#but I wanted to post a translation of at least one so

[emeraldserenade]

It's Been 5 Years ~ Joaquín Torres

synopsis: Adjusting to life after you had just disappeared with half of the living population took some time, but Joaquín seemed to be very helpful

tw: fem!reader, limited use of y/n, reader speaks Spanish, bad Spanish (idk Spanish, I use google translate), none?, barely edited.

fic, ficlet, drabble, request

So I hit page 10 out of 34 on the upcoming story. But I still want to keep up my at least one post a day schedule, so have this. This idea has been running it's way through my head and it didn't come out how I wanted it to but I still think it's good.

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Joaquín was in his relatively new apartment, he had been there for a few months, when the people who had just disappeared reappeared. It was jarring, especially for the two of you.

"Um, hello?" You were confused, one moment you were holding your cat and walking around your apartment getting ready to leave and the next, your cat was gone and everything looked different.

"Holy shit," the man jumped up from the couch and you took a step back. "Wait, I'm not going to hurt you, let me explain," he held his hands up.

"Uh, ok?" You wrapped your arms around your middle, trying to sooth yourself.

"5 years ago this alien named Thanos made half the living population disappear," the man stated and you slowly nodded, you realized almost right away you must have been apart of those that disappeared.

"So, it's been 5 years?" You questioned, you watched as he nodded. "You wouldn't happen to know what happened to my cat, would you?" You took a chance.

"Actually, I would. The neighbor, Ms. Kaur, took your cat in. She told me all about how you would be heartbroken to know that your cat was all alone," the man told you and you felt a rush of relief.

"Uh," you paused for a moment and looked around. "Can I ask you a few favors? Nothing big, I promise," you assured him.

"Yeah, go ahead," you watched as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Well, firstly, can I know your name?"

"Oh," he uncrossed his arms and held his right one out to you. "Joaquín Torres," you shook his hand and gave him your name.

"Also, can I borrow your phone?"

"Yeah, let me grab it," he moved to the kitchen. "I don't know if you need the bathroom but you can go use it," he called from the kitchen you and nodded even though he couldn't see you.

"Oh, thank you!" You called from your way down the hallway and to the extra bathroom. You figured he didn't want you in your, his, bedroom. When you came back he was sitting on the couch again and you hesitantly walked closer.

"You don't have to stand," he told you and handed you his, unlocked, phone.

"Thanks," you awkwardly sat down a little bit away from him and punched in one of the numbers you knew by heart.

One ring, two rings, three rings, then finally someone picked up. "Hola?" You almost sobbed hearing the voice of your father

"Hola, papá," you heard your own voice wobble but it was nothing compared to the full sob of your mother's you could hear.

"Y/n, de verdad eres tú?" Your father questioned. Is that really you?

"Sí, lo es. ¿Alguien más desapareció?" Yes, it is. Did anyone else disappear?

"No, solo eras tú. Ay, tu madre y yo nos alegramos mucho de que hayas vuelto. Por favor, ven a visitarnos pronto," your father told you and you nodded. No, it was just you. Oh, your mother and I are so happy you're back. Please, come visit us soon

"Lo haré, solo necesito aclarar algunas cosas. ¿De acuerdo?" I will, I just need to figure some things out. Ok?

"Ok, te amamos," your father told you. Ok, we love you

"Yo también te amo," you hung up the phone and handed it back to Joaquín. I love you too.

"I uh," you awkwardly looked at Joaquín. "I should probably see if I can find a hotel," you went to stand but Joaquín's words stopped you.

"Or you can stay here, I mean, it technically was, is, your apartment. There's the extra room anyway," Joaquín offered and you looked down at yourself. You suddenly felt grateful that you were about to leave, you had your purse and some of your favorite clothes of your on.

"If you're sure because I can totally go and get a hotel room," Joaquín cut you off.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Plus, I have a feeling finding a hotel room will be extra hard tonight," Joaquín joked and you laughed.

✧°˖ . ݁˖︵‿❀‿︵˖ . ݁˖°✧

You had been staying with Joaquín for a few weeks now, you had settled into the guest bedroom and found out that not only did Ms. Kaur save Sushi, but she also saved all your belongings. The furniture, other than the standing mirror your grandmother gave you and the nice hanging jewelry holder you thrifted, got sold. You weren't too upset, you had all your clothes and things anyway.

You were sitting on the couch on hold with the bank while watching Joaquín play some video game. You found out a few days ago that they froze all your cards when you were offically declared dusted. While you appreciate them worrying about your finances, it was a pain in the ass to get unfrozen.

"Miss, are you still there?" Asked the female voice you'd been talking to a few moments ago.

"Yes, I am!" You sat up straighter and the raised volume of your voice caused Joaquín to look over at you.

"We have unfrozen all your accounts, sorry for taking so long," the woman told you and you smiled in relief.

"Ok, thank you!" You hung up after goodbyes and did a small happy dance. "Dios mío, I thought that was going to go on forever," you flopped back against the couch and focused your attention back on the screen.

✧°˖ . ݁˖︵‿❀‿︵˖ . ݁˖°✧

"Joaquín, are you even helping me look for apartments?" You looked up from your computer screen at Joaquín, his laptop was open but he was hitting his keyboard more than he would if he was looking.

"If I lie and say yes, would you believe me?" Joaquín questioned and you sighed.

"You act like you want me to stay here," you closed your laptop and moved to sit on the couch next to him, he was on the Minecraft world you two had started. "You said you wouldn't build without me!" You gasped, he was building more of the house you two had started together.

"I got bored, forgive me, Angel," he gave you his puppy eyes and you stared him down, already knowing that he had won.

"Fine, I forgive you," you huffed.

"Good, and I do want you to stay here," he added on and you looked at him weirdly as he saved and exited the game.

"Why?"

"I like you," he said it so casually that you had to remind yourself that he meant as a friend, and that he didn't reciprocate your crush.

"Careful, you might give me the wrong impression," you joked, trying to hide the truth in your words.

"Which would be?" Joaquín looked at you with, what you thought was, genuine curiosity and you mentally kicked yourself.

"Nothing, doesn't matter," you told him, getting up to leave. He grabbed your hand and pulled you back onto the couch before you even took a step causing you to fall with more backwards momentum you were accounting for, and landing with your back pressed into his chest. You just relaxed into his hold, knowing that if he really wanted to you wouldn't be able to move.

Joaquín said nothing as you two sat there, you didn't say anything either. You just sat there in comfortable quiet, you slowly started to drift off and right before you fully succumbed to you heard Joaquín lowly mumble in your ear, but you couldn't quite figure it out.

✧°˖ . ݁˖︵‿❀‿︵˖ . ݁˖°✧

It didn't take long until you gave up apartment hunting, the landlord from your building was also very nice. She let you and Joaquín add your name to the lease without much of a hassle.

"Joaquín, you do have plans?" You saw he was dressed nicely.

"Yeah," he told you and you suddenly felt very stupid for even asking. "With you, go get ready, please," he looked away from the mirror where he was messing with his hair to look you in the eyes.

"Me? Where? Why?"

"You ask too many questions Angel, just go," he gave you a smile and you relented.

