#can't wait to find out love that potential family drama

[vaguely-concerned]

god I hope lucanis being confirmed as a companion means that he pulls his cringe failcousin-but-more-like-brother (affectionate) illario into the narrative with him. (and also teia and viago, let's get this crow party started! viago dealing with a drunk illario in the wake for teia's sake was *chef's kiss* I'd like to see more of that dynamic.) it's not so easy to go around 'I am the night'-ing convincingly when your cousin who remembers when you were five and obsessed with wyverns is hanging around and ready to drag you in front of your new friends lest they think your edgy ass is actually cool

[gabessquishytum]

Question for today -- can you go out for a blind date, then walk away inadvertently dating a mobster?

Hob did not want to go on this blind date, but his friends keep insisting that be get back out there after his most recent heart break. So here Hob is, sitting in this atmospheric Italian restaurant, waiting for whichever hedge fund guy Joanna set him up with (best hob can hope is Joanna hasn't fucked this guy, like the last 2. No to Constantine castoffs....🤢)

Douche Dude is late (or not coming), so to pass the time, Hob chats up the handsome man next to him at the bar,,regaling him with stories of his students and past blind dates. Hob is actually chuffed when he gets the obviously taciturn man to smile (it's a small smile, but it's there and true.). Hob could swear he knows the man from somewhere, he just can't remember where.

When it becomes obvious that his date isn't coming, Hob prepares to go home, a little sadly (even if the guy was a knob, no one likes to be stood up.). Before he can even get his coat on, Hob's bar friend asks if he wants to have dinner.

Hob is charmed by his quiet nature (and looks) and his joke about how it's a good thing his blind date didn't show up, and how now he doesn't have to have the guy killed. 🙄 🤭😇 Hob laughs and figures he just doesn't know his new friend well enough to get his sardonic "joke" expression.

Dinner was fun - Dream, as he introduced himself, didn't really like his job and considered himself more of an artist, but the business was a family thing. What can you do?! And things didn't get weird until the end, when (what had to be well after the restaurant should have closed and by a time that Hob & Dream should have been chased out by), Dream got up from his seat and all the rest of the people, scattered at all the other tables, got up as well.

Dream didn't even seem to notice, and when Hob goggled at him, Dream waved it off with a "pay them no mind," and helped Hob with his coat. Then he asked Hob out for another date. Even with the 20 guys flanking him now, Hob liked Dream and said yes to a 2nd date.

It isn't until Hob is almost in his bed that he realizes he just made a date with the most wanted crime boss in the state.

Ah, I love Hob being a cute lil himbo and not realising what's happening until later. Of course there's so much drama that could happen in this relationship, but also so much comedy potential.

Like Dream being introduced to Jo and Hob’s other friends. He's trying very hard to be normal (the bodyguards have been told to "blend in"... they're trying their best, okay). Answering questions like "Yes I am a very normal citizen doing normal things". Jo pulls Hob aside and is like "your boyfriend is a mobster, isn't he?" And Hob is kind of mad that Jo worked it out way quicker than he did.

And Dream starts accompanying Hob to social occasions at his job. Weird little faculty parties and shows that the theatre kids are putting on for charity. Dream obviously sticks out like a sore thumb but everyone is gushing about Hob’s "nice young man". So polite! And he made such a generous donation!

Hob finds it both lovely and hilarious. He knows that Dream is dangerous and has probably done terrible things, buuuut. He's pretty cute, isn't he? And good with kids. Hob is kind of smitten with him.

Which is good. Because Dream is not prepared to let his charming civilian boyfriend go without a fight <3

[basedkikuenjoyer]

Jojolands 13: Ohana Means I'll Set Your Ass on Fire

Dragona dropping some great truth about the absurd in this bizarre adventure. We finally got a peak behind that mask. I love it and I hate it, if you've read the chapter already you know what I mean. We'll get to that, because this right here isn't spoilery and it was such a cool nugget.

I love the way Dragona talks about the "absurd." Chance moments that alter one's life for better or for worse. The things that just don't make sense. Especially paired with Dragona opining about nearly losing their heart in the same chapter that last part about hearts being destroyed hits hard. I'm definitely sure we're looking at a trans narrative here and one we'll see play out. The chapter does a good job of implying what we need to know. Nudges at an early theory you've been changing your body with Smooth Operator. We ready? What follows is no place for beginners or sensitive hearts:

Oh HELL yes! As if I needed a reason, these two were well on their way to top Jojo status and now the dynamic duo of the Joestar Siblings are definitely there. Mean girl sets her sights on a much more timid Dragona who we now know looked way more masculine at 14 than 18. Talking physical build and not just fashion. You know, I don't expect an 18yo to have all that figured out and with this I do think we'll see her keep coming into her own. But holy shit that was fucked up and I sincerely hope we can get through the rest of this with no more sexual assault on my Jojos blorbo.

If they do...Jodio will fuck you up. Set a whole damn bus on fire! And while I'm not looking forward to having to relive the impetus in the inevitable anime adaptation, since we've already had the cop I kinda like the perpetrator being a girl here. For one because it shows a side of this kind of bigotry that often goes underrepresented. You see a little more space made typically for trans men who had bad experiences with men prior to coming out, largely because it tends to overlap with those who found a comfortable half-step in something like a radical feminist group. But this sets up Dragona pretty well for a realistic other side of the coin to that. Your experiences with bullying might make you a little skittish of girls your age, you keep a foot in this criminal world even if we keep showing you (not unlike Okiku) as someone who doesn't fit super well, all this would certainly explain why you'd gravitate towards a figure like Meryl Mei. Why there's great potential for drama if she shows a nastier side. It's all great for a trans story that justifies still figuring yourself out through it...but sticks to a fairly realistic path for a lot of young women who find themselves running with gangs.

All that said, Jodio you absolute freak. Burning the whole bus is metal, it's scruffy, he's protecting family. Doooooope. These two are fantastic and I can't wait to explore their story, their dynamic more. Jodio & Dragona's sibling bond is the beating heart of this part. As much as I love Kiku/Izo & Killua/Alluka yeah this is gonna be a banger. Speaking of, this chapter was also the second time we nudged at Jodio getting shit for looking fey too. These two are ride or die for each other and their awesome mom Barbara Ann. How this all ties into their family falling apart and their desire to become filthy rich? No need to ask...

In lighter news. They. When Meryl learns of the other lava rock that got smashed. We're all clear on who's the brains and who's the firepower in the dynamic duo right? I trust Meryl as far as I can throw her and she's a big lady. But for now everything seems on the up-and-up. Charmingman seems to have passed the sniff test and yeah it looks like he's just going to hang around. I like this new setup. Scouting a shadowy company to see if we can get more lava rock.

All in all one of the best chapters of Jojolands so far. I'm loving it, this is the exact direction I hoped it'd go. The backstory made this pretty heavy and I hope we can have more fun with this gang on the new excursion.

[invisiblequeen]

For the "Amari's Love Shot" Bachelorette Challenge: Dante Crockett!

Age: Adult (43)

Traits: Shy, Gentle, Foodie

Secondary Traits: Essence Of Flavor, Fulfilled

First Impression: Innocent

Overall Impression: Caregiver

Career: Bakery Owner, "Dante's Delights"

Education: Culinary Arts Degree

Current Aspiration: Street Food (Learn all 27 City Living cooking recipes from food stalls)

Baking: 10 Cooking: 8 Gourmet Cooking: 7 Singing: 5 Piano: 5 Dancing: 4 Fitness: 4 Handiness: 4 Cleaning: 4 Charisma: 2

Born to a rather emotionally distant family, Dante was the sensitive odd one out. While he was never neglected, he was often misunderstood by his parents, who struggled to accommodate his emotional needs. His passion translated well into the drama club at school, where he dominated most musicals of the year. Everyone thought he’d end up in music or acting, until he went to college, where one random food stall in San Myshuno ignited a new passion: cooking. So he switched his major and never looked back.

By the end of college, Dante had acquired a particular love for baking that led him to experiment with taste and nutrition, searching for the freshest and most organic ingredients to enhance with the least amount of sugar possible. The manager at the bakery he worked at saw the young man’s potential and allowed him one special per month, where he would introduce customers to a new dish or pastry and have them anonymously rate it, determining if it would stay on the menu. It wasn’t long before his dishes became the talk of San Sequoia, leading the aging former manager to give him full reign to what is now known as Dante’s Delights.

Today, Dante’s Delight has multiple locations, with bakers he handpicked to continue his legacy of innovation, nutrition and mouth-watering goodness. Dante, on the other hand, is at home in Newcrest. He likes to relearn old songs on his father’s grand piano, visit food stalls to quench his savory tooth, and splurge on soft fabrics to lounge around in.

Alone.

In all his 43 years of living, his relationship with romance hasn’t ever led to marriage. He’s had two loves: one from high school, and one from before he took over the bakery. The latter had left, condemning him for not having a “real career,” which left its mark on him, no matter how much he knows better. It doesn’t help that he’s painfully shy, letting golden opportunities for a new romance slip through his fingers because he couldn't charm his way through a date. For all the joy he brings to people with his food, Dante the man can't do it on his own. What happened to the confidence of his school-musical days? He can't tell you.

But he can show how much he cares. He can take notes on your mood and make you a soup to cheer you up. He can find his chunkiest warm sweater give it to you when he nights are coldest. He can clean up the kitchen so you don’t have to think about it. He can sing a few lullabies to calm your nerves.

He is full of a love he’s been afraid and dying to share with someone. Time has not waited for him to get it together. So if a bachelorette challenge is what it take to put himself out there (even as he’s shaking in his boots), then he’s willing to do it, with his heart served up on a pastry dish. Delish!

what do you think @yooniesim ????

[mattdillon]

Im obsessed with your greek au. Making pony darry and sodas half brother with his biodad being greek…your mind is enlightened and inspired. maximum family drama potential

How did this idea come about? Like why greek/house of atreus specifically? is it just the name Hippodamos? (Also absolutely love the idea that “ponyboy” being a translation of his real name)

hi anon! i'm supposed to be off touching grass this weekend but i am hungry for this yet to be delivered doordash meal + i love greekverse asks.

greekverse started bc @kalonkakons and i both cast timothy olyphant as our faves: theirs being menelaus, mine being ponyboy curtis. we'd already been friends for awhile and the illiad and the house of atreus itself is more their bag than mine and at some point we were going "you know. our blorbos should get along. they would have fun."

then we realized what we'd done casting wise and after awhile one of us said, late at night sleepover style, "...what if they were brothers."

there's been a trend of "the curtises had an affair child" in fandom i was never super fond of cause usually it meant an OFC coming attached with it and most were of varying quality at the time. however apparently, my brain lights the fuck up if you suggest that ponyboy was the affair child. partly because it slots in so neatly in canon. ponyboy already has various issues around his identity in canon from his shifting eye color to him despairing because he doesn't seem to fit in with his brothers. both of whom are some shade of blonde whereas in the book ponyboy is described as being auburn haired. sort of a literal red headed affair child. it also slots in well with how we see ponyboy at the end of the novel and all teh hints he could be a horror protagonist. he has such a final boy quality about him that sticking him in the house atreus is correct!

once that took off, we basically built it together — i picked john cassavetes for atreus and @kalonkakons went "GENA ROWLANDS FOR JENNIFER!!". hippodamus is roughly close to ponyboy and works since atreus' mother is named the girl equivalent of hippodamia — something @kalonkakons figured out and made us go insane about. there are lots of bits and bobs and i love the family drama particularly since menelaus is basically the opposite of darry in terms of how he treats ponyboy while also doing a lot more than soda for ponyboy as well. atreus is a Clusterfuck of a Human while sincerely loving ponyboy even if it can be detrimental at times (i've likened atreus being the vader to ponyboy's luke skywalker) and i love pelops and hippodamia and pony's Best Friend, 🩷 helen 🩷

more i also enjoy pushing against some of the fluff fandom puts out. so much of it is really conforming to certain things i don't care for or i find overly saccharine and being able to challenge some of it in a fun away is fun for me — maybe ponyboy can't actually handle what happened and maybe there's a family out there waiting for him that he could fit into better. or the idea that there's another form of brotherhood for him out there that he could access.

