#brings a whole new meaning to arthur being a mummy’s boy

[feelyoubehindmyeyes]

in the show’s lore if arthur is born “of magic” and therefore not “of uther” does that then make him only “of igraine” who bore him?

and then further, does that mean that, in truth, he is not related to morgana and she is the only “true” pendragon?

interesting i guess also that arthur was conceived in desperation for the pendragon line to continue and it was with his death that it ultimately ended heirless

i can hear the writers yelling being like you weren’t meant to think this hard about the show lmao

every aspect of arthur’s life being infected with tragedy hits as hard as the truck in the epilogue

anyway…as you were

[sunsetscurving]

honey, you should see me in a crown [ modern royalty AU ]

CHAPTER 1 || ao3 link

Lucas Lallemant, crown prince and heir to the throne, never needed someone to protect him. He never needed someone to protect him until the day he nearly got stabbed by an assassin.

Now he has to deal with an annoying bodyguard named Eliott Demaury who is, to the chagrin of Lucas, fucking handsome too.

As if his life isn't difficult enough already.

TW: death

Newsflash: Prince Lucas attacked at the opening of the new museum FOR royal history

Prince Lucas Lallemant, the youngest son of the Queen and the King, was involved into an attack from a yet unknown person at the opening of the new museum for Royal History. A man around 40 pushed through the crowd and the guards and nearly stabbed the young prince with a long knife, the guards shielding the prince before worse thing happened. The police is still investigating and—

Lucas sighed deeply, throwing the newspaper away from him and leaning back onto the couch, his gaze wandering to the ceiling.

“This sounds like I already died”, murmured Lucas to himself, laying an arm over his eyes and enjoying the few peaceful moments before he had to face his parents.

The attack laid back two days now and Lucas never had seen this many guards around him. His parents thought that an assassin was going to kill him any minute and although Lucas was fucking afraid when he saw that guy coming up to him, the sunlight reflecting on the sharp blade, he could very well protect himself. And although he knew nothing of fighting, he could use a fucking dagger.

He had been learning all of this his whole life and he didn’t see that attack coming nevertheless. Well, something like this never happened before though. And something like this should have never happened to him in the first place.

Because he was never born to be the heir of the throne.

Lucas sat up and looked around his room, the feeling of being captured in this castle being very present these last days where his parents and their guards had been occupying him literally 24/7.

And despite all of that, Lucas really enjoyed it to be a prince.

He really did.

He loved the balls, the magnificence of his room and the opulence of his life in general.

But sometimes, everything he wanted was to be a normal boy with a normal life and normal friends, going back to the days where he wasn’t destined to be the next king. Going back to the days, where there was much more laughter and happiness in the castle.

But at least something remained from these better days.

He got to know Yann, Arthur and Basile at the public high school he attended for two years till his parents insisted on home-schooling him in the castle. He lost contact to nearly all of his former friends, them also being kind of afraid to be friends with the prince of their land. But Yann, Arthur and Basile stayed.

And Lucas snuck out of the castle as often as he could to meet them.

“Your Highness?”

Lucas turned around. He didn’t even hear the door and yet, a guard was standing in the door. He never had a friend in this castle although he tried really hard to have some kind of connection with the male guards. But since they knew that Lucas was gay, they retreated in themselves, only having a business affair with Lucas.

Yeah, because I will jump at every male human being now.

“Your parents are now ready to see you.”

“Finally”, murmured Lucas and ran a hand through his messy hair. His mum always told him to keep his hair short but he liked the way it curled at the end, sticking out to several sides of his head. When he had to wear some kind of a suit the whole time instead of his comfy joggers and an oversize sweatshirt, he could at least wear his hair the way he wanted to.

The guards were leading him down the hallway towards the throne room where his parents waited for him. As if he wouldn’t know the way by heart now. His steps were muffled through the ruby red carpet under his feet and Lucas’ thoughts traveled from one to another. He tried not to think of the shocked expression and the silent scream on his mum’s face as the man approached Lucas, ready to kill him. He tried not to think of it because it would bring other pictures back which Lucas had been fighting for the last 48 hours. The hallways were packed with guards, everyone watching Lucas’ every step and to be honest, he felt more and more captured in this palace then being at home here.

“Mummy, please!”

But suddenly, a smile was spreading on Lucas’ face.

I nearly forgot.

“No, Cecille. He’ll be here soon and then you can—”

“Who’ll be here soon?”

“LULU!”

Lucas laughed and kneeled down as he’d entered the throne room. A little girl in a pinkish dress ran towards him, her blonde curls flying around her head as she flung himself into Lucas’ arms and Lucas stood up in the same moment, swirling her around in the air.

“Hey, my little princess”, said Lucas with a laugh and sat his little sister on his hip, the small girl throwing her tiny arms around him.

“I’ve missed you so much!”

“And I’ve missed you, Cece”, said Lucas which was the absolutely truth. His sister had been on a summer camp, their mum wanting to have some kind of “normal” life for Cece, if this was even possible. Lucas had missed her and to the same time, he was happy that his little sister weren’t present on the day he was nearly murdered.

“Mummy told me you were nearly killed.”

“Cecille!”

Lucas gazed towards his mum who tried to hide her emotions as a good queen always did. He smiled reassuring at her and kissed Cece on the nose after this.

“Well, but I’m still here. Who’s gonna have tea parties with you if I weren’t here anymore?”

Cece laughed and laid her head on Lucas’ shoulder.

“I’m glad you’re still here”, she whispered and a warm and soft smile broke out on Lucas’ lips.

“And so am I.”

“Lucas.”

Lucas looked up as a strong and firm voice addressed him, his dad raising his eyebrows at him. Lucas took a deep breath and set Cece down, his back straightening automatically as he walked towards his father, the king. Lucas loved his parents, although they were really strict sometimes, his father especially. But who would think any other way of the king? His dad was seated in his throne, his mum sitting next to him while Cece sat down on the stairs in front of them, playing silently with her puppets. Lucas made a tiny bow in front of his parents.

“You wanted to see me, father?”

“Yes. And you know exactly why.”

“I suppose”, murmured Lucas and looked down, his hands sliding in the pockets of his suit trouser. He took place on his little throne next to his father, lounging into it as if he was seated on his couch. Lucas knew everything about the etiquette on the court but sometimes he just wanted to be… Lucas. And although his father always gave him a skeptically look at this behavior, he usually didn’t say anything about it when this behavior happened in private.

“Lucas, you shouldn’t take all of this so lightly”, said his mum now, her voice full of worry and fear. Lucas sighed deeply and leaned his head back on the throne, looking up at the golden ceiling with its thousands of chandeliers.

“I’m guarded by so many people now, mum. I cannot even go out to the garden without someone following me”, said Lucas and sat up, looking at his parents now, “I mean – nothing happened in the end, right?”

“But something could have happened, Lucas.” The voice from his dad was now a bit louder, anger about this whole situation surfacing slowly. Anger directed towards the world and the cruel people in it.

“We still haven’t found this guy who attacked you and your mum and I don’t want to lose another son.”

Silence.

Even Cece stopped to play with her puppets for a moment. Lucas’ gaze wandered to his mum who was on the edge of tears. It was egoistically of him to think that the pain about Clément had faded away already. Because it would never fade away, Lucas was sure about it. There were days where it was okay. And then they were days where Lucas couldn’t take all of this, where he blamed the guy who shot down his older brother for all of his misery, where he screamed at the guards for now reason, where he couldn’t breathe anymore.

“I’m sorry”, murmured Lucas now and took a deep breath. He was standing up, walking over to his mum and took her hands between his while sitting down on the armrest of her throne. His mum was staring at nothing in particular and sometimes Lucas was worried about her mental health.

“Nothing will happen, mum. I promise.”

“You cannot promise anything like this”, said his father now, Lucas being surprised by the weakness in his voice, “And because you cannot promise us this, we made some arrangements to secure your safety.”

“I have thousands of guards around me and—”

“The guards are responsible for you in the palace. But not in your free time or on official events.”

Realization slowly dawned on Lucas.

No way. No fucking way.

“And that’s why you’re getting a personal bodyguard in the next days.”

Lucas jumped up from where he was seated and stared at his father, rage burning in his eyes.

“Are you fucking kidding me, father?”

“Mind your language, Lucas!”

“I don’t need a fucking bodyguard. I—I can very well protect myself. I can use a dagger, I can learn how to fight, I—”

“Your new bodyguard will teach you all of this. And this decision is not up for debate, young man. You’ll get a bodyguard and he will keep you safe.” The tone in his father’s voice tolerated no resistance. Lucas was breathing heavily, his fingernails digging into the palm of his hands. The little freedom he had would be gone now too. He would be a prisoner in his own house. He wouldn’t be able to sneak out at night anymore to meet his friends, to meet other people, to be someone else. He wouldn’t—

“This is fucking bullshit.”

His father was now standing up, towering over Lucas and Lucas had to resist the urge to back away.