You two ended up going to dinner, a movie, then to ice cream. You were confused on why he was until he took you back home.

"I like you, a lot, and," you cut Joaquín off with a hug and a quick kiss.

"I like you too," you told him, watching as any of his nerves disappeared.

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Masterlist | Requests

[judesmoonbeauty]

Villain's Festival 2025: The Strongest Villain Showdown: Episode 2

This is a fan translation only. Please expect grammatical errors and translation inaccuracies. This is a full translation. Creative liberties are taken for characterization and smoother translation process. Cybird owns everything. Re-blogs are appreciated, but please do not post my translation elsewhere. Thank you for your support! ☾.

Ring: I’ll take you on!

Nica smiled when he heard Ring’s commanding voice a short distance away.

Monitoring Ring so he could provide back up at any time, he tightened his grip on his gun. Just then….

With a sword in hand, Victor approaches Nica.

Victor: Are you worried about your brother? What sterling brotherly love.

He wondered how Victor knew that he was concerned even though he didn't even look at Ring.

Nica grows wary, realizing the Queen’s aide is not to be underestimated.

Nica: I’m not worried. Cherishing your little brother makes you popular with girls. It’s just a habit. -

Victor: It doesn't seem that way, but... Well, I guess it's not something to discuss right now.

Victor: It won’t be too late to have a chat with you…..After I’ve become the strongest man.

Victor then delivers a sharp strike.

Nica ducks to dodge it, hiding the muzzle of his gun behind the fluttering shadow of his jacket.

Nica: Why’d you come after me first?

Nica asks from a distance, waiting for the moment when Victor lets his guard down.

Victor: Perhaps because you were the closest by? I wasn’t targeting you.

Victor: If I want to be the strongest man, I’m going to have to defeat everyone eventually. So, the order in which I fight everyone doesn't matter, does it?

Nica: I see…..You really wanna be the strongest guy for that cute rotkehlchen, huh?

For a split second, when Nica mentioned the robin, Victor had given an opening.

Nica seized the chance and pulled the trigger.

With the sound of gunfire, Nica’s bullet reaches Victor -

….Well, at least it should have.

Alfons: Pardon me for a moment.

Alfons suddenly appeared and interrupted Nica and Victor,

Slashing his sword at Victor’s neck.

Victor: Oops…!

Victor narrowly avoided Alfons’ assault, as well as Nica’s bullet.

Nica: ….How lucky.

Nica rapidly fires his gun at Alfons’ feet in a threatening manner.

As Alfons easily evades the bullets that shatter into the ground, they send up a cloud of dust.

Alfons: Wait, isn’t that dangerous! Using a firearm isn’t fair!

Nica: I'm not the only one using a gun...... Besides, I switched to less powerful bullets before we started, so it's fine.

Nica: You're the one who was cutting in while I was fighting Victor, isn't it rude of you to interrupt?

Alfons: I have no choice. Victor is my target.

Victor: Hm? Did I do something to make you resent and single me out…?

Alfons: Not at all.

Alfons: Nevertheless….I recalled Lord Elbie saying he wanted something some time ago.

Victor: It couldn’t be….my life?

Alfons: It’s your beautiful glossy hair! Please give it to me!

Victor: That must be prevented at all costs!

Alfons swings his sword in rapid succession, and Victor blocks him with his own blade.

Nica starts to ponder which of the two would be better to go after -

Harrison: ……Well, I guess I can take you on.

But as he was thinking it over, Harrison appeared and swung his sword at Nica.

Harrison usually uses a gun, but in this brawl he’s decided to use both a sword and a gun.

Nica was amazed at how skillful the man was and quickly ducked.

However, he wasn’t able to avoid the swing perfectly, as several strands of hair fluttered into the wind.

Nica: Ah…don’t! Don’t hit my face! - Here Nica uses a colloquial term for “dangerous or violent”, but I opted to tl it as “Ah, don’t!”

Nica: If my face gets ruined, lots of girls will cry.

Harrison: You’ll probably just comfort the crying women anyway. So, who cares?

Harrison coldly aims his sights at Nica, while the battle between Alfons and Victor continues next to him.

Victor: My hair exists to tenderly wrap everyone at Crown in it. I can't lose it...!

Alfons: I don't know. I think I'll give you a lovely haircut.

Victor: Then try it, if you can!

Alfons and Victor’s swords clash, but it was Victor who advanced first.

Alfons: Damn….! You’re doing quite well Victor….!

Victor: Alfons, I’ll continue pushing through like this…!

However, this opportunity created a huge gap on Victor’s part.

Harrison: Ya left yourself wide open Victor!

Harrison, who was supposed to be fighting Nica, suddenly turns his blade on Victor.

Victor: Hey, Harrison…!? Dar-!

The blade approached Victor and at that moment he was about to be struck down….

A single shot rang out, and Harrison's sword was repelled.

Harrison: What the….?!

Alfons: Who…?!

For a moment, everyone stared at Nica, wondering if he had interrupted them.

Nica: It wasn’t me……That guy there fired the shot.

Nica pointed to where Roger was standing, holding his rifle.

Roger: …..It’s fun joinin’ the party later on and stopping a finishing blow.

Harrison: You’ve got a rotten personality…..

Roger: I’ll take that as a compliment.

Roger grinned fearlessly and pointed his gun at Harrison, Alfons, Victor, and Nica, in turn.

Roger: C’mon, do it again. Let me stop you.

Roger: Also, it would be helpful if you could use some more of your cursed abilities. I wanna collect some data.

Alfons: …..Why don’t you fight directly yourself? Are those muscles just for show?

Roger: If I get mixed in, the data will become subjective. C’mon, the four of you, hurry up and fight.

Harrison's expression changed at Roger's words.

Harrison: ….It’s a lie that there’s four of us. There’s one more besides us…!

Just as Harrison warily aimed his gun, he heard an exasperated sigh.

Liam: Roger, why’d you have to say something unnecessary….?

Liam: If you lie to Harry and say there are four of us, he'll know right away that there's a fifth.

Nica: Liam Evans….. So he used his ability to turn invisible and was targeting us.

As Nica spoke Liam finally appeared.

Liam’s knife was pointed at Harrison.

Liam: We were so close to defeating Harry, but…..Roger's carelessness got in the way.

Roger: That wasn’t accidental, it was intentional.

Roger: I can hear your heartbeat and your breathing, but if I kept quiet about it, you’d become overwhelmingly strong, right?

Roger: I want the brawl to last as long as possible, so I can get some good data.

Worried for his younger brother, wanting hair, and data collection…..

Along with determining the strongest man, there was all sorts of ulterior motives intermingled - the battle is becoming chaotic.

[Event Master List]

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[storiesaplenty]

Part 6

The Pitt Masterlist

This has not been proofread. Please enjoy, though.

Warnings: a bit of swearing. Unplanned pregnancy. Shooting, but no injuries

WC: 1098

©️ magicalbuttertarts 2025: do not repost or translate my work. Do not use AI on my work. This is the only place I post my work.

A few months ago, Dr Whitaker had a one night stand, not knowing she was the daughter of Dr Robby.

She and I moved in together slowly over two months, with me working, and I refused for her to lift anything, it took a bit longer than I thought.

