#do u ever think about how out of all the critters in this world the iterators are the only ones who never experience the rain
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brazengears · 1 year ago
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I don't know much about your life beyond these walls The fleeting sense of love within these God forsaken halls And I can hear it in his voice in every call This girl who slept a hundred years has something after all
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generational-atrophy · 1 year ago
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Can I request Russia x reader? Ivan loves PDA and his S/O looks small and not dangerous. But one day S/O beats the shit out of Alfred because he made fun of Ivan's PDA.
hetalia with a small s/o who stands up for him
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1.0k words ~ gender neutral headcanons + scenario
tw: swearing, alfred is a dick
a/n: ivan i vlove you sosososoosos much . did u guys know that hes my favouritest boy in all the lands????
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A small and adorable S/O is exactly what Ivan wants in a partner!
He's very aware of how ironic it is that you two are together, and he can't help but find it a little entertaining at least. Normally, he pretends he doesn't though. He'd never admit it unless it was in a completely concealed joke.
You always come with him everywhere. Sometimes it's because he wants to show you off, sometimes it's because he wants you to lose it and go off on people. Every time you defend him, his heart nearly bursts out of his chest (It has done that before. Physically. It was horrifying) with love and adoration.
It just means the world to him that you think he's worth standing up for. Almost no one has ever done that for him before.
So obviously, he's very protective of you in return. Especially considering how people treat you as well, he's thrown a couple of people out of places (Again, physically) for you before.
He knows that you can defend yourself, but you're just so small and delicate! Like an adorable woodland critter! And if you got hurt under his watch, he could never forgive himself.
Also, yes, Ivan would LOOOVE PDA.
Even at the most inappropriate of times. He doesn't have any social awareness at the best of times, but when he sees you, his single shred of shame goes flying out the window.
As shy as he may be, he's not shy with you. Besides, when he’s affectionate, he gets to show the rest of his friends how much his S/O loves him <3 which is always a priority.
As soon as you two arrived at the G8 afterparty, you knew it was going to turn bad. A bunch of thousand-year-old men with a million issues with each other, getting drunk at some random American bar? Well, what could go wrong? That's what Ivan asked, at least. But really you were asking yourself, what could go right?
Yao wasted no time in calling you over, and Alfred wasted no time getting shitfaced. How they let him drink that much when he looked barely 21 and had an ID with a moustache drawn on it, you'll never know.
As you watched him begin hounding the bartender to play something more “patriotic,” Francis nudged you in the side.
”Just like his father, eh?“ He commented, causing you and Ivan to chuckle lightly.
That chaos continued for hours, with the two of you eventually joining in on the drinking. The tab that the 9 of you racked up must've been the budget of all of New York, but that's what government pensions are for, right? Besides, it's not often the group could get along without tearing each other apart. Might as well enjoy yourselves.
Well, enjoy yourselves for the most part. Because the moment Alfred dared to say a single thing about holding down his drink, Ivan of course had to challenge him. Despite the pleas of everyone around them, their boyish pride was not swayed in the slightest.
Alfred didn't last long. To everyone else that was inevitable, but it seems the young man didn't appreciate being outdone.
”Well, of course, you won! All you people do is drink!“ He slurred, holding onto the table for support as he approached Ivan, who didn't seem to care about the American's taunts.
”I do plenty of things, Alfred.“
”Yeah, like make your entire family hate you?“ Ivan's smile didn't falter, but he visibly tensed.
”Funny, I believe I could say the same thing to you!“
”I don't need my family, that's why I don't hang out with those weird Europeans! But you? Ever since your sisters abandoned you, your- your life has been a trainwreck!” He exclaims, breaking into laughter.
Ivan's smile faltered, and the air in the room became cold. The other nations turned to face the two, fearing the worst already.
“Don't say these things, you know they are not true,” His eyes flicker to you for a moment.
“If that's true, name a single thing that's gone well for you in the last 10- no, fuck, 30 years!”
“Simple, my lovely partner-”
“Yeah, your partner who you spend every waking moment being gross with!” 
Ivan failed to respond to that, his cheeks turning just the slightest bit pink.
“It’s almost like you’re trying to prove that they love you. Which like-” He started laughing again, “We all know you’re just paying them to date y-”
Alfred's speech was cut off as you launched your fist directly into his face.
He pulled back, looking at you in absolute disbelief. When he held a hand to his face again, he found it wet with blood leaking from his nose.
“You-” He started to say.
“Stop being an ass to my boyfriend”
Alfred's drunken face contorted in rage, standing up and immediately towering over you.  
“How- You’re so little- Wh-”
“OK! That's enough everyone! Let's go home now!” Ludwig forced both of you to step back, frantically trying to diffuse the situation.
“Yeah- I- I have to go as well...” Francis added, looking between you and Alfred in panic.
“M-Me too
” Japan sputtered out, already packing his bags.
-
As you and Ivan rode the metro to return to your shared hotel room, you sat in silence. At first, you thought it was because he was upset. With you? With Alfred's comments? You'd learned it was better not to ask.
At least, that's what you thought until you noticed the smile plastered on his face. Despite that, he failed to say barely anything the entire time.
That was until you two stepped onto the station platform, when he turned to you and said softly, “Thank you, my dear.”
“For... punching your friend?”
”Of course. What else?“
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isa-ah · 8 months ago
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gamers help me world build. the general genres are horror, speculative biology & shouldn't have gone there.
the generalized idea is a fantasy world that's not rlly all that different from ours, but magic and different creatures are an accepted and mundane part of life. the cast is a pentuplet of 3 researches / 1 adventurer / 1 body guard that are tasked with exploring a newly opened passage in the belly of a cave that seems to have tapped into a wholly new network with some very pronounced... oddities.
this network has been sealed off for milennia and has fostered an ecosystem entirely unique to itself. I'm rlly going for deep sea evolution vibes; half the critters are blind and go by hearing, vibrations or scent, the rest use some manner of bioluminescence to communicate in the dark. some fat lazy reptiles that stick to the walls and barely move or react, some semi aquatic, at least one carnivore w plenty of detritivores...
the plants have evolved over time their own brand of bioluminescence to attract the lower rungs of the food chain to themselves and so when they first arrive it's like breathtakingly beautiful and alien. just really bizarre and pretty and they're setting up camp right at the mouth of this juncture so they can make trips in without setting up entirely within the network.
the horror elements coming in with a specific type of fungus that strikes up like a cyan match underfoot and lets out clouds of glowing spores. they don't think too much of it but over the weeks to come they're going to be changed by it in really grotesque ways, I think. (and perhaps see this happen at a much faster scale to small critters with morbid realization).
glowing veins and bones and rotting, eventual blindness as the fungus grows over the wet surface of your eyes, yeah, but maybe it has almost rabies like effects where they become extremely photosensitive and claustrophilic, finding further, more narrow passages to cram into to better spread the fungus.
I've considered a lot of other horror angles to go with it too, like beginning to hallucinate pretty potently and becoming aggressively distrusting of their companions. maybe the body guard even kills one of the party and they scatter after that. a final girl moment where one of the researches has managed to stay safe but in her final escape attempt she hits a patch and realizes if she goes aboveground she'll only be spreading this beyond the passage, & so with the last vestiges of her autonomy she tries to seal it back in...
the types of plants, fruit, flowers, critters, etc... those are what I really want to dig into tho. the stuff they'd be researching and learning about. I haven't had a whole lot of ideas on what to use yet but anyone who does have thoughts send it to my inbox. 👀
restrictions are primarily nothing too big, and nothing that burrows. I think burrowers would have been discovered significantly sooner? so let's stay contained to preexisting tunnels. definitely got plenty of groundwater, springs trickling down the walls and pooling in flooded passageways etc. otherwise I don't have a lot of ideas yet!
also open to discussing the party. I think the final girl will be a magical researcher who's that clumsy kind of determined. the adventurer being any kind of smaller race (do I even want to use traditional fantasy races? idk!) and the body guard being the largest amongst them and by far the physically strongest.
thematically the horrors of spelunking at all, hypothermia being a constantly offset issue leading to paradoxical undressing as the fungus overrides basic control, stripping the last of your dignity and humanity, how prolonged darkness convinces you you can see (even after, say, fungal nodes have overtaken your eyes), no shortage of auditory hallucinations bc the white noise of trickling water is all you'd ever hear, the body guard becoming a very great threat after killing the adventurer, having become extremely hostile in response to the fungus.. u get the picture.
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ccycloneblogging · 10 months ago
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I keep forgetting to ask my questions now is the present I guess-
Well 1, love your work! This AU is so cute and full of potential trauma it makes my mind flow with ideas... one of them being REALLY trauma heavy that has me in a vice grip rn...
So anyways- your post where you showed how in your AU catnap removed dogdays legs... were the murders of the hour in the same way? Because I just- Imagining Catnap dropping an anvil on some poor soul and them getting crushed slowly after the initial impact while catnap watches in apathy- has not left my mind. It's just Saw death traps at that point.
And about the whole "Going back to the cartoon" thing catnap wanted... would that not be suicide? A fully fledged, free thinking being going back to being with a world bound by a script and it's existence only continues if it's makers wish for it seem like killing yourself with extra steps. Again- this Au has so much Trauma potential I just HMMMMMMMMMMM-
And Oc's... well who do you want to hear about? I got a few lying around... well only 2 poppy playtime ones at the moment (and like one is kinda hard coded for another AU)... not to mention all the ones I have not drawn up yet that lie within my mind.
I would not mind another reason for William posting- but I'll let you choose!
Thanks, man! :D
You have no idea how much I've had to edit the scripts and drawings I make for the blog, because I go too dark too quickly for this toon AU.
I'm gonna go on a long ramble. Bear with me.
Like - there's this one script I still need to rewrite. But the premise is that Angel and DogDay are in Home Sweet Home, striking up a conversation - though Angel is injured.
Angel: ...Do you ever just... Stop? *[Angel eyes DD, as DD is in the process of sniffing like an actual dog, walking along the walls]* DD: What do you mean? *[He pauses to look at them, his tail wagging]* Angel: This. *[They gesture to his whole self, which causes him to finally fall on to the ground with a yip]* Angel: We're being hunted by a monster, close to death, and you're acting all... *Looney*. DD: That's what I do, Angel. I was brought here to make people feel happy. Safe. *[His tail begins to wag again as he makes his way to Angel]* Angel: Great. *[Unamused]* At least we'll die laughing. DD: You know, laughter is stronger than you'd think. *[A little "Uh-huh" from Angel.]* No matter how bad things get, you just have to laugh! Even if you feel like you've lost all hope, unsure about tomorrow... Not knowing what you did wrong, wondering how the world collapsed around you... *[DD grabs on to an ear, his smile turning more upsetting. The background getting darker. Maybe emphasize some of the in game model]* DD: Knowing that deep down, it's your fault for their deaths and already missing your chains because you deserve them --- *[He immediately switches back, sunshine and smiles]* DD: A laugh can chase away the gloom! Angel: *[Disturbed]* ...You want to talk about it, Pup?
So, they're all thoroughly traumatized, that's for sure!
I plan on drawing a comic that takes place during the Hour Of Joy, but yes. CatNap has killed some humans with falling anvils, endless pits, trapping them in repeating hallways until they go insane. Humans cannot survive the same punishment a toon takes, you know. >u>
But you know, he's not entirely heartless. Just angy. A poor lil meow meow
Oh, it's just CatNap being unable to cope, being ripped out of his comfort zone and never being able to adjust with the horrible things going on in Playcare. Though the Critters in this AU are not the same as the In-Game Bigger Bodies, there's still been human experiments. CatNap would much rather take scripts and limited freedom over what he was given... You are right though. That is one of the themes I wanted to try and hit with him. Especially if I follow through with an ending of Angel adopting the Critters. Then the aftermath of the trauma can really sink in.
My man, pal, friend.
I love OCs. The floor is yours. Send 'em in!
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raise-me-up-take-me-up · 2 years ago
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dinosaurchestra is possibly my favourite ever lemon demon album not just because i enjoy all the songs so much, it’s because of when i listened to that album.
i had a competition that started at 7 in the evening and ended at 10. it was for something that i was very passionate about but wasn’t qualified enough in to be confident. my prospects were very slim but i really wanted to do well. i was stressed, and halfway to tears, and it was only midday. so i decided that to distract myself i’d work through the whole album just to have something to do. and oh boy the songs really resonated with me
“Fine” cracked me up and reminded me to look on the brighter side of things even if the cards are ridiculously stacked against me and nothing looks good. “everything works out nice in the end, the sun will marry the moon, it’ll be fine, why don’t we sit back mellow again, and have a nice afternoon? it’ll be fine”
“Neverending Hum” was a straight banger but also told me I had a critter that had my back all the time. “but fear not, it’s your critter to the rescue, hum emanating from its lips, and fear disappears and the parasite trips”
“Your Imaginary Friend” was just really cosy in its own creepy way. “every word that you’ve learned, every wish that you’ve burned, every single strand of hair in your head, every book that you’ve read, we love you this much!”
“Indie Cindie and the Lo-fi Lullabies” was on the surface a sort of funny-in-a-sad-way story about an insecure musician who self-sabotaged, but I kinda saw myself in her. and also the melody and story were very whimsical and easy to get lost in. “indie cindie and the lo-fi lullabies, ain’t gettin very big, in fact her only gig was pathetic even though she dreamed it up, in fact it was a nightmare, the sound just wasn’t right there” like poor cindie...
“Nothing Worth Loving Isn’t Askew” was the only song that I had heard previously but it still impacted me. it’s the ‘its okay to not be perfect’ song that I needed. “symmetry’s overrated, methinks, look at the scars all over the sphinx, i am lopsided and so are you, nothing worth loving isn’t askew”
“This Hyper World” was also super relevant because I had also been stressing about tertiary education and beyond, and what my future would look like, and this song looked at all those stresses and said ‘I know the world is big and scary and confusing, but embrace it all head-on and do your own thing’. It always sounded to me like a career guidance counselor talking to a lost student. “what can you do, what can you do about it? oh, i don’t know, run outside and twirl, scream hello at this hyper world”
“Dinosaurchestra Part Three” HURT ME. i went into this album dismissing the parts as child’s play but for some reason this song got me so emotional at the time. it’s the dinosaur version of the musicians on the Titanic. “we’ll all be blown up real soon, but not before we’re in tune, won’t you be a good dinosaur? (we must be before we’re not) treat these creatures to an encore (one last time is all we’ve got)” like bro... the meteor is coming... but they choose to spend their last moments making music and enjoying themselves.... bro......
“The Too Much Song” was very indulgently melancholic and i’m glad neil put it in the album even though he initially had qualms about it. “you’re too much (or am i not enough?)” is so good to wail out even though i’ve never even held someone’s hand before. it was chill.
i continued listening to the whole album on my commute to the competition to keep the good vibes going, and lemme tell you hearing “Fine” and “This Hyper World” cropping up in my shuffle was what kept me grounded and sane.
and to this day when i think of dinosaurchestra i think of how it smoothed out a very frazzled day and made things so much better.
in conclusion thank u mr ciciereiga for this gift of an album
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sleepy-exe · 4 years ago
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Shapeshifter AU - 7
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Iwaizumi x f!reader
<< Part 6 | Part 8 >>
Summary: Y/n goes to the park with Iwaizumi and finds a shapeshifter friend. Mizuki wants to know about this guy Y/n has been spending time with.
