#and then everyone laughed at the story cos haha kids escaped

[aenslem]

tell a story about your childhood

Okay, um, when I was in kindergarten, we - bunch of tiny idiots who hated the place, cos it was not really a good place, we were not taken care of, we were mocked, laughed at, and honestly it was an abusive environment, one time those who supposed to take care of us scared the shit out of us for their fun, all of us were crying non stop after and then we were yelled at why we cry, but it was 90s after we left soviet union finally, so who cared about kids :/ so we decided to escape, we had a plan, me and my brother were the brains, and you know what? we did it :D

We went outside of that place, past the gate, we walked down the street, and we were caught because one of the toddlers started crying.

It sounds fun cos I was the kid who was escaping a facility, but when I look back it's wild what a fucking disaster of a place it was, how unsafe it was that bunch of pre schoolers and toddlers escaped it and went outside on street, and there were cars on the road, 90s were wild.

[dredreadsdrawing]

Oc-tober day 5: Old

For Day 5’s challenge, I brought back what I believe to be my first trans character haha. This will start as cringe plz bear with me. Im copy pasting the Quickie I had planned for a post in my writing blog.

PunchLine: Quickie Summary

Just suddenly grew nostalgic of this story lol. Notes before delving into the plot:

-        I literally started this story’s concept when I was in 5th – 6th grade and first watched Ouran High School Host Club. My kid brain was mad at Haruhi for not taking advantage of her passing as a boy so I made what started as a self-insert oc that gradually transformed into my first trans character ever. Whack, lol.

-        Just a side thing, most of my damn stories have playlists and I swear, All Time Low/All American Rejects songs are exclusively this story’s official soundtrack.

-        The main character’s name is super…. Wow lol. Please bear with me I might change it, just… this was a story I started making when I was 11 and really liked ‘unique’ names instead of conventional ones >X,,D

-        Please have mercy on my tiny weeb soul.

Lolol ok, plot start naw. Keep in mind I was very influenced by anime at this point of my life so I started this in a stereotypical Japanese setting but made it more Americanized over the years. Big oof.

Protagonist (I called em Echo lol) is a hella poor girl living pretty much by herself in a shitty apartment. Her aunt is her caretaker but she’s never home and she doesn’t work. Echo has to work a job herself to make money for food. She has a quiet personality, long, terrible hair with split ends everywhere, and a boxy frame. She works doing lots of manual labor, adding to her poor health.

Because she’s always been quiet, no one knows who she really is. She’s just ‘that poor girl who never talks’,  and they mostly leave her alone. One particularly shitty night however, after getting fired without her pay, she gets caught by some hotshot popular dude and his cronies with her work uniform on. Kids aren’t supposed to work. He takes a picture and threatens to turn her in if she doesn’t follow him. He’s just looking for some easy fun with a docile girl he can make do anything. She’s done being docile.

In true anime fashion she beats the hell out of these dudes, trash talking them the entire time. She’s merciless, bashing them all black and blue until they pass out. Only once everyone but the main instigator is down does she take his phone. “I have back-ups!” The boy exclaims through broken teeth. She looks at him and posts the image onto his feed herself. She’s done going to school anyways. She destroys the phone, laughing, and he loses consciousness. She gets up and dusts herself off.

She had a spectator. Some dude had watched the whole thing from his fancy car. He thinks he could use someone like her.

The following week goes as expected. She’s expelled. Her aunt came to act as a concerned guardian in front of the school but left immediately after. She took Echo’s savings. Echo is laying in her mattress on the floor, pretty much wishing to be dead when a knock on the door breaks her concentration.

Oh boy. It’s the spectator dude with two other boys (one of em may end up being cut lol). He has a proposition. She join their prestigious team from some fancy school for something (idk I initially had her join a mob lol but these kids are still in highschool. Maybe their fighting club?) and they’ll pay for her tuition and living expenses. But there’s a catch. The team is boys-only and she has to crossdress. She signs up immediately anyways lol. From now on, she will live as a boy (so I will use he/him pronouns).

Hmm… mayhaps the reason Echo has such a ‘unique’ name is because he chose it himself. Like the edgy teen he is. Cries.

Echo packs his stuff and goes with em. He hears the specifics about his new group. Eric is the leader, who’s father founded the group. He clearly puts on an aura of being tough and in control, but his delivery is too forced. The spectator dude that found Echo is his co-leader, a guy who actually knows what he’s doing, but doesn’t want to overthrow Eric because he thinks it’s funny seeing him struggle. He is a dick lol. Depending on whether or not I’ll use him, the third dude is Eric’s best friend from childhood meant to be the soft one who helps Echo settle at first.

Moving on, I don’t have a coherent timeline of events, just scattered things that will happen. For sure, Eric and Echo keep butting heads, mostly because Eric tries to control Echo and the group as a whole too much, and Echo is like ‘dude, your demanding for perfection only makes me want to screw things up more to show you how unhealthy your expectations are. And also cuz youre cute when you’re mad.’

Eric has a legacy to live up to. He’s the classic worrywart trying to live up to an image and failing. Echo was brazen at first with his trying to mess Eric up, but he softens as he realizes how much it effects Eric. They eventually hear eachother out and come to a compromise. That’s the start of their friendship.

Then, a year later, comes Kimmie. She’s Eric’s childhood crush. She’s short, she’s plump, and she has a rude attitude. Eric’s been a simp for her since he was a kid. He tries way too hard to make her see him as a romantic partner; she’s the reason he grew out his hair when he heard her casually mention she likes it long.

What’s his reason for liking her so much? When they were kids, Eric was plump too, but unlike with her, kids would pick on him because he always just took it. She defended him a lot, and her fiery personality mixed with her ability to hit kids and get away with it made her feared. He idolized her ever since.

She reacts to this as well as you’d imagine a childhood crush staying just a crush is handled. Meaning she clearly sets up walls around him and tells him he’s not interested. Echo, however, catches her eye.

After a P.E session, Kimmie follows Echo to his usual changing place and catches him with his top off. Kimmie knew Echo was a ‘girl.’ Kimmie explains she had seen Echo before his transition. Echo laughs it off, finding her brazenness cute. “So what now? You wanna tell the school?” “… I require you for something actually…”

Kimmie is dating Echo now. Eric is devastated. Kimmie flaunts Echo around like a trophy, breaking many girl’s hearts that had previously asked him out. Echo has to follow her around as a part of their deal, but he doesn’t mind it. The more he learns about her, the more he likes her.

Eric tries to confront him about it along with his friends. Eric’s approach is…. Well… “You’re faking this, right? You don’t like girls, you’re not really a boy!” “Dude, I like what I like. Deal with it.” This response further punches Eric in the gut as everyone laughs nervously.

Some big event comes and Echo is Kimmie’s plus one. Eric doesn’t want to attend it so he stays in the mansion. Echo is feeling the guilt of the situation more with each day that passed. At the event, him and Kimmie have a great time, but when they escape the crowd and are alone, she tries for a kiss. Echo doesn’t proceed. Kimmie is disappointed, but Echo explains.

“I know the real reason you wanted to date me. It’s the same reason you touch my chest so much, why you wanted to see me in a dress, and why you told Eric you like long hair. Kimmie, you like girls.” He steps away from her. “And I can’t be your girlfriend in disguise.”

Kimmie is floored. She begins to cry. Echo is right. She’s a lesbian but she never wanted to accept it. She kept telling herself she’d find the right boy, and when Echo came, it felt so perfect. She thought she could just slip in and pretend that she was straight. But she isn’t.

She apologizes. She says, however, that she truly does like Echo now. Echo sighs and rubs their neck. “You can’t like me Kimmie… I’m not…” Kimmie thinks it through. “But… you were a girl before! The only reason you’re dressed like this is because of the contract!” “Yeaaaah… but I kinda like it now. This feels…. Better. More me.” Echo grins with confidence. “I’m a man now.”

Kimmie takes Echo’s figure in and sighs. “Ew. I can’t be date a man.” They laugh and break up, Echo going back home. Kimmie returns to the party and is spotted by one of Eric’s friends. He asks where Echo is and she tells him everything. Echo is going home, him and Kimmie just broke up. The friend tells Kimmie some comforting words before running away to the hall to call Eric and tell him the good news. Kimmie is available again, and he can be more aggressive this time!

Eric is slumped in the couch after binging Netflix and eating a pint of icecream. When he hears the news, his mind is stuck on only one piece of information. Echo is coming back home. Instead of feeling happy about Kimmie being available again, Eric realizes Echo is coming back after a break up. His worrywart tendencies has him picturing a comedically sobbing Echo, ruthlessly broken up with by Kimmie, wondering how he could continue to live without her. He cleans up the couch and by the time Echo enters, he’s saved him a spot on the couch and his own pint of icecream. Echo laughs but sits right beside him, accepting the comfort, even if Eric doesn’t know the full story. They have a nice night together, and by the morning, Kimmie’s sexuality is revealed thanks to a picture she posted in her social media celebrating with a girl she kissed.

She’s officially out and happier for it. Eric congratulates her when they run into eachother in the hallway. She’s surprised he’s not as sad as she expected him to be, but she’s touched by how genuinely kind he’s being to her. They stay friends, and even get closer thanks to Kimmie now putting her walls down again.

Movin on to another story event, Eric’s mom has been away for most of Echo’s stay, but she comes back. Eric has made it clear that Echo should stay away from her, and never let her know his transition. She somehow finds out thanks to some mishaps anyways. When the contract is revealed, she is ASTOUNDED that her boy would force a GIRL to live as a MAN. She’s putting a stop to this! She takes Echo away for a weekend spa treatment, girling Echo up, talking over him through the whole thing, never listening to his complaints and only reassuring herself that Echo is safe now and free to be pretty and feminine once more! It’s the proper way!

Needless to say Echo is uncomfortable.

The more Eric’s mom talks about herself and her own life, it’s clear that her way of thinking stems from some issues she had as a kid, being forced to work and to give up feminine things, but Echo doesn’t feel like she did at all. And though Echo enjoys some of the spa things, and doesn’t much mind being put in a dress, he just… prefers a suit. Would rather stay at home training with the group. Would rather keep his hair short as opposed to the length Eric’s mom proposes him to grow it at. It’s a bunch of little things, but they culminate in solidifying to Echo… he just wants to stay a boy. He’s not being forced to be one. He genuinely likes it.

When they return from their trip, Echo is in a skirt and heels. He is dolled up with professional make up and styled hair. The group ogles him, but as comments get thrown around about how good Echo looks as a girl, Eric can’t feel the same. He just feels it’s too… off. He doesn’t bring it up, he’s afraid he’ll hurt Echo’s feelings. All his mom’s mutterings got to him, and Eric feels guilty for forcing Echo to live as a man. 

During dinner, he reassures his mom and Echo that they can get rid of the contract and Echo can live in their house and attend their school clause free.

Echo stops him right there.

“I don’t want to be a girl. I’m a boy.”

Eric and his mom are confused. They try to reassure Echo, but Echo continues. “No. No offence ma’am, but all weekend, you have talked over me, never listening to what I have to say. I don’t want to be a girl. I am not like you. I do not share your experiences nor your desires. I like being a boy. I like being called a boy. I like dressing like a boy. I want to be known as a boy.”

Echo gets up.

“I’m going to go change now. But before I go, I want to keep the contract. I have no problem with any of the conditions.” Echo looks at Eric and smiles. “I like being a part of the group and competing with you guys.” He’s flustered by his sincerity. Echo leaves. For the rest of the day, Echo is unbothered in his room, but when night comes, Eric goes up to bring him some food.

Echo didn’t really wash off the make up very good (damn that high quality stuff), and his hair is a mess. But he’s in comfortable clothes and he brings in Eric so they can hang. They talk about trivial stuff at first, spend an hour playing a game, and when it’s 3am, Eric gathers the guts to talk about it. That he’s glad Echo stood up for himself, and he sees him as a boy too. Echo bursts into laughter, teasing Eric.

“So that’s what you were so nervous about. I thought you were planning to ask me on a date.” More flustered Eric. “W-Why would I-“ Echo gives him a half hug that stops him, hiding his own blushing face. “Thanks…” Eric hugs him back. It’s yet another sweet moment before they finally get together…. In some other event in the future mwahahaha. Idk, I haven’t decided yet when they confess and actually start going out ;p cries.

Welp, there ya go. This is a story I still cringe at because of how anime it starts but damn these chars got me. I love Echo, Eric and Kimmie ;o; I’m sorry I’m a sucker v-v

[fleckcmscott]

Watch What Happens - Chapter 3

Chapter links: 1, 2 

Summary: Arthur, an aspiring comedian, has struggled to find normalcy and compassion his entire life. Y/N, a hard-working paralegal and transplant to Gotham, has just been put on a case for the Wayne Foundation. When they meet, unexpected sparks fly.

Chapter warning: Angst

Words: 1,856

Impromptu conversations with Hoyt were rarely pleasant. There seemed to be a new gripe whenever Arthur learned his boss wanted to speak with him. He’d been late to a party because the train had broken down. The balloon animals he was learning to make deflated too quickly. His laughter popped up at the wrong times.

Today’s meeting had been no different. As soon as he walked into Hoyt’s cramped office, he knew he’d be scolded. He understood Kenny’s Music was upset that he’d disappeared. What he hadn’t expected was Hoyt’s complete dismissal of his side of the story. Yes, it was a stupid decision to go after the kids who were giving him shit. The bruises covering him were enough to prove that. But why would he go out of his way to steal a sign?

Arthur had been careful to smile painfully the entire time, the way Penny had taught him. With all the effort it took to maintain his composure, he’d barely heard Hoyt threaten to take the cost of the broken placard out of his pay. He felt a pang in his gut. Less money would mean missed meals. At least he could handle that better than his mother, since he rarely ate anyway.

Hoyt told him his co-workers were uncomfortable around him. That they thought he was weird. That wasn’t news to Arthur - though he didn’t always get their intentions, he wasn’t an idiot. He hadn’t missed the lack of inclusion in the card games the others played on their downtime, or how quiet they were around him.