“You’re thinking so selfishly, Lucas. Think about the throne. Think about your land. You are my only heir now and you are responsible for your actions. One day, you will sit on this throne and you will reign this land. It isn’t about you, Lucas. It’s about the people who need you.”

Lucas bit the inside of his cheek from responding that he couldn’t give a lesser fuck about the throne right now. He felt as if the last bit of air was taken away from him.

“May I retreat into my room?”, asked Lucas with clenched teeth. His father was taking a deep breath now and looked down, slowly sinking back into his seat again as if this whole situation demanded a lot of strength from him.

“You may.”

Lucas swirled around and stomped out of the room.

“It’s only for your best, Lucas”, called his mum after him but Lucas was already out of the room and leaned against the wall in the hallway, breathing heavily and blinking away the tears which were fighting their way into his eyes.

For my best, of course. But has anyone thought about asking me what I think is best for me?

“Lulu?”

Lucas opened his eyes which he had closed to calm down a bit. As he heard the thin voice of his sister, he looked to the right and saw Cece standing there, clutching her puppet to her chest. And suddenly, some of the anger seemed to leave his body as his young sister looked at him with her big blue eyes which were so similar to his own.

“What is it, little princess?”, asked Lucas quietly while kneeling down in front of her, taking one of her tiny hands in his own.

“Mummy and daddy are right, you know?”

Lucas sighed deeply and looked down.

“Who’s gonna have tea parties with me if you are gone too?”

Her voice was so quiet and he could feel how much Cece missed Clément too. Clément, Cee and Lucas had been so close to each other. When Clément was gone, everything changed, especially for Lucas.

His father had been right again; he was selfish, only thinking about him and his freedom. But his freedom, his free space, was the only thing left which separated him a tiny bit from all the duties he had to face.

Lucas pulled his sister into a hug and buried his face into her blonde curls, seeking some comfort in the love he felt for his sister and the love he received from her.

“I love you, Lulu.”

“And I love you”, answered Lucas silently and the ice and anger which had cramped around his heart seemed to melt away slowly but surely.

Lucas parted from his sister after some moments passed and stood up.

“Where are you going now?”

Lucas looked over his shoulder to the big window in the hallway. The sun was slowly setting and there was only one thing he wanted to do now.

“I’m gonna get a bit of distraction now.”

His sister smiled because she knew what Lucas meant by distraction.

He had to use the last few days in relatively freedom and when he closed the door to his room, he immediately grabbed his phone and unlocked it, opening the group chat between his friends and him.

lucallemant: someone up for getting wasted?

[theblessed-unrest]

27 Jan 2020

I haven’t been able to keep track of my inward thoughts, which I have been leaving behind in disjointed fragments... in Telegram notes-to-self, in to-be-revisited iPhone notes, hidden in my Instagram stories/posts. I’ve been unable to muster up enough energy to write, as these days I focus them all on writing cover letters and trying to come up with a grand plan to build up my portfolio and pursue passion projects.

I keep thinking about privilege and inequality. Earlier this week, I had my hair cut by a new hairdresser (recommended by my mother’s ‘auntie network’). She’s a single mum who speaks candidly about her divorce from her husband and how she singlehandedly raised her two boys on her own through hairdressing. One of them is currently studying in a polytechnic while the other is in his first year of university. After she divorced her (dirtbag) husband (who provided only $200 alimony per month for her to use), she had to work multiple jobs to pay rent and the expenses for the household. This resulted in her having to leave her two boys at home by themselves most of the time (given she had no family in Singapore to help her out as she was from Malaysia). She was telling me how they therefore had to grow up to be very independent, with the older one often having to take care of the younger one. She told me that when the younger brother fell sick, the older brother would end up having to feed him his medicine on time and all she could do was call to remind him to do so. 

One of her customers started coughing pretty violently at one point and she told her not to save money on health supplements, which she takes everyday herself. When she said that, she reminded me of an older grandmother whom I interviewed quite a while back for a food insecurity research project, who despite her son (the head of the household) earning just a over $2000 a month (which is just $500 away from qualifying for a subsidised rental flat in Singapore), spends a whole lot on expensive nutritional supplements for her grandson, like manuka honey and fish oil. With such limited resources, it is truly a test of resource allocation, which reveals where your priorities lie, and it always warms my heart when I see people with little means selflessly choosing to love and bless their family with all that they have. She told me she wants them to study hard and find a good job so they wouldn’t have such a hard life like her. 

She made me laugh with all of her un-PC opinions, saying that she will not pay for her boys’ wedding ceremonies (in mandarin she said, ”I’ve already paid for so many things! If they want to marry a girl, they must make sure they have the means first!”). She also asked me if I had a boyfriend (but not in the nosy auntie way), and praised me for not being in a relationship as of yet (how refreshing!), cautioning me against falling too quickly for a guy and not listening to voices of reason around loved ones around me -- as that was how she ended up marrying her ex-husband. 

She told me how she often asked her boys to eat fish, because it would make them smarter, and how they would retort, “Mummy, why didn’t you eat fish when you were younger then?” (”Kids are so smart these days!”, she sighed -- which made me smirk because my brothers and I often talk back to our parents in this manner too.) She told me that she was no good at studying when she was younger, and felt like sleeping whenever she started reading. “For MCQs I don’t know how to answer, I would just put options 1, 2, 3, 4 for each question, then repeat again! Sometimes pass, but usually fail,’ she recounts to me while laughing. But whatever study smarts she doesn’t have, she makes up with street smarts. Her hairdressing business runs like a well-oiled machine and she handles the operation swiftly like an experienced CEO. Armed with a bluetooth speaker in ear, during the close to 5 hours I spent there (because I waited for my mum to be done too), she served 3 customers (including me and my mum) while having a customer swing by to collect the health supplements she bought on her behalf. She was a one-woman band, not missing a beat as she took turns to cutting each person’s hair (not a rushed manner even though we only showed up pretty late, close to 6pm), washing our hair, colouring, steaming, highlighting, blowdrying -- immaculate time allocation. By the time she was done with my mum and me, it was 10.30pm. And she still hasn’t had dinner. We too -- though she kept offering snacks and gave me Pokka green tea. But we had cooked dinner by our helper to return to. (She was telling us she usually only had oats and some supplements for dinner, and she usually has customers bringing her lunch, but they usually buy her fried bee hoon, which she had already eaten thrice in a row.) She also told us that because of CNY, she had to start work the next day at 8.30am. 

It made me think about my privilege. That my parents are both college-educated. That I either had a helper or my mother/grandmother take care of me when I was ill. My parents were saw time off work as a right, not a privilege. Their jobs were never threatened by them having to take leave for legitimate reasons. They could help us with school work if we had any difficulty at all. My parents act as a safety net (yay many helping hands!) -- helping to pay for my brother’s wedding and loaning him money for his new house, loaning me for my university education, and sponsoring my younger brother’s overseas education, because seems to be more well-suited overseas. But the likelihood of us paying them back quickly in due time (their ‘return on investment’ so to speak) is also rather high. Unlike our hairdresser’s children, sadly, one of which is studying in a private local university (not as well-regarded) and the other who will probably follow in similar footsteps. But relatively, this is already a better outcome for her household.

Today, I just watched the new Joker movie as well, which touched on a lot of issues of inequality, bullying, mental illness and marginalisation. I watched it with my family, and my father said the movie was depressing. I guess this is a fitting response, we being part of the ‘bourgeois’ and all. But all one has to do is to compare Arthur Fleck and Bruce Wayne, and how the main difference (if Thomas Wayne is truly the father of them both) is the legitimacy of their birth, to see how different life turns out for them both because of privilege. Both are regarded as vigilantes, but one is considered a ‘villain’ in the conventional sense, and the other considered a ‘hero’. Not saying that I think that justifies any of the heinous deeds the Joker committed, but that privilege shapes a great part of the way we experience the world and we interact with it. Why bother upholding a social contract, when those around you perpetually exclude you from its protection most of the time? 

Privilege is this. After making the comment on how heavy-hearted the movie made him feel, my father requested that to lift our moods, we watch a variety show instead. While the privileged can turn our gaze and act like the problem of inequality doesn’t concern us, it continues to be a reality to be lived and that cannot be tuned out by those without the same privileges.