Word count: 1.8k
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Warnings: none
Genre: sfw (18+ regardless), shapeshifter au, strangers to lovers
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Part 7: We Could Be Friends
Y/n and Iwaizumi made plans to go to one of the forest parks nearly a week ago. But due to busy schedules, they didn't have any free days line up until now. This was the first time in awhile Y/n had been to a park in the forest in a long time. Which meant she wasn’t exactly the best guide. Luckily the park had marked paths through the area versus her usual running wild anywhere between the trees. Seeing sunshine through the trees may have been even prettier than the moonlight at night, tucked behind the treetops.
Used to the quietness of nocturnal animals and lack of any people, this area felt like another world even though they weren’t too far off from one of her frequented nighttime spots. Walking alongside Iwaizumi, she found herself almost constantly catching the sounds and movements of birds and small critters that she wouldn’t normally get to experience. She tried not to get distracted too much anytime Iwaizumi started talking. But with the new sounds and different scents through the trees, she couldn’t help but get distracted some.
“I thought you said you’ve been out here before,” Iwaizumi questioned, breaking her trance of the world around her.
“Huh? Oh.” She realized she had really slowed down her pace but quickly sped up again. “Yeah, but it's been a minute. It’s so.. alive here.”
“Alive? Isn’t fall kind of the opposite,” he said, crossing his arms. “And I mean, it's nice out here, but the way you keep looking around.. It’s like you’ve never seen such a place before.”
She laughed nervously. “Well, the last time I was out here I didn’t notice so many animals.”
He looked around, trying to spot something in the trees or fallen leaves, but other than a squirrel and a couple of birds he couldn’t find anything that could possibly be so interesting. But he decided not to argue. “Right,” fingers tapping his left bicep.
Soon they came across a stream off to the side of the designated path; likely the same stream that ran through where she sat with Sakusa a couple of weeks ago. Y/n took it upon herself to lead them off the path towards it. As she sat down in the leaves, Iwaizumi stood next to her, eyes narrowing. “Aren’t we supposed to stay on the paths?”
She looked up to him and smirked before bringing her attention to the water. “So? What, we might get yelled at? It’ll be fine.”
He watched her for a moment, then sat beside her. “I really don’t want to get kicked out of a park.”
She snickered. “Do you think this is any worse than showin’ up after dark? It’s fine! Just sit here and listen.”
He followed her command. “..The birds?”
“Hmm. Yes, but not just those. You can hear the water move, the breeze shuffling leaves, and there’s either squirrels or chipmunks running around the trees and ground.. Just sit here and relax, listening and being in nature.” She looked around to where she heard each sound as she spoke.
But he can’t hear every sound that she can. “Yeah, I guess I can do that..”
She took the chance to stubbly take in the new sights and sounds, getting better attuned with her lively-to-her surroundings. They stayed like that for a few minutes, before she looked over to him and realized he had been staring at her. Her eyes widened for a split second. “Come on.” She shoved his shoulder with a playfully grin before standing and dusting off her pants. “We’re like what, half around this trail?” She grabbed his arm and dragged him back towards the path with her.
They walked along the path for a while. Watching squirrels run about and climb trees, listening to everything Y/n had pointed out.
Her phone started buzzing repeatedly, so she slipped it out of her pocket to check what’s going on.
>> From ‘My Best Bitch <3’: “r u out on that date yet?”
>> From ‘My Best Bitch <3’: “u said that’s today right?”
>> From ‘My Best Bitch <3’: “when am i going to meet him”
>> To ‘My Best Bitch <3’: “not a date. i told you that”
>> From ‘My Best Bitch <3’: “i barely know anything about him n dont even know what he looks like >:(“
>> From ‘My Best Bitch <3’: “come onnnnn i wanna see this guy that managed to get ur attention”
She chuckled. “It’s Mizuki.”
“How’s she?”
>> To ‘My Best Bitch <3’: “as if you and sakusa didnt get my attention”
>> To ‘My Best Bitch <3’: “what’s wrong with me having a new friend?”
>> From ‘My Best Bitch <3’: “yeah but sakusa was all but forced into our friendship and i forced my way into your heart so whooo forced this lil friendship-thing? Who do i have to thank for helping socialize our Y/n”
She gave an exasperated sigh. “Apparently dying to meet you.”
He raised his eyebrows and slid his hands in his pockets. “You talk about me to your friends?”
“Mmm.. Well, it's hard to keep things from her. It seems like she always finds a way.” She crinkled her nose as they passed a plant that had a strong odor to her, though Iwaizumi didn't seem phased. “That and she saw me texting ya the other day and had to ask questions.” She shook her head. “The ever curious, Mizu’.”
He laughed. “She sounds.. interesting to have around.”
She giggled. “She’s high energy, but she means well. She’s just curious.”
>> To ‘My Best Bitch <3’: “wow”
>> To ‘My Best Bitch <3’: “i am capable of making friends on my own you know”
>> From ‘My Best Bitch <3’: “uh huh and i’ll get to see him when?”
>> From ‘My Best Bitch <3’: “why are you hiding him ;P is he that hot that you want to hide him away lol”
>> From ‘My Best Bitch <3’: “love u”
“Maybe you should introduce us.” He bumped into her, grinning.
“If I do that she might drag you on last minute adventures. Which could range from running around downtown or staying in. But mostly out.” She gave a half shrug.
“That almost sounds like a complaint,” he said.
She waved a hand defensively. “Don’t get me wrong, I love the city and coming out here, but I prefer staying in more than she does.”
“Maybe we should have stayed in then.” He looked her over, noticing she was no longer looking around constantly. “Though you seem.. Not so overwhelmed now.”
She blushed in embarrassment. “Ah- Hmm, I’d say more like.. Deeply enjoying.. This place.”
He looked unimpressed by her poor explanation. “Uh huh.”
She cleared her throat and their conversation paused as they made their way to the end of the path. Enjoying the sights and sounds around them in the process.
“But really, I do love her and love having her around.” She giggled quietly to herself. “There’s not a dull moment with her. I may have to raise her spirits from time to time, but she can do the same for me.”
He smiled softly. “Sounds like you’re good friends.”
She hummed an agreement. “Maybe I will introduce you sometime.”
>> To ‘My Best Bitch <3’: “love you”
>> To ‘My Best Bitch <3’: “You became friends in college, right?” He tilted his head towards her.
She shook her head. “Yeah. We were both business majors and had a couple of classes together.. my second year, I think. And well, she has a way of befriending anyone. So next thing ya know, we were friends.”
Approaching the parking lot, they stopped to chat. Not having plans for if their little outing stopped here or not.
“Do you ever do anything other than go for walks or to bars in your free time?”
“I go out to eat,” she said matter-of-factly, then looked around the lot in front of them until she spotted her car. She found Iwaizumi’s green Tacoma several cars down from hers in the process.
He nodded slowly. “Okay.. but if those three things suddenly didn’t exist what would you do?”
She shrugs nonchalantly. “Guess I’d die.” She smirked.
He rolled his eyes and pointed to his truck. “So you don’t want to go to grab a bite then?”
“You have found my one true weakness,” she says dramatically with a hand on her chest and a sarcastic grin.
He shook his head. “Come on, follow me. There’s a little cafe not far from here, if that’s your thing. I can give you the address.”
She happily agrees at the promise of food and they head for her Civic. She drops into the driver’s seat and leaves the door wide open while Iwaizumi gives her the address. Once she has the GPS ready to go, he walks around the car to head for his truck. Kicking one leg outside the car, she texts Mizuki, deciding to entertain her with a selfie of the two from the beginning of their walk.
>> To ‘My Best Bitch <3’: “here”
>> To ‘My Best Bitch <3’: “Attachment.jpg”
>> From ‘My Best Bitch <3’: “ooohh!! owo”
>> From ‘My Best Bitch <3’: “he is HOT! no wonder you’re keeping him around”
>> From ‘My Best Bitch <3’: “you met at that bar?? damn maybe i should have joined you lmao”
Hopefully that’ll keep her happy for a bit.
“Hmm?” Blur of orange to her right catching her interest. A gorgeous red fox had appeared while she was preoccupied, walking around the open driver’s door. Her eyes widened at the sight. Foxes typically stayed away from her, but she was almost only ever out here as a wolf, so that’s only to be expected. The fox sat on the pavement, giving her a cheerful tail wag. She cooed, “Hey there lil’ fella.”
Immediately the fox’s ears pulled back, and she swears its face scrunched. Not a minute later the fox swiftly hopped into her car and onto her lap, completely catching her off guard.
“Ho?” She squinted. How strange. She would have never imagined such behavior from a wild fox; though there is a shifter that looks oddly similar that probably would crawl in her lap if given the opportunity. He does have the same set of face markings..
The realization of the situation hit her. “Oh! No no, hey! I’m not alone here!” She quietly scolded the shifter in her lap, looking over to where Iwaizumi had parked but she couldn’t spot his truck passed the other cars from here. “Ah shit, do you need a ride home?” She asked the fox shifter just before he hopped into the backseat.
“Okay, uh, hold on.” She quickly dialed Iwaizumi, “Hey, uh, sorry, um.. No, no.. A friend just got a hold of me and needs me to take them home.. Ah, no! He’s fine, just- ..Actually, can we just change locations? ..Yeah, no, he's remotely close to where you live, kinda, so if you want to go anywhere around there, I can meet you when I’m done or something.. Yeah, yeah! I think I know that place..” She peered into the backseat at the fox. Cupping the microphone and sighing, she whispers to the fox, “You’re lucky I love you.”
Back to the phone, “Okay! I’ll see you there! Sorry, again!” Hanging up, she started the car. “Stay down until we hit the highway. Don’t shift yet either.”
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Part 8 >>
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mapleandgingeroatmeal · 4 years ago
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CR2E111- New Homes and Old Friends
Speedrunning this one a bit cause I'm so excited for what comes next.
It's important for you all to know that I pictured Caleb going through this entire tour with a completely blank face. The room is incredible, his enthusiasm is obvious, but this is a man who does not smile except for very special occasions. This just feels the most true to his character.
So Much love was put into this space. I wanna see some insane critter make replicas of it. I wanna see all the art in the world. I love some architecture with personality or thematic importance in a story, and this is my Entire Shit.
Speaking of being obsessed, I loved Caduceus's face stepping into his room. Just, face-covered amounts of awe and bliss. I want this man to always be happy. Caleb, thank you for giving him space to frickin INDULGE
AND BEAU WITH THE MIRROR DID NOT DISAPPOINT. Travis especially had this incredible reaction where he laughed at the silly mirror, paused for a moment, and then you could practically see the gears turning to "oh its a sex thing!" and he started dying.
Ok I wanna know how the fuck Caleb knew Beau would be into that?? What the fuck kinda conversations have they been having!?! Caleb even makes a comment like, "beau u are my great friend" or something, like he was making an excuse or explanation for them being close enough to know that kinda thing about each other. BUT SERIOUSLY BEAU WHEN IN THE WORLD DID IT COME UP IN SMALL TALK, LIKE, "HEY CALEB THIS WILL DEFINITELY NEVER EVER BE RELEVANT BUT I LOVE HAVING A SEX MIRROR IN MY BED ABOVE ME ;)"
If I were Jester i would for sure also be exploring all the nooks and crannies as a cat, too. What else would you do? When I was seven I actually got stuck up inside one of those claw machine games they have at Pizza places, and thats all I can think about with Jester losing Polymorph in a wall. She was sooo the kid to get stuck in the claw machine, too.
Caleb sending his friends off to their dream rooms and then going to sit in a torture chamber was too much for me. I think he must have his own nice stuff somewhere with Veth's right? I mean, he had to have given himself a bed, right??? Even if he didn't, Veth or Beau is gonna bully him into making himself something nicer the moment they figure that out.
Beau's Pepe Silvia moment was a delight to watch, and even more fun with the future-sight knowledge of just how correct she seems to have gotten a lot of that? Honestly I again don't know much more about the tomb takers besides that they exist and Mollucien leads 'em. I haven't in a while, but I may do predictions for the next ep!
The tension in the air the moment the gang touched down at Molly's grave was palpable. One nice thing about pre-recording is the ability to edit dramatic music timing in, and that was really used to its full effect here.
The Boulder has been rolled away! He is Risen! We have witnessed the second coming of Mollymauk Tealeaf! ( I know its not Molly but pls let me have this)
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these-are-the-first-steps · 5 years ago
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“The Rise of Skywalker”- A Review from Memory
So it’s been a week since I’ve had to live with this film in front of my eyes, and a week and a half that I’ve had to grapple with the brunt of its sins. With a heavy sigh, I think I’m ready to go through the play-by-play of every plot hole in this film that I can manage from memory without the thing in front of me. And even then, the laundry list is hefty. Keep in mind that this is a FILM-BASED review only- I have tried to refrain from including new information we have learned since its release last Thursday in an effort to keep this as focused and topical as possible.
+The first scene of this film is weird. I’m all for watching Adam Driver wild out on some dudes, but it is never explained who these guys are and if it’s just Kylo ‘committing more slaughter’ (as the casual audience is wont to think) or if there’s something significant here. As the movie goes on and Kylo makes it clear that he’s under no one’s thumb, *and* that the object he was after was Sith, you start to get an idea that maybe those guys at the intro are No Good, but this is never explained or confirmed. To a casual audience with no interest in additional materials, it just looks like Bad Ole Kylo Doing More Bad Ole Stuff. *sigh*
+Exogol and Palpatine’s hideout looks like the Borg Cube from Star Trek: First Contact from 1996. This really smacked me in the face how similar it was.
+Snoke’s significance getting sniped by Palpatine in one fell swoop felt like two five year olds arguing over action figures in the sandbox. “No! He’s dead now! Now the good guys can go on their quest!” “Well if he’s dead now, it’s only because MY guy was the REAL bad guy! DOOSHDOOSHDOOSHDOOSH!!” Like
.really? At least Palpatine’s never-spoken-of Snoke manufacturing lab was vaguely interesting. Too bad we never saw anything about that- what a story of intergalactic puppet-masters that would have made! We’re not here for clever storytelling, though, so moving on

+I don’t think they should have included Leia in this film. It really added to the disjointed nature of this movie with flat audio, crippled dialogue, and CGI where Leia only really had one facial expression for 90% of her appearances. It really wasn’t worth it. I know Star Wars doesn’t do flashbacks (which, frankly, I appreciate a lot), but I think they could have utilized the IDEA of Leia better than her actual self. Leia was forced, it showed, and it wasn’t good. Honestly they did a WAY better job reviving Tarkin in RO.
+An incredibly unnecessary amount of new information for the third act of a series was introduced in this film, starting with Leia suddenly being a well-trained Jedi or something. At least enough to ‘train’ Rey, which
frankly wasn’t believable. Leia having the force was a given. That she distanced herself from active application of the Force as a residual reaction to the bombshell of Darth Vader being her father is what is, and always has, made sense. THAT is a nuanced perspective, but it gets thrown out in favor of not just shoe-horning Leia in to the movie, but also because they had no idea what else to do with her at all in this film. This is also why Leia shouldn’t have been in this movie the way she was.