I moved into what she calls her 'storage room' in her home, that I spent a weekend cleaning out, while the two of us decided on the nursery.

Her and I both agreed on animal theme, and will be keeping it as simple as possible.

We have it all figured out so far with our lives, but the thing is though, that I can not help but fall in love with her.

I come home after a 15 hour shift, and there she is, heating up the food she made me, even though I insisted she did not have to make me anything.

"Dennis, I insist. You work hard." The first bite of her steak and salad had me groaning at how good it was.

She was an excellent cook, almost reminding me of my mom's cooking, but slightly better as she likes to use different spices and seasonings.

Just the thought of my mom had my heart clenching, as we have not talked since I told them that we are not getting married.

I have thought about picking up the phone again to call them, but I just put it down, not wanting to argue with them about this.

"Dennis, I was thinking about going to The Waterfront to do a bit of shopping. Do you need anything while I am there?"

I thought about it.

"Maybe some more scrubs." I felt my face blush as she giggled softly at me, as she is most likely remembering the story I told her of my first day at the Pitt.

"I'll make sure to get black ones for you. I'll go where my Dad goes for himself."

"Have any clients today?" I asked her as I backed my bag for my shift.

"Just one but I am pretty sure she will cancel," and just as we were leaving the townhouse together, her phone went off. She looked at the screen, and turned it around to show me the message.

"At least you have a bit of time to do a bit more shopping today." I told her, as I thought about her actually having a day to relax.

She is a wedding coordinator, and it just past the wedding season, so she isn't as busy, but still super busy.

There have been plenty of days when I have come home, where she is sitting at the dining room table, going over what each client wants for their weddings, and trying to make it happen.

"I shouldn't be more than a few hours. Takes a bit more to get around with these two." She placed her hand on her pregnant stomach. I placed my hand over hers, and squeezed.

"Text me when you get home. I will bring home food today as it is Friday. Just let me know what you want. I will go anywhere."

◇

It was three hours into my shift when Dr Robby gathered us all up again, just like he did during my first shift, to inform us that there had been another shooting, but this time at a mall.

"This was a coordinated attack as there was more than one shooter. They are sending each victim to any hospital in the area."

Bins started to roll in, as Dr Robby explained what each slap-band means, where each person goes, etc.

"What mall?" Kim asked as she raised her hand.

"The Waterfront." Dr Robby said, watching over the group, as more and more hospital staff were called in to help.

I swore under my breath, and pulled out my phone, Dr Robby noticing every move I made.

"Let's get going. They should be rolling in soon." He called out as he walked toward me.

"Dr Whitaker, what seems to be the issue?"

I said her name. I watched as his face instantly paled.

"She could be home by now. She said she was only going to do a bit of shopping and then go back home."

"Has she texted you at all?" I shook my head no.

"We have to put her to the back of our minds for now and focus on the people coming in. I will call other hospitals to put them on high alert to keep an eye out for her. They know my daughter."

"Yes sir." I turned to go outside, but he stopped me by saying my name.

"Dennis." I turned to look at him.

"She will be okay." I could tell by the crack in his voice that he was just now barely hanging on at the thought of his daughter being shot.

◇

He made the call to a few hospitals, informing them to keep an eye out on his daughter.

Then it has been non-stop.

Person after person coming in, a few already gone by the time they got to us, but many people are now in recovery.

I took a small moment to myself, pulling out my phone, to see that she just got home an hour ago, and decided to go to a different mall.

I called Dr Robby's name as I tried to find him.

"Dr Whitaker?" He was coming out of a room.

"She is home. She went to a different mall." I could barely keep the emotion out of my own voice as I told him.

"She is safe. The babies are safe, but our girl is safe. I'll call the hospitals to let them know that they do not have to keep an eye out for any longer."

◇

That night, when I got home, I stood outside the door, trying to calm all my emotions, but she opened the door, and she looked very concerned.

"Dennis," I didn't hear what she said as her voice faded.

I just thought about how I could have lost her today, without telling her how I truly feel.

I pulled her into my arms, and kissed her gently. I waited for her to slap me, push me away, anything, but she didn't do any of that.

She wrapped her arms around my neck as she deepened the kiss.

Both of us poured our feelings into this one simple kiss.

I pulled away, looking into her eyes as I cupped her cheek with one hand.

"I thought I lost you today, and I couldn't imagine my life without you in it now. I can't keep lying to myself anymore about how I feel. I love you."

Part 5 ♡ Part 7 - coming soon

[kaylee68]

Part 1: Friendship, Slavery, Servitude.

I’m splitting these into several parts, not because they’re going to be particularly long, but because it’s easier to organise my thoughts this way.

I want to start with the basis of his character and the stuff I say here is going to be the foundation for whatever I say in the future. Of course you’re free to disagree these are just my thoughts and opinions from what we’ve seen in the text and if you have your own I would love to hear them.

Anyway, the first thing I have to address is the English verses the Japanese translation.

From what I understand the English version heavily censors the reality of Jamil’s situation, and while I won’t go too in depth on it because that’s not what I want to talk about, these changes do heavily affect his character and the way some fans view him, so if you haven’t read the Japanese twst translation please do.

There are several fan translations online that give a clearer understanding of the situation and I will be basing all of my analysis on the Japanese version.

Okay now to actually begin.

What I want to start off with is what exactly is Jamil’s position within the Asim family household?

It is extremely muddled in and out of game and it seems to be a point of contention among fans from what I have seen.

The English translation has Jamil commonly referring to himself as an employee, with Kalim’s dad as his boss, while in the Japanese version he exclusively refers to himself as a servant with Kalim and his father being his masters.

Of course not only does the English translation make it extremely unclear what exactly Jamil is, but the characters in game seem equally uncertain.

And by characters I am referring to Kalim who prior and a little bit post book 4, despite being aware of his and Jamil respective positions still exclusively referred to them as friends.

Now this is one relationship term that I will not agree on at least not pre book 4. I really don’t consider him and Jamil to be friends until book 7, as the time between then is mostly spent with Jamil growing to a place where he can actually accept Kalim’s friendship and Kalim coming to understand and recognise the power he holds over Jamil.

Despite this I often see them referred to as childhood friends. However the way I see it is that to have a functioning friendship both partners have to be equal, and not in a power dynamic sense, I don’t think it’s impossible to be friends with your boss or your teacher or something, but coming from a labour perspective both people should be putting roughly the same amount of effort into a relationship otherwise it quickly turns toxic.

From a purely physical standpoint it is undeniable that Jamil is putting in far more effort, he is Kalim’s attendant and we see in multiple story vignettes and events that Kalim has no qualms about using Jamil for physical labour.

However from an emotional standpoint it gets tricky especially when looking at pre and post book 4.

Kalim was very emotionally invested in their relationship he considered Jamil a friend and since they grew up together I imagine that there were some points in his childhood were he ended up going to Jamil for comfort.

And while I’m absolutely certain he would’ve wanted Jamil to come to him and was likely under the impression that he was providing equal emotional support the reality is this is not the case as Jamil says that he was forced to repress any resentment or anger that he held towards Kalim because Kalim was his master.

