#buuuut it is an acknowledgement that she is his sister

[blockgamepirate]

I mean to be honest, there might be something to Cellbit listing her along with the other people he lost when Green got eliminated (when they still thought they were all going to die), and then maybe being a bit shocked that the other team chose her first? even if he couldn't manage to pull his head out of his ass for long enough to ask for her (Phil said Bolas did actually discuss who they wanted to pick ahead of time, and he said Fit was the only one they chose that they didn't get so Bagi was apparently not on the wishlist.)

I almost wonder if he was secretly hoping she wouldn't be chosen early so he could suggest her a bit later without seeming like he actually wanted her on his team.

(Or alternatively he just really values her so little that he didn't think anyone would want to pick her early and that was the only reason he reacted that way. Well that and to be mean about it. But I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt.)

Then seeking her out and calling her his sister almost right after, even if it's obviously jokingly so. And then killing her because he's too much of an asshole to just apologise and tell her that he's glad she's not dead.

It shouldn't be her job to read between the lines though, especially when the lines are mostly sword strikes. It's not her fault he's such an ass. (And no I don't want to hear anything about how traumatised he is, that's not a good excuse.)

idk, I guess we'll see how it all develops after Purgatory.... Obviously the death games are not the best place to sort out all your interpersonal problems in the first place and some level of playful cruelty is almost expected, so IMO what matters more is what happens afterwards.

How Cellbit shows his love towards his sister I guess

(I hope I got the captions right, I did kinda have to guess because I don't know Portuguese)

[demonsfate]

anonymous sent . . .

I don't blame you for not going on r/Tekken anymore. that place just really does have an agenda against jin kazama. like what the fuck do they want? i keep seeing them say they're okay with jin being a villain in tekken 6 because he was a "boring generic anime edgelord emo", but then they also say he should be punished and xiaoyu should kill him then leave him for some other guy like claudio/hwoarang/steve. like they can acknowledge that kazuya was put in a bad light to make heihachi look good but not jin?! do they want miguel to kill someone he cares about (hwoarang and xiaoyu)? what do they want? the internet can mostly acknowledge when characters are ooc (ex. captain america saying hail hydra) but not jin. if jin was an evil smug arrogant narcisstic asshole with a large ego like the rest of his family then that would be boring as fuck (and also beg the question of what was the point of replacing their precious kazuya mishima back in tekken 3 if it's just another evil mishima). like all tekken fans seem to want is some fifty shades of grey romance between kazuya and jun or some edgy groundbreaking villain protag story like megamind starring kazuya. sometimes i think about how things would've been if tekken 6 scenario campaign never happened, or what if the fans got what they wanted and actually have miguel kill jin. then at least maybe i'll finally get to look at jin kazama stuff without seeing people unironically compare jin to h*tler or p*tin. that redditor sadly isn't the only person who compared jin to h*tler. my sister is a rabid narusasu/sasuke uchiha fangirl who hates seeing people compare her precious man sasuke to a character she doesn't like. she constantly keeps calling jin "h*tler kazama" whenever i played tekken and cheered when i won against him. she says "jin never suffered what sasuke suffered. when sasuke was only 7 he lost his whole family and got abused/tortured by his brother. kazuya also had a rough childhood, jin got to have a happy life for 15 years. jin's trauma is that he lost his mom who isn't even dead, that's not real trauma like sasuke and kazuya". she even prayed at church and wished upon a shooting star for jin's va isshin chiba to get terminal cancer and die (then again it's not just jin's va she also got angry at jun esaka and chie nakamura because sakura haruno is a "whiny crybaby useless pink banshee who got in the way of narusasu". she used to want both chie nakamura and jun esaka to die too). jin isn't even my favorite character in the series, but it's insane that so many people in this fanbase have such malice towards him over one fucking game where he was ooc as fuck (and street fighter x tekken too i guess...at least other non-canon crossovers like project x zone don't potray him like this). that'd be like captain america being hated forever over one comic book where he was ooc and the people at marvel even admit it. seriously, when will tekken fandom ever stop just being so fucking weird with jin kazama i'm at my limit.

sorry if i got too emotional there, i just had to let my thoughts out now. i hope you have a good day.

sorry for taking a while to respond to this! but you definitely know some wild people in your life haha (including your sister, no offense!) it kinda reminds me of how people used to act when i was a kid. when i was a kid, i was in a lotta spaces with other kids that acted just absolutely wild about their favorite characters and ships just like this. buuuut... granted, we were all like 10 years old lol. luckily i don't really run into people like this anymore. (the rabid fans that go beyond obsessive hating) most of the time, i just see the annoying ppl who are like "JIN IS A BAD CHARACTER. JIN IS A WAR CRIMINAL. KAZUYA SHOULD BE MAIN CHARACTER" - type of folk. annoying people, but not quite concerning, y'know?

but yeah, i surprisingly see a lotta people who say tek6 made jin a better character. which is usually thanks to the crowd who don't like "good characters" ... which tbh, it seems like more ppl nowadays are averse to heroic characters than they used to be? nowadays people want characters to be more morally questionable. which as i've stated before... it just gets boring if every character has to be like that. plus, even if jin WAS a genuinely terrible character before tek6, it's not like tek6 would've improved him. how does, essentially, being a copy of kazuya's character makes him any better? it doesn't. it still has the problem of him being unoriginal and boring because we already have a character like that.

i think what they wanted was just for jin to be completely condemned or for kazuya to have been the "true good guy" lol. at least, that's what i got from reading those old reddit posts prior 8's release. which as i said, is silly because kazuya is just as bad - err, arguably worse than jin was. given that both are doing the exact same shit, it's just that jin was to save the world supposedly meanwhile kazuya is just... because he wants power lol.

and yeah, i always found that funny. i find it funny how people can acknowledge steve rogers or luke skywalker being written ooc in stories that have smeared their characters to make them "flawed" or straight up villainous for no good reason. but like... people can't do that with jin when it comes to tek6? ofc, the sw and marvel crowds are completely different people - but my point is, why can't the tek fandom recognize what jin's character used to be?

ffs, i once pointed out that jin saying "strength isn't everything" isn't actually character development because of the way his character is handled, and everyone disagreed with me on that lol. it's like if mario says "i must save'a the princess!" in every game, but then in one game, he's suddenly like "PRINCESS PEACH CAN GO EAT SHIT AND DIE" but then in another game, he returns to saying "i must save'a the princess!" that's not... that's not real character development, it's just writing the character accurately again. ESPECIALLY when there's no explanation at all as to why mario wanted peach to die, and then there's no explanation for when he suddenly returns to wanting to save her.

but yes, i'm totally with you. i just wish that people would stop being so fucking weird about jin. but like you said, i don't really visit r/tek anymore, i don't really interact with the fandom at all beyond the people i talk to on this blog. i don't go actively searching through tags. sometimes i'll find content on twitter, but that's only because i visit it for tek news. other than that? yeahhh... it's just a place that's best to stay away from lol.

also i'm just gonna say, IF kazuya gets redeemed, the fandom BETTER give him the same energy as they do to jin. they better give him the "BUT HE SHOULDN'T BE REDEEMED?!" and make nonstop jokes about him being a war criminal who can now for some reason be a good guy. but... we'll likely not see that as much. given there was an alarming amount of ppl who thought kazuya was more worthy to be the good guy than jin was lol.

and yeah, i also wish tek6's scenario campaign never happened. errr... at the very least, i wished it went a completely different way without ruining jin's character.

[robbyrobinson]

OWL HOUSE X CTHULHU MYTHOS: GOD AWAKEN (PT. XII)

The gang waited patiently for Hypnos to return with the Blight child. While waiting, Luz decided to relay the others on their plan.  

“Alright, so Amity and I will go to Earth in our astral bodies and when we find out where the book is, Eda will use this bell and bring us back.”  

Eda held the bell in her hand and rang it. “Why did you need Amity in particular to travel with you?”  

“I knew that Willow and Gus would be attending Hexside tomorrow, and I couldn’t bring them into this kind of situation,” Luz explained, “besides, if they notice I am gone, I am hoping that they’d protect our bodies when we are gone.”  

“I am still somewhat unsure about what we are trying to accomplish,” Lilith said, “Hypnos said that you needed to take these...drugs. How are we going to get them?”  

Eda flicked her hand. “Don’t worry, sis, I have the solution.”  

Eda walked out of the room and loud shuffling was heard. Some potion jars were dropped on the floor and exploded upon impact. The floor began to transform into different objects and shapes when Eda returned carrying a bottle in her hands.  

“Sister, that isn’t what I think it is,” Lilith started.

Eda grinned. “Yes, indeed, Lilith; apple blood from 40 years ago!”  

“Eda, why in the Titan’s name would you keep that bottle around for 40 years?” King asked.

“Pipe down, dog, I was actually considering saving this brew for Luz when she graduated Hexside, buuuut we could use this to help her travel.”  

Luz gagged on reflex. “I don’t know, Eda; what if that’s dangerous?”  

“Luz, how I see it, one of two things could happen: either this apple blood will send your soul out of your body so you can jump dimensions, or it could kill you.”  

Luz frowned. “Both options sound too risky.”  

“Maybe we can use a guinea pig for this experiment,” King suggested. “Hey, Hooty!”  

Hooty’s tube head popped into the room, startling Lilith. “Hoot! Hoot! Hey guys!!”  

King grimaced at the annoying voice coming from the house demon. “How would you like to play a game?”  

Hooty’s black eyes bulged excitedly. “Ooo, a game! What are we playing? Charades? Chess! Ooo, maybe we can see who can put the most worms in their mouths without swallowing!! Hoot! Hoot!!”  

“Shut up!” King yelled, his head throbbing, “we need you to drink this.”  

He took a mug and poured the apple blood into it. A dark red liquid dripped out of the bottle with a sickly nauseating plop. He placed the mug at Hooty’s invisible feet and waited his eyes growing more intense. Hooty shifted his tube body to smell the concoction. His feathers ruffled in disgust.

“That smells like a goblin soaked his socks in it for months!!”  

King nodded. “I know it smells bad, but we need you to drink it.”  

“Mmm...what’s in it for me?” Hooty asked.  

King scratched the boney part of his head for a moment. “If you do this, then...”  

Luz interjected. “We’ll listen to your stories for a whole week!”  

King turned to look at Luz with a hint of frustration on his face as if to criticize her for the suggestion. He turned back towards Hooty and forced his head to nod. “Eh...sure.”  

Hooty smiled. “A WHOLE WEEK!? You guys hardly ever listen to my stories; finally, I will have some acknowledgment, hoot! Hoot!”  

“Ugh, fine, whatever,” King said, “just drink it.”  

Hooty knelt his body down to look at the liquid in the mug. Along with the red tint that gave the beverage its name, there appeared to be green moss growing in it. “Ew...do I have to?”  

King flicked his fingers. Hooty sighed and closed his eyes so at the least he did not see what he was about to drink. The tip of his beak formed into a circular shape and he took a long swig of the concoction. King and the others felt their cheeks turning green.

“He’s...really doing it,” King observed, “I was kind of half-kidding when I said that we should test it on him.”  

Hooty finished the mug and looked up again at the others. He didn’t say anything to them.

“Uh...Hooty?” Luz said, “are you okay??”  

Hooty’s eyes widened and glimmered from seemingly glaring into the universe itself. Before they could say anything additional, Hooty fell to his side.  

“Oh cramity, I think we killed Hooty!” Luz said.  

Eda knelt down and placed two fingers close to Hooty’s mouth. “Naw, he’s still warm.”  

“If only he was dead,” King complained.

“Then that means the astral travel had worked?” Lilith asked.  

“Mmm...looks like it had.” Eda answered. “He’s probably already going down one of those wacko dimensions as we speak.”  

King poked Hooty with a stick. “He was the security system, though; are you sure we can handle things while he is gone?”  

“Of course, it’s just that we have to watch two girls’ bodies while they are traveling through the vastness of space.” Eda shrugged her shoulders. “It’s not that complicated.”  

Luz looked at the unconscious tube bird and then at the apple blood. “Well, Hooty’s a house demon, and I’m a human.”  

“Oh, that is true,” Eda said, “some drinks in our world might do unspeakably malicious things on your system.”  

“Knock, knock.”  

Hypnos came in carrying Amity on his back. “I got the girl!”  

“Amity!” Luz screamed.

Amity immediately blushed from hearing Luz’s voice.  

“Oh, Luz! Fancy meeting you here!”  

“I live here,” Luz pointed out.  