+Oh, you knew Palpatine was behind all this the whole time, Leia? Really? Always there, huh? When in TFA it was always snoke? Obvious dialogue lift is obvious, but the use of it was just Bad and inconsiderate to the story.
+Poe’s backstory was published on December 18th, 2015 in a book called “Before The Awakening” that details the lives of Poe, Finn, and Rey leading up to TFA. Poe is the son of two famous Rebel fighters and he grows up with a nice quiet life on Yavin 4 learning about ships and loving to fly. He goes straight from his home world to joining the Republic navy. It’s a handful of months before Leia Organa picks up on him and brings him into the Resistance. Now
this is a backstory that is JJ Abrams approved, has been out since 2015, and yet Oscar Isaac said he ‘never knew’ Poe’s backstory, and JJ somehow thinks four years later that there is space in this incredibly concise timeline for him to become a drug runner. What?? This was possibly the BIGGEST wtf moment for me in this film. What in the actual world. WHAT.
+Sidelining old characters to pointlessly introduce new ones does not serve a story, it clogs it up, drags down its rhythm, and confuses the hell out of it. As seen by Zorri and Jannah. And out of those two, only Jannah carried any kind of actual literary weight, because for Finn, he’s found more people like himself. This sort of setup is a typical play to foreshadow where Finn eventually settles down and goes at the end of the war. But this is never expounded on or explained further. It’s just, BOOM, more former troopers and a girl who is suddenly irrationally attached to him at all times.
+Rose gets replaced by Jannah, a brand new character that we only know one single thing about, and who gets to latch on to Finn out of the blue while Rose is left at home or on a ship. It was weird. It was obvious. It was incredibly awkward to watch. There was no point to Jannah clinging to Finn like this. She was reduced from a strong character to a cringy clingy one, while Finn’s love interest was completely ignored.
+The ‘Journey to The Rise of Skywalker’ comics released a couple weeks before the film heavily implied we’d get a lot of great Rose and Rey team time. We received none of it. It felt like someone had jerked a present away from us and it was a gross omission.
+It is only by the very end of the film and after multiple watches that you THINK they are trying to hint that Kylo is spiraling, thus why Leia steps in in death, but it never ever gets shown. Never once are we let in on Kylo’s state of mind. In fact, never once are we let in on *any* of these characters’ states of mind. We never really see what they are feeling or thinking or going through. Kylo is nothing but action when in TFA and TLJ we see him falling apart. This is what bad direction looks like, and it takes a Real Talent to fuck up directing an actor like Adam Driver. Another big sigh

+There are only two cool things about this movie- The bleeding of reality between Kylo and Rey, and Palpatine’s shadow senate. When Kylo and Rey fight and the red bits go flying on the floor, it screamed serious TLJ aesthetics to me that I had to blink a moment. I think this ‘Bleed-through’ of their realities is the only TLJ hold-over we were allowed. It was a genuinely fascinating touch, which is how you know it didn’t come from *this* film’s production office.
+When you stick three people in a closet together, you expect some sort of progress in two-thirds of the potential relationships in such a cramped space. We received no such thing. Forced Trio Time resulted in no character development and seemed more like an unnecessary comic relief vehicle than anything.
+In ‘Before The Awakening’ and ‘Rey’s Survival Guide’, both publications printed under JJ Abrams’s  blessing, we learn Rey named *herself* after a helmet she found in the desert. How is it Rey’s alleged parents know her fake name? Gross, gross plot-hole.
+Four years was spent emphasizing that you don’t have to come from anywhere ‘special’ to be Important to a big story. Then they threw it out. Post-TROS interview with JJ reveals it was because they ‘couldn’t think of how else to get rey engaged in fighting palpatine’. Because he wasn’t a nasty enough dude on his own? Seriously? This is pure negligence.
+Four years was also spent emphasizing that you also don’t even NEED the force to be important to the big story and make a huge difference to the future. But let’s throw that out, too, and give Finn the force. Clearly regular people are absolutely worthless in the Star Wars Universe, according to JJ Abrams.
+Finn is only used to babysit Rey the entire time they share screen time together. The number of times he shouts her name could be turned into a drinking game. It’s one thing to care about somebody, and another thing entirely to act like you’re their high school chaperone. The whole thing was weird and awkward.
+Zorri Bliss sounds like a stripper name and she served no purpose other than to shoehorn Felicity into a star wars movie. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Babu Frik is the only true-to-star-wars critter in this whole film.
+Leia literally goes and lays down on her own funeral spread? What was that about. And that’s what that was because why would her bed be out in the open like that? That was really, really weird. And the RoTJ medal throwback was just a tacky tether to the past.
+Everyone seems so irrationally tethered to the past in this film. Kylo Ren’s spent two movies desperate to ‘leave the past behind’ and I don’t blame him at this point because it’s getting exhausting.
+As stated previously, it’s only vaguely suspected but Kylo seemed to SUPPOSED to be spiraling. Adam Driver plays Kylo like a man finally free of the voices in his head, but the plot and dialogue point to an entirely different direction saying that REALLY the monsters have allegedly doubled-down and he’s even more unhinged than before. Here is a MAJOR indication of story re-working after the film has already been shot. Adam Driver, and Daisy for that matter, is a PRECISE actor. It seems almost impossible to tell a story with him that you did not originally MEAN to tell. And it shows. JJ tried to U-Turn the story but it absolutely failed- Adam’s Kylo Ren is a calm, free man, focused, who finally knows what his purpose in life is, and that is uniting with his Dyad in the force. When really JJ tried very hard to suggest that he was spiraling so hard and so ‘lost’ in the Dark Side that it took his mother’s last breath to swing him back around. No one is going to see that narrative. The only reason why I see this shoddy attempt is because I’ve been absolutely immersed in this shit since December 2015. But the main audience? This was absolutely not conveyed.
+Seeing Dark Side Rey was nothing but a ‘cool’ moment and actually served zero function to the plot. Rey was always shown as being Grey in the force and someone who struggled to maintain balance. If that whole scene was removed, it wouldn’t change anything.
+Kylo was never in a position to kill Rey on the Death Star, and Rey taking her cheap shot to stab him while he heard his mother’s voice is an attempt to convey how much seeing her Sith self affected her than Kylo’s already very faded aggression in this film but it failed. It was weird and out of character, and even coming to that conclusion took may rewatches to come to because there is NEVER a ramp-up to Rey’s darkside taking over long enough to stab Kylo- there’s no fire, no red eyes, no teeth, none of it, to indicate she was ‘overcome’ so it just looked like bad mischaracterization. Yikes.
+Kylo and Han’s moment on the Death Star is the most moving scene of the entire film. The dialogue starts out rather familiar, and it almost seems like a cop-out, until you realize
.how many times has Ben had this conversation with himself?? He doesn’t seem shocked at all that his father is there. Not at all. In fact, that Last Conversation on the bridge of Starkiller comes off as a well-rehearsed dance that Ben puts himself through regularly. And every time he hopes it’ll be affirmation enough that it’s all been worth it. But here, at the last reenactment of the worst day of his life, the script changes. He surrenders. He says dad. And he rejects Kylo Ren forever. Harrison Ford and Adam Driver are two beautifully matched, talented actors and I’d watch a movie with the two of them in it any day. God bless them.
+Hux has been wasted for the past two films. He was Terrifying in TFA and Dom gave him such significant presence that I was genuinely terrified for what he might try in the future. But instead he was lost as comic relief. When it is comically delivered that HE is the spy, every single person in my movie theatre shouted “WHAT??” in a way that was not a Good what, but in a “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me” kind of what, and I will never ever forget that. I hate seeing Star Wars diminished like this.
+Luke rehashing Obi-wan’s speech to him about how Rey MUST confront the Big Bad was an obvious rehash, and way too convenient to what Palpatine wanted. This whole appearance of Luke is very suspect, but that would be crediting them again with clever storytelling, which again this is not.
+Luke claims that Leia saw ‘the death of her son’ at the end of her Jedi Path, which one can assume why she threw it away. But then Luke says something bizarre about ‘hoping someone else would pick up her path someday’. Is that...is that not the same path leading to Ben’s death that she was avoiding in the first place? And if someone else picks it up, is that not no longer Leia’s path but that other person’s? Therefore, is not the outcome automatically going to be different and thus *avoid* Ben’s death? This was an attempt at supposedly clever foreshadowing or Mystical Talk or some shit, but all it was was dialogue that backfired in meaning spectacularly due to looping-in on itself too many times. Luke negates himself at the same time he tries to prove his point...which he then negates in the same breath. What a mess.
+All of Ben Solo’s lines were cut the last act of the film to stuff more pointless exposition at the END of film and to give more screen time to Ian McDiarmid. Ian’s great, but he’s not the main character of this series, and cutting Ben’s lines for this was Gross.  
+Space Horses? Really?? I didn’t like them in TLJ but at least there they had context- they had zero context here. The size of the horses and the ship they came off of was absurdly mismatched. Is that ship the TARDIS? That whole bit was so unnecessary and ridiculous, especially with zero setup. Which is amazing because this film is 90% set-up.
+All those ships at the end? That’s all it took? After books and comics going on about how everyone’s too terrified to help Leia because of FO scorched earth policy? Jesus it was weak, and too obvious a Deus ex Machina with THAT many ships.
+Palpatine’s Shadow Senate is cool. The idea that this guy trapped on an ugly planet stuck on Sith life-support couldn’t go two seconds without attention and praise to the point where he had to recreate the exact same senate he destroyed years ago is a concept I like. Is the Shadow Senate just in the *shape* of the old senate but filled with animated Sith proxies? Or is it actually comprised of the enslaved souls of former Senators now forced to attend the Emperor for eternity? Either way, destroying the Shadow Senate at least either set those souls free or sent them back to wherever they came from. That was actually interesting, and it’s a shame we didn’t get to learn more about such a genuinely creepy thing.
+Palpatine’s ‘we’re family’ routine drops the moment he realizes Ben and Rey are a dyad. This is suspicious, but considering the whole movie so far, it seems incorrect to giver JJ and Torrio credit for a possible mis-direct.
+Rey and Ben’s realities bleeding into each other is experienced again in swapping the light saber. This is cool. This is probably the coolest moment in the film. And then the coolness literally gets thrown into a pit when, instead of the both of them, as a Dyad, defeating Palpatine, Rey is left to carry the burden alone.
+Oh hey look a cop-out to save Rey from being bad- just have her reflect his own power back at him so it’s like he’s killing himself, wow, so original! The second Palpy revealed his gameplan about wanting to die, this became the obvious choice to both kill him and avoid giving him what he wanted. Eh
.
+The Star Wars 9-movie series is the story of one man desperately begging anyone within hearing range to kill him, apparently. This is so, so old by the 9th friggin movie. 
+Ben Solo spends his entire life begging for guidance from his ancestors only to be ignored and Rey get all their attention instead. Ben Solo spends his entire life since the womb being a burden to his parents by merely existing and being manipulated by gross sith ghosts. But nah, let’s be parents to Rey and help out Rey. This is not to say she doesn’t deserve any of this, but to say there are priorities here- Rey has had a lonely life, but at least she had her sanity and was self-sufficient. Ben had neither his sanity or any control over his own life whatsoever. And to place Rey above Ben is a literal mess. The two of them were meant by the Force to rise TOGETHER, and it didn’t happen.
+Rey doesn’t disappear when she ‘dies’ after using the last of her life force to both feed Palpatine, fight him, AND defeat him. And yet while Rey has two strikes in her before kicking it, Ben, someone who is RADICALLY more trained in the force, its lore, and mechanics, only has one? This doesn’t make any sense.
+Rey has no reaction to the literal other half of her soul vanishing in front of her. Because this is a mangled JJ Abrams Finale(tm) and why should anyone, let alone his own characters, have any space to Feel? I mean, that’s not what movies are even about, right? Feeling and Telling A Story? It’s not that, right? Right?? JJ Abrams covers up Rey’s reaching-hands scar on her arm for the entire film, doesn’t address it, and apparently hates the shit out of it. I don’t know how the King of Cheese could possibly hate something like that. It was a weird and obvious omission, and frankly disappointing because the scar had come to mean something at the end of TLJ and it, like a lot in this film, got thrown in the trash.
+More forced trio time in the form of a group hug where nothing gets actually expressed because we ran out of space for dialogue 30 pages back.
+Anakin Skywalker viewed Tatooine, his place of enslavement, as the worst place in the galaxy. Luke Skywalker spent his entire youth trying to escape. Leia hated it on principle because it was where Darth Vader came from and where she herself had been enslaved in a gross gold bikini for a giant slug. Rey spent 14 years of her life dreaming of leaving the sand planet she was trapped on. But I guess that’s a fitting place to bury some memories, yeah? The place where nothing good ever, ever happened. That’s a nice spot, right?
+Rey Skywalker isn’t explained, is never led up to, and feels like a gross gimmie after four years of trying to create a Better Message that names don’t matter. HEAVY SIGH.
+Rey watches the two suns set as she is left with little more than she started- alone, on a sand planet, but this time taunted by the Twin Suns of Tatooine that the other half of her soul is literally missing and that she is now left with a gaping wound in her Force signature and her own spirit worse than if she’d just lost a Force Bonded mate.
+Ben Solo is left missing, vanished on a world that is supposedly a thin spot in the force, with no ghost, no presence, and no one to mourn him- not even by the other half of his very soul. THREE GENERATIONS of Skywalkers over NINE FILMS died to try and rescue their future embodied in the form of Ben Solo and it looks like it was for nothing. Instead, the incessant bad guy no one can move on from looks like he ultimately wins the day through an alleged granddaughter, and even that claim is on shaky ground considering the mistakes in the vision and how quickly the family conversation vanished upon the revelation that Ben and Rey are a dyad. Ben is lost, so every family member died for nothing, apparently. But hey, this is a Fun and Hopeful narrative, right?
+While the Final Order fleet is destroyed at the end, the First Order is.....still out there? It’s still out there. Nothing in that department has changed whatsoever. Leaders die. They get replaced. The cycle goes on. We spent three movies batting at a fly we didn’t even kill. Amazing.
Overall this movie is BRUTAL. Every other scene is a plot hole served to us on a silver platter, with the biggest insult being that they are plot points JJ created HIMSELF 4-6 years ago. This man literally shot himself in the face and then said it was fine as he bled out all over the film reels and it shows. If you were anyone who came along for the Additional Materials ride of the past four years, you were greeted by this film with a hard, swift, and REPEATED, backhand to the face. There was no reward here at the end of this road for fans, old and new, who actually paid attention and took an interest in the deeper lore surrounding this sequel trilogy. There was just a big fat Disney-branded middle finger as all your hard work and cash was ripped from you with a trademark villain laugh.
And that is what we’re left with.
This review does not go into detail over what we’ve discovered since the release of the film, either. That it was never finished in the editing room. That a current comic series, Rise of Kylo Ren, and what’s in the new TROS visual dictionary maddeningly contradict themselves. That allegedly SIX different endings were shot for this movie, and in the end the one they chose looks like it was *literally* reverse-engineered to confusingly kill, as JJ once called him, ‘The Other Half of Our Protagonist’. There is no time to go into detail about how Oscar Isaac just told us that noone in the cast knew that Rey Palpatine was going to be endgame except for maybe Adam when they made him do ADR declaring it with a masked face on screen (convenient). There is no room to show you the collective cast reaction they all gave to the end of the movie- none of them good, and John Boyega looking like he was holding back from punching something (he loved Kylo/Ben as much as the audience did and more). And there is no room to include what we will continue to find out as the days roll on about the tangled mess of a film that was edited and reedited, and how word on the street is a cocky director demanded Carte Blanche from Kathleen Kennedy, and I guess the story group too given the state of things, and then promptly self-destructed in the grossest, messiest end to a 40+ year series in cinema history.
