#but also he can imitate voices so like maybe not but he cannot sustain it for long

[science-lings]

*in the event of a non-traumatic absence of Bruce. he goes on vacation, he just didn't want to go to the Justice League meeting, SILLY VIBES ONLY

[45paperplates]

About Olivia Rodrigo

It is a sign of a deep lack of self-esteem in our American monoculture that when Olivia Rodrigo so recently became the biggest pop musician of the moment most writers tasked to interpret said phenomenon were by default so cynical about the music they live to represent to the world that they seemed totally unaware of the most obvious explanation, one so obvious that it's almost childishly democratic: that she is simply the most naturally compelling new artist working in pop today.

Instead, they have cited elements of the music that are actually quite detrimental to its quality. Most pop-punk was weak, whiny, and obnoxiously self-involved when it was popular, and the fact that one of Olivia’s songs (“good 4 u”) sounds an awful lot like the good stuff (“Misery Business”) is indeed a sign of creative bankruptcy. That the album often sounds so much like Lorde, Taylor Swift, or Billie Eilish is only evidence of the pop machine’s greed-driven need for familiarity and the moments where these influences are truly overwhelming are the album’s least original and most incongruous. The truly teenage moments, despite their popularity with millennials and real teenagers alike, are out of touch and uninspired. I am a thirty-two year old man who also cannot parallel park, but I will never be able to relate to this kind of quirkiness in song if the singer is a rich teenager who claims in interviews that she pays for valet parking in order to avoid it.

Her relationship with Taylor Swift, whose influence is indeed all over every song on the album, seems destined to be tense, and Olivia performs best when her own creativity manages to escape it. “favorite crime” is essentially a Taylor Swift album track, imitative of Swift’s least incisive creative tendencies. “And I watched as you fled the scene / Doe-eyed as you buried me / One heart broke, four hands bloody,” writes Olivia, in the kind of mildly clever figurative imagery that makes the listener’s brain work to uncover a meaning that was already obvious, the kind of line Taylor writes in her weakest moments. The song’s apparent antecedent, “Victim,” performed live on Instagram in June of 2020, doesn’t sound like Taylor at all:

Let me be the victim of your perfect crime Bathe in my blood so I’m not the bad guy Yeah, I messed up so that you’ll mess up too I really want the blame to be on you So drive the knife in deep Make the victim bleed  

“Make the victim bleed.” It’s both unpretentiously direct and painfully deep. The imagery is vibrant and even specific enough to evoke centuries of high Catholic masochism without being at all complicated. Olivia’s best lyrics are indeed never detailed for their own sake, but calmly symbolic, referential of cultural archetypes, serving in the makeup of some more abstracted, weightier conceptual design.

Guilt, particularly of the religious kind, would seem to be her true creative center, a counterintuitive thought, given that so many of her songs officially released are so especially accusatory, to an empowering extent. But she always admits her doubt: “'Cause let’s be honest, we kinda do sound the same / Another actress / I hate to think that I was just your type” she says of her ex’s new girlfriend. Indeed every song on the album that is explicitly about heartbreak goes out of its way to acquit the criminal in one way or another, either implicitly or directly, describing situations that are as emotionally painful as they are understandable from both sides.

She knows, in other words, that her anger at the boy is both valid and unjustified, that her sadness is real but not at all unique. Her pain transcends by its lack of an honest target, and this is what makes her music relatable to all ages. Without quite saying it, through a contradictory combination of dedicated vulnerability and self-awareness she asks the universe--or God even--rather than the boy, why did this happen? Why does this happen and is it my fault? "Did I do something wrong?"

More than anywhere else, you can hear it in her voice. Though lots of different things can get in the way, this transcendent guilt sits in her voice as a sustained emotional power, shifting between a dull pain somewhere deep in her chest and a lump in her throat, lending sincere force and tragic significance to subject matter that most have interpreted as specifically teenaged and delightfully naive. Bruce Springsteen famously said that the first time he heard “Like a Rolling Stone,” Bob Dylan’s voice “sounded somehow simultaneously young and adult.” This is the kind of compliment disallowed to teenage girls by the use of the “you’re mature for your age” trope by predatory old men, which is a shame, because if anyone deserves to be called mature it's a teenager who takes guilt seriously before they’ve really had a chance to even do anything wrong.

Maybe she has had her marvelously unanimous success because this pained emotional high is heavily tempered on SOUR, particularly in its singles, two of which drown it out in the bridge (“drivers license”, “deja vu”), and the third of which filters it through talk-singing and distorted yelling (“good 4 u”). Maybe this is why she switched out “Victim,” a song where she sings of her “guilty Catholic heart,” and pleads “make the victim me,” for “favorite crime.” It does seem almost too heavy for American pop, and maybe a little dab of it is all the industry’s recipe requires because America doesn’t know how to process a mature teenage girl in a healthy way. But it is the passion at the source of her talent and, although her album is not at all perfect, shines through like the burning sun at every opportunity.

[kitanoko]

BNHA Light Novel Vol.1 Ch.1 translation

This is the Chapter 1 translation for the first “boku no hero academia” light novel! I actually felt a weight, like sorrow sinking from my head to my toes, when I was translating part of the beginning and also Todoroki and his mom’s conversation. Hope those without access to the book will enjoy this as that is why I spent time typing it up! XD the novel is truly quite fun to read

I will be posting my thoughts on it later but for now, please click ‘Keep reading’ below for my translation :)

At the time when spring turned to summer on a beautiful day, the students who finished the internship were preparing for the final exams. “Next, Midoriya Izuku.” In the empty streets, a soft sound drifted. Aizawa with his tired eyes, looked at the students on the third floor of the large building. “Here!” The student who got called, Midoriya Izuku, had an anxious expression on his face when he answered. His hair was curly and he looked very plain, but the freckles on his face make him give off a positive feeling. “Deku-kun, do your best!” Uraraka Ochako said in a cheerful tone. She was waiting behind him as she is going to go on stage soon. Her joyful voice made his cheeks turn red as he turned around to answer “okay!”. Izuku entered the bag-like tunnel that connects with the ground floor.  The tunnel had a lot of twists and turns and this was usually used during rescue missions. Using a strategy similar to sliding on a slide, it allows people to slide from the top to the bottom with ease. This is UA highschool! Right now, Class 1 A is learning about the basics of how to be a hero. This highschool has a lot of amazing facilities like the training facility they are in and this place is able to sustain many people (several ten thousands). There is also a USJ which has areas that imitate places with natural disasters; they still have the memories of how villains trespassed and attacked them in USJ last time. Right now before them is a deserted street that is also part of the UA training areas. Quirks arose long along; since then, people started using their quirks for good and they were known as heroes. However, many also used them for evil. Thus, heroes became an important part of society that serves the public. Until now, not everyone can become heroes, only those who pass tests and get the license can call themselves that. It is illegal to use quirks in public without authorization. If one were to consider becoming a hero, one must enter a hero school like UA. Getting into UA is extremely difficult. Izuku has no quirk, and nowadays, that is called “quirkless”. Heroes must have a quirk as it is not feasible to be without one. Commonly speaking, age 4 is the latest in which one’s quirk will manifest.