“Oh, right, you live here,” Amity giggled anxiously. “And I came here to see you.”  

Amity tensed up from Luz’s stare. “I spoke to much!”  

Hypnos rolled his eyes and sat Amity down. “You can have your infatuation moment later on.”  

“Amity, we need your help,” Luz said.  

Amity slammed her fist into her open palm. “Yes, who do I have to kill?”  

She scanned the room for a moment and saw that Lilith was sitting on the couch. “You wanted me to kill her?”  

Lilith held her hand out. “Woah, woah, I know it looks bad, but-”  

Without much prompt, Amity conjured up her Abomination and it towered over the older witch. “Abomination, kill!”  

Amity’s Abomination grabbed Lilith with his right hand and started to compress her with its large fingers. Lilith squirmed underneath the grip of the blobby monster to no avail.  

“Amity, wait, please!” Lilith yelled.  

“That’s what you get when you tried to kill my girl!” Amity yelled. She turned to look at Luz only now realizing what she had just said. “I-I mean my friend! No one tries to kill my friend.”  

Eda stood up and grabbed onto Amity’s hand. “As much as I can understand your anger, this isn’t why we called you.”  

Amity’s cheeks were red again this time from embarrassment. “Oh...sorry Lilith.”  

The Abomination dropped a traumatized Lilith on the couch. “So, why am I here?”  

They explained to Amity everything from Nyarlathotep’s return to the Boiling Isles, and how Emperor Belos was working alongside the dark god to enact the Day of Unity. Amity sat on the couch and quietly listened. Each passing moment, Amity felt a sense of dread overtake her. She looked down at her hands.

“All the times I used magic; you mean to tell me I was actually profiting off the sacrifices of different witches?”  

Luz nodded sadly. “I am sorry that you had to learn about the darker side of the Isles’ history.”  

“But if what you are saying is true, wouldn’t it make more sense to infiltrate the Emperor’s Coven and steal the portal door from Belos under his nose?” Amity asked.  

Hypnos wagged his finger. “Belos is far too powerful to take on at your state.” He walked over to a wall of the house. “You all would get slaughtered the moment you step foot in his kingdom.”  

“I guess that makes sense,” Amity said, “but...drinking this potent apple blood. Would it be too dangerous?”  

King pointed at Hooty’s lifeless body. “It worked for Hooty.”  

Amity frowned. “He looks dead.”  

“No, he’s not dead,” King assured her, “he still has a pulse, see?”  

He grabbed Hooty’s head and shook it in his hands. Amity’s fears were not comforted in the slightest. King tired himself out from shaking Hooty and unceremoniously dropped the head carelessly on the ground.  

“There is no other way,” Luz said, “there is only one portal key, and that is what Belos currently has in his possession.”  

“True, but...I am still worried,” Amity noted.  

Luz clutched her hand tenderly. “Don’t worry; I’ll be doing it with you.”  

Amity’s heart galloped quickly behind her ribs. Oh, sweet Titan, she was holding the hand of her crush. It was...soft, silky smooth like a baby’s bottom. Even though it was a mundane gesture, Amity felt that she was committing a grave sin. Her thoughts were spiraling out of control she couldn’t stand it. Dear Titan, give her strength.  

“Amity, are you okay?” Luz asked in concern.  

Amity quickly broke out of cloud nine still as red as ever. “I-I’m fine, Amity.”  

“But you’re Amity,” Luz pointed out.  

Sweat rolled down Amity’s forehead in beads along with some sweat accumulating onto Luz’s hand. “Oh, right, I am, aren’t I?”  

She giggled nervously hoping to at least get the others laughing to feel less awkward. When she was met with the dead eyes of the others, she stopped laughing. “Let’s just do it.”  

Outside of the owl house, the spy quietly listened and turned to return to Belos to report on what he had heard. As morning encroached on the Blight family, Odalia was already in the kitchen, having woken up earlier than the other members of her family.  

“And this time, serve us something that we’d actually want to eat,” Odalia said sternly to her maid.  

“As you wish, ma’am,” the maid groaned.  

Odalia withdrew one of her favorite mugs from the cabinet and started to prepare some apple blood for herself. While gathering the ingredients, she heard a slight knock at the front door. Odalia groaned in annoyance. “Who can that be at this hour?”  

She yelled for the maid to stop what she was doing and go to the door. She waited around a few minutes, but the same droning of the door echoed through the house. “Come on, what am I paying you for?”  

Odalia rubbed her chin. Oh, right, she wasn’t paying her in snails. She thought about waking up her husband, but she couldn’t remember hearing him snore or let alone hear him move around in his bed. Maybe the twins, but they would probably do something mischievous as they often do. Amity? She was still somewhat upset at her daughter’s scathing opposition of her demands so she was likely to continue to be on her rebel streak.

The knock at the door only further annoyed the Blight matriarch. “Alright, fine, I will do it.”  

She exited the kitchen and walked to the front door. “Yes, I am here; stop with your petulant, infernal knocking!”  

She opened the door and was surprised with what she was seeing. There stood one of the imperial guards of the Emperor. Odalia rubbed the tiredness out of her eyes out of fear of hallucinating the event. But it was very real. In the guard’s hand was a scroll.  

“Pray tell, why are you here at my house at this hour?”  

The imperial guard didn’t speak. Instead, the guard rolled out the scroll in front of her and read what was on it. “Miss Odalia Blight, the Emperor has requested an audience with you.”  

Odalia stepped back. “With...with me? Emperor Belos?”  

“Aye; now please come with me.”  

Emperor Belos was once again on his throne, passively waiting. His spy stood by the throne on the right side of it.  

“Yes, my lord,” the spy replied, “the human girl is planning on arriving to the Earth before you can claim the book.”  

Emperor Belos chuckled. He tentatively touched the scar on his mask that he received from his last encounter with the girl. “She is a very resourceful young lady, isn’t she?”  

“As you say, my lord; what is the purpose of the book if you do not mind me asking?”  

“It is an ancient book that was written thousands of years before I arrived to the Boiling Isles; it records many secrets and accesses to the dark arts. The book documents beings like the Titan and where they trekked and from where they will once again walk.”  

The spy was about to say something else, but he was interrupted by Kikimora.  

“We’ve retrieved her.”  

Emperor Belos nodded and held his staff in his hand bidding the spy to leave. The spy understood and began to walk out. Down the corridors, he caught a glimpse of Odalia. Both of their eyes locked on each other. Before Odalia could say something about the peculiar stranger, the spy turned away and fastened his pace. Odalia shrugged and subsequently shook out any iota of suspicion from her mind. Belos stood from his throne to glance at Nyarlathotep.  

“The deed is done, Master,” Belos said solemnly.  

“Very good indeed,” the Crawling Chaos replied. “Leave us.”  

As Belos turned to walk away, Nyarlathotep held out his staff. “I pray ask is your devotion still towards me?”  

Belos lightly pushed the staff aside. “Yes, Master; I would never betray you.”  

Nyarlathotep directly stared into Belos’ blue eyes for a few seconds and withdrew the staff. “Very well.”  

Belos left through the back of his throne, relieved that Nyarlathotep didn’t suspect the spear he had locked away. Nyarlathotep sat down in the place of the Emperor and waited.  

“Lord Belos, I’m he-”  

Odalia stumbled on her words. Instead of Belos, she was instead in the presence of some...swarthy man. And yet, something about the dark-skinned man was oddly enthralling. His chiseled appearance; the intensity of his eyes; he had colored strips of linen on his head. From what Odalia could speculate, he was without a doubt of royalty.  

“Welcome, Odalia, matriarch of the Blight family,” Nyarlathotep replied.  

He had a smooth-way of speaking, sometimes even deliberately prolonging the last letter of his words to burrow into Odalia’s mind.  

“Who are you?” Odalia finally asked.

“I am Nyarlathotep,” he replied, “I have risen from the blackness of twenty-seven centuries to deliver a message.”  

“What is it that you want with me?” Odalia inquired.  

“Why to join the Emperor’s Coven of course!” Nyarlathotep said extatically whilst raising his toned arms.  

Odalia couldn’t believe it. Joining the coven was always a lifelong dream of hers, but due to forces outside of her own, she was forced to leave it as it was: a dream. This was the exact reason she wanted Amity to try for the Emperor’s Coven when she became of age. But with Amity speaking a lot of insolence lately, Odalia realized that she could not live through her daughter, even if she forced her to dye her hair to match her own.  

“Well?” Nyarlathotep asked.  

Odalia fidgeted with her fingers. “It is a great honor, my lord, but I feel that my chances of officially joining it are slim.”  

Nyarlathotep tilted his head. “I am a representative of the Titan that you revere.”  

Odalia raised an eyebrow. “You are?”  

“The Titan has informed me that the Day of Unity is at hand: the gods have declared that there would come a new birth for the Boiling Isles, one where the weak are suppressed and extinguished from this land. The strong will rule this land and will never grow weary. Your lineage will be exalted above the heights of the clouds and will be a force to reckon with.”  

Odalia tapped her chin with her fingers. That sounded like a good deal; join the Emperor’s Coven and she would reap the benefits of it. “If I do this, I will make the Blight family name the greatest in the world?”  

Nyarlathotep sneered. “All of creation will know your name from the furthest parts of the galaxy to the fabric of reality itself.”  

“You have yourself a deal, Nyarlathotep,” Odalia smiled.  

Nyarlathotep took his finger and drew a circle. From the small portal, a book fell. The book opened itself up to reveal an empty page. Nyarlathotep took the pen fashioned from bone and motioned for Odalia to take it.  

“Your blood, please.”  

Odalia hesitated at first out of disgust that she would have to prick her finger and write her name in her own blood on some crummy old paper, but the promises that the Crawling Chaos promised her proved too powerful. She jabbed her finger with the bone with enough force that even Nyarlathotep was slightly taken aback by her decision. Her blood dripped through the page and onto the other pages.  

“Excellent work, Odalia,” Nyarlathotep proclaimed, “for enlisting, I will bestow you with this.”  

He produced a staff and placed it in her hand. “A staff.”  

Odalia looked at the staff with curiosity. “But I already have one at home.”  

“I know; but this staff, in particular, can collect magic, not just from your magic bile, but from any other source.”  

“Hm, that would be useful,” Odalia thought, “what shall you have me do?”  

Nyarlathotep turned her back into the hands of Emperor Belos and they walked down the empire. Through the doors, Belos stopped and talked to Odalia.  

“It is great that you are assisting in our cause; The Day of Unity is upon us.”  

They came upon a door that was locked away from the other rooms. Belos, with staff in hand, placed the tip of it on a sensor button. The door opened to allow the two in. Through the doors, Odalia saw more of the Emperor’s imperial guards walking to and fro on the stairways carrying heavy boxes. What struck her the most was the large machine in the middle of the bizarre laboratory.  

“What is that, my lord?” Odalia asked.  

“A gateway to other worlds,” Belos passively explained, “when the human girl came to rescue the Owl Lady, she tried to destroy the door that led to the Earth.”  

“So, you managed to salvage what was left of it?”  

“Very observative, Odalia,” Belos stated, “as we speak, the human and your daughter are going to go to Earth to acquire a book that I am after.”  

“Daughter?” Odalia repeated.  

The twins were still at home. She hadn’t heard anything from Amity when she had her talk with her which meant....her eyes doubled in size from the rationalization.  

“I told Amity to not associate with that rat,” Odalia lamented, “I apologize for her; if she did something treasonous...the family line then....”  

Belos held his hand out to silence her. “The Titan has told me that to stop the foolish human girl, you will lead a righteous crusade on the Earth.”  

Odalia bowed her head. “It is an honor to work with you in the name of the Titan.”  

Belos led her deeper into the laboratory. “As you know, the cost of treason against our way of life is petrification.”  

Odalia gulped deeply as a sign of her comprehending the cost of treason.  

“But you may not be aware of what becomes of the soul of the traitor, I assume?”  

He opened another door in the laboratory. The imperial guards were painstakingly melding together red scraps of metal to form rows of armor. A conveyor belt carried the scraps of metal to assemble them. At the top of the conveyor belt was a large vat. It contained a scorching hot, melted down liquid and tipped itself into tubes. The hot liquid flowed through a series of pipes to a slab of metal. The slabs of metal slammed together with great pressure.

The substance sizzled and cooled remaining that way for thirty seconds until the slabs drew themselves away. In the middle were more of the scraps of metal. Odalia’s eyes twinkled.  

“Armor? For what?”  

“For the crusade,” Belos explained, “but does something strike you as peculiar about the metal?”  