[uneven-odds]

let´s get personal

Thank you @noonetosmilefor for asking me these <3 1: 6 of the songs you listen to most?  -at the moment: Wildfire by SYML, Ouite miss home by James Arthur, You by James Arthur, Sad eyes by James Arthur, Bei dir by Kummer and Some you loved by Lewis Capaldi 2: If you could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be? - James Arthur. 3: Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 23, give me line 17.  -” [...]glänzen, so als wollte sie den ganzen Raum, das ganze Haus umfassen.” 4: What do you think about most? - My future. 5: What does your latest text message from someone else say?  “Are you 17.45 o clock in the [certain street name] again?” 6: Do you sleep with or without clothes on? -With clothes on. 7: What’s your strangest talent?-I don´t have one. 8: Girls… (finish the sentence); Boys… (finish the sentence) -Girls are awesome, Boys are awesome too. 9: Ever had a poem or song written about you? -No. 10: When is the last time you played the air guitar? - ugh idk. 11: Do you have any strange phobias? - No. 12: Ever stuck a foreign object up your nose? - Yes. 13: What’s your religion? - Atheist. 14: If you are outside, what are you most likely doing? - Going to a lecture. 15: Do you prefer to be behind the camera or in front of it? - Behind. 16: Simple but extremely complex. Favorite band? - Walking on cars. 17: What was the last lie you told? - “I don´t have time.” 18: Do you believe in karma? - Yes. 19: What does your URL mean? - It´s the name of a song. 20: What is your greatest weakness; your greatest strength? -my greatest weakness is that I don´t trust people easily and I still have a hope even if it´s pointless. My greatest strength is that I´m a good listener and advice giver. 21: Who is your celebrity crush? - Tbh atm I don´t really have one.  22: Have you ever gone skinny dipping? - Nope. 23: How do you vent your anger? - I ramble to friends about what angers me. Sometimes I go for a walk and often I listen to loud music. 24: Do you have a collection of anything? - Yes of notebooks and candles.  25: Do you prefer talking on the phone or video chatting online? - video chatting online. 26: Are you happy with the person you’ve become? - Not really. 27: What’s a sound you hate; sound you love? - Sound I hate: scratching noises, sound I love: Rain and James Arthurs voice. 28: What’s your biggest “what if”? - what if, i did a certain thing/ or said a certain thing. 29: Do you believe in ghosts? How about aliens? - Yes to both. 30: Stick your right arm out; what do you touch first? Do the same with your left arm. - right arm: pillow. left arm: hoodie. 31: Smell the air. What do you smell? - cocos. 32: What’s the worst place you have ever been to? -Anklam. 33: Choose: East Coast or West Coast? - east coast. 34: Most attractive singer of your opposite gender? - James Arthur (in some way). 35: To you, what is the meaning of life? - being happy and pleased with my life. 36: Define Art. - art is what other people do with love.  37: Do you believe in luck? - hahahaha no. 38: What’s the weather like right now? - cold af.  39: What time is it? - 17.48 o clock. 40: Do you drive? If so, have you ever crashed? - More like I can drive and no. 41: What was the last book you read? - Fische die auf Bäume klettern by Sebastian Fitzek. 42: Do you like the smell of gasoline? - Yes. 43: Do you have any nicknames? - Yes a few.  44: What was the last film you saw? - Das perfekte Geheimnis. 45: What’s the worst injury you’ve ever had? - I broke my left  wrist two times. 46: Have you ever caught a butterfly? - Yes. 47: Do you have any obsessions right now? - Yeah, I´m obsessed with Good Omens and James Arthurs new album. 48: What’s your sexual orientation? - I don´t really know. I´m trying to figure that one out.  49: Ever had a rumour spread about you? - Yes. 50: Do you believe in magic? - Yes. 51: Do you tend to hold grudges against people who have done you wrong? - Yeah sometimes. 52: What is your astrological sign? - Capricorn. 53: Do you save money or spend it? - Spend it.. 54: What’s the last thing you purchased? - Wine. 55: Love or lust? - Lust.. 56: In a relationship? - Nope. 57: How many relationships have you had? - 3. 58: Can you touch your nose with your tongue? - nope. 59: Where were you yesterday? - at my grandparents. 60: Is there anything pink within 10 feet of you? - Yes a box and a flower. 61: Are you wearing socks right now? - No. 62: What’s your favourite animal? - Cat. 63: What is your secret weapon to get someone to like you? - People like me? 64: Where is your best friend? - At home studying. 65: Give me your top 5 favourite blogs on Tumblr. - @noonetosmilefor  @thecaptain-posts @crispsevans @speak-fluent-sarcasm  66: What is your heritage? - german. 67: What were you doing last night at 12AM? -reading fanfiction. 68: What do you think is Satan’s last name? - *insert my last name*. 69: Be honest. Ever gotten yourself off? - Yes. 70: Are you the kind of friend you would want to have as a friend? - Oh hell no. 71: You are walking down the street on your way to work. There is a dog drowning in the canal on the side of the street. Your boss has told you if you are late one more time you get fired. What do you do? - save the dog. 72: You are at the doctor’s office and she has just informed you that you have approximately one month to live. a) Do you tell anyone/everyone you are going to die? b) What do you do with your remaining days? c) Would you be afraid? - yes, my loved ones, idk going to norway I think and yes.  73: You can only have one of these things; trust or love. - Trust. 74: What’s a song that always makes you happy when you hear it? -  75: What are the last four digits in your cell phone number? - 9296. 76: In your opinion, what makes a great relationship? - trust, honesty and humor 77: How can I win your heart? - by buying me coffee and making me laugh 78: Can insanity bring on more creativity? - Yes 79: What is the single best decision you have made in your life so far? - Being honest with myself 80: What size shoes do you wear? - 39. 81: What would you want to be written on your tombstone? - pss she is asleep 82: What is your favourite word? - dream. 83: Give me the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word; heart. - Love. 84: What is a saying you say a lot?- Well you can always try again. 85: What’s the last song you listened to? - From me to you I hate everybody by James Arthur 86: Basic question; what’s your favourite colour/colours? - blue. 87: What is your current desktop picture? - I don´t have one rn hahaha. 88: If you could press a button and make anyone in the world instantaneously explode, who would it be? - Trump. 89: What would be a question you’d be afraid to tell the truth on? - how are you really feeling? 90: One night you wake up because you heard a noise. You turn on the light to find that you are surrounded by MUMMIES. The mummies aren’t really doing anything, they’re just standing around your bed. What do you do? - trying to get out of the house. 91: You accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what’s even cooler is that they endow you with the super-power of your choice! What is that power? - telekinesis. 92: You can re-live any point of time in your life. The time-span can only be a half-hour, though. What half-hour of your past would you like to experience again? - playing cards with my grandparents. 93: You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be? -that one moment I´m trying to forget. 94: You have the opportunity to sleep with the music-celebrity of your choice. Who would it be? -probably James Arthur. 95: You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere. You have to depart right now. Where are you gonna go? - Norway 96: Do you have any relatives in jail? - I don´t think so. 97: Have you ever thrown up in the car? -No. 98: Ever been on a plane? - Yes. 99: If the whole world were listening to you right now, what would you say? - Thanks.

[shelbybroslimited]

My BABY CAN YOU PLEASE WRITE YN AND MICHAEL MODERN BABYSITTING THE KIDS AND MICHAEL GIVES KARL A TALKING TO WHEN HE GETS MAD AT THEM PAYING MORE ATTENTION TO JOHNS BB

i’ll still love you

“Promise we won’t be out too late,”

“Yeah, yeah, go on go have fun.”

“The number’s on the fridge-“

‘“Freddie- they’ve done this before just GO!”

You laughed as Ada pushed her husband out the door towards the car outside waiting with John and Esme inside.

“Always the worrier, he is.”

You turned around to see Michael holding the newest Shelby, three months old, in one arm and mussing up Karl’s hair with the other, “Isn’t that right Karl?”

“Daddy always checks everything three times ever since mummy forgot to blow out the candle that one day.”

“Alright enough about your daddy are we going to have some fun tonight?” You smiled, kneeling down to meet him at eye level.

“Yeah!”

“Well let’s get to it!”

The three of you followed a running Karl back into the living room where he went back to playing with the legos.

Ada and Freddie had gone with John and Esme to Katie and Peter’s elementary open house. The two older kiddies couldn’t wait to show off all the art and work they did at school to their parents, and Freddie and Ada were taking the opportunity to see if this is the school they wanted to send Karl to in the fall.

“This is going to last five minutes if you don’t put on the Lion King soon.” You said, but not looking at Michael.

He turned his head to smile at you, “Why ‘m I the one that’s gotta do it?”

“Because it never fucking works when I do it.”

“YN there is a baby here,” he mocked, covering the little girl’s ears.

You rolled your eyes, “You think she hasn’t already heard that in the Shelby household?”

Michael teasingly shook his head as he walked toward the TV set, “Don’t pay attention to any of the rude shit that comes out of YN’s potty mouth, yeah?”

You stood there looking into an imaginary camera as if you were on the Office as Michael got Karl ready for the movie. Your phone went off, two messages from Freddie making sure everything was fine, one from Ada telling to ignore him, four from Esme of the kids in front of some things they had on display, and one from John of a pot in a window with the caption “does this look like a dick to you?”

You were just about to go into the kitchen to clean up dinner when you heard Karl giggle. Turning your head to see what exactly it was he was giggling at, you saw Michael trying to juggle a now awake baby and open the DVD case to the movie, all the while trying not to fall backwards on a mountain of legos behind him.

“YN, YN, you’ve got to help Uncle Michael!” Karl giggled.