There’s just no space.
But there IS a lesson.
And the lesson is this: No matter what, never stop investing in Story. Never stop caring about the details and about plot and about moving a story FORWARD. Never be afraid to move FORWARD. Look at TROS, the mess it is and the potential it had it in itself to be, and then look at the beauty that is TFA and the love that went into TLJ, and study that shit until it burns into your brain- Do not repeat those mistakes. Go out into the world and write better, shoot better, direct better, and BE BETTER. Because these producers and directors? They’re old and they’re on their way out. Just like the stable boy at the end of TLJ who secretly has the Force, know and realize that those of you out there reading this are the next generation of storytellers. YOU. And YOU, and I, and others out there like us who loved this series with our whole heart and who are watching it bleed out now on a floor that doesn’t give two shits about it, have the ability to make sure this NEVER happens again. But in order to do that
.we have to pick up that pen. Pick up that pencil. Pick up that camera. Jot down that story idea and share it with likeminded friends. Go out there and CREATE, and create BETTER. Because it’s up to us now- the future of cinema is up to us. And my god, we have so much potential
.
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icequeenoriginal · 5 years ago
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An Unusually Anxious Prince
Summary: Roman goes into the forest to collect berries and finds something much more interesting. 
Author’s Note: I couldn’t help myself so I wrote another scene for my Sleeping Beauty AU. I’m still not sure if I’m going to write a whole story for it though, I just really wanted to write this one, it’s my second favorite scene. Also Happy Pride
Here is the original scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXbHShUnwxY (Not the entire scene but it was all I could find on YouTube)
Warning: One bad word in caps, jokes/fears about being eaten
~
Roman opened his window as he hums a melody he has known since he was a child. He smiled as he looked over the beautiful valley he lived next to. This was going to be an amazing day. 
It was his birthday! His 16th birthday! 
This was going to wonderful! He has read in so many of his storybooks that the most amazing things happen on your 16th birthday. Anything could happen!
Including falling in love.
Roman quickly threw on a white shirt and white pants. He posed in the mirror before pausing. He hummed as he felt something was missing. He searched through his dresser before pulling out a black corset with gold string and gold border. He slipped it on and posed in front of the mirror again and smiled at the satisfaction he felt as he looked at his outfit.
He started to descend the stairs but paused when he heard familiar whispering.
“You make the suit and I’ll make the cake, Lolo.”
“How are we going to get Roman out of the house?”
“We’ll think of something.”
Roman couldn’t help but smile. He loved Patton and Logan, really, but they could be as secretive as an elephant trying to sneak through a china shop. He still does not have the heart to tell them that he found out the truth about Santa Clause when he was five after catching Logan wrapping his gifts. 
He couldn’t hold anything against them, they raised him after all. They were the best kind of guardians. They were very doting, always giving him what he asks for, but still raise Roman to never be greedy. Patton would sing to Roman whenever he was scared and Logan taught Roman everything he knows. He loved his dads.
Roman shouted, “Good morning everyone!”. He happily ran down the rest of the stairs
Logan and Patton jumped back quickly, using their backs to hide whatever was on the table. Roman smirked at them, they were very much failing at being slick.
“What are you two up to?” Roman asked, trying not to laugh as he did so.
“U-Up to?” Patton squeaked out, slowly trying to make himself as tall as possible. “Nothing at all!”
“Oh really?” Roman attempted to peer behind Patton. 
Logan gently pushes him back “Ah! Roman! We need you to...to
” Logan back at Patton, his eyes screaming for help.
“To pick more berries!” Patton yelled, startling both of them. Patton picked up a basket sitting on the table. He was going to use it to place flowers in for Roman’s birthday party as a centerpiece but sacrifices had to be made.
“Berries?” Roman asked, clearly thrown off. “But I picked some yesterday”
Patton made a nervous face before smiling, “Well, we need more. We used them all to make Logan’s favorite jam, a-and I ate the rest. You know I get snacky when I’m cooking.”
Roman smiled as Logan placed his red shawl over him. It was his favorite, Patton had made it for him on his 10th birthday. Roman stepped outside of their small but comfy cottage. 
Patton smiled at him and said, “Take your time, no need to hurry back” 
Logan nodded in agreement, “But don’t go too far!”
“Yes and don’t talk to strangers!” Patton added 
Roman chuckles, it was the same speech they always gave him when he left the cottage. He waved as he walked down the path, pretending that the huge excited smirk on his face was not there.
“Do you think he bought it?” Patton whispered rather loudly to Logan 
“Of course he did” Logan whispered back.
Roman covered his mouth to muffle his laughs and headed off. ~ The forest was nice. The weather was warm and the wind was low.
It was nice; calm and quiet. Too quiet for his liking.  
Roman began singing loudly, a melody Patton taught him when he was five. He paused to listen and smiled as the birds responded to his call.
He sang again as the bird flew towards him, one landing on his extended finger. More small critters made their way over to him. Squirrels, rabbits, and small birds surrounded him. Even an owl awoke from its slumber to land in his empty basket.
Roman smiled and pets all of them before heading back on the path to the berry grove. This was much better. A walk through the forest is so much better with company. 
Roman continued to sing, a bit louder, hoping to attract more friends to make his special day even more special.
~
Virgil rode on through the forest with a small frown on his face. He was undoubtedly bored. The journeys to and from home were always boring. Not that he was complaining! He would never leave home if his home again if something “exciting” happened on any of his journeys. 
If there was one thing Virgil did not like, it was trying something different. It was way too stressful and overwhelming to him. He always thought the status quo got a bad rap. It was nice, relaxing, and kept him safe and sane.
Which is why he was screaming at himself for following a random voice in a random forest. Internally of course. He has class.
All he had to do was keep heading straight, he was very close to home. He could do this in sleep. Which he was so he didn’t hear the beautiful voice.
He didn’t know why he wanted to follow the voice. It was probably a siren luring him to be eaten. That thought was enough to make him turn his horse the other way.
The voice continued to sing, this time using words. “I wonder~”
It was a very nice song...and logically it couldn’t be a siren. They resign in the ocean and he was nowhere the ocean. If anything, it would be a fae who is leading him to its circle so it can eat him.
And now he was heading back to the path home...
“To someone~. To find me~”
GODAMMIT!
He turned his horse back towards the way of the voice and used the lope to make his horse go faster do he couldn’t chicken out once more. 
If he got eaten, his ghost will just haunt the fae. It was only fair--
Virgil was so lost in his own mind that he did not realize his horse jumped over a small pond and he was not holding on. Gravity pulled him right into the pond. 
That’s what he gets for following mysterious voices in a forest...
~
Roman happily skipped as his basket became more and more filled with berries. He spins, slowly so not to drop any berries and picks some more berries. He walked over to the rather large edge of the cliff, his favorite spot in the world.
There was a tree with low enough for him to sit and nap in for hours. It was nicely shaded with the higher branches of the tree where his animal friends could rest with him. Best of all, it overlooked the beautiful castle with its gorgeous landscape. 
Roman always pictured himself heading over there for a ball, late at night while Logan and Patton were sleeping. He would look around the gorgeous castle and then bump into someone. As soon as he was done apologizing, he would make eye contact with the man and it would be his true love!
Roman threw his head back and groaned. He turned away from the castle and walks away in a huff. The animals follow him, trying to be as concerned as they could be.
“They treat me like I’m still a toddler!” Roman said as he stomped his foot. He only stopped when he almost dropped his basket. The owl flew in front of him and hooted, seeming interested in Roman continuing his rant.
“My uncles! Logan and Patton! They don’t want me to go anywhere! They barely let me come this far to get berries! Much less meet another person.” 
Roman plopped down in front of a different tree, letting himself stew in his own anger. Once that past, he smiles to himself. “Well, jokes on them! I have met someone!” Roman then jumped up determinedly with a large grin on his face, leaving the basket on the ground. 
The animals moved closer, eager to hear more about this person. The birds tweeted as if to cheer for him.
“That’s right! And not just anyone! He’s a prince! An amazing prince! He’s handsome and kind and the most romantic person I have ever met, after me of course!” Roman giggled as his own joke.
“We usually spend our time talking and singing together as he takes down by the lake on his horse. We will have a picnic together, it would be silent so we could hear the wonderful sounds of the forest. Then when we finish, he picks me up by my waist and then
umm...”
One of the squirrels nudged his foot, demanding that he finish the story he was telling.
Roman gave the squirrel a bittersweet smile, “Well, I don’t know what happens next, I usually wake up around that part.” All the looked down sad, making Roman blush from embarrassment.
“I know, I know, it’s depressing. But uncle Patton always taught me, since I was little, that if you have a dream more than once, it is more likely to come true. And trust me, I have had this dream more than once.” Roman said to them with a laugh.
The animals did not look convinced, causing Roman to sit back down. He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. He watched as some of his animal friends run off into the forest but he thought nothing of it. He figured they had something important to do.
~
Virgil groaned as he rubbed his neck. He groaned as he leaned against tree. He turned his head and watched as his favorite cloak dried on a tree branch. It was black it not only matched with his black boots, black pants, and black shirt (he loved the color, okay?) but also was his favorite color.
He pulled off his boots, groaning as more water fell out of each boot. He tossed them under his cloak and rubbed his feet.
“You know what Susan? I probably deserved this. No, I definitely do for a random magical forest voice. This is definitely my punishment, right girl?” He smiled at his horse but frowned quickly when she neighed loud and quickly. Her snout was pointing towards his cloak and he turned in horror as a bunch of animals were stealing it along with boots. 
“Hey! Give me my stuff back!” Virgil shouted as he ran after the animals, Susan right behind him.
~ Roman hummed softly as he gently petted the chipmunk on his lap. He yawned into his free hand, the sun pulling him into a nap. Logan and Patton did tell him not to hurry back

A couple of his bird friends tweeted loudly, stirring him wide awake. The squirrel from before nudged him again, this time pushing on his face. He turned his eyes towards the direction the squirrel was pushing and bursts into laughter.
His owl friend had a black cloak tied around its neck while two birds held up the ends. Two bunnies were hopping, each in a black boot, under the cloak
Roman smirked as he made his way over to them, “Now what do we have here? Could it be? My dream prince?” He looked at the animals up and down and his smirk widened. “It is! Your highness,” he bows playfully “I had no idea you were coming! What a pleasant surprise! Oh, but what would my uncles say! They would say ‘Roman! Why are you talking to a stranger!’,” Roman frowned turning away the clothed animals but suddenly turned back with a big smile on his face, “But then!” he boops the owl’s beak “I would say...I know you! I walked with you once upon a dream!”
Roman spun around and leaned next to his owl friends, “I know you, that look in your eyes is so familiar a gleam”
Roman grabbed the sides of the cloak and began dancing around as he sang, “And I know it's true that visions are seldom all they seem.”
“But if I know you, I know what you'll do.” He pulls the owl closer by the cloak and giggles. 
“You'll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream.” Roman wraps the cloak around himself. He closed his eyes for a bit, imagining that his dream prince was really there, holding him lovingly.
Roman let go, nearly causing the owl to fall, and began to dance away from the cloak as he sang “La La La La!”
Meanwhile, Virgil and Susan had made their way over to the clearing and took in the sight before them. The voice from before did not come from a fae, luckily from him but a boy. A very handsome boy at that

Virgil shook his head to shake the thought away, he needed to focus. As the boy danced away, Virgil reached over and pulled his cloak away from the owl. The rabbits quickly followed and, by grabbing the front of his boots, dumped the rabbits out.
He should have just left right then and there, he got the answer of the voice and his stuff back. He should just get back on the road and head home.
“If I know you, I know what you’ll do~.” The boy sang with his back still to Virgil. Virgil recognized the song, from when he was a child. 
Virgil couldn’t help himself, he sang, “You’ll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream.”
Roman whipped around and made eye contact with Virgil, “Oh!”
Virgil freezes, his eyes lock with the boy in front of him. He now has a good look at the boy. At his gorgeous brown eyes, his beautiful autumn hair that was long enough to reach his shoulders, his broad chest, and the terrified look on his face as Virgil stared at him.
Virgil jumped back “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I was just...your animals...they...I...you
”
Roman giggled, after calming down from the initial shock, “No, I’m sorry they took your stuff.”
“Oh, uh, n-no hard feeling,” Virgil said with a nod. 
Roman raised an eyebrow, “Have we met?” There was something familiar about this boy, but he couldn’t put his finger on it.
Virgil couldn’t lie, he felt like he knew this boy, it was on the tip of his tongue. Though his brain was too busy short-circuiting so he switched to his most basic function, sarcasm, “Was it once upon a dream?” He smirked.
Roman laughed and smiled sweetly at Virgil. “Was that it? Hmm
”
Virgil blushes embarrassed as he rubs the back of his neck and laughed nervously. He had no idea what to say. 
“Hmm...I’m not sure, you might be a stranger after all. You’re gonna have to prove it.” Roman says firmly
“Prove it?”
“Mhmm,” Roman stretches out his hand to Virgil “Dance with me,”
Virgil was nervous, to say the least. He wasn’t that great of a dancer and he didn’t want to embarrass himself. He didn’t even like dancing that much but still, something in him told him that he wanted, no, needed to dance with him.
Virgil nodded and took Roman’s hand. They danced so well that it was as if they were dance partners for years. It was magical and romantic and neither wanted it to end. It seemed meant to be, but neither knew why.
But we do. We know it’s true as visions are seldom all they seem. 
But if I know you, I know what you'll do.
You'll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream.
~
Taglist: None this time because this, like the first one, was just a fun little thing for me.