[ae-azile]

I really appreciate the voting pools you are doing for every upcoming chapter:D. It gives me a taste of what I can look forward to the next chapter of Progression. I love this story so much. I fear that Korn will make some real trouble now. And hopefully he won't get between KhunArm too much. Because yes, Porsche won't have this ship ruined for him:DD. Also I think that Korn won't like developing VegasKinn ship either (i.e. power cousin combo). If that's something he will try to break (again), Chay won't have it. It's his OTP now and Korn won't ruin it. Your writing is amazing and I can't wait for more.

I'm glad you enjoy the voting polls! Meant to make this last one have a week limit but forgot to change it. But they are fun to compile and sometimes hold me to keeping certain plot points that I might delay otherwise.

Korn is...ugh. I will say that he loves his sons in his own way, but he values his own perception and control too highly to truly listen to them and adjust his own views and behavior. In this universe, I have Tankhun getting kidnapped at 17 years old. He was highly valued and Korn's pride and joy up until that point, and then was completely traumatized by everything that happened to him during his kidnapping. I think Korn's mixture of guilt and disappointment that he never bounced back from it made it so he distanced himself from his oldest and went lax on the level of support he needed back then. Khun changed so much from the experience, and I think that was not expected. But it also made Korn more controlling and protective of Tankhun in his own way. He has not viewed Tankhun as capable in a long time, and this extends to normal life milestones that Tankhun was robbed of. He has been so brave and productive these last few years, both secretively and not so secretively, and it has gone mostly unnoticed by close to everyone (except for Arm, and maybe Pol). It probably saddens him greatly, but he knows it has been for the best because the good developments might be halted by his father, should he find out. This upcoming chapter, he may be proven right. It's integral that he has everyone else in his corner at this point. His next steps need to be a strange mixture of bold, deliberate, but also very planned.

I mean, after all, he can't let Porsche down. ArmKhun is his OTP! I think if drama occurs with Korn, he is going to be a mixture of pissed off, supportive of his ship, and extremely involved. He wants them to stay together, and being an active player in making sure that happens will be interesting for him lol. As for Chay, I know he doesn't want the relationship between the cousins to be affected by Korn or his decision to step out of retirement.

The reconciliation with the cousins will probably be kept quiet for now, but I don't see Korn liking it much either, not unless he can keep an active eye on Vegas, Macau, Pete, and Fern. He has been comforted by the knowledge that they are busy with new ventures that don't really affect the major family's, and the fact that Vegas and Pete are busy with fatherhood might be a positive in his eyes. They won't risk the baby's welfare by stepping out of line, and the baby can be used as potential leverage if they do. I don't think it will come to that, but I think Vegas has no desire to get involved with Korn again for this reason, as well as the fact that he views Korn as the root of several different traumas.

I do hope to explore some of this in the new chapter! I am behind schedule right now due to two deadlines at work, but I am currently writing an emotionally charged conversation between Kinn and Khun now. It is way overdue and some resentments are coming out, but it will hopefully be good for them and their bond in the scheme of things! Thank you for the ask!

[fanfiction-artist-prototype]

idk who your knight oc is but here's an invitation to talk about them because ik the feeling of wanting to gush dkjdshajsd

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

So.

So.

So.

She's part of a reincarnation triad - her, her sibling and the villain. Theyre like soul mates in a sense trapped in a battle of hood and evil and the siblings are typically on the good side . If two of the 3 are dead then THEY teincatnate but if only 1 of the 3 does then the soul remains trapped in stasis till the 2nd dies and they can pass on. If 2 out of the 3 have moved onto the next reincarnation the 2 out of 3 rule is disregarded when the last of the previous incarnations die.

Anyway. Context over.

Eryx (typically a masc name from what I can find but??) Is like the expendable one out of the destined heroes. Her place is folklore has always been the protector; thr myth going that they all reincarnate because her original body was stroke down literally by the divine so that she couldn't usurp the heavens for allowing her sister to die at the hands of a evil god . Said God was then stripped of godhead and became our third (antagonist).

Because of this reputation after each incarnation is identified Eryx is always sequestered away and pumped full of rhetoric about protecting her sibling, giving her life for them, doing WHATEVER IT TAKES to keep then alive. The Knight is SUPPOSED to be the one to die first out of the two of them.

So this incarnation of Eryx is raised with the notion that the antagonist dies first and she either dies in the process of killing him or lives as long as possible to ensure the hero dies of old age but ultimately has to kill herself before the hero can die so that the next incarnation isn't left waiting for their Knight and potentially gets put in danger.

Because of this, this Eryx never discovers that her biological little sister in this incarnation is her actual incarnated sister until she is sent out on a mission to "distract" the antagonist only to discover some random crony killed her sister. Who was eight. Context, Eryx is only 15 here. She goes ballistic, powered by magic storms the antagonists Chambers and they have back and forth abt like. You can't kill me! Only those sworn by the gods can do that!

And she's like "my oath is to destroy whatever prevents her survival and your death will be her rebirth" kills antagonist and waits patiently for the next rebirth.

She refuses to go back to the temple bc they sent a child to die (she refuses to acknowledge she's a child. She has most of her past memories she's fine. Totally an adult mentally. Totally not a scared and devastates child refusing to process grief.

Years pass and as she's travelling as a merc for hire (Royal family have her on retainer she just wanders and helps when they don't want the living hero of legend to fight their wars for them) she finds a newly orphaned kid in the charred remains of a village. Immediately clocks her as her reincarnated sister.

Takes her in, travels around projecting the memories of past incarnations onto this child bc grief. Is very much a "I won't let you die bc I want what you could be but if you dying brought MY sister back I would let you die" atm.

Her sister just wants someone to love her and will take whatever she can get.

Eryx a devotional Knight who almost smite the heavens who neglects and fools herself into thinking ahe loves the girl who won't ever be the dead little girl she wants her to be. The tragedy is is that she mourns the living and lives through the dead.

Her entire character arc is not dissimilar to that typical grumpy mentor learning to love their new kid? But like. She realises she loves THIS kid not who she wants them to be, and has to reckon with how she's treated her.

Also antagonist romance drama bc I'm an absolute slave for a good "star crossed lovers" thing.

Anyway. One big burst bc I do have more for Eryx but like. I could waffle for hours. Thank you again for sending this ask !!

[johngilbertii]

(   casey deidrick.  thirty-four.  human / hunter.   )   JOHNATHAN  ‘JOHN’ GILBERT II,  you’ve been haunting mystic falls’ streets with your desire to protect mystic falls to protect his daughter.  it’s only a matter of time before your INTOLERANT & RECKLESS tendencies prove to be your own undoing; unless your LOYAL & OBSERVANT nature helps you obtain allies before it’s too late.

what are your character’s goals? do they have any present allegiances?

as the gilbert family tree is hanging on to a single remaining unsteady branch and leaf with a penchant of trying to rip itself off said branch, and mystic falls is at the mercy of some of the most diabolical supernatural creatures alive... his focus is on protecting the town to keep elena safe.

as for allegiance, john is staunchlyanti-supernatural, but when push comes to shove... he's pro elena above all else - not that she'd know that.

what has your character been up to before the start of our group? 

fucking around and finding out mostly - he's been out hunting and getting things together as he tried to process his brother's death. recently he came back to town to look after his daughter niece and nephew, looking to return mystic falls to it's prior more peaceful existence so that they can grow up to do better by their children than he did his own.

what songs do you associate with your character?

can't hold by by you me at six

champagne problems by taylor swift

pains like cold water by noah kahan

everything you want by vertical horizon

worst in me by unlike pluto

take what you want by post malone and ozzy osbourne

unstoppable by gizzle

hayloft by mother mother

paul revere by noah kahan

double by blackbear

blood // water by grandison

carry your throne by jon bellion

is there anything you’re potentially interested in exploring romantically for your character / what do you, or could you, ship?

john has a habit of making himself emotionally unavailable - mostly because he falls in love deeply and gets emotionally wrecked easily SO he does try to avoid that. still... mans hot, he's got needs, and he likes to feel needed, and he's a whore. plenty of opportunities for flings, romances, and i'm open to opportunities as they arise!

what sort of current or future connections/plots are you looking for?

i'm looking for antagonstic relationships - people he's tried to kill, people with negative associations with the gilberts, vampires, werewolves, exes, people he pissed off, i want DRAMA. he's an asshole, and he's a damn good hunter... man is MESSY and i can't wait to see it play out on the dash.

[xstarraidx]

Welcome to Season 01 Episode 09 of "You Won't Believe What Happens in My Happy Marriage"! In this exciting episode, we dive deeper into the lives of our beloved couple, experiencing the unexpected twists and turns that keep us all hooked. Join us as we witness the challenges and triumphs that come with maintaining a happy marriage. From heartwarming moments to hilarious mishaps, this episode promises to keep you entertained and guessing until the very end. In this installment, our couple faces a major decision that could potentially change the course of their relationship. Will they overcome their differences and find a way to compromise? Or will this be the breaking point that tests the strength of their bond? Prepare to be captivated by the incredible performances of our talented cast as they bring these relatable characters to life. With their impeccable chemistry and genuine emotions, you'll find yourself rooting for their love story every step of the way. Don't miss out on the laughter, tears, and everything in between as we explore the complexities of love, commitment, and the pursuit of happiness. Tune in to "You Won't Believe What Happens in My Happy Marriage Season 01 Episode 09" and be a part of this unforgettable journey. Remember to like, comment, and subscribe to our channel to stay updated on all the latest episodes. Share this video with your friends and family who love a good dose of romance, drama, and a few surprises along the way. Thank you for being a part of our growing community, and we can't wait to see you in the next episode of "You Won't Believe What Happens in My Happy Marriage"! #myhappymarriage #myhappymarrys01e09 Disclaimer: Fair Use Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Fair Use Definition - Fair use is a doctrine in United States copyright law that allows limited use of copyrighted material without requiring permission from the rights holders, such as commentary, criticism, news reporting, research, teaching or scholarship. It provides for the legal, non-licensed citation or incorporation of copyrighted material in another author’s work under a four-factor balancing test.

[firespirited]

Another eventful day

Maybe it was too humid, maybe Lily pulled a muscle but she couldn't use her front leg despite me massaging it which usually helps then, sat down on a bench holding her on her back and sis pulling out all the burrs we could find. She was just sore I guess, she's fine now. Anyway sis insisted on carrying her home even though she's more disabled than the dog. There was no argument she'd accept, nor would she wait for me to come back with a big bag. I ended up hurting my shoulder from holding Lily, wrangling her into a bag that broke then carrying sis' rucksack. I'm still annoyed she insisted on potentially injuring herself and that she's someone I just cannot negotiate with. We've always clashed and I hoped we'd get better at meeting eachother in the middle. She is so stubborn, I admire it and hate it.

But we got home safe and a few hours sis goes hey so shall we just take Talia and only go up the road 800m to see the phone box library. I go okay yeah I can swing that with a hat for the heat (it's a rare low temp day today)

And as we're going out the door plans change to hunt down a car boot (vide grenier). We arrive at the location which is further than I've been before (!!) and there are only tourists - we got the wrong day! So I'm more than ready to go home, can feel the ache under my ear that says a migraine is nigh.

Then I hear sis exclaim a name and it's one of our old next door (literal shared walls) appt neighbours from the previous place in this town [before the landlord got stupidly greedy and went at least five years without revenue hahaha. I'm still bitter about the non handicap accessible switcheroo place we had to take and remove black mold abd embedded soot ourselves. As much as I love the people in this building, it's not even safe for the able-bodied older ladies who live here.]

Neighbour S is second eldest of the four P boys,

we managed to get youngest K glasses which helped a ton, then into special needs school (boarding to be away from family drama) then an apprentiship and he's thriving as a old people's home entertainment and exercise guy. Getting and giving lots of love.

Second youngest kid A we managed to get special school because he's smart but can't stay away from fights in the hopes that more attention and some therapy would get him back in track. He was the first to go to jail for organising a group beating of a disabled man as a teen. He's out and usually gets jobs well, he's got sociopathic tendancies. We're not sure when it started but he started enjoying bullying and never grew out of it. A bully dad, two bully brothers and possibly some very mild head traumas. It's hard to tell but he's beyond reach and we found out today he's living in town.

Second eldest S was a good kid who's generally chill but his deep seated anger causes him to do stupid things and self sabotage. Like he missed a parole hearing and ended back serving a full sentence because he forgot, too busy having a massive fistfight with the eldest D.