After age 4, Izuku could not help but to accept reality. His dream of becoming the world’s best hero like All Might floated away further and further until it was so far that he can’t even reach it anymore. But he did not give up. No matter if others laughed at him or looked down at him and say how he has no quirk and can’t become a hero, he did not give up his goal. Maybe it’s because God or whoever out there heard his plea and wishes and so Izuku met All Might. All Might saw his potential and after training him, transferred “One For All” to him. In the beginning, Izuku couldn’t do what he wanted with the quirk and had no control, always wrecking his own body. However, both All Might and Gran Torino mentored him and gradually he was able to control it better. “HEEEUUUU” After a short time, Izuku slid out the tunnel, safely landing on the ground. “Okay the boys are all done. Now it’s the girls turn! Yaoyorozu, go.” “Yes!” The Vice President Yaoyorozu replied and slid to the ground through the tunnel. After Yaoyorozu landed on the ground, the small, grape-headed boy named Mineta let out a huge breath. “What’s wrong Mineta?” Izuku asked and Mineta let out another breath. “Midoriya, since we are on the topic of the girls sliding down, the thing that we should be looking forward to is seeing their skirts flip up right? Why is she wearing gym clothes….even though I should have known! This attire is not sexy at all, not even a little bit!” “You have no changed your bad habit one bit, Mineta.” After Yaoyorozu slid down, it was Tsuyu who could not help but comment as well. “Yeah, Mineta. If all the girls’ skirts flipped up then how do we continue lessons? Wearing gym attires make more sense. Wait actually, in order to stimulate a real situation, the girls should be wearing skirts actually!” Iida, wearing the normal uniform, came out with a serious expression said. “No I think you are thinking too much.” Izuku couldn’t help but laugh at Iida. “Stop laughing stupid Deku!” “Ah…Kacchan…” Standing near them was Izuku’s childhood friend Bakugou Katsuki. He’s always spewing out swear words and rude comments to others but has already toned it down…well compared to his childhood that is. “Stupid exercise! Die!” “What are you saying?! As a hero, rescuing others is the first thing so this is very important! This is a very meaningful exercise, isn’t it?!” “Whocares! Everyone has crap they’re good at! I can be the one who takes care of the villain while others do the rescue!!!” “Do you truly want to become a hero?!” Iida has a very strong sense of justice and so as he argued with Bakugou who has a self-esteem several times higher than everyone else, the two is like water and oil, cannot be mixed. Deku stood between the two. “Iida-kun please calm down!” “Yes, you’re right. Everyone has their own strong points.” The person who said this was the student with a cold expression and a scar caused by a burn, Todoroki Shouto. “Todoroki-kun?” “I cannot imagine Bakugou rescuing anyone.” “….WHAT DID YOU SAY?!?! BASTARD?!?!?!” “Ah, I understand! I feel like he would end up injuring people instead!” Kaminari spoke up and Bakugou was so angry he shouted at Kaminari with, “YEAH LETS SEE ABOUT THAT, I’LL HURT YOU FIRST!!!!” Bakugou’s palms started to have explosions within them. The girls who just all landed on the ground did not know what was going on in front of them and just stared with wide eyes. The groups of boys crowded around; some tried to stop the fight, some looked annoyed and once the fighting got to its peak, a voice came. “….Do you guys know what time it is?” It was Aizawa. Upon hearing his stern voice, the students quickly stood properly, poised and quiet. Up until this point, the students recognized how scary their teacher can be. Aizawa’s quirk activated for a second, revealing his red eyes. Aizawa’s quirk erases other people’s quirks, but because he hates the media knowing well how the media can interfere with his hero work, he would always keep himself hidden. “I heard you guys saying how everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, but this excuse during when people need rescuing is not valid. In order to become a great hero, you must do your best for any tasks at hand!” Aizawa turned his head to look at every one of them and continued on. “When the rescue crew and the police arrives late, leading civilians out to the escape route is also a hero’s job!” “If we are to lead them out, isn’t it faster to just rescue them ourselves?” As Hagakure was asking this question, all you can see is her gym suit wrinkling. It looked like she was waving and raising her hand. Hagakure’s quirk makes her invisible so her gym clothes look like they are floating in midair. “But if there are a lot of people, then you can only lead them out.” Yaoyorozu said logically and Aizawa nodded his head. “Exactly. If there were only one or two people, then rescuing them is easy. But if there were a lot then it will get problematic when using rescue equipment. Also, if you don’t know how to use the equipment at the time of need, then it’d be over. That is the main reason why the school prepares these lessons so you’ll have practice on each and every rescue equipment. Do you hear this, Bakugou?” “……..I understand.” Bakugou answered in a low voice. This is Bakugou’s way of getting along with others, using a lower voice to talk. Izuku stood near Bakugou and started mumbling analysis like he usually did. “Right, when letting  lot of people out, we need to use the appropriate quirk with the appropriate equipment……I wonder how that will be? Uraraka can make thing float, or Sero who can use his tape, and Mineta can use his sticky balls…..mmm yes that should be useful. There are lot of combinations…..!!” Izuku loves to analyze and think of strategies as he wants to become a hero so much. Every time he begins his rambling, everyone would get scared because of how fast he talks, like a tongue twister. Everyone already accept this though and would watch him with warm eyes, with the exception of Bakugou. “Then, after….” At this moment, a loud sound was heard above them, covering Aizawa’s voice. Everyone was shocked and looked up to see a helicopter coming down. From the aircraft, someone large came jumping down. “From the helicopter………I AM HERE!” “ALL MIGHT?!?!?!” All Might looked muscular as always with his powerful demeanor. The two horn-like hair spiked up from his head and was wavering in the wind caused by the aircraft. He showed his bright, white teeth as he grinned. “Everyone, I’m sorry I am late! I had to chase down a villain and so I just came!” “Uh yeah, this lesson was supposed to be your responsibility,” Aizawa said in an irritated tone. In contrast, All Might was beaming. “It’s already on the internet!!! During lunch I saw that you captured the bank robbers, right?!” “Yes, looks like the other case hasn’t been broadcasted yet.” “….AS EXPECTED OF ALL MIGHT!” Izuku admires All Might and so he looked super happy and excited. All Might has the aura to suppress evil. He is the “Symbol of Peace”. He has a student and mentor relationship with Izuku and only a few knows this secret. All Might can also only transform to his hero form for a short period of time now, which, also, only a few knows. “Midoriya my boy, thank you for your compliments, but we now must move onto the helicopter.” “Isn’t the helicopter just for bringing you here?” “No, our next exercise will be involve the helicopter, are you ready?” “wow, such is expected of a hero class….” Because Izuku was so stunned by All Might, he was standing here dumbfounded. Such is Ua! ~~ After learning how to rescue people on the snowy mountain and from the water, the students all returned to their classroom. “Right before this, when I was diving at the sea, it was the girls who helped me do CPR…..its like a deep kiss….can’t help but stop myself from breathing on purpose!” “But weren’t you ACTUALLY not breathing?” Hearing Kaminari and Mineta’s conversation nearby, Tokoyami muttered “What an annoying duo”. Tokoyami was someone who looked like a bird and had the quirk ‘Dark