And he made everyone uncomfortable. Except maybe Gary, the little person he worked with. Gary was the only acquaintance who appeared to give a shit about him, even a little. And he went out of his way to check-in with Arthur when a day had been particularly trying. Arthur would have to remember to try to return that favor.

Usually, his anger didn’t eclipse his general malaise. When it did, he tried to push it down like he had learned. He couldn’t do that today. After the meeting with Hoyt, he’d gone into the back alley and punted the garbage until he fell.

It had been too much. He put more than forty hours a week into being a clown. He loved his job and was good at it. There was a reason he was on the rotation list for the children’s hospital. Just once, it would be nice to hear he had done well instead of being berated.

He tried to remind himself he was lucky to have a steady income.

Now Arthur was in the empty locker room at HaHa’s, cleaning crud off his shoes from the garbage bags he’d broken open. His knee was sore from the kicking. When he got home, he’d have to put ice on it. He took in a long breath, sitting on the bench in front of the row of blue lockers. Sometimes he thought it would be easier to simply drift away.

“You okay?”

Arthur hadn’t heard Randall approach. He slumped a little, expecting another smart remark from the giant know-it-all.

Randall continued. “I heard about the beat-down you took. Fucking savages.”

The aggravation in his voice wasn’t what Arthur had expected. Arthur shook his head. “It was just a bunch of kids. I should have left it alone.”

“No, they’ll take everything from you if you do that. All that crazy shit out there? They’re animals,” Randall stated.

Arthur stood and grabbed his jacket from his locker, not wanting to continue. He’d been on his feet all day, which hadn’t helped his healing back. All he wanted was to go home and try to relax.

Randall shoved a paper bag at him, taking him aback. “Here.”

Arthur glanced at it. “What is it?”

“Take it.”

Half expecting a trick, Arthur wiped his nose, took the bag and gingerly opened it. The light from overhead reflected off a .38 snub-nosed handgun and six bullets. Giggling nervously, he closed the bag and tried to hand it back. He looked around, making sure no one else had entered the room. “Randall,” he whispered. “I’m not supposed to have a gun.”

Randall smiled at him. “Don’t sweat it, Art. No one has to know. And you can pay me back some other time. You know you’re my boy.”

Arthur wasn’t sure how to take that. Had all the self-doubt he’d felt moments ago been wrong? Randall giving him a gift a gun to protect himself - did this mean he was finally “one of the guys?” It made him nervous. And a little proud. He shoved the paper bag in his pocket and shook his head lightly, laughing. “I’ve - I’ve got to go. My mother’s waiting.”

~~~~~

Arthur's evening went similarly to every other. He made dinner for Penny and took a quick shower, then ran a bath for his mother. After testing the temperature with the back of his hand, he went into the living room with a towel. "It's time for your bath, mom." Penny didn't have much of a reaction, a soft smile and a nod. He draped the towel over his shoulder and, putting an arm around her back, the other under her armpit, gently lifted her out of the easy chair. She shuffled along as he guided her to the bathroom.

Penny dropped her robe to the floor, seemingly half paying attention to what she was doing. He picked it up, folded it, and placed it on the closed toilet lid. Once he had helped her out of the rest of her clothing, he threw it in the hamper. He took her hand as she stepped into the tub. "Be careful. Don't slip," he said, helping her get into the water. When she was situated, he dragged a stool over, sat, then grabbed a washcloth and soap to scrub her back.

Arthur was used to taking care of Penny, but this level of helplessness still felt new. He'd had to start helping her bathe about six months ago, when she'd had a fall getting out of the tub. The panic he'd felt when he'd found her on the floor still weighed heavily in his stomach when he thought about it. He'd been grateful she hadn't broken anything. And when she’d first said, "Happy, I need your help in the bathroom," he'd been glad to assist her. Truthfully, it felt good to be needed.

She stared vacantly at the wall as he washed her arms. "I wonder why there was no mail today."

"That means no bills, mom." He handed her the washcloth and soap. "Wash your chest and down below." Turning away from her, he listened to the water splash behind him. He hummed gently with the radio as he waited for her to finish.

She continued after the soft sloshing stopped. "Maybe the mailman is stealing my letters."

He swiveled back around and grabbed the nearby plastic cup. Carefully, he tipped her head back and started washing her hair. 

Penny closed her eyes. "Maybe we'll hear from him soon."

He couldn't bite his tongue any longer. "Mom, why are these letters so important to you? What do you think he's gonna do?"

"He's gonna help us," she pronounced.

Bewildered, he shook his head. "You worked for him, what? Thirty years ago?" A sigh escaped him. "Why would he help us?"

She turned and looked him straight in the face, answering without hesitation. "Because Thomas Wayne is a good man. If he knew how we were living... If he could see this place, it would make him sick." She lowered her head. "I can't explain it to you any better than that."

Arthur pursed his lips. It wasn't worth the argument; he wouldn't win it anyway. He closed his eyes. He did his best to provide, but he knew it wasn’t enough. Maybe if she hadn’t had a son who was such a mess, she’d be in a better position. He started thinking about the sign he had to pay for, hoping he could pick up an extra gig to make up the difference.  "I don't want you worrying about money, mom," he said soothingly. "Or me." A flicker of excitement went through him at what he was going to say next. "Everyone's been telling me my stand-up's ready for the big clubs."

Blinking at him, she said, "But, Happy, what makes you think you can do that?"

"What do you mean?"

Penny looked at him in consternation. "Don't you have to be funny to be a comedian?"

~~~~~

The journal lay open on the coffee table in front of Arthur. Sitting on the old, scratchy sofa in his blue pants, smoking cigarette after cigarette down to the filter, he thought about what he should write. It felt like homework tonight. The jokes weren't coming.

Usually he could ignore Penny's remarks. Tonight's comment from her had wounded him, though. She didn't think he could pursue his purpose of spreading joy and laughter? A purpose she'd told him he had all his life? He knew his timing was off, that he didn't get punchlines in the same way others did. He was acutely aware of that he had misunderstandings he couldn’t seem to fix. But he wouldn't stop practicing and trying to improve. He'd make her proud of him one day. He'd show her.

He wasn't going to journal about the bullet hole he'd accidentally fired into the wall, which he was going to have to figure out how to patch. If Counselor Kane caught wind of it, he'd be in serious trouble. The gun had been heavier than he'd imagined. His hands had trembled when he held it. It felt forbidden. And dangerous.

Why hadn't Randall told him it was loaded? He could have killed himself. Maybe that's what Randall wanted.

The new pack of pens caught his eye, and his thoughts went to the woman at the store. When she'd first spoken to him, he'd been preparing himself for a snide comment. One never came. She'd been unexpectedly kind and polite.

Her stare had been disconcerting until she apologized for it. A short chuckle escaped him as he remembered her blush. Women never did that around him. Even though he wasn't like the men in check-out stand magazines or movies, he wondered if she'd found him attractive. She was so pretty, too pretty for him.

The bravery he'd managed to wrangle to open the door for her surprised him. He wanted to keep it. Standing behind her in line, he thought he'd been able to catch a whiff of the sweet fragrance of her shampoo. Or maybe he’d dreamed it. Either way, he associated it with her. He wished he had worn cologne - she might have liked it.

He picked up a pen and started writing in his messy scrawl, a soft smile on his face. "I met a nice woman at the store yesterday. I don't know why she was nice to me but I'm glad she was. If I meet her again I need to say hi."

Tag list (Let me know if you want to be added!): @harmonioussolve​ @clowndaddyfleck @stephieraptorr​

[artificialqueens]

Undone, Chapter 14 (Bitney) - Stephanie/Veronica

A/N: Welcome to Chapter 14 of UNDONE, our slow burn Bitney lesbian AU. Here’s a link to the previous chapters.

Summary: Bianca escapes to a gig in Atlanta at the perfect time, as things are getting real tense with Jared.

Thank you to everyone who beta’d while I changed around the plot 40 times: @kitschypixel @sheofthethrone @jillybean2314 @theartificialdane

TW: This story deals with themes of emotional abuse, and since that can be subtle, we’re going to keep a general TW on all of the chapters.

***

Bianca falls into bed beside Jared, sighing. Her buzz from dinner has unfortunately worn off and now she just feels tired. She glances over at Jared, who seems to be ignoring her, tapping furiously at his phone, brow furrowed.

She picks up her own phone, scrolling absentmindedly through Instagram. She pauses on Courtney’s latest picture: she’s in Sydney, at the Mardi Gras parade, surrounded by throngs of colorful revelers, covered in glitter, rainbow streaks in her hair. Her expression is jubilant, ecstatic.

Bianca likes the photo, begins to slowly type out a comment. “You look like...” her fingers hover over the keys, stomach twisting. Joy. Perfection. Everything I have ever wanted.

“What are you lookin’ at?” Jared asks, turning onto his side.

"Oh, um, my friend is in Sydney for Mardi Gras. It looks crazy,” Bianca answers.

“That Australian girl from the show? The lesbian?"

"Uh, yeah." Bianca is a little surprised that Jared made the connection. But, she supposes that she has mentioned Courtney to him a few times before. She’s certainly not trying to hide anything.

Jared moves a little closer, asking, “What does she look like? Is she cute?" He tries to grab her phone and she jumps away.

“Stop!”

Jared laughs, now enjoying the struggle.

"Why won't you let me see her?!"

"I'm in the middle of writing a comment!"

“So what?! Give me the phone!"

Bianca quickly deletes what she was writing, cheeks burning with...something. She’s not sure what, but she feels a little hot and wonders if maybe the alcohol from earlier hasn’t quite worn off like she thought. She gulps, handing over the phone and watching his face carefully.

"Daaaaamn..." Jared lets out a low whistle, clicking on Courtney’s username and checking out her other recent pictures. “Are you sure she’s a lesbian?”

“Uh, yeah. Pretty sure,” Bianca answers, slightly irritated.

“Huh. She doesn’t look like one. She looks...sexy.”

Bianca isn’t sure why that comment annoys her so much, but she doesn’t like the expression on his face as he scrolls through the pictures. It almost feels like he’s stealing something from her. When he double-taps a picture from last autumn, Bianca quickly snatches the phone back.

"What are you doing?!" she shrieks, and he begins to laugh.

"I just liked a picture, what?"

“But...but we're friends, and that was like, a thot picture of her in a bathing suit, from like months ago, you can't-oh my god..."

“Who cares?"

Bianca sighs and patiently asks, “If Willam posted a picture of his ass, would you like it?”

“Uh...if he looked like her, yeah.”

“Way to miss the point.”

“Okay, so just unlike it then. Or tell her it was me.”

Bianca stares at him for a moment before exclaiming, “That’s even worse!”

“B…” A sly smile spreads across Jared’s face. He leans in and murmurs, “Do you have a crush on this girl?” He presses a kiss to her neck.

“Stop it,” Bianca says, pulling away. “Of course not.”

“Yeah, you do,” he insists, arms sliding back around her. “You naughty girl.”

“I don’t-”

“It's okay, baby, it's hot.” Jared nuzzles her ear, hard dick against her hip. “My bad girl. Should I punish you?”

“Jared-”

“Remember that girl junior year? The redhead?”

Bianca’s stomach is tight, her breath shallow. Another protest is on the tip of her tongue, but seeing his sleepy-eyed leer, she relents, letting him pin her wrists over her head, climb on top of her.

“Don’t be ashamed, babe. I told you, it’s hot,” he says, smirking down at her.

Bianca nods, biting her lip. She supposes that she should be grateful. Not all husbands would be this open-minded. This forgiving.

“I mean, if it was a guy, I’d have to kill him. But…” Jared laughs, a hollow laugh that makes Bianca shiver. “But this? I’m into it.”

Bianca stares up at the ceiling, blinking back tears. Where the fuck did those come from? She brushes them away angrily, closing her eyes, while he slides down her pajama bottoms.

***

Courtney flops down onto her sofa, finally home after almost 18 hours of traveling. She breathes a sigh of relief and picks up her phone. Her first message sounds way too needy, and she quickly deletes it, trying to think of a way to say what she wants without being such an obvious jet-lagged emotional mess.

COURTNEY: I really miss the way you manhandle my seams <3

BIANCA: lol, you’re an idiot <3

COURTNEY: When do you leave for Atlanta?

BIANCA: Saturday.

COURTNEY: Shit. Maybe we can do lunch sometime this week?

BIANCA: I wish. I’m so fucking slammed with prep. I don’t even know when I’m gonna pack.

Courtney lets her head fall backwards, deflating a little. She’s been getting the sense that Bianca was pulling away, although sometimes it’s hard to tell if it’s real or just all in her head. The idea of waiting months before seeing her again is a crushing blow, but she doesn’t want to make her feel bad.

COURTNEY: Ok. I’ll let you get back to it then. Have a safe trip. <3

***

Bianca stares out the window at the puffy white clouds, a sense of relief making her feel more relaxed than she remembers being in...years, maybe. Maybe the most relaxed she’d ever been sober.

She hates to admit how tense things have been with Jared lately. But after she’d kissed him goodbye and gotten into the uber, it was as if every cell in her body exhaled.

Or, maybe it’s just the excitement of finally being a department head, for a beautiful little indie film set in the 1960s. Finally having a project where her creative vision would be fully realized, the director and producer basically giving her carte blanche because they loved her preliminary sketches so much. And of course, there’s the fact that she’ll be living in the same city as Latrice for the first time since high school. That must be it.

She smiles, bending down to drop a few treats into the dogs’ travel bag.

***

Bianca yanks open the door of the little sidewalk cafe and rushes over to Latrice - her oldest friend, the person who knows her best in the world. She throws herself into Latrice’s arms, the taller woman letting out a deep laugh as she embraces her tightly, saying, “I missed you, too, gorgeous.”

Once they’re seated, Latrice pushes a glass of sweet tea over to Bianca.

“Alright. Give me the latest. What’s going on? How’s your team? How’s Prince Charming coping with you being gone?”

“The crew’s great, I’m really excited about this show. And...he’ll be fine.”