You strided over, arms crossed and a smirk on your face.

“Don’t say anything.” He mumbled, a little upset that he was having so much difficulty opening a DVD case. The baby continued to wiggle and fuss, the beginning of a full cry on the near horizon.

“Give me the baby,” you laughed, out stretching your arms.

Michael passed her off at the precise moment she began to cry.

“Oh I know, I know,” you soothed, “Uncle Michael wasn’t giving you any attention was he?”

Michael rolled his eyes and Karl giggled. He then took it upon himself to try and demonstrate to Michael how to open a video case, “Like this Uncle Michael!”

“Oh THAT’S how it’s done, is it?”

You barely caught Karl’s face to you as you began to take the baby into the other room for a changing. It wasn’t quite a scowl, but one of those faces you make when you’re upset but only kind of trying to hide it. You shook it off as you continued into Karl’s old nursery for a new nappy.

“Yes, Karl I know how to push play,” you heard through the baby monitor.

You laughed as you began to change the baby, “Does Uncle Michael know how to start a movie, Pearly? Does he know?”

Pearl just kind of looked at you, obviously not understanding a word out of your mouth and mainly just concerned with getting a new nappy.

“There we go, my sweet girl!” You exclaimed, picking her up off of the changing desk, “All better! All clean!”

You continued to make faces at her and kiss her tummy as she giggled and giggled.

“I can’t wait to have babies with you.”

You turned your head to see Michael standing in the doorway, arms crossed, leaning against the frame. He was looking extra fit today, dark jeans, dark gray T-shirt hugging his body a liiiitle better than usual.

“‘S that right?” You asked, bringing the baby to your chest as you turned towards him.

“Yeah,” he said, voice a little lower than usual, “You’re gonna be the fittest mum anyone in Birmingham has ever seen.”

“Is that all? Me being a fit mum?”

“Well, I mean we’d get a nice baby out of it.”

“All secondary things.”

“Oh yeah,” he smiled, putting his arms on your waist as he kissed you sweetly.

“Now let me see this pretty girl…”

Michael took Pearl from you and the two of you held her up in the air, making faces, tickling her tummy, and wiggling her feet.

“I knew it!” You heard a little voice yell.

The two of your turned your heads to see Karl, blanket in hand, tears starting to fall down his face, standing in the hallway.

“Knew what ba-“

“I KNEW you liked that baby more than me you don’t even love me anymore!”

“Karl, don’t be-“

“No you don’t even love me all you love is that baby you and YN and mummy and daddy and everyone else!”

Just as suddenly as he appeared, Karl took off crying. Your jaw was left wide open as Michael handed the baby back to you.

“I’ve got ‘im.”

Michael left to follow the crying four year old as you continued to stand in the old nursery, Pearl cooing and reaching for your hair.

Michael found Karl in his room, curled up in the corner, clutching his blanket tightly.

“Hey…”

“Go away!!” Karl shrieked.

Michael stood in the doorway for a moment before slowly walking in, avoiding all the toy cars and superheroes that littered the floor, and sitting on the bed next to him.

“What’s all this about, eh? What’s gotten you so bothered?” He extended his hand to rub Karl’s back.

The warmth and soothing touch of Michael’s hand calmed him down a bit, and he went from curling around his pillow to tucking himself around Michael’s middle resting his head on his lap, still holding his blanket and sticking his thumb in his mouth. Michael brushed some of the hair from his eyes and continued to rub his back.

“You… and YN… don’t love me… anymore…” he heaved, a little difficult to understand around his thumb.

“Why d’you say that?”

“Because… the new baby.”

“Karl, YN and I still love you even though Uncle John and Aunt Esme have a new baby.”

“B-but Polly… and mummy and daddy… all love her more than me…”

“No, no, no.” Michael said, “That’s not true.”

“Yes!… It is!”

“Karl, why would you mummy and daddy love a new baby more than you, yeah?”

“B-because I head them…. mummy was talking about a new baby… and using my room… they want to get rid of me!”

Michael’s eyes widened a bit as he processed what Karl had overheard.

“Karl, look at me, come on,” he said, placing a hand under his chin so he could look at his face. It broke his heart to see him so upset, tears and snot all over his little face.

“Mummy and daddy don’t love you any less, yeah? You’re always gonna be their boy. You don’t love your blanket any less now that you’ve got this new bear now do you?”

“N-no….”

“And I can tell you that mummy and daddy, and Uncle John and Tommy and Arthur, and Aunt Esme and Grace and Linda, and Polly, and me an YN,” he said, using the bottom of his shirt to wipe Karl’s nose, “don’t love you any less with a new baby. New babies need a lot of stuff, yeah? Notice how Pearl cries all the time?”

Karl nodded his head.

“That’s because she isn’t big like you and can’t do things like pick out her favorite shirt, or say what snacks she wants, or even use the big potty like you can.”

Karl sat up, still leaning into Michael.

“I love you very much, and I know YN does too.”

“Even when you and YN have your own babies?”

“I promise you, even when YN and I have a million babies, we will still love you very very much.”

Karl nodded and continued to suck his thumb.

“You ready to go back downstairs? You’re missing the whole movie, you know.”

At that, Karl jumped off the bed, blanket in one hand, thumb in his mouth, and ran towards the stairs. Michael sat on his bed and laughed for a moment before following him to the living room.

You met him at the bottom of the stairs, eyes on Karl sitting next to the baby bouncer in front of the TV, sharing his blanket with her.

“That was very nice, what you said.”

Michael looked at you with a raised eyebrow.

“Baby monitor.”

He smiled.

“You think?”

You looked at Michael, sliding your arms around his middle as he wrapped his arms around your shoulders.

“Yeah,” you whispered, “very, very nice.”

The two of you stood like that for a moment, the only sounds coming from the movie in the living room.

“You’re gonna be a great dad, Mikey.”

He hummed into your hair and kissed your forehead.

“We do need to have a discussion about the million babies I’m s’posed to give birth to, though.”

[pinkgirl94]

SOKOKU -Underworld’s Nightmare- Prologue

This is my first BSD fanfic & still writing right now. Please give me your impressions, opinions or whatever about my writing. I’ll be glad to read them. Enjoy reading!

Sokoku

In Japanese, it means Double Black. For what I know, it is a duo formed for annihilating people with no self-pity, filled with black hearts.

Black is a symbol of evil, blindness, mystery, death, sins and other meanings I can find especially in literature.

In Bungo Stray Dogs, black and white are the color representatives that stand out to me throughout the story. Yokohama, a port city in Kanagawa prefecture, where the story is set.

During the day, when the sun rises above and lights the world, people come out of their house and start their own tasks like a colony of ants come out of their nest and do their duty.

Students attend to their school and study, company men and women went to their office to report their duties, shops, cafes and other places open for business, and vehicles drive on the road.

The city is just like a normal one, like any other places in my view but behind it there is a dark side when the sun goes down and a gloomy but aesthetic full moon shows up. At night, many criminals crawl out from the shadow to pursue their sins of crimes.

There are some groups which have a few special ability users like the Port Mafia. Those group of ability users are the kind of people to control and terminate the people who will get in their way. They are dangerous people but not all of them are that kind.

Because of these crime activities, the government already made a department, known as Special Ability Department, that specializes in monitoring the ability users in the whole nation, even foreign ability users who will come to visit. The department also has ability users for handling the cases regarding that matter.

Other than a government department, there are also a few other organizations which also have ability users to use their ability for good especially solving crimes that normal detectives and the police cannot do such as Armed Detective Agency.

In Yokohama, the government, along with military police, handle the cases at day. At night, the criminal organizations take over the city.

The city is always in the midst of war between special ability organizations. In order to reach the balance and peace of the city, a certain person named Natsume Soseki made his plan by, as a start, created a duo. A strong but dangerous duo.

Fukuzawa and Mori

At first, both of them never knew nor met each other before. Fukuzawa Yukichi used to work at the government as a bodyguard. He was a lone wolf who never wanted to work with anyone until he met a young boy named Edogawa Ranpo.

Mori Ogai was an underground doctor who, had his own clinic, worked in the slum where poor and street rats stay. He always bring a doll-like little girl named Elise to his office and spoils her all the time and always by her side.

How did they met?

Twelve years before an establishment of Armed Detective Agency, Natsume gave Fukuzawa a request for protecting Mori. No clear answer why he gave that kind of request but, in order to establish his agency, he accepted it and met him at his clinic for the first time.

They seemed to be never clicked each other. For example, Mori acted indifferent toward Fukuzawa about his fighting skills will become dull and Fukuzawa felt annoying on that. But once in a blue moon, when they faced their enemies, the two of them finished them off like a tornado destroy everything in a flash.

At one night, Mori captured by the foreign criminal gang from South America. The gang captured him because he was an information broker so they will require his knowledge of Port Mafia’s armory location by torturing him. Fukuzawa then came to their hideout and save Mori.