This means that the friendship that Kalim assumed they had was wildly imbalanced as Jamil was forced to contribute a lot of physical and mental effort to the relationship that wouldn’t and couldn’t be reciprocated.

And again, this is also not to say that Kalim didn’t care about Jamil, or vice versa, because I definitely think there were at least some genuine moments of friendship during their childhood when they were both still too young to understand their respective positions in the hierarchy they were operating under.

However Kalim’s wealth as well as the power dynamic between them meant that having a balanced relationship with Jamil was always impossible, which again in itself is not the issue, it’s the fact that Kalim never acknowledges this (until book 7) that is.

But as far as I’m concerned it is not a friendship when one person is essentially being forced into and actively harmed by the relationship.

Not to mention the fact that Jamil states numerous times that they aren’t friends should be the end of it. Idk I want to specify this because I see so many people acting like Jamil betrayed their friendship but the situation is a lot more complicated than that.

Also referring to them as friends feels like softening the reality of what happened for Kalim’s benefit.

So going forward note that unless we’re discussing post book 7 then I do not consider them friends and will be analysing their relationship with that in mind.

Of course if Jamil isn’t Kalim’s friend then what is he?

Well the discourse I see surrounding this mainly comes down to whether Jamil is considered a slave or a servant.

Although he is never officially stated to be a slave in either version of the game it is still fairly grey territory as the way his servitude is described can definitely be interpreted as something far harsher than a regular employment.

He is not working for the Asims willingly. That much cannot be contested when his entire character revolves around the freedom he wishes to have away from Kalim and his family.

I think the main way to answer this question however is to first consider what makes someone a slave.

Slavery has existed around the world for millennia, however many different cultures had many different practices around how slaves were treated, what could and couldn’t be done to them, what legal rights they did or didn’t have.

I think coming at this issue from a purely westernised view of what slavery is, is obviously wrong, however there is also no way to land on one perfect all encompassing view of what slavery is and whether Jamil does or does not tick those boxes, because things are more complicated than that.

I for one would consider him a servant, however it’s still more nuanced because despite being what I consider a servant he is still not necessarily an employee as most servants are because what he’s doing is still involuntary/forced labour.

I’m sure several people reading this have different opinions and I think it’s important to showcase why someone might be conflicted over this.

I think it’s unfair to completely dismiss anyone who does think that someone who is forced to work against their will a slave.

I mean Jamil being born into his position as we find out at the end of book 4 during his backstory means he had no choice or control over his employment as the Vipers have been working under the Asim family for generations.

It’s also a position he’s been in since he was a child as Kalim often mentions that he and Jamil have been friends from a very young age and while this doesn’t imply slavery directly it does show that when it comes to things like child labour the laws in the scalding sands are a lot more lax compared to our own.

Also the fact that he has no way out of the situation. I mean Jamil makes it very clear that he does not want to work for Kalim at the end of book 4 essentially making what he’s been doing forced labour because he is being threatened/coerced into it.

Jamil mentions that were he to disobey Kalim the consequences would be dire and might put his entire family at risk. He frequently worries about what Kalim’s father might do to him if he were to disobey.

Now those are reasons that point to the relationship being more slavery than servitude, however there are also reasons this may not be the case.

Even small things like him being allowed to take breaks, though it’s unclear how rigid these are as Kalim would often disrupt them which would force Jamil back to work he was still permitted to take them.

And the fact that he was allowed to go to NRC without Kalim.

Regardless of whether he was a slave or a servant the fact that he was able to attend a boarding school across continents, alone while keeping his job is pretty substantial.

I do think it’s worth mentioning that at the time he was given the acceptance letter as well as the few months he attended the school without Kalim there was another member of the Asim family attending the school. I don’t know if this changes anything regarding his attendance but I thought I should at least add it in.

But that along with the fact that he attended school at all seems to show he had some freedom over his life as attending school would’ve taken several hours out of his work once again, which could imply he had a more flexible schedule than we’ve been lead to believe.

I also couldn’t find any source on whether or not the Vipers are paid. Which honestly I think would give us the biggest insight into all of this, but regardless I think it is important to note that across different time periods and cultures all of these points for and against could be applied equally to slaves and servants.

Sometimes slaves were paid and permitted an education, sometimes servants were born into their position and exploited it will always depend on the time period and culture you’re looking at.

I mean again I understand why anyone would consider forced labour to be slavery and I myself am not really sure how to label his position because it feels simultaneously too controlled to be servitude and too lax to be slavery.

I tried looking stuff up and I found the definition for modern day slavery referred to it as: A situation of exploitation in which a person cannot refuse or leave because of threats, violence, coercion, deception, or abuse of power.

Which I think is an apt description of Jamil’s situation and of course no matter how you look at it he is not willingly working under Kalim and in fact the whole reason for his overblot in book 4 was an attempt to garner his own freedom.

Also (and this is something that I will elaborate on further at some point) some of the tasks he is made to do, make it seem like either being fired is one of the worst things that could happen to him, his family genuinely do not have the power to quit, or his parents really, really suck.

My own personal theory is that the Vipers are indentured servants. I saw a theory floating about that all the overblot boys are somehow related to the great 7, which if true would explain why the Vipers have been serving the Asims for so long since it could be a punishment.

Regardless I hate the fact that some people who consider Jamil a servant somehow act as though this makes his situation any better? I mean I’d say regardless of whether you consider this slavery or servitude it changes very little about his actual situation.

I saw someone on twitter say that Jamil couldn’t possibly be a slave because that would make his relationship with Kalim unsatisfying, which is honestly the most infuriating thing I’ve ever heard, because I think any relationship he has with Kalim is always going to be unsatisfying (at least to me) if he’s still a servant.

But then again it is twitter so I don’t know why I bother listening to people’s opinions.

Anyway all this to say I’ll be referring to him as a servant throughout this analysis, mostly because that’s how he refers to himself.

Anyway it seems I’ve lied, this turned out to be a lot longer than I thought it would be which is a pattern that may or may not continue I have no idea.

Once again if you have anything to elaborate or disagree on then leave it the comments, but please be respectful.

Oh and also my writing style will absolutely be changing from section to section. Sorry in advance.

I’ll see you whenever I finish the next part of this series.

Oh and sorry for any spelling mistakes!

[masochist-marmot]

What's up with the OIAR?

Disclaimer/spoiler warning: Written after TMAGP ep. 34. Spoilers for all of the Magnus Protocol until this point. Minor spoilers for the Magnus Archives.

These are some theories I've cooked up in the alchemy lab of my mind. They are wild, incomplete and probably contradictory, so take them for what they are. I base all of this on the tria prima theory I explained in an earlier post, so go read that for context.

I decided to only focus on the OIAR in this post. I'll make another post on my Magnus Institute theories later and link to them eventually.

What's the purpose of the OIAR?

Here's what we know:

The OIAR monitors and assesses incidents and (at least in the past) responds to them if necessary

Based on the ARG and Colin's ramblings, it used to be under DDR, probably run by their secret police. Fr3-d1's source code is in German, so that makes sense. The operation was probably moved to the UK after the DDR disbanded.

It employs and (according to Lena) manages "externals". Lena considers this work vital, and Colin blames the OIAR for only caring about the "balance", specifically mentioning mercury and sulphur.