Odalia looked closely at the suits of armor unsure of what to expect. It soon became clear: armor that was being hammered into place moved about sluggishly. Each piece of metal that was hammered on made the armor jolt in excruciating pain. It was becoming crystal clear what Belos implicated with the armor: the armor was alive, and reacting in distress. The imperial guards picked and prodded at the armor suits forcing them into open boxes with their staffs laced with electrical wires.

Belos stood in front of one of the suits of armor and struck it.  

“When these former witches committed treason, their bodies were left behind, but as for their souls...they were incapable of escaping their fates. So...after giving it some consideration, I had tasked my servants with collecting pieces of the stone statues and mixing them with metal native to the Isles to create a sturdier metal.”  

“Then that means,” Odalia started.

“That is right; the souls of the executed witches were melted down to create the perfect metal for the perfect suits of armor.”  

The armor moved around in a method similar to how Abominations are maneuvered. However, it was apparent that they still retained enough of their senses to feel pain. Shrill screams seeped out from the helmets of the metal in forced fits of air. They wobbled on their feet yet could not go one minute without falling over. Black paste oozed out through cracks of the armor making it more unsightly. And yet the imperial guards cared not one bit about the suffering of the souls and resumed work on them. Any of the armor suits that failed to be fully operational were picked up by pulleys and dropped back into the vat to be melted down again so the process could start anew.

“And you need me to lead these...things?” Odalia asked Emperor Belos once again.

“Of course! But when your daughter goes to Earth, you won’t be able to see her without this.”  

One of his servants had a necklace on a small cushion. Belos thanked him for it and placed it around Odalia’s neck. “The necklace was crafted from a special type of salt that will make Amity and the human girl visible.”  

Odalia took the necklace in her hand and looked at it. “Very well; and how will I lead the armor?”  

“With the staff my master granted you, of course,” Belos responded, “you must collect enough magic in order to keep them under control.”  

More magic she thought. It could take forever to collect as much magic as she could, and the Day of Unity might already be over. While pondering, she shook her head deeply to Belos and turned to walk away. She was hoping for Nyarlathotep to give her advice on what she had to do, but he mysteriously disappeared without a trace.  

She returned home this time hearing someone else stir awake. Odalia tensed up instinctively and hid in the kitchen underneath the table. She held her breath hoping that she wouldn’t be found with the device. The staff glowed ominously sensing that magic was near.  

“Mom, is that you?”  

Odalia could recognize that voice as belonging to none other than her son Edric. It made some considerable sense because he would typically wake up at the time of day before his twin sister. Odalia was about to respond to him, but she saw that the staff was glowing a deeper shade. The thought crossed her mind: in order for her to control the armor suits, she needed magic. And lots of it. She did live in a house with four other residents...Belos didn’t say anything about where it had to come from.  

Odalia got up from the bottom of the table and tapped the top of the staff on its flat surface. “Yes, Edric, come in here.”  

Edric came in, hair disheveled and yawning deeply. He stretched his arms until there was a small, audible popping sound. “What’s going on?” He rubbed the tiredness from his eyes and caught a glimpse of the staff. “Oh, cool staff! Where did you get it?”  

Odalia did not respond to her son’s inquiries. Instead, she walked closer to him with the staff. Edric felt uncomfortable and tried to step back. This did not deter his mom, however. She held the staff’s head above Edric’s head. The spear glowed crimson red and began to “feed.”  

A vapor slipped out of the orifices of Edric’s face. They came together to create one green, thick puff of an amorphous, shapeless mass and was absorbed into the spear. Edric gagged and wobbled the more that the staff drew from him. He grabbed onto one of the chairs at the table to hold himself up whilst grasping at his throat with his other hand. The color in his skin began to fade away until nothing more than a paper-thin hue remained.  

“Mom, what are you doing?”  

He tried to reach towards his mother, but Odalia continued to hold the staff without issue. She stops draining Edric once he fell on the ground.  

“That might be enough for now,” Odalia said, “but to be sure, I will have to take you with me.”  

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #310

“i get pretty just to fuck my face up.”