D needed help focusing at school and drama from his dad tended to derail him. Generally very sweet guy despite it all. He went into construction and has been with a series of older women for whom he childminds as well as being the boytoy. He's been with the current one 6 years so many it's finally stable.

So we meet S, and as we're catching up I realise I'm feeling uncomfortable about him, it's not that he's been in and out of jail quite a bit for petty stuff that adds up. I know that's not really ever bothered me, it's not that he's just adopted a puppy when he hasn't sorted his taxes or healthcare yet and will probably be employed by the time the dog is 9 months and ready to destroy the house. Something was holding me back from fully feeling friendly while still acting friendly and in some ways very happy to see our messed up sort of cousins that you sort of become by being the two weird loud families in the building.

Afterwards, Sis and I sat on a bench exhausted from shirt walk but lots of conversation and i ask how she's handling things, the references to who she was when she was more able bodied 20 years ago and well just physical exertion and she has a lot to process, she's double her weight from back then, he's stagnated more than she has even though she's been extremely ill for twenty years. We've both just started walking to try and fix knee problems for her and back atrophy for me.

Anyway she drops "I'm not sure I can fake being chummy with him again, it's hard to ignore he became a wife beater". Yep that feeling was disgust and still some disbelief that he sunk so low, started taking his anger out and starting fights then escalated.

S married his high-school sweetheart, who we also knew, a lovely young woman with an eating disorder and risk seeking like she wanted to be pushed away. She's a care assistant now, their daughter is 14 and lives across the road from us with her grandma for parts of the year.

No we can't be buds. That was a line you don't cross. She'd always had his back.

Kicking myself for not remembering despite my brain going alert alert.

Oh well. He did take full responsibility for the physical violence, accepted the divorce and custody, is avoiding alcohol and is allowed to see his first daughter (the one across the road), seems like he's trying to get this good stint to stick. Hope he can for that 14 year old.

Seeing someone as stuck as we are twenty years later with no chronic illness explanation just neglectful emotionally messy parents was a *trip* for sis and I.

Lots to think about. And Lily needs joint medicine again.

[peralta-guaranteed]

Can you do a Best Friend’s sibling au please?? Like Jake being besties with one of the Santiabros but he’s secretly in love with Amy. Btw I really love your works, you write amazing! 🤍

this has gotten EXTREMELY long and off-topic quickly, but I loved the idea too much

- Jorge has the worst of luck, Amy thinks when she's confronted with his new college roommate. She was supposed to meet her brother for a surprise dinner visit while she's passing through town, but he's running a bit late and texted her to wait in his room. "Jake's alright", he told her, "you guys can chat until I get there"

- Jake is 'alright', she supposes, while he tries to corral his mess back to his side of the room to let her sit on her brother's bed, offers her a choice of energy drink, soda, cold coffee or water from the sink, and generally babbles and stammers his way through their first introductions

- (she picks the water, and they do end up chatting about her family, as Jake has already met all six other brothers on move-in day when they helped out, and he's both glad she wasn't there back then so he couldn't make a total fool out of himself when meeting his new roommate, but also sad she wasn't there because he could've met her back then already?!)

- Jorge shows up to take her to their favourite new diner, and invites Jake along, who insists they need to try the breakfast skillet. Amy picks a nice salad instead, but god if Jake’s skillet doesn’t look delicious and indulgent, and so what if she takes her little sister rights a little too far and steals a few bites of his plate? Jorge has ordered a stupid sandwich, she’s definitely not getting a bite of that anyway.

- that's all the interaction she's going to have with her brother's roommate, she thinks, except the two boys bond extremely well and Jake ends up being invited / tagging along to basically every family visit to their university town. He fits right in with the gaggle of Santiabros, and Jorge jokes about inviting him for Thanksgiving as the eighth brother, and no, god, Amy really doesn't need any more teasing and obnoxiousness in her life that she already has with seven of them, thanks

- Jake, meanwhile, summons his Council Of Ladies (i.e. his childhood friend Gina for whom he's nabbed a job at some university office, the classmate Rosa he's annoyed into friendship by now, and honorary Lady Charles, another classmate who was very insistent to be part of this group) to discuss whether it is at all okay to ask out a roommate / friend's little sister?!?

- Rosa is staunchly against it ('you can't do that level of creep well, Peralta. That's more a Boyle thing' 'hey!' 'prove me wrong Charles') while Gina is all for it ('the drama alone!! Imagine rocking up to thanksgiving as Jorge's buddy and introducing yourself as Amy's boyfriend instead!'). Charles, meanwhile, is already planning the wedding invites. Jake decides to not do anything just to spite all of them, and if he maybe does think about still asking her out, he's definitely not going to tell any of them. Bunch of great friends he has there, really.

- After their first term, Jake + Jorge find off-campus housing together, so now the situation's even worse, Jake thinks when Jorge tells him Amy will be staying on their couch for a week because she's touring potential colleges. Amy is pleasantly surprised about the cleaned and prepped living room for her, and the fact that they even took a scrubber to both kitchen and bathroom where she's presented with her own little shelf. Maybe Jake isn't such a bad surrogate big brother after all.

- He even steps up to the plate when Jorge has to cancel a few days of their planned week (he's pre-med, so it's understandable, he doesn't have all week to show his little sis around). Jake tours her all around campus, although she learns far more about hangout places and good nap areas and the best fast food spots instead of, you know, classes or libraries or anything related to school, really.

- they end up at the diner for the evening, and Jake continuously has to repeat ‘not a date not a date NOT a date’ in his head to keep focussed. Luckily there’s a lot of breakfast food coming his way to squash down the butterflies in his stomach.

- “So is there anything else good here apart from that breakfast skillet? That salad was only so-so...” “Uh, I’ve never really ordered anything else to be honest.” “How about I get the skillet, you pick something new to try, and we go half & half?” It’s something Amy is more than used to with her big family, but single child Jake, who still has fork marks left in his hand from the one time he tried to steal some of Gina’s fries, is absolutely flabberghasted. Apparently all the Santiagos are brilliant minds.

- They share their dishes with lots of chat and laughs inbetween, and it’s all so homely and comforting that Jake almost doesn’t mind the idea of it being just ‘newfound family’, and thinks he should be grateful that he’s made such a good friend in his roommate whose family is welcoming him in - isn’t that something he’s wanted since he was little? But then Amy licks some gravy off of her lips, and blushes when he makes a Title Of Your Sextape joke to one of her stories, and nope, he’s going to die in this diner with the most amazing girl in the world next to him who doesn’t even know he likes her, who thinks of him as her brother’s dorky buddy and nothing else.

- He ends up genuinely being invited to Santiago Thanksgiving, and he can’t say no. Camila is so happy to see him, and so are the Santiabros, and... well, Amy hugs him hello too, so there’s that. He can do this. He can help set the table with her and make her laugh with his random ‘gonna get that turkey dance’ song. He can sit on their porch after dinner with the brothers, having a beer and being slapped on the shoulders and being a part of the family, really, that’s a dream come true, isn’t it? Why does he keep glancing over to Amy all bundled up warm and comfy on the porch swing next to her almost-twin Matteo. Why does he want to switch places with him so badly, share that old, love-worn blanket she’s hiding under, and still joke with her brothers while she falls asleep against his side instead of Matteo’s?

- Matteo pulls Jorge aside the next day, asks him if there’s ‘anything going on with Jake and Amy’. Jorge has no idea what he’s talking about - that’s just his bud, they’re friends, and Amy’s his friend too whenever she comes to visit? Matteo gives him an eyeroll for that obliviousness, because he’s definitely aware of the way Jake is staring at their sister and has been ever since he first met the guy. But most importantly, he’s also seen his little sister’s shy smile when their ‘bud’ handed her a beer on the porch, heard her nervous laugh at some of his ridiculous jokes, and noted the hair being tucked behind her ears when he told her ‘good night, Ames’ as she decided to call it a night earlier than the boys.

- Jorge kind of wants to talk to Jake about his brother’s silly notion when they get back to university, but it kind of gets swept up and forgotten in their exam weeks, and then suddenly Jorge isn’t pre-med anymore, he’s Med now, and needs to change campuses for that, and there’s a good dorm much closer to all his new lecture halls, and it just makes much more sense to move. They’re still going to be great friends of course, Jake promises him that, he’s not getting rid of Peralta that easily, and anyway no sweat, Rosa was looking for a new place to live so it all works out perfectly fine!

- except for a few months later when Amy also needs a new place to live, right in their college town that is now also her college town, and goddamnit, he can’t throw Rosa out (because a. he’s still not a douche and b. even if he was, and tried, Rosa would end him). So instead he throws himself out, offers a very confused Amy his share of the place and moves back into a dorm room with Charles (who is absolutely elated about it all).

- Rosa very reluctantly takes the freshman her friend keeps gushing about under her wing, and goddamnit, now she has two friends she didn’t want. And those two friends so definitely, clearly want to bone each other and can’t admit it, it’s unbelievable. She has to listen to both Amy’s constant insisting that she’s here to study, not to date, whenever she so much as mentions a boy, and to Jake’s little hurt whines whenever he mentions his ‘friends’ Jorge and Amy. She might just lock them both up in their apartment the next time Jake visits (and he visits a lot) to let them figure it out.

- She doesn’t have to, though, because Amy wants to celebrate her first exams (all As, of course) and invites Jake and his group over for drinks (she hasn’t really made any new friends yet, so Jake+Rosa have basically just adopted her into their group anyway). Charles keeps squealing whenever the two get close during their little party, and Gina keeps winking and subtly shoving Jake over to her, and Rosa really needs to find a way to get both of those two nuisances out with her to let the not-yet-lovebirds finally be alone.

- She doesn’t really find one, though, and they all end up snoring in various spaces of the living room after way too many drinking games and toasts to random things. The music in the background is only slightly turned down while Amy’s head slowly lands on Jake’s shoulder next to her, and the only thing missing from his Thanksgiving dream right now is the blanket, he thinks, when she sits up straighter again.

- “I am sooo hungry right now.” She slurs, slightly drunk still. “You know what I want? That goddamn breakfast skillet. Curse you, Peralta, for introducing me to it.” “Luckily your wishes can be fullfilled, Santiago. The diner’s in walking distance, after all.”

- They end up sharing yet another new pick of dish + Amy’s skillet, giggling tipsy as food falls off their forks halfway across the table. Amy picks up her plate and scoots over on the bench to sit next to him, for easier sharing, of course.

- “Man, I can’t believe we’ve only been here together three times now. Feels like it’s been, like, a forever thing.” “Jake?” “Yeah?” “Can we count this as our third date then, so I can finally kiss you?” (He really doesn’t think their first visit with her brother tagging along could be argued to be a date no matter how much they stretch the definition, but he’s definitely NOT going to debate her when she leans over and smells of rum&coke and tastes of hashbrowns and is all around just so perfectly, completely Amy that his senses are completely overrun.)

[the-coffee-story]

Rise of the Forest God

Chapter 17 - Professor Tally Winchester

Winchester Hall was a beautiful, dark Victorian mansion á lá Addams Family that rested proudly upon the tallest hill around. The windows, grey with age and dust were tall and skinny and a rusted iron gate, with weathered carvings now indistinguishable rested half swallowed by dirt and uncut blades of long dry grass. The whole thing blended rather well with the crawling forest behind it.

The team was waiting by the gate, curious and giddy with half-numbed nervousness.

"Well, now I'm definitely interested," Walther commented, peeking through the towering, rusted gate. "This looks like it's haunted by at least three ghosts who died a horrible death. They never found the heads."

October laughed.

"Seriously October, imagine the Addams Family's mansion, now scale it down a little."

He raised an eyebrow. "Can't wait for Morticia to pop out."

"Well, Morticia was definitely not on the phone," Violet noted.

Suddenly, the carved, dark-oak door that rested comfortably in the centre of the home's front opened, and a young man peeked out, adjusting his glasses as he took a moment to assess the situation. After a few moments passed, he noticed the team waiting by the gate, waved to wordlessly grab their attention, and quickly scuttled over.