“Are you sure about that?” Latrice asks with a chuckle. “Remember when we went to Barbados and he called you 20 times a day? That boy can barely breathe without you.”

“Well, he’s busy too,” Bianca says, feeling just a little defensive. Jared had spent her last 2 weeks in LA going on and on about what a sacrifice he was making, how hard her absence was going to be for him, how grateful she should be that he was so understanding. By the end, she had conceded every point out of pure exhaustion.

“Sure, I know. But...it’s hard to make a baby long distance. Is he gonna come visit for Game Day?”

Bianca forces a laugh.

“No, I don’t think so. Actually, I haven’t even been tracking for a couple months.”

“Really? Just letting Jesus take the wheel?”

“Yeah. Well…I mean, it’s been such a stressful process. And the last doctor I saw basically told me that I was like...trying too hard. And also...” Bianca trails off, looking down. She hasn’t admitted the next part out loud yet. Maybe she hasn’t even admitted it to herself.

Latrice covers Bianca’s hand with her own.

“Yeah?”

“I dunno. I guess…” Bianca looks away. “I’ve been having some doubts about whether we’re even meant to...have kids. What if it hasn’t happened for a reason?”

“B…” Latrice pauses, searching for the best way to respond.

“...well, isn’t it possible? Que sera sera and all that shit.”

“You know, someday, you’re gonna give yourself a break from all this neurotic self torture. And that will be a beautiful day,” Latrice says.

“You’re right.” Bianca clears her throat. “I just need to chill. Obviously. But...enough about my bullshit. Tell me about the wedding plans!”

***

Work is slow for Courtney in the spring, so she asks her old modeling agents to toss her some commercial work. When she learns about the first job they booked for her, she doesn’t know whether to be horrified or proud. It’s a pretty big print ad campaign, for Johnson & Johnson. She’s playing a mother, lovingly placing a BandAid on her baby. When Bianca learns of the whole thing via text, she’s utterly amused.

BIANCA: BAHAHAHAHAHA

BIANCA: Should I call you Mommy now?

COURTNEY: If that’s what you’re into ;)

BIANCA: omg

COURTNEY: It’s cool, I don’t kink shame

BIANCA: SHUT UP OMG

Later in the week, she texts Bianca from the set to give her an update, curled in a chair in the greenroom.

COURTNEY: OK so I’m at this shoot, and they tell me they want me to show some “respectable mum cleavage” in the shot when I lean over to put the band-aid on the kid. I LOL’d IRL, because hello? Wrong girl.

BIANCA: lol awwww. Can’t relate.

COURTNEY: Thanks, I’m WELL aware

BIANCA: ;)

COURTNEY: So their brilliant solution was to tape me into this wonderbra/bustier thing, and to further emphasize my (lack of) tits, they are contouring and highlighting the fuck out of my chest. I feel like a goddamn drag queen.

BIANCA: HAHA, you would be the worst drag queen. Do you even own makeup?

COURTNEY: MEANWHILE this damn baby is just sitting over in the corner drooling. He better not be making more than me.

BIANCA: He probably is. Needed: Caucasian baby, must not roll eyes when co-star waxes poetic about vegan pudding for 30 minutes.

COURTNEY: IF YOU ARE IMPLYING THAT THE VEGGIE GRILL PUDDING ISNT WORTHY OF POETRY THEN YOURE A DEMON

BIANCA: Calm down, crazy

COURTNEY: Omg they just applied the fake wound to him and it’s a little horrible looking. I’m actually worried that I might not put this band-aid on him properly. What if he bleeds out and dies? I don’t think I’m ready for motherhood. I CANT TAKE THIS PRESSURE

BIANCA: You’re gonna be fine. ;P

COURTNEY: Okay he made it. Phew.

BIANCA: I was on pins and needles.

It’s like an addiction, this need to share everything with Bianca. To make her laugh, to get her feedback, to know all of the mundane details of her day. To connect, as often as possible. Courtney knows that she’s in way over her head, but she doesn’t care. She just wants more.

***

Bianca doubles over laughing as Chris recounts a story of trying to take Latrice white water rafting. Latrice tries to chime in and dispute some of his facts, but she’s laughing too hard to be very effective.

“Honestly Chris. What on earth made you think that was a good idea?!” Bianca asks him, wiping tears from her eyes. She takes a sip of her wine and helps them load plates into the dishwasher.

“I...I don’t know. Seemed like an adventure?” Chris says with a sheepish grin. He places a newly washed pan in the drying rack.

“Lesson learned!” Latrice pipes up, sliding the leftovers into the fridge. “Now go away so we can talk about your dick.”

“You could just say that you wanna chill with your friend,” Chris laughs, kissing her on the cheek as he sails out the door.

Latrice slings an arm over Bianca’s shoulder and guides her into the living room.

“I’m really glad that I’m getting to know Chris better,” Bianca says, settling onto the sofa. “He’s just so great.”

“He is. I’m very lucky.”

“Well, you’re both lucky.” She flashes a grin and Latrice smiles back.

“How about you? How are you doing?”

“Good! Yeah, the show is humming along, the crew is better than I thought, it’s been…” Bianca shrugs, letting out a contented sigh. “It’s been amazing.”

“And...how’s Prince Charming? Still surviving without you?”

“He’s okay. Actually...” Bianca bites her lip nervously. “To be honest, it’s been kind of wonderful to be on my own. I haven’t really thought about him that much.”

Latrice raises an eyebrow.

“I know, it’s awful, right? I’m a terrible wife.”

“Of course not. Everyone needs some alone time, B. But...is it more than that?”

“No!” Bianca exclaims, a little too vehemently, then asks, “...Why?”

“You just seem a little tense every time I mention him.”

“Yeah, I don’t know.” Bianca looks down, fighting the urge to guzzle her entire glass of wine in one gulp.

“Are things okay with you guys? You know, it’s okay to have issues. Every couple goes through ups and downs. You don’t have to be perfect all the time-”

“I know that!” Bianca sighs. “Anyway, it’s nothing to do with him. Or…”

“I’m listening.”

“I think I may have...um...fallen for someone else.”

“You did what now?” Latrice sits back, eyebrow raised in judgment.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Bianca says, eyes downcast. “I haven’t done anything.”

“I just wonder how many years this boy has to jump through hoops before you see how good he is to you,” Latrice sighs.

Bianca swallows.

“I mean, come on, B. Is there really someone better out there? Or is this just more of the same commitment-phobic stuff that you’ve been putting him through since college?”

“Stop. Forget it. I’m sure this time away will...make me realize how much I miss him, and-”

“I just don’t know why you torture yourself. And him. He worships you. Why can’t you enjoy it? And who is this other person? Your typical pretty boy type?” Latrice asks.

“She’s-”

“Oh, so we’re back to girls, eh?” Latrice teases. “That’s fun.”

“It’s really annoying when you pretend not to know how bisexuality works,” Bianca informs her.

“Sorry, sorry,” Latrice rolls her eyes. “And does she grovel at your feet, like your husband?” The disapproval drips from her tone.

“No...she...it’s a totally different situation.” Bianca presses her lips together. She’s trying not to squirm, not to appear too gleeful, but thinking about Courtney always causes her to get a little giddy.

“Alright, go ahead. I can tell you’re dying to tell me all about her. Just remember, Jesus is listening.”

“Noted,” Bianca says, then leans forward, lowering her voice for some reason. Maybe to make things a little harder for Jesus to hear. “She’s...like...unbelievably gorgeous...but that’s not even the best thing about her. I mean, she’s sexy, but also so smart, and fun, and like...she has this charming, effervescent personality...I’m so fucked.”

“Yeah, sounds like it,” Latrice sighs. “Well...I mean, how deep are these feelings? Is it like, a crush, or…?”

“I think it started out that way,” Bianca admits. “Things are just like...I feel more myself when I’m with her. It’s like being with you.”

“Are you hitting on me now?”

“No,” Bianca laughs. “I just mean that like...I don’t know, the attraction is always there, right? But also, we’re friends.”

“You’re not friends with Jared?”

“It’s just...different with him. It’s more tense. More...complicated.”

“Couldn’t that just be a case of...you know, the grass is always greener on the other side?”

“It could be…” Bianca pauses thoughtfully, sipping her wine.

“Because you know, every relationship is complicated. But there’s a reason that you guys are still together, right? I mean, he suffered through that endless engagement. That means something.”

“It does. But Courtney-that’s her name, by the way.”

“Courtney,” Latrice mimics in a Valley-girl accent, making Bianca laugh a little. “Ugh. You would fall for a Courtney.”

Bianca smirks, then sighs. “Well, for starters, she doesn’t make me feel like my career is a pointless waste of time…”

Latrice opens her mouth, but then stops. It had been a throwaway comment, but something about it made her pause. For years, all Latrice heard about was how much Jared worshipped Bianca. His endless love and affection and understanding. The idea of him thinking that anything she does is a ‘pointless waste of time’ is...incongruous in a way that makes a giant red flag flash for Latrice. She tilts her head, careful to pay extra attention to what Bianca is saying, and particularly the way she’s fidgeting, the anxious look in her eyes.

“...and, I guess...spending time with her made me realize how often I’m walking on pins and needles around Jared. He’s so moody, and I...I thought it was me. You know, because I can be...”

Latrice frowns.

“You can be what?”

“I mean, I push people’s buttons. I’m not sensitive, and I make people upset. You know, you’ve seen it,” Bianca sighs.

“What are you talking about, B?”

“Well, like, remember in high school, with Alyssa?” Bianca begins tearing up the napkin in her hands.

“Yeah, I remember Alyssa, but what-”

“You know, I would say the wrong thing, trying to be funny or whatever, and she’d like, lose it. Remember? I was always making her cry, or-”

“Bianca, Alyssa was crazy. Like, legit bonkers. That wasn’t your fault, at all.” Latrice reaches out to grasp her hand.

“But I made it worse. I mean, I certainly didn’t help,” Bianca insists.

“Okay, sure. Because you were 17 years old. Not a mental health care professional. It still wasn’t your fault.”

Bianca looks down, and Latrice swallows.

“What does this have to do with Jared, though? Does he...I mean, is he as volatile as her? Because-”

“No, of course not.”

“So…”

Bianca takes a deep breath.

“He just...sometimes...gets...upset, and angry. Really angry, and I…it makes me...” Bianca wipes a tear from the corner of her eye. “It’s unsettling, like I don’t know...when the rug’s gonna be yanked out from under my feet, and…and I don’t know if it would be right to bring a child into that...”

Latrice moves closer to her on the sofa, something clicking in her mind and filling her with fear and guilt. She feels like the worst friend in the world for not seeing it, for believing the stories, for failing to probe deeper before now. She squeezes Bianca’s hand a little, before asking softly, “B...has he ever hurt you?”

“No! God, no. Forget it, this is...I’m obviously just being dramatic, you know, so-”

“But he makes you feel...scared?”

“Not scared, exactly. Just...uneasy. Sometimes. I’m blowing this totally out of proportion. Probably just, like, to ease my own guilt about being a shitty wife who pisses him off and then fantasizes about my coworker like a dumb fucking-”

“Okay! Okay, so, let’s say, for a second, that you’re not blowing things out of proportion.”

“But I am. I mean you thought I was trying to say that he-” Bianca’s breath hitches. “He would never-”

“Okay.” Latrice holds up her hands. She can see that the vulnerable part of their conversation is over, and she doesn’t want to push Bianca any more, so instead she gets down to business.  “I believe you. But...if things get worse, or...have you thought about what you would actually do? Where you would go? Do you have your own bank account, credit cards? Is everything joint, or-”

“Latrice, stop. This is ridiculous, I’m not some battered wife who needs-”

“No, but...you still might want to leave, at some point, so...didn’t you sign a pre-nup? What if he tries to claim that you cheated? Are his parents vindictive? We know the answers to all of these questions and you are totally fucked. You need to open a bank account, stat.”

Bianca looks down, tears rolling down her cheeks.

“I’m not leaving, I already know that. And you were the one defending him ten minutes ago, so I don’t understand-”

“I know! I know, but...this is just a safety net, okay? Plan B. In case things get worse and you need... Look, Plan A is still that you stay married, and work out whatever you need to, and have a long life and beautiful children who will grow up as spoiled as your horrible little rat dogs.”

Bianca begins to laugh through her tears, crawling into Latrice’s arms.

“Why do I do this? Why do I ruin things?”

“Hey.” Latrice takes Bianca’s face in her hands. “I’m sorry if it felt like I was taking his side over yours...I’m on your side, always, okay?”

Bianca nods, letting her friend rock her, stroking her hair and telling her that everything is going to work out.

***

“Oh man,” Bianca groans, sinking into her bed. The dogs are going crazy, smelling everything and jumping all over her. “You guys excited to be home? Huh?” she asks, scratching Dede behind the ears.

“Not as excited as I am to have you back…” Jared says, sliding in beside her.

Bianca turns to look at him. Maybe there was something to that whole ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder’ after all. She smiles and runs her fingers through his hair.

“So...you missed me?”

“Like crazy,” Jared murmurs, nuzzling closer.

For a moment, Bianca feels utterly content, sleepy eyes falling closed. But then, as his hands move to her fly, popping the button, she wriggles away, sitting up a little.

“Seriously? It’s been over 2 months,” Jared whines, pulling her back down.

“I know, but I’m just...I’ve been traveling all day. I’m exhausted, and I feel filthy, and-”

“I like you filthy,” he growls into her ear. “Come on…”

“Jared…” she pushes him away harder.

“Fine! I got the fucking hint. You don’t have to be such a…” he scoffs. “Forget it.”

“I’m sorry. I just need to like, rest and then shower, and-”

“Whatever, Bianca. I’m a monster for wanting to have sex with my wife. Message received.” He rises from the bed.

Bianca doesn’t have the energy to chase after him. Not today. She falls back against the pillows with a groan.

***

They have a luxurious three weeks to prep season two of Silver Screens, and by the first shoot day, Bianca’s confidence in her work is soaring. Beth has trusted her more than ever, and she’s now designing nearly half of the costumes on the show. But as good as she feels about her job, nothing compares to the heart-bursting joy she feels when the trailer door swings open and Courtney comes flying into her arms, practically knocking her over.