I will start by quoting the German physician and alchemist Paracelsus who first proposed the tria prima as the integral principles and used them in his practice of medicine.

If you have a bone and can say whether it is mostly Sulphur, Mercury, or Salt, you know why it is diseased or what is the matter with it.  The peasant can see the externals, but the physician's task is to see the inner and secret matter. (Paracelsus, Opus Paramirum)

(Translation by Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke. I compared it against another translation and the original German, and it's more or less accurate but much easier to understand.)

This may sound far-fetched, but I think the OIAR are practicing Paracelsian medicine on a macrocosmic level. That is, they are monitoring the universal levels of Sulphur, Mercury, and Salt, the imbalance of which is causing these weird supernatural occurrences. Except they can't address every incident individually, so they can only concern themselves with the overall effect (surely a mercury poisoning somewhere balances a salt poisoning somewhere else) and only step in if there is a universal excess of one principle over others. At that point they arrange for their carefully curated externals to go out and do whatever they do to spread their diseased influence. (As an interesting side note, Paracelsus also likes to use the word external (das Eussere), although he mostly uses it to denote the macrocosmos (the nature/universe) which is reflected in the microcosmos (ie. the human body). Occasionally, like in the quote above, he uses it in the sense of "the human body as viewed from the outside".)

If this is the case, then the OIAR employees would function kind of like diagnosticians who assess the nature and severity of the incidents. I also imagine the responses used to be a bit more aggressive until the response unit mysteriously ceased to be. Could have something to do with their associates at Starkwell burning down the Magnus Institute right before they were about to undertake their Magnum Opus (more on that in a later post). A good call, but probably bad for optics. I also think it's a very bad sign that there is currently no one in charge who knows what their actual purpose is.

What's up with Fr3-d1?

I have tried and tried to figure out Fredi's classification system (or as I now see it, the diagnosis), to no avail. I'm fairly certain that the category CAT simply denotes whether the case concerns 1. an individual/living creature, 2. a location or 3. an object or non-living creature. I imagine the rank has to do with the severity or urgency of addressing it. But the DPHW eludes me. I somehow want to link it to the elemental properties (dry, cold, hot, wet) that (according to Paracelsus) are the usual cause for changes in the principles, but the acronym doesn't mesh. I can't help but feel that the answer is somewhere in Paracelsus's writings, as he appropriately wrote in German and could easily provide direct equivalents in TSHU. Or I could be wasting my time and it's something entirely unrelated. I definitely shouldn't go any deeper into that particular rabbit hole. And yet...

I do think that Fredi was originally just a soulless machine created for a purpose, but it's recently been possessed by a consciousness (anima). Unfortunately, I'm not quite ready to buy the John/Martin/Jonah theory, because it feels too much like a red herring. They gave it to us very early on, so clearly that's a conclusion they wanted us to jump to. No mystery writer does that unless it's for misdirection. Though I could potentially buy a version where they ended up in there in mind (mercury) alone. If you read my previous post (and this probably didn't make much sense unless you did), I explained that the mercurial qualities and associations are reminiscent of the Eye, especially the associations to thought, knowledge, universal essence of existence, the fluctuating boundary between corprorality and non-corporality, and the idea of connecting heaven and earth (and possibly other worlds?). What I'm saying is, the three of them, in the eye of the panopticon, were already in a pretty mercurial state. So while I'm not banking on it, I'm also not saying it's impossible.

Whatever the case, I think we can all agree that Fredi (or whoever's in there) is manipulating everyone to their own goals.

[thistledropkick]

Desperado is doing a book signing event in a popular nerd bookstore tomorrow, along with Hikaru Sato, a fellow student of Suzuki's. Hikaru Sato is well known for his love of dressing up in maid dresses, sweater dresses, and so on, and he's been trying to convince Desperado to dress up in some kind of similar outfit since last year when Desperado's photo book was originally announced.

Desperado's been tweeting about trying to decide on an outfit for the event, and has listed a variety of options, but it seems like he plans to keep it a surprise until the actual book signing. But he tweeted this today:

Despe:

I happened to see a video that said something like "Before going to bed tonight, make sure you did your best all day!"

The first thing I thought of was "I have to buy some underwear that I'm okay with people seeing for tomorrow's book signing"

Tomorrow, which will it be

[royalarchivist]

[A sad violin song plays over an image of a sad hamster]

Pac: This doesn't have anything to do with me – I wear a blue sweatshirt, you're crazy, this mouse doesn't even have a sweatshirt, this hamster! [Reading chat] Am I a depressed hamster?

[ Transcript continued ↓ ]*

–

Pac: Actually– that's fine! I embrace that idea – of course I'm going to be depressed, are you crazy? [He hits his desk, then starts counting off people on his fingers] Fit is gone, Richarlyson is gone, Ramon is gone, Bagi and Empanada who were always there when we were there are also gone, I haven't seen them! It's just me and Tubbo, and sometimes Philza shows up.

Pac: I lost Chume Labs, I lost the Favela, I lost Murder Mystery, I lost Ilha Chume Labs, it's crazy! Look at how much I've lost, and I've gained nothing! Of course I'm going to be depressed, are you crazy?! How am I supposed to be happy?!

Pac: [Reading chat] "You have us Pac," that's true, thank you. No, that's true, sorry.

* NOTE: Please note that this is an incomplete transcript, as I was primarily relying on Aypierre's translation mod at the time and if I am not confident of the translation, I do not include it. As always, please feel free to add on translations or message me corrections.

[liebelesbe]

they need to replace the cigarette machine that's next to our house with an ice-cream vending machine. urgently. or just combine the two. ice-cream and cigarettes. 🍦🚬

[astranauticus]

DOUDOU - Tong Tong (嗵嗵）Translation

嗵嗵

Tong Tong

神明神明张开嘴

God, oh god, please open your mouth

让我知道我是谁

So that I may know who I am

它把���向天上推

It pushes me up, towards the sky

略过尘与灰

Over all the soot and dust

不得不停歇不停歇

Can't ever rest, ever rest

黑夜在背上飞

The night flies over my back

来狂欢吧狂欢吧

Come and rave, let's rave

永远不下坠

And never fall

太阳太阳请你告诉我

Sun, oh sun, please tell me

为什么为什么

Why, oh why

遗憾那么多

Must there be so many regrets?

夜幕夜幕请你告诉我

Night, oh night, please tell me

该怎么做怎么做

What can be done, can be done

灵魂才不会破

To keep the soul from breaking?

嗵一声落下

"Tong!" it falls

果实嗵一声落下

"Tong!" the fruit falls

嗦嗦嗦嗦嗦嗦嗦

suosuosuosuosuo

我的脚下开了花

Flowers bloom beneath my feet

嗵一声落下

"Tong!" they fall

骨头嗵一声落下

"Tong!" the bones fall

可以了可以了

That's it, that's it

可以变回孩子了

we can become children again

神明神明张开嘴

God, oh god, please open your mouth

让我知道我是谁

So that I may know who I am

它把我向天上推

It pushes me up, towards the sky

略过尘与灰

Over all the soot and dust

不得不停歇不停歇

Can't ever rest, ever rest

黑夜在背上飞

The night flies over my back

来狂欢吧狂欢吧

Come and rave, let's rave

永远不下坠

And never fall

太阳太阳请你告诉我

Sun, oh sun, please tell me

为什么为什么

Why, oh why

遗憾那么多

Must there be so many regrets?