Tally Winchester was a medium-heighted, slender and bald individual with large, wildly blue eyes behind thick glasses and a countless amount of scattered silver piercings dotted in and around his earlobe. Despite the fact that it was it had just dawned early spring, his skin was sunburnt and tanned, as if he spent most of his days somewhere lost outside. He walked with a noticable limp, and Walther didn't need to wait long for an explanation, when a prosthetic briefly appeared between his worn brown converse sneakers and faded jeans.

"Hi!" He flashed a toothy smiled at the group and opened the gate. "Great to see you, I'm Professor Tally Winchester!" He shook everyone's hands as they trickled past. The sleeves of his petrol flannel were rolled up, revealing a rather out-of-place, faded tattoo of a crawling lizard and a bunch of old scars. "You can call me Tally though."

Violet held out her hand. "Hi, I'm Violet, we talked on the phone."

"Great to meet you all!" He grinned. "Are you coming inside?"

***

"Before anyone asks, I inherited the house," Tally explained while leading them upstairs. "It's rotten and I hate it and the bills are a naked horror but I doubt I can find anything that has more capacities for a library." He opened a door. "Intrate, everyone."

"Remarkable," Doc commented.

Remarkable was indeed an understatemt. The room they'd entered was a library- with a beautiful brick fireplace and huge windows that let in the sparse afternoon sun, bookshelves brushed against the webbed ceiling and sunk into every wall. The floor was carpeted, through incredibly uncomfortable to walk on, and the furniture antique. One wall was plastered with photographs and notes.

"Nice," Walther mumbled, taking the second to once again soak in their surroundings.

Tally grinned, idly brushing aside pages and old notes compromised of incomprehensible scribbles and drawings. His teeth were somewhat crooked. "I didn't replace any of the furniture, but I did sell a chunk of the old books. There was just no space for mine." He closed the door behind them. "So anyway, you wanted to know about the cult?"

"There's been a bunch of murders in Forest Lane that were eerily similar to what it did, so yeah." Thasfield shrugged his broad shoulders. "We suspect the cult might be involved."

"Oh, I heard about that on the news!" Tally sorted the files on the table until he found what he was looking for. Then he looked up. His face was serious now. "At this point I'd like to admit I have a slightly selfish motivation in this."

"What is it?", Violet asked.

"You see..." Tally leaned against the table. "For context, I'm a history professor, but my focus is on cryptids and modern legends. Historical context, potential explanations, yada yada. A few years ago I stumbled across the legend of the Forest God."

Walther's face lit up. "Oh, I remember that story, my parents used to tell it to me when I was a kid! This one guy got lost in the woods, was found dead and after his funeral his reanimated corpse came home and his wife who loved him very, very much-" They side-eyed Violet and Coffee, who in turn glared back. "-couldn't accept that maybe it's not exactly normal that your husband's corpse is vibing around, then after a while he started killing people, then he killed her and then the neighbours buried him in an iron casket in the woods so he would stop randomly murdering people. Right?"

"You summed it up." Tally nodded.

"But who believes in that?!" Violet frowned. "I mean... it's just a legend, right? Somebody finally snapped, had a rough week or something, and people straight up believe his bullshit?"

"He came back from the dead and started murdering people, Violet," Doc commented.

She shrugged dismissively. "We've all been there."

"I don't want to meet you after a bad week," Tally remarked with mild discomfort, absentmindedly flipping through pages of notes and nonsense. "The existence of the man who allegedly became the Forest God is proven. His name was Eustace Wyndham and if you ask me he had rabies and some things were added for drama. But that's not even relevant, because the cult came almost a hundred years later." He slid around the table and opened another scattered file. "1969 they started to worship the Forest God. At first it was nothing special, you know, just the average college student nonsense." He held up an old photograph, subtle wonder in his eyes as he stared into it, before handing it to Walther. "Here, you can take a look at this! That's the entire cult. The guy in purple with the long hair is one of the founders. The other founder left in 1970 after getting a bad feeling about the whole thing. I caught him for an interview five years ago. Lovely guy, sadly died of cancer shortly after. It's a shame. You can pass the photo around! Notice how they're all wearing cow parsley wreaths. That was the flower associated with the Forest God and the flower scattered all over their murder victim's body, or rather what was left of it."

"All the victims had cow parsley in their mouth," Doc realized, dragging a hand up to rest in his soft ginger curls, staring blankly into the distance, thinking.

Tally nodded hastily. "Exactly! And now please look at what I found on my windowsill this morning!"

He limped over to the tallboy, half relying on the nearby furniture for support. Leaning down and throwing open a drawer, after a short while of sifting through papers and photographs, he took out something else. Then he held it up.

It was a wreath of cow parsley.

"That's....not good," Walther murmured after a long moment of stunned silence.

Tally nodded, twirling the flowers between his thumb and forefinger. "You get it. You know..." He leaned heavily against a dusty, worn table and heaved a small sigh. "When Wilhelm called me at first I was very sceptical of it all. I'm not a group project person, if you know what I mean. But this is just the tip of the ice berg and I have a feeling that I might be next, so I decided to work with you." He shrugged his shoulders.

While he'd been talking, Coffee had been furiously typing. He handed Tally his phone and Tally read it out loud.

" 'How about we use you as a bait?' Um... Can you...can you please explain what exactly you mean? That doesn't sound particularly safe-!"

He handed Coffee's phone back to him, paranoid he might accidentally drop it, and the detective started typing an answer, this time with significantly more determination.

Hear me out. So my idea was basically that tonight we let the killer come, but were going to be prepared. In other words, we gather a big group that's going to protect you, and we're going to arrest the murderer once he's here. What do you think?

Tally hesitated for a short moment and chewed his lip, opening his mouth to reply, then closing it again.. "I mean... I guess you have a point, sooner or later he's going to get me either way."

"I mean, let's be real, you can't run forever," Thasfield said, leaning forwards. "Even if you move, it's still going to take a while, and judging by what we know you're being pretty actively stalked, so it's quite possible he'll just follow you and then you'll be killed by a Forest God in a hotel room in Central Graytown. Which probably makes for an interesting plotline in a noir film, but we're talking real life here and I highly doubt you're so keen on landing in the morgue anytime soon. Although the Doctor is an expert at autopsies."

Doc smirked.

".........yeah," Tally admitted. He sat down on the table and scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, that sounds...icky but realistic." He closed his eyes took a deep breath. "Alright. Who's gonna be on this team?"

Doc's phone's rang loudly to shake up their newfound confidence, and he excused himself, stepping back into the dusty hallway to take the call.

"I mean, most of us for starters," Violet said. "But I was also thinking of grabbing Gary Fox and Wilhelm. Strength in number, you know?"

Doc eventually came back to the group. His weathered face was stricken with subtle anxiety. "Bad news."

"What is it?", Walther asked.

"Alice found her mailman by the stables."

Walther frowned. "Okay, and what's so special about that?"

"His left arm was by the stables. The rest of him was scattered across the field."

"Dear God, is he okay?"

"He's okay, but he's dead." Doc turned to Tally, lowering his voice just enough. "Can we settle on tonight?"

Tally nodded. His sunburnt face had notably paled, turning his skin a somewhat pasty yellow. "Sure. What time are y'all coming?"

"Is five o'clock alright with you?"

Tally shrugged his shoulders. "Sure."

[askmerriauthor]

Star Wars: Visions thoughts and discussion

Been on a bit of a Star Wars binge lately. Getting ready for the Book of Fett and the return of The Mandalorian soon, just finished playing the Jedi: Fallen Order game, and recently "Star Wars: Visions" dropped on Disney+ (not to be confused with the, like, half-dozen other Star Wars properties that use "Visions" as their title). If you've got the streaming service and haven't watched the series yet, I can honestly suggest you should do so. The whole thing is a series of very short episodes and is entirely non-canon to the setting, so you don't even need a hard understanding of Star Wars to enjoy it.

In fact, it's actually better if you don't know anything about Star Wars going in. Spoilers and brief episode discussion after the jump.

Episode 1: The Duel As soon as I saw a lightsaber umbrella and a R2 droid in a hat, I knew this one was going to be a must-watch.

I REPEAT. LIGHTSABER. UMBRELLA.

Solid kick-off for the short series. Dig the aesthetic, dig the classic samurai vibe (even if it's more of an homage than a direct application of the style), dig the simple story. The particular animation style they chose here was a little wonky but I quickly got used to the visuals and loved a bunch of the design choices too much to care. This one was very action/style-focused and clearly chosen as the leading episode for that reason, which I don't fault them at all for.

Episode 2: Tatooine Rhapsody I'm sorry, I don't recall giving Star Wars permission to be this fucking adorable, how dare you.

The tale of a Padawan survivor of Order 66 who makes a new life for himself not with the power of the Force, but with the power of Rock and Roll and Friendship. Bitchin'. Super adorable, semi-chibi art style that's honestly ringing, like, a dozen different bells in my head for trying to figure out all the different styles it's drawing from. Good fun, if a bit bland in the end. The biggest problem is the music. The story relies on "using music to save the day", which is fine. But when you use that trope you need an absolutely face-melting banger of a performance, which this just doesn't have. An enjoyable entry all the same though. Not bad, not great, cute designs; the quirky story of how Jabba the Hutt got a new slave band to play at his den.

Episode 3: The Twins This entire episode is animated by the team who brought us Kill la Kill and that should really tell you everything you need to know.

You know how if you get a bunch of little kids together, they'll start playing make-believe games where they just invent stories and plot twists and super powers like "I have whatever you can do, but infinity plus 1 better!" shit like that? That's what this short is. It has only the vaguest allusions to the setting proper and immediately hurls every semblance of consistency, logic, and sense out the window with both hands. It is 1,000,000% style over substance.

Okay, y'know what, no, that's not enough to describe the utter insanity this episode is. All I can find online is pictures of the main villain character pulling a General Grievous impression or the protag snaring lightsaber whips on his lightsaber, but that is fucking tiddlywinks compared to where this episode goes.

There is a scene in this short where the protag, who is ghost-riding the hood of his X-Wing upside down in space without a space suit, super-charges his lightsaber into a giant rainbow of FUCK YOU GEORGE LUCAS with the power of familial love and fabulousness, using said rainbow super saber to CUT AN ENTIRE STAR DESTROYER IN HALF WHILE ACCELERATING TO HYPERSPEED, all to save his twin sister's life by making her explode in a somehow non-harmful manner.

This short is utterly nonsensical drivel and yes I would like more right the fuck now, please and thank you.

Episode 4: The Village Bride Wait, we're actually trying to tell a reasonable story in this series? Sorry, I was still on a sugar high from the previous episode. Lemme sit down.

The Village Bride is great. Excellent short that's just dripping with atmosphere and a slow, purposeful pace to its writing. It's short and sweet with little focus on the Force-using characters themselves, which actually serves to its credit. Even in the Star Wars universe, the Ainu people can't catch a fucking break. Easily one of my favorites in the whole run.

Episode 5: The Ninth Jedi The fact that two characters in this short have Sasuke's haircut was extremely distracting. But I actually really enjoyed this entry overall.

Despite playing extremely loose with the established lore around how lightsabers work, this episode over all others really embraces the original setting and tells a slow-burn story about the potential revival of the Jedi Order. A little meandering at times, but it's a solid piece and well worth exploring. Of all the shorts in the series, this one has the greatest potential to actually continue on as a standalone series or be folded into the canon franchise. Main protag is an adorable bean and I love her.

Episode 6: T0-B1 This episode is simultaneously a love letter to Astro Boy and a giant middle finger to Star Wars lore purists.

The tale of an imaginative Droid named T0-B1 who dreams of becoming a hero like the Jedi he's heard so many stories of. This short gets extra credit for being so unyieldingly stylish and charming. On the surface of its presentation and story choices it seems like it doesn't know anything about Star Wars lore, but it's actually packed full of some pretty deep cuts that show the folk behind it do know what they're talking about and just don't fucking care what purists have to say. The entire thing is just "Yeah, I'm ignoring your lore, but I'm doing it in a fun way that makes the setting more interesting, and I'm so genuine about it that you can't be mad at me". I can respect that. Plus the old dude in that screenshot is an armless Jedi who's retired to be a botanist and that's just fucking cool.

Episode 7: The Elder I'm Episode 1, but better.

This one. This shit right here. This is the good shit.