“Hey!” Bianca says, hugging her tightly. She inhales deeply, loving the way Courtney melts into her arms, face tucked into the crook of her neck as if it belongs there. An embarrassing heat creeps into her cheeks as she pulls back a little. “How have you been?”

“Pretty good! Just got back from that music video shoot in Seattle. What about you? How was Atlanta? I’m so proud of you!”

“It was good. You know me, I love to boss people around.”

“And you’re so good at it,” Courtney says, still gripping both of her hands tightly. She glances down and then says, “Hey, where’d your nails go?”

“Oh, uh. Yeah, they kept breaking, so…” Bianca’s usual French tips have been replaced by short, shiny red nails.

“Hmm. I like these a lot better.” Her eyes dance mischievously. “They’re, uh...very practical.”

“Is your mind always in the gutter?” Bianca asks, cheeks burning, palms itching. She has an instinct to rip her hands away, but doesn’t.

“What?! I just said I like them,” Courtney giggles, squeezing Bianca’s fingers, gazing up at her with glittering eyes. “So, are we gonna hang out before the season starts to kick your ass? I really missed you.”

Bianca clears her throat and pulls up a stool, trying to cover the fact that she’s literally weak at the knees.

“Uh...sure...”

“Are you free Saturday?” Courtney asks.

“Actually, no. One of Jared’s douchey coworkers is having a barbecue, let’s-get-fucked-up-cause-it’s-summer type thing. And I promised his fiancée that I’d go, so...ugh. Saturday with the bros.”

“Sounds enchanting,” Courtney laughs.

“You should come!” Bianca blurts out, and then adds, “I mean, if you want. Willam is gross but he does know how to throw a party. And the house is supposed to be really cool, so...”

“That is an enticing offer…” Courtney tilts her head, pretending to think it over.

Bianca leans in. “I’m not gonna beg.”

“Well, that spoils all the fun,” Courtney tells her, eyes glimmering.

“Ha ha. Nevermind-”

“B…” Courtney places a hand on her shoulder. “You had me at ‘douchey coworker.’”

[recsnrecaps]

Meteor Garden (2001) Recap: Episode 1

Hi folks, it's 2019 and I'm finally fulfilling my childhood resolution to watch this drama. You have no idea - Meteor Garden was such a hit back in the day. However, back then it was only available either at specific time slots on TV or on crappy VCDs that were passed around the community (i.e. schoolgirls and aunties). I never could be bothered to watch it properly.

Imagine my surprise when I chanced across it on Netflix. I am aware that there's a 2018 remake of Meteor Garden, as well as the Japanese Hana Yori Dango and the Korean Boys Over Flowers, but the 2001 Taiwanese version is the original drama that spawned the madness. The buzz around the 2018 version is laughably negligible compared to the craziness in 2001. I'm so ready to experience the magic of 流星花园.

So without further ado, here we go.

Episode 1: Summary

We are introduced to Shan Cai (Barbie Hsu), who rides a crappy scooter to school. Right off the bat we realize that the school caters to the rich and the elite, where students are decked out in designer wear and get NT500000 (~ USD16000) nose jobs during the school holidays.

The fashion rivalry between classmates Bai He (Belinda Cheng) and Qian Hui (Zhang Ruo Zhen) cracks me up. It's petty, exaggerated, and deliciously obnoxious, solidly setting us viewers up with the premise of a school drama about rich kids.

A very normal Li Zhen (An-ting Yeh) appears to be Shan Cai's classmate and friend. She's pretty serious about her homework, having borrowed extra books to read up for the upcoming report assignment. Shan Cai laughs that Li Zhen might be the only student serious about studying in this school, everyone else comes to socialize instead. I’m guessing Li Zhen is on scholarship and needs to maintain her grades.

We cut to a classroom with a boy clearing out his books in order to drop out of the school. A crowd forms around him and the teacher (Bu Xue Liang) approaches to find out why he is leaving and to persuade him not to. However, upon finding out that the boy had offended F4, the teacher doesn't push the matter and instead encourages the boy to leave. Shan Cai watches helplessly from the sidelines and rolls her eyes at the hypocritical teacher.

In class, in a further act of hypocrisy, the teacher gives a lecture on the value of conscience.

Conscience. It's what we call 'moral courage'. It's the most basic quality mankind should have. In Chinese history, Confucius had the strongest conscience. Today, we'll discuss his core thinking. It focuses on benevolence. By benevolence, it means you do unto others what you would want them to do unto to you.

Unable to stomach his empty words, Shan Cai leaves the classroom in a huff. She heads to the roof launching a tirade against the unfairness of the University and coins the term "Pig Head 4". "So what if your family owns the school," she declares. "You better not mess with me. I'll never submit to you."

The 4 in question are just arriving at the University in their comfortable chauffeured rides. We get to watch the boys saunter around and the camera obliges with close ups on each one of them as they stride into campus.

Dao Ming Si (Jerry Yan aka Yan Cheng Xu)

Hua Ze Lei (Vic Zhou aka Zai Zai aka Zhou Yu Min)

Xi Men (Ken Chu aka Zhu Xiao Tian)

Mei Zhuo (Vanness Wu aka Wu Jian Hao)

Shan Cai and friend watch in horror as the teacher accidentally bumps into Dao Ming Si, spilling coke all over him. Apologizing frantically, he kneels over Dao Ming Si, attempting to wipe the soda off his shoes. Dao Ming Si ignores his apologies and we get to hear his trademark catchphrase, "If apologizing is enough, what do we need police for?"

Dao Ming Si waves the teacher off to the side and viciously kicks over the basket of balls while striding off. Shan Cai gapes in amazement at his arrogance. Suddenly, a hand reaches out to righten the fallen basket. It's Hua Ze Lei (known as Lei to his friends), who has a perpetually blank expression on his face and appears to be the only member of the F4 who isn't a douche. While adjusting the basket, he turns and makes brief eye contact with Shan Cai, then hurries off after Dao Ming Si.

At the cafe where Shan Cai works part time, she complains to her co-worker Xiao You (Rainie Yang) about her awful school and the awful boys. It’s exposition time! We learn that F4 Stands for Flower 4, and the boys belong to 4 rich and influential families who own the school. When Xiao You prompts her to confirm that the boys are really all that bad, Shan Cai hesitates and says that maybe one of the 4 is “different”. Methinks she’s starting to have a crush on someone!

As the two continue their conversation, we learn that Shan Cai used to be very outspoken against bullies, in contrast with her current passive nature. Xiao You remarks that she hardly recognizes the Shan Cai now. Inwardly, Shan Cai agrees, hating herself for turning into a coward.

When Shan Cai returns home, she makes an attempt to tell her family she doesn’t want to continue studying at this school. Unfortunately, her mother would hear nothing of it. Turns out her mother had pulled strings to get her daughter into the elite Yingde University. Her mother is fixated on Shan Cai getting a good boyfriend from school and networking well with people from high society so that their family can ascend into a higher social strata. Shan Cai’s poor dad gets berated by his wife for not getting a promotion for the past many years, unlike their neighbors. As the parents bicker, the resentments pile up, making for very awkward dinner conversation. In order to pacify them, Shan Cai promises that she would continue to study at Yingde University.

What a weird couple.

That evening, the F4 hang out at a bar. The boys appear unaccustomed to such a venue, noting with puzzlement that the establishment doesn't serve foie gras or vintage wine. We get to hear them in conversation for the first time ever, teasing Dao Ming Si about his unruly hair and his rigorous hairstyling session to tame it. Lei remains ever silent, using only a thumbs down gesture to communicate his opinion on Dao Ming Si’s new hairstyle. Throughout the night, he keeps staring at his mobile, as if awaiting a call.

It turns out that the boys are only there because Xi Men's latest girl wanted to meet Xi Men at the bar. Which begs the question - why are the other 3 following  Xi Men on his date?! In any case, according to show logic, it’s the right course of action as everyone is present when the loser boyfriend of Xi Men’s girl shows up with a gang of hooligans and causes a scene. The boys slip into action and begin beating up the hooligans. All except Lei, who gets up and slips the owner of the bar NT15000 (~USD500) for the damages before leaving.

The next day at school, Shan Cai stands up for Li Zhen who had accidentally tripped and spilled dirt all over Dao Ming Si. I actually feel sorry for the poor dude who keeps getting things spilled on him. To put a stop to Li Zhen’s apologies, Dao Ming Si does his usual rough shove and pushes Li Zhen into the wall, incurring the wrath of Shan Cai. She shouts at him, calling him a parasite leeching off his parents and declares that the F4 should be called Pig Head 4. Dao Ming Si announces that she has some nerve and stalks away. As the four boys walk past, she thinks to herself that she's going to be dead meat.

At home, she receives zero support from her parents when she mentions once again that she wants to quit school. Instead her manipulative mother fakes a panic attack that miraculously subsides when Shan Cai promises to finish her studies. That night, Shan Cai sleeps restlessly, dreaming of being tormented.

At school, Shan Cai receives the F4 red card and a series of montages show how her life becomes hell. Everyone shuns her, even Li Zhen and Shan Cai is subjected to prank after prank. Finally, a drenched and annoyed Shan Cai escapes to the roof. She leans over the ledge and yells her heart out, cursing the Pig Head 4 with bankruptcy and high cholesterol, for their bodies to be ripped apart by horses and their souls to go to hell. Haha, how inventive. She doesn’t realize that Lei was on the roof too, privy to her outburst. She startles when he asks her if there was anything else. What a delightfully awkward moment. Shan Cai backs away warily as Lei leans forward, but he was only offering her his handkerchief. She accepts it and dabs at her wet hair. Softening up to Lei, she thanks him and begins to apologies for her earlier curses. However Lei cuts her short saying “I’m not interested in other people’s business.” He turns to leave and Shan Cai makes to return him the handkerchief. He ignores the gesture and tells her to throw it away as it is already garbage anyway.

What an awful thing for Shan Cai to hear. He is insinuating that because she used the handkerchief, the handkerchief no longer has any value to him and deserves to be in the trash. Shan Cai thinks back to her earlier assessment of Lei and concludes that he must not be so different from the other 3 after all.

The episode ends with Shan Cai heading home with her scooter. Except this time she has to wheel it along the road because her fellow students had damaged it. A flashy convertible pulls up beside her, and Dao Ming Si leans out to gloat at her. He tells her that he’s impressed with her determination, and will work harder to humiliate her.

Episode 1: Thoughts

Oh where do I begin! This episode does a good job of setting up so many interesting characters, especially the F4. Dao Ming Si appears cocky and rude, but he's the quintessential bad boy. I fully expect a redeeming arc on how he is actually a big softie. In contrast, Lei is mysterious and charming. I wonder what's the story behind his anti social behavior. The other two members kind of fade into the background as we haven't actually seen them do anything except pose and strut around. As for our heroine, Shan Cai, I suppose she's relatable enough as a first lead. We’ve met her family, schoolmates and friends and have a decent insight into her motivations for her actions. I'm so excited for her to show some spunk and challenge the boys to a showdown soon. 

Despite being 18 years old, the show retains its charm. Unfortunately, fashion-wise the show has not aged well at all. What we have here is literally a time capsule of dated 90s trends such as spaghetti strap tops, rebonded hair and frameless spectacles. Plus Dao Ming Si’s ridiculous bandanna is just absurd.

We know in hindsight that this show kickstarted the entertainment careers of these 4 actors of F4. In 2001, after Meteor Garden aired, Sony Music Taiwan signed the 4 boys as an actual boyband bearing the name F4. It’s amazing how these formerly virtually unknown 4 individuals owe their success to this show.

Onward to the next episode!

[from-red-string]

Maybe, we could’ve had that

Day 2 - Ghosts

Happy halloween week! 

That’s truly amazing, I love this. This is my first officially co-writing fic, bless Miranda @lunambar for being so open to all the changes I bursted out of nowhere haha. For you, a little text:

We live in different time zones and speak different languages, our contries are very distinct fom each other but that doesn’t change the fact that I’m always here for you, how maybe not physically but I’m on your side whenever. I love you, M💛

And for you, I hope you enjoy our fic! 

Ámbar is bored, she can't believe she spent her Halloween night with the two dorks, by the bright side Simón is also there so this night it's not a total waste. Anyway, Halloween might is never boring, she waits all year for that, it can't be blank because Nina didn't want to go to the Halloween party, Ámbar would make it remarkable somehow.  

"Luna, why do you need to go home now?" Ámbar asks watching the small kids running around, she eyed Luna. "Are you scared of being out after 10 PM on Halloween?" She smirks, Luna shook her head.  

"No," Luna is scared of being outside late night. Her nightmares are already enough to get her scared, of course, she wants to be home before it's late. "I'm just tired." Luna pauses looking to her friends, they clearly don't believe her.  

"It's okay, Luna." Simón says, then turning to Ámbar whispers. "Bonita, we can leave Luna and Nina and go somewhere else." Ámbar bits her bottom lip but she isn't ready to give Nina and Luna a break, not after making her night so boring.  

"We can get home alone, I don't want to bother." Nina clarifies making Luna wide her eyes, shocked. Ámbar watches the kids again, noticing every kid avoiding a certain old house. This is about to get interesting.  

"No way, Nina." Ambar fakes a smile, Simón frowns at her. "We just need to make a small stop."  

"A stop?" Luna questions tilting her head, while Nina realizes the danger in the question before it escaped Luna's mouth. "Where?"  

"There." Ámbar points to the old house that seemed even darker than two seconds before, two girls ran through the gate screaming as if they are being hunted by a zombie version of Sesame Street.  

"No." Luna squeals in fear, being the small one she could only imagine she is the first to be caught by whatever was waiting there.  

"What are you afraid of? Do you expect to grumpy ghost to come get you?" Ámbar mocks, earning a hard look from Simón.  

"You don't need to do that." Simón voices trying to make Luna calmer, Ámbar rolls her eyes.  