夜幕夜幕请你告诉我

Night, oh night, please tell me

该怎么做怎么做

What can be done, can be done

灵魂才不会破

To keep the soul from breaking?

嗵一声落下（壳中藏心惶惶）

"Tong!" it falls (in my chest, my heart is full of fear)

嗵一声开花（抬头见那天光）

"Tong!" the flowers bloom (look up to see the light from the sky)

嗵一声落下（浮生空空荡荡）

"Tong!" it falls (our short lives, empty and hollow)

变回孩子了（风带着我流浪）

Becoming children again (I wander on with the wind)

神明神明张开嘴

God, oh god, please open your mouth

让我知道我是谁

So that I may know who I am

它把我向天上推

It pushes me up, towards the sky

略过尘与灰

Over all the soot and dust

不得不停歇不停歇

Can't ever rest, ever rest

黑夜在背上飞

The night flies over my back

来狂欢吧狂欢吧

Come and rave, let's rave

（就安心吧安心吧）

(Rest your heart, rest your heart)

永远不下坠

And never fall

飞过麦穗

Fly over the grain fields

飞过霓虹光辉

Fly over the neon lights

飞过墓碑

Fly over the headstones

飞过瓦砾堆

Fly over the tile stacks

[kaiowut99]

Finalized!GX 122-123 Update:

Our food's important, so no stealin' allowed! 🍞♥

[ayara-resara]

.

[cator99]

I always get detained at da border because PROFUNC never ended but basically I'm like if a targeted individual didn't even care

[white-cat-of-doom]

Griddlebone Playlist

This playlist is meant to outline the complex (and fundamental) emotion of love, and the pitfalls and joys of chasing after something grand that requires another to reciprocate the affection.

More specifically for this set of songs, the want for love while having the feeling that something is not quite right, either with the other individual involved, or within your own mind. Through isolating oneself into hollow emptiness after heartbreak, and due to feeling devoid of being wanted, it is hard to be vulnerable and let anyone back into a place of emotional attachment.

Did you ever actually feel what 'love' was? Are you really deserving of being loved? After everything, wherever can you find it?

川口雅代 (Masayo Kawaguchi) – Melty

ROMY – LOVE コマーシャル (Love Commercial)

越美晴 (Miharu Koshi) – 恋はファニー・フィーリング (Love Is A Funny Feeling)

宮原芽映 (Mebae Miyahara) – 悪魔のように微笑んで (Smiling Like A Devil)

いしだあゆみ & ティン・パン・アレイ・ファミリ(Ayumi Ishida & Tin-Pan-Alley-Family) – 私自身 (Myself)

麗美 (REIMY) – シャドー・ブレイ (Shadow Play)

竹内まりや (Mariya Takeuchi) – プラスティック・ラブ (Plastic Love)

工藤順子 (Junko Kudo) – 夕顔姐さん (Ms. Yugao)

Meow Meow & Thomas Lauderdale – Hotel Amour

Tracks 1 and 2, 3 and 4, 5 through 7, and 8 and 9, are meant to represent different sections of time in the life of the Queen.

Signature song with playlist: Meow Meow & Thomas Lauderdale – Hotel Amour

Track One: 川口雅代 (Masayo Kawaguchi) – Melty

“ううん･･･ ････何でもないけれど 少し 不安になっただけ" ("Ugh... ...It's nothing, but I just felt a little anxious") 知られた分だけ わたしから 冷めてゆくのが こわいから (I'm afraid that the more you know, the more you'll grow colder from me) "･･･そうよ･･･” (That’s right…”) すき間もない程に 昨夜 ひとつになったの (Last night we became one, with no gaps between us) しがみついたら 微笑うけど どうしていいのか わからない (I smile when I hold on to you, but I don't know what to do) Melty 手を引かれて 溶かし溶かされ 充たされるはずなのに (My hand should be pulled away, melted, melted, and filled up) Melty つかめないの どうしてかしら? 肩すかしされた 気分 (I can't grasp it, why? I feel like I've been ignored) 何にも言わずに 抱き寄せて (Without saying anything, I hold you close) 朝の光が あなたの景色変えないうちに (Before the morning light changes your scenery) “いやよ” ("No, no") ･･･言いかけてやめるのは うまく 言い聞かせるつもりね (...I'm trying to convince you to stop when I say it) 困らせたいの! (I want to embarrass you!) "お見通し” ("Foresight") 小悪魔ぶっても かなわない (Even if I act like a little devil, I can't compete) Melty 手を引かれて 溶かし溶かされ 充たされるはず充たされるはずなのになのに (My hand should be pulled away, melted, melted, and filled up) Melty つかめないの どうしてかしら? (I can't grasp it, why?) 何かが 違ってゆくの 何も言わせず 抱き寄せて (Something is going to be different, don't let me say anything, hold me close) めかくししてね ちぐはぐなこと 言わないうちに (Before I get too confused and say something foolish) Melty 手を引かれて 溶かし溶かされ 充たされるはずなのに (My hand should be pulled away, melted, melted, and filled up) Melty つかめないの どうしてかしら? 肩すかしされた気分 (I can't grasp it, why? I feel like I've been ignored) 何も言わずに 抱き寄せて (Hold me close without saying anything) めかくししててね (Please cover your eyes) 朝の光で 見えないうちに (Before you can see it in the morning light)

The initial apprehension of being more intimately involved, emotionally and physically, with another person comes with the realization that she felt nothing when it happened. She should be able to feel a deeper connection, but something is not right, and instead pretends and acts accordingly like everything is fine.

Track Two: ROMY – LOVE コマーシャル (Love Commercial)

指の中で タバコふかし 何もないのに 愛にまみれた (I smoked a cigarette in my fingers and was covered in love, even though there was nothing there) 気にするコトが 自分以外の あの人に対する 愛の神経 (What I worry about is the nerves of love for someone other than myself) いつか見た あの人はいない 私の人には ならなかった (That person I saw someday wasn't the same person I was) 私はなまけて ただならぬ犬より (I'm better than a lazy dog) ただの人を 選んでみただけ (I just picked a person) 私のコントロール あえてコントロール こわくてコントロール あえてコントロール 心に 私まかせ コントロール (My control, dare to control, I'm afraid to control, dare to control, leave it to my heart to control me) 頭の中で おもいふかし 何があるのか 夢のざわめき (I wonder what's going on inside my head, The buzz of dreams) ただならぬ人だから あえて こわがって あの人に対する 愛の恐怖 (Because he is an extraordinary person, I dare to be afraid of him, and the fear of love towards him) 抱かれる日は 心 うきあし もうひとりの私 かくしきれない (The days when I'm held in your arms, I feel happy, and I can't hide my other self) 私のコントロール あえてコントロール こわくてコントロール あえてコントロール 心に 私まかせ コントロール (My control, dare to control, I'm afraid to control, dare to control, leave it to my heart to control me)

A reflection on not feeling love when, or to the level, you think you should, while worrying how it will affect your partner. There is a comfort in being together with someone, but that surface level connection will eventually face the challenge of it being something more for them, and she is not prepared or ready for that.