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megatraven · 4 years ago
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you know i had do it ya... all of them. all of the watercolors
DSFRGTREDFR i appreciate u so much....... (wont re-answer th ones ive already answered tho)
cadmium yellow; when you think of the word “happy” what’s the first thing that comes to mind?
alex. is anyone surprised? probably not. alex is the biggest source of happiness for me at the moment bc i love them so much and think of them so often vuv
hansa yellow; what’s your guilty pleasure song?
god is a woman by arianna grande!!!!! love it
yellow ochre; name an artist/band whom you just discovered & can’t get enough of!
i hope it counts if it’s a fictional band bc Julie and the Phantoms own my ears rn
naples yellow; where do you feel most at home?
in my little apartment, in my bed with bunches of blankets and stuffed animals and snacks vuv
raw sienna; with whom do you feel most at home?
i don’t know! i’ve never really thought about it, and thinking about it now, i can’t pick out just one person. any of my friends, i guess!
golden ochre; describe the relationship you have with your closest friend.
i don’t have just one closest friend, i have a few. but my relationship with them is nice, we’ve made good strides to setting healthy boundaries, i think, and we can talk to each other about anything! :D
cadmium orange; what do you like to do on your days off?
rest and relax, watch a show or maybe just turn on some music while I play lovestruck or lovelink, play some pokemon, and either write or draw! i also really like to nap, especially since i often wake up early on my days off, and most of my friends aren’t online yet. helps me skip to when they Are online
orange lake; do you have anyone you can turn to when you’re sad?
oh, i have many people who would be very supportive, i know. it’s not a matter of having someone for me, though. i just don’t know how to bring it up to them, so i usually just keep quiet about it whenever i am :’)
titans; do you prefer slow mornings or relaxing evenings?
relaxing evenings, i think. slow mornings tend to frustrate me a little, but relaxing evenings are perfect
shakhnazaryan red; are you currently binge-watching anything?
julie! and! the! phantoms!!!!! i mean i already bingewatched it but i keep rewatching it like all at once, that counts right???
red ochre; are you more right-brained (creative) or left-brained (analytical)?
right-brained B)
burnt sienna; is there a painting that brings you peace when you look at it?
there are many, but i can’t think of any names or artist right now :^)
english red; what animal do you relate to most?
tiger tiger tiger tiger t-
vermilion; what’s your favorite accent?
right now? greek!
cadmium red; do you have a “type” when it comes to a significant other?
not really! just. girl or nb, i guess lol
scarlet; describe your current crush/es.
i guess i’m still nursing a crush from a couple years ago, though it’s much smaller now since we don’t talk as much but ummm she’s really sweet and funny, and endlessly kind it feels like. she’s so creative and smart and i love how passionate she gets <3 she’s a really good friend, too, and i really appreciate having her in my life in any amount :D
ruby; what does your ideal first date look like?
some cute little cafe-type place, MAYBE with some light hand holding, as we talk about whatever comes to mind, be it fandoms, our lives, etc.
carmine; what does your ideal second date look like?
just hanging out in the living room or bedroom, really. i don’t care much for going out, but if we went out anywhere at all, it would be lovely to walk down the street after a nice autumn rain vwv
madder lake red; would you ever kiss someone (or accept a kiss) on a first date?
no, and i don’t think i will ever really want to kiss anyone, thinking of being kissed kind of squicks me out. unless it’s a kiss on the cheek or hand or something, then that would be okay :)
rose; what’s something really positive going on in your life right now?
oh hm..... well, at work, my coworker has been really nice about letting me play christmas music on the radio all day :) it drives him nuts, but he keeps turning it on for me because he knows i like it a lot. it’s really sweet. it’s not a huge gesture, but it means a lot to me!
quinacridone rose; what’s something you’re really looking forward to?
the day that i finally adopt a cat! i’ve been sitting on it since around april but i just keep waiting. the day i do it, though..... i can’t wait!
violet rose; what does your dream house look like?
small house near the base of a mountain. neighbors not too far away, but not too close. i have a big yard, and a great view of the mountains i nthe area, and lots of trees. inside and nice and homey, soft yellows with accents of white paint the walls inside and out, and it’s filled to the brim with little knickknacks and things i’ve collected over the years
violet; is there any place in particular you’d like to settle down?
right now my heart is set on colorado because the mountains there were gorgeous.... i’d settle for anywhere close to some mountains though
blue lake; what would you like to do/accomplish before you settle down?
i’d like to travel a little, visit some of the friends i’ve made, really do something good for the world before i settle
cobalt blue spectral; what is the most beautiful place you have ever been to?
the rocky mountains!
ultramarine; when was the last time you were in a good mood? do you know/remember what sparked it?
i’m in a good mood right now! just getting to talk to my friends while i eat dinner and enjoy the things i love is a pretty good recipe for a good mood!
blue; what’s the most recent dream you remember?
i.... hmm. im having a hard time remembering any recent dreams. i had to go look into one of my chats for the last time i mentioned one- i had a dream where i was talking and became friends with Mr Fruit, a youtuber i’ve gotten really into watching recently :)
bright blue; what does your dream family look like? any kids or pets? how many of each?
honestly just me, a spouse, maybe a kid that we adopted (Maybe!!!!), and a LOT of pets. cats and dogs, at least one snake, some rats........
blue cobalt; do you like your name? would you give yourself a different name if you could?
i’m okay with my name, though i think i’m starting to really prefer meg over megan. if i could give myself a different name w no judgement on what it would be, i think i definitely would tho
prussian azure; what’s your favorite scent?
vanilla cupcake candles <3
azure blue; what’s your favorite type of tea, if any?
i don’t have a favorite!
turquoise blue; if you could start a garden, what would you plant?
tiger lilies <3
cerulean blue; if you were guaranteed to have a viewership, would you start a youtube vlog?
ABSOLUTELY
glauconite; describe your body without using any negative adjectives.
cute. soft. mine.
yellow green; picture yourself walking in a field. what do you see & hear in this scenario?
i hear the sound of birds and crickets, and a babbling brook off in the distance. i see flowers that don’t typically grow together doing so for me, shifting lightly in the wind. a few critters bounce over the flowers from time to time- fox kits, rabbits. everything’s at peace.
green light; are you in a comfortable place in life? if not, what do you think might make it better?
hmm. yes and no? i think a lot of things for me would improve if i could just work up the courage to come out irl. even if i didn’t get the responses i would want.
green; name three countries you want to visit; do you have any actual plans in place to visit any of them?
france, cyprus, japan. i think the one i would like to visit most is cyprus :) i don’t have plans for the other two, just dreams vwv
emerald green; do you speak any languages besides english? are there any additional languages you want to learn?
not yet! but i’d love to learn french and greek and tagalog!
oxide of chromium; what’s your favorite book?
where the red fern grows
olive green; are you currently reading anything? how do you like it so far?
not any books, but i’ve been meaning to start reading cinder!
mars brown; what’s a movie that always puts a smile on your face/makes you laugh?
ratatouille vuv
burnt umber; what’s something you plan to do before the day is over to take care of yourself?
eat dinner and drink water :) (im doing both rn)
umber; have you drank enough water today?
i think i’ve drank 2 bottles. not as much as normal, but i plan to drink more!
voronezhskaya black; what or who is your go-to outlet for when you need to vent?
my scro friends :) (thats th name of our gc lol) there’s three other people in there and that’s typically where i go to vent if i have to. them, or my MLF friends. both groups always have my back and i adore them 
sepia; name five things that always make you happy.
alex, food, blankets, talking to friends, buying stuffed animals
indigo; what’s the best/sweetest compliment you have ever received?
one of my coworkers once told me that he can see the passion that i have for art, and i don’t think anyone has ever told me that they can see it before. it meant a lot and i hold it close to my heart now :)
payne’s gray; describe your aesthetic?
this is too hard my aesthetic is too broad ;( here’s my aesthetic tag tho
black; post a selfie because you are so beautiful!
im eating fried chicken rn so i will not take a new pic. instead, have this older selfie from 4 months ago!
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tokidokitrash · 5 years ago
Text
It’s been quite awhile since the previous post and I’m sorry!
I actually wrote this awhile back, but lacked the courage to post it.
I’m someone who is quite insecure and scared of how people might view me and my writings online.
But today I decided to just post this anyway-it’s June and Seven’s birthday is coming up— heck it!
I’m sorry it’s so long , and we aren’t at a conclusion yet- I’m just writing whatever comes to mind kinda and I’m grateful to any who reads it- your notes are such an encouragement, however small.
Also, amidst these crazy times, I hope you are all well, stay healthy, remember to eat!
——————————————————————————————-
The way we are - 02
Seven is left standing outside her door. He’s pretty lost for words at this point, which is rare for a smart mouthed genius like himself.
He has to admit, he feels better after laughing like that -it was cathartic, but after listening to what she just said, seeing her smile like she was entirely broken inside, he can’t help but feel that he’s lost something very, very important in that moment.
He’s realised she was probably crying.
And that it was most definitely his fault.
Pangs of guilt worked his their way up his mind, as his heart aches at the thought that he’s given someone as cheery as her so much sadness over his demeanour.
She had always been so strong, so happy. Shining with the brilliance of the sun with every step she took. Always seemed like nothing in life could bring her down. True, she was a little weird, with her adorable exclamations of excitement over what would seem to be the most mundane of things. How he’d catch her standing outside the apartment for a spell, start to worry she’d seen something or someone that could cause her any harm....only to realise she’d be staring adoringly at a pigeon who’d made his way down the corridor. She seemed to be delighted by any little critter or creature, and that part of her, he adored.
She was such a sweet creature herself.
He’d sometimes catch himself distracted by the CCTVs, ever on a lookout for a glimpse of you, eager to see if he could decipher what had caught your interest that day.
And oh, how his heart would swell whenever you returned to the apartment, no matter how distracted you’d be, or how many bags you were holding after a trip to the grocery store... you’d always find time to look up at the cameras and flash him a beaming smile, giving him a little wave or wink. He’d sometimes find himself giving you a wave back, blowing a kiss or two, despite knowing full well you’d never know this. You were just so, so cute, he felt his heart would burst at the seams and implode on him due to an overload of cute.
While he might be greedy for more of your attention, he savoured those little, minute, unseen interactions with you.
The incident with ‘unknown’ was the turning point.
Seeing that precious girl in danger once was too much for a lifetime.
How could he have let this happen? Was he just incapable to protecting those he cared about?
His mind entered overdrive at the realisation that Unknown was none other than his sweet younger twin Saeran, whom he’d always longed to reunite with someday.
But never in his wildest, sickest imaginings did he want a reunion like this.
Saeran, who stood before him, a completely different man. Gone was the timid, sweet boy- in his place was a twisted man whom the world had hurt too much...and it was all his fault- he failed to protect his brother .
So many unanswered questions reeled in his head, he was having the worse headaches of his life. Trying to piece together the massive puzzle that was unfurling right before his eyes. If there is indeed a god, he was being awful.
In the days he spent at MC’s place, frustration and growing anger seeped into his very core. The complications between Rika, V and Mint Eye...and how....what happened to Saeran?? Then there was the anger at himself... at how put MC in danger. He had nearly let his bright, shining flame get snuffed out.
All this was too much, he was slipping off his 707 persona, whether he wanted to or not. Telling himself it was for the best, he started pushing MC away, first treating her coldly, with disdain, as he tried his best to pour himself into the work.
Next came the harsh words lashed out towards her fuelled by his own frustrations.. Or just ignoring her, or just telling her she was being an annoyance, disrupting his work.
Yet she still always came to him, like she was pulled towards him by an unseen force.
Sometimes, all she wanted to do was sit close to him, watch him work.
Other times, she would make small talk, peppering the conversations with little jokes, trying her utmost best to lighten the mood.
She always seemed to have her eye on him, watching over him. Often fetching him some dr.pepper or honey Buddha chips, or, you know, proper food and water so he doesn’t die of malnourishment.
Once, he had accidentally dozed off mid-work, and woke to the feel of a blanket placed on his back. Then, being the jerk he is, he told her not to bother with him and leave him alone, to stop wasting her time on him, before grabbing the blanket and hurling it across the room, startling her.
Regret sank in immediately when he thought he saw her eyes glisten with the threat of tears... he saw her lips force themselves into a tight smile, the she pouts a little, rolls her eyes just ever so slightly, clearly trying to lighten the mood. “Alright, alrighttt, sorry!!” She exclaims as she gingerly pick up the blanket- folding it neatly before placing it in the couch next to him...”jusssst in case, alright? “ she says in a whisper , before adding “.....Please take care of yourself.”
He just ignored her the rest of that night.
He hated that even in this crazy situation where he’s already decided to push MC away for her safety, she still made his heart glow with a slight warmth whenever he saw how much she cared for him.
Since the day after the incident, he realised she truly was a strange one. She seemed flighty, almost airheaded at times, like when her curiosity got the better of her and she touched the floppy disk containing all the photos he had of Saeran, leading Seven to lash out at her and tell her to mind her own business for the umpteen time...
Yet there where times she seemed acutely sharp, always seemingly able to see through his 707 persona- to look deep within him and see Saeyoung.
‘No. What she was attracted to was the 707 she could fool around with in the chat rooms. Not this horrible person I truly am...not Saeyoung.’
Heading back to his corner, Seven tried to settle back into work.. but his thoughts keep bringing him back to MC. He had never wanted to see her like this. He recalls what he managed to see in that short moment they had eye contact- the reddened, swollen eyes, tear-stained face. It ripped his heart to shreds knowing he did this to her.
During that moment, there was a part of him that wanted nothing more than to apologise to her, scoop her up in his arms and kiss all the tears away, whispering apologies and sweet nothings to her as he showed her that he cared for her just as deeply as she did him.
On the other hand, the other side of him wanted to bolt out of the apartment. So that he could never hurt her again- that way she could forget about him sooner.
At this very moment, all he could think about was how much of a jerk he was- how he really could never stand in the sun with someone as radiant as her.
He was filth.
Head pounding, he sighs, slipping his headphones on- well aware this might make his headache worse, but he still blasts the music anyway, as though he’s looking for some internal form of self-punishment.
Minutes had probably turn to hours, the sun had long since risen, already hanging a little lower in the sky. Seven cracks open another can of Dr.pepper, his tongue a little numb from the constant combination of Honey Buddha chips and his favourite beverage. Idly he realises the last proper meal he had ......was the same time as MC’s. That fact makes him straighten up. He had at least some semblance of nourishment over these last two days- what about her?
He started to feel ashamed of his actions, more so, his inactions. Had he truly been so wrapped up with work and trying to push her away, that he failed to check if her basic needs were met? Whipping out the phone that had been stowed away in his oversized hoodies’ pockets, he fires off a private message to her.
- ‘Are U awake?’
...he stares at the phone expectantly, waiting for her reply.
Only the reply doesn’t come.
‘...maybe she’s asleep. ‘ He quietly thinks to himself. The idea to hack into her phone crosses his mind, but he stops himself. If he does hack into her phone, not only would it be a telling sign of his occupational hazards, it might also be a serious breach of her trust....but from the way she used to flirt with him on the messenger, she sure gave the impression that she might not be totally against the idea of him sneaking a peek or two at her.
He brushes the thought away, absentmindedly rubs his face and ugh, he feels greasy and gross- he himself was in dire need of a shower, as he’d clearly neglected himself these last few days- well, maybe the days before these as well. The man took terrible care of himself once the momentum of work was in full swing.
Phone still clutched in his left hand, he starts looking up food delivery options. He couldn’t care less about himself, but was growing more concerned about MC- he won’t have her starving herself, not on his watch! He mutters the various food options he sees on the screen, wondering what would be a good choice. “........bibimbap? Kimbap? Ah maybe something different like western or....fast food?.........hnnnnnn Indian food? What would it be.....hmmmmm...”
“WOAHH”
Her voice booms from the phone and he yelps, fumbling about with the phone. He quickly holds the phone against his ear.
“is this a miracle?! Are you finally going to eat something?!” She exclaims, voice a littler higher due to excitement and he winces from the loud volume, pulling the phone away slightly.
“MC?? How come you’re on the pho- ahhh. I did it again didn’t I?? Ahhhhhhh I need to stop dialling you ahhhhhhh” he groans as he slaps his forehead. The sound elicits giggles from her, and his heart does little somersaults in response.
“Dawwwww did you truly miss little old me thaaattt much?”
Why Yes. Yes he did.
“I know choosing what to eat might be difficult.... but you didn’t have to call y’know- cause ...dundundun! Here I am!”