I'm sure y'all have heard before that Star Wars is directly inspired by Kurosawa and samurai films in general, but The Elder really digs into that hard. Where Episode 1 styles itself after a samurai tale, Episode 7 is a samurai tale. Subdued, methodical storytelling, slow-burn pace, charming dialogue amid believable characters, and a truly intimidating villain who provokes a brief but striking duel. This is my vibe. I crave more of this. Far and away the best short of the entire series.

Episode 8: Lop and Ocho Oh for fuck's sake, there's going to be so much porn of this bunny girl character, isn't there?

This entry is another that kind of meanders with the story it's trying to tell and plays very loose with the lore. It reimagines a lot of what we know of the Jedi/The Rebels and Sith/The Empire into a feudal faction-based conflict akin to what you'd see in a period samurai drama. Modernization and callous industry crushing the spirit of the people and breaking apart families. A decent work overall, but nothing really all that impressive in the end. It takes too long to get going and then peters out halfway through its pay-off for some reason.

Episode 9: Akakiri The fact that I had to look up this episode's name and scenes online and still could not remember anything about it should tell you a lot.

The series ends on a downer with the dramatic tale of a fallen Jedi who sacrifices himself and succumbs to the Dark Side. Turning evil for... the greater good? Wha? Had some pretty neat visuals, but I genuinely cannot remember a damn thing about this episode or its characters. Big swing and a miss in terms of impact.

[loveisneurotic]

Kaguya-sama Blind Reaction/Analysis: S1E1

Hello everyone, this is my blog which I am currently using to react to and analyze Kaguya-sama: Love Is War much more seriously than I should analyze any romcom.

I have only seen the first episode of the anime, which this post shall explore using far too many words. If I'm feeling particularly motivated, I may read the manga as well.

My analysis will contain spoilers. If you're thinking of watching this show and haven't seen it yet, I recommend you at least go check out the first episode yourself before reading any further. I don't know what the rest of the show is like, but what I've seen so far has been both entertaining and thought-provoking.

I'm going in mostly blind, but not entirely blind. There are a few images of the anime and manga that I have been exposed to, although without the attached context. Due to cultural osmosis and the sheer popularity of this work, perhaps that was almost inevitable.

Figure 1.1.1: Why did this guy write an essay about a single episode of an ongoing romcom?

Kaguya-sama: Love Is War

Season 1 Episode 1

I Will Make You Invite Me to a Movie / Kaguya Wants to Be Stopped / Kaguya Wants It

Power dynamics in relationships

Figure 1.1.2: Immediately, the mangaka's tastes become clear.

I heard a saying once that really stuck with me: "The partner who cares the least has all of the power."

In the world of dating, I often sincerely believed this saying. You may yearn for someone's affection, but the other person need not give it to you until they are willing and ready. No matter how much you want it, you can't make someone more interested in you, unless you resort to being roundabout, such as adding some mystery and intrigue to your courtship. But is that excessive?

I once felt a potential lover slipping through my grasp, and before I knew it, I found myself chasing after them. As I was yearning for their attention, I felt as if I'd lost my dignity. It was humiliating. Painful. Was it just that they weren't the right person for me? Or was I not funny enough? Not charismatic enough? Not interesting enough? Too clingy? Too talkative? Should I have been more distant and given them more space? Did I seem too weak? Too eager? How should I have maximized my desirability? Regardless, I had surely lost. Perhaps they wanted the satisfaction and validation of conquering me. Playing me for a fool and asserting their superiority by being so distant. Isn't that right? Or is that just insecurity speaking? At what point is it ideal to cut one's losses and walk away?

If someone desperately wants the object of their affection to desire them, does that make them pathetic? Does it make them a loser? If you show more vulnerability and desire than the other person, does that truly make you the weak one in a relationship?

These questions plague our two protagonists and seem to be a driving force behind the main conflict. Since I have also grappled with how much to reveal my own feelings of desire, I find Kaguya-sama: Love Is War to be a particularly fascinating show.

Desire without action

Figure 1.1.3: Our protagonists are gifted with impressively high academic intelligence paired with impressively low emotional intelligence.

The show wastes no time in introducing us to our two main protagonists. Kaguya was born into a family of high stature (and says "ara ara" frequently enough to power a small country of weebs), whereas Shirogane is a "commoner" (Kaguya's word, not mine) who worked hard to reach the pinnacle of the student body. Like timid schoolchildren, they're crushing on each other, and yet they refuse to admit it due to their pride. Instead, they focus on getting their "opponent" to confess their love first.

What stuck out to me immediately is how they both have different ideas of what their relationship would be like. Shirogane envisions Kaguya as blushing, shy, and conventionally cute, whereas Kaguya (thankfully) envisions herself taking absolute dominance over Shirogane (which plenty of people should see coming as a character trait after the anime's very first scene). The bad news about this is that their two fantasies are at odds. The good news about this is that the mangaka has fantastic taste -- you can learn a lot about a storyteller based on the characterization of a love interest or lead character of the author's preferred gender.

In the event that the two of them become an actual couple, I wonder how on Earth they'll reach a compromise as to how they'll treat each other. Perhaps they will have to figure that out before they can even get that intimate.

I appreciate that we get to see both of their perspectives. It hammers home how everyone has a different truth in regards to what they desire and what they experience, and the show does not hold back when it comes to showing just how different these truths can be -- such as a certain lunch-themed sequence that I will talk about later. This works to great dramatic and comedic effect.

That said, when you spend your time fantasizing about what could happen instead of actually taking action, time is not so friendly to you.

Half a year passes.

Figure 1.1.4: Two geniuses dedicate their pride to wasting their life and energy.

Immediately, I got the impression that whoever wrote this segment of the story knows what they're doing. This is too real. And by "too real", I mean I very much appreciate the realism. How many of us have waited for ages (or for eternity) to confess our feelings to a specific someone?

This is the curse of having a crush and being incapable of acting on it. It's also why I hate having crushes.

Manufacturing affection in others, AKA the extraction of vulnerability

Figure 1.1.5: A plan is devised to weaponize jealousy in the name of affection.

To express your truest feelings means being vulnerable. That implies taking a risk and feeling responsible for any potential consequences of rejection, as well as putting our dignity on the line. It would be so much easier for the object of our affection to make themselves vulnerable instead. So instead of being direct and honest, we act indirect. We drop hints. We act suggestively, but not explicitly. We may even place them in situations where we think they are more likely to confess. If they don't pick up on it, we can pretend we didn't mean anything by it. That way, we don't have to risk our dignity. We can just wait for them to make the move.

It sucks.

Incidentally, it sucks even more when both you and your love interest are thinking that way.

It sucks infinitely more when both you and your love interest are COMMITTED to thinking that way.

Someone has to break the deadlock, whether that's immediately or eventually.

If this show isn't one of those romcoms where the status quo never changes ever (judging by the quality of writing, I have faith that it isn't), then at some point, either Shirogane or Kaguya is going to have to be explicit about how they really feel. And it's going to feel scarier to them than anything else they've ever done.

It's gonna be great.

If we could all grow up and live in environments where it's safe and encouraged for all of us to be honest about how we feel and what we want, surely love would be much less painful for so many people.

Chaos theory

Figure 1.1.6: If your prospective lover won't protect you, then your friend definitely will.

Chika is the ideal wild card and agent of chaos in this arena of love.

From a writing perspective, Chika is immensely useful. The mangaka probably could have gotten by without a third character in the mix, but she serves as a catalyst and an unknown element, able to create unpredictability and subversion of expectations. For a comedy-oriented story, this is invaluable.

Blissfully unaware of the mental turmoil that plagues our two lovesick dorks, she is able to unintentionally invalidate whatever schemes that Kaguya or Shirogane spent so much mental energy on, which adds extra comedy and tension for the audience. She is also an effective vehicle for Kaguya's jealousy and projection, as seen in the lunchbox scene which I have so graciously foreshadowed.

Figure 1.1.7: We have confirmed visual on an unidentified fourth person. Chekhov would love this. From their posture, I wonder if they'll be a gloomy character?

Misunderstandings and assumptions

I've heard that most interpersonal conflicts in life emerge from misunderstandings. In the absence of communication, assumptions are born and give rise to misunderstandings.

You may know where I'm going with this. Let's talk about the lunchbox sequence.

Figure 1.1.8 (not pictured because tumblr wishes to deny me of my image spam): Kaguya is too prideful to admit she thinks that a couple is doing something cute.

Figure 1.1.9: Pride is considered a sin for a reason.

From a writing perspective, I was impressed by the lack of romantic intentions in Shirogane in this whole sequence. Not once did he try to get Kaguya to show vulnerability to him. Instead, Kaguya is the only one spinning the situation in a romantic way, while Shirogane's driving force is the misunderstanding that Kaguya is looking down on him for what he eats. Because of this misunderstanding, Shirogane doubles down and makes his food even better, making the situation even more complicated and more stressful for Kaguya. This was definitely my favorite comedy sequence from the first episode.

I appreciate that the show has demonstrated the ability to create these scenarios where one of the characters doesn't even have love on their mind, but there are still romantic thoughts coming from the other character which drives the drama. It gives me a lot of faith in the variety this show will have to offer, and makes me excited to watch more.

When it comes to comedy rooted in misunderstandings, it is important to have miscommunication or lack of communication. In order to resolve a misunderstanding, you need to talk about it. For a pairing as dysfunctional as Kaguya and Shirogane, expecting healthy communication sounds highly unreasonable, which makes them prime material for a whole world of misunderstandings.

Misunderstandings are rooted in assumptions about what the other person meant when they said something or made a certain gesture or expression. When Kaguya glared at Shirogane and his food, he didn't even think to ask "What's the matter?" He just made an assumption about how she felt. I wonder if trying to understand Kaguya's feelings would be considered a sign of weakness by Shirogane?

A prerequisite to initiating an emotional conversation is the desire to understand or be understood by the other person -- assuming that your assumptions haven't already built a narrative for you. It is far easier to make assumptions than it is to attempt any sort of understanding.

In the end, Shirogane fled, unwilling to confront or attempt to understand the intense and passive-aggressive Kaguya. Kaguya feels that she cannot directly ask to try his lunch, so perhaps this is the closest she can get to initiating such a conversation with him at this time. Despite their mind games where they imagine the reactions of their opponent, they still have a lot of difficulty understanding each other.

I am curious to see if this prospective couple's communication skills and emotional intelligence will improve over the course of the story.

The burden of potential romance

Figure 1.1.10: Even the infallible genius Kaguya succumbs to superficial jealousy. It's "mind over matter" versus "matter over mind". That's how the saying goes, right?

Chika is a free spirit, able to ask Shirogane for whatever she wants without being neurotic. That is the power of not being bounded by a crush. Kaguya, who lacks that degree of freedom, briefly loathes her for experiencing something that Kaguya cannot ask for. It's amazing how much someone's feelings for a friend can change without a single word being spoken between them. All it takes is an action, unintentional or not, combined with the raw strength of insecurity. Just as quickly, the status quo can return back to normal too, with the act of properly making up.

To Chika, asking for food from someone doesn't mean anything at all, whereas with Kaguya, it is an admission of defeat. In that sense, a relationship that will only ever be platonic brings peace of mind, whereas a relationship that can be potentially romantic brings leagues upon leagues of anxiety if the outcome is of great concern.

Love is neurotic.

Is love worth the pain? For some people, it is not. For others, the reward is immense -- but only if you can make sure your relationship with this person doesn't end up being a nightmare for your emotional health.

Love and self-identity

The final scene of the episode surprised me in a good way. It's a brief departure from the comedy, and reveals a more heartfelt side of the show.

Kaguya's servant asks her an insightful question. It is substantially more insightful than I would expect from any romcom: "If you fell in love some day, would you wait for that person to confess their love, like now? Or would you confess your love?" I found myself immediately curious to hear Kaguya's answer, since I knew it would be highly informative about her character.

"If that time comes, I would consider the risk of someone stealing him first and come to the one rational conclusion." Even in the realm of love, Kaguya seems precise and calculating. It's as if she hesitates to give a straight answer, but then she confirms: "Of course I would go."

Figure 1.1.11: "Please understand."

It is not embarrassment or rejection that Kaguya fears; it is the absolute destruction of her identity and sense of self. Kaguya is the daughter of a family that practically runs the country. In her mind, everyone yearns for her and wishes to serve her. Turning that around and reaching out to another person to express her own desire would be a direct contradiction of that. It is probably a similar situation for Shirogane, where the infallible self-image he has built up is being put at risk during his romantic duels against Kaguya.