Ultimately, it is up to Griddlebone to move forward in the best way that makes sense to her, and that path is one alone.

Track Three: 越美晴 (Miharu Koshi) – 恋はファニー・フィーリング (Love Is A Funny Feeling)

彼は時間に遅れて 私は指輪を忘れた だけど ゴメンも言わずに つまらぬ言い訳ごっこ 空は春 時は今 幸せですと言わんばかり だけど 二人の心は ちぎれ雲 (He was late and I forgot my ring But we don't say sorry, we make boring excuses, And the sky keeps saying that we're happy now in spring but our hearts are torn apart by clouds) 恋はファニー・フィーリング かまわず回る 恋はファニー・フィーリング 慣れっ子 だけど (Love revolves around funny feelings, but love is used to funny feelings) 彼は口笛吹きながら 私 ため息つきながら 通り過ぎる 街角 小鳥の歌だけ響く (He was whistling, I pass by with a sigh, Only the song of a small bird echoes on the street corner) いろんなことが あったけど みんないい思い出ばかり だから ここらでピリオド それがいい (A lot has happened, but we all have only good memories, So it's good to have the end around here) 恋はファニー・フィーリング 手を振りながら 恋はファニー・フィーリング 深刻ぶらず 歌いながら 笑ってサヨナラするわ オー ファニー オー ファニー ファニ ファニ オー フィーリング オー ファニー オー ファニー ファニ ファニ オー フィーリング (Love is a funny feeling, while waving, Love is a funny feeling, don't take it seriously, I'll laugh and say goodbye while singing Oh Funny Oh Funny Funny funny oh feeling Oh Funny Oh Funny Funny funny oh feeling)

In a goal to subside the loneliness and longing to feel proper love, Griddlebone moves through relationships over time to find the elusive 'love' she believes is out there. Scared of getting too involved with someone she holds minimal emotion for, she breaks off any connection before feelings develop from the other party, and plays it off as something lighthearted.

Despite her efforts, she cannot find someone who fulfills her inside the way she thinks love should be.

Track Four: 宮原芽映 (Mebae Miyahara) – 悪魔のように微笑んで (Smiling Like A Devil)

罠をしかけ待ってるん 悪魔のように 微笑んで (I'm setting a trap up and waiting for you, smiling like a devil) さあ ドアを 叩いて ドアを ひらいて (Come on, knock on the door, open the door) 泣きまねの 電話 かけて 街灯り 胸はずませ (I made a phone call imitating crying, and the street lights made my heart flutter) あの人を 呼び出したの (I called that person) 数えては 時間をかせぐ (Counting the time to buy myself some) 優しさを 言い訳して 赤い血が 流れる前に (Kindness, before I make excuses and red blood flows) 嘘をつく ずるいあなた 忘れてよ あの娘の事は (Forget about lying You're so cunning about that girl) 罠をしかけ待ってるん 悪魔のように 微笑んで (I'm setting a trap up and waiting for you, smiling like a devil) さあ ドアを 叩いて ドアを ひらいて (Come on, knock on the door, open the door) 待つだけの 女なんて さよならよ 今夜こそは (Say goodbye to the woman who only waits, tonight) 愛の 糸 足にからませ あの人を もう逃がさない (I'll let the thread of love entwine around my legs and never let that person slip away again) 罠をしかけ待ってるん 悪魔のように 微笑んで (I'm setting a trap up and waiting for you, smiling like a devil) さあ ドアを 叩いて ドアを ひらいて (Come on, knock on the door, open the door)

A new connection with someone shows promise, but she discovers that her partner is a cheater, something that hurts Griddlebone in a way that she has not experienced before. Not used to being treated as a second thought, and feeling like she is not worthy of love if made so inconsequential, she plots to destroy and expose her partner for what they have done to her.

All the joy and hope that she felt in locating a person that is right for her is now crushed, and she vows to not let herself be taken advantage of ever again in the pursuit of love.

Track Five: いしだあゆみ & ティン・パン・アレイ・ファミリ(Ayumi Ishida & Tin-Pan-Alley-Family) – 私自身 (Myself)

ひとりソファーに寝ころんで 恋の歌聞くでもなし 歌うでもなし (I lie alone on the sofa and listen to love songs, but I don't sing them) 私は日暮れを見つめています (I'm staring at the sunset) 部屋の窓には東京湾の 船の灯が小さく揺れて (In the window of the room, the lights of the ships in Tokyo Bay sway slightly) 一人ぐらしに疲れた時は 結婚なんか考えてます (When I get tired of living alone, I think about marriage) 夜汽車で旅に出る時は 色のない写真のように 素顔のままで 東京駅から出かけています (When I travel by night train, I leave Tokyo Station with my bare face, just like a colourless photograph) 幾度か恋にこの身を灼いて 歌を忘れた私だけれど (I have forgotten how to sing because my body has been burnt by love many times) 淋しさだけを心に積んで 今日もぽつんと歌っています (But today, I sing alone once again with only loneliness in my heart) くちづけ交す恋人にさえ 私の気持は言えないでしょう (I can't even tell my feelings to my lover who kisses me) 人に知られず流した涙 (The tears I shed without anyone knowing) 私は今日も歌っています････ (I'm still singing today...)

Moving on from her heartbreak, Griddlebone refrains from being involved with anyone else for a lengthy period of time, as that means she cannot be hurt once again. However, she cannot help but feel that the emptiness inside her continues to grow as time passes, even if she tries to remain strong willed. Her thinking is that she does not need anyone to sustain her happiness if she keeps the love she has to give tightly held internally.

Track Six: 麗美 (REIMY) – シャドー・ブレイ (Shadow Play)

淋しい笑顔と 言われるのに馴れても (Even if I get used to being told that my smile is lonely) 真夜中の鏡 覗けばつぶやくの (When I look into the mirror in the middle of the night, I whisper) Say, Love is the shadow play, shadow play Love is the shadow play 恋しても (Even if I fall in love) Love is the shadow play, shadow play, shadow play ひとりぼっちじゃ怖い (I'm scared of being alone) 街角の華やかさに 気がつけば急ぎ足 (If you notice the glamour on the street corner, hurry up) 片思いのままなら 恋も失くさず済むでしょう (If you keep your love unrequited, you won't lose your love) Say, Love is the shadow play, shadow play, shadow play Love is the shadow play, 密やかに (Secretly) Love is the shadow play, shadow play, shadow play 遠くあなた見てる (I'm watching you from afar) 気づかないで (Don't notice) darling 壊さないで (Don't break it) wow wow Love Love Love Love Love Love, darling, Love Love Love Love is the shadow play

Her loneliness begins to swell to a point of action, and Griddlebone cannot ignore it or remain dormant for much longer. She is unhappy being completely alone, and wants to feel any form of connection with another, but does not want to be hurt again.

Feeling unworthy of being loved due to her faults, her past pursuit of love becomes less of a task to complete and more of a buried burden she has to carry.

In order to protect herself from emotional suffering, she develops a cold façade to protect herself with.