Right as she says that, the door to her room swings open and she jumps out of the room, one arm up in the air, the other holding the phone to her ear, presenting herself. To Seven, it seems like light has returned, and she’s brought a gust of fresh air with her- her joyful bearings seemed to alleviate that pounding headache he’s been having. Only now does he realise that he’s finally relaxed his furrowed brow.
“Ta-dahhhh~!” She says, and Seven can’t resist clapping for her, then mentally slapping himself for going along with her antics. Hadn’t he resolved to push her away, not show the slightest form of affection for her? But ahhh, how could he have possibly resisted that??
She brings her arm down and does a little bow for him, then patters over towards his corner, dressed in a large, long sleeved shirt and pyjama bottoms with animal prints all over. Her short umber hair a messy cloud, sticking up in weird tufts, being uncooperative with her as she gently combs through her bed-head. Being so stupidly adorable- he notes. As she nears him, she stills herself, before awkwardly sitting at the far end of the couch. “So, uh, I’m here to....help?” She says as she smiles widely, exaggerating for him. He resists the urge to chuckle, and tries to go back to his ‘serious, no nonsense, leave-me-alone’ persona...then he remembers whatever happened during his last interaction with her, and tells himself that he doesn’t have to be that much of an ass. He clears his throat, noting that her eyes were now downcast, but always sneaking glances at him.
“Well, I guess it’s good you’re here, I was about to order food for us-speaking of which, I hope you aren’t starving yourself. You shouldn’t bother with me, but you should make sure to eat, to take care of yourself, or the rest would worry about you..”
“Hmm, I know! You don’t have to worry about me too, Seven~” she sighs “I can handle myself too.” Her voice seemed laced with a barely noticeable tinge of sadness at that last statement.
Worried, Seven finds himself at a loss for words, he hadn’t had time to think about how to act around her, and as the awkward atmosphere nearly makes a comeback, her belly makes its presence known on cue with a small, but audible rumble. A slight pink blossoms on her cheeks, and they stare at each other, before casting a sheepish look his way.
“bibimbap sounds good right about now though...”
He darts his eyes away from her and disguises his chuckle as a grunt,signalling his approval in her choice, rapidly scrolling away on his laptop, searching for bibimbap...and it takes every fibre of his being maximum effort to hold back the laugh that nearly escaped him, as her blush turns from pink to scarlet.
——————-
Thank you again for reading! And thank you to @emberchoihan for your comment on my previous post :)
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forfuchssake · 5 years ago
Text
Batbear to the Rescue || Bri & Morgan
TIMING: Present PARTIES: @mor-beck-more-problems & @honeybugbearbri SUMMARY: A hunter tries to capture and kill Morgan and Bri comes to the rescue. 
Bri found it funny the way hunters worked. Always so concentrated on their prey that they forgot how quickly they themselves could become the prey. She’d been watching Jack for a few days now, ever since she saw him stake a vampire outside Nightshade. That simply wouldn’t do. It was easy enough to keep somewhat on his trail, get a feel of his routine, and slightly play with his reality. Men like that, they never dreamed that they could be on the other side of it all. They thought they were the biggest predators out there and their own ego would be their downfall. He was in her forest now, her domain, stalking after some girl who seemed to be hunting a rabbit. Brianne knew she must have been some sort of undead, but that mattered little. The priority was turning this hunter into her own trophy. She lurked quietly behind the trees, waiting for him to spring into action.
Morgan was reluctant to call Remmy the moment she felt herself coming a little too unglued. They had only just started talking again, and this wasn’t a disaster of a day. This was just a time when the nothing of the world around her grated, when she felt the pull of the death-pit inside her a little harder than she had the last few days. And dammit, she didn’t want to go straight back into bed, or worse, the floor. Remmy said to keep trying. So, while Deirdre was out, Morgan returned to the woods. She was hoping to practice the lessons Ulfric had given her, but the smell of death was distracting her. It was just the right kind, she could tell by spotting it in the distance. Not too fresh, not too rotted. Morgan turned her attention away from her live prey and towards another. She didn’t even have to be quiet. Morgan leapt--and felt a stiff wire around her neck, yanking her onto her back. Morgan scrambled, kicking her feet uselessly at the grass. She didn’t even think about calling for help. Who would hear her? Who even knew where she was? Morgan tugged at the wire, her fingers slipping on the smooth cording, scrambling for purchase. She pawed back, searching for the rest of the lasso. The person on the other end tugged, dragging her across the ground. Morgan tilted her head back, eyes pinballing through the woods in panic. She couldn’t see anything. Just a shadow. A no one shadow.
“Don’t fight,” they said. “You’re only gonna make this harder on yourself.”
Morgan squeaked, grunted mutely. The cord was digging too deep into her neck for her to speak.
Any suspicions she had that Jack had been on the hunt were confirmed when Bri saw him attack. As he sprung to capture the woman with some sort of cord, her body shifted and Bri felt herself become larger than life. With a roar, she leapt for the distracted hunter, claws tearing into his sides. The pitiful little yelp that came out of his mouth was music to her ears. The bear looked him straight in the eye, loving how palpable the fear radiating off of him was. His grip on the wire he was using to trap the undead woman loosened and fell from his hands. A quick paw swiped it away from him, leaving gashes in his hand, as he tried to reach for it again. With a booming roar, Bri lowered her now bear shaped head right into his face. The fear coming off of him was delicious. The righteous poetic justice of watching the wretched man realize he had become her prey. If bears could smile, her grin would be wide as she could smell the stink of urine on him. Jack really was quite easily frightened. Seemed surprising giving his occupation, but when faced with the reality of death, they were all the same. As he whimpered, she slashed her claws into his throat and watched the blood pool into the grass beneath him. Confident he was dead, the bear backed away from the hunter’s body. Jack was effectively dead and she contemplated finishing off a bottle of Jack Daniels. She could place his teeth and smaller bones inside once she finished. It’d make a great centerpiece. A true bottle of Jack. Sensing the girl’s eyes on her, she focused on shifting back to her now nude human form. She quizzically looked the other woman over. “Are you hurt?”
Morgan felt the cord loosen first. Whimpering like a frightened animal, she tugged and clawed at it wildly until she could get it over her head and as far away from her as she could throw it. It was a fucking metal lasso, like the kind they used in zoos for the big cats. Morgan touched her throat, grimacing with a horror she hadn’t felt before. Her stomach tightened. Fuck, was she going to be sick? She backed away. She couldn’t remember where the dead rabbit was, which way she’d come from, where she’d put her phone in her pocket. She fumbled to pat herself as she backed away, but her hands were shaking too much to dig through anything. When she heard a strange voice, she cried out, backing further away. This was--not the scary murderer in the woods. Mostly because the scary murderer, and his stakes and sword were on the ground. So-- “Who are you?” Wait. She’d asked her a question first. Right? “U-uh
” It was a little hard to speak. “I’m fine. I’m...not hurt. I can’t...really get hurt anymore. Mostly.” But it was hard drawing enough air in to speak. Her throat ached. “Where did you come from?”
Bri looked at her with narrow, quizzical eyes. It was clear she was in pain, but she supposed it would heal quickly considering what she was. Her questions were valid, it wasn’t every day a bear came out of the woodwork and killed an undead hunter before your eyes. Catching wind of these guys was rare for her. Most of her collection had been werewolf hunters, but she always believed variety to be a virtue. Plus, now the woman before her could go about her way and hopefully stir fear in those around her. As she answered, Bri crossed her arms over her bare chest and answered, “I’m Bri. I live closeby. I do these woods a service and keep them as hunter free as I’m able.” Looking her over, it was clear she was going to be okay. The undead had a way of healing quickly. “I’m glad you’re okay. A hunter victory is a loss for all of us.” With a slightly sinister grin, she said, “Why? Did I startle you?” With a gesture over to a cluster of trees, she answered, “From over there. I’ve been trying to keep tabs on this one since I saw him stake a vampire outside of Nightshade. He wasn’t quite so brave in the face of fear itself it seems.”
Bri was taking all of this very weirdly in stride for Morgan. Just standing naked in the woods and talking about the woods and asking questions like why and what’s up. Just another day in the life of...whatever she was. Morgan didn’t know where to put her eyes. Looking at the person talking to you good, gawking at naked women, bad. No winning here, and Morgan’s brain was still frazzled from how suddenly the world had literally fallen out from under her, how quickly she could’ve been chopped or caged away from the life she was just barely getting a grip on. Morgan risked a look down at the body. Not much of a looker anymore, but he didn’t seem familiar. “I don’t think I even know that guy,” she said faintly. “How does that even work? When did he meet me?” What did hunters like him do? Prowl the woods for zombies looking for dead critters? Because that was super threatening. “H-hunter victory,” she repeated. “That’s...that’s a thing. The thing that almost but didn’t happen. Right. Um...no, not startled, exactly, I think that started somewhere around the wire noose in the middle of what I really thought were deserted woods.” She swallowed, touching her throat again. Then risked an awkward ‘promise I’m not a creepy lesbian staring at you naked’ look in her general direction. “Thank you. For saving me. That was...I mean, you don’t even know me. And, um, sorry, my brain is lagging with the sudden near second-death--I’m assuming you know, somehow, I’m already kind of dead, and if not, weeeell--um, but: what is Nightshade? And can I--get you anything. Do anything or...whatever, for the random rescue favor? Do you do this a lot or something?”
Nudity was no stranger to Brianne. It was never something she really thought much of until seeing more of the human world. For bugbears and she had to imagine for other shifters, being naked was not something that was inherently sexual. It was just a natural state, the most natural if you were constantly shifting between bear and human forms. Her short stints of socializing did help her learn most others were uncomfortable with nakedness, whether it be their own or the nakedness of others. “You can look at me,” she remarked, “I was just a bear, societal norms mean little to me.” Bri supposed if she was still uncomfortable, that was her own deal. As expected, she had a lot of questions. “It’s hard to tell if he had been previously tracking you or not. I had been tracking him which was quite easy. He was overconfident.” She looked down to Jack, he looked like a work of art the way he was mangled on the grass. If she could paint, she’d paint Jack as he was right now. Her shoulders shrugged as she looked back to the undead woman, “I gathered as much. I presume undead seeing as dear Jack here was after you.” She listened momentarily as the other woman seemed to gather her bearings and asked more questions. It was understandable, some lesser man had just tried to turn her into prey with a cowardly metal lasso. With narrow eyes studying her, she answered, “Nightshade is the farmer’s market in town. It’s a nighttime market that’s open on Friday’s. I’m a beekeeper, I have a stand there called Honey Bri. You don’t owe me anything, I take joy in bringing hunters to justice. I’m Bri, a bugbear if you were curious about the whole bear thing.”
“Just a what?” Morgan was so surprised she looked Bri square in the face, trying to understand. “Did you say bear? Like...uh...a real bear? A bear who’s sometimes a person or a person who’s sometimes a bear?” She went on, something about tracking the hunter, or the hunter tracking her, she couldn’t keep track of which was which. When had she been tracked? Had someone really reported ‘woman playing dead in the cemetery’ to the police? Were there creepy pictures of her yoinking her arm out of its socket with Jane? Morgan started to tally up her outings in her head, trying to figure out how few pieces someone might need to put together who she was, what she was. “Honey Bri,” she mumbled, coming out of her thoughts. “I’ve never been to...there. The uh, Nightshade Market. I thought there was just...the normal farmer’s market.” She stared at the woman again. She had definitely, definitely said something about bringing hunters to justice. And not through giving them a good talking-to, but murder in the woods kind of justice. Morgan’s insides were still clenched with fear, but she couldn’t help being relieved. She would have wanted this to happen to him. It was what he deserved, dragging her across the forest floor like a mangy animal. But Bri had done it with so much calm. She wasn’t even breaking a sweat. And yet the thing Morgan could summon the words for was, “I’m sorry, I don’t know what bugbear means.”
“A bear,” Bri deadpanned. At the visible still very present confusion, she cackled slightly, She supposed her kind wasn’t as well known as most among the supernatural community. “Both, I suppose. Some bugbears live their lives mostly in bear form, others live mostly in human form. Depends on who you ask. I live mostly as a human. Still am very comfortable with nudity considering I transition between forms often.” She quietly allowed time for the woman to process what had just happened. Near death experiences seemed to throw most for a loop. Learning of a new species was probably also a bit on the strange side, especially if she was new to life as a zombie. Bri’s head was tilted as she watched her process everything. “Nightshade is a night time market that’s open on Friday’s. You can find ordinary stuff there as well as some out of the ordinary things. If you think of it, you can probably find it there. My stand is straightforward though- it’s honey and beeswax candles. I just like bees so I keep them.” She shook her head lightly, the woman was still disoriented and likely still hungry. “Yes, a bugbear. That’s what I am. I eat fear, spook people, and turn into a bear sometimes. The stopping hunters from killing people like you is more of a personal hobby.”
Processing was coming a little easier. Morgan caught the part where Bri’s ratio of animal-to-human was more fifty-fifty than, say, Ricky’s. She understood about the appetite, and how that might open some doors to aggressive tendencies, friendly as she seemed now. “Oh, like a Mara. Only...not. Okay. That’s neat.” She caught the part where Nightshade was a supernatural farmer’s market, and Bri smelled beeswax candles, and had enough brain cells working together to suppose it might be a good thing that she was only finding out about this after she’d lost the magic to compete with her. Bri didn’t seem the type to take kindly to a monkey’s paw. The part where Bri was some sort of superhero vigilante gave her more pause. She wasn’t sure why someone fighting back or helping strangers was the hardest thing to believe since she’d moved here, but it boggled her mind enough to fill her with a distressed wonder. “That’s...I mean, that’s kind of amazing, but...well, don’t you...don’t they ever try to hurt you back? Don’t you ever get scared about what they’ll do? I mean, not that I’m not grateful that I’m not—” she gestured vaguely to the hunter’s body. “Like that. Or in the back of some truck or being cut up for bone goo—” her voice trembled as the wide variety of potential awful started to sink in. “I just mean. That could be you too. That’s a lot to do for someone you don’t know.”
It seemed the initial shock of being hunted was starting to wear off. Bri nodded slowly at the mention of mara. She was familiar with them, primarily because of the shifts she’d pick up every so often at Misery Manor, but she found some of them to be a bit uppity. She paid little attention to their superiority complex. “Not quite. Similar in feeding on fear, but still different. Most mara and bugbears wouldn’t like to be compared. I don’t care much, but there is a little bit of rivalry there.” Bri found her question to be funny. Fear wasn’t something she experienced herself, but she craved other’s fears. Hunting hunters was dangerous from time to time, but it was rewarding work. There was a certain satisfaction that came with snuffing out someone who would choose to eliminate the supernatural altogether if they had the choice. As if they didn’t have the right to exist in their true nature. Whether it was safe was of little concern. Her body shifted as she shrugged and the light crack of twigs beneath her bare feet could be heard. “Nothing scares me. I’ve gotten hurt a few times, but I do not fear pain or death. They’re part of life. Most of the time, they don’t suspect someone is tracking them on their hunts and they don’t typically look for my kind.” While Bri felt righteous in her ways, she wasn’t quite sure how to accept the thanks. It didn’t feel like much. Jack had been easy enough to take down as a bear with the element of surprise. Her head shook slightly, “Don’t worry about it. I’d rather see you alive than Jack here.” She bent down to examine his body. The only part she really cared to save for herself was his teeth. She turned back to Morgan, “Would you care for his brain? I have little use for it.”