Kaguya clearly feels trapped. She and Shirogane see each other as threats to be conquered, but in reality, they both share a mutual enemy that is much more imposing and insidious: their own simultaneous disgust at the idea of vulnerability.

Their freedom is dominated by their insecurities, and so, even despite their impressive stature, they are still very human. Their upbringing that has lead them to become so accomplished may be more of a curse than a blessing, due to the resulting pride and self-image they likely feel pressured to uphold.

It is hard to cast aside a lie that you have bought into for your whole life.

If our two protagonists wish to have a chance of establishing a healthy romantic relationship, they have a lot of their own demons to overcome first. If they cannot set aside their pride and reach mutual understanding, they have no hope.

Until then, they will both remain trapped in a hell of their own design, however tragically comedic it may be.

My hopes for this story's future

I can tell that the mangaka, unlike far too many writers all over the world, actually seems to have a solid understanding of romance and the conflict that arises within. I've watched too many anime that place huge focus on the "will they or won't they" crap which never runs any deeper than one or both of the characters being too embarrassed to just say what they're thinking, without any sort of convincing mental blocker. In that case, it's clearly just manufactured drama which is designed to pad out the story and waste your time rather than pose interesting questions and themes. In the case of Kaguya and Shirogane, the two of them have substantial communication issues which are depicted in a comedic yet mature way, which I have found engaging.

I very much hope that the show will more deeply explore the themes and questions surrounding the ideas of vulnerability, emotional intelligence, and superiority within relationships. Kaguya and Shirogane have been set up to be great vehicles for such exploration, and I hope the mangaka can capitalize on that, especially if our protagonists can confront these issues directly.

My impression is that the ending will make or break this story. If the mangaka can pull it off well, I can already believe the payoff will be hugely satisfying.

Of course, in order to get to that point, we'll have to see a certain something. It has to do with the most sacred word amongst romcom enthusiasts: "progress". Indeed, after spending chapters upon chapters watching two characters bumble around amidst the same exact status quo, those little signs of advancements in a relationship are highly rewarding.

Underneath all of their aggression, if we can see Kaguya and Shirogane slowly open up to each other and realize the benefits of vulnerability, I think we could witness something really beautiful and really emotionally cathartic.

I've still only seen one episode, but I believe the mangaka has laid a fantastic groundwork for a series and can do a great job developing upon what I've seen so far. On that note, I will surpass our prideful protagonists by opening my heart to this story and entrusting it with my vulnerability, believing it can deliver satisfying development and resolution. You can do it!

Closing thoughts

I did not expect to write so much about a single episode of an ANIME of all things, but here we are. If only I could conjure this kind of power back when I actually needed it in high school English class!

The first episode alone is already so rich with characterization and themes that I managed to find quite a lot to talk about. Given how much I found myself relating to the characters and some of their situations, it's clear to me how this show became so popular. Not only are the animation, direction, and writing excellent, but also many people can probably relate to love feeling like a battlefield.

I do not want to believe in the idea of winners and losers in relationships. That idea creeps into my head whenever I'm having trouble keeping the interest of a new date, and I find myself wondering where those thoughts even come from. Lately, I have been reflecting on the way I relate to other people. Perhaps I've started experiencing this show at a time in my life when I most needed it, and that's why I felt driven to write such a large analysis.

This show poses some very interesting questions about romance that I do not actually know the answer to at the time of writing. I do not know yet how much the show is actually going to explore these themes. Regardless, I appreciate how this show is helping me reflect, and I am curious to see if and how the mangaka will answer some of the questions brought about by the story's themes.

This is a show that I'll most likely have to pace myself with. There was so much to process in this first episode alone. If I went any faster, I'm not sure if I'd even catch all of the details and character moments. I'm excited to move onto the second episode soon.

A highly subjective footnote about my cultured tastes

I'm glad that Kaguya is a sadistic dom with a gentle and vulnerable side, solely on the basis of that being my favorite personality type in a love interest. It also helps that it makes Kaguya's fantasies that much funnier with Shirogane acting so out of character. I feel like this show was made for me.

What was I writing about again? Oh yeah, writing a gigantic wall of text about an anime romcom. Somehow, I spent an entire day on this essay. Hopefully someone got a kick out of it.

[five-rivers]

Mask

Danny slouched against the back wall of the ballroom, mask dangling from his fingers. He didn't want to be here. If his parents weren't out there having the time of their lives, he wouldn't be here, but someone had to keep an eye on them and keep them from getting sucked into whatever scheme Vlad had this time.

He sighed, tracking the bulk of his father across the dance floor. His mother was harder to see, but she was never far behind.

A masquerade ball. Really. Ancients, Vlad was so pretentious.

(Internally, Danny thought that a masquerade ball could be cool... except, well. Vlad.)

His mother briefly emerged from the crowd, caught his eye, and mimed putting on his mask. Apparently she was watching him, too. With a grumble, he put the mask back on. Vlad had given it to him, and although he couldn't see or feel anything wrong with it, he still felt that it was suspect.

"Did your parents make you come, too?"

Danny glanced over. A girl was standing a few feet away. Her dress was red and puffy, and her mask was golden. Her hair was done up in complicated braids. She was, perhaps, one or two years younger than he was, though it was hard to tell with the mask. She was certainly shorter than him.

The silhouette of her dress crumpled as she also slumped against the wall. "You'd think that a masked ball would be, you know, cool, but it's just a bunch of old people jumping around and trying to talk business with the 'great Vlad Masters.'"

"Ouch," said Danny. "At least my parents aren't trying to do that, I guess."

"Oh, yeah? What are they doing, then?" asked the girl.

"I honestly have no idea," said Danny, watching his parents gyrate across the floor again. "Dancing? You could call it dancing." He shrugged.

"Ah," said the girl. "My name's Ellie, by the way."

"Danny," said Danny. "Nice to meet you."

"Same. So, what do your parents do?"

"They're scientists," said Danny, not wanting to get into the whole 'ghost hunting' thing. This wasn't Amity Park. Most people didn't believe in ghosts.

Ellie bobbed her head. "Cool, cool. I kinda want to be a scientist. Like, finding out new things, it just sounds really awesome?"

"Yeah, it can be fun sometimes," said Danny. "I don't understand most of it, though." He rolled his shoulders. Actually, he understood a lot more of his parents' work than he let on, in some specific areas more than them, even. Admitting that wasn't wise, however. "What field are you interested."

"Astrophysics, definitely," said Ellie, firmly. "Space is the coolest thing."

Danny grinned. "Oh, yeah. There's just so much. I mean, have you ever looked at the Hubble Deep Fields?"

.

Two teens talking together and having a good time evidently had a magnetic property. Three other high school kids had come to join them, all boys.

One boy was very tall and broad. During their introduction, Danny reflected that if he was on Casper's football team, Dash wouldn't be the star player anymore. Unlike Dash, however, Dustin was quiet, barely speaking at all and always deferring to the others.

The second boy introduced himself as Damien, and he was also tall, but thin and skeletal, like a strong breeze would blow him away. He seemed to realize this, because he had a pair of small enamel pins on the lapel of his suit: a skeleton and a scarecrow.

The last, Dmitri, a redhead, was about the same size as Danny. He reminded Danny of Jazz, for some reason (clearly, her psychology-camp-induced absence was driving him a little crazy). And, less pleasantly, of Wes. He had... a lot of questions. Not quite to the point of being annoying, but still a lot. There was also something wrong with his mask. It was hard to tell, but it looked almost as if one eye of it had been filled in. Danny didn't want to mention it, and ruin the atmosphere, though.

There was an atmosphere. Shockingly enough, these kids liked him, and they were much cooler than Danny would have expected of kids who's parents had been invited by Vlad. Which, yeah, was maybe a weird prejudice on his part. His parents had been invited by Vlad, after all.

Danny liked them back.

"... and the names of the dark matter candidates, whoever thought them up was a genius," said Dmitri, waving his hands.

"Well, yeah," said Danny, grinning, "if they were allowed to pick the names, they probably were the ones to come up with the whole idea for it in the first place. But I think MACHOs might be more likely than WIMPs. You've heard about the exoplanets they found last year?" He let his eyes briefly lose focus. "I bet there are even more of them, that we just can't see yet."

"Yeah, but there have been a lot of tests for MACHOs," said Damien. "You'd think we'd have seen a least a couple. And what about dark energy?"

"I don't think those two are actually related," said Ellie.

"Sure they are. They both have the word dark in them."

"Yeah, but I don't think they actually have anything to do with each other," said Ellie.

"They just have similar names," said Dustin.

"We can look it up, later," said Dmitri.

"Speaking of related," said Danny, "how are you guys related?"

There was a pause. "How'd you know?" asked Ellie. "Like, I could understand if you could see our faces, but..."

Danny shrugged. "I don't know. It just... Felt that way?

"We're cousins," said Damien, leaning forward. His body language spoke of nerves.

Danny couldn't imagine why Damien would be nervous about that, but he probably had his reasons. Family drama, maybe. It wasn't Danny's place to ask, he was a stranger.

Even if he was rather wishing he wasn't. How often did he meet people who shared so many of his interests? Never.

(Well, they were mostly just talking about the one interest, space, but still. And Dustin had mentioned liking Dumpty Humpty.)

"That's cool," he said. He would have liked to have helped. Maybe he still could, somehow? He and his parents were going to be here for a few days.

If he focused, there was an aura of something being not quite right with the cousins. Nothing he could put his finger on, and nothing to do with them as people, but... something.

"Hey," said Ellie, "what do you say we raid the snack table? It can't all be super fancy stuff we can't name, can it? I mean, at least there's punch."

Danny followed Ellie's gaze to the refreshments table. When he'd been over there before, everything had been covered, and he hadn't felt like fighting his way back across the floor and potentially losing sight of his parents. He glanced at them now. They looked like they were having fun.

He lightly bit at his lower lip. He knew Vlad had to be up to something. Otherwise, why bother with all of this?

But... new friends... He liked friends, and Vlad was always up to something. Danny deserved to have a little fun now and again, even so.

"Sure," he said. "We can ruin our dinner."

Ellie snickered. "That's the spirit!" she said, patting Danny on the back and slipping past him.

He smirked at the pun, even if it was unintentional.

"Yeah, better do it now, before there's a punchline," said Dmitri. "Wouldn't want people to think we're in a joke."

Danny choked a little, trying to swallow a laugh.

"That was terrible. You're terrible," said Damien.

"Hey, our new friend seems to like it," said Ellie.

Danny's core did a little bounce when she said friend. He really did want to be friends. "What can I say," he said, shrugging. "Better a joke, than a fist?"

Dmitri smiled broadly. Damien groaned, arcing his long body back dramatically.

There wasn't a line for the punch, or even very many people around the snack table at all. What few people had been there moved off, glaring, when the five children descended on the table. He caught Ellie sticking her tongue out at a woman who was giving them a particularly dirty look.

They gathered cups of punch and piled tiny plates high with pastries before retreating to a nearby corner to resume their conversation.

Danny was having a harder time following it this time, though. He felt tired. Drained. A little overheated. He wasn't used to wearing this suit. He went back to refill his punch a few times.

Words started to blur together. The inside of his head felt staticky. But he also... really content... New friends... His core felt strange...

"Danny?" a hand on his shoulder made him flinch, which made him sway rather dangerously. "Are you okay?"

Danny blinked at Ellie. "I don't feel..." he mumbled. What? What didn't he feel?

"Did someone spike the punch?"

"There's a room back here, you can lie down."

"I'll go get Father, he'll know what to do."

He was gently guided out of the ballroom, most of his weight resting on Dustin. There was a reason he should stay in the ballroom, but he couldn't remember what it was. Was someone missing?

Wait, spike the punch? Was he drunk?

The thought was lost almost instantly. His core, and therefore his mind, was lost in delirium and delight. New friends! But they needed his help, there was something wrong with them. But he could help! So, everything was good, and he loved his new friends very much.

The place they took him to was darker and quieter than before. They laid him down on something soft and squishy, and he giggled, weakly. They were talking. They might have been talking to him, but he couldn't understand aaaaaaaaanything.

He was so happy, helping his new friends.

The light changed as the door to the room opened. Music and other noises from the party briefly grew in volume, and were muffled again as the door swung closed.