Shadow’, which is like a creature living in his body. At that moment, Aizawa entered the classroom and everyone sat properly at their own desks. “Good work. Even though this is sudden, in two weeks we will have a day for parents to visit the school.” After Aizawa said that, someone shouted, “What, even UA has parent-teacher days?!” It was Kirishima Eijirou. He is a very manly student who has the ‘hardening’ quirk. Aizawa handed out the notice, “Okay these need to be returned to me. Next, I need everyone to write a ‘thank you’ letter to your parents. You must put your feeling of thanks into it. After you’re done writing, you can hand it in to me.” Their homeroom teacher’s announcement caused a silence over the students, though someone quickly let out a loud laugh. “NO WAY, WE AREN’T ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS!” Kaminari shouted out, speaking for the rest of the students, but Aizawa cut him off. “Do I look like I am joking?” Aizawa was indeed scary and again the class fell to a silence. “When you write it, make sure to fully express how grateful you are to them and for your parents’ daily care.” Now that the students know their teacher wasn’t joking, everyone started to talk to each other, looking a little worried. “What, no way!!!! This must be a joke!!!” “Ugh so embarrassing….” As the bustle continued, Iida stood up and did his habit of chopping his hands in the air. “Everyone please quiet down. QUIET, QUIET, QUIET!!!” “Wow, Iida is so loud.” Tsuyu, who was sitting in front of Iida, was the one who said that and so Iida sat back down and mumbled a “sorry”. Iida, however, continued on, “Aizawa-sensei, everyone’s reaction is to be expected. The parent visiting day should be for them to see how our usual classes are normally right? Suddenly telling us we need to write and say out our thanks, I don’t understand the point of it. Letting our parents observe the specialty of a hero course, that should be the main point of the day, isn’t it?” Iida was breathing very heavily as Aizawa answered back, “Well, because it is a hero course, that is why we need to do this.” “What does that mean….” “Your goal is to become a hero. Think about it, you would usually hear those who got rescued express their thanks to those who rescued them. It is because of that, you should see it from another point of view and understand the importance of giving thanks.” “Oh is that so! I understand now! This is for us to understand how to be humble as a hero!” “Iida got convinced quite fast!” Uraraka sat behind Iida and she gave a laugh. Seeing Iida’s immediate change in expression, everyone lightened up and the whole atmosphere of the room changed to a positive one. Everyone now accepted their teacher’s request. In this class where anything can happen, one cannot let small things like these bother them. “I am planning to let you guys bring your parents over to see the facilities in the school, and let them take a look at how a stimulated lesson looks like before we let them see the letters.” After Aizawa explained that, Kaminari again shouted out something that everyone else in the class was thinking, “Why don’t you say THAT was actually the main point of the parent-teacher day?!” ~~ “Parent visiting day….and letter of thanks…what should I do?” Izuku mumbled in frustration. “All you CAN do is to write it obediently,” Todoroki replied next to him. Walking nearby was Iida. The President began to voice his opinion, “In the beginning, I was not comfortable with the idea either and was questioning why we needed to do it but now I feel that it is a very good idea. Even if we always care for our family members, it is not common for us to say our feelings out loud. Speaking of which, is there a limit to how many pages we can write for the letter? If the maximum number of pages allowed is very few then it will be very difficult for me to write it. I will have to think about how to shorten it.” The threesome were wearing their school uniforms on the way back home. From a bystander’s point of view, they may look like normal highschool students but in fact they were the ones who stopped Stain the hero killer. The three were not official heroes so if they were to use their quirks to fight against the villains, even if it were Stain the Hero Killer who killed many heroes, it would be illegal. The reason is that using their quirks without passing the license test could potentially mean that they could hurt civilians. The regulation people do not want to hurt those that could become heroes in the future so this rule was made. Iida was set on avenging his beloved hero older brother and his two friends Izuku and Todoroki came to save him. Fighting together helped them form a strong bond. “Iida-kun is so impressive being able to write so much. I don’t even know what to write. I used to send a lot of messages to pro heroes on the internet but I have never written a letter in real life.” “Really? I would write thank you letters (Iida means thank you letters that are meant to be returned after receiving a gift) sometimes.” “Thank you letters?!” “Occasionally, the people I help on the road like old grannies, would send me gifts and so I would write them a ‘thank you’ letter for the gift. My mom and dad told me that after receiving a gift, I must return a letter of thanks of my own.” Hearing how Iida can say that like it is nothing special, Izuku could only reply, “As expected of a family of hero ancestry!”. Izuku is so impressed by Iida! “Really? I think it is very normal,”  Iida says but felt embarrassed after seeing Izuku’s reaction. Iida turned around to try and get Todoroki to agree with him but Todoroki did not seem to feel the same. “No, that’s not normal. I have never written one,” was Todoroki’s deadpan reply. That caused Iida to again feel embarrassed, “Oh..really….” Seeing Iida’s discouraged face, Izuku instinctively started rambling again to lift Iida’s spirits, “W-well! Writing letters is a good thing! Now every time after I meet such situations I will write letters! It will help! Writing letters can really help me express my thoughts! Yes…yes…like last time when…” Izuku rambles on and hearing this Iida felt better. All of a sudden, Iida raised both of his hands up to the sky and shouted, “OH!!” “What is it Iida-kun?” “I’m so stupid, I totally forgot about this!” In his backpack, Iida took an envelope out. “What is that?” “Native-san gifted it to us! Tickets to the amusement park!” “Who?” “The pro hero that was with us when we were fighting Stain! Although, I wonder, why is he giving us tickets for the park?” “I think it is a thank you gift from him.” Iida took it out and there were 4 tickets. “Why four tickets then?” “He’s probably thinking how most rides have seats in pairs so that is why he gave us four?” Izuku’s answer was agreed upon by Todoroki who nodded his head and replied, “Ah, I see.” “Since Native-san is so nice to us, we should ask one more person to join us.” Hearing Iida’s response, Izuku became super energetic, “YEAH!” “Sure, doesn’t matter,” was Todoroki’s response. “But the tickets expire next week. Is next Sunday okay with you guys?” “O…OH! Sorry, I can’t go!” Izuku said, wide eyed. He really wanted to go! “What do you have?” “The Cultural Centre has a ‘Meet the Hero’ event! This time, new heroes are going to be there so I really can’t miss this event! Normally, I don’t have the chance to get data on the new heroes so this is my chance! Not to mention, there will be a special edition photo album with data and details of the new heroes!” Izuku’s expression was etched with anticipation and Iida replied, “Midoriya-kun, you really do love heroes….” “I’m sorry!!” “I can’t on Sunday as well, I need to visit my mother, I’m sorry.” Iida remained calm at his friends’ replies and said, “So, It’s like that. It is quite unfortunate, but it can’t be helped. Wasting these tickets would not be good, I guess I’ll ask the others!” “Let’s go together us three next time! Uh..if only I could go,” Izuku’s previous excitement dwindled away and Todoroki and Iida turned to face him. “What’s