Track Seven: 竹内まりや (Mariya Takeuchi) – プラスティック・ラブ (Plastic Love)

突然のキスや 熱いまなざしで (With a sudden kiss and a passionate gaze) 恋のプログラムを 狂わせないでね (Do not cause a malfunction to the love program) 出逢いと別れ 上手に打ち込んで (Type in encounters and separations well) 時間がくれば終わる (When the time comes, it ends) Don't hurry! 愛に傷ついた あの日からずっと (Since the day I was heartbroken, I've been having a life) 昼と夜が逆の 暮らしを続けて (That's been reversed between day and night) はやりのDiscoで 踊り明かすうちに (While dancing the nights away at the popular disco) おぼえた魔術なのよ (There is a magic I've learned) I'm sorry! わたしのことを決して 本気で愛さないで (Never love me seriously) 恋なんてただのゲーム 楽しめばそれでいいの (Love is just a game, all I need is to have fun with it) 閉ざした心を飾る 派手なドレスも靴も (The showy dresses and shoes decorating my closed heart) 孤独な友達 (Are my lonely friends) わたしを誘う人は 皮肉なものね いつも 彼に似てるわなぜか 思い出と重なり合う (The men who flirt with me are Ironically always similar to him for some reason My memories with him are overlapped) グラスを落として急に 涙ぐんでも わけは尋ねないでね (Don’t ask me why even if I drop my glass and suddenly glisten with tears) 夜更けの高速で 眠りにつくころ (When I fall asleep by the highway at dawn) ハロ��ンライトだけ 妖しく輝く (Only halogen lights are mysteriously shining) 氷のように冷たい女だと ささやく声がしても (Although somebody is whispering that I’m an icy cold woman) Don't worry! I'm just playing games I know that's plastic love Dance to the plastic beat Another morning comes

Relationships become more of a pursuit of pleasure, rather than meaningful connection, for Griddlebone. A cycle of one night encounters to keep her company before the new day begins and she starts over again with someone new. Her self-worth starts to become tied with being seen as attractive and desirable by another person. She has convinced herself that this lifestyle will quell the void inside of her, although she knows in her heart that she is still painfully lonely. The isolation does not cease, no matter how many individuals she crosses path with.

Maybe one day she will not feel this way, but she believes it is her fault that everything turned out the way it has to this point.

Track Eight: 工藤順子 (Junko Kudo) – 夕顔姐さん (Ms. Yugao)

夕顔姐さん 部屋には 夏でもね (Yugao-san, even if it's summer in your room) こたつが置いてある 束ねたコードを つついてる 退屈な 白い猫が家族 (A bored white cat is pecking at the bundled cords next to the kotatsu table) 今夜のお座敷 長過ぎる いつもなら (The tatami room tonight is too long, as normal) 帰ってる時間 (Time to go home) お勝手の隅の 猫メシは 山盛りで (In the corner of the kitchen, there is a mountain of cat food) とても食べきれない (I can't eat it all) 明かりは点いてても 時計の音ばかり そろそろ聞こえて来る はずなのに (Even though the lights are on, all I can hear is the ticking of the clock) 夕顔姐さんの下駄の音 (The sound of Yugao-nee’s geta) 夕顔姐さんの下駄の音 (The sound of Yugao-nee’s geta) 夕顔姐さん 来年 数えでね 六十三になる (Yugao-san, I'll be turning 63 next year) 近頃男はダメだね 粋じゃない それが口ぐせです (Men are no good these days. It's not classy. That's what they say.) 衣ずれの裾は 萩の花 つい昨日 かけたパーマネント (The hem of my clothes was like a clover flower, a permanence that I wore just yesterday) 西に傾いた 大きな お月様 帰りを急がせる (The big moon leaning to the west hurries my return home) 浮かれ足の男 物欲し気な女 (A playful man, a wistful woman) 若いネオンの街に カラコロと (In a young neon city, colourfully) 夕顔姐さんの下駄の音 (The sound of Yugao-nee’s geta) 夕顔姐さんの下駄の音 (The sound of Yugao-nee’s geta) 細い路地に入ると 犬達が吠えだす 待ちくたびれた猫は夢で聞く (When I enter a narrow alley, the dogs start barking, and the tired cat hears it in a dream) 夕顔姐さんの下駄の音 (The sound of Yugao-nee’s geta) 夕顔姐さんの下駄の音 (The sound of Yugao-nee’s geta)

Years removed from the emotional low point of her life, the empty hedonism to fill the void inside her, Griddlebone has taken up residence with an older, single woman that has mirrored her own experiences in the search of love. The familiar sounds of geta beckon the arrival of her human home to Griddlebone, and her days are spent resting in the sun and keeping busy through the house, all while reminiscing of a past of incomplete love. She has become accustomed to a quiet, uneventful life where she is loved by Ms. Yugao as a sweet pet and taken care of like the beautiful Queen she is.

Still, there is an unshakable feeling that she has missed out on true love in her life, despite her current, content happiness.

Track Nine: Meow Meow & Thomas Lauderdale – Hotel Amour

Fun fact: Meow Meow played Griddlebone in the 2019 movie!

I looked for Love in the beautiful cities I looked for Love up in the air I looked underground though I knew that I shouldn't And still, no Love was anywhere I went to the place they call Heaven I went to the Hotel Amour I sat still and wrote Love some letters But Love doesn't read anymore I sang Love into my stories And I danced Love into my dreams But Love didn't find me Let alone blind me Love is nowhere it seems I looked for Love by pretending I wasn't I looked for Love close to the bone I fixed up some wings and I bought all the permits So Love could take flight when it was grown I followed the maps, I read all the signs I bought Love a building called "Home" I filled in the forms and I paid all the taxes Still, Love left me alone... My heart's still jumping out of my skin I've nothing to keep the feeling in I've nothing to do to make Love stay I've nothing to keep the darkness away You're all in the grandness of little things A leaf that's shaped like a heart A simple breeze, a feather Morning light, evening star And I'm singing to you my stories And I'm dancing with you in my dreams... Love... Love is everywhere... it seems

Throughout her life, Griddlebone has done everything she thought was correct to find and feel a form of love that made her feel complete, but could be deemed as unsuccessful in that pursuit.

Although it never manifested for her as love with another, she has felt the unconditional love of someone that cares for her as the most important thing in her life.

Looking back on her life now as a senior Queen, Griddlebone comes to a realization that love can now be found all around her. It was never her fault for not finding the idea of 'love' that she felt she needed, and there may never have been an instance where she felt that she had found the prize she was after, but love was always with her in the little things of life.

@the-cat-at-the-theatre-door I am not sure if you are still interested in these after all this time, but in case you are, enjoy :).

[dawdlecentric]

Man, this doujin isn't fucking around

Meanwhile, Seikuri in the background...

Doujin: Flashbackers by Totobe

[madotornado]

it turns out I didn't show my Rain World OCs fully. so here's a post. there's also a couple of cute sketches with the two of them.

(the characters are heavily based on the artificer and the monk from the rain world, but it's not them, since their encounter and them living together is impossible in canon and such).

[microwavetoaster-selfships]

Playing Cooking Mama with Finn so he can explain what all the foods are that I don't know.