"Well, that was faster than expected."

Vlad's voice briefly pulled him back into lucidity, and he struggled to sit up before collapsing again. No, all his energy had to go to his friends. They needed it. No time for Vlad.

Still, he glared up at the older man as he leaned over him. There were two Vlads. Was that because he was seeing double, or because Vlad had split himself?

The question was answered as Vlad picked Danny up. Danny was distressingly limp. He couldn't redirect any energy to his muscles, and thinking was hard. There was a thunk, and one of the walls opened up, revealing a hidden staircase. Vlad carried Danny down, but that was okay, because his new friends came with them, and- Oh!

There was another new friend down here!

Danny's core reached out to his newest new friend.

.

He came back to himself with only the sensation that something was wrong wrong wrong. He jolted up, only to be stopped by a pressure across his chest and shoulders. He squinted, trying to see. His mask was gone, and the clothing he was in felt different, looser.

"What'd you do with'm?" he demanded.

"They're just in the next room, Daniel," said Vlad. "Calm down. I had no idea you'd get attached to them so quickly. I had a whole program for this week for you to get to know them."

"No," said Danny. He finally managed to get his eyes open. He was in Vlad's lab, lying on something padded. He'd been strapped down, and there were various IVs running into his arms. One of them was a lurid ectoplasmic green.

"No?"

"Won't calm down. What did you do to me?"

"Nothing."

"This isn't nothing." He finally managed to find Vlad with his eyes. The man was sitting almost behind him. It was difficult to bend his eyes to look that way.

"Oh, very well then. I increased the energy levels in your core, allowing you to wake up and us to have this lovely conversation. The rest, my dear boy, was all you. An instinctive reaction on the part of your core, although you, as usual, took it too far."

"What?"

Vlad walked around the tube, to a position where Danny could see him more easily. "This will require some explanation. I realize this situation isn't intuitive, to one such as yourself." Vlad waved a dismissive hand.

Danny scowled, but had the presence of mind to bite his tongue. He needed to know what was going on. He was beginning to suspect that Vlad had drugged him, put something in the food or punch that only affected ghosts and half ghosts, but he had a feeling that wasn't quite right.

"After you and Jasmine blew up my football field, I came to the conclusion that you would never accept me as a father," said Vlad, with the air of someone narrating a tragedy. "I was forced to reconsider my methods and goals. You see, Daniel, all I really wanted was to be loved."

In Danny's personal opinion, that was a load of crap. Vlad, more than anything else, wanted control, he wanted power.

""To be loved," continued Vlad, "and understood." He looked up at the ceiling and sighed. "And who could understand me, but a fellow half ghost? So, I decided to make one."

"Wait, wait, hold up," said Danny, beyond horrified. "You made someone a half ghost? You killed someone?"

"What? No, don't be ridiculous, Daniel. I cloned you."

He pointed at something behind and to the left of Danny, and Danny craned his head back to see a tall, vertical tube full of ectoplasm. Inside floated a boy who looked just like Danny in Phantom form. The boy's eyes were closed, and there were tubes and wires connected to his body.

"That's just as bad. Oh my gosh, Vlad, you can't just clone people! Why didn't you clone yourself?"

Vlad's face twisted like he had just bitten into a lemon. "I had attempted to do so, initially, however, my ectoacne and other instabilities in my makeup precluded me from doing so. Cloning you was my only choice."

"We cured your ectoacne," said Danny.

"Yes. But I had already started this project. It did take time to grow your brother into maturity, Daniel. Unfortunately, despite my best efforts, David was unstable."

"David?"

"The name given to him by your other siblings. Do keep up, Daniel."

"Other- You made more clones? Why?"

"I had done some research," said Vlad. "Into how ghosts normal reproduce and stabilize children. I discovered that family members, those ghosts with similar ectosignatures and core properties, play a major role in stabilizing and providing energy to newly formed ghosts. My ectosignature was too different from David's, but I thought that if I could just make one stable clone..." Vlad trailed off, the look in his eyes almost haunted. "I tried everything. A mix of your DNA and ectosignature and mine, extra DNA from your sister, your mother, even your father. Nothing worked!" Vlad threw his hands up, angrily. "They are all more stable, but none of them are completely stable!"

It took Vlad several seconds to calm down, during which Danny put a few more puzzle pieces together.

"Ellie and the others, they're all clones?" That hurt, for some reason. Did they like him at all, or were they only being nice to him because Vlad told them to.

"Yes," said Vlad. "Danielle is the most stable." He smoothed down the front of his lab coat.

"So, you need me to stabilize them. That's why you drugged me?"

"I didn't drug you Daniel. Your collapse was a surprising to me as it was to you. Based on my readings, I can only conclude that your core recognized Danielle, Dustin, Damien, and Dmitri as family, registered their instability, and attempted to rectify it by boosting your ectosignature and sending them energy. Unfortunately, the effort overwhelmed you. You are only a child yourself, and..." Vlad trailed off, almost sheepish, "it is my understanding that they process is usually undertaken by multiple adult family members, and with only one child at a time."

"Great," said Danny. "And you didn't plan for that to happen at all."

"I had believed that you would bond with them more slowly," said Vlad. "That your reaction wouldn't be so extreme."

"Well, it was," said Danny. "But they're stable now, right? So, you can let me go." He tugged against the restraints again. He hoped they were stable. He had heard his parents talk about what happened to destabilized ghosts.

"Sadly," said Vlad, sounding like he was gritting his teeth, "that is an incorrect assumption."

There was a long pause.

"I want to make a deal with you, Daniel," said Vlad.

"You- Are you asking me for help?" Not that Danny could refuse. For one, he was tied up, for another...

"I suppose. For my children. They are children, Daniel, and they will die if they aren't stabilized. Painfully. Perhaps not today, but within the month."

Danny's heart clenched, and his core shivered. Even if Ellie and the others had been tricking him, he didn't want them to die. He would do what Vlad asked, if it stabilized his... cousins.

He was going to go with cousins for now. Siblings felt a little too close at the moment, and 'clones' was sort of dehumanizing. They were the ones who had started it, calling each other cousins.

But even if he was going to cooperate with Vlad, that didn't mean he wasn't going to try to get as many concessions out of Vlad as possible. True, he wasn't going to get very many, Vlad was holding the cards in this game, but he still might be able to get something.

"What kind of deal?" he asked, cautiously.

"You cooperate with stabilizing the cores of my children," said Vlad, "and I will make sure your little town stays safe and protected. Fail to cooperate, and not only will Amity Park be exposed and helpless against any ridiculous poltergeist that comes through your parents' portal, but you will be unconscious. As demonstrated earlier, you do not need to be awake for your core to be at work."

Danny frowned. Apart from the threat (honestly, Vlad was borderline pathological) that was a pretty good deal. Heck, Danny wasn't even supposed to be back in Amity Park until the end of the week.

It was a good deal... too good.

"Exactly how long do you think it'll take, anyway?" he asked. "To stabilize all of them?"

"I don't know, Daniel, this hasn't ever been done before."

Danny scowled. He hated it when Vlad said his name with that supercilious tone of voice. "Fine. How long does it take with ghosts, Vlad? You said you researched it, didn't you?"

"The time varied based on a number of factors," said Vlad.

"It takes a long time, doesn't it?" asked Danny. "I want a cover story. One that doesn't make me disappearing for Ancients know how long my fault. I want to be able to talk to Sam, Tucker, and Jazz whenever I want. And I want to be able to veto anything too invasive or dangerous."

"You're hardly in a position to make demands."

Danny made a shrugging motion, hoping that Vlad wouldn't call his bluff.

"I can do the first," said Vlad, finally, "but if you want it to hold up, the second is impossible. The last is ridiculous. Cooperation means full cooperation, nothing less."

That was about what he had expected. "If I can't communicate with them, they'll just show up here, guns blazing. You know that."

"I think I can handle three human teenagers."

"Sure, but do you want to have to?"

Vlad frowned. "I will consider the merits of your suggestion," he said. "I'm impressed, actually. I didn't think you had it in you, to bargain with lives on the line." Danny swallowed to keep himself from gagging. "But in the meantime, do you agree to cooperate, or no?" He drummed his fingers on something Danny couldn't see.

Between Danny's Obsession, and what were apparently ghostly family bonding instincts, there really wasn't any way for him to say no. "Yes, fine, whatever. I'll cooperate. You can let me out of these things, now." He pulled at the restraints again.

"Oh, no," said Vlad, smiling, then moving out of Danny's line of sight. "Those are for your own protection. You see, your core isn't really mature enough to cope with sustaining five other cores, so we are going to have to significantly supplement your ectoenergy levels."

There was a small click, and the table Danny was on started moving backwards. After a few inches, it angled up, until it was vertical. Danny discovered that there were little platforms under his bare feet, and other supports to keep him upright in his new position. Directly to his left, floated the clone, David, in the glass tube. Danny's core seemed to strain in that direction. His eyelids fluttered.

Vlad walked back over and pulled something with two tubes attached to it from the space over Danny's head. "Open up," he said.

"Why?" asked Danny.

"This is a breathing mask," said Vlad. "It will supply you with oxygen and atomized ectoplasm at three times the levels generally available in the Ghost Zone. But this part," he tapped part of the mask that was fitted with something like a bite guard, "needs to go inside your mouth."

After a moment of hesitation, Danny opened his mouth, and Vlad inserted the breathing mask. Almost at once, Danny could tell the difference. The air coming through was just so much richer.

Vlad pressed the cup of the mask over Danny's mouth and nose and sealed the edges with tape.

"Now," Vlad said, as he began pulling other things from the ceiling and attaching them to Danny, "in a few minutes, I'm going to start giving you instructions. I want you to follow them. Cooperate, do you understand? The first thing I want to do is stabilize David enough that he is no longer dependent on the containment chamber to survive."

Danny was getting a bad feeling. Many of the wires Vlad was attaching to him mirrored wires attached to David. Vlad attached a few more wires, and inserted several needles. Danny tried to hiss at those, but the mask acted as an effective gag. Finally, Vlad inserted two small plugs into Danny's ears and stepped back, half smiling.

As Danny had almost expected, a curved glass barrier sprang from behind him and encircled him, trapping him in a chamber much like the one David occupied. Ectoplasm began to bubble up from below, from a source Danny couldn't see.

"You will be submerged shortly." Vlad's voice rang clear in the earbuds. "This will allow you to intake ectoplasm through your skin. You will also be in the same environment as David."

The ectoplasm hit the soles of Danny's feet, and he flinched. It was rising rapidly.

"Do try not to panic," said Vlad. "Now, I want you to focus on David."

It was at Danny's knees, now. He took a deep breath, reassuring himself that the mask was in place. He wasn't going to drown. He looked over at David. What did it even mean, to focus on him? Danny had no idea what he was like, not really. Like him, he guessed, but not?

"With your ghost sense, Daniel," said Vlad. "Not your eyes."

Danny scowled at him, trying to distract himself from the fact that the ectoplasm was up to his chest. He closed his eyes and tried to do... that. It wasn't something he normally did and had no idea how to go about it but-

Ah. Oh, there it was. There he was, Danny's new friend. That was easier than expected. Danny's core began to purr, some of the euphoria from earlier in the night returning.

The ectoplasm closed over his head.

"Good," said Vlad, his voice slightly warped. "It appears that you have connected. Now, I am going to stimulate and amplify that connection. I want you to stay focused."

Of course Danny would stay focused. He was helping his friend, wasn't he? He always stayed focused when it came to that.

Several of the places Vlad had attached wires began to tingle. His core jumped and he twitched. Everything briefly took on a very severe cast.

It was very hard to think, after that.

.

Vlad smiled at his readouts. Securing Daniel's cooperation beforehand had been worthwhile. Had he been struggling, it would have been difficult to establish the connection to this extent. David's energy and stability levels were increasing slowly but steadily. Despite the measure he was taking, Daniel's were dropping. Some of the data concerning his human half was less than ideal. That would be troublesome to deal with later on.

He took a moment to check in on his duplicate upstairs. The party was going well. Jack and Maddie hadn't noticed Daniel's absence yet. With luck, they wouldn't until the next morning.

Overall, tonight had been fruitful. With Daniel, he would be able to stabilize all five of the clones, and, perhaps, he would even be able to win over Daniel. He had seen the relaxed smile on his face when he had been with the clones. Vlad knew how powerful ghost instincts could be.