wrong,” Iida and Todoroki asked their friend, and Midoriya’s face became red. “I don’t know if I’m the only thinking this way of wanting to go together with you guys.” Todoroki and Iida watched Midoriya, amused. “Midoriya-kun, you have such a strong quirk but actually no one can tell by your usual behaviour!” Iida exclaimed and Todoroki agreed. Midoriya laughed at how surprised Iida looked. “Ah…yeah so on Parent visiting day, who from your family is coming Iida-kun?” “My mother because my dad has to go to work. How about you Midoriya-kun? “Just my mother. How about you Todoroki-kun?” “For me….probably no one from my family is coming,” was Todoroki’s only words and after a second, Izuku became frozen and could only say “Oh.” Izuku forgot about Todoroki’s family situation; knowing this why did he let his tongue slip and ask that question? Todoroki’s dad is the number 2 hero, Endeavor, while All Might was always the number 1 hero. Because of Endeavor’s obsession, he had a quirk marriage with Todoroki’s mom to produce the perfect child. From all of Todoroki’s siblings, Todoroki was the only one who was powerful and born with the best combination of quirks. Since young, Todoroki’s dad would train him with very extreme measures, hoping he would take over All Might as the number 1 hero. His mother tried to plea for Todoroki but his dad did not care. After all the torture that his mother had to go through, she poured boiling water onto Todoroki and burned his face, leaving a horrible scar. His mother was then sent to the hospital and after, Todoroki hated his father even more. “That….I’m sorry.” “So your mother lives in the hospital…..sorry.” Iida and Midoriya both felt bad and gave Todoroki their sincere apologies. Todoroki did not care however and answered, “Its fine. I don’t mind. Frankly, it isn’t something that you two need to apologize for.” “But not being able to see your child’s face in class and in the school exercises, your mom and dad must feel regret!” Iida added, continuously nodding his head. “…………..” Todoroki had no reaction hearing Iida’s comment and stuck his hands in his pockets. Inside was his notice from class earlier. “It’s not that bad. If ‘that old man’ came to see, then I’d actually feel uncomfortable.” “’That old man’? Are you talking about your dad? You can’t use ‘that old man’ as his title! That is disrespectful, you must at least call him your father.” “That kind of shitty father, saying ‘that old man’ is good enough for him!” “If you don’t want to call him father then how about ‘papa’?” “….pa…” “Or dad?” “…da….” Thinking about these different ways of calling his crappy father, Todoroki’s expression became more and more dark. Almost instantly, Izuku interrupted the two to stop their conversation. “Ah, of course!” Midoriya tried to salvage the situation, “Some families have different ways of calling their mom and dads, or maybe they would use their names directly!” “But calling them with their names would sound like a normal friend? The feeling of respect would become shallow I think.“ “You want me to call him properly? …..that’s something I can’t do.” Izuku stood there thinking of ways to revert the conversation topic back to normal, and ended up saying “Everyone can have their opinions on what to call others.” The three turned around the corner, but just as they did so, Todoroki suddenly halted. “Todoroki?” “I suddenly thought of something I have to do.” Seeing how Todoroki said his words, eyes unfocused, Izuku said, “Then, why don’t we split here. See you tomorrow!” “K.” ~~~ After separating from those two, Todoroki arrived at his mom’s hospital which had white and red columns. The visiting hours for the hospital was almost over but there were still a lot of people waiting at the lobby. Noticing that, Todoroki decided to take the elevator in a hurry to go up to the patient rooms. His eyes followed the lights on the elevator that graduating rose up and realized how nervous he actually was. He was anxious even though he knew he came up here many times already. This did not compare to the first time, however, when he was so rattled that his hands shook when reaching for the doorknob. As he strolled down the silent halls, he recognized the bleach smell that filled the air. From Stain’s incident, he went to another hospital and he thought “so, all hospitals have this same smell.” He recalled sleeping in that hospital after the incident with the other two and waking up in the middle of the night, cold sweat dripping down his face, and it was then that he thought about how horrible it was that his mom had to live in such conditions. “Shouto, that’s a surprise that you’re here today,” a voice came over the counter that he just passed. ….a surprise huh. “….hello,” Todoroki replied and he stopped midway. Originally, he wanted to ask the nurse when she said that it was a surprise for him to come today but a bell on the counter just rang and so he was interrupted. Gloving his hands back into his pocket, he could feel the notice from class. He continued walking, and after reliefing a light sigh, he opened the door. “……..mom.” “Shouto?” Sitting at the edge of the bed was his mother. Behind her was a window. She had on such gentle, soft rounded eyes that widened slightly. “Why do you look surprised mother?” “Ah…..it’s nothing. Come. Come sit.” She stood up and pulled a chair up to her son. Todoroki answered with a ‘un’ and sat down. His mother sat in front of him but didn’t move a muscle, eyes gawking at her son as if examining him. “….uh…mom?” Todoroki started feeling uncomfortable and shy now, wondering what his mother’s gaze meant. Quickly, his mom apologized and slowly shifted to sit at the edge. “You don’t have to apologize. I was just wondering if there was something weird on me that’s why you’re looking at me like that.” “No…its just that I don’t get to see you regularly…it feels like you’ve grown.” She started to stare at him again, making him feel awkward and he started to look downwards. A revelation arose. He realized that the nurse used the word “surprise” earlier because on regular school days he wouldn’t come. Today’s an exception. “Sorry for suddenly coming here.” “Don’t need to apologize, whenever you come, your mom will be happy.” Todoroki was happy that she said that. He swore before that he will save his mother from here and release her. Sitting in front of her, he also felt as though he returned to his childhood. “…………..” His fingers brushed against the notice again. Coming here so urgently albeit knowing that his mom wouldn’t be able to participate in the parent-teacher day, Todoroki knew he couldn’t help himself, subconsciously being pushed to come here, legs moving on their own. Should he tell her about that school event, or should he not? Seeing that her son wasn’t talking, Todoroki’s mom broke the silence and said, “That’s right, do you want something to drink?” “Oh…okay.” Todoroki stood up, expecting to buy his own drink outside. “I have prepared drinks, just open the fridge.” Hearing her said that, Todoroki went over to the table nearby and opened the fridge next t it. Inside were some green tea, soda and juice. There was also a yoghurt drink with a child-friendly, cute cow logo. “Shouto, when you were young, you used to love that drink, right? When I saw that in the store last time, I couldn’t help but to buy it.” Todoroki pursed his lips and didn’t mutter a word, brain totally blank. He had some memories of this drink but he knew he tried to forget about such memories long ago. Todoroki’s mom began to giggle a little seeing her son’s expression, “Ah…mother forgot that you are already a high school student….so I bought other drinks for you to choose. I wasn’t sure if you still like this yoghurt drink after so long……..” Inside Todoroki’s heart, a rush of happiness and warmth came. So his mom cared about him and thought about all this for him. “….then I will take this one.” He took the yoghurt drink and his mom cheerfully replied, “oh is that so.” The yoghurt drink didn’t have much of a taste, in fact, it was quite mild, but it was full of nostalgia. After