Do you have a clock in your room? No. What book, movie, TV show, or video game have you been wanting to start up? I *want* to read The Testaments by Margaret Atwood, but I care more about reading Wings of Fire, so I probably realistically won't for a long time. I don't read enough for that; Sutherland will surely keep pumping out books in the series so I'll never catch up, haha. As for a movie, I've been interested in seeing Jacob's Ladder for a very long time; it served as a very large influence on the Silent Hill series, and boy, anyone who brings up video games in front of me knows SH is my SHIT. I also just know I'm bound to like it with how essentially legendary it is in the psychological horror genre, which is my favorite. Onto TV show, I'm not certain. Shows don't really interest me. I would like to keep watching A:TLA w/ Sara, but "start up" implies beginning something new, so. Lastly, video games. There are a LOT of games I want to play, but yeah, I have no operational gaming console above a PS2. I'm dyinnnngggggg to play a ton of PS4 remasters (namely the original Spyro the Dragon trilogy and SoTC), but as for a fresh game I've never experienced, Ico, which is from the same producers of Shadow of the Colossus. It's an old game, and Mom's bought it off of Ebay for me twice, but neither disc worked - they froze only minutes into the game. It's hella expensive in new condition though because of its age... so who knows when I'll actually get to play it. Do you put anything else on your grilled cheese sandwiches? Just butter. Have you ever read a book in a different language? I've read some simple fairy tales as well as the play Faust in German courses. Do you want to go to the Harry Potter theme park at Universal? I have no connection with the franchise, but I mean, I'd go if you're paying, haha. If you had a secret room in your house, how would you decorate it? I'm trying to think what kind of room I'd keep a secret... Ha, actually, IF my love of tarantulas expands so largely to having dozens (which I doubt, but I acknowledge the possibility once I get my own place), a room kept on the down low to others just for them would be pretty cool. Imagine someone not knowing they're sharing a house with like, a hundred Ts, haha. As for actual decor, I'm unsure. I'd definitely keep it generally dark for them as nocturnal creatures, maybe with some Halloween decorations, like lots of fake webbing and neon green or orange lights. Man... that sounds dope. What did you get your dad for his last birthday? I couldn't buy him anything, nor did I actually make anything since I didn't know what to create. I just told him happy birthday, of course. Do any of your relatives live in another country? No. Are you claustrophobic? In some spaces, yes. Ever seen Blair Witch? Without spoilers, you know "that part" near the end? Yeah, if you've seen it, you know. That would be a fucking NIGHTMARE for me. Even watching it made me squirm. When grocery shopping, do you usually buy brand names or store brand? With most items anyway, we just get the store brand bc we cheap. Around what time do you usually eat dinner? Generally between 5:30-6:30 nowadays. Do you have any clothing that you get dry cleaned? No. Do you like foods with coconut in it? Eugh, not a coconut fan. I don't hate it as much as I used to, but I still don't like it. Have you ever researched your family history? No, but some past relative researched our family tree. Have you ever had surgery that kept you in the hospital for over a day? No. Do you like carrots more if they’re raw, or cooked? I hate carrots. Did you play with Legos as a kid? Nah, I was more into Lincoln Logs. Which bothers you more… spelling mistakes or bad grammar? It really depends on the severity and simplicity of the spelling or grammar rule. Grammatical misuse of "there/their/they're" stand out very strongly to me, though. Have you ever bought anything off of eBay? Yeah, a good number of things. Is anybody in your family schizophrenic? If so, what is their life like? I have a scizophrenic half-sister that I've never met, so I couldn't tell you. How organized is your mind? How do you know it's organized/disorganized? My mind is running Windows '98 with multiple windows and even more tabs open, all of them not responding. :^) Why do you follow the religion that you do? I don't follow one. My personal religious journey was a train wreck liberating to jump off of. Do you feel superior to others because you're that religion? I don't care if you're atheist, Christian, Buddhist, Islamic, whatever - you are by no means superior to another person in any way just because you believe different things happen once you die. If you do, it's time for some introspection. Are you a blind believer, or do you frequently challenge your own beliefs? Seeing as I went from Catholic to Christian to briefly Neo-Pagan-ish to what I am now, just believing there's some higher power/knowledge and some form of sentience after death, I obviously challenge them. What's the greatest thing about science? Life itself. This universe, this planet, your state of just knowing is a product of science, and that's pretty damn beautiful. Are you emotional or very stolid? I know I'm too emotional. I'm trying to get better about it. Do your siblings look like you? To a degree, but not NEARLY as much as they look like each other. Ashley and Nicole have been mistaken multiple times in their lives and even asked if they're twins. How many states have you lived in? Just this shitty one. How many states have you traveled through/vacationed in? Traveled through, a whole lot. Up and down the east coast. I've stayed in New York, Florida, Ohio, Illinois, South Carolina briefly, and I think possibly Michigan as a baby. Which state was/is your favorite? I don't know. Not NC, haha. You have two weeks alone in any place in the world; where would you go? Alone? Um... I dunno. I'd get lonely through two weeks in absolute isolation. How old were you when you first moved out of your parents' home? I want to say I was 18 when I briefly "moved in" with Jason and our roommates. Did you ever have to move back in? Yeah; the apartment didn't last very long. None of us were ready. How old were you when you thought you were "in love" for the first time? I was in love at 16. I'd fight God literally for eternity to prove that fact. How many exterior doors are in your home? Two, or maybe three, depending on your outlook. We have like this deck in the back with a roof and mesh separating you from the outside, and then you properly go into the yard from the door beyond that. How many cars have you owned? I myself, none. How many email accounts do you have? Ummmm my very first one I misspelled, so I didn't use it long before making a new one with the correct spelling, then later I had no choice but to make a Gmail to use YouTube, and I know I've had at least one email specifically for school. I'm probably forgetting some other oldies I used for small things. What was the last movie you watched alone? The Shining. What (if any) one television program do you watch religiously every day/week? None. What (if any) is your favorite sport? Dance. Scoff at that shit and then try one dance session and tell me it's not one. What is your favorite musical? None. Have you ever seen a live opera production? No. Dressing up for an evening out: Pants or skirt? Pants. I don't show my legs. What do you currently hear right now? I'm listening to Dance With the Dead's "The Man Who Made a Monster." I LOVE the aesthetic of synthwave and rock mixed together, but the only problem I have with this song is that it's very repetitive. Still stuck in my head though, haha. What type of survey do you refuse to take? I'm not into bolding surveys, specifically. Do you like to run? bitch fuck no Do you think you could run the mile in 10 minutes? Zero chance. What was the longest movie you watched? Hm, I don't remember... It's faintly there in my head, I just can't identify it... Have you ever been to a job interview? Well yeah. Who was the last person to call you? My psychiatrist. Now that I'm doing the partial hospitalization program again, he calls once a week. When was the last time you talked to your last ex boyfriend? Uhhh I think around the start of this month? Missed him and felt like chatting for a bit. Is your dog mixed or full? I don't have a dog, buuuut... we're getting one soon! I'm quite sure she's a mutt. What was the last thing you and your mother did together? Rode to the pharmacy to pick up my meds. Do you take good pictures? I like to think so. What is your display picture on myspace/facebook right now? The most recent selfie I took and liked. I'm finally comfortable using makeupless photos as a display picture. :') Not that I like my body by any means, I just don't care enough to feel like I HAVE to wear makeup to be even remotely pretty in the face. As for everywhere else... ahahaha. What is going on outside right now? It's raining. Like it has been for what feels like literally weeks - and it might actually have been. There's been one or two sunny days in a huge streak of just nothing but rain. It's so gross outside by now; we've been under a flood warning for days on end. Who was the last person you kissed? My best friend, but we were dating then. What color looks the best on you? Black. Have you ever bought the wrong size because you were too lazy to check it? Oh, absolutely. I LOATHE trying on clothes. You have to essentially drag me to go do it. I don't have a good reason other than I don't want to, lol. What was the last thing you bought over 5 dollars? I put down the deposit on my tattoo. c: Do you have any mag subscriptions? No. What is something you're not scared of but a lot of people are? Snakes are probably the highest on the list. I adore snakes, all snakes. Would you ever have a threesome? No; I'm strictly monogamous and to me would be cheating even if your partner was in on it. Are you an U.S. citizen? Yep. Do you have any step siblings? I have a stepbrother, yeah, but I don't see him as my brother, honestly. He's a very quiet and reclusive guy I've had almost no conversations with, and they've only ever been short. Do they annoy you? Nah, he's fine. How many times a day do you talk to your mom on the phone? Well, we live together... What did you wear yesterday? The same pjs I'm in now. I'm changing when I take a shower later. The tank top is a Day of the Dead-esque skull pattern, while the pants are mostly navy with skulls and candy can crossbones that say "nice until proven naughty" arching over and beneath them. They were a Christmas gift from my sis and are really soft and comfortable. Really don't care that it's now out of season, I wear them anyway. I do not match colors AT ALL, but again, I don't care. What color straightener do you have? We don't have one; neither Mom or I use one. Do you listen to music really loud or really low? Turn that shit up LOUD. I'll be nearly deaf one day, but... worth it? lol Do you live with anybody other than your siblings and your parents? No. Both my sisters have moved out. I'm still here because I'm just not emotionally or financially equipped to live on my own yet. Who was your last crush? I still like my best friend, but agree with her that right now isn't the time for anything. How many tattoos do you have? Currently only six. :( What is your favorite thing to do? Car rides with Mom while I ride passenger, controlling the music nice and loud with my iPod. It's odd, considering I'm very afraid of being on the road, but it's just such a freeing, wild feeling to blare music and just go, letting your mind wander. How many pets do you own? I only have a cat and a snake right now, but we're getting a dog hopefully very soon, preferably today actually when Mom has to go to the appropriate city for her normal check-up to keep her cancer at bay. Her name is Vanna and sounds so perfect for us. Mom can barely wait. Are you close with your parents? Yes, very, Mom especially. Where do you shop the most for your clothes? Hot Topic or Wal-Mart. I'd really like more stuff from Rebel's Market; they have such a wide range of stuff that just scream my aesthetic. I got my purse from there, and it's fantastic quality and so cool-looking. Have you ever read a whole series of books? Well, one trilogy that I remember: Shiloh. I adored those books and the movies. I got very, very deep into Warriors by Erin Hunter, but then my interest in reading waned, and I'm immensely behind. I don't think I'll pick it up again, but I've thought briefly about it. When you tell someone you love them do you mean it? Yes. Are you going to walk at your graduation or just pick your diploma up? I walked. Do you ever eat anything everybody else thinks is gross? Hm, perhaps. I'd have to think for a while. What did you do for your last birthday? I just ate pizza at home with my one sister that was free that day, Mom, and a family friend, as well as opened presents. What do you plan on doing for your 18th birthday? I don't recall, but I think that may have been when I was in the psych hospital. Or was that my 21st? I don't remember. Do you have to type with good grammer? Yes. I type pretty much exactly how I talk. What is your favorite quote? It's hard to pick one singular favorite. Are you allowed to cuss in front of your parents? Dad could care less, but I try to limit myself with Mom, especially with "fuck." She's not a fan, nor does she like if I just swear too much in front of her. Like she won't yell at me or anything, she just makes it clear she wants me to stop. How long was your last phone conversation? Just a couple minutes. I didn't get the Zoom link to group therapy one day and let the place know. Turns out their email was fucking up. Which one of your friends annoy you? The family friend I mentioned a few questions above has the ability to be incredibly aggravating. I love her, but she has zero issue with inserting herself into everything (and sometimes we just don't want to see her), and she voices incredibly rude opinions literally no one asks for a whoooole lot. She's got a strong tendency to try to take control over every situation. Her being our landlord now makes it harder to speak up, and besides, no one wants to hurt her feelings. Don't be mistaken though, she truly is an incredible person with a heart more caring than probably any person I know. Have you ever lost a close friend to death? No, thank fuck. I mean, I think. I do believe one of my childhood online friends committed suicide because of sexual abuse from her own fucking brother, but I guess I'll never know. She was talking to me one night horribly depressed and scared and then just vanished. Bless her, I loved her. Do you know someone who suffers from addiction? Yes. Do you have a lot of pictures in your room? Tons of posters and artwork, anyway. I currently don't have any photographs, but I got this shadowbox thing for my bday to decorate with pictures of Teddy so I can use it in my "tribute shrine" or whatever for him, and I'd also like to frame the picture of Sara's and my first hug and maybe put it on my bedside table. Do you have Facebook? Yeah, I do. Have you ever found a dog/cat on the side of the road? I myself, no, but a friend's mom did find two poor kittens thrown aside in a fucking plastic bag... Some people are abominable. Knowing how much my family loved cats, she reached out to us, and we took them in and named them Aphrodite and... I can't remember the other's name. She disappeared kinda early. Aphrodite wound up being one of my most beloved cats and was even the mother of a kitten that same family adopted. Delilah is still alive, doing wonderfully, and incredibly loved. <3 Aphrodite, meanwhile, as well as all our other cats at the time, were taken by animal control because our neighbors were tired of them wandering, even though they were too fucking cowardly to confront us first. I've said in many surveys that I am very much against outdoor cats, but I wasn't then because I was uninformed and really didn't understand. I wailed and sobbed and just pure shrieked like a banshee outside when we came home to learn they were taken. I have no clue how any are now, and that's the worst part. Do you go bowling in your town? We are in the middle of a pandemic, lol. Even beforehand though, I rarely went. Last time I did was on a date with Girt. We had fun. Do you have a drive-in theater? No sir. What brand is your favorite shoe? Converse. Is your best friend's mom like your own? They're quite similar, yes. Both are very sweet and caring for others. Do you have anxiety or depression? Try both. What is your favorite fast food restaurant? Sonic. Do you own a pair of brass knuckles? Nah. Have you and your friends ever made up a word? Likely as kids. Do you have any embarrassing baby pictures of yourself? Not that I know of. What is the worst smell in the world? Anyone remember that survey I took mentioning my dog's old tumor? Yeah, that after he spent overnight in a diaper and inevitably peed himself in his old age. And he had a UTI. You probably can't even imagine how fucking vomit-inducing that smell was. Do you dye your hair a lot? No. :/ I really wish. I have so many colors I wanna try. Do you have anybody in your family who rides dirtbikes/fourwheelers? Not really? No one in my family owns one. My younger sister would totally go if you asked her and had one for her to use, though. She's done it plenty before. Have you ever rode a dirtbike/fourwheeler? Yeah, a fourwheeler, and it's really fun! Tell me how you got one of your scars? Hmmm, let's think of a unique one. Ah, my shins, left one especially. When I shave my legs, they get unbelievably itchy, even if I use lotion, and I would scratch my skin absolutely raw so often that I have permanent scars. It's partially why I barely shave my legs anymore. Have you ever had a friend who cut themselves? I know many, sadly. I don't know of any that still do, thankfully. I promise, it never helps. If you ever have the urge, I can't suggest enough running where you want to self-harm under cold water or slap the location (like your wrist) with a rubber band. The latter is especially helpful. It's a similar burning sensation and doesn't leave marks. It would help me refrain sometimes. What is your favorite thing to do in the summer? Swim in a nice, warm pool. Otherwise, become a hermit and wait for the outdoors to not be prepared to melt the flesh off my bones. x_x Do you go tanning or do you lay out? Neither, ugh. As you can guess from above, I hate the sensation of heat on me. What is your favorite skin lotion? I just really like cocoa butter. Smells really good and is perfectly moisturizing. Do you use a lot of hair products? The only hair product I use is shampoo, haha. Do you have a cousin you dislike? No. Well, one is incredibly brainwashed and misled by her psychopath of a father, but I love her nonetheless. We talk now and again because family is important to her. Have you ever heard Theory of a Deadman? Yeah, they're good. What is your comfort food? Absolutely ice cream. Who is your celebrity crush? Mark Fischbach/Markiplier is a perfect human being with the looks of a god and heart of a saint and you cannot convince me otherwise. What’s the song you most wish you had written? "Imagine" by John Lennon is a high contendant, for sure. Definitely something I'd write. Have you ever been stuck by someone very annoying on a plane/bus/etc? I think so at one point or another. Did you get lost at all on your first day of high school? Ha, for sure. Have you ever been interrupted during sex? A bitch knows how to act asleep if she hears a door so much as barely squeak, I'll tell you that much lmaooo. Have you ever been recorded doing stupid things while drunk? No. Has a significant other ever called you by the wrong name? No. Have you ever cooked anything and it turned out horrible? I've barely actually cooked anything in order TO fuck up. Have you ever made a bad first impression on someone’s parents? I can't say with certainty, but I think Jason's mom had her doubts about me at first because she commented on the ripped jeans I wore when I went to his house for the first time. She came to love me like her own though, and I love(d) her. I was actually just thinking about her and how she's doing the other day. What is a food that you always are in the mood to eat? Always? Perhaps sour candy, like Sour Punch Straws in specific. Ever held a newborn animal? Many kittens, yes. Do you make a wish when you blow out your birthday candles? I do, but just for the annual appeal of it. I don't actually believe it will have any effect on what I wished, it's just... normal, ig. What is the last thing you searched for online? Medical coding classes. Having trouble finding any free ones that are actually legit... Is it wicked hard for you to sleep when it's hot in your room? It's borderline impossible. Do you dunk your cookies in milk? Sometimes, and almost always with Oreos. Do medical terms make you uncomfortable? Ha, speaking of medical coding... No, not really. It's unnerving to hear "you have _____," but I understand it can be something so, so minor. Of course, it could be the exact opposite, but. I also actually find it quite interesting to learn the Latin roots of the terms. Are you afraid of failure? Beyond measure. Have you been called a bad influence? Yes, to my former friend's son. Not that that witch of a woman was a great person. I'd love to know how an infant can be negatively affected by receiving nothing but love from his "aunt," also having no concept of understanding about me being unemployed and not very "adult-ish" in general, which I'm sure is what she meant. Normally judgment hits me deep, but that shit I just rolled my eyes at.

[jaels]

Co-Parenting Venture Express! [January 26, 2020]

IN PROGRESS

- 1 PM -

Roza smiles as she pushes the stroller, pushing back the hood of it some so that Soph could see the seals Jael was pointing out, flopping out of the water for the fish. A barely audible breath of a chuckle rising out of her at Soph's unchained excitementttttttt, moving to rebutton her coat, not needing her to get Sick, le sigh. "Sophhhh, soph, what's that over there? Huhhhh?" She teases out, once the seals seem to settle some, moving over to the otherside where the good shit seemed to be, pointing out the, to be honest? cool ass fuck looking baby...squinting to read the little plaque - baby snow leopard, Malala (?) huh, okay...hearing the happy gurgling and slapping, seeing her "grabby hands" as she scooches just a smidgeeeeeeeee back, y'know...turning a sidelong look over to Jael, kinda nice doing the Zoo day, together, huh..."Not to toot our own hornsss, buuuut, think we're killing the shit outta this "parenting" trip, thing?....beep beeeep..." She offers out in a hushed whisper, cocking her hip out a bit as she presses deliberately down onto the air as she does the talking level beeeeeps.

Jael points out the different seals in front of them, trying to recall exactly what the info signs had said as he explains the differences to Soph and tells her all of their names, chuckling a bit at the one the flopping seal had, before moving his attention over towards what had grabbed Soph's attention, moving to read the infographic on the leopard. "That's Malala, Soph, say hi," he warmly introduces, a grin tugging on his lips as he saw just how happy Soph was and how much she has enjoying getting to see all the animals. "She really is digging it, it's true," he agrees, the warm smile flashing back across his lips as he sees how brightly Soph was reacting to everything, and it just feeling...Nice, spending time out with her and Roza and co-parenting, even if...his mind trails off a bit, not focusing on that at the moment, his attention moving back to Soph, and just how good it seemed to be for her to have an outing like this with the both of them together. "Think we may have to do this more often?" He suggests with a light, easy smile, as he looks at Roza.

"Yeah, crush the zoo then hmmmm...aquarium, next?" She offers back, as she looks over to Jael, a twitch of a smile drifting onto her lips, leaning over to verify the idea of going to see fishies with Soph, continuing along the familyyyyy, ooofh, day for a few peaceful hours, until it eventually caps off with a cranky, hungry, godzilla Sophie, making short work of getting a bottle ready for her as Jael tries to soothe the wild beast, curious what her little placard would sayyyy, until she takes hold of her, trying her best to do the Jael thing, before she gets her to realize that, hi, hello, hi, food is happening, yes what you want....ahhh...whew, finally, rocking her gently. "So aquarium maybe another day? I can go with you guys back to your place?" She realizes, feeling like Sophie's day was kinda Donezo, making the offer knowing it was around time for her to drift off, figuring it'd be the Easiest.