"There's nothing to be scared of. Ghost doesn't exist, physics already explained death is death and dot." Nina vows with a sure in her tone, there's finally some way of proving Ámbar wrong. "Must be people who enjoy scaring others on Halloween, nothing to be scared of."  

"Come on, Lunita." Ámbar insists. "Just a little fun tonight. We get candies and run home like you want."  

"Okay." Luna gives in, annoyed with the situation so they crossed the street reaching the gate. "Do you at least know who lives here?" That ask gets Ámbar thinking that she actually didn't know who live there, she never truly noticed that house before, it looks so old, grey and weirdly familiar.  

"Yeah, an old couple." Ámbar lies, trying to remember any time she saw someone in the house, Simón takes her hand in his. He knocks on the front door and it opened. Luna jumps entangling her arm to Nina who just frowns.  

"It's open." A male voice says Luna stepped inside, pulling Nina and Ámbar started laughing.  

"That's the lamest thing ever." Ámbar grins walking through the door. The dim light that had in the room went completely dark when the front door closed, making the four turn their back to each other forming a circle.  

"Lame?" Another male voice growls, Ámbar starts to shake her whole body, shutting her eyes.  

"No no no." She murmured, scaring the girls and Simón who paced closer to her. "It's not real."  

"Ámbar?" Simón called standing in front of her with his hands on her shoulder.  

"Ámbar?" The male voice tests the name, rolling out of his tongue. "What a small world." Ámbar shivered feeling the voice closer. Suddenly, a candle lighted up in a corner then three more and behind the lights two guys.  

"Gastón?" Nina yelped shook and amaze rushing through her body, she can't believe she is seeing him again at the same time she wants to believe it.  

"No!" Ámbar screams scaring Simón who can't understand her sudden change. In a second she was making them go into the house, in the next, she is pale and shaking in fear.  

"What's wrong, Ámbar? Don’t want to see us?" The guy with curls in his head asked moving closer. Simón switches standing behind Ámbar watching the guy who looked too bright to be human, his image quivering the whole time as if she would disappear in a blink of an eye. The guy also watched him. "I don't know you. I'm Matteo, Ámbar's ex." Simón felt a bit threatened.  

"I'm Simón, Ámbar's - " Simón started just to realize he doesn't have a word, Luna saved him.  

"I never heard of you before. Are you sure you dated that Ámbar?"  

"Until the day I died, I dated that Ámbar," Matteo answers waiting for the brunette to realize what he said. "But she didn't need a day to forgot me." He eyed the blondie with pain in his eyes.

"You are dead? Wait, dead dead?" Luna repeats shocked. "You're a ghost." She states while Matteo watched her green eyes getting brighter. "I can believe you're a ghost. You look too good for this." Matteo tilts his head and she keeps babbling. "I mean, you look good for a dead person. Also, for a living person." Matteo smirks down her.  

"Nina!" Gastón recalls loud, making Nina jump noticing him by her side. Gastón was trying to remember her name the whole time, but a dead person's memory is a tricky land to search facts. Luna's eyes widen analyzing the whole scene, she lifted her hand up.  

"You all know each other," Luna exclaims excitedly. Ámbar shakes her head heavily. "Simón," Luna called. "How do you know them?"  

"I don't-" Simón is clearly weirded out by everything happening.  

"I'm out." Ámbar hisses shifting and finally eyeing Matteo and Gastón, her eyes wet. "I can't." She running through the door and Simón follows her. Both ghosts stand in front of the door looking at the couple, their faces showing disappointment.

"She definitely doesn't want to see us." Matteo announces forgetting about the girls behind them for a second.

"Maybe she's not ready yet." Gastón guesses. "She turned her back on death, that's her way of dealing with it."

"Ámbar hadn't ignore it, she listened what everyone heard and tried to keep going." Nina declares getting the boys attention so she asks what really was stuck in her mind. "You've died, I know you did. How? What? You shouldn't be here."  

"Nina, it's Halloween. The night when ghosts, wizards, and whatever creature is free." Matteo chuckled. "There is no explanation, by the morning we're 'dead' again and you can't see us again."  

"Now another question. You are dead but what happened? You lived in this house?" Luna asks sitting on the floor, she felt calm to see that ghost aren't those horror movies creatures, horrific things starving for revenge.  

“We were killed in this house,” Gaston says, looking straight at Nina with dark eyes. “A year ago at a party here. We were killed by Xavi, your ex. He felt threatened by us. So when we were wasted, he used his father’s stolen gun and shot us in a bathroom upstairs,"  

By the time he finishes, Nina and Luna are both huddled next to each other, keeping their breaths held in. "Xavi?” Nina asks. “I mean I knew he was crazy, that’s why I dumped him but I didn’t think psychotically crazy."  

"Well, believe me. He was,” says Gaston. “From what little we saw of the crime scene investigation, they didn’t want such a terrible story going around own. So they covered up how we actually died by saying it was from alcohol poisoning or some stupid shit like that,” Matteo says. He’s been looking at Luna the entire time. His eyes never leave her face, staring deeply into hers with such intensity. While Luna only stares back at him as well, curiosity taking over her brain of the strange ghost boy who seems to attractive for his own good.  

“I can’t believe it, that’s the craziest thing ever. Did they ever put Xavi in jail? Gosh, I hope they did,” Nina babbles. “No,” Matteo continues. “He escaped Buenos Aires without a trace. They had been undercover searching for him, but he hadn’t been under their radar. That’s all I know of it,"  

"This is all too much for me. First, I see ghosts then I find out they were brutally murdered by my best friend’s ex. I need a juice right now,” Luna says while rubbing her temples with shut eyes. Matteo chuckles. “Well, there’s nothing more you can do about it. What’s done is done,” he says sympathetically.  

Nina looks down in her lap sadly, playing with the hem of her skirt. Gaston floats slowly over to her in an attempt to comfort her. With enough concentration, he takes his hand and concentrates it on making it solid. When it forms, he rests it on the girl’s knee making her yelp and jumps back several feet.  

“You-you just touched me!” Nina quavers. Gaston tries calming her down. “I know, yes. We can do that. But only for a short period time and with enough human presence and concentration,” he explains. Nina seems to calm down a bit but still looks at him anxiously. She holds her hand out and shakily touches her finger to his palm, amazed by the solidity of a dead person. He grabs her hand completely with his and holds it, making her blush furiously.  

Matteo floats closer to Luna, making her lift her eyelids up. The butterfly motion, batting her long eyelashes and looking at him with her piercing green eyes, making him lose everything inside himself. It was completely wrong of him to feel anything since he’s dead after all. It would only be a matter of minutes until he disappears for god knows how long it felt like.  

He concentrates on making his hand solid. Her eyes light up when shes the transformation right in front of her. He brings it to her cheek, caressing her jaw oh so delicately. She just sits completely still, following the motions with only her eyes. “You know Luna,” he begins. “Either if I had known you when I was still alive or if I were still alive right now, I think there could’ve been something between us,” he whispers. Her lips curve into a soft smile, staring at the hand in her face, his thumb gently stroking her cheek. “Maybe,” is all she says. “Maybe, we could’ve had that."  

They turn when they hear a gasp coming from the girl next to them. She has her phone out looking at the time. Luna peers over her shoulder to read it. 11:55. Had it really been that long they thought?  

"So we’re gone in five minutes?” Gaston asks with a croaking pain in his voice. Matteo looks at Luna sympathetically, taking his hand from off of her cheek and entwining it with hers.  

Nina gets a panicking feeling in he chest. Since they had come here and discovered the two boys here, she knew she had to let Gaston know the truth before it was too late. So she let her mouth run the words before her brain could think. “Gaston, before you go, you have to know this. For the longest time, I was deeply and incredibly in love with you. I wouldn’t dare say this to you if you were alive which is why I’m saying it know. I was never brave enough to ever talk to you then, I never had the nerve. Just know that whenever you did try and talk to me, I never avoided it on purpose. I was scared. And now I’m losing you all over again when you weren’t even mine in the first place.” She’s crying by the time she finishes

Gaston is too stunned by her words to notice that his body is slowly dissolving into thin air. He gets out a few final words for her. “Nina, I liked you a lot too. You just never gave me the chance to show it before. But I understand why. I think about you still when I’m not on earth. And I promise that you’ll still be on my mind when I’m gone. Just know that I feel the same. And I wouldn’t forget you.” It’s too late for him to solidify himself anymore at this point to touch her one last time. He is more and more transparent.  

Matteo still hasn’t disappeared yet either, still remaining intact. Luna gets a worried face. “You’re leaving now?” she chokes. Matteo so desperately wants to hug her and protect her with immense warmth. But of course he can’t, even a copious amount of concentration wouldn’t be enough for a full body solidification.  

By surprise, he uses up the last bit of it as possible to form his lips. He leans over and presses his lips to hers. He pulls away almost immediately. Time is up now. He begins growing more transparent, but he says his final words to Luna. “We’ll meet again soon. In a dream or another life. But you’ll be there. I’ll make sure of it.” Luna cracks a small smile, his reflecting hers. The two girls wave together as the clock strikes midnight on the phone. The two boys disintegrate into the air. And they are left by themselves in the emptiness of the old home.  

They get up, moping and hobble over down the steps, walking back toward the house. “Nina, is it true? Do you really think we’ll see them again somehow?” she asks her best friend. “I don’t know,” she answers back. “Maybe somehow, some way. But there could be a way. Just not today.” Nina poetically responds. And the two of them step back into the house where Ambar and Simon anxiously waiting for them on the couch.

"Not a word about that house." Ámbar specifies seriously. "Forget about it." She turned her to them and climbed the stairs with Simón. The girls sighs looking at each other, they didn't need to say a word to know that none of them could ever forget what happened. It's impossible.

[courage-a-word-of-justice]

Shield Hero 11 - 13 | Price of Smiles 12 (FINAL) | Morose Mononokean II 12 - 13 (FINAL) | Spec Ops Asuka 11 - 12 (FINAL) | My Roommate is a Cat 12 (FINAL) | Mob Psycho 100 II 12 - 13 (FINAL) | Yu-No 1 | Fruits Basket (2019) 1 | We Never Learn 1 | Kimetsu no Yaiba 1 | Kono Oto Tomare! 1 | Mayonaka no Occult Koumuin 1 | Fairy Gone 1 | Rendai Utena 1

Notably, Sarazanmai’s first ep isn’t here, but it’s a huge contender for making my spring watchlist.

Shield Hero 11

Okay, someone’s trying to remind me of Goblin Slayer, aren’t they…? *grumble grumble grumble*

I wonder if Naofumi has a Thunder move like those guys…?

Why isn’t Raphtalia, who was cursed by Rage Shield, affected, but Filo, who was eaten by the zombie dragon, is???

Price of Smiles 12 (FINAL)

Is Huey…not an a$$? Is he just really tsundere…?

Fingers don’t move that way, Layla…

Post-credits segment. Keep watching…

I feel like making Stella and Yuki meet off the back of Layla’s death was a bit much and pushing the button together was a bit…much-er, if that’s a concept. Anyways, see you next time!

Morose Mononokean II 12

The Cobweb = Above the Spider (by literally translating that ep title, that is).

I’m finally listening to Koura’s voice. Koura sounds like she’s always teasing Itsuki…

Jinja = Shinto shrine. That nuance is missing from the translation.

Why did that one track (when Itsuki was escaping) sound like Mission Impossible…?

What’s an analeptic? I can’t seem to pause the video…Update: Apparently my ad blocker was stuffing with the pause button. Also, an analeptic appars to be a restorative drug, or describing a drug as restorative.

Rippou sounds so enthusiastic (sarcastic) when Shizuku offers to make him tea.

Spec Ops Asuka 11

Wat. A girl in Thailand going “nya”? Update: Uhh…apparently the girl in Thailand…was Peipei??? Wuh???

Hmm…I never actually put 2 and 2 together regarding karate and the whip. It makes sense in retrospect, though.

“…sever the…” – Sever the…what, exactly?

I thought human!Giess didn’t exist anymore under that armour…so seeing him surprised me.

Sometimes I feel like I sympathise with Chisato more than Asuka or Kurumi…that’s how developed Chisato is.

Mob Psycho 100 II 12

Serizawa is playing Bomberman.

I like the symbolism of the umbrella as a “light”.

My Roommate is a Cat 12 (FINAL)

The ep title is “Kimi to Boku to” (You and I and…). Presumably it should end with “everyone else”…or something.

Wait, wasn’t Subaru’s umbrella handle round before??? It’s straight now!

What a waste of a perfectly good umbrella!

Somehow I knew Subaru would go to Nana once he needed cat knowledge.

*Subaru rescues Haru* - *cue Lion King song* Ahhhhhhh ze ban yaaaaaaaaaaa…or something like that.

Why is it that I want a dub for this so…darn…badly???!!! Wait…*record scratch* it already has one. Scratch that.

Shield Hero 12

“I can’t stop trembling,” Raphtalia says as she stands there, still as a statue…geesh.

I’d assume there’s a Meteor Shield in there for Naofumi as well…?

Come to think of it, we never learnt that weapon merchant guy’s name until now, huh? Elhart. I’ll try my best to remember it.

Spec-Ops Asuka 12 (FINAL)

Twin-headed Dragon Peipei, huh?

Morose Mononokean II 13 (FINAL)

*Fuzzy gets punched away* - Fuzzy, noooooooo!

In the same way Mob became a so-called “bishonen” for s2 ep 5 of his show, Hanae became kind of hot – but also kind of weird – for the finale.

Notably, the “Ashiya” Abeno is referring to is only Hanae…not Sakae at all. Hmm.

Mob Psycho 100 II 13 (FINAL)

“Bishonen” Mob returns!

I keep getting the feeling that Mob will sacrifice himself this episode. It’s a very Mob thing to do, but…I worry about him, because without him we have no show.

*explosion* - I wanna yell “KANEDAAAAAAAAAA!” Is that appropriate for this scene?

I LOLled at Dimple wearing Serizawa’s chunk of hair, haha.

Anyways, that was way too fun (and way too worrying at the end). See you next time!