“Well...jinkies, Bri,” Morgan said, somewhat at a loss. “I guess that makes you the hero Gotham needs. And a heck of a lot better to look at than Batman.” A little wry humor always helped her keep her balanced on the edge when she thought she might fall over. And, well, this was as on the edge as she’d been since she’d died. Morgan dusted herself off again and backed away from the body. She’d had enough of a taste of what the hunter was capable of  by feeling its wire rope around her. She didn’t want to know what his taste in music was, what sports he liked, how much of a person he’d been, and still hurt her like she was nothing. “I’m good,” she said. “I don’t...do that, not a lot, anyway. But I don’t think I’d want to feel someone like that inside of me anyways. Chop it up for the scavengers to eat, if you want it to go to use.” She swallowed thickly, searching for her footpath out and heading that way. “Even if you say I don’t owe you, I’ll find you, maybe? At the market, or...around. You’re a good person, you know. I hope there’s someone who looks out for you too.”
Bri blinked slowly. She had never really thought of herself as Batman. The only reason she’d even seen any of the films was because the Joker had a certain level of appeal though Harley Quinn was the far greater figure in the movie. She’d rather be Harley Quinn than Batman, but she supposed she could understand the comparison. “Thank you
 I guess I am a bit of a vigilante of sorts. I would hope so, but then I don’t find men to be very
 appealing to look at it.” She could hardly blame Morgan for not lowering herself to eat hunter brains. There had to be some sort of contagion for their staunch superiority complexes. Still, she felt the need to offer since the woman hadn’t gotten a proper meal. Then she was on about making it up to her. That wasn’t why she did this, but she wouldn’t mind seeing Morgan again. “You really don’t owe me, but I’d love to have you by the stand sometime. I can introduce you to my friend, Glen. His stand has some
 things that may suit your appetite. Be safe out there, friend.”  
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nukenai · 5 years ago
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Danse
thank u
favorite thing about them: We will be here all goddamn day. DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU’VE DONE. Everything that is not the following bullet point is my favorite thing about him. How he complete melts even from a point of screaming anger when Sole says “I care about you” during a low affinity dialogue. How he basically internally ignites when he’s flirted with. How he constantly talks about being bad at talking about feelings, but also really really wants to talk about his feelings. His big, beautiful sad eyes. GOD, EVERYTHING ABOUT HIM.
least favorite thing about them: Though it’s completely understandable, his general grumpiness toward literally everyone. Danse this is why everyone snarks at you on companion swaps! Stop being so mean to everyone! What did Piper do to deserve your ire!! Please calm down you big puppy man it’s going to be ok! But yeah he absolutely chills out after BB in a better-programmed world anyways so. It’s fine.
favorite line: In my game in particular, he has a habit of saying “I hope nothing’s troubling you today” when I tend to be playing while in a very bad mood, and HOO BOY, does that bad mood immediately become the non-est-issue that has ever not-existed in my life.
brOTP: I really feel like he could get along with Preston so much. The two would sit around and talk Strategy and stuff and he would be so at home in the Minutemen and oh my god don’t get me started but also if they wanna kiss that’s fine too
OTP: Listen. Nearly everyone should be kissing Danse. Preston Garvey? Absolutely. My OC, which is just me? Absolutely. Your OC, which may or may not be you? You bet your ass. Every single person who genuinely loves and cares for Danse should be smooching him, forever, and always. He deserves at least 10 boyfriends and girlfriends.
nOTP: the one exception to the above is Maxson. Why do people do this. I mean, okay, they’re allowed to. But that doesn’t mean it’s good. Which it’s not. Maxson deserves kisses from one person: a fist, and by kisses I mean he needs to get knocked upside the head by someone’s fist, not mine, I will break my little hand on his gross beard.
random headcanon: He actually really likes animals. All of them. You’d think he’d be able to easily choose dogs as a favorite, but having the companionship of different kinds of critters makes him happy. Beneath all his rage at the world getting destroyed by humanity, he sees how forgiving animals are, and how they keep on living and are still so full of love for their caretakers. And he realizes, okay, maybe humanity isn’t so bad. Maybe humanity can be forgiven

 because I love this cat I found
..
unpopular opinion: As much of a hot slice of beefcake as he is, I feel like he would be genuinely kind of shy about his body, especially after realizing he’s a synth. Sure he’s a Dude so he’d just walk around shirtless sometimes if it’s hot out, but ESPECIALLY with a significant other or someone he’s developing feelings toward, he would be quite shy. I also think he’s absolutely a bottom a whole lot of the time but hey that’s just me.
song i associate with them: I have so many that I’m honestly pulling the “Don’t even” angle with this because I am legitimately, ultimately, Too Embarrassed.
favorite picture of them:being jokey with this because if I show off my actual favorite picture of Danse I will die of heat. so here you go. sorry
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parf-fan · 6 years ago
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Ask and ye shall fucking receive, bitches!!!
Oh yeah, that’s right, the cast lists have been posted!  Moreover, posted IN FULL!  Actors, character names, character professions, and chARACTER DESCRIPTIONS HOLY SHIT!!!!1!!
Once again, I have done my best to sort the Bacchanalians by track.  It was much more challenging than last year (and took a good deal longer), where I only mixed up two.  The music track is easy, of course, but combat and improv are another matter.  In the end, I simply could not decide for a fair number, and these are listed in a separate section.
A small note, I had to copyedit the FUCK out of these descriptions.  Man, I dunno, I think their apostrophe key was maybe busted? and there were loads of misspellings, a few missing spaces, and occasionally just the wrong word entirely.  If anyone with any sort of influence on the Faire’s website happens to see this, PLEASE go back and fix these errors.
As always, check the Faire’s website for headshots.  And also for the scenario, I guess, because I just realized I never got around to making a post about that.
Leads
Mary Huff :  Queen Elizabeth I – Queen of England
Young and full of hope for the future of her country, Queen Elizabeth I is eager to take part in the day’s festivities and to learn more about the people she is meant to rule. Though she is youthful in appearance, she should not be underestimated. Queen Elizabeth I is intelligent, quick-witted and does not suffer fools lightly.
Joshua Kachnycz :  Robert Dudley – Master of Horse
Wealthy and benevolent, this Englishman seeks to ensure everything is perfect for the Queen’s coronation day. Though he is a strong, independently wealthy, and capable man, he is not afraid to listen to and heed a woman’s opinion, which quickly makes him one of Queen Elizabeth I most trusted advisors and friends.  [Listen I am so glad this man is returning, he is such a joy to watch act.]  [Zis is pleasink to me!]
Alex Stompoly :  Henry Carry – Nobleman
Cousin to Elizabeth I, Henry Carey has a claim to the English throne and is not likely to let you forget it. While he ultimately wants what is best for the country, he doesn't always have the hearts of the ordinary citizens he represents at the forefront of his political strategy. It may take him a while to believe that such a young Queen can be a strong leader.  [OH FUCK YEAH ALEX IS THE VILLAIN THIS IS EVERYTHING I’VE EVER WANTED]
Combat
Sunny Vinsavich :  Bev Tanningrove – Tanningrove Family Muscle
When carousing with friends, she is playful and carefree; but this cousin to Jack Tanningrove is quick to anger if she suspects you of disrespecting the Tanningrove name. Bold and hot-blooded, it doesn't take much to convince her to enter into a brawl to defend her house.
Emily Wirthwein :  Sylvia Forel – Sword Mistress
As lethal as she is lovely, this German Master Swordswoman is renowned throughout Europe. If you are lucky enough to have her in your employ, you can expect her complete loyalty and services as a sellsword – as long as you aren't outbid by a wealthier party.  [Oh good, the German mercenaries are back.]
Mel Angelo :  Mary McBride – Dance Mistress of the Shire
Best friend to Rose Hopfield, this dancing mistress makes a loyal, dependable, and energetic companion. Shire folk beware: don't call her a coward or insult the Hopfields, else you might find yourself face to face with the pointy end of her sword.
Ilana Lo :  Fan Liu – Pirate
Running away from home at the age of thirteen, Fan Liu spent her formative years as a member of pirate crews in many different countries. Because of these varied experiences and her own innate charm, Fan Liu is a brilliant negotiator, easily able to talk people into doing just about anything she asks. And if they make the mistake of not doing as she asks, they will soon face her steel.
Leigh Loureiro :  Bonnie Buchanna – Pirate
A formidable opponent who can fight, curse, and drink just as well if not better than her male counterparts. Nicknamed ‘Bloody Bonnie’ for her reputation of leaving no survivors, many would be surprised to learn that she secretly has a soft spot for soft and cuddly critters. But,please, don't tell her we told you!
Amanda Darrigo :  Mistress Quickley – Tavern Keeper
Thrilled at finally fulfilling her dream of opening her own tavern, this little lady isn’t shy about inviting people in or delegating responsibilities to her subordinates. In fact, she loves being a boss so much she might try to hire you to manage the day-to-day operations so she can focus on big-picture items: like how to spend her hard earned ducats.
Sean Besecker :  Captain James Thatch – Captain of The Queen's Vengeance
Thatch grew up on pirate ships watching and learning from the best sea-robbers in the business, so it is no surprise that he is one of the most ruthless and cutthroat pirates to sail the seven seas. While polite society would consider him uncivilized, he does live his life adhering closely to a very important set of rules: the Piratical Code.  [pyrate ship count: 1]
Matthew Glen Clark :  Bartholomew Wainwright – Yeoman
Dark and brooding, the mysterious Bartholomew Wainwright is often mistaken as cynical when a better term for him would be logical. He makes decisions using his brain and not his heard – the same cannot be said for some of his fellow Yeoman.
Austin James :  Edward Mawson – First Mate
With knowledge of the civilized world, Edward Mawson, sometimes referred to as Maw, is the perfect First Mate to his unruly Captain. He is easily able to represent the Captain at important affairs and likes to mingle with the upper crust of society. In fact, he likes it so much that he dreams of bettering his own position so that he might one day join them.
Music
The Sirens
Sarah Bartley :  Captain Sheena Daley O'Connell – Captain of The Unyeilding Tempest
The Leader. She is bold, brave, fearless and knows the world of piracy like the back of her well-worn hands. Sheena actively attempts to keep the peace in ORC but enjoys looting and pillaging as much as her fellow captains. Her deeds are heroic, but often tall in nature! Ask her to tell you all about when she saved her entire crew with a single plank of wood. She will regale you.  [pyrate ship count: 2]
Leigh Anne Hamlin :  Captain Scarlett Seymour – Captain of The Shadow of Prophecy
The Joker. She is laid back, extremely confident but relentlessly lazy. Scarlett always cracks jokes and makes light of difficult situations. She has been a pirate all her life and she is damn good at it! She is fond of long naps, drinking and gambling. Whats her secret? Good luck and tons of it!  [Four things.  First, pyrate ship count: 3.  Second, presuming she named he ship herself, I guarantee that this character is queer, because that’s the most Extra ship name ever, and only us queer folk are that overdramatic.  Three, prophesy? seymour? see-more? r u kidding me?  Four: if you go look at her headshot, this actor bears an uncanny resemblance to Vanessa Sterling.]
Megan Jones :  Captain Ruth "The Blade" Gibson – Captain of The Jolly Walrus
The Wild Card. She is tough, blunt, and has a wee bit of a rage problem. Although she loves piracy and has the scars to prove it, she melts at the sight of children and cuddly animals, who have the ability to soften her strong demeanor. Do not dare question her about the name of her ship! Shes sensitive about it.  [Oh hell yeah, Megan Jones is a pyrate! I am very pleased about this.  Also, pyrate ship count: 4.]
Sarah Williams :  Captain Elanor Keetly – Captain of The Malevolence
The newly appointed Captain of The Malevolence. The innocent. She has inherited her newfound position of Captain after all the members of her crew mysteriously perished in a tragic maritime accident. She has a thirst for knowledge and craves to be the very best in her new career! Elanor is extremely enthusiastic, but a bit frightened of the weight of her new position. She has a malicious alter ego named Cookie.  [Well, that certainly took at turn at the last line!  Pyrate ship count: 5, and whomever named this vessel was definitely queer, too.]
The Irish Revels
Autumn Sheffy :  Siobhán O'Sullivan – Royal Music Tutor
Having left the rest of her family behind to seek her fortune, this maestro has ascended to the ranks of the English court! Surely she wouldn't lord this success over the rest of her siblings...
Jordan Bell :  Gilda O'Sullivan – Musician
Gilda is an optimistic and charismatic leader. She hasn't the time for negativity or ill will amongst her siblings, so she simply pushes through it with a bright smile. She is a perfectionist and an overachiever. She adores music and her siblings, despite their failings, and will do anything to make sure the festival day goes off without a hitch. She has the color-coded scrolls to prove it! because what are we, animals?
Morgan Harwood :  Alannah O'Sullivan – Musician
Alannah is kind, carefree, and a bit odd. She is the youngest of the quintuplets and the most connected to the universe. She has the ability to see magic creatures and is often overtaken by her imagination. Her magic touch can calm her siblings when the time arises. The music she performs grounds her back in reality. She doesn’t walk, she floats.  [Whelp, this character obviously has a connection to the fae, so she’s definitely Autistic.]
Jared Haverdink :  Keagan O'Sullivan – Musician
Keagan is a realist, has an excellent sense of humor, and is endlessly sarcastic. He has a bit of the ol’ Irish temper that is easily set off by small things. The most talented musically of the O’Sullivan siblings, he was always very skilled, but has recently improved dramatically, almost overnight. His siblings are suspicious he has made a deal with a sea witch for his newfound shredding skills.  [I’m so glad that last sentence exists.]
Joey Mudd :  Deklyn O'Sullivan – Musician
Deklyn, like his sister Gilda, is a very friendly and charismatic young musician. He is full of life, energy, joy and is extremely earnest. However, he does tend to worry, and his imagination takes hold, extrapolating the smallest misstep that could lead to the doom of his family. Frequently stares into the middle distance, right between the crucial and the trivial, between existential dread and I’ll take the dressing on the side.  [The Millennialℱ]
The Rakish Rogues
Christopher Burch :  Sterling Armstrong – Highwayman, Leader of Group
The leader of this merry band of misfits. He is bold, ambitious, but a tad arrogant. Sterling fancies himself as a ladies’ man, but when approached by a woman, he can’t always follow through. His leadership style is that of blind intuition. His British dialect is very put-on and manly, but he often slips into Cockney, his real voice, when angered. Sterling doesn't walk, he glides. Is that his real name or did he make it up?  [FUCK YEAH THEY DID THE THING THEY PUT HIM ON THE MUSIC TRACK YESSSSSS!]
Chase Brackett :  Tucker Abbot – Highwayman, Sterling's ProtĂ©gĂ©
A former homeless orphan who was adopted by Sterling Armstrong as his younger brother and protégé . He absolutely worships the ground his brother walks on. Tucker is very bright, optimistic, and somewhat naïve. He is completely unaware when he says filthy and inappropriate things. Sterling said it so it must be fine! He loves the life of crime, but mostly he just wants to find a beautiful lady and sing songs to her pretty face forever.  [This character description has newsie energy.]