"Aquarium next," he agrees, a small smile arming his lips, enjoying the rest of the day until he's soothing a tired Sophie at the end of it, rocking her back and forth, before he lets Roza take her. "Next weekend for the aquarium?" He offers, feeling like Soph would really dig it, a small smile crossing his lips as he takes in his daughter, feeling like it was time to head out so she could get her nap on. "Yeah? Min was going to come over for dinner, if you want to stay?" He offers, not wanting her to feel pressured to do so, but feeling like it would be pretty cool of her to join in while Soph had her nap.

Roza continues to move outside of the zoo, moving along the sidewalk and soon enough down the steps to the subway as she continues to feed Soph, directing Jael to reach into her pocket for her pass moving through the turnstile as she hears the invite not really....Expecting it, "Sure?" She finds herself simultaneously agreeing and rechecking with him, as she slides into a seat, moving to take a wipe from the diaper bag as she softly, yet swiftly, wipes Soph's face and under her neck roll once she finished eating, relaxing back in her seat a soft yawn slipping out as she puts the wipe and empty bottle on the side figuring she could deal with it laaaaater. Soon enough finding herself outside of Jael's place, Soph softly snoring into her ear as she gently rubs her back, bouncing a bit as she waits for Jael to unlock the door.

“Then Next Weekend Aquarium it is,” he confirms with an easy, warm smile, hearing back with Roza and Soph to his place, gently laying down to sleep as he plants a soft, warm kiss on her head, a gentle smile moving across his lips as he sees her sleeping soundly. After closing the door behind him to ensure that Soph could sleep peacefully, he hears back out into the living room to try and find some snacks to put out, only for him to be cut off by the sound of the knock at the door, opening it to see his sister, an easy grin warming his lips as he pulls her into a tight, warm hug in greeting.

Minnie moves the bags of yunmmmy ingredients for a new take on tofu pad thai as she reaches out to knock on Jael's door, "Heyyyy," She easily starts off, moving into the hug and further inside, drawing back some afterwards a flit of surprise shining within her as she sees Roza her lips curling softly upwards, "Roz, heyyyy, you...staying for dinner?" She asks, looking from her to Jael.

Roza passes the brick baby over a soft twitch of...something, whatever, passing across her face as she watches Jael put her down, her fingers raking through her hair as she momentarily contemplates saying what she found bubbling to the surface once they move back onto the hall her attention briefly flitting towards the couch, before looking over to Jael, "I mean...we have time right if you'd wanna h..uhm." Roza begins to softball toss out there, because what was the Worst that could happen only to hear the knock, battering ram that line of questioning to hell...unlesss...no...well, mmm... Jael's hand moving to open the door, nixing that too...damn, giving Minnie a small wave in acknowledgment, "...If it's cool...?" She offers tentatively back, looking over her for a few beats, as she leans a bit to the side, "If not...you can blame Jael, He Invited Me, so that's more of a he's to blame thing, right...and I can...fuck Off?"

A warm series of giggles rise out of Minnie as she hears Roza dump everything onto Jael, "No, it's definitely cool. If he Didn't ask, I was Going To...plenty of tofu for everybodyyy..." Minnie announces with a wisp of excitement, making her way further inside and into the kitchen to get everything ready and prepped, happy things were seemingly on the uptakeeee...for them, given everything, moving to wash her hands to start with.

Roza forces a bit of a smile onto her face as she hears the word "Tofu", e...."Yum." She breathes out, watching Minnie spin and turn on her way, blowing a strand of hair up someeee as a bitttt of a sheepish smile grows for a few beats, before her lips defiantly push out some looking over to Jael, realizing she had just kinda, well, yeah..."What? Was I Wrong?"

[colder-bones]

7-7-7 WIP GAME

Go to your current WIP. Find the seventh line on the seventh page and copy and paste seven sentences below. Then tag seven other writers to do the same.

Tagged by @li0nh34rt for 'a little motivation' ??? Janna, do you even know me??? 😂 but you know what? you're in luck because I actually opened something last night and some motivation flooded in.. so.. here ya go.

Theo had gone ahead by the order of his sister, telling him he had to make sure the wolf wouldn’t get away this time. He proceeded with caution, holding his weapon at the ready. He had seen a werewolf before, he had even seen one killed right before his eyes but when he came upon the wolf in question, he was surprised to find someone he knew from school.

“Liam?” The name left his mouth before he could stop it and Theo glanced at the arrow in his shoulder, swallowing harshly. He hadn’t meant to hit him, he even tried not to. The boy in front of him removed his hands from his eyes to look up at him, laughing a few short seconds later. It had confused Theo that Liam had started laughing, why would he be laughing at a time like this?

The boy shook his head before saying, “I should have known.”

Theo lowered his weapon, ready to ask the boy what he meant when Tara came up beside him, shining her light into Liam’s face.

“This isn’t the omega we had,” Tara said, "This must be the one who took out Hutch and the rest."

"On his own?" Theo asked, he was surprised by that. Hutch was definitely considered to be more along the lines of what one would call "muscle".

Theo could feel the boy staring at him, but he was too nervous to acknowledge it. Tara had suggested to use the sword she brought with them, remembering his father explaining that it was the best way to get rid of a werewolf.

I don't really know where I'm going with this buuuut... it's something lol.

Tagging @lightfiretomypaperwings @taylorlahey1316 @imjustafangirl-nobodylovesme @18-sweet-poisoned-heart @lovelylittlegrim @codylworld @anchorsareimportant 🖤🖤🖤

[dork-empress]

Shiro/Matt Crush

Part of my Voltron “Bed Time Stories” Oneshot Collection

Read on Ao3

Matt's reading in bed, while Shiro is tired, grumpy, and a little overly petty.

“Shiro,” Matt muttered. Shiro only hummed. “Shiro, you’re crushing me.”

Shiro hummed again in acknowledgement, but did nothing to change his position. Matt had stayed up late reading again, so that when Shiro came to bed, the light was still on. He was now curled up, laying on top of Matt and arms wrapped around his stomach in a rather passive aggressive display of affection.

“Shiro your fat head is crushing my rib cage,” Matt said, sharper than before.

Shiro turned his head so his chin was digging into Matt’s bruised rib cage instead. “Problem?” he asked.

Matt sighed. “Look, you can turn the lights off if you want, ok? I’ve got a little reading light in my nightstand.”

Shiro groaned, nuzzling into Matt’s chest and re-adjusting himself so he lay up higher on him, basically crushing his whole body other than arms and head and preventing him from even putting his book down.

“Oh my god you ginormous baby,” Matt said, struggling to find his bookmark, a task significantly more difficult with a 200 pound weight spread out on his chest. Shiro smiled to himself as Matt groaned, finally reaching his target.

The book was set aside and a hand combed through Shiro’s short hair. Shiro hummed, happier this time. “I was enjoying that book you know,” Matt said, continuing to reward Shiro for his bad behavior. “Just getting to the good part.”

“Mmmm,” Shiro said, nestling on top of Matt, “What happened?”

“The princess was learning fighting skills so she could return to the tower and protect the dragon from evil knights who would try and slay him for his hoard.”

“Good for her,” Shiro murmured.

“My sister gave me this book,” Matt said, “she said I’m like the wizard.”

“Mm?”

“He’s the Princess’s brother. Kinda spindly.”

“Mmmm.” Shiro hummed, “Seems right.”

Matt whacked him on the head. “You know I can’t turn the lights out if you’re on top of me.”

This lead Shiro to a bit of a dilemma. The entire reason he’d started being annoying was so that Matt would stop reading and turn out the lights. Now he was like a dog chasing a car, unsure what to do if he caught it. He could be nice so they could snuggle together and go to sleep, but….he liked being annoying.

“Alright,” Matt said “Sometimes these things are a matter of brains over brawn.”

Matt leveraged himself on the wall at the side of the bed, using it to surprise Shiro and push him over.

Of course, the bed was kind of small...so once their positions were flipped, they teetered on the edge. Shiro smiled up at him. “Don’t you dare!” Matt shot as the same thought entered both their heads.

With a gentle turn, Shiro rolled them off of the bed, tumbling in a bundle of blankets and the one pillow Matt had managed to grab in a last ditch effort to hold his balance.

Chuckling and far too proud of himself, Shiro rolled off of Matt, holding him close. “You are such a jerk,” Matt muttered, pulling away from the hug.

Shiro whined, looking for affection. Matt still refused. “Big Stinky Jerk.” Shiro whined again, but Matt held firm.

Sighing, Shiro picked up his over-tired body off the floor, picking up Matt with him. He lay Matt on the bed, tucking him in with his pillow and blanket. Then he shut off the lights himself, scooting into the bed alongside him. “Still a big stinky jerk?”

It was Matt’s turn to hum, considering. “Yup,” he said, not able to see but knowing Shiro was pouting, “buuuut you’re my big stinky jerk.”

That appeased Shiro as he snuggled into him.

[inkyturtle]

arteinthemachine

These are so cute! Now what if you have an AU of an AU of an AU? Like what if Leo was the only girl?? XDD

So, I gotta say I’ve thought of the idea of an elder sister Leo protecting her younger bros a lot in the past, and I love it. That’s how I’m gonna preface this.

Now this is just me, and entirely my take on it. So take it with a grain of salt, buuuut since I’m on this kick anyway...

But I’d say relatively the same as the original. Even if she’s not the first born son, she’s the first born child, so she’d probably try to fill the traditional role of the first born son, especially since her personality would be pretty much the same. If identical events occur, I still see her taking martial arts/self defense to protect her family, I still see her father’s passing having an extremely negative affect on her, and I still see the events at the casino going down identically.

Given that I’ve never met a female bouncer personally, I don’t know how realistic that position would be in a real-world setting, but as I said in the image above, fuck it. Maybe someone could correct me on that, but I still see it fitting the character.

I also still see her being over protective of her siblings. The key difference is I could, potentially, see them being even more over-protective of her than normal, maybe particularly in teenhood. They’re already sort of a clingy family as-is, but where a male Leo is protective and territorial of his three sisters during that developing time (and possibly even after), I could see the three of them being territorial of her. I can imagine it being...awkward to say the least, but also a bit humorous. 

There’s still the respect and acknowledgement that she’s at the top of the pecking order, so to speak, but, y’know. Family. Brother-sister dynamics. The usual.

Again, all my take, and coming from an addle tired mind. It may not be as well thought-out as it could be, but hell. It’s a fun exercise.

[deleriumofyou]

I want to be selfish and ask all of them! Buuuut, could you do for the DA2 asks: Fenris 1-5 Merrill 1 Aveline 4 Varric 5 Anders 3 and Isabela 5? So many! Still selfish!

Holy crap, anon. Hahaha! I’m flattered. Here you go! 

Isabela:

5. Isabela and Hawke got along very well - Hawke likes trouble for its own sake, has a very gray sense of morals, and doesn’t like being a hero not because she doesn’t like the attention or accolades, but because that means she’s expected to actually do stuff. She and Isabela are mostly on the same wavelength, and they do remain in contact.

Fenris:

1. Hawke is mostly ambivalent towards Tevinter, and whenever Fenris starts talking about how muh he hated it, she gets uncomfortable and usually says a joke, or offers to buy him a pint. Emotions make her uncomfortable.

2. Hawke would have allowed him to kill his sister - it honestly wasn’t really any of her business and it seemed like a loose end that ought to be tied up. Varric forced her to intervene, seeing as he spared Bartrand (Anders had accompanied them on that excursion), so Hawke convinced Fenris to let her go.

3. Fenris, although he didn’t agree with Hawke’s motives, stood by her side - he knew she only inserted herself in the conflict after Bethany, a mage he believed didn’t need to be in the Circle, pleaded with her sister for help.

4. Hawke loved the resentment between Anders and Fenris. She thought it was hilarious, and often brought up controversial topics in front of them just to watch. Aveline was quick to put a stop to that, though.

5. Hawke accidentally became his friend, mostly because watching him shove his fist through someone’s chest made her rethink some of her platforms in front of him immediately.

Merrill:

1. Hawke was fascinated by Merrill’s use of blood magic, but often wondered if she could control herself since she dealt with demons more than she initially let on. She found it useful, until it came to light that no, Merrill didn’t have ironclad control over herself when confronted with a demon.

Aveline:

4. Hawke had always been a pain in Aveline’s ass. She just happened to underestimated how much of a pain she actually was until everything came to a head.

Varric:

5. Hawke had never seen such glory bestowed upon a mortal before, and told him as such.

Anders:

3. Hawke rivaled Anders just because she loved to see what made him tick, and liked to spectate, in the weirdest and perhaps creepiest way possible, the relationship between him and Justice. The way to do that was to press the hot buttons all at once. She found them/him fascinating. She often goaded him that he wasn’t changing anything, etc - and acknowledges now that perhaps she pushed just a little too much, after the Chantry explosion.

[horrible-monstrosity]

Just as testament to how ludicrously fucking terrible Punchline is, I've been sitting on the last two episodes because I don't really give a shit, but even without fresh input I just keep accumulating complaints. How much shit can be wrong with a single 12-episode show?

So talking about the fucking logic behind saving the world by doing nothing: Back in the first half of the show ghost-Yuuta accomplished some shit by texting the grils and having them do some shit, while future-Yuuta was running around making sure nothing got accomplished. So... how does this work? Either ghost-Yuuta is capable of changing the timeline and future-Yuuta never fucking bothered to stop him (which means letting ghost-Yuuta run around without ever contacting him to at least tell him to calm the fuck down is a stupid fucking idea and the "mystery" of the possessor's identity in that first half of the show was the result of a complete fucking idiot plot), ooooor ghost-Yuuta's actions are predictable and are a part of what's supposed to happen that future-Yuuta is supposed to let happen... except the part where Yuuta texted the girls so robot girl would imitate blonde girl to talk to that crazy guy never happened in the second half of the show. Now that might just be because psychopath Yuuta fucking broke the guy's limbs so he didn't show up later, which is... great... but now it just looks like the writers are conveniently avoiding having to logic. The fuck is happening? While we're at it, I again(?) ask how the quantum ghost shit looks from future-Yuuta's point of view. Like the time where blonde girl died, and ghost-Yuuta went back a day and texted everyone that plan so they'd make her not be dead. How did that look from future-Yuuta's point of view? Did he know blondie died in some pocket timeline, or did he only see the girls randomly formulate a plan and the outcome of that? And I'm assuming blondie not dying would have been the desired outcome for not changing the future by not changing anything, but... Besides that there's a lot more disconnect between the future Yuuta possessing his own body in the first half of the show and the Yuuta we know reenacting the same things than there should be just from not seeing from other Yuuta's point of view and "our" Yuuta being suspicious of him (ie the audience being misled into thinking he's a villain). Like the scene where superhero-suit guy shows up, runs back into the apartment and comes back panty-powered. Other Yuuta seems much more confident of what's happening here while our Yuuta in the same situation was a bumbling moron. ... Actually, that would have been a good point to ACTUALLY DEMONSTRATE that Yuuta trying to fuck with the timeline rather than following it was a bad idea- he flips a skirt on one of the girls nearby to get his powerup, but that means robot-girl is stuck in the apartment because he never got her out of the squid suit, and that makes things go wrong. Buuuut let's just not do that, because fuck you I guess. ... Or, you know, the part where previous Yuuta apparently actually followed cat's directions rather than going around breaking people's fucking limbs...

I still don't understand how Yuuta is supposed to be living his life. Like, robot girl barges in in her underroos all "you're a girl so it's fine lol" and Yuuta thinks just yelling "I'm totally a guy!!" is going to convince her of anything, even though she's so sure he's 110% biologically female she probably has data on the exact position and trajectory of every single hormonal molecule in his body. Why not at least say "that doesn't mean I want to see your pantsus!" or something? What the fuck are you doing? Has he ever tried to actually explain to her that he was swapped into the wrong body a decade ago, or that if he sees panties he'll explode? I mean she knows about Juicetan's superpowers, it's not like she has reason to disbelieve him. Okay, so I vaguely remember the purple-haired girl who's apparently Yuuta's older sister being the one who found Yuuta in a ditch somewhere and brought him home where he could see himself in the mirror and realise he lost his dick, but... who is she? Is she Guriko/Yuu's actual older sister, or unrelated? Was Yuuta adopted after the incident? Also where the fuck did the name "Yuu" come from? Neither of the girls at the facility were named that, were they? But robot gril says it's on his birth certificate. What the fuck? While we're at it, where did the facility get those kids, anyway?...

Come to think of it, in the first half of the show everyone's surprised including Juice-tan that Yuuta is gril, but in the second half he tells Juice-tan he's Pine and he's piloting her former body well before then. Which of these things was supposed to happen??

So just to underline how astoundingly godawful this damn series is... what's up with the hair and eye colors when the kids go super-cyan? Superpowers making your hair change colors or your eyes glow is nothing new but... just what is happening? It's never mentioned, despite all the agonizing over other things like whose soul has been injected into whose body. And what are those colors? Does the color indicate anything about the user's power, or is it just random? Yuuta possesses christmas cake lady, uses his own powers, and it turns her hair a completely new color. You what m8? To be charitable, I think the colors might just be chosen to work with the character's palette, which is understandable... but it still means the color choices are effectively arbitrary.

To put this in perspective... The series Akiba's Trip, which has a very similar sort of premise to Punchfuck but is infinitely superior, also has characters obtain glowy hair when their powers activate. But in this case it's not only actually acknowledged (if not really explained) but put to good use- like, every time a character is revealed as a villain we get a wonderful little bit where they undo their hair or take off a hat and swoose their funny-colored glowing hair stripe right out and it's just fuckin great to watch. What I'm sayin is, the show is actually well-designed and well thought out and the writers are actually aware of what exists within their work. But Punchline is just like... Eh, shit some tropes on there and just stop trying halfway. It's really astounding given how convoluted and "thinky" the "real" plot is compared to how little thought actually went into the show. I mean, no thot went into the plot after a certain point either, clearly...

Fiiiiii naaaaa leeeeeeeee, what exactly was the point of the bodyswap plot in the first place? Just... remove it from the plot, have Yuuta keep his dick, and what changes? Oh look, it's fucking nothing! Just... you know... another pointless intellectually masturbatory convolution added to the plot for the sake of... intellectual masturbation, I guess.

Fuckin motherfuck this fuckin show

[dezembergirl]

Homework (Apart 5)

I fell in love with writing happy and fluffy Noorhelm, so that’s why I kinda stopped writing this story. It’s so much for emotional complex and  straight up heart breaking to write. Buuuut I got over my self and wrote another chapter.

I really hope you like it! (Also I tried to quicken the pace, so we can get to the better parts sooner.) <3 for sticking with me!

Fandom: Skam

Pairing: Noorhelm

Story: Apart

originally published at ao3

Eskild had pulled every trick - unpacking Noora’s stuffed rucksack multiple times included - to persuade her from moving. She wasn’t leaving the Kollektiv, not really; not like London. But she could assure Eskild she’d be back next weekend all she wanted, he kept pouting and begging.

She would have never presumed to ask Eva anyways, but when her friend had offered to share her room for a couple of nights until her mother returned from Brussel, Noora couldn’t refuse. The empty house was less crowded than the city flat she shared with three more or less agreeable living companions. Even Eskild couldn’t argue with the lack of beds at the Kollektiv and the past nights on the couch had left her spine aching for a real mattress.

Sprawled on Eva’s bed and a pillow tucked under her chin she scrolled through her phone. It really was a bad habit, especially since her thumb paused on William’s unanswered chat every time. It wasn’t as if she didn’t want to reply; Noora knew just how hard it was, waiting for an explanation, even a quick hi, anything but silence. She remembered the sleepless nights she had spent last spring, sulking in her own bed and alternated between praying for a single word from him and cursing William for not replying to a any of her texts. She put the phone down and leaned back against the propped up pillows.

«I hate irregular verbs.» Eva had her books and papers scattered across the duvet and pillows, struggling with a Spanish homework.

Not being back at school yet, Noora had nothing to distract herself with and there was only so much cleaning one could do. (Scrubbing the wall at seven in the morning two days ago might have taken it a step too far.) She hated the empty space in her head, it reminded her of London and all the things she had left London for. So when Eva had kept on nagging about her dropping grades, she had been more than glad to look over her essays and papers for her.

«They’re not so bad once you get them into your head.»

«Spanish doesn’t agree with me. I should have chosen German.» Eva sighed and Noora laughed.

«Because that would be any easier?»

«At least it doesn’t have the Spanish r.» to Noora’s amusement Eva tried to roll the r and failed miserably.

With a groan Eva forced her attention back to the paper and Noora continued scrolling through the chat. It read like a diary of the growing distance between them. The last ‘I love you’ was weeks past and she scarcely remembered the last time he had said it to her in person. It must have been some hectic morning where he would quickly kiss her goodbye, mumble the words and disappear for the next 8 to 10 hours.

She scrolled back to his newest message.

William: Noora??

It wasn’t because she didn’t love him anymore, she still did. Maybe too much, but he had changed in ways she had barely recognized him some days. Not just because he had swopped his simple pants and fitted sweaters for perfectly tailored suits and dark blue ties that seemed to strangle all life from his body. She missed the person that had made her cocoa every other night and she could have talked about absolutely anything with at 2 am. He knew so much about her, everything there was to know - except maybe for the spelling of her name, but that was mystery even her parents hadn’t been able to explain. Eva was her best friend, the first girl she had met in Oslo, but there were things they didn’t talk about. Eva’s family was fucked up as well with her mother always traveling but until William no one had ever comprehend what it meant to have family and still not have family at the same time.

She was grateful for the things Mari had told her. It might not have been right to hear it from her but every time she had tried to ask William about it since, the pain in his eyes had made her drop the topic instantly. He had only managed to tell her how he used to play with Amalie, read her stories and would slip under the covers with her to keep the nightmares away. Noora had never known a sibling of her own but William’s choked words as he remembered his little sister mangled her heart. She had scarcely ever seen him cry before that. Mari had been right, he had perfected the art of hiding his feelings, even from her. (Had he cried now that she had left him?)

Maybe that was the problem, they were too fucked up. Or was it that William had finally found the family he had never had in Oslo. Noora had only ever met his father once, two days after they moved into the apartment. He had been there to give William something work related and had only acknowledged her with a quick nod, not waisting any time on niceties. Though she appreciated the honesty, his cool demeanor had felt especially out of place compared to William’s almost childlike excitement.

He had had daddy issues written all over him and no one, especially not his father, had ever looked close enough to care. Now that he did give him attention it had changed everything. She should have been happy for him, for finally finding some family member that showed any signs of interest, but that wasn’t was family was supposed to be. Just like her, he had probably never experienced genuine love or honest affection before, and this came close enough.

Was it because she wasn’t so sure what William would have chosen, her or his dad? Not that she would have ever posed such an ultimatum but she wouldn’t put it past his father. Maybe this was his answer, he chose London over Oslo, work over her. Noora knew it wasn’t a fare assessment, she was the one who had left and it was pathetic to think he would drop everything to chase after her the second he discovered her disappearance. (It was selfish, but every time someone knocked on the door or entered a room, she would hope it was him, just for a split second.)

She continued to stare at the unanswered message, the brightness of the display making her eyes strain. When her phone vibrated, the surprise almost caused her to drop it. Her mouth went dry when another white bubble appeared under his last one.

William: Chris told me you’re in Oslo, can you please answer

She wasn’t sure if it was good or bad that he knew where she was.

«Eva,» she looked up from her homework. «Have you told Chris that I’m back?»

«Hmm» Eva furrowed her brows, «Was that supposed to be a secret?»

Noora swallowed and pursed her lips. Eva had a point, it was no secret and explaining why William’s best friend knew more about his girlfriend than William himself was a topic she didn’t want to tackle. Eva was still twirling her pen between her fingers studying Noora, who very clearly wasn’t typing a reply to William’s text.

«If you wanna talk about it …» Eva carefully said.

«I know,» Noora nibbled at her lip. «It’s just there is nothing to talk about.»

Eva didn’t look convinced but dropped her eyes back to her Spanish homework.

For now, she hadn’t told anyone exactly why she was back. Only that everything was okay and she had missed her friends. Thankfully, no one had been bold enough to ask any more than that. Sometimes she would catch them staring, studying her face as if they expected her to collapse in front of their eyes at any second. She would have to tell them the truth at some point but for now she was grateful that Sana had stifled any tactless questions Vilde was no doubt itching to ask.

William: just please say something. I am so sorry!

Her buzzing phone send shockwaves through her body and she had trouble concentrating on the words on the screen. She was sorry too, more than he knew.

This would have been so easy if it had all been his fault, his doing alone. But the truth was complex and she knew that running wasn’t the appropriate way to deal with their problems, but staying would have killed the last bit of life in her soul. Why couldn’t he be the asshole she had seen in him a year ago, self centered, caring for none but himself and no one she could ever fall in love with?