It was impossible for a man get through tight security filled with armed men but, for Fukuzawa, he killed them all easily. After that, it was Mori’s turn to kill other men in the same room as him.

Fukuzawa uses his katana to kill the enemies and Mori hiding his bloodlust to trick them until he took out his scalpel to either slice or throw at their throat. Both of them are the unstoppable that even the top assassins cannot lift his finger to stop them.

This is how the first generation of Double Black, Fukuzawa and Mori, formed by Natsume. As a writer, I will write the continue tale of them in the first chapter, about finding the true purpose of their fighting alongside together before they become the leaders of their respective organizations.

Dazai and Chuuya

They were the second generation of Double Black under Mori’s care but worked for Port Mafia. These two were not much different when in comes to fight together but, in terms of strategy and fighting style, they were much crueler than Fukuzawa and Mori.

One is a man in mummy-like bandage around his body who showed his inner demon himself and the other is a great fighter with his incredible gravity control ability. All people of the underworld knew them as the worst enemies they have ever encountered.

At the age of fourteen, Dazai picked up by Mori as a patient for attempting suicide. He always a type of person who continuously attempts his suicides but failed many times, always got himself hurt whether by those attempts or by accidents. Mori then brought Dazai along as a witness for his assassination plan.

To kill Port Mafia's predecessor.

Mori told Dazai a cover story and so that he became a new boss of his organization as his own. He kept him safe and alive in order to avoid the suspicious of the predecessor's assassination. To gain the whole organization's trust toward him.

One year passed.

Ever since Mori became a boss, rumors about him assassinated the predecessor spread around the Port Mafia. He even heard a rumor about the predecessor, who supposedly dead and properly buried, was alive and caused ruckus in their turf. If anyone learn about his assassination plan, then his position as a boss will be lost.

So Mori leave the investigation of predecessor to Dazai and, during his investigation, that is how he met a young boy as the same age as him, Nakahara Chuya, previously knew as King of the Sheep.

Chuuya is a natural fighter who only uses his legs to brutally kick his opponents like how he kicked Dazai when they first met. He never use his hands to fight until now. He also possess a special ability to manipulate gravity around him and his enemies will be crushed suffocating by touching him even the slightest hit.

When Chuya captured by Dazai, thanked to his ability-nullification ability, and Hirotsu, another ability user and the person who tag along for the investigation, Mori decided to let Dazai and Chuuya to investigate together.

Both Dazai and Chuuya disagreed together at first but Mori explained that things will work well by working together, with Dazai’s nullification and Chuuya’s fighting skills and ability, so they ended up investigate together. All that time, they always arguing and fighting each other like the small brats fighting over the small problems.

Throughout their investigation, they confirmed that the predecessor was not actually alive but it was a being called Arahabaki, known as a god of calamity, that can shape-shifting its body controlled by another ability user. Chuuya revealed himself that Arahabaki they saw was not a real one but actually himself because of his past.

Chuuya’s past is not a happy memory not because he was abused or tortured by someone nor started a harsh life like any characters you have seen in other stories who met their unfortunate fate. He was an empty shell, mere human body.

Eight, years ago, Chuuya was born as a vessel to Arahabaki and sealed away by the Japanese military. One day, two men, Arthur Rimbaud and Paul Verlaine, infiltrated the military base to take Arahabaki’s power but failed because Arahabaki was fully freed.

Arahabaki now merged with Chuuya and made his own personality and will but they lost their memories before the age of seven. Chuuya only recalled someone reached out to his hand and freed him from the seal.

Dazai and Chuuya found who controlled Arahabaki. It was Rando, a Port Mafia executive and his real name is Arthur Rimbaud, with his ability called “Illumination” that conjure hyperspace subregion. He joined Port Mafia in order to find Chuuya and kill him but failed to do so because Dazai and Chuuya defeated him in the end.

On Rando’s final breath, he gave Chuuya his final wish which is to keep living as a human being. Chuuya accepted his wish and still keeping onto him after that.

One month later.

Dazai finally became a mafioso and executive and made his own squadron. Chuuya also became a mafioso and even received Rando’s hat from Mori as a custom way of officially joining by giving a piece of clothing.

For the sake of continuing the event of their tale, I am going to write a chapter about an event when they fight against an enemy organization and made a debut as Sokoku which you never seen or read in the original work.

Atsushi and Akutagawa

Atsushi is an orphan and main protagonist of the series. At first, he had a low self-esteem, always considered himself useless by the people from his former orphanage especially the headmaster himself. After Dazai pick him up from the riverside while he was in a state of starvation, he recommended him to join the Armed Detective Agency and his life changed after meeting new people and slowly gain his self-worth.

Akutagawa is one of the antagonists and a member of the Port Mafia. He calls himself as Port Mafia’s dog and the agency members refer him as the most troublesome and dangerous ability user to be captured. Like Atsushi, he is an orphan along with his younger sister, Gin. They were raised in the slums of the city with other orphans. After the orphans were shot dead by a group of criminals and only him and her sister survived, Dazai picked them up, giving him a reason to live, to become stronger and get a praise from his teacher.

Their first meeting started with a bounty. The Port Mafia received an info from the Guild, a North America special ability organization, about a weretiger that needed to be captured with a big reward and that weretiger is Atsushi. They attempted to capture him a few times but Atsushi still be saved and protected by the detective agency.

In the last resort, Akutagawa successfully captured Atsushi and ready to deliver but Kyoka, a former assassin who became a detective agency member, tried to save him. Seeing her self-sacrifice for him in Atsushi’s eyes made him to save her and fight Akutagawa. That is when he finally begin gaining his self-confidence.

Both Atsushi and Akutagawa are always fighting in both physical and oral for their different resolve. Atsushi, who sacrifices himself to gain his right to live, and Akutagawa, who seeks an approve from a certain person, are likely same to gain something but different in terms of characteristics and morals.

During their final fight against Francis Fitzgerald, the Guild’s boss, they always arguing over their resolve like the stray dogs barking each other for finding out who is right and who is wrong and Francis saw them that way.

Which is why Dazai forced them to work together to defeat the boss and test his theory if their power have the potential to become a stronger duo than the previous Double Black pairs and he is right all along. Francis defeat with their combined abilities.

With Atsushi’s white tiger ability and Akutagawa’s black beast Rashomon, both of them are an unstoppable pair and that is the start of the new generation of Double Black, Shin Sokoku. Their tale of their fight is yet to end as I will write which they will face a new antagonist after the three-way war.

These three pairs are ferocious groups. Each character have different ideals and believe but their bond of fighting alongside is much stronger than we thought. When their tale is about to unfold, what are their string of fate lead to? Please enjoy reading them.

[yugihell]

Rowan Reads YGO Volume 2

<– First  <-- Previous 

In which I (fairly pointlessly I know) liveblog my reading of Volume Two of the manga and talk about the things I found interesting, be they plot or character. Hey, there are free pictures, so it’s all cool.

In this volume we meet a Blue-Eyes-less Kaiba, electrocute a bunch of people and meet Shadi - the human incarnation of ‘A Bad Time’.

Next --> 

Volume 2

Duel 8

Joey is the type of guy to drop 400 bucks on a pair of trainers #confirmed

Tristan thinks this is dumb, but Joey still knows that he’ll come with him to get ‘em back after they’re stolen. Synced.

However pacifist you want to make Yugi later, right now Yugi is not at all bothered by the idea of Joey and Tristan beating people up.

In fact is possibly turned on by it.

Note: Atem does not appear when Yugi originally gets beaten up by those people, but does when Yugi is angry about the injustice of the man selling the shoes being in charge of the thieving operation.

Pictured Below: Atem entering a shop in the least heterosexual way imaginable.

(Yes Atem, that is how shops work.)

Atem doesn’t even need to penalty game the guy, just lets the scorpion go to town. …Atem, no you can’t keep the scorpion, no matter how unloved you think it is.

Yugi ‘woke up’ holding the shoes with the owner being taken to hospital. Not aware, but getting suspicious perhaps?

Duel 9 p.1

“The game is set up so both players are wizards. They use their cards to cast spells or summon monsters to fight.” Somehow that actually explains the Ancient Egyptian stuff more to me than the show did.

“I’ve heard of a fan in America who sold his house just to buy one.” Haven’t we all.

Yugi recognises Kaiba, who has apparently been in his class this whole time. And yet somehow doesn’t count as a celebrity or a student with a job. Ok.

Look, Joey’s so full of hope for a new friend.

“Come back after you collected at least 10,000 cards.” What the fuck are you Kaiba, a side-quest?

“I-I’ve never even seen this… I never thought I’d actually hold one.”

Wait, so Kaiba doesn’t have 3 Blue Eyes at this point?

Ok, so Arthur still gave Gramps the card in this universe, and so he treasures it. …Arthur from America… Who we see living in a trailer with his daughter in the anime - WAS HE THE ONE WHO SOLD HIS HOUSE?