he finished the drink, Todoroki playfully thumbed the drink and threw it away in the trashcan. The time they spent together from his childhood, those feelings will not suddenly rush out. Yet, the feeling and care they have for each other is something still kept within him after all this time. Because she was not there as he grew up, they can still feel the awkward atmosphere between them. Like always, his mother’s comfortable and gentle voice can still break that solemn feeling. “So how is school?” “mmm…” At that moment, Todoroki let out a sigh. He couldn’t think of anything else but the notice and again he felt unsettled. But if he were to let her know about it, it should be now! He still can’t say it though he kept repeating that inside. Todoroki’s mom waited for a long time for his response but none came. Her expression started to change to concern. Todoroki quickly said something so she won’t worry anymore. “Today in class we learned how to use a resuscitation device and we also went up the air in a helicopter.” “Wow, helicopter? Using such things!” Todoroki felt good noticing how surprised his mom was and continued, “Because heroes need to rescue people too. It’s part of their jobs.” “Yes that’s right.” “After, we learned how to use a rescue slide that goes from a higher place to the ground.” “uh huh…” “And then we learned how to use code to contact each other, that sort of a thing.” “Oh is that so.” “And….” Todoroki started to go on and on in a low voice. His mom kept watching him, a small smile slowly gracing her lips. “All Might also came, he helped teach the class.” “I remember back then when you were young, you loved All Might, right? But your father never allowed us to watch it so I secretly recorded it and we watched it together, remember that?” “mm.” For some reason, Todoroki knew he wanted to be a hero like All Might since young but without realizing it, Todoroki had kept that so deep within his heart and slowly he wiped that feeling away completely without a speck. While on this topic, Todoroki thought about Midoriya’s messed up hands, twisting unnaturally with lots of blood. “….there’s this guys named Midoriya.” “Ok.” When he first entered the school, he didn’t notice Midoriya, but during the villain invasion, he saw how he and All Might released super human strength. Todoroki saw how All Might would care about Midoriya and so during the sports festival, he wanted to fight Midoriya. Todoroki had always wanted to fight with only the side that his mother gave him, his right side. He saw how his father was super irritated by how Todoroki was still winning without using the left side and so Todoroki thought he had his revenge and won against his father. But when fighting Midoriya, who had so many injuries and still screaming at him about how “this is your power!”… That somehow hit him. Midoriya’s voice. Seeing how Midoriya was totally beat up but still kept fighting and running straight towards him. It was because of how much Midoriya respected and admired All Might, it allowed Todoroki to feel the same way deeply. It was at that moment that Todoroki forgot about everything. Forgot about his dad whom he hated so much. After forgetting everything, he was able to see himself and use the left side. “During the sports festival, I fought Midoriya and he ran towards me even though he was beat up.” “mm.” “…so I used my full power.” “…..mm.” “That was the first time I used my full power.” “…I see.” “Midoriya is strong.” Todoroki’s mom gave a smile, “I see you have made a good friend.” Todoroki nodded slowly, “…un.” “Mother, this is the newly washed clothes…..what? Shouto? Why are you here? How rare.” It was Todoroki’s sister, Fuyumi. Her appearance looks just like their mother’s and had a very joyful aura. “The second time….” “What?” “Nothing.” “Really? Okay, mom I’ll put the clothes in the closet.” “Thanks, I bothered you again.” “What, don’t so formal with me mother!” Fuyumi came in carrying the clothes and placed it into the wardrobe, and while doing that, she asked Todoroki, “Was there something that happened today?” “No.” Todoroki stood up, planning to throw the notice into the trash but as his body lifted, the paper fell out of his pocket. “What? What’s this?” “WAIT!” Fuyumi turned around after she placed the clothes, and picked up the paper to read it. “A notice about parent visiting day…?” “huh….” “…hey don’t just go looking at my things!!” “Oh….” Fuyumi’s face had a smile etched onto it but the irritating feeling that Todoroki felt for half the day suddenly came rushing back, though hearing his mother’s next words did not help. “Shouto…I’m sorry, your mom cannot go.” Seeing how sad his mother looked, Todoroki felt frantic. “No. I just wanted to tell you about it….don’t apologize…” Todoroki now regretted. If he knew earlier that his mom would feel this way he would have not came here. “Sorry…” “Shouto…” Todoroki said his apologies in a mumble and his mother scrunched her brows together in worry. “Ah… you two…” Fuyumi, who accidentally caused all of this, stood between the two to try and fix it. Abruptly, she came with a great idea and cried out, “RIGHT!” Fuyumi’s eyes lit up with energy. “How about I go to the parent visiting day!” “What, don’t you have to teach?” Fuyumi was a elementary school teacher. “Don’t worry, if it is family things, I can tell my work early and get half a day off. So, I will go to the parent visiting day and take a video and show mom! Isn’t this idea great?” Fuyumi was grinning widely making Todoroki speechless. “But this isn’t some elementary school sports day.” “Huh? So no video? Recently, there was a elementary school parent visiting day and all the parents were happily recording videos!” Todoroki wanted to refute by saying, “don’t mix high school with elementary school!” but his mother cut him off. “So…recording the video is not okay?” Todoroki’s mother looked very hopeful at first but now she had a shadow over her expression, Fuyumi noticed this and tried to raise the mood. Todoroki actually really hated videos and didn’t want to have recordings but he knew his mother was anticipating it and eally wanted it so he said, “…I’ll ask the school and see…” This was Todoroki’s way of negotiating. Afterwards, dinner was served and so Todoroki and Fuyumi had to leave. In the halls, Fuyumi began to speak. “Your teacher is Aizawa sensei right?’ “Yes…” “Why do you look so tired? Oh yeah, dad may be able to go….” “You DEFINITELY cannot tell him about this!!!” “Oh? but…’ "You can’t tell him!” Fuyumi watched as Todoroki’s expression became serious as he repeatedly objected her and so she said, “…okay..okay” Waiting for the elevator, Fuyumi could see Todoroki still frowning. “Do you hate videos that much? If you really don’t want to I won’t record anything.” That made Todoroki lift his head. “Yeah I don’t like to be recorded but I’m not thinking about that anymore!” “It’s not that?” “….I’m just thinking, if I didn’t come and tell mom about this, wouldn’t it have been better?” “Oh, so its about that issue!” A corner of Fuyumi’s lips tugged upwards and she reached her hand out to pat on her younger brother’s head. “What are you doing?!” “Listen. No parent would be sad knowing that their kids are working hard for them. Mom may be unable to go and feels like she owed you for it but you coming here to tell her makes her feel happy already. This is your first time telling her about parent visiting day.” Hearing Fuyumi’s explanation, Todoroki realized she was correct. Whether it was towards his mom or his dad, this was still the first time he told them about parent teacher day. “…..you are acting like a teacher.” “Well I am a teacher!!” Fuyumi stroke his head again lightly after hearing him saying it while hiding his shyness. The elevator announced its arrival with a sound and its doors opened. “Shouto are you not coming in? The door’s going to close.” Todoroki went in after his sister’s suggestion and had a thought in his mind. Even if it is quite embarrassing, he will still endure the video taping because that small deed would make his mom happy.