What was worse, that she knew that he cared, maybe even more than she did - only he hid it well - or that he had stop caring about her; if he hadn’t, he hid it even better.

She knew that that was what they all assumed when they stared at her. The pity filled eyes, because surely William Magnusson had returned to his old ways and had sent her back to Oslo with a broke heart. The urge to defend him battled with the still intact peaces of her broke pride. They wouldn’t believe her, Eskild hadn’t when she had tried her best to explain how she was the one who had done all the leaving. She didn’t want to imagine the look on Sana and Eva’s faces when they discovered what she had actually done. How she had been too weak to face Nico at the trial, how she had lied to everyone and had left William with nothing but an empty apartment.

Her eyes were glued to his name on top of her screen and she had to bite back the tears. Noora wanted to scream at him, make him see all the things her head couldn't find words for and her mouth was to cowardly to pronounce. She wanted to say something, anything at all.

She couldn’t.

She wanted him here, at her side to wipe the tear from her cheek and make all of the last months undone. Instead she stared at Eva, still struggling with her essay and swallowed down the childish wishes.

They went to sleep early and Noora was thankful for a full night’s sleep in a real bed. She closed her eyes.

If he really loved her, he would come after her; maybe Eskild was right.

[kateofthecanals]

For The (Not)Watch: Episode 7.4

The Reason HBO Can’t Afford Direwolves Anymore

So this week wasn’t quite AS boring as last week, but that’s not saying much. I almost had an emotion or two. ALMOST...

We open on something other than Dragonstone for a change -- in the Reach(?) and on the Westerosi Wells Fargo Wagon, which Jaime is once-overing, while Bronn hangs out in the background demanding Jaime give him Highgarden, but Biggie Lannister is like “nah, mo’ money, mo’ problems!” Bronn’s not buying that line, though, and feels he should be on the list of debts the Lannisters pay off. He also makes some snarky remarks about Cersei which are actually 100% accurate but of course Jaime, like GoT watchers, is blissfully blind to the truth. Jaime then sends Bronn with the Tarlys to go shake-down local farmers for their sweet, sweet grains.

Then we head over to King’s Landing, where Tycho is hella impressed that Pinhead Cersei will be able to pay off her debts in one lump sum but is kinda bummed to be losing out on that tasty monthly APR. Cersei hints that Qyburn is in negotiations with the Golden Company to join her cause and Tycho vouches for them... but reminds Cersei that the Iron Bank ain’t doing shit until Jaime makes that big deposit.

Next we hit up Winterfell, AND WHO THE HELL LEFT THE KIDS ALONE WITH LITTLEFINGER?? Somehow that snake slithered his way into Bran’s chambers and is attempting some kinda cringeworthy heart-to-heart... Seriously I half-expected him to tell Bran “I’M YOUR DADDY NOW.” Instead he decides to give Bran a gift -- the Valyrian steel dagger that was used to try to murder him in Season 1. Bran’s like... “Thanks?” (But really, isn’t this kinda payback for last week when he threw Sandra’s wedding night back in her face?) LF starts monologuing about Catelyn, and Bran asks if LF knows who the dagger belonged to (I’m guessing just to test LF, because obviously Miss Cleo is gonna know exactly who it belonged to... right??), and of course LF is like “No idea!” Then he randomly mentions the word “chaos” and Bran’s creep-dar goes off, and he interrupts him by saying “CHAOS IS A LADDAH.” Yes, folks, Bran threw LF’s dumbest catchphrase back in his face and it was played off like a genuinely weighty moment and not something that required a laugh track in the background. LF has barely time to react before Meera comes in. LF leaves, and Meera makes the sad announcement that she has to leave to be with her family, and Bran’s just like “Cool, bye then.” And Meera’s like... “bitch that all you have to say to me????” And Bran’s just like “uhhhh thank you for your service?” Meera then be thinking hmmm maybe this is just like a teen comedy and he’ll come wheelin’ after me at the airport at the last minute to profess his love for me? But nah, Bran’s straight-up fixing to ghost her ass, smh. She’s like “my brother, your wolf, and Hodor all died for you, Bran!!” But he’s like

And because D&D would rather leave significant character development off-screen, they have Meera assure us that Bran “died in that cave.” Cool, thanks, good to know!

Meera leaves, and then Bran hears the familiar strings of the Stark Theme, and he knows that Arya is near! Yes, Arya has finally found her way back to Winterfell. She strolls up to the front gates and is immediately given a hard time by the guards in a blatant repeat of the same scene from Season 1 (not the first or last time we will be seeing rip-offs from the first couple of seasons just in this episode alone). One of the guards even tries to PUNCH her (???) before agreeing to left her in but telling her wait while they decide what to tell Sansa. And since WF is being guarded by 2 of the 3 Stooges, Arya is able to just wander off without them noticing.

The guards then enter what appears to be the Bat Cave where Sandra is hiding out and has pretty much no visible reaction to hearing that Arya is in the house. Which is funny because Arya implied to the guards that Sandra would have their asses if she found out they’d turned her sister away. Instead, she just kinda looks bored and is like, “whatever, I know where she is...”

We then go down to the crypts for one of the most-anticipated reunions in ASOIAF-dom!!! Buuuut this is GoT, so it’s all very awkward and forced. Like, seriously, Arya, you’re not fooling anyone...

Sandra runs up to hug her, but just like with Small Wonder Bran, Arya-Bot 1000 barely registers an emotion or even bothers to hug her back. WTF, people???

They briefly have a moment in front of Ned’s statue, which was kinda nice. I mean, they didn’t even call him stupid or anything!! The lowest of low-hanging fruit, but I’ll take it at this point... Then Arya says it doesn’t look enough like Ned and that it should have been carved by someone who knew his face, but Sandra says that everyone who knew his face is dead. Ummmm? Sandra, Arya, Bran, Jon, Cersei, Varys, Sandor, Jaime, Littlefinger, Beric, Thoros... that’s almost a dozen people right there who are still alive that knew what Ned looked like (though I can’t vouch for their stone-carving skills...). Then, as usual, the moment is completely trampled on when the two sisters bond over how they both wished they had killed Joffrey themselves HAHAHAHAHA so sweet. Then Arya tells Sandra about her List, and Sandra’s just like

They make vague allusions to all the things they’ve been through since their separation. They then venture the godswood to say howdy to Bran, who is a party-pooper as usual, calling out Arya on her plan to go to KL to kill Cersei. Sandra asks Arya who else is on her list... SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO BRING UP SANDOR BUT NOOOOOPE CAN’T HAVE ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT THE HOUND WITH OR IN FRONT OF SANDRA EVEN IF IT’S ARYA DOING THE DISCUSSIN’ so she’s just like “eh most of them are already dead.” Then out of nowhere Bran’s just like “check out this new toy Littlefinger gave me” and Sandra’s like “WHY IS LITTLEFINGER GIVING YOU WEAPONS” Bran’s like “doesn’t matter, don’t want it anyway” and gives it to Arya.

The three Starks then make their way back into the the yard, where Brienne and Pod see them, and Pod says, “Good job, m’lady!” and she responds pretty much the same way I did -- “I didn’t do shit.”

Then we hit up Dragonstone, where the Jonerys train is being happily conducted by Missandei and Davos. Both give their respective masters a forced series of “nudge-nudge-wink-wink” moments with regards to the other, so as to to remind the viewers that THIS IS TOTALLY A THING, YOU GUYS. Dany and Missy are taking a stroll, and when they see Jon, they exchange a look like two freshmen girls who have just been acknowledged by the varsity QB on the quad. It’s quite pitiful.

Anyway, Jon takes Dany into one of the dragonglass caves to show her something. Sadly, he keeps his pants on and instead ducks into a tunnel which opens up into another cave with a bunch of primitive drawings on the walls. Indiana Snow then schools Dany on how they were drawn by the Children of the Forest and depict their encounters with both the First Men and the white walkers.

P.S. the CoF totally phoned it in on the FM but got all HR Giger when it came to the WWs.

And even though Jon could have drawn those pictures himself and made up literally everything he said for all Dany knew, she considers this definitive proof of his claims and immediately agrees to help him... if he bends the knee. There’s a lot of whisper-talking and long-held gazes, which I think was supposed to be “sexual tension”.

They exit the cave with their chaperones, where they find Tyrion and Varys waiting for them, looking rather glum. Tyrion drops the bad news that although they took Casterly Rock, the Lannister forces took Highgarden and all the spoils. Tyrion tries to rally, but Dany reams him out for fucking up and suggests he did it on purpose cuz he’s really still loyal to the Lannisters (OH DUHHHHH). She then declares “enough with the clever plans” and decides instead to stick to more stupid ones I guess. To that end, she asks Jon what she should do.

Your QUEEN, ladies and gents. Has no idea what she’s doing and constantly has to ask the (much smarter) men around her to tell her what to do. But the mere fact that she is “in charge” is I guess enough for most people to declare this “feminist”. Sure, okay.

Anyway, Jon tells her that if she uses her dragons to annihilate everyone, she’s just “more of the same” and isn’t giving her followers anything better to hope for. Which is a fair enough assessment but we all know it’s being used to highlight Jon’s “dumb” honor and compassion because DRAGONS SO EPICCCCCC!!!

Back at Winterfell, Brienne is again cleaning Pod’s clock (remember when this kid killed a Kingsguard in the middle of the Battle of the Blackwater? D&D don’t either I guess), but then Arya rolls up on her with Needle and says she wants to throw down with the person who beat the Hound. Brienne’s like “haha cute” but then Arya pulls out all the water-dancing nonsense and completely flummoxes Brienne.

So, for those doing the math:

Brienne beat The Hound; Arya beat Brienne; ergo, ARYA CAN BEAT THE HOUND.

I really wanted to enjoy this scene, but I couldn’t forget that the last time we saw Arya actually spar with anyone was in Season 1 with Syrio. Now all of a sudden she’s the most formidable warrior in the Seven Kingdoms. 

Any-freaking-way, Sandra appears on her perch again (with LF not far behind, of course), and at first she seems pretty impressed with Arya’s skillz, but when it’s over, she just, like, storms off in a huff? Why??

She leaves LF to have a weird stare-down with Arya.

Back on Dragonstone, it’s now Davos’s turn to tease Jon about Dany, implying that Jon was staring at her rack apparently?? Jon’s like “ain’t nobody got time for that” but luckily they run into Missandei where Davos can continue on that train of thought. They then have a conversation about how bastard names work on Westeros (in Season 7?????) and Missandei declares that marriage isn’t a thing in Naath, and Dirty Ol’ Man Davos is like HAHAHAHA not where I come from either, wanna go grab a drink later?? Jon and Davos then start questioning why Missandei is so loyal to Dany, and Missandei begins to talk about Dany like Squeaky Fromme talking about Charles Manson.

^^ waiting for this dialogue to pop out of Dany’s mouth at some point this season...

Davos is basically like SORRY I ASKED. Just then, they’re interrupted by a dingy being pulled up on shore (somehow they didn’t notice this until the were RIGHT on the beach) containing Theon and the straggler Ironborn. Theon sees Jon and is like like “hey sup” and Jon’s all YOUSONOFABITCH!!! but stops just short of roughing him up because of what he did for Sandra. He then tells him that Euron has his sister and he needs Dany’s help to get her back, but Jon says she’s not home right now...

Where could she beeeeeee?? Welp, we hop back over the the Lannister wagon train, which, again, Jaime and Bronn are just sitting and watching. Apparently they are much closer the the Crownlands (or in the Crownlands?) than they had been at the beginning of the episode... They then decide to have some not-so-subtle small talk with Dickon Tarly, whom Jaime again calls Rickon, about how he fought pretty decently at Highharden but how he has yet to be really tested. THEN GUESS WHAT HAPPENS, GUYS??? The show is interrupted by a screening of Dances with Wolves--no, wait, that’s just the Dothraki streaming over the hill to fuck shit up... along with Dany riding Drogon.

COMMENCE BATTLE #371 TO DISTRACT THE VIEWERS FROM THE SHITTY WRITING!!!

Yes, it’s all very exciting and well-executed, if you ignore:

The Dothraki would have had to circumvent KL somehow to get there.

They couldn’t have gone by ship because Euron destroyed Dany’s fleet.

Horse-Surfing™

The scene was 90% about Bronn?? For some reason??

Dany, who not 10 minutes ago was complaining about not being able to feed her army, proceeds to destroy all the gold and grain the Lannisters were hauling.

Gratuitous horse violence because “edgy” I guess

WHY/HOW IS TYRION THERE?