Pete Hedberg :  Jeremiah Slight – Highwayman, Sterling's Right-Hand Man
He is the muscle of the group, but secretly the brains. Jeremiah is the only person keeping this group afloat, but he would rather stick to the shadows than be in the limelight. He is excellent at thievery and a master of disguise. If you get close enough to find out how many accents he can do, you may not live to tell the tale!  [*laughs in a decade of faire accents*]  [also slight is the right hand man? slight of hand? fuck you.]
Ian Agnew :  William "Bill" Crimson – Highwayman, former Benadictine Monk
A former Benedictine monk who was living a pious life in an abbey. He one day was hit in the head with a bible, decided to leave the cloth and turn to a more exciting life of crime. He adores his new lifestyle and lives it with absolutely no restraint or regret. Bill has a newfound love of drinking, women, and gambling. He may have a few loose screws, but he’s never been happier.  [So there’s a good bit to unpack there.  Kind of like a reverse Cadfael.]
Improv
Sheila Barton :  Lady Delores Anne Penburthy – Lady Mayor of Mount Hope
Effervescent and vivacious, the Lady Mayor is sure to give Queen Elizabeth I the warm and generous welcome deserving a ruler of England. Having earned the love of the townspeople, the Lady Mayor could teach the young Queen a thing or two about earning the trust and loyalty of her people.
Adam Shepley :  William Cecil – Advisor to the Queen
Her Majesty’s most stalwart advisor, and head of her privy council. Usually the smartest man in the room, and well aware of it, Cecil knows Elizabeth will be a good queen. Honestly after her sister Mary, things can only go up.
Joe Penn :  Jacob Perry – Sheriff of Mount Hope
He loves putting away bad guys and solving mysteries. The only mystery he cant solve: how to grow up.  [Oh. Hell. Yeah.]
Jonathan Handley :  Sir William Pickering – Nobleman
Well educated, well bred, well connected. William Pickering has studied at the best schools, spent time among the French court, and is a good friend of Queen Elizabeth; but surely he would never let those things go to his head. He is still a man of the people, with his finger on the gilded pulse of the court.
Rob Condas :  William Shakespeare – Apprentice Glover
Everyone needs gloves, and serving all levels of society has made young Bill a keen observer of the human condition. He has heard many stories, and feels that he has many stories to tell. He’d like to try his hand at playwrighting – maybe he can wrangle up some actors to try out a new play or two.  [This is absolutely genius, because if we remain in the same universe for a couple years, we’ll get to see his transition to fully-fledged playwright!]
Adam Kampouris :  Christopher "Kit" Marlowe – Playwright
Full of charm and swagger, this playwright can woo a hundred paramours without running out of pickup lines; finish several thousand tankards of ale without retiring for bed; and accomplish almost any task without exerting too much effort; but he cannot seem to finish a play. He is hoping Mount Hope Shire will provide him the inspiration he needs to pen his next masterpiece.
Kelsey Jefferies :  Gretchen Froman – Heir to the Sausage Throne
Her parents have newly acquired a fortune from their successful Sausage empire, and they like to flaunt it! Fortunately for them, their daughter is responsible enough for both of them and makes sure they don’t blow it all in a single shopping trip. That doesn’t mean she doesn’t enjoy some of the perks – just that she is the only one of the three with some class about it.  [For context, see the Blackfryars’ descriptions.]
Noelani Stevenson :  Eskarina Nutter – Wise Woman
This cunning woman knows that there are things in this world that cannot be explained, and their solutions must be equally inexplicable. A mistress of folk medicine, herbal lore, and charms, she will heal you up quick or dispel the evil eye. Just remember that what she can cure, she can just as easily give back if you cross her.  [hell yeah my pagan girl!  Also if you look at her headshot, her design is literally Sabrina but a little paler and with blond hair, which is most amusing to me.]   [but like,,, why is her last name nutter.]
Kira Gaudynski :  Stella Hopfield – Bottler
Wife of John Hopfield. Though her title is Bottler, she does so much more – marketing, distribution, HR, pretty much everything that isn’t the actual brewing of the beer...and girl, is she good at it! She thrives under pressure, and fortunately for her, there is always pressure abounding.
Ryan Perry :  John Hopfield – Brew Master
Patriarch of the Hopfield family. His brews are best. His ales are awesome. His stouts are stellar. His lagers are...really good too. Hes proud of the name he has made for his family, and knows that beer is the true heart of Mount Hope.
Katelyn Shreiner :  Sherry Tanningrove – Mistress of the Cellars
Sister of Horice Tanningrove and his partner in the winery. Her mind is like the aging process of wine: calculating, patient, and meticulous. She has an eye for detail and rarely jumps to conclusions. She knows that trends come and go, but wine will be forever.
Michael Stahler :  Horace Tanningrove – Vinter
Patriarch of the Tanningrove Family. Wine is what put the shire of Mount Hope on the map, and Horace is proud of that family tradition. He knows Queen Elizabeth will have a more refined palate than her late father and sister, and will help bring Mount Hope’s wines back to the top no matter what those uppity Hopfields say.  [yeah okay so there’s definitely a family rivalry here]
Alright, You Stumped Me
Katie Burch :  Theresa Ratchet – Rat Catcher
Sickness has begun blanketing the world. Some people blame it on bad smells, some people believe it to be God’s wrath due to the sinful ways of today’s culture. Theresa, however, believes it to be because of the rats. She can’t prove it, and no one else believes her, but she will do whatever it takes to rid Mount Hope of these verminous infestations and save the populous in the process.  [Heck yeah, my science-based girl, go get it!]
George Hamilton :  Douglas Johnson – Master Thief
He’s been arrested so many times by Sheriff Perry, they know practically everything about each other. One might even suspect they’ve become friends, but Douglas Johnson would never take advantage of his friendship....in any way that would be obvious to Sheriff Jacob.  [I’m always a slut for this sort of dynamic!]
Shannon Holder :  Rose Hopfield – Brew Master's Daughter
Impulsive, independent, and passionate, this young woman is exploring the world on her own and beginning to see things in a new light, not solely from the perspective of her brewmaster father. By the end of the festival day, she may even sip her first glass of wine!
Jesse Kortus :  Jack Tanningrove – Vinter's Son
Idealistic, intelligent, and inquisitive, this young man is coming into his own and beginning to question the things he has grown up with as facts. For example: contrary to his father’s opinion, there seem to be a great deal of people upon the shire who prefer beer to wine. He intends to spend the day finding out just why that is.  [....oh great we’re gonna have friggin’ het star-crossed lovers up in here, aren’t we.]
John Surgener :  Charles Kent – Yeoman
Fiercely loyal to the Queen, Charles Kent is every bit the ideal hero. With a strong moral compass and an idyllic spirit, Kent is fast, powerful, and has quickly leapt to the top of the list of the Queens favorite Yeomen.
Haley Ward :  Amy Cooper – Cooper
Who would have thought a business person could suffer from TOO MUCH demand? With the ongoing conflict between the Tanningroves and the Hopfields, Amy has been profiting, but at the cost of much sleep. Maybe today she’ll finally be able to enjoy a day off.  [*sleep-deprived fistbump*]
My Reasoning
A section I include purely because I don’t like feeling stupid: therefore when I’m wrong, I prefer people to at least see the logic I followed to arrive at my conclusion.
Leads
Robert Dudley and Henry Carry are both mentioned by name in the scenario, so they’re obviously leads, and Queen Elizabeth is sort of, well, Queen Elizabeth.
Combat
Bev Tanningrove – Tanningrove Family Muscle: character description puts her pretty firmly in the combat territory; Sunny Vinsavich’s resume backs this up with necessary training/abilities.
Sylvia Forel – Sword Mistress: character description puts her pretty firmly in the combat territory; Emily Wirthwein’s resume backs this up with necessary training/abilities.
Mary McBride – Dance Mistress of the Shire: character description puts her pretty firmly in the combat territory; Mel Angelo’s resume seems to back this up with necessary training/abilities.
Fan Liu – Pirate: character description indicates combat as a definite possibility; Ilana Lo‘s resume backs this up with SO MUCH necessary training/abilities; character seems to fit better into the pattern of the combat track than the pattern of the improv track.
Bonnie Buchanna – Pirate: character description indicates combat as a definite possibility; Leigh Loureiro‘s resume indicates potential necessary physicality; character seems to fit better into the pattern of the combat track than the pattern of the improv track
Mistress Quickley – Tavern Keeper: can’t freaking find a resume for Amanda Darrigo, but in my PARF experience, tavern-keepers tend to be involved in brawls and melees, thus indicating combat track.
Captain James Thatch – Captain of The Queen's Vengeance: character description indicates combat as a definite option; can’t find a resume for Sean Besecker, but did find a facebook post mentioning his participation in leading a stage-combat workshop alongside Sam Little, thus implying the necessary training/abilities; character seems to fit better into the pattern of the combat track than the pattern of the improv track.
Bartholomew Wainwright – Yeoman: though character description does not necessarily indicate active combat role, one would imagine a yoeman to be involved in combat, and I know past casts have included combat-track yeomen; Matthew Glen Clark‘s resume backs this up with necessary training and physicality.
Edward Mawson – First Mate: character description does not necessarily indicate active combat role, and I was completely unable to find any sort of resume for Austin James, but the character seems to fit into the pattern of the combat track well enough, so it’s my best guess.
Music (hardly challenging, as I mentioned, yet shall display my reasoning anyway)
Captain Sheena Daley O'Connell – Captain of The Unyeilding Tempest: woman pyrate whose character description matches the format of the other Sirens’.
Captain Scarlett Seymour – Captain of The Shadow of Prophecy: woman pyrate whose character description matches the format of the other Sirens’.
Captain Ruth "The Blade" Gibson – Captain of The Jolly Walrus: woman pyrate whose character description matches the format of the other Sirens’, plus we already know Megan Jones is music-track certified, so to speak.
Captain Elanor Keetly – Captain of The Malevolence: woman pyrate whose character description matches the format of the other Sirens’, plus we already know Sarah Williams is both music-track certified and Siren certified.
Siobhán O'Sullivan – Royal Music Tutor: surname matches that of the four Irish characters listed as “musician”.
Gilda O'Sullivan – Musician: surname matches that of the other Irish characters listed as “musician” or similar; Jordan Bell is already both music-track certified and Revel certified.
Alannah O'Sullivan – Musician: surname matches that of the other Irish characters listed as “musician” or similar; Morgan Harwood is already music-track certified.
Keagan O'Sullivan – Musician: surname matches that of the other Irish characters listed as “musician” or similar; Jared Haverdink is already music-track certified.
Deklyn O'Sullivan – Musician: surname matches that of the other Irish characters listed as “musician” or similar.
Sterling Armstrong – Highwayman, Leader of Group: highwayman; we already knew Christoper Burch is music-track capable.
Tucker Abbot – Highwayman, Sterling's ProtĂ©gĂ©: highwayman; singing is specifically mentioned in description.
Jeremiah Slight – Highwayman, Sterling's Right-Hand Man: highwayman; we already knew Pete Hedberg is very very music-track certified and Rogue certified.
William "Bill" Crimson – Highwayman, former Benadictine Monk: highwayman; we already knew Ian Agnew is both music-track certified and Rogue certified.
Improv
Lady Delores Anne Penburthy – Lady Mayor of Mount Hope: Duh.
William Cecil – Advisor to the Queen: Adam Shepley is historically improv track.
Jacob Perry – Sheriff of Mount Hope: Joe Penn is historically improv track.
Sir William Pickering – Nobleman: Jonathan Handley is historically improv track.
William Shakespeare – Apprentice Glover: character description gives no indication of combat; Rob Condas‘s website extols his improv ability and love of the same.
Christopher "Kit" Marlowe – Playwright: if Shakespeare be improv track, it follows that Marlowe is, too; character description gives no indication of combat.
Gretchen Froman – Heir to the Sausage Throne: one parent is a Blackfryar and the other an improv director, so the statistical likelihood lies with improv;  character description gives no indication of combat.
Eskarina Nutter – Wise Woman: character description gives no indication of combat; it makes more sense for a healer-witch-type character to not be combat-focused anyway (though that would make for a really cool character); I could not find any resume for Noelani Stevenson to verify anything one way or another, but I’m relatively confident in my verdict nonetheless.
Stella Hopfield – Bottler: character description gives no indication of combat; Kira Gaudynski’ resume seems to indicate greater improv strength than combat strength.
John Hopfield – Brew Master: character description gives no indication of combat; if the Hopfield matriarch indeed be on improv, it seems to heighten the likelyhood of the Hopfield patriarch being on the same; could not find Ryan Perry’s resume to check training/abilities one way or another.
Sherry Tanningrove – Mistress of the Cellars: character description gives no indication of combat; Katelyn Shreiner‘s resume seems to indicate stronger improv skills than combat skills; following my previous path of reason, if the head Hopfields be on the improv track, likely the head Tanningroves will, too.
Horace Tanningrove – Vinter: character description gives no indication of combat; Michael Stahler‘s resume seems to indicate average stage-combat abilities; once more following my path of reasoning through to the logical conclusion, this other head Tanningrove will likely be on the improv track.
Alright, you stumped me
Theresa Ratchet – Rat Catcher: while Katie Burch has historically been combat-track, the character description gives no indication of combat; moreover, her participation in Theatre in the Mansion indicates to me that she has the necessary abilities for the improv track; neither her website nor twitter reveals anything one way or another; finally, I have a unproven gut instinct that one is more likely to remain on cast more years running if one switches tracks.  Verdict? could go either way.
Douglas Johnson – Master Thief: George Hamilton has been on both the music track and the combat track (though music is here ruled out), and his participation in Theatre in the Mansion indicates to me that he has the necessary abilities for the improv track; thieves of various sorts are often on the combat track, but it seems his main acting partner this year is on improv; I cannot find a website for further information, and his social media reveals nothing.  Verdict? six of one, half-a-dozen of the other.
Rose Hopfield – Brewmaster's Daughter: character description indicates a divergence from her parents’ worldview, so while I have her parents under improv, it would make some degree of sense for her to be on a different track; only some degree, though, and character description does not indicate combat; Shannon Holder‘s resume seems to indicate possibility in either track.  Verdict? honestly probably improv but there is wiggle-room.
Jack Tanningrove – Vinter's Son: character description indicates a divergence from his parents’ worldview, so while I have his parents under improv, it would make some degree of sense for him to be on a different track; only some degree, though, and character description does not indicate combat; I could not find a resume for Jesse Kortus to check training/abilities either way.  Verdict? yeah prolly improv but who knows.
Charles Kent – Yeoman: though character description does not necessarily indicate active combat role, one would imagine a yoeman to be involved in combat, and I know past casts have included combat-track yeomen; however, John Surgener’s resume seems to me to lean more toward improv than combat, though he has some degree of experience in both.  Verdict? heck if I know.
Amy Cooper – Cooper: character description does not indicate combat; Haley Ward’s resume indicates the necessary training/ability for combat; the character description gives me improv-track vibes somehow.  Verdict? yeah at this point your guess is as good as mine.
Phew!  That’s more than long enough for one day, so the Blackfryars shall get their own post on the morrow (maybe this evening if I’m responsible... haha...).
To the newcomers, welcome!  To those returning, welcome back!
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gunterfan1992 · 7 years ago
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Episode Review: ‘The First Investigation’ (S10E08)
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Airdate: December 17, 2017
Story by: Adam Muto, Kent Osborne, