was how Maria addressed him with disapproval. Not Ana. Never Ana, who spent her time with him, who built with him, who held him. He lurched away from her.

“You don’t do anything properly! You wear sports pants out in the field where all can see you, you box, you build things and get dirty, you don’t teach proper lessons—“ Here he sobbed tearlessly. “With lots of memorization and drills.”

“Boring for the both of us…”

“You’re not preparing me for when I go away to the academy!”

Ana listened to his breath hitch. She wanted to reach out for him, but refrained. He was too skittish and upset; it would be like removing an iron pot from the fire, holding its handle, unprotected. “I take it Madam has discussed your educational career with you recently?”

He turned his glare to the wall when he saw her empathetic eyes.

“Well, Mister Anthony, I think that once you see all that there is beyond the walls of Stark Mansion, you will feel quite freer and happier at the academy.”

For several moments he stared at her, aghast, perhaps betrayed. He ground his jaw and flared his nostrils. She noticed his fists clench, a habit he’d picked up recently, but she decided not to acknowledge it.

Breaking the silence, she instructed: “If you’re finished with our conversation, I would have you complete your calculations, Mr. Anthony.”

Tony stalked to the desk and she retreated to the window. The air was thick, reverberating their stress. Ana unlatched the window frame and pushed it open. No relief poured in, however— only a sickly warm breeze entered as she rubbed her temples.

What mercy is out there? She wondered. That can restore this household?

June, 1868

After discovering Tony‘s injuries, after Jarvis had spoken to Howard, Ana had kept Tony out of the house all day, swimming in the cool pond away from the grounds. She promised no one would bother them, (no one would see him.) The water soothed Tony and he only climbed out when Ana instructed, to avoid sunburn.

That night, when Tony was secured in his own room, Jarvis met Ana there and revealed more information on the events leading up to Howard punishing Tony the way he had. To no surprise, Howard was drunk. Ana shook in her rage.

“There’s more,” Jarvis said. “Sir suspects his business partner, Mr. Vanko, of trying to usurp Stark Industries. That’s why Mr. Stane and Mr. Richards were here. We will return to New York straightaway, within the week.”

Ana had frozen for a heartbeat. She wondered if Tony knew they were leaving Canada so abruptly. Losing his friend had been an inevitability looming in his mind for a while. This would be difficult.

She recovered, then bit out: “What has that to do with the little mister?”

Jarvis explained that Howard’s temper was looking for a release anyway. “Then, it seems that Madam mentioned the young sir arriving to the mansion in an embarrassing state—“

“He was playing!” Ana nearly shouted. “He was playing with the very first friend I’ve known him to have!”

“Another factor in this, I’m afraid...” Jarvis’s tone dipped ever so slightly into heartbreak. “Is Master Potts himself. After dinner, Mr. Stane inquired after the young sir and was regaled with tales of their play. It struck his father wrong in some way. He mocked the boy in front of the young sir and it escalated from there.”

Ana thought she understood and didn’t ask for more.

No, there had not been another incident in the following months; instead, Tony and Howard began to bait each other. Tony was rightfully hurt and furious; he looked at his father now not as an impassable structure he must climb but as an obstruction he must demolish. Howard, still irascible over the threat of his power in Stark Industries, compensated by enforcing stricter control over his son.

The tension in the house spared no one, not even the lowest ranking servant was unaffected.

Tony’s hostility toward his father manifested as challenges to his authority over the slightest rule. Once Howard began to roar, Tony would rise to meet him. Jarvis bore the brunt of the backlash, being present during the times father and son were together.

Jarvis had taken the role of removing Tony from the room when Howard began to ramp up. He told Ana, “The young sir incites his father and refuses mediations from his mother or myself. And Sir becomes increasingly difficult to divert.”

Ana told him that she��d noticed Tony brooding more often and the child had taken to biting himself. When Jarvis inquired, Ana explained: “He sits curled up with his hands or arms tightly hidden against his mouth. When I am able to coax him to unfurl himself, he has mean little bite marks in the skin of his arm or fingers.”

“He needs an outlet,” Jarvis had responded after a pause. “What would you think about increasing his time for sports?”

Ana sighed. She was watching all of Tony’s growth and progress stagnate. Worse— she saw the brilliant, sensitive, and confident boy she loved drying up, deoxygenated, turned to ash. “If I can build his interest in it. He’s become so dispossessed.”

September, 1868

Tony toppled the writing desk and all its contents exploded across the floor. The clamor was like that of a cannon. Ana confronted him in shock, then anger began to leak into her face. He dared her with his gaze to act, jaw quivering violently. When a maid entered the room, drawn by the racket, Ana snapped: “Leave— now!”

Tony didn’t react to the fleeing maid. He twitched with exhilaration and— curiosity. He seemed to both confront and guard against her. This, she realized was a challenge directed only at her.

No longer mastering her indignation, Ana hissed. “What has gotten into you?” The words were quiet but forceful.

Satisfaction replaced curiosity and Ana drew an enormous breath. This was some kind of test— but what he meant to accomplish she could not comprehend. She felt tears press under her eyes but stifled them with righteous rage. Squaring her feet, she raised her eyebrows, prompting an answer.

“You,” Tony sputtered, “you preach at me about expectations”— he gulped— “that I must abide— yet— yet you— openly defy any sense of decorum!”

Ana patiently interrupted. “I am not shouting at you, Mister Anthony, so do not raise your voice at me—“

“Stop calling me that!” Tony screamed.

“What should I call you, Tony?” She asked with genuine respect, although irritated, and her quietness crushed him.

“You have no right.” He was unraveling; Ana watched closely but did not approach. She wondered if his experiment was failing. “You do whatever you wish yet I must perform every way everyone expects me to even when they aren’t around—! Why?”

“Little one,” Ana said in a sigh.

“Do not talk to me that way!” He kicked up the papers where he was calculating the ratio on Ana’s scaled drawing of the Triumphal Arch of Vac. Rearing back, he clenched his fists again. “Why, I asked! Why?”

Then a cough guttered through him; he choked. “Because you don’t matter.” He paused when she flinched. “You’re just the immigrant wife of our butler and it doesn’t matter what you do.”

“Very well,” she replied. Warring to keep the song of weeping from her voice, she said: “Very well if that’s what you believe. Nevertheless, you are my pupil for now and I’d have you right that desk and finish your calculations, as you were told.”

Seizing this moment, Tony flung out the phrase he’d been preparing. “You cannot order me around and you are not big enough to make me.”

Ana saw the apprehensive curiosity flash through him again and her chest loosened. Here was the boundary challenged at last! This was the hypothesis tested by this experiment.

“Oh, hell!” She exclaimed and Tony stumbled back, eyes agog. This silly fool, she thought. All that trouble... She massaged her closed eyelids, exasperated. “Is that what this is about?”

“You cursed!” He muttered stupidly.

“Yes,” she piped and dropped her hand, “I did. Come here.”

Tony stood immobile, his arms crooked like a frightened pup. He collapsed into his shoulders and nearly took a step back. Ana hated to see him in such a submissive and mistrustful stance. Still, she did not soften her voice. Not yet.

“Come here, now.” This she spoke with widened eyes, demanding to be taken seriously.

Blinking, grimacing, he moved forward until he stood before her. He glowered at the floor in a marriage of resignation and defiance. His fists clenched and unclenched. Fear, shame— both rattled in his chest.

“Look at me, please,” she said. “I would want you to have the respect for us both to look me in the eye.” Haltingly, he shifted his glare upwards. Red rims betrayed the threatening emotion in him. She saw hopelessness and it constricted her heart. She took his hands, ignoring how he jolted.

“Look at me.” She repeated, for his face had dropped again when she touched him. When he complied, she asked: “What is my job, Little Mister?”

Tony’s lips parted in a silent cry. He swallowed weakly… Shook his head.

“What is my job?” She pulled gently at his hands. “Do you remember what I said?”

He nodded and the lenses of tears broke; they ran down his face. His face didn’t lift the last time.

“Tell me, then.” Ana commanded. She tapped his chin then gently lifted it when he refused.

“T—to,”— his tortured sobs straggled the words. But, she waited, grasping his hands to hold his attention. She’d never seen him act out this way with her, so she was determined to see this through, despite his distress. “To lo—love m-me.” The effort weakened his control and he sobbed bitterly.

“Yes.” She licked her lips and let him cry a moment, not wishing to unduly overwhelm him. When his breathing no longer shuddered, she said, “Look at me, Tony. One last time. Look at me, now.”

He barely managed but tried to obey.

“I,” — she girded each word with passion and love— “will never strike you. Never!” She let a tremor pass through her and into his hands, still clasped between hers.

Tony bit his lip.

“I will do my job.” She choked on her own emotion now that her declaration had made its impression. “Do you hear me? No matter what anyone, including you,” — she stroked his hair— “might do.”

He hung by some unseeable thread, certainly, there was nothing left in him that could have kept him upright.

She gasped then muttered: “And for heaven’s sake, you little fool…” She drew him into her embrace, taking most of his weight against her. “There are better ways to determine the veracity of that statement!”

Tony covered his face with his hands, pressing into her. They sealed in his cries. Shushing softly, Ana rubbed his back. Tony’s knees sank every so often and, eventually, she led him to a bench nearby. They sat together side by side and she rocked him in her arms.

“I’ll do my job,” he whimpered. “I will!”

Though his mouth was covered and his voice unrecognizable, Ana discerned his statement. “I know.” She closed her eyes, sweeping them clean of dwindling tears. “My Little Mister...”

Time lost grip on them. Tony only looked up when the door’s latch clicked. To his horror, he saw Jarvis standing in the door. He must have been alerted by the frightened maid. After surveying the scene, he closed the door behind him. Then he saw how Tony cowered from him and he sat in a chair on the other side of the room to lessen his the intimidation of his presence.

The three of them took many tense minutes to settle. Then, Tony wordlessly stood and set the desk upright. He picked up the scattered papers and fractured pencils. Ana gestured for Jarvis, who nearly stood to assist him, to allow Tony to clean without comment.

Tony came and stood humbly before her when he was finished. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Ana.” She reached out and touched his cheek.

“Don’t think about it anymore, dear.” She said and Tony’s jaw softened at the term of affection. He peeked at Jarvis to judge his reaction but only found a surprise that was somehow also pleased. She continued. “It’s done now, and I’ve already told you the consequence.”

“It’s awfully difficult to write with such short pencils,” Tony remarked with a twist of his lips.

“It’s too late to think about that, Little Mister. I’m sure you’ll remember in the future.”

Smirking, he said, “Yes, ma’am.”

“May I tell you something I’ve been thinking about?” Ana asked. Turning to Jarvis, she called: “Come join us, Edwin; this concerns you, too.”

Jarvis stood and took a seat by her on the bench, leaving a space for Tony to sit between them. Tony hesitated, but sat and willed his muscles to loosen, enveloped by the Jarvises’ calm presence.

“I debated telling you this, but,” she said with a chuckle, “I worry more that you won’t ever realize how much I truly love you if I don’t.”

Tony went rigid. The nondescript sound in his ears seemed to swell until he couldn’t hear. He fought his rushing blood back down. “What is it?”

Ana didn’t answer for a long moment. She spaced her breaths; Tony listened to them, nearly lulled to sleep. He always felt exhausted after an outburst.

Finally, she said, “I think my name should have been Hannah.” She grinned almost reproachfully at herself. “Do you know the story of Hannah? Who prayed for a child and when he was born, he lived away from her, at the temple?”

Tony didn’t know that story, but he felt his stomach burn at its implications.

Jarvis reached over Tony and laid his hand on Ana’s shoulder. Tony inhaled the sense of security created by Jarvis’s strong arm behind him. He caught himself just before leaning into the butler’s side.

“I’ve begun to think that I am like that woman. That the child Heaven gave me… lives just beyond my reach.” Ana bit her lip.

“I thought,” Tony murmured, “you didn’t want children.”

Ana laughed and Tony saw the glistening beneath her soil-like eyes. “Not until you.”

Tony didn’t know what to say, so he didn’t speak. Jarvis didn’t speak. Neither did Ana.

However, they drew closer together. Ana wrapped her arm around Tony’s back. Jarvis kept his hand on Ana’s shoulder. They both took one of Tony’s hands.

When he felt Jarvis hold his hand, Tony risked lying against the man’s side. He’d never been held by his father, never by any older man. He felt the barrellike form of Jarvis’s chest under his cheek. The sensation was similar to yet unique from the way Ana felt when she held him. Both embraces protected him, but each relieved a very different memory of rejection.

Jarvis felt the child against him and looked at his wife. She had just revealed to Tony that she thought of him as her son. She was not his mother, but it didn’t matter. They weren’t given each other by the right of bloodlines or the law. But they found each other; they belonged together, despite everything.

Now Tony had invited Jarvis into this familial pact they shared. Ana smiled and nodded to him like a cue. With his thumb, Jarvis brushed Tony’s hand, with its mauve tooth-prints. “We’re here, young sir.” He said.

#Amphora #You'll Rise Up Free and Easy

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outfittrends · 6 years ago

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Outfits with Checkered Vans–30 Ways to Wear Checkerboard Vans Outfit Trends - Ideas How to Wear & What to Wear

New Post has been published on https://www.outfittrends.com/outfits-with-checkered-vans/

Outfits with Checkered Vans–30 Ways to Wear Checkerboard Vans

Outfits with Checkerboard Vans Sneakers: Over the years, Vans have not remained same, or they would have been long obsolete. The crew and designers have worked hard to keep them relevant to the style and preferences of the younger generation so that wearing these comfortable shoes would never go out of fashion.

There are now plenty of designs, colours, and styles of vans that you can choose to wear for different occasions. Checkerboard Vans are perfect to wear with all sort of dresses and events. You can style them with jeans, shorts or even midi dresses with ease. The attractive design and colours make them versatile and charming. We have gathered 30 brilliant ways in which you can pair up different outfits with checkerboard Vans.

How to Style Your Checkerboard Vans

Don’t wear your checkerboard vans with long or flared jeans or pants because that would hide the classic pattern.

It is better to go for ankle socks or knee high socks but nothing in between the length with vans.

Cropped pants or rolled jeans look very chic with checkerboard Vans.

Don’t’ wear vans with outfits that have too many colours or that will spoil the look.

↓ 30. Perfect for Lunch Date

Whether it is with family or friends, lunch date outfits can be a bit tricky to manage. If you are planning to wear your favourite checkerboard sneakers, go with something that is relaxed and easy to carry. Go with a classic structured formal black pants and casual, vibrant tee with an oversized shirt combo. The high-waisted pants go well with sneakers. Here are 20 Best Outfits to wear on a Date.

Via

↓ 29. Grunge Street Wear

Explore the grunge look with an oversized hardcore black heavy metal shirt and short denim frayed hem shorts in black. To carry this look, you will need some bold makeup and probably need to get your darkest lipstick in action. Go for a choker for neck and black nail colour. Complement the look with black checkerboard vans, and you can even wear fishnet tights for a sultry appearance.

Via

↓ 28. Styling Vans with Summer Dress

Whether you are frolicking in the garden or have a daytime lunch planned out, summer dresses are perfect and don’t we crave to put them on all year. While moving around, we all need comfortable shoes that go well with different outfits and doesn’t hurt our feet. Wear a sexy slit midi summer dress and wear vans along with it while you are out having fun.

Via

↓ 27. Travelling Footwear

Wear your vans while travelling and flaunt an all-black look that is perfect for daytime strolling around in a new city. Get a fanny pack to keep all your essential valuables with you while doing so which also gives you some sporty vibes. In case you are a hijabi traveller, wear a black silk scarf for a refined look.

Via

↓ 26. Runway Ready

Got a dazzling dress that you have wanted to wear for a long time? Why not take it to a fashion show with you or for a great event coming up. It is a common misconception that a girl needs to wear heels with a dress. However, we disagree. While wearing a maxi dress at an important event, you need to keep your comfort at the highest priority. Go for something that is both easy to wear and has a little style to it.

Via

↓ 25. Best Teenager Outfits

Teenagers are always looking out for edgy and trendy outfits to wear to school. However, the footwear can also play a pivotal role in your outfit choice. If you want to spend a day with super comfortable and trendy shoes like checkerboard vans, you need to wear an edgy complementing outfit. Go with denim shorts and a long sleeves sheer mesh top that you can wear with a graphic black tee. Wear knee high socks for the charm.

Via

↓ 24. Glamorous Looks

It is just a matter of one piece of garment to take your whole look street style glam and awesome. These dull gold metallic pants are such an example. The metallic trend is being adored by everyone, and you can pair these glossy pants up with a cardigan or a hoodie for a casual but modish girl next door look. Wear these vans, and you will surely end up having a million compliments.

Via

↓ 23. Winter Comfort

We all need the best vans to support us in winter and keep us cosy and warm. However, what goes best as a winter attire to ward of the chilly breeze? Pair up your cardigan dress with a teddy coat and woollen tights along with ankle socks and vans. Don’t forget to wear a warm beanie along with the outfit.

Via

↓ 22. Running Errands and Looking Smart

Running errands in vans is the best because you need not to wear yourself out and yet appear presentable and not messy. The best thing about these shoes is that they complement almost any dress you have in mind and you don’t want the hassle of choosing dresses while you step out for house chores. Wear your favourite tee and jeans and tie an olive man shirt around your waist for the best look while performing your chores.

Via

↓ 21. How to Wear Vibrant Outfits with Vans

When choosing to wear vibrant and bright colours, you need to be careful in not going overboard with accessories and the choice of footwear because it can destroy your look. Subtle footwear can throw attention to your outfit and to create a great impression, go for a bright shade of lipstick.

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↓ 20. Denim Overall Shorts

Denim overall frayed hem shorts go ideally with checkerboard cropped top and checkerboard sneakers. Some neon green socks will add edge to this outfit. Do have a look at these 30 Ideas on How to Wear Bike Shorts for Women.

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↓ 19. Oversized Hoodies and Vans

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↓ 18. Being Bold with Animal Prints

An animal print dress is a gift that won’t stop giving. You can style it up or down in various ways. You can wear a brown animal print midi dress that is elasticated at the waist to create the illusion of an hourglass figure and black vans. You can dress up this look with a fancy black cardigan or blazer and some vibrant accessories like a silver necklace and beads bracelets. Carry a fanny pack and a cap with this look for a sporty look.

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↓ 17. Summer Outfits with Checkered Vans

If you are on vacation mode for summer, you need some fancy outfits. Whether you are on a cruise or at the beach or some great resort, soak in the brilliant views and sunshine and get tanned in the right way by wearing a statement pink crop top with matching shorts and vans.

↓ 16. Celebrities Style Vans

Celebrities have been flaunting checkerboard vans since forever because of their appealing design and comfortable fit.

↓ 15. Styling Checkerboard Vans with Pants

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↓ 14. Canadian Tuxedo

Double denim look is here to stay even if the year is changing. This is the best and the most natural look to wear on days when you don’t want to waste your time planning your outfit. The only trick is to keep the top darker than the bottom. Go for a dark blue or black denim jacket, along with sky blue or white distressed denim pant and vans.

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↓ 13. Faux Leather Jacket with Vans

A faux leather jacket is a wardrobe staple that you can’t live without. It can help you instantly upgrade your attire on days when you want the minimum fuss. You can wear a leather jacket with a simple tee or cardigan and cropped jeans or yoga pants and pair it with these vans for an instantly upgraded look that you can carry on lunch or dinner date.

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↓ 12. Sheer Tops Styling

Sheer styling mesh tops are the best thing that has a lot of attitude about them. There are so many creative ways to wear them, and you can style them with an embroidered bralette or crop top and tailored pants along with checkerboard Vans.

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↓ 11. Coloured Vans with Graphic Tops

Coloured Vans in delightful colour choices are now available and wear them with logo graphic tee and distressed jeans and cap for an edgy look.

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↓ 10. Skirts and Vans

If you have the height benefit, you can wear vans with mini skirts and turtlenecks for any day. Here are some more awesome Women’s Outfit Ideas with Vans.

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↓ 9. Patterns that Works Like Wonder

For some strange reason, the marriage of stripes and checkerboard pattern is perfect and looks rather good together. Bring on your most vibrant striped shirts and distressed jeans combo because checkerboard sneakers are best suited to wear with this outfit. Go with a sophisticated white purse to bring together the whole trendy lady look.

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↓ 8. Camo Tops with Vans

Capri style jeans are amazing to pair up with various tops and are also incredibly chic. What could you possibly wear with it to portray a refined look? Go for Camouflage top as this trend is hitting off all the right chords this year. For a more formal look, pair this outfit with classy accessories to highlight it. Go with black checkerboard sneakers, a statement purse, and big glittery earrings.

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↓ 7. Pink Power Suit with Vans

Pink Powersuit is the talk of the town this year, so it would be silly not to include it in your wardrobe! Exude powerful feminine vibes with an oversized pink double-breasted power suit and pink vans! You can wear these pink vans with both pink shorts or pink pants accompanying the pink blazer according to the weather and your personal preferences. To cut through the pink, get your self a shiny black clutch and silver necklace with this outfit.

↓ 6. Customised Vans

You can now have your customised vans with various options so that they can suit your unique personality. You can easily go for your favourite shades on the shoe along with different prints and images. Wear classic springtime sunflower vans with a checkerboard pattern shirt and Capri tights. You can even rock them with a crop top and skinny jeans.

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↓ 5. Styling Rainbow Vans

Rainbow vans are perfect when you want some fun with your footwear choice, and nothing else suits your fancy. You can style them up or down with no worries. With their multicoloured look, you can wear them comfortably with vibrant dresses for date night or parties and be at ease for long. Don’t miss out these 25 Outfits to Wear With White Sneakers for Women.

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↓ 4. Beach Ready

Time to hit the beach, but are you ready? It is essential to keep the right accessories because your trip can end up as a disaster if you don’t. In case you want to appear chic for that beach trip with friends or a family party, wear a beautiful floral beach dress and pay attention to the accessories. These light wear vans are perfect for walking on the beach and take a nice floppy beach hat along with a straw tote to keep your essentials in. For a youthful look, go for a black and silver neck choker and soft nude shade of lipstick.

↓ 3. Vintage Outfit

Want to jazz up the famous LBD? Pair it up with a bright kimono jacket with retro print and pair it up with black checkerboard sneakers and a camo bag for the style. This outfit is perfect for both sightseeing around the city or having a lunch date with your sweetheart.

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↓ 2. Getting Ready to Party

Get your checkerboard vans ready to dance around in the next party you have on your list! So many of us have this misconception that anything other than heels won’t do at parties. Here we present to you a perfect party outfit, and how you can pair it up perfectly with vans. Wear a beautiful black lace crop top with a silver pleated metallic midi skirt and vans. Go for bold red lips and black nail colour for the party. Carry this beautiful black bamboo basket bag that you can buy from here.

↓ 1. Vans on Vans

Since the popularity of the brands, you now have the option of garments and accessories courtesy of the brand. So you can easily get your hands on some fantastic tees in the same checkerboard print and wear them with your favourite jeans and these checkerboard Vans.

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#shoe #shoes #shoes For Women #shoes ideas #vans #Women flat shoes fashion

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fandomsandfeminism · 8 years ago

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Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is a weird and wonderful story, full of odd surreal encounters and wacky nonsense. Despite it's strangeness though, I promise that drugs were not involved in it's production.

To read all of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass as a PDF: http://www.gasl.org/refbib/Carroll__Alice_1st.pdf

Full text version of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/11/11-h/11-h.htm

Full text version of Through the Looking Glass: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/12/12-h/12-h.htm

Closed Captioning coming soon

Transcript below

Alice in Wonderland isn’t about drugs.

Now, I know that may come as a surprise to some people. It’s pretty standard internet fair to point at Alice, with all the trippy visuals and the mushrooms and the Hookah caterpillar, and declare that it was REALLY all about drugs this whole time, oh ho ho, and Disney made a movie about it!

But it’s not. It’s not about drugs.

I want to talk about Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass a little bit today, what they are really about, where this idea of them being about drugs came from, and why I find it to kind of be bullshit.

So, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is an 1865 novel written by English novelist Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the pseudonym Lewis Carrol. The sequel, Through the Looking Glass, was published in 1871. I’m going to focus mainly on these two original books, and not the dozens and dozens and dozens of adaptations and remakes that exist. For the record, both books are in the public domain, so it's very easy to find pdf copies of them on the internet.

Almost every movie version of Alice, including the Disney one, splices together elements and plot points from both of the books, rather than simply adapting one story or the other. It’s not particularly important to know which characters and events happen in each, since they are very often published as a pair anyway. But we’re going to have a quick overview.

In Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Alice is a young girl who is in the garden of her home playing with her cat Dinah when she sees a white rabbit in a waistcoat run past, apparently late to an appointment. She follows the rabbit down the rabbit hole and thus into wonderland. What follows is a quintessential example of literary nonsense, filled with word play, puns, and absurdity as Alice works her way through Wonderland.

She eats an odd bite of cake and drinks a potion which change her size. She cries so hard she creates a sea. She recites some poetry she had to memorize for school buts gets it all wrong. She meets a mouse that won’t answer her call in English, so she tries talking to it in French. She wonders if this assumed French mouse came over with William the Conqueror, because Alice doesn’t know much about when things in history happened. They reach the shore where other animals are. The mouse then gives a lecture on william the conqueror and the animals agree to a Caucus race to dry off (Because Alice doesn’t know what a caucus actually is.)

Alice meets the Caterpillar, who seems to speak in riddles, correcting her grammar and not making sense. She meets the Duchess, who yells a lot and seems to ignore her baby. She meets the Cheshire Cat, who again, doesn’t make a lot of sense, and then the Mad Hatter and March Hare. More and more riddles. She plays a VERY silly game of croquet with the Queen of Hearts where the rules don’t make sense and the Queen cheats a lot. She meets a Mock Turtle (a pun on Mock Turtle soup, apparently Alice thought Mock Turtles were an animal). Then the world’s silliest court scene, where everything is unfair and doesn’t make sense, and then Alice goes back home, waking up as if from a dream.

Set presumably about half a year later, in Through the Looking Glass, Alice is playing inside the house with two cats, Dinah’s kittens, when she contemplates the mirror in the room. She finds that she is able to walk through the mirror and back into Wonderland. She discovers a mostly nonsense poem, Jabberwocky, which can only be read if you hold it up to a mirror. She also finds that the chess pieces in the room have come to life. What follows is another adventure in mostly absurdity, though if you know how, you can actually use Looking Glass as a step by step guide for a real chess game. Alice plays the part of one of the white pawns.

She wanders through the garden of living flowers, meets Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, talks to Humpty Dumpty, and eventually makes all the way across the “board” and becomes a queen herself. The Red and White queens throw her a party, and then confuse her with riddles and wordplay. This actually results in Alice physically confronting the Red Queen and “Capturing her”, putting the Red King into “Checkmate” unintentionally, and thus, she wakes up in her arm chair back home having won the game.

Quick recommendation, if you want to get all of the little wordplay and puns and references in Alice and Looking Glass, I recommend the Annotated Alice by Martin Gardner. It’s awesome.

- These books are pretty strange. So, if not a psychedelic reflection about a weird acid trip, or whatever, what’s up with these books? Why are they so weird?

Well, Carrol said he wrote the book after he and a friend spent a day on a river trip with the 3 young daughters of Henry Liddell in 1862. During their journey, Carrol entertained the girls with a made up nonsense story about a girl named Alice. Alice Liddell was so entranced that she told Carrol he should publish it. And so he did. He spent a few years refining the story before it was finally published, and the real Alice got her copy.

So on the surface, it’s just that- a silly story meant to amuse children, a celebration of imagination and childhood silliness.

But there are some underlying themes in these books. The encounters Alice has have a sort of pattern to them- Adults in the books, whether they are the Queen of Hearts or the White Queen, the Duchess or the Hatter, often speak in riddles. They make up rules that don’t make sense and refuse to explain them. The white rabbit is obsessed with never being late, and much of the word play or silliness comes from Alice not understanding adult or unfamiliar concepts (like the Mock Turtle or a Caucus race.)

And so the books become a very silly exploration of how a child, viewing the adult world, might feel confused and lost. Wonderland is Adulthood cloaked in familiar childhood clothes. Nursery Rhymes and game board pieces doing a fumbling pantomime of adulthood, discussing mathematical concepts and latin grammar, through the eyes of a child who doesn’t understand it.

There are many things that can be pulled from Alice- ideas of innocence, of escapism, of identity and sense of self, of intentionally bucking order in favor of disorder. But none of those things are drugs.

(Sidenote: There is a whole other issue about Carrol’s….relationship with the Liddell daughters, and his...fondness for young girls in general. This is a whole separate debate, and it gets kinda messy with contemporary views of childhood and adulthood and whether there was anything...untoward about his fondness for them. But that’s really not what we’re talking about today. )

- So, why do people think this is a story about drugs? Carrol wasn’t known for opium use, or even heavy drinking. He had no exposure to psychedelics (magic mushrooms wouldn't be discovered by Europeans until 1955) So why?

I think the easiest answer is that people want stories to make sense. I want stories to make sense. I spent a lot of money going to college to get a degree in “Making stories make sense.” We want there to be a reason that things happen in stories, and so when a story feels as random and silly and surreal as Alice, we want to figure out what it’s REALLY about.

This is kind of the underlying idea behind surrealism in general- creating art and meaning out of the absurd and random images of dreams and unreality. [Side note, there is an edition of Alice with illustrations by Salvador Dali, which is...amazing.]

And thanks to the culture of the 1960s and 1970s, there is a heavy association between reality-bending images and drug use, especially hallucinogens. And depending on which adaptation you are looking at, some movies really play up this trippy psychedelic aesthetic for Alice.

But I think there’s another level to this one, and one that I find much more grating. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is a story for children, especially for girls. And there is a certain segment of the population, especially among young adults on the internet, who really seem to enjoy taking things aimed at children and declaring NO, this thing isn’t for kids, it’s actually FOR ME, and slapping an edgy dark interpretation on top of it, however sloppily.

Fan theories like...Ash is in a coma all along, or all the Rugrats are dead and Angelica is just imagining them, and...yeah, a huge slice of the Brony fandom declaring that adult men are the real audience, they aim at appropriating and co-opting child media for adult consumption

And there’s something about that which leaves a sour taste in my mouth over all. - I don’t think there’s anything inherently bad about reimagining child stories in more adult ways. But I do think it somewhat misses the point when people begin to insist that these mature reimaginings are the CORRECT or more valid interpretation, especially if they lead to the exclusion of children from that media space.

With Alice in particular, I think the story gives adult readers a chance to empathize with children, not as dolls or objects of cuteness, but as people interacting with a confusing and strange world as they grow up. It is an opportunity to revisit childhood, with all it’s familiar characters and uncertainty and wonder, and rather than corrupt that story, I think it should be embraced.

I’m going to leave you with the end of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alice’s adult sister, having heard her story, lays back, and herself begins to dream, of Wonderland and of her sister Alice. And This is what it says, “Lastly, she pictured to herself how this same little sister of hers would, in the after-time, be herself a grown woman; and how she would keep, through all her riper years, the simple and loving heart of her childhood: and how she would gather about her other little children, and make their eyes bright and eager with many a strange tale, perhaps even with the dream of Wonderland of long ago: and how she would feel with all their simple sorrows, and find a pleasure in all their simple joys, remembering her own child-life, and the happy summer days.”

And that is what Wonderland is about.

Thanks for watching this video! I’ll see yall down in the comments, so if you have any questions, feedback, or suggestions, head on over. If you enjoyed listening to this queer millennial feminist with a BA in English ramble on for a while, feel free to subscribe.

#Alice In Wonderland #Alice's Adventures In Wonderland #lewis carroll #feminism

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