So the big climax comes when Bronn gets promoted from Bronn of the Blackwater to Bronn of the Big-Ass Crossbow. Yes, in yet another ham-fisted callback to an early season, Bronn figures out how to use the giant ballista and fires an arrow straight into Drogon’s shoulder, forcing Dany to land. While she’s down, Tyrion is standing off to the side and spots Jaime on the battlefield and is mumbling for him to get the fuck out of there. But this is Jaime Fookin’ Lannister, he doesn’t run away from anything, especially his toxic co-dependent relationship with his twin sister!! So he grabs a spear and begins to charge toward Dany like he at the Hand’s Tourney (except we never actually saw him joust at the Hand’s Tourney, so once again, emotional impact of this moment is M.I.A.). Just as he’s about to strike, Drogon turns and is about to make him dragon kibble when he is rescued at the last second by, presumably, Bronn, and is swept away beneath an extremely deep puddle that just happened to be nearby. The End.

I know there are a lot of show-critics today who are super hyped about this battle (which is apparently a “reference” to the Field of Fire, ugh), but guys... sorry, no. I am way past the point where a showy battle scene is going to make up for all the nonsense that came before it. They’ve tried this trick already -- it was called “Hardhome”. It didn’t work on me then, and it won’t work on me now. I would have rather seen a more meaningful reunion between the Stark sisters than another expensive spectacle. If this is why the direwolves have disappeared, then sorry, I don’t consider it a fair trade-off.

[twxntrash]

I remember you saying once that your book projects usually include a lot of lgbt characters or something, could you introduce us to them?

You remembered right, most of my manuscripts involve major characters who are one way or another lgbt or a minority of some kind. I’d love to introduce them!

The sister-series The Archmage and The Trickster

Zoe Albarn, one of the two main POV characters of The Archmage, she is a transgirl. In the first book she’s 14 and has yet to start transitioning yet, but plans to as soon as she can. 

Dakota, my pure-blood artic werewolf who won’t appear until the second book is gay. 

Cecilia & Mari, Phoenix’s best friends and roommates during his time in foster care, wont appear until the second book, lesbian and bi accordingly.

Yana ‘Janna’ Volkov, main chara of The Trickster half of it, bisexual wildchild. 

Alcibiades (not the historical one), one of the main ‘villains’ of The Trickster half (though considered a villain by role he’s not a bad person) is trans

Phoenix isn’t necessarily lgbt himself, but he is an avid supporter. 

Twilight but Gay

Gabriel and Jazz, the main couple. Gay and bisexual accordingly. 

Has a very small cast tbh

The Champions Song

Not many characters whos sexualities are actually acknowledged due to the setting is more focused on the multilevel war and ‘everything is going to shit’ than anything else, so little room for romance, buuuut

Ash, one of the main POV characters and the titular ‘Champion’, lesbian and has only ever been in love with 1 person her entire life.

Eurielle, Lesbian, together with Ash they become the sword lesbians of this series. 

Gale: Aroace, is more interested in the severed head he talks to as a way to keep somewhat sane than any relationship. 

Pegasus, a WIP story of mages and shit in modern-medieval time period.

Cain- The crash mage that will fuck anything that’s an adult and consenting. 

Nell: Fire Mage and bisexual (only two love interests are Torven, one of her guilds strongest mages, and Pippa, a demon-summoning cinnamon roll from another guild)

Diane and Rosa: Sword Lesbian and Pirate Lesbian. The Rivals-To-Friends-to-Lovers of this ancient project.

Calder: Ice Mage, Homoromantic-Ace with the sole exception being his sister (a running joke when it comes to the twins is that no one can tell if they’re just really close siblings or an item. they’re just really close)

Abysswalker

Xero: POV character, Non-binary (They/them)

[datingadviceonreddit]

Alright, I’ll try to keep this as short as I can, but there’s a lot of history here and I don’t want to miss relevant details. So yeah, warning, this is gonna be LONG.I met my best friend in my sophomore year of college, when he was a senior, and I was immediately smitten. He’s very awkward and quiet and not normally the type I go for at all, but I was just immediately taken by how warm-hearted, gentle, thoughtful, and smart he is. We were friends with the same group of people, but he had been studying abroad the semester I’d met my friend group, so I’d never met him before. I was admittedly a bit infatuated, and spent as much time with him as I possibly could. After he graduated, I knew he was moving abroad again for work and I panicked at the thought of never seeing him again without confessing my feelings, so I sent him a damn love letter. Yep.Not-so-surprisingly, my feelings were one-sided. At the time I was obviously emotionally immature, but I was also morbidly obese and really struggling with anxiety, depression, and a severe lack of self-confidence. (Also, he tends to date women quite different from me: quiet, fair-haired, and sort of plain. I’m dark-haired, bubbly, and much more outgoing.) My friend was nice about it though and told me he was flattered and sorry if he had done anything to make me feel led on. I don’t regret my weird love letter, though, because it really helped in making us closer friends—I was able to move on for the most part and his self-confidence and abandonment issues were apparently put somewhat at ease by the fact that I clearly thought he was the bomb.Fast forward twoish years later, and we’re super close friends. We talk all the time via text/messenger/Skype when we’re apart and hang out a ton when living nearby. Eventually the timing works out that we’re returning from living abroad at the same time and he asks if I want to live together—so, obviously, we move into an apartment together. While living together, we become best friends. I have lots of fond memories going grocery shopping together in the middle of the night and then watching cartoons together and eating cereal in our pajamas. (Cue the cheesy friendship montage.) My feelings, which were never quite gone, come back to the surface again full force, but I don’t act on them or mention them at all. In the middle of this I have the biggest stretch of depression of my life, am a total slob around the apartment, and get even heavier. Dude was an amazing support to me through all this, though.After living together for about a year, he moves back abroad and I decide to move back to my home state to be closer to my family and more or less get my shit together. It works. I finally get help and learn to manage my anxiety and depression, lose 150lbs and get in pretty awesome shape, start actually caring about my appearance, get a job that I love, develop interesting hobbies, gain a ton of confidence, etc etc. I start dating people for the first time in my life. Meanwhile he and I still message each other all the time, but we go a while without Skyping.We plan a trip for me to go visit him right after he returns from abroad. I don’t tell him I’ve lost weight, secretly hoping he’ll find me attractive. (I wanted the satisfaction of a grand reveal, okay—I lost a shit ton of weight and thought I deserved my rom com-style reaction!) I go up to visit him...and he doesn’t say anything about my weight loss. There are definitely no rom com-style love confessions like I’d dreamt. I FEEL like there’s chemistry that hadn’t been there before, though!A few times it felt like something was about to happen, buuuut...nothing. I return home a little disappointed, but at the same time feeling satisfied with knowing that I no longer have to wonder “would my best friend feel differently about me if I were attractive?”. I’ve done all I could do, and if I’m not his cup of tea there’s nothing that’s going to change that. We do joke about how I “used to have feelings for him” while I’m there though, and he tells me he still has the love letter I’d sent to him way back when. Also, we cuddle a bit while I’m there, but I attribute it to my increased confidence and our closer relationship (there’s nothing in our cuddling that necessarily seems non-platonic).Time goes by, and we continue to be close confidants. We text constantly and make trips to see each other every so often, where we hang out with each other and common friends, cuddle and watch movies, and just catch up. I don’t have any secrets from him—other than my continued feelings for him, as pushed away as they may be—and we are each other’s go-to source for relationship advice and consolation. For the most part, I accept my place in what I have basically named the “sister zone”, though I do STILL sometimes feel like there’s weirdly a bit of chemistry between us.I decide to thru hike a long distance trail while he’s off living abroad again (it’s been one hell of a fitness journey, let me tell ya), and like usual we message whenever we can to support each other. Trail life is very intense, and I get into a short-lived (less than four months) but very passionate relationship, which of course I talk about a lot with my best friend. At the same time, he’s dating someone (they started a little before my relationship did), though he told me before it started that they knew it would have an expiration date and he wasn’t really sure how comfortable he felt being in an exclusive relationship with her. My best friend moves back to the US and things end between me and trail dude around the same time my best friend breaks up with his gf. He happens to live in a state the trail passes through so we make plans for me to get off trail for a day so we can see each other (about a month and a half after our breakups). It turns out I’m close by on the same weekend he has a big friend get-together at his family’s house that has a bunch of guest bedrooms.I get to his parents house around 9:30 the night before the party. We talk a ton, go on a walk, and watch some tv cuddled up on the couch in our pajamas. Nothing out of the ordinary for us. But when it was 3am we were lying on the couch sort of cuddling (and very sleepy) and he said we should go to bed. So I flop on top of him and say goodnight. He grumbles that we should at least go upstairs so I get up and trudge up the steps. He already says he has one bed made up I can sleep in and is going to get linens to set another one up for himself. I lean against him and say goodnight and he abandons the linens and walks/shuffles me into my room. When he tries to get me on the bed we sort of fall and I’m just lying on top of him on the bed. He asks, “do you just want me to sleep in here with you?” to which I obviously reply yes and after asking me to confirm that it’s really okay, he goes to brush his teeth and then comes back and we get into bed together.We cuddle all night (this had never happened before) but I think only slept half an hour. Nothing really happened, but while we were lying there together I could just hear his heart pounding and I felt super nervous. Eventually we were just sort of stroke-cuddling each other (I don’t know what to call it y’all, sorry? Petting sounds weird, and no ones junk was touched) and he even verbally acknowledged around 7am, “well I guess we’re not sleeping at all tonight, but cuddling is nice.”Eventually we got up a little before noon and he treated me out to brunch and our friendship continued as normal. That night all our friends came over and I had a great time, but my friend slept in a different bed. I was a little disappointed that it seemed like it had been a fluke, but still just sort of pleasantly surprised I had gotten to sleep next to him at all.Originally I was going to get back on trail Sunday morning, but more people were arriving and I was having such a great time I decided to stay another day. After everyone else but us and my best friend’s housemate left (and we spent a little time cuddling on the couch while his friend played a video game), we drove back to their apartment. On the way, his housemate’s girlfriend (whom I’m friends with) texted me “my boyfriend told me you and best friend are a thing now??!!? HELL YES GIRL. I’M DEAD.” Alas, I had to tell her she had gotten some incorrect intel.But then after spending a few hours cuddling on the couch watching some shows together, my friend and I went to bed. We were sleeping together again, because there were no guest beds in their apartment and they don’t really have couches that are comfortable to sleep on. I follow him into his room and the same thing unfolds as last time, in which we start just spooning lying there are our hearts pound for like an hour and then start touching each other in more or less a PG/PG-13 sort of way. But then my best friend stops and looks at me and asks me if I want to take things further and after I say yes—and he also asks me two other times if I’m really sure it’s alright—we’re suddenly in a very passionate make out session and taking off each other’s clothes and eventually it was clear we were about to go to pound town any second...but then he abruptly roooolls away.I didn’t ask him why he stopped, because I didn’t want him to feel as if I were pressuring him to keep going, so he just stares at the ceiling for a little while and then says, “Sorry I made things awkward,” to which I reply (like a total sarcastic asshole! excellent work, self), “well, staring into space is a great way to keep things from being awkward.” We don’t say anything else—we just keep our clothes off and then go to sleep cuddled up.We wake up the next day around noon, which was waaay later than I was even intending to stay there! Neither of us mentions anything about the previous night. He seems sort of weird and barely talks to me and so I get really nervous and sort of babble a little bit to try to make things less weird/prove that I was “chill” about everything. We cuddle a bit on the couch while watching a show as we eat some breakfast, but then I have to pack up my things and leave so I can hike and he can get his work done for the day. He hugs me goodbye and makes me promise to text him about everything that happens on trail and to keep myself safe and then I leave.He messages me that night to make sure I got back safely and we have a little convo, but neither of us mentions anything about the previous night. I don’t really know what to do now, I’m extremely confused. I feel like I’ll regret it if I don’t talk to him about what happened between us, but I’m nervous I’ll seem creepy if I mention having feelings for him again after already being turned down by him once before (even though it was so long ago). I also know it’ll hurt if I hear that he just wanted to hook up, though I realize ultimately it’s better not to live in a little fantasy land where I can imagine he MIGHT like me.My question is, should I talk to him about this? And if yes, how do I broach the topic?TL;DR: I am a living cliche and therefore made out/almost hooked up with my best friend that I’ve liked for six years but whom already rejected me five years ago. How do I talk to him about what happened?(Edited to add more paragraph breaks.) via /r/dating_advice