Yugi is weak to Kaiba’s smile, but I think we all understand that, and shouldn’t think any less of him for falling for Kaiba’s card-swapping trick. Which in fairness, because he’s a pumpkin, he noticed immediately but didn’t want to mention in front of everyone, so as not to embarrass him. I love this boy.

It was all fun and games until you failed to understand the importance these people place on emotional bonds (slash that other-Yugi being very literal and seeing the card as Grandpa’s heart). Now Atem is gonna have to kick your ass.

Again, note that this is the catalyst for the transformation, not Yugi being hit in the face by Kaiba’s briefcase.

Duel 10 p.2

Kaiba is either an adrenaline junkie, or one of those people who just like to skirt death for the hell of it. That can’t be good.

“Off with her head!” Very Alice In Wonderland of you Kaiba.

Ok, so if you’re feeling bad about skipping turns in duels, remember the manga was doing it first.

“This game’s rules went out the window when the monsters started coming to life.” Look I’m not saying I agree, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t get his reasoning here.

Kaiba telling ‘Yugi’ he should enter the next tournament. Already getting those tingling feelings we’ll call desire ‘to duel’.

Ok so the Blue Eyes is loyal to Grandpa and would rather destroy itself rather than attack ‘Yugi’. Which is, as Kaiba is rightly thinking, bullshit.

Then Atem uses Monster Reborn to bring back the Blue Eyes to his side. Oh that DSoD parallel bookend meta.

WAIT

STOP

Atem was the first person to trap someone’s soul in a card???

Oh boy.

Duel 11 p.1

There’s an empty desk - yeah Yup, cus Atem shoved Kaiba into a trading card- oh we’re talking about Joey. Alright then.

And we find out that Joey never skips class, interesting. And that he always gets an A+ in P.E. even if he flunks everything else.

Téa grudgingly admitting it’s lonely without him - aw, she does care.

Tristan’s known Joey since Middle School apparently.

Dad’s clearly been relying on those drink calories for the two days Joey’s been gone.

Rintama’s the ‘rough school’ I take it.

Seems like every part of this volume is trying to make it clear that it’s kind of Yugi’s ‘decision’ to switch, rather than Atem being protective and jumping in. Yugi gets punched in the face (and threatened with someone cutting off his hair - which if you’ve ever had ‘weird’ hair, is not a threat you take lightly) and no appearance from Atem at all.

Téa’s good feeling about Joey has gone.

And we learn that Joey nearly landed in Juvie because of his fights in gangs when he was rolling with Hirutani. Now I don’t know the Japanese or American education systems, but Middle School can’t be that old right? Who gave these babies knives.

Yugi decides they should go and get hime back, Tristan agrees, and Téa finally gets to tag along on one of the excursions too. Admittedly Honda’s doing most of the punching, and they’re just watching him lay into the guy, but it’s moral support.

“Whatcha thinking’ about Jonouchi? You rather be playing house with star-head.” Closeted bi Joey feels intensifying.

“No way I’m letting that pass…” Because he implied you were gay?

“No way I’m letting you get away with hitting my friend!” Oh good, that’s much better.

Duel 12 p.2

So they’re taking Joey “To the Torture Chamber”. Is that a thing gangs have?

Tristan insists on going into the gang’s place alone because Rintama means these guys are next level apparently. No ‘Téa = girl so obviously you can’t come’ line, which is nice.

“Yugi! Even though you’re my friend… I don’t want you falling to my level! ‘Kay?!” Cute.

Tristan bashes into that place like a superhero. “Honda The Man is here!! Give Jonouchi ba-“ You know this guy has white knight fantasies.

…Ok. That got weird fast. Headcanon that they totally know Joey isn’t straight.

The guy knocks out a dude with a taser while his hands are literally tied behind his back, can we get a ‘hell yeah’ for Joey right here.

Yugi uses the Millennium Baedar to find Joey, and the glimpses he sees of them electrocuting Joey are apparently enough that the ‘nope’ switch is flicked.

Maybe I’m just seeing what I want to see, but that looks like a very ‘Yugi’ Atem. “I’m gonna electrocute these guys.” “Go for it.”

I need some fanart of that scene - Yugi/Atem just standing there with that ‘You’re dead, and you’re dead, and you’re dead’ look in his eyes, with the rain running off him.

Atem gets punched in the face, and has a sort of ‘Ready Steady Cook’ moment, where he works out how to use the items he fell into to make a death game.

Note of interest: Atem can still stay up-front if he’s a short distance away from the puzzle. We see him hang around in ghost form when Yugi’s not wearing the puzzle (when he’s hung it on his bed post or whatever), but this is the first time I’m aware of him fronting without it on.

I can only assume Atem is using Yugi’s knowledge here (or has been around while Yugi’s been watching some violent films - also possible), because electricity+water+standing on a rubber tire is not an equation I’d expect an ancient pharaoh to come up with.

Either Atem or Yugi’s got Joey down by the time the others arrive. Also we don’t see the bodies of the people in question. Maybe Atem’s got savvy to not leaving dead people lying around so obviously - Yugi watched a crime drama perhaps.

Joey moans Yugi’s name and grabs onto him in a way that could mean he’s happy to see his actual white/grey knight (sorry Tristan), or that he saw what ‘Yugi’ just did and is trying to ask what in the fucking fuckedy fuck.

Duel 13 p.1

The Ancient Egypt exhibit is coming to town, so maybe we’ll get to learn a thing or two.

First thing we learn is that Joey is MiddleClass-White-American level afraid of curses. Téa is a horrible friend who brings up the fact that everyone who found the Puzzle all died mysterious deaths, making Joey panic that Yugi’s cursed, while Téa howls with laughter in the background: “Of course I’m not cursed! (Don’t scare him, Anzu…)” - you’re all adorable.

“But still… Ever since I completed this Puzzle, there’s been times when I lose my memory… I’d better not tell everyone… They’d think it was creepy…”

Um, Ginny Weasley wants to have some words with you. (You know that could make for a good crossover fic. And these items kind of are like Horcruxes… Sorry, I digress.)

Joey telling Yugi not to wear his uniform at weekends. Come on Yugi, you could get in on a child ticket, there’s a good reason to have people assume you’re about ten years old today.

Yugi doesn’t want to let Kanekura display the Puzzle, but agrees for one day. Picturing Atem in there like a kicked puppy.

Shadi arrives in the most ominous plane landing shot of all time. This is why we couldn’t set Yu-Gi-Oh in America, there’d have been too much time spent on ‘random security checks’ for a guy dressed like that. (Pages 323-451 Shadi gets his Millennium Items held by customs and has to fill out 16 forms before he can get them back).

Yugi thought “Archeologists were treasure hunters with dreams of making it big” and has his dreams shot down by a guy who tells him that’s just in the movies, and it’s one of the worst paid professions. This is why you got to get into becoming a Pro Duelist and indie board game maker. That’s where the money’s at.

I half think that the reason Yugi’s ok with all this weird stuff is because he has been way too warped by TV to know what’s normal and what’s not.

We get to see a Mummy (that some people think is Atem’s - honestly I say it’s someone else’s, just because of how it looks (taller and more angular) and that it’s implied he has a name - unlike ‘the nameless pharaoh’. Similar enough to Set though, if you want that agony.

Shadi pats Yugi on the head and calls him “a nice little boy…” and Yugi inwardly seethes. That uniform trick doesn’t work when they’re not from around here, sorry.

Yugi sat outside the museum on his own, counting the minutes until he gets his puzzle back. Oh my heart.

Shadi murders the guy who wanted to buy the Puzzle between one panel and the next. Ok.

“My bloodline has guarded the tombs for 3,000 years.” …Is he related to the Ishtars? Is that a stupid question?

Shadi is smart enough to know to follow the money to find the real ‘tomb defiler’, good for you bro. Break the system and all that.

The shadow game he plays involves a Scale-based game of truth or dare, with the dare being ‘dare to lie and you will die’. What happens if you tell the truth - answer correctly. Does the scale still go down because the actions ar bad, or is it simply because you lied?

Yugi waiting for the Puzzle. Still cute.

Kanekura gets eaten by Ammit - figuratively, uh well, mentally, but it’s still a horrible image.

Shadi wants to use the Key to see if Yugi has “the same power as my blood line” which… doesn’t match up to Atem. Magic then? Answers on a postcard please.

This turns out to be a mistake, as it sounds like Atem has been wanting a ‘visitor’ for quite some time.

…This is gonna be some Saw shit isn’t it?

Duel 14 p.2

For the first time it’s implied to us that Atem is not just a separate being, but also a pharaoh - Shadi’s remarks on his room’s decoration. But Shadi doesn’t seem to know who he is.

Note: Atem is reflecting Yugi’s current appearance, in that he’s not wearing the Puzzle.

Shadi’s now changed his tune and admits to Atem that he doesn’t know what power is bestowed on the person who completes it, because no-one ever has. “And if that power is needed… I will draw it into my bloodline…” ???