Yu-No 1

Okay, first episode of this particularly meager season…coming right up!

I’ve never had to watch an ep on phone for subs before…I much prefer a bigger screen.

Okay…as soon as I heard Potato-kun say “Panties?” I knew I was in for a bad time. I’m watching based on the title and the series image, not the fact it’s based on an adult VN.

I can’t believe we have to be told about these ladies from the guys first…I feel sorry for Yuki.

I-Is Arima-mama the kind of person one would call a “MILF”…? I dunno since I don’t swing that way.

Seriously, how long ago did Potato-kun’s father die??? (I know his name is Arima Takuya, but…he’s “Potato-kun” to me, even as a joke.)

Potato-kun is so obviously following his…pen island, so to speak.

Ah, Potato-kun. The only time you make me laugh is when you humiliate yourself on public news. Thank goodness this show isn’t particularly lewd…yet.

It’s like Grand Blue…only with less drinking.

Seriously, why does Yuki call Potato-kun “boss”???

The one time I hear the name “Neumann”, it’s this time travel show, of all things…*remembers von Neumann architecture* Yup, that’s where I remember his name from. By the by, Googling “Neumann space” yields this site on travelling to the…stars? Wrong frontier, folks.

Okay, that was probably the least exciting way to pull off a big reveal like that. Drop.

Shield Hero 13

To be honest…I like Rise better…

“You’re are surrounded.” – I know you’re in a hurry to sub your content, CR subbers, but seriously?????

It’s always funny to see Motoyasu get a good socking from Filo, LOL.

Fruits Basket 1

I have zero experience with OG Fruits Basket outside 1 episode I didn’t really finish (but finishd the entire manga and may have caught a tiny bit of it - not enough to mark on anyone’s anime list as “complete” - while it was on TV), so…this’ll be interesting.

This is exactly as I remember it! Beautifulllllllllllll…so beautiful I wanna cry…(Keep in mind I binged most of the manga years ago, so it’s getting harder and harder to remember the exact story every day.)

Holeeeeeeeeeeee…sugar. I just realised how old Fruits Basket is! Also, rumour has it Motoko has differently coloured hair in the OG version, but I didn’t watch (or didn’t remember) that part, so…I don’t have a standard to hold her up to, really. Plussssss…I love how Motoko and her Prince Yuki fanclub are like Mean Girls. The reason I had to check up how old Fruits Basket is is because of that comparison. Mean Girls is from 2004, thereby being 5 or 6 years younger than Fruits Basket.

The angelic “ahhhhh” in the background really sold how good Tohru’s food was (for Hanajima).

This CGI fan is going to haunt me until the end of my days, isn’t it…?

Ouch…I think I just realised why Fruits Basket is so powerful (at the part where Tohru is working hard at her job). It resonates strongly with those who are lost in life. I found I couldn’t really relate when I first read it though, which may have been attributed to the fact I was…what, 13?...at the time.

Shigure, you a$$!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wanna kick you for laughing at poor Tohru!!!!!!!!!!!

Photorealistic clouds…no. I think that Indian festival with the dye (I don’t remember which one it is off the top of my head) happened to my eyes…(i.e. my eyes…my poor eyes…)

I didn’t think Vickeblanka was capable of doing slower songs. This song’s kinda nice…but only because I heard the last few seconds of the ending (the rest was obscured by background noise and I don’t have time to play it again).

Between the comment about Shigure and the comment about the clouds, I was internally bawling about how stupid and spoilt I’d become. This is the power of Fruits Basket!

We Never Learn 1

Hmm…I thought the manga of this (or what I saw of it, at least) was kinda vanilla, so…this’ll be an experience, one way or another.

Yuiga’s face game is spot-on, LOL.

Aw, this show encourages the growth mindset…how cute. *does Kaguya-sama face*

The eyecatch is about what classes the main trio are in, but Furuhashi is taking it as related to boob size…*sigh*

The sign just says “library”. There’s no need to contextualise it more than that…

Yup, this is vanilla like ice cream…

Come to think of it, why did I pick this series up? I’ve read the manga parts that correspond to this episode…Well, I remember when this series was still new. I think it was that it was refreshing to see these guys so gung-ho about uni, because recently I’ve been in doubt about my own future (and to tell the truth, I’ve been thinking different things about what I want to do at different stages of my life anyway). I’ve literally only settled on the things I’m doing because I suck at everything else, but I can do whatever I put my mind to…for most things I try. Much like Fruits Basket is for those who are lost in life, We Never Learn is an affirmation that you can change your future…or something like that, anyway.

…The disembodied mouths creep me out…anyways, this show isn’t bad, it isn’t 100% a keeper either (unless I get co-opted into a collab for it). It’s just squarely in the middle.

Boob grope…eesh. That brought down the keeping factor down a little.

Kimetsu no Yaiba 1

[big chunk of information redacted because it’s me stressing over what has to be done before I go overseas...and also it reveals I had a collab for this lined up, which I’m trying to keep a surprise at the time this post went out]

To be honest, I don’t like 1st person cam.

Hmm…there’s more CGI than I’d like to admit is in here…

I remember reading a while ago that the “Tan” in Tanjiro is the word for “charcoal”.

Take = bamboo, and he’s a woodcutter kid. LOL.

This is exactly as I remember it! It’s kinda cool, since the smelling thing is obviously foreshadowing.

I remember I didn’t quite get the idea that Nezuko was growing in size in the manga…well, now I just did.

Oh-hoh-hoh-hohhhhhhh! Giyu Tomioka, me boy! There he is!

I didn’t know Giyu Tomioka was basically a ninja, LOL.

This is definitely one of the better series out there this season. It might not be the best due to its sheer amount of shonen trappings, but it’s still dang good! (I like Giyu Tomioka already, but now that I think of it, I’d like to see Lightning Boy in action within the show and not just the OP…hmm.)

[Sarazanmai 1 is not here because I saw it at the anime club first. I do intend to cover subsequent episodes here though…]

Kono Oto Tomare! 1

I find Funi’s video player unwieldy, to be honest. Maybe it’s because I’m too used to CR’s…

Oh! It seems like the Defence Club has a legacy now!

Surprisingly, this is very funny…!

Hmm…this seems like a show where you should ship people, but there doesn’t seem to be enough of a connection between anyone that I can see anyone shipping. I guess that’s why this thing is basically a shoujo in appearance, huh…?

By the way, who’s “Nadeshiko”? Takezo…?

Do you guys even know what a koto is? If you do, that’s great, but if you don’t, you’re going to have to infer…that’s a bit nasty for an ancient instrument the West doesn’t know about. Then again, this clearly isn’t something made for the West.

I’m wondering why the culprits confessed so easily…

Well, that was…alright. I went “aw” more than I expected and laughed more than expected. It’s not going to top the other shows I’ve got though.

Mayonaka no Occult Koumuin 1

For some reason, I’m just not used to calling this show “Midnight Occult Civil Servants”…that sounds clunky. That’s why I’m calling it “Mayonaka” for short…oh yeah, right now Funi is undergoing maintenance which is why I had to shuffle Mayonaka forward. I was meant to be doing Fairy Gone in this slot, to be honest with you.

Hmm…*thinks about time talking with Plyasm* *thinks about how Seo trid to kick this Reiji Kyoichi person* I see a resemblance here…with the kicking and all…Update: There is a guy called “Reiji” in this show, I just read “Kyoichi” wrong because I was trying to type up comments here.

Somehow it never actually occurred to me that Seo was a gender-neutral name. I’m normally quite good with these things…or maybe it was Ply keeping me up late that’s making me not notice…or even the fact I’m not listening to Seo’s voice, since that’s sometimes a hint to a person’s gender in particularly ambiguous cases (I’m currently not listening to the audio). Update: Okay, that’s definitely a man’s voice coming from the effeminate-looking Seo.

Oh yes…I forgot to mention, this show does an awful lot of telling and not showing.

I keep noting this episode is set on April Fool’s Day…what a day for pranking, huh?

I’ve seen a Cait Sith in anime before…so there’s a dog version too (Cu Sith), huh?

Tape? That’s so mundane…then again, I guess this is what happens when you have boring jobs in interesting places, huh? Reminds me a lot of my own stabs at this kind of story.

This is…angel-tengu Romeo and Juliet…

Now this is the real Reiji…I think?

Ohhhhhhh crab balls…these CGI angels look terrible.

I never thought cherry blossoms could look so terrible…urgh.

I’m of two minds when it comes to this show – on the one hand, I like its plot (it’s better than Charlotte in this field, at least). It’s a bit cliched, but it might lose against competition like Sarazanmai or even Kono Oto Tomare. On the other hand, its visuals are kinda…ugly.

Fairy Gone 1

Fa-Fanatica…? What sort of name is that??? (That’s not a good sign if I question the first name on the screen now, is it?)

Lay Dawn, would you please…lay down? (Okay, that joke only works with a particular pronunciation of “down”, but you get the bad pun…right? Right?)

So this is Spec-Ops Asuka without the huge boobs, I expect? That would make Fairy Gone at least 10 points (on my anime list) better than the thing I’m comparing it with.

I think the tiny symbols under most of the credits are stylised English, although I was looking at a credit for a guy with the surname Yamamoto and it wasn’t quite working.

The CGI is one of the better efforts I’ve seen, but still slightly obvious.

Veronica’s run reminds me of Akira from Devilman Crybaby. You know the one GIF of him running while leaning forward at an impossible angle? That one.

Post-credits scene…keep watching.

This is another anime Jesus…(the first one was Kagura’s dad in Ga Rei Zero.)

Rendai Utena 1

(Update: This was an anime I had to watch via VPN. Notably, the last time I resorted to one was B Project...however, no one remembers that but me, so the last big time I had to use a VPN was for Sakamoto Desu Ga?.)

Uh…yeah. This is the one Buddha anime this season. But before you run off, screaming about how blasphemous I must be to Buddhists, I’ll have you know I was originally not intending to watch this…if you know me well enough, you’ll know I like bishies. Only after I compiled my to-watch list for this season did one of the star bishies show up and convince me to watch…yeah, now you can run away screaming. (Oh and if you’re interested as to what image caught my attention enough to make me watch a show…it’s the top image on this CR page – not the thumbnail, the other top image.)

Okayyyyyyy…for a show about bishies, you sure aren’t capturing me right now with this plight of a salaryman.

Aw, dangit. I actually liked the few moments this was a zombie anime! Give me High School of the Dead, but with bishies instead of jiggly-boob girls! *shakes fist at cloud*

Oh, great…I can’t even tell who’s who around here. They even had little name cards and everything! So much for my great memory…*grumble grumble* But hey, at least I recognise some names…not from being Buddhist, but from other anime. I mean, Miroku is the guy from Inuyasha and Fudo Myouou is the guy who inspired Okurikara in Touken Ranbu, yeah?

Uh, hey. Isn’t sloth meant to be a vice? Isn’t “lounging around” a vice???

Another thing. I get the feeling that putting these guys in tracksuits is just trying to coast on the success of Touken Ranbu. Touken Ranbu is nice, but only because I was familiar with the source game and a bit about the fandom. This? I have no such basis.

Lotus Head – Bonten – his nagging is starting to get on my nerves already. I came for Taishakuten, not you!

Yeah…even in Touken Ranbu, they have washing machines. Convenience, but also…vice in terms of that old-timey Buddha stuff, I guess…? Update: Actually, I thought about it and I don’t think they’ve ever shown a washing machine in Hanamaru, but I think they might’ve had a fridge.

Wait, wait, wait…the bird was a bishie tooooooooo?????????????? I think that’s the biggest bending my brain’s going to get all premiere season (for this season)! Even more so than the entire debut of Sarazanmai!

Wait, wait, wait…Bonten likes porridge?! D’ya mean “congee” or “oatmeal” kinda porridge? I can’t tell because I’ve got the volume off, but if it’s the latter then Bonten wouldn’t have known about it. Update: It appears to be the latter. How Bonten would’ve ever known about porridge…I don’t know.

New aesthetic – Taishakuten’s hair. I like me a man with a ponytail (which is why I fell hook, line and sinker for him in the first place), but his hair done up like it is in the bath…*swoons, then goes back to normal* That is all.

What’s up with Paomi anyway…? And…this is kinda petty if the central conflict is just getting Shaka to get off cooking duties. That’s too low a conflict for even Hanamaru, methinks.

So…you introduce all these Buddha guys and then expect me to care about some human who doesn’t even have a name? Wuh…?

Okayyyyyyy…I’ve never seen an earthquake that was that fast before.

Wait, wait, huh???????? The guy who voices Taishakuten is…Choreo (Brave Beats)??????????? Oh no, I should’ve listened to it! Anyways, I’ve decided I’m dropping it, simply because if I want Taishakuten only for his looks, I can just find a wallpaper of him.

[invertedfate]

A Shift in Fate - Part 3;

Back again with some more crossover. As always, this is co-written by Voltra, creator of @ut-storyshift, and this time we have probably two of the most anticipated characters appearing. Fun stuff! Characters: IF Frisk, Sans, Papyrus, Flowey; Storyshift Chara, Asriel, Papyrus Rating: PG Summary: Upon venturing from the Ruins, Frisk stumbles upon another human! A very mysterious human with cool teleportation powers, and their adorable goat sibling. Little do they realize, they’re not alone. If you’re new to the crossover, here are part 1 and part 2 respectively!

It doesn't take long for the Caretaker to make his way to the bake sale. He's been here long enough to memorize every room. He even helped them set up way back when the Ruins were still being carved out, forming a strong friendship in the process. Along the way he glances back at his younger other.

"HOW ARE YOU HOLDING UP?"

"I'M GREAT, AS ALWAYS! THOUGH... WELL, I DO HOPE THE HUMAN WILL BE ALL RIGHT IN OUR ABSENCE." Science Pap can't help but peek over his shoulder, as if the kid will turn up at any moment. "THOUGH I SUPPOSE WITH SANS THERE, IT ISN'T AN IMMEDIATE CONCERN..." This spider bake sale. Hm! Well, he'll poke his head inside, see what the fuss is about. "COME TO THINK OF IT, I REMEMBER HEARING ABOUT A SPIDER BAKESALE IN HOTLAND AS WELL."