[everythingtimeless]

Welcome to EverythingTimeless’ Weekly Roundtable, a sprawling discussion in which your friendly neighborhood Mod Time Team breaks down episodes of our favorite show, Timeless. We can’t promise to be coherent, but we’ll try our best. 

This week: Season 1, Episode 2 - The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln

Sarah: Friends, family, Time Team. We are gathered here today. To talk about Robert Todd Lincoln. (Right? That’s what we’re here to talk about?) 

Kate: Can I say it is still to soon even if I was supposed to be prepared to? Because, RTL. 

Gissane: That’s exactly what I signed up for. I also think we should make a fan club. Posters. Tees. Mugs. ALL THINGS RTL.

Ann: Girls, we must be PROFESSIONALS about this now. We are SERIOUS bloggers. So we can only squee over Dreamboat Lincoln in due order of the episode conversation.(Also maybe set up a side-side RTL appreciation blog?)

Kate: Maybe? Definitely.

Sarah: Decorum is the name of the game. (What do you think - Robert Toddless? Thinkin’ Lincoln? Todd Team?)

Gissane: Todd Team. YES. Can we be the Todd Team?

Kate: Alright, perhaps we gather what is left of our dignity and start at the top of the episode. I shall begin with the brave opinion that John Wilkes Booth is a toady dumpster fire of a human.

Sarah: Opinion super sustained.

Ann: I always appreciate the complete and utter loathing he inspires.

Gissane: Agreed. Very much agreed.

Sarah: It really does quickly pull you into the episode - something so recognizable and startling.

Ann: It absolutely does.

Kate: Like every time I see Titanic and think they will avoid the huge chunk of floating ice, I saw it and was still somehow shocked he was assassinated? Timeless knows how to deliver the drama, even when we see it coming.

Gissane: Yup, because on a show like this, we somehow hope that it can happen, but at the same time, we know that it shouldn’t. And a huge part of that drama was that amazing debate among the Time Team. It breaks me every single time.

Ann: Well and there is the *actual* chance they can change history, they could right a wrong. And even if we know that would royally fuck up so much more, a part of us still wants to save Abraham Lincoln, you know?

Kate: I love that the team members each have a voice though. Like a passionate though respectful debate about changing the entire course of history because how do you pass up the chance to save Abraham Lincoln?

Gissane: Always save Lincoln. Always.

Sarah: Well, Rufus’s point of view actually makes me cry.Because for him the ramifications of Lincoln’s death are so rooted in his oppression.

Kate: Rufus always providing such an important representation of a perspective rarely entertained.

Sarah: And seeing the hope in the soldier’s eyes as they talked about freedom - devastating.

Ann: That scene where the soldiers asked him to write letters for them? I cried.

Kate: And the whole while Rufus knows what is coming for them historically, so then when he might have a chance to save Abraham which would go a long way in saving them all? Gahhhhh. I am undone.

Gissane: It literally doesn’t matter how many times I watch this episode, I will choke up like a baby every time. I don’t think any episode has gotten to me as much as this has, to be honest.

Sarah: Right Kate - Lucy idolizes Lincoln, Wyatt sees saving Lincoln as proof that fate can and should change - which would in turn save his wife. But to Rufus, he still lives with a piece of that. 

And agreed so much, Giss. One of the soldiers - who had fought for the country, for his freedom - hasn’t seen his wife since she was sold. Timeless took this Lincoln episode seriously, and it shows. 

Kate: Rufus is the character that won’t allow us to conveniently forget the implications of history. HE IS SO IMPORTANT.

Gissane: I feel like we’ll say this every week, but I love how unapologetic this show is in regards to painting the ugliest sides of history to remind viewers of just how awful it was and essentially still is at times.

Sarah: Yes and yes.

Ann: It’s scary how much these lessons both still resonate and beg to be learned, you know?

Gissane: I love that even though we can definitely mess with history, the show still sticks to telling us truths that we may have forgotten upon learning or that may have been concealed from the textbooks.

Kate: Both, so so much Annie. 

Let us take a sojourn to another important little piece of the episode. In which the impeccable Jiya offers to help Lucy figure out what happened to her sister.

Sarah: Here. For. Lady. Friendship.

Gissane: You mean in the second episode of a show two women had a conversation that didn’t revolve around a man!?And it was done so effortlessly, you could tell right away that because both these women are incredibly kind, they’d get along perfectly with one another.

Kate: Meanwhile Conner “I have the sympathy of a plastic bag” Mason is all like, ummm sorry bout your sister maybe not really.

Gissane: Connor “No Chill, No Grace” Mason.

Sarah: Someone did not attend Mason Industries sensitivity training. 

Kate: It tickles me that every time the Time Team returns and reports a disturbance in the history force that Denise and Connor are all like, whatttt? Nooooo. How?!?!?! 

Ann: I also live for Denise’s face every time Connor speaks.

Gissane: She is all of us.

Kate: She wants to hit him so hard. Upside the head, really quickly and repeatedly.

Sarah: Can you imagine, though, finding out that not only is your sister just…not in existence…but the man who you thought was your father was, in fact, not your father…and then you are pushed into a small deathtrap and flung back to the assassination of your country’s greatest leader?

Kate: Also she is engaged to a stranger. Lucy has way more composure than pretty much anyone ever.

Gissane: And we can talk about how Wyatt slams Connor about being a little more sensitive. But in all seriousness, if I was Lucy, I’d lose my head in a heartbeat. Actual QUEEN.

Ann: Oh I would have crumbled immediately, if not sooner. I would have traveled back in time to crumble sooner probably.

Kate: This is where Wyatt really begins to take a stand for his team and I love it. First with assuring Lucy that they would fix the timeline and get her sister back. Then with Rufus, building up his self confidence.

Gissane: YES. I love his moments with Rufus too much to be able to form words.

Kate: Wyatt started becoming more than just a super pretty face with a head that rocks a hat like nobody’s business this episode.

Sarah: It also begins one of my favorite pieces of this stupid (wonderful) show - which is Wyatt helping Lucy with her seat belt. (And Wyatt’s perpetual motion sickness.) 

Ann: Sarah no.

Kate: Yes Sarah. YESSSSSSS. Yep. 

Gissane: SO. MANY. EMOTIONS.

Sarah: I don’t know what I did in a past life to be punished? rewarded? thusly. But I curse and praise some deity.

Ann: I swear to god every time I put on a seatbelt now I am pissed as hell that it’s my hands and not Wyatt Logan’s adjusting the strap for safety.

Kate: Wyatt Logan is the sear belt fastener we all deserve.

But also, and finally going back to where we feverishly began. Lucy and RTL. Going to the Ford Theater. Making eyes at each other. DISCUSS.

Gissane: THE WAY HE WALKS IN. Just. I need to go lay down.On a serious note though, the thing that gets to me is how proud he is to be Abraham Lincoln’s son. He doesn’t feel pressured to live in the shadow, he appreciates it. An absolute babe with a heart of gold? I cannot handle. 

Sarah: It is a beautiful thing.

Kate: I will never get over the anguish in his face when he found Lucy outside of the theater.

Sarah: I think all of it is so lovely in setting this scene - it’s a story we (or, well, we as Americans in this chat) know well. But he helps to humanize it. All of the small details - including the mailroom and the dimly lit theatre and trying to avoid the show (or help Ulysses avoid the show).

Kate: I feel like we think of Abraham Lincoln as ours, you know? Leader of a country through one of the most tumultuous times in our history. But he belonged to others, and this show allowed us to see the imitate cost.

Gissane: Oh man. I have chills. 

Sarah: Yes, Kate. 

Gissane: KATE. SARAH. Wow.

Sarah: Even seeing Ford’s Theatre now, it’s hard to place it back to that time. But I think that Timeless really succeeds. All while weaving an interesting story and building this new relationship between our 3 main nuggets.

Gissane: The first time I ever passed by Ford’s Theatre. I couldn’t describe that feeling even if I tried.

Kate: Yes. It gives new breath and dimension to characters or stories we felt we knew, and draws us into the new stories of this team.

Sarah: There’s a Sephora about 300 feet from Ford’s Theatre now, so it really is worlds removed. It also created a high stakes mission. 

There were several moments where I thought, “Oh damn. Lucy is going to save Lincoln.” And Lucy had to make the choice (Though, in that moment, the chaos made it impossible to save him anyway. And here we see Fate in action once again.)

Gissane: But I also love that she clearly tried towards the end, but it was too late. It was just not meant to be I guess. IT HURTS. 

Kate: And considering she was in the box when it happened. How traumatic. Lucy Preston is so damn strong I cannot.

Sarah: SO strong. (Of course RTL sees that and comes to her immediately after…)

Kate: A small aside. Garcia. We don’t know him yet, his motivations, his past. It is jarring to be attached to him  now (because damnit I am) and go back and see him at his most detached.

Sarah: He was outright terrifying. He killed Lincoln point blank, no hesitation. 

Kate: But I swear there was regret in his eyes when he shot Lincoln, so this is when I started wondering just what the hell he was up to. Or maybe I imagined it because he has really pretty eyessssss.

Gissane: But I feel like Flynn is the kind of man who’d look up to Lincoln in one way or another. If there’s one president that could win even the cruelest hearts, it’s Lincoln.

Sarah: True, Giss.Which makes his desperation all that much more apparent.

Well, friends and Todd Teamers. Final thoughts? 

Kate: Other than poor Lucy, she goes from watching the president be assassinated to an engagement party to a man she is just meeting? Time Travel Whiplash, my friends

Gissane: After this episode, I became Timeless trash. There was no turning back.

Sarah: Mostly I think they’ve started to really carve a few important paths for the show: There seem to be no stakes too high for Garcia. Fate appears to be unavoidable. And time is malleable. 

I cannot wait to see what timeline our friends mess up next - and hopefully we get some Amy-related answers? P.S. I would also not cry about seeing Wyatt shirtless again

Kate: Until Atomic City, location Trash Vegas, my friends.

Gissane: Good day, darling souls! 

Kate: (On to dream about Wyatt shirtless, thanks muchly!) 

[long-way-down-rp-archive]

Huey

TRUE NAME: Yes FACECLAIM: Ben Whishaw NICKNAMES AND ALIASES: Jules, Shadow, Midnight, Binx, Omen, Bruce, Ash, Pitch, Alfred, Inky, Noir, Louis DATE OF BIRTH: Some time in the 1300s, maybe, date unknown because he was too busy being a cat to take note APPARENT AGE: Mid thirties ACTUAL AGE: Six to seven hundred years old. Or six to seven thousand, math isn’t really a cat subject. GENDER: Male KIND: Lucky Cat - Matagot OCCUPATION: Unemployed DISTINGUISHING MARKS: As a cat, clean black fur that never ‘rusts,’ but stays black no matter how long he sits in the sun–as well as fifth digits on both forepaws giving the appearance of little thumbs. In any shape, he has a small scar along the inside of one thigh from the unfortunate veterinarian who thought they’d attempt to neuter him, and the ensuing struggle. PERSONALITY: Indulgent, picky, erratic, anxious, affectionate in bursts, melodramatic, unforgiving, lonely

HISTORY: 

It was raining the night the cat was born, because rain is very poetic and he loved to think of himself as an utterly singular feline, The Cat. It was raining the night The Cat was born, or perhaps snowing, or perhaps the weather was disagreeably still. In any case, he was born. There was a sticky, filthy, physical beginning to him, one that rooted the power of him firmly within this plane of existence. Not that he would stay there long. Growing up as a cat born on the streets of a small city in France meant that The Cat had very few career options, and survival requires an occupation. There were scavengers, thieves, and there were mousers. And, while mousing was a hideous and distasteful business, it was the only option that allowed for a warm pillow under a nice roof without being chased from the premises. And so he found himself a household with an unoccupied kitchen, and embarked on a year long stint of the only honest work he would ever admit to doing in all his years, and in that house, from humans, he learned the workings of a Deal.

From then on he was taken into homes with a different sort of arrangement. He would no longer be pampered in exchange for physical labor, but for pure gold–although it could be argued that the production of said gold was a physical labor all its own. If he was cared for, he would pay his way. But, if he wasn’t… Some arrangements were more successful than others. There were families with young children he could curl up beside and dote upon in the dead of night, and there were solitary masters with simple lives and simple needs. And there were the greedy, the possessive, those who could never truly provide him with a home but who would try never to let him go.

A move to the French territories of North America with one such owner ended with the man somehow lost overboard midway on the trip across the sea, and The Cat picking his own way bit by bit down from what is now Canada into warmer and warmer climates. House after house after house, he slowly drifted his way down, until a tickle at the back of his skull pulled him all the way to Nashville with the taste of his beloved old brand of magic tickling the back of his throat. But Nashville and the modern age weren’t as interested in him as he was in them. His personal brand of magic was losing favor, being replaced by community and cooperation in lieu of life and soul as willing collateral. And his deals dried up, and the exchange of magic that had sustained him for so long went with it, The Cat had to find new methods.

And so, in the height of Beatlemania, he stitched himself a human shape of non threateningly attractive features. A manageable height, the haircut, an accent learned from the radio, and Nashville was his oyster. Or, it was closer to being his oyster than it had been before–humans were still horribly unlikely to understand the requirements of his deals, the knowledge lost to them like so many things. But it was something to cling to, something to try.

FAMILY: Once had a cat mother and several cat siblings, but never really knew them, and cannot now clearly recall any of the short weeks he had with them.

SEXUALITY AND RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Being a cat, human sexuality is all a bit strange and technical. Although, he has found men to be much easier to attract in the ways he needs them. Truly romantic relationships are something he’s still trying to sort out, although he has a persistent fondness for one particular dog. OTHER TIES: 

Sol - a relatively young immortal who has not yet picked up some of the eccentricities that can make it difficult for Huey to relate.

WANTED CONNECTIONS: Former keepers. This could be the grown up versions of people he once lived with when they were children and he was in cat shape, or misguided former lovers. Also looking for a couple people who understand and have a healthy respect and fear of what he is. LIKES: Butter, warm spots, socks, attention, privacy DISLIKES: Nonconsensual surgery, being too hot, unseasoned food, feeling trapped, unpleasant Specters HOBBIES: Eating, drinking, couch and bed surfing, walking the plains of darkness between realities SKILLS: Sense of direction, highly accurate teleportation, pinpointing spiritual disturbances, mechanical bull riding. Oh, and producing pure gold from his mouth. MEDICAL CONDITIONS: Once had a hairball. It was terrible. Hasn’t shed a single hair since then. Currently experiencing a mild form of malnutrition. CURRENT FINANCIAL STATUS: Although he is capable of producing solid gold from within his mouth, Huey lives mostly off the generosity of others and remains destitute in the absence of that. PLACES: None in particular, but you might catch him around proper wine bars, bakeries, or warm car hoods. And anyplace Sol’s sleeping. PETS: Well, there is that dog… but he doesn’t count.

KNOWN MAGIC: As standard issue to Matagot and other Lucky Cats.  MAGICAL ITEMS: None

RUMORS: There is a cat on the streets of Nashville with enough magic in one claw to melt a fully grown man down to sludge with one scratch.

There is an overly affectionate man who tips his servers in pure gold.

A small black cat has been seen sneaking into toy stores and stealing socks from the doll clothing section.

WRITING SAMPLE: It was easier than he had anticipated, stitching together a suitable human form. He had taken one once or twice before, but only for short seconds, and never meant to be looked at too closely. But he needed one to stick, he needed one that would deliver in a way that his feline form no longer did. And his inspirations were perfect–the height of Beatlemania and the beatnik generation giving him a look to draw the attention he needed, and although the Liverpool accent quite escaped him, he’d spent more than enough hours sitting on the plush arm of that last kind old woman’s chair as she listened to radio show after radio show. Basil Rathbone was much easier to imitate.

Perhaps it was tasteless, standing in the mirror of a dead man’s home and appraising his newly constructed features. But the features themselves were in great taste, he decided, and so that must have made up for any faux pas. And besides, the fellow had been an absolute failure within their arrangement, and could only blame himself for incurring the wrath that The Cat had only so much real control over. So he stood in front of that mirror and he flexed his fingers and tugged on his cheeks, pulled back his lips and span around a few times. The legs did seem unnecessarily long, but that was the proportion–he’d just have to adjust. He was already getting cold, though, with only skin to keep his heat in instead of fur. His ribs scraped out at his flesh when he moved his arms. But that would change, he was certain.

In the meantime, clothing. There were so many fussy little bits and pieces to a human’s costume. The underthings, the upper things, the lower things. When he pushed his oddly long new feet into the dead man’s socks, he decided that they were lovely things, his favorite of all human trappings. He’d have to find a few more pairs and somewhere to stash them, they were delightful. With the use of his hands, The Cat helped himself to the contents of the kitchen, and he spoke aloud to himself the names of everything, breaking in his new, clumsily thick tongue. The voice was too deep, he decided, and after a few unseemly, hacking coughs, it was lighter and more inviting. Much better. He found, though, as he tried to rehearse just what he’d say when his guest would arrive, that his first language utterly escaped this indelicate mouth. Humiliating, really, that the pronunciations stumbled out of his mouth gracelessly when he had never had an issue with a cat’s mouth. And they weren’t even meant to speak without magical intervention.

So, English it would be. He practiced the words and poured himself a glass of wine–perhaps an overly generous glass of wine–then carefully positioned himself on the living room rug to lay in wait in front of the dead body on the couch. He’d thrown a blanket over it to keep it from smelling up the place as he waited, but he wasn’t kept waiting much longer. Pausing mid sip as the sound of rough paws and claws tapping down the length of the hallway, a smile curled the corners of his human mouth. “Right on time, you always come when called. So, what do you think?”