“You know the routine… This is a game! A shadow game!!” Atem self-aware enough to lampshade it at least.

Shadi says he can “Redecorate” and control that person at will, and even destroy their personality, which appears to perturb Atem, as it should. But Shadi accepts and starts to traverse the trapped maze, while Atem leans on a wall, trying to be all cool. Then he teleports away to the proper room, because this isn’t a dimension with physics.

“This boy’s soul is tightly closed against strangers.”

We need to do something with that line, that is a good line.

Atem pretends to (?) consider pushing Shadi into the final trap, but helps him up instead.

“I don’t like your hobby of peeking into people’s souls.” There’s so much double-thinking going on here I can’t process Atem just said that.

Yugi says Shadi closed his eyes and stopped moving, implying he was conscious for Shadi’s adventuring. So the fronting soul keeps up front, and Shadi’s actions are not instantaneous in ‘the real world’.

Shadi says he owes ‘the other you’ but Yugi laughs at him, saying he’s the only ��me’ there is. Shadi tells him he must discover his ‘other self’ to awaken the true power of the Millennium Puzzle.

Shadi reveals his name is ’Shadi’ and says it is the first time he’s ever told it to anyone - HOW HAS DSOD MADE SHADI EVEN MORE CONFUSING THAN HE WAS BEFORE????

Duel 15

We’re going to have a ‘sorry a dude you know died and you might be cursed’ trip to Professor Yoshimori, and Yugi is having his first ‘guided by heart’ moment in that he wants to come along with his grandpa, but suggests Téa and Joey don’t come along when they happen upon them on their way to him. (This also means Joey and Téa spend social time together - nice.)

Shadi’s having a rootle around Yoshimori’s soul room.

“His heart is cluttered with his obsession with the past.” -sips tea and looks at Atem, but says nothing-

Once he realises Yugi is coming, he then redecorates the soul room to turn Yoshimori into his puppet, to draw out Yugi’s power in the second stage of his game with “Yugi within Yugi”.

Joey: “I hate schools at night! They’re so creepy!”

Téa: “You don’t have a shred of courage, do you Jonouchi?”

She goes for his life every time, I swear.

Shadi has his puppet strangle Jonouchi and-

Cut.

Hey, literally nothing happened that chapter besides set-up. Aw man.

Next -->

[hermanwatts]

Science Fiction and Fantasy New Releases: 22 August, 2020

Child heroes, conceited sorceresses, and interstellar bounty hunters fill this week’s new releases.

Game Spaced – Justin M. Stone

Pirates on a treasure hunt. An ancient weapon lost long ago. Two kids determined to save us all. Oh yeah, and space travel.

Trish and Patrick never saw themselves as heroes. But when they go into a Cryo-Sim world on their space flight to train for their new lives on a colony far away, everything changes.

A gang of pirates searches for a legendary weapon called the Blade of the Sea. Their quest drags our kids into crazy adventures that includes an underwater fortress and secret temples.

Trish and Patrick fight zombies, TNT-loving goblins, and even befriend a robot wolf as they solve mind-boggling puzzles and overcome over-the-top obstacles.

It’s great fun, but they have no doubt that they’re in way over their heads. Even more so when they learn that the Blade of the Sea is the key to an ancient treasure with the power to bring the world to its knees.

Genesis (Defiance #1) – Devon C. Ford

Power corrupts. Freedom is dead in the wasteland.

Generations after the world was reduced to ruins by war, the remaining pockets of humanity are ruled over with an iron fist. The streets are patrolled around the clock, curfews are enforced and executions occur for minor offences.

That ruling power, totalitarian and cruel, doesn’t go unchecked.

Born, raised, and trained in secret, Eve is forged into the perfect soldier. The time comes for her, and the others like her—the members of Project Genesis—to take the fight to their oppressors.

But the Party have their own clandestine projects lying in wait.

Rogue Planet (Flight of the Javelin #3) – Rachel Aukes

Space isn’t so big after all.

The Black Sheep are ready for a vacation. Instead, they get sucked into a black hole that spits them out into an uncharted system with a single rogue planet that’s inhabited by an AI force that’s none too fond of humanity.

From there, they find themselves at the front of a deadly military operation to stop the alien threat before it’s too late.

The battle against planet rogue has arrived.

Slayers #1 – Hajime Kanzaka

Beautiful and brilliant sorcerer girls just can’t have nice things, huh?

All I wanted to do was swipe a little bit of bandit treasure.

Now suddenly I’m being chased around by icky trolls, nasty demons, mean mummies, and brooding golem bad boys.

And for what? A tiny little artifact that can bring about the end of the world?

Hah! I’ll show them there’s a reason you don’t cross Lina Inverse…

Tales from the Canyons of the Damned #38 – edited by Daniel Arthur Smith

This thirty-eighth issue of Tales from the Canyons of the Damned consists of five sharp, suspenseful, thought provoking short stories—each from a different featured master of speculative fiction.

“The Patron Saint” by Steven Van Patten “EV 2000” by Amy Grech “The Fear of a Z’n” – A story of Altiva by Teel James Glenn ‘Boys in the Basement” by Jessica West “The Invader” by Daniel Arthur Smith.

Tales from the Canyons of the Damned is a dark science fiction, horror, & slipstream magazine we’ve been working on since 2015.

What is Dark Science Fiction and Horror? Think of it as a literary Twilight Zone, Night Gallery, or Outer Limits, it’s Netflix’s Black Mirror and Amazon’s Electric Dreams in the short story format. And it’s a bargain. Each monthly issue has three-to-five sharp, suspenseful, satirical tales from today’s top speculative fiction writers.

These are Dark Sci Fi Slipstream Tales like you’ve never read before.

Vindication (Interstellar Bounty Hunter #4) – Rick Partlow

From the hunter…to the hunted.

Grant Masterson has spent his whole life putting criminals behind bars, but after shattering every law to save the life of the woman he loves, he finds himself in the harshest prison in the galaxy, surrounded by hardened killers.

He needs all his wits and skills just to survive…and when the sentient AI known as The Oracle, the head of the criminal network called Nautilus, infiltrates the prison and puts a price on his head, even the best bounty hunter in the galaxy may not be tough enough to live through it.

Will Grant’s long trail end in the nightmare known as Tuol Sleng…or will his friends manage to rescue him and hunt down the Oracle? And will Grant Masterson finally find…Vindication?

We Dare: Semper Paratus: An Anthology of the Apocalypse  – edited by Jamie Ibson and Chris Kennedy

Fifteen outstanding authors. Fifteen stories of rising from the ashes!

The apocalypse is coming! Scientists and science fiction novelists have long predicted various forms of the apocalypse, from plagues to wars to aliens. If there’s a way to end civilization, someone has probably prophesized it. Civilizations rise and civilizations fall…but are you ready for it to happen to you? How will you survive and thrive in the event of an apocalypse?

Edited by Jamie Ibson and Chris Kennedy, “We Dare: Semper Paratus” is a collection of 15 all-new stories that explore the apocalypse and what happens next—from surviving the fall to getting through those first perilous days, to learning how to adapt and survive in the new world survivors find themselves in.

What happens when the nations of Earth fall to a nuclear war, and you’re trapped between the combatants on Mars? What if you need to cross a continent to get to the only safe place? How do you survive living in a Fallen World?

One thing is certain—like every civilization before ours, at some point, ours will fall. Will you be ready when that happens? Our authors have dared to look at every type of apocalypse from nuclear war to shadow monsters to darkness falling, and they are ready for the end of the world…are you prepared as well?

Wraithshard: Pyre & Forge – Jonathan Moeller

To save his lands from the armies of Lord Razalis, Mazael Cravenlock must destroy the Wraithaldr, the ancient artifact of necromantic evil.

But to unmake the Wraithaldr, he needs a sword of the legendary Knight Armigers.

And the only place to find such a mighty blade is in the dungeons below the ruins of Castle Valdrake.

Ruins from which few have ever escaped…

Science Fiction and Fantasy New Releases: 22 August, 2020 published first on https://sixchexus.weebly.com/

[ugly-crying-over-bucky-barnes]

Field of Poppies Part 16

Summary: After being apart for six years, childhood friends Tommy and Amelia reunite under odd circumstances. Tommy is an outspoken young man and Amelia is pregnant and out on the streets. The bond of family can be unbreakable but it is tested often. Especially when Europe descends into war.

Part 16: Some news comes to Amelia and she’s not sure how to handle it without Tommy by her side. 

            Two more months went by. Amelia heard often from Tommy. Every week or two she received a letter and replied immediately. She told him about everything she could think of. Anything that might bring a smile to his face, to ease his burden. Whatever she could do to remind him of home and give him hope for the future. She told him the funny things Max did, the little quirks in his blossoming personality.

            He refuses to go to bed unless I’ve checked under his bed for monsters. I think Finn might have been telling him some stories.