He stood up and walked over to the room where he had asked his children to wait. They should be told that their elder siblings would make a full recovery shortly.

[eagles-translated]

Answering Eagles questions before the season 3 finale (Part 1/2)

I've received a bunch of questions since 3x08 and 3x09 dropped, so I compiled all the questions into two posts. I had to split them up because Tumblr only allows 10 images per post. Anyway, keep reading to see my answers and enjoy! 👇

My theory is that everybody will be gathered together for some event and then shit goes down. Sort of like the ending of 1x08.

We've seen an image of Adam, Omar, and Ludde together at a party of some sort. I can't post it here because of Tumblr only allowing ten pictures, but you can find it in Ludde's prediction post that I made prior to the season 3 premiere.

Felicia might be absent from this considering how her mental health has been recently, and instead opting to stay at home rather than attending a party.

I have my suspicions that Elias will be attending this party, though. We saw him at some concert in the season 3 trailer and they made it look like he was watching Amie singing in Stockholm. But maybe Amie will be performing at this party and Elias is watching her here instead?

It seems like Amie singing at the end of the season has become kind of a recurring theme. She performed "Follow" in 1x08 and "Second Sight" in 2x10 (on the radio, but my point still stands). I wouldn't be surprised if they followed this trend by having Amie perform a new song in the season 3 finale.

Maybe Elias approaches her after the performance to express how good she is. He hasn't really seen her do a live performance since 1x08, where she still hadn't really come out of her shell. They've also grown a lot closer this season. Perhaps Elias even has something more to tell her?

I can't help but feel like this party will end on a bad note, though. We have that whole thing with Andreas potentially buying a gun or whatever he's up to (discussed this more in another question down below).

I have a feeling this party is going to get interrupted in some way and that the season is going to end on a major cliffhanger.

I don't even know what they'll do with Ludde and Felicia. Ludde has no idea what happened to Felicia in these last two episodes, and I hope they'll have a conversation just to clear the air surrounding the whole press situation. Ludde still loves her even if he broke things off, and I would really like to see him reassure Felicia that the blame lies with Jack and not her. I don't think they will get back together and repeat what 2x10 did since the drama is still so fresh. Felicia shouldn't really get into a relationship right now, either.

I'm unsure about Klara. I feel like she's mostly done her part this season, but maybe things aren't completely finished between her and Elias. Maybe there were some things left unsaid on Klara's part when she met with Elias at the café, and Elias never really confirmed where he was at.

This talk regarding their relationship (and Eagles?) might happen in the season finale. I'm leaning towards them ending it for good since I doubt they will be getting back together. However, I'm pretty sure that it will be on good terms now after everything Klara did for Felicia.

I somewhat agree with this, even if it was worded a little harshly. Felicia shouldn't have been so quick to share the most personal thing that had ever happened to her on her first date with a guy she had just met. And she shouldn't have done the same thing with Jack, even if it was someone she'd known for longer.

I think she should've at least waited a while to see if the person she told her secrets to was trustworthy—sort of like Ludde did when he told Felicia the truth about how Andreas landed in prison. That's a huge secret and it made more sense to have it be shared closer to the end of the first season rather in the first three episodes.

On the other hand, I can definitely understand why she was so quick to share her problems. Felicia was really lonely when she first came to Oskarshamn. Her parents were fighting all the time, and her dad was only focused on Elias' hockey career. She carried these huge traumatic events and had nobody really supporting her when she ended up at the hospital and was sent to rehab. Felicia couldn't share the secret about her dad's affair either. She really had nobody in her life that she could talk to about any of this.

So it's reasonable that when she finally met a person who she really connected with, she felt comfortable enough to finally share these burdens she had been carrying. She actually started out by saying this to Ludde in 1x03:

I don’t know why I’m telling you this. I don’t talk about it to people.

I don't think Felicia set out to tell her whole backstory to Ludde. It just happened. I'm not saying it was the right choice, but Felicia probably realized that she desperately needed someone to talk to. And she said herself that it felt really good to just get these secrets out (until it didn't when she thought Ludde had spilled the beans to Klara). Felicia even made sure to stress to Ludde that he couldn't tell anybody about her experiences in the US.

Felicia: I don’t want this to come out, that’s really important. Ludde: Of course, I’d never tell.

A similar situation arose with Jack. Felicia was more isolated than ever and she had aborted a child that nobody knew about—not even her mom. That's a huge secret to carry on your own.

Felicia had known Jack since she was a child. She trusted him and he was a family friend. Not only that, but Jack has the ability to be incredibly charming when he wants to be. If anything, it makes more sense that Felicia told her personal things to Jack rather than to Ludde. She couldn't predict that Jack would turn out to be a cheating asshole who would leak everything in the press. It's kind of sad that Felicia would have to constantly keep quiet about all the wounds she's carrying when support from the people around her is the thing she needs and craves.

I've never said that the Kroon family's reaction to them being slandered in the press wasn't valid. I actually understood their anger and frustration quite well, but they let their emotions get the better of them. Yelling at Felicia did nothing to help the situation even though it's fair that they would direct their anger at the person who was to blame in that situation.

It wasn't pretty, and ganging up on Felicia (when her personal business had also been leaked) wasn't the best way to deal with the situation. But because their privacy was violated, I understand it. I can agree with you on that part.

It just sounds like you're implying that Felicia isn't allowed to share personal stuff at all because it would be "gifting ammo to expose her family". If Jack had actually been a decent person and never ruined her family's reputation in the press, you wouldn't be as harsh on her. The situation just got blown out of proportion for everybody.

Put these questions together since they were sort of asking the same thing regarding the last scene of 3x09. Here is the full transcript from that scene if anybody needs a reminder:

Man: Hey. Andreas: Hello. Man: Wasn’t yesterday. Welcome to the outside. Andreas: Thanks. Hey… The last time I saw you, you said you knew somebody who sells. Man: Are you thinking of a fully automatic? Andreas: Yeah, whatever. Man: There’s a guy in Stockholm. I’ll fix it. I’ll send you the number. Just tell him I sent you. Andreas: Alright, good. Got it. Man: Good. Good, see you. Andreas: See you.

It actually didn't click for me at all when I first saw this scene that Andreas could've been talking about buying a gun—my first thought was actually that he was talking about a car because I'm that stupid lmao.

Anyway, there is definitely potential for the season to end on a cliffhanger involving a gun and Andreas. I have a few theories on what the season could end like. Season 3 has been so much darker than previous seasons, so while this might feel too serious for a show like Eagles it's definitely not out of the question after the recent episodes. Anyway, here's what I think could happen.

1. The season ends with Andreas having the gun—but we don't know if he'll actually use it 2. The season ends with Andreas just about to shoot someone—but we don't know who (?) 3. The season ends with Andreas having just shot someone—but we don't know who (?)

I don't know which one of these theories I'm leaning more towards, but I really hope this won't be the outcome for Andreas. He just spent close to a year in prison for something he didn't even do. Andreas is not a criminal, and it would be disappointing if he actually ended up doing this. They could be throwing us for a loop.

I mean, personally I don't think shooting somebody because they were the reason my younger brother didn't get into his dream school is enough reason to risk ending up in prison for. Yes, Ludde got his reputation ruined, but there are other ways to solve that than to resort to crime. Andreas should know that too, considering the whole thing where he got landed in jail because he tried to protect Ludde.

This could absolutely be the case but at the same time I'm a little unsure. Hopefully things will just go up from here since the last two episodes were so dark, but I'm unsure what that last scene in 3x09 will mean for the season finale.

I hope they will do something similar to 2x10, where the ending was more bittersweet than just sour. We had the moment with Elias finally being drafted to the US and then Felicia and Ludde finally getting back together. We saw Amie achieve her dreams as a pop star. And yet there were still sour tones with us seeing Klara's dad passing away, Ludde being brought to the police station, and Amie being entirely alone and heartbroken.

2x10 was a really good episode and the ending montage gave me goosebumps the first time I saw it. I think ending a season like that, with both positives and negatives, hits you more emotionally rather than just ending on one or the other. The 1x08 season finale was really depressing and while the cliffhanger was intriguing, it didn't hit as hard for me as 2x10.

I'm kind of curious if they'll be able to top that episode—it's definitely among my personal favorites.

My stance is that if Elias and Amie won't happen in 3x10, they will be guaranteed to happen in season 4. There is no way they're passing that opportunity up. They have clear chemistry, are fan favorites, and it absolutely makes sense for them to get together considering where they're at in their journeys—both having realized their dreams but then coming back to Oskarshamn because it didn't turn out the way they thought it would.

I think they have a mutual understanding of each other—in season 3 more than ever—and it would definitely be a shame if their potential was wasted. So I can't see the writer(s) passing up that opportunity.

There is a possibility for Elias to make a move in the season 3 finale, but I think it's better to keep our expectations low. We just had Felicia go through something really traumatic and her whole family is dealing with the ramifications of Jack slandering them in the media. Elias's relationship with Amie might have to take a backseat because of that.

There's also the thing where we thought that Petra might forbid Amie from seeing Elias because the newspapers painted him as a sex addict. But I think Petra and Amie have reached an understanding in their relationship after the whole Michael thing, and I can see Petra taking Amie's word when saying that Elias isn't what the press makes him out to be—and that he's not like his father.

I really do want to see something happen between them in the season finale, though. I'm excited but impatient for Elias and Amie and I think there are many fans who feel the same way.

But there is a reason they've been so slow to develop their relationship. Elias and Amie have grown as people separately and they're at a point where I believe they're more compatible than they ever were previously. They've been building their character development, slowly but surely, and I like that they haven't been rushed together like Felicia and Ludde were.

If nothing happens between them in season 3, don't lose hope. I think season 4 will absolutely be Elias and Amie's season.

I hope so. I hope Petra isn't listening to the tabloids and tries to see what's in front of her instead, which is that Elias is not Mats.

Elias is entirely his own person. I know Petra was heartbroken when Mats left her after getting drafted, but when Elias was put into this exact situation he hesitated because he didn't want to leave Klara alone.

Klara: Elias… I don’t understand why you’re even thinking about this. Of course you’re going [to the US]. You’ve always wanted this. Right? Elias: But I don’t want to leave you.

Petra doesn't know about this, but we as the audience do. Elias's actions have always been caring and supportive (and I'm not just saying this because Elias has always been my favorite character). It should only be a matter of time until Petra realizes that, if she just gave him a chance.

I think that Petra will eventually see that Amie has finally found someone special who makes her happy. That Elias isn't at all like how Mats was at his age, or like Michael who didn't even bother to support her.

Petra has been so unlucky in love and I hope she can see through her prejudices and let her daughter be happy and loved, in the way that Petra never really got to be.

It could happen, but even if it does I don't think they will be separated for most of season 4.

Maybe Amie decides to finally take charge of her career and tells the record label that she's doing this her way or not at all. Maybe she even decides to quit to try a music career on her own terms, or with a different label that doesn't make her as successful but doesn't control her.

I never felt like the particular record label Amie ended up with was a great fit for her. Yes, she's very talented and I would love to see her become an even bigger star, but only if it's done the way Amie wants it to be done. There could be the possibility of Amie leaving the label, just like how Elias left the US.

I definitely think Felicia has picked up on Elias overworking himself. He's been at the gym constantly, even during the school field trip to Stockholm. Elias left this huge opportunity in the US to come back to Eagles, and the overworking could be a result of him feeling like he has to prove to both himself and the people around him that this decision was the right one.

They've been super subtle about this whole thing and I hope they will be discussing it properly soon instead of just giving us small snippets. There was discussion about this being an eating disorder, but I think it's leaning more towards overworking like you said and bad eating habits (in my opinion, we would need to see something more drastic before drawing the conclusion that Elias might have an eating disorder).

There's so much that needs to be brought up in the season 3 finale—like what exactly Andreas is planning and its outcome, Felicia healing after her suicide attempt and potentially having a conversation with Ludde, and maybe some sort of triangle drama between Elias and if he'll choose Klara or Amie. There are so many possibilities here that I have my suspicions that this storyline won't be fully resolved in just one episode.

I think it will be pushed forward into season 4 because that seems to make the most sense right now. I've been wrong before though, so something else could definitely happen.