"IF THEY ARE ANYTHING LIKE THE SAME HUMAN I SAW EARLIER, THEN THEY WILL BE FINE." Popyrus says this pretty confidently. That human has made it to Hotland after all, they are practically almost out! "I BELIEVE THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT ANOTHER STAND BEING SET UP NEAR NEW HOME TO GET NEW CUSTOMERS." Speaking of the spiders, he pokes one of their webs gently. "EXCUSE ME, THE DOOR TO SNOWDIN WILL BE OPEN FOR A MINUTE SOON. LETTING EVERYONE KNOW SO THEY CAN BUNDLE UP."

"WAIT! I HAVE AN IDEA." And, not wasting a moment, the more scientifically inclined skeleton whips out a small glass dome... with rainbow flames burning inside. "WHILE WE EMBARK INTO SNOWDIN'S FRIGID CLIMATE, THIS FIREGLOBE WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH THE WARMTH NECESSARY TO FEND OFF UNWANTED COLD!"

The Caretaker's eye sockets widen. "DID YOU MAKE THIS? IT'S INCREDIBLE!"

A couple of spiders come down, look over the globe, shrug, then cling to it and take it up to their homes. It's odd but it looks like it will work.

"NYEH HEH HEH! WHY, THANK YOU! IT'S JUST ANOTHER ONE OF MY MANY SCIENTIFIC MARVELS, CAREFULLY CRAFTED BASED ON ADVANCED COOLCULATIONS." He winks. "WHICH, BY THE WAY, IS PATENTED BY YOURS TRULY." x.x.x Meanwhile, Frisk has opted to venture their way downstairs. Sure, they should probably wait for Pap, but curiosity's nabbed them by the chest. They, of course, left a note for the Papyruses on the main floor, just by the stairway. However, while that's perfectly sound for Frisk, it's less so for Sans.

Though for now, he follows silently as Frisk ventures down a long corridor, then another, drawing closer and closer to Snowdin's chilling wilderness. As they return outdoors, they become all the more grateful for their winter duds.

The familiar cold nips at their face. Strange how it looks like almost nothing has changed. Well, there's no paper covering the camera in the bush here. Nothing to worry about then?

Someone at the end of the hall is on high alert. A door that has never opened is now open? Maybe this time he actually...

Shortcuts are faster than feet. They have to be sure. A blur of green appears before Frisk. Neither person sees who they were expecting.

"Huh? How did you come out of the Ruins again? Or rather, how did you get in again?"

Frisk nearly jumps as the figure appears. Their eyes pop wide open, and for a moment, they stare.

* ...What?

* No.

* This is...

* They're...

A familiar voice, but the human's lips didn't move. So what's going on? What does this MEAN? Frisk doesn't mean to, but they continue staring for a few moments, until it dawns on them that a) this is probably a bit rude, and b) they probably look like an idiot.

Well. There's one way to recover from this, and so they straighten their hat, clear their throat, and crack a smile. This kid said something about the Ruins, right? They didn't pick up on the specifics, but uh...

"Because I'd be ruined without you."

Somewhere under the ground, Flowey is trying to repress a scream. Is this seriously happening? That voice. He knows that voice, but he can’t come out and see them. Too risky. What if the Trashbag followed them? Can he really risk being caught like this? But if his suspicions are true…

And of course the kid had to make a cheesy pickup to top it all off!

The hooded human snorts. Okay, that was a good one. "Well aren't you a cha-" They freeze up and their eyes widen, maybe even more so than Frisk's were before. What was supposed to be a two syllable 'charmer' is now a soft 'aaaaaa' before they give themselves a smack on the side of the mouth. THAT will need some explaining. But first things first. "Aren't you, uh, supposed to be in Hotland? I saw you on the last broadcast and you weren't wearing those nice looking snow clothes."

Oh, hey. They liked the pickup? Frisk heaves a small sigh of relief, then promptly proceeds to straighten their hat a bit. Or start to, anyway, but when Hotland comes up, their smile falters for a split-second. Boy, this is gonna happen a lot, isn't it?

"Uh, funny story. See, I'm kinda... from a parallel dimension."

Silence falls onto the pair. The hooded human seems torn between laughing and staying frozen. They glance around Frisk, as if looking for some sort of prank crew to come around and tell them they are on T.V. and just been duped. It never comes and their jaw slides back into a semi-confident smile.

"Okay. I suppose that would explain how you got all the way back here... what's your name?"

"Frisk." And it's there that a little laugh escapes them, and they rub the back of their neck. "Funny thing is, you're the first person that's asked." Which is odd. Did monsters just not care about names, or was it because they're human? A slight crease forms in their brow at that thought. There's another question at the tip of their tongue-- can this kid read minds? Are they telepathic?

Their own, weird head voice remains quiet. Eerily so.

All the while, a laugh escapes the hooded human, half out of feeling the tension lessen. "It took a while for my family to ask my name. They were busy with other stuff at the time." Like making sure they ate and were okay. But Frisk doesn't need to worry about that. They offer a red gloved hand. "Hello again, Frisk. My name is Chara."

So it's them. It's them. It really is Chara! There's a slight shifting in the soil. Very subtle. For now, Flowey remains tucked away. They don't wanna get ahead of themselves, even if a part of them most certainly does. An odd sort of paradox. However, while the name registers to one other in the vicinity, the lack of familiarity for Frisk prompts them to reach out and shake that hand without a second thought.

"Heh, well, nice to meet you... again?" And after a moment, Frisk can't help but wink. "Hope I made a good impression, even if it's not really the first." There. That's smooth. That's cool. Perfectly appropriate. Memorable. Maybe? Hopefully. Yeah.

"You did just fine." Man, that cool kid act is pretty transparent. Just like Rei. Speaking of, isn't he nearby? Yeah actually, they were touching up Chara's sentry station, aka doodling on it with some freshly fallen markers. "Come on, you can make another cool impression on my brother up ahead." Hand. Still holding hand. Well. This is nice but also a little awkward. ...maybe they can make this work. "Want to try going the fast way?"

"Yes." If that means getting to teleport? Absolutely. In fact, Frisk was gonna remove their hand until Chara brought that up. Are they supposed to keep holding on? Is there some kinda trick to it? How are they so relaxed? Why isn't FRISK relaxed? This was so much easier when they were surrounded by goofy skeletons and sassy flowers. "So, what do I gotta do?"

"Hold on." Chara pauses for a second. "Probably should close your eyes." Chara takes a step... and they are behind a cardboard wall filled with torn empty chocolate wrappers. The jolt wears off for Chara fast enough, but probably less so for their passenger.

"Welcome back, Chara! Everything okay?" chirps a voice on the other side of the wall.

"Yep, just had to pick someone up."

Bwuh. The sensation of being pulled from one place to the next leaves 'em frozen for a few seconds. It's not a huge shift from Papyrus' teleporters, but it takes a moment for their surroundings to set in, and when they do, Frisk can't help but notice the chocolate wrappings lying around. Weird. Is there more where that came from?

Well, there's no time to ask as a new voice chimes in. Perking up, Frisk tries taking a peek at this new stranger.

The snow's shifting even more fiercely than before. That voice. HIS voice. He knew this was coming. Flowey fully expected this.

That doesn't make it any easier to grasp.

A living, breathing Asriel. Chipper and cheerful and perfectly safe, totally unaware of the twisted fate his parallel double endured. Death due to his own pitiful pacifism. Revial as a soulless plant. All those RESETS, his losses and his victories… Haha. Ha. What would either of them think if they knew? Yet gain, the urge to rise from beneath the snowy soil rears its head, and yet again, Flowey represses that urge. He’ll just watch. He’ll listen. Spring up at just the right moment.

Frisk continues to remain unaware of his floral friend’s internal struggle, instead focusing on the fluffy stranger before them. If they’d met Asgore when he was younger, he might have looked like this. This monster is clearly still a kid, no horns have even grown out. Their rainbow bandanna stands out amongst the white snow with ease. It looks like they are doodling on the other side of the wall in marker right now. That stops as soon as he sees Frisk.

"Oh! It's you again! ...nice hat."

…Still, it’s a tiny Asgore. A tiny Asgore with an adorable bandanna and they're so fluffy. And those floppy ears. Maybe it's due to Frisk's soft spot for cute critters, maybe it's because this goat isn't a big, manly beefcake, but they let out an "Aw" on pure impulse.

Except...

Briefly, their face pales. A shiver races down their spine. For a moment, the little goat seems to stretch. The surroundings blur. Horns, spikes, wings, wicked laughter, and an endless sea of black. They're sinking into the snow as if it's quicksand. They can't escape, they can't—

As soon as they blink, it's gone. The image fades rapidly, a blur. Was it even there at all? Awkward laughter escapes them, and they flash a big smile.

"Thanks, but it's nowhere near as COOL as that bandanna." There. Nailed it.

The minor freak out does get an odd look from both siblings, but Asriel quickly forgets it in swelling with pride. "I-I'm glad you noticed!" He adjusts the colorful garment with a slightly forced smile. Act cool, act cool!

Chara soon cuts in. "So Asriel, this is another version of the same human we saw before."

"Pfft!" Asriel covers his muzzle in disbelief. "Nice joke, Chara."

"I'm not joking, Rei."

The goat-like monster whines. "Stop calling me that in front of the newcomer..."

Frisk has to bite their lip for a moment. Oh god, they can already SEE a pun coming, but they gotta resist. Can't do too many at once, or it might look like a gimmick. And they don't wanna be too cheap or irritating around this cool human and their adorable, goat sibling. Still, the antics bring some more genuine laughter in the aftermath of... whatever that was, and they welcome this change of focus.

"No, I'm literally from a parallel dimension where Asgore lives in the Ruins and Papyrus is a great big nerd." For a moment, they glance back toward the direction they came. "It'd be easier to prove if he was HERE, but I'm pretty sure he's still in the Ruins with his double... and Sans, I guess?"

Boy, this is gonna be a lot to explain, isn't it?

"Why would Dad be in the Ruins?"

"You know Papyrus!?" Both siblings speak at once, one clearly more shocked than the other. Asriel seems skeptical and confused, but at least not laughing at the idea.

"Do I know him? He's practically been glued to me since we met up... right here, actually." In fact, just for fun, Frisk straightens their posture, clears their throat, puffs out their chest, and does their best Pap impression. "BUT PERHAPS THAT'S A RESULT OF HIS MAGNETIC PERSONALITY!"

Oh god. Sans can't help but chuckle at that, though he at least tries to muffle it with his mitten. Gotta stay incognito for now, while Frisk carries on.

"He's... also kinda an inventor, I guess? He's made working teleporters and invisibility machines, so." They shrug. He's a bit eccentric, but that's not a bad thing.

"That sounds really cool," Asriel admits. A lot of detail for something that could be made up. Maybe it's real after all?

Chara inwardly is thankful that Frisk is focused more on Asriel right now. Shock is still written all over their face and a gloved hand has the duty of covering up a massively growing smile.

"Yep! In fact, I got a little something..." They dig through their pockets, whipping out that oh so pretty fireglobe. "Right here! Scientifically enhanced fire. Pretty sweet, right?" They hold it out for Asriel to get a closer look, but oh. Don't think they've forgotten you, Chara. The expression lights up a light bulb in their head, and they look away from Rei for a moment. "And y'know, I'd be happy to introduce you myself."

Both siblings' eyes light up. The fireglobe is definitely a factor, but the extra sparkle in Chara's eyes hints at another reason.

"Thank you." They murmur under their breath.

"No prob." Though Frisk's smile takes a turn for the sheepish. "Just, uh. As a heads up, Papyrus might try to... well. Protect you. A lot." Heh. Now, that'd be something. "But since you've got cool powers, I doubt you need too much help."

Chara smiles softly. What they don't know... "The extra help is always appreciated."

Asriel is still mesmerized by the fireglobe. He reaches out, but hesitates about touching the globe itself. "It doesn't burn, does it?"

Frisk was about to comment, but another voice cuts in before they get the chance.

"only if ya break the glass."

And it's here that Sans finally steps out from behind the trees, hands in his pockets and his lazy smile as present as ever. His eyes fall on Chara, though he makes no sudden moves, opting to watch and see how the kids take his appearance.

Asriel returns to confusion land at the sight of the unfamiliar skeleton. Chara on the other hand bows their head. "Good to see you again, your highness."

Asriel's head whips to the side so fast that his ears smack his face. "Wha- that's the King!?"

"He is in our world but I don't think he'd be so far from his castle."

Asriel turns back to Sans with a look of awe on his face. "It's nice to meet you!"

Sans can't help but snort at the comment. "wow. a king. dunno about you, but i think that'd be a ROYAL pain. i mean, who wants to put up with that much responsibility?" He shrugs shis shoulders and holds up his palms in a nonthreatening gesture. "nah, think i'm pretty cozy as guard captain number two."

Crunch, crunch, he finally steps forward. "so. another human. that's new."

"New AND cool," Frisk adds. "I mean, they've got teleportation powers." And they're kinda cute, but that goes unsaid. "...Actually, I didn't even know humans could HAVE powers." That's a lie. They have their RESETS after all.

But, well. Should they mention it to Chara? Maybe when they're alone.

'That sounds like they mean the opposite. Looks like there's another demon in town.' Chara blushes a little bit at all the lies Frisk keeps throwing out and tugs at the side of their hood.

"Chara's been here for a while actually. About three years now, right?" Asriel looks at Chara for confirmation.

"Just about, give or take a month."

"...And you're safe? Nobody's given you a hard time?" There's a hint of disbelief to Frisk's voice, and they turn to Sans, who at first stays silent. That's, uh. Interesting. Very interesting.

Ultimately, he shrugs. "different timelines, different rules. besides, if they're livin' in snowdin, i doubt there's much to worry about."

"And if there was any problems, they'd have to take it up with Mom!" Rei says with a flourish.

"She's really protective of me, for obvious reasons." Chara on the other hand seems a bit embarrassed over this fact.