            He’s fascinated by baby Wilbur. I don’t think he believes me when I tell him he was a baby once. His reasoning is, if he can’t remember it, it never happened. I showed him the photograph of when he was a baby, only six months old. He couldn’t be convinced that it was him.

            It’s strange. It feels so long ago, yet, it only feels like it was yesterday. I often wonder where all that time went.

 ~~~~~~

            “Breakfast, Mel?” Martha was in the kitchen when Amelia and Max came into Six Watery.

            She went to answer that, no she wasn't feeling very well so she didn't have much of an appetite. But instead, she was immediately hit with a strong smell. Her stomach turned and she dropped Max’s hand so she could rush upstairs to the bathroom.

            Polly heard retching from down the hall, so went to investigate. “Oh, heavens.” She found Amelia at the toilet. “Easy.” She soothed and pulled the young woman’s hair back away from her face. Dread came over the woman as she realized her earlier intuitions were confirmed. “Dear, I think you and I need to have a talk.”

 ~~~~~~~

            “Letter, Tom.”

            Tommy took the letter from the passing soldier and felt relief wash over him. The same relief he got every time Amelia’s letters arrived. Despite being in the middle of trench warfare, he had her letters to keep him sane.

            Tommy,

            I must admit it hasn’t gotten much easier these last few weeks. I still miss you more than I can ever describe. Everything reminds me of you. Max always asks for you. It’s hard to bear sometimes. But I manage to get through every day.

            I have news. I want so desperately to be happy but I’m so heartbroken that you aren’t here so I can tell you in person. But Polly believes I’m pregnant. It may be too early to know, but I don’t want to question her either. The signs seem to match up with the timing.

            I don’t know how to feel any more if I’m being honest. I need to hear back from you as soon as possible. I hope you and everyone else is safe. I miss you all. I will write you a longer letter when I've gathered my thoughts. But for now, I needed you to hear the news. 

            Love, Amelia

             Tommy wasn’t sure what to say as he stared blankly at his wife's handwriting. The urgency he felt to return home was only heightened. He carefully folded up the letter and put it in his rucksack.

            “Tom?” Arthur was sitting nearby, his back up against the wall of the trench.

            “Mel’s pregnant.” He replied before his brother even needed to ask what was wrong.

            He frowned and passed his brother a cigarette. “You think she’s going behind your back while you’re away?”

            “No.” Tommy shook his head adamantly. He took the cigarette and lit it with a match. “She’d never do that. Never. It makes sense, I suppose.” He mumbled to himself. “She’d be about three months along.”

            Arthur nodded. “Well, guess we can try to get you back by the time the baby’s born.” He smiled slightly, trying to give his brother hope.

            But there was little hope left in the trenches. In those damn tunnels. At that point, Tommy could only hope he found his way back to Birmingham alive. Asking for anything else would be wishful.

   ~~~~~~~~~~        

            Around five at night, Polly closed up the betting shop. The other girls had gone home but Martha and Amelia remained.

            “Well, Pol, you did say she could have the next baby,” Martha said, trying to keep the atmosphere light. In all other times, the news of a baby would be such a happy occasion. But those days, nothing seemed to be good news.

            Amelia tried to laugh but she couldn’t even muster a smile. Every muscle in her body felt heavy. There was no use trying anymore. “I feel like such a monster.” She mumbled.

            “Why?” Her sister-in-law asked.

            “Because I don’t want to be pregnant.” She put down her pencil to rub her tired eyes. “I don’t want to be pregnant without Tommy here. I’m not ready to raise two children alone.”

            “You’re not alone.” Polly insisted as she walked over to the table, setting the keys down.

            “You know what I mean.”

            Martha looked to Polly, sharing a concerned look. It would only be a harder pregnancy if Amelia fought herself the whole time. They couldn’t make it any easier for her though. They couldn’t magically wish Tommy home. If they could, the war would’ve ended weeks ago. It never would have started to begin with.

            “You told him?” Polly asked, sitting down.

            “I sent a letter two days ago. I haven’t told Max. I don’t know what to even say.”

            “You don’t have to think about it right away. You have plenty of time.”

            Amelia nodded but she disagreed. Six months wasn’t enough time. She hoped every day that she’d get the news Tommy was coming home. But for whatever reason, maybe common sense, she didn’t see him home by the time six months was up. With every passing day, it felt like more and more time would pass before she saw him again.

            Tears flooded her eyes as the worst scenarios came to the forefront of her mind. “What if it’s years?” She let out a quiet sob. “What would I ever say to the child? What if he never comes home?”

            “Hush, now.” Polly wrapped an arm around her. “There’s no need to think of such things.” She soothed even though she knew these things were not outside the realm of possibilities. “You know that stress will only make things more difficult for you. You need to remain optimistic. You have a family that will be with you the whole way.”

~~~~~~~~~~~ 

            Amelia’s image kept invading Tommy’s nightmares. This would be startling alone because he never associated her with terror. She had always been a dream come true. But in the trenches, she joined his worst fears.

            He saw her face on the soldiers who he’d seen die. He heard her voice screaming for him from the depths of the tunnels. The worst one came after a few days of little to no sleep. He finally got a chance for shut-eye and his worst fears descended upon him.

            Amelia had come into view, looking as she normally did back home. But in her arms, she was carrying Max.

            Help

            Max was torn apart, almost as if he was mauled by a wild animal. Blood poured down Amelia’s arms as she carried their son to him.

            Help

            Tommy couldn’t move. He couldn’t do anything to save his son.

            Help

            As she got closer, Tommy could see Max was still alive. His eyes were open and he was breathing.

            Daddy?

            Tommy awoke in a cold sweat, screaming. It took both Jeremiah and Danny to quiet him and stop him from thrashing around. From that point on, Tommy never wanted to sleep again.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~

            “Hold still, Max.”

            “Mummy, I want to see it!”

            “No, love, this isn’t our camera. We can’t break it. Now, please stay still.”

            “Mummy, I won’t break it, I wanna see it!”

            “Max.” Amelia looked up from the camera lens with a stern look. “I said no. Now please, stand still. If you’re moving all over the place then the photograph will come out blurry.”

            The little boy crossed his arms over his chest and pouted. His mother raised an eyebrow at him. “Is that what you want to send to daddy? You want to send him a photograph of you making a face?” It was difficult to be frustrated with him. Such a sweet little boy with chocolate-colored waves of hair and lovely hazel eyes. Even when he made such a face, he was precious. Truly, he was the apple of Amelia’s eye.

            Max pulled a pout for another few moments before deciding to smile.

            “There’s a good boy. Now, stand still for just a second. I want to make sure it comes out perfect for daddy.”

            It had been a week and she had yet to hear back from Tommy regarding her letter about the pregnancy. But Amelia was trying to stay optimistic. It usually took a week for the letter to get to Tommy, and another week to get a response, should he write back immediately. Usually, he did. But she figured that maybe this time, he would need some time to think. It couldn’t be easy to process such information. Amelia was still having a hard time thinking about the baby and she wasn’t in the middle of an active battlefield.

            She had already sent a picture of herself and Max before but they were ones she already had. The one of Max was only a few months after he was born. She borrowed a camera from a friend to send a more updated photograph.

~~~~~~~~~~

            A couple of days later, as she tucked the photographs into an envelope along with a letter, Amelia thought about what Tommy might do when he opened it. She longed to see the smile on his face when he saw the picture of Max doing his best to stay perfectly still for the camera. Maybe he would show the others around him. She longed to see the pride in his eyes when he told the other soldiers that was his son. His Max. Maybe he’d tell him the news. His Amelia was pregnant again. He’d be having another child. Perhaps he’d speculate. Wonder if it was a girl this time or another boy.

            A teardrop fell onto the envelope as Amelia sat at her desk in the betting shop. If she couldn’t be there for him, to comfort him, then the least she could do was try to put a smile on his face. Even for the briefest of moments.

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[pendragonsclotpole]

honestly i love this theory so much because it also gives us another theory as to why arthur and guinevere never had any kids before his death. sure, it was probably a writing choice or because of budget, but like

what if arthur couldn’t have kids because he was made from magic and magic cannot create life from magic alone? what if arthur’s entire life was running on borrowed time because he was made solely of ygraine & magic and ygraine’s exchange could only keep him going for so long? what if that’s why merlin was also the literal embodiment of magic and arthur’s other half? what if merlin’s true destiny was always to ensure arthur’s death and for equilibrium, remain immortal himself????????

okay now i definitely took it too far, but op you are on to something!!!

in the show’s lore if arthur is born “of magic” and therefore not “of uther” does that then make him only “of igraine” who bore him?

and then further, does that mean that, in truth, he is not related to morgana and she is the only “true” pendragon?

interesting i guess also that arthur was conceived in desperation for the pendragon line to continue and it was with his death that it ultimately ended heirless

i can hear the writers yelling being like you weren’t meant to think this hard about the show lmao

every aspect of arthur’s life being infected with tragedy hits as hard as the truck in the epilogue

anyway…as you were