"heh. that's tori for ya." There's a subdued chuckle from Sans, almost wistful. "sounds like you're in good hands, then. but, uh— what's her status? can't be queen..." So where's she fit into the picture? So much has changed that it's hard to draw any direct connections with the placements. Two siblings in Snowdin... so does that make them an analog to him and Pap? But neither kid looks like a scientist or vice captain.

Weird.

Frisk, however, can't help but note, "She'd probably get along great with Papyrus, then. But if we put 'em in the same room..." Well. That'd be some intense coddling, huh?

"eh, i'm sure we'll find out soon enough. i mean, she's probably... chilling in town, right?" Sans winks, fully aware of his bad joke but not particularly upset about it.

Asriel beats Chara to the punch on this. "Actually she's probably still patrolling in Waterfall. Has to make sure all the kids there are in school."

"Yeah," Chara gives a slightly annoyed look at being cut off. "Captain's duties."

Oh god. That comment makes Sans' smile grow by a hair. "yeah, that sounds like somethin' she'd do." If she were captain, and if she weren't so... disheartened. Though that goes unsaid. No way is he gonna be a downer at a time like this. "so your mom's out in waterfall... that mean you two are on your own?" Kinda young for that, but one of them IS a human. A human who, in another timeline, made some... questionable choices.

For now, he'll keep cool. No point in making assumptions when the kids seem... pretty normal as far as kids go.

"Man, that's some family," says Frisk, somewhat wistful. But a few dots are beginning to connect. Asgore is their dad, but he's in Hotland. Their mom is Toriel, the queen... now captain? Which means Asgore and Toriel... which means...

* Yes. * That's exactly what it means.

"Heheh..." They rub their neck, head ducked slightly. "So... What do you guys do for fun?" That seems like a good distraction from potentially confusing thoughts. This is a lot to take in, but it'd be nice to just... let loose for a while. Goof off with some kids their age.

While all this is going on, a certain scientific skeleton has just finished dashing through the house, and, "THEY'RE GONE!" Huffing, he stops, turning to his handsome double before bolting out the door and into the snow. "...I BLAME SANS." A thorough lock up of the house ensues, but it’s not long before both skeletons dash out of the Ruins and into the snow. Once they step outside, Science Pap takes a cursory look around. "HMM... YOU DON'T THINK THEY'VE ALREADY MADE IT TO TOWN, HAVE YOU? I SWEAR, IF SANS TOOK THEM TO GRILLBY'S BEHIND MY BACK..." Sighing, he looks to his double. "WELL, IT'S A GOOD THING WE'RE BOTH TALL, LONG-LEGGED, AND WITTY!" Clearly, their combined genius will solve this conundrum! "TO BE HONEST," says the older skeleton while looking back at the other side of the Ruins door. "I HAVEN'T BEEN TO SNOWDIN SINCE I FIRST CAME HERE. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE LAYOUT IS LIKE. BUT IF I HAD TO GUESS, THEY HAVE TO BE NEARBY." And perhaps... they will be here?

Further ahead, the conversation continues. "Yeah, we're on our own most of the time." Chara replies, glancing down at the ground. No kids like to be interrogated. And that's what it sure feels like.

"We play Humans and Monsters mostly. Want to join us?" Asriel looks over at Frisk with hopeful eyes. Another person to play with? Please?

Frisk briefly looks to Sans, brow raised and frowning faintly. "Maybe you should cool it with the questions." But, onto brighter news, they shoot Asriel a grin. "And, hey, I'm down for that! Truth is, I could use a break from all the, er... Well, the point is, it'd be nice to actually-"

But before they can finish, there's a loud gasp and an even louder voice. "HUMAN!!!" And in comes a certain scientific skeleton, bolting through the snow and straight toward his friend and brother... before promptly stopping because, oh. Hi. Tiny goat person and human clone? "I MEAN... HUMANS? WOWIE, I WASN'T EXPECTING THIS!"

Asriel is shocked at the newcomer, but something about that voice made him look at Chara.

That voice. Could it really be? Chara is still as a stone and filled with hope.

"HOLD ON, I'M COMING ALONG!!" There. That's him. There's no doubt about it. Chara takes off towards the voice.

The human is coming closer! Well, one of them, anyway. Granted, Frisk soon trails after, while Sans watches with caution. He can't act rash, but a Chara running this close to his bro. Bros? Well, to Papyruses, anyway... What's gonna happen? This is kinda a big deal.

The science Papyrus offers Chara a friendly wave. "GREETINGS, NEW HUMAN! I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS... AS IS HE." He gestures to his double.

Chara darts past Science Papyrus. No offense, just some things have to come first.

Caretaker Pap seems surprised at the child that just clung to his legs and wobbles off balance for a moment. He looks down at the human for a few seconds before asking.

"CHARA? IS THAT YOU?" The child nods into his robes, shaking softly. He gives a big smile and kneels down, petting the sniffling child reassuringly. "I'M GLAD TO SEE YOU TOO."

Sans remains still, but his eyes are glued to Chara. He's watching, not even blinking. That's awfully close to a version of his bro. It'd be so easy to take advantage of his lowered guard. One good hit... A human could do it. Easy.

Flowey, while unseen is listening intently. Bad enough that a version of his old self is around. Bad enough that he has to hide while CHARA is there. This Chara is... strangely close to Papyrus, but why? How? What does it MEAN? Sure, Papyrus is amusing and interesting and eccentric, but why isn't it ASRIEL who's...?

Finally, Frisk moves in, not too close so not to interrupt, but. "Hey. You okay, Chara?" The crying sure comes as a surprise. "C-CHARA...?" Science Papyrus' eye sockets nearly  double in size. Wasn't that the child who...? But they look so happy. So sincere! And far be it from him to cast judgment on a human he's just met. Still, squinting, he assesses them, trying to read their LOVE and EXP levels.

1 LOVE, 0 EXP. The child picked up into the Caretaker's arms hasn't hurt anyone. Said child is also clinging to the skeleton and trying their damnest to hide their face from the others.

"I-I'm fine. J-just really happy." Chara rubs their face with a glove and smiles back at Frisk with a mostly clean face. Asriel overcame his case of double takes and now steps forward with a crunch of the snow.

"...Good. Just wanted to make sure, y'know?" So, happy tears. That's definitely a good thing, though Frisk will have to ask about Papyrus later. Such a tearful greeting must carry some history behind it. Is this Papyrus to Chara what their Papyrus is to them? Well, the crunching of snow pulls their mind from such thoughts at the moment, and Frisk steps aside to give Asriel room to move closer.

Except upon spotting him, Science Papyrus lets out a tremendous gasp. "OH. MY. GOD!!!!" He points, eye sockets all buggy. "IT'S A TINY TORIEL! HELLO, YOUR... MAJESTY? HIGHNESS? I ALWAYS GET THOSE TWO MIXED UP!"

"Tor- I'm not my mommie!!" Asriel blurts out without meaning. It takes a moment for him to catch the embarrassing name and settles for covering his face in hands and ear to hide the blush.

"HELLO TO YOU TOO, ASRIEL!" Caretaker Papyrus calls out as he approaches the group.

"Hello, mister skeleton..." The blushing goat mumbles.

"AS... OH. OH!!!" If possible, the scientist Papyrus' eye's get even buggier. "THEN YOU, TINY HUMAN... BUT YOU'RE VERY MUCH ALIVE... BUT THEN, THIS *IS* ANOTHER TIMELINE. WOWIE! THIS IS BOTH CONFUSING AND CAPTIVATING AT THE SAME TIME!!!"

"eh." Sans shrugs. "infinite outcomes, y'know? but man, talk about a huge crowd..." He glances around the group, his smiling face unreadable. "so. what's the plan? personally, i could go for some burg right about now."

Asriel picks up on something very odd about what Papyrus said. Will definitely have to ask about that later. "Hey!" Chara half squeaks. No, it's not because they were crying. "How about we head into town? No point talking in the middle of the snow forever."

"IT WOULD BE NICE TO SEE HOW MUCH HAS CHANGED SINCE I LEFT AS WELL," Popyrus adds.

"Sounds pretty... cool to me." Frisk cracks a grin, lifting their chin and trying to play it cool again. Please enjoy their sense of humor, cool human.

The science Papyrus' eye socket twitches a little, and he looks like he's trying to hide a smile. Sans, in the mean time, chuckles.

"so... anyone up for a shortcut?"

"Yeah, sounds great." Chara somewhat reluctantly lets themselves down out of Caretaker Pap's arms. "All the other guards should be back at Grillby's at this time."

"You can do shortcuts too Ki- Mister Sans?" It was a quick catch before Asriel corrects himself.

Frisk gulps. Other guards? That's... a little foreboding, though they try to hide their unease with a slightly twitchy smile.

And Sans responds with a nod. "yup, it's kinda my thing." And he motions for the others to come closer. Somewhat reluctantly, his brother obliges. "all right, so... sounds like at least a few of us are used to shortcuts by now. those that aren't, it might tingle a little."

'Kinda your thing, huh?' Something about that strikes Chara as odd. As does Frisk's attempt at hiding their unease about... something. Chara doesn't know what. But they do know what could help out. Chara walks over to Frisk, takes their hand, and-

They aren't there anymore.

"Wha- Chara!! You left me behind!!!" Cries out the small goat.

"HUMAN!" Papyrus tries reaching out for them, but nope. They're too fast. Curses!

"...welp." Shaking his head, Sans plods closer to the little goat and plops a hand on his shoulder. "all right, then. bro, bro, kiddo... looks like we'll be making the jump as a group."

He gives the elder Papyrus a chance to come closer-- just in case this whole thing's disorienting. Once they're all ready, he'll make the jump. To Be Continued

[pinkxiedust-blog]

Short Term 12 Movie Summary

Short term 12 is a foster care facility that helps teenagers who are traumatized or abused. Grace is the supervisor of the said facility. Together with her co-workers Jessica, Mason and Nate(who is only new in the job), they take care and keep an eye on the kids until they reach their legal age and are free to go.

Mason, her coworker, is her long-term boyfriend whom she finds it hard to open up emotionally. Grace finds out that she is pregnant and tells Mason about the pregnancy. Mason feels so happy about the news, not knowing that Grace scheduled for an abortion.

Going back at the facility, Grace focuses her attention on the 18th birthday party of a residential kid named Marcus who has been in the facility for more than two years and is troubled about the idea of leaving the facility.

A new kid named Jayden who has a history of self-harm arrives at the facility. Jayden makes it clear to the other children that she is not there to bond and make friends for she is not planning to stay any longer. She reacted violently towards the staff when her father failed to pick her up on her birthday. Grace tried to comfort her and shows Jayden her scars that were results of her self-harm way back her teenage years. The other children in the facility made birthday letters for Jayden.

In the middle of the birthday celebration, Jayden escapes and goes to her father's house with Grace following her.  They found the house empty and Grace convinces Jayden to go back to the facility. Jayden shared to Grace a deep story she has written which made Grace suspect that Jayden was abused by her own father.

Mason proposes to Grace during a celebration hosted by his foster parents in which Grace happily said yes. The next day, Mason and Grace finds out that Grace's father will be released in prison and it bothers Grace. She failed to open up emotionally to her fiancé which is Mason's sentiment since they began dating.

Grace arrives in Short Term 12 only to find out that Jayden is gone. She was picked up by her father. Grace is furious because she knows that Jayden is not safe with her father.

On the same day, Grace finds Marcus at the doorstep of Luis'(another resident of the facility) room holding a sharp object that he used in attempting to commit suicide. Maybe the death of his beloved fish triggered him.

At the hospital, while Mason and Grace are waiting for Marcus to be treated, Grace breaks down and Mason is dismayed that she can't tell him what she feels. 

Grace bursts out and tells Mason that she no longer wants to marry him and that she already scheduled an appointment for the abortion of their baby. Mason said that he's done and left.

Grace rode her bicycle and went to Jayden's house. She barged in and planned to hit Jayden's father's head with a baseball bat only if she wasn't caught by Jayden. Jayden suggests that they release their anger by smashing her father's car.

After that smashing scene, Grace shares her story to Jayden about being sexually abused by her own father to the extent that he got her pregnant. Then Jayden shows her bruises that she got from her father. They both returned in Short Term 12 and Jayden confesses about her abusive father.

Grace goes home, apologizes to Mason and tells him that she didn't mean what she said. Mason in return, said that Marcus is going to get better. " I am too" Grace replied. Grace then visits a shrink and it turned out that it is her 4th. After that, Mason and Grace went to see the ultrasound of their baby.

On the other side, Jayden is doing good inside Short Term 12. Same with Marcus who was released and is now outside the facility. Not to mention, he already has a girlfriend!

      1. What life lessons can be learned from the movie?

Everyone has their own story. What they are today is the product of their past experiences. There is always a reason behind every smile, laugh, fears, tears and doubt.

      2. What part of the story told by the movie was the most powerful?

The most powerful part of the movie for me is when Grace and Mason went to see the ultrasound of their baby. Happy tears escaped their eyes when they saw the baby in the screen. It means that Grace finally won the battle with her demons and she wholeheartedly accepted her baby. They’re going to have a happy family! Ow I love happy endings.

      3. Who was your favorite character in the movie? Why?

Mason because he is the perfect guy to be in a relationship with. He loves Grace so much and he’s sooo understanding. Maybe when God let patience pour down on earth, Mason is out there catching them all. Just kidding. Also, I like the way he tells stories. It makes you wanna listen until the end. That’s my dream because I’m a terrible story teller.

      4. Did anything that happened in the movie remind you of something that has occurred on your own life or that you have seen occur to others?

Yes, I have a classmate in junior high who have cut marks on her wrist-a sign of self-harm. We don’t know the whole reason behind it because she doesn’t tell us. What we know is that it is because of a family problem. She is just like the troubled kids in Short Term 12.

     5. If you had a chance to ask a character in this movie a question, what would it be?

Nate, why so cute? 

Just kidding haha

So here’s my real question- Grace and Mason, is it a boy or a girl? I hope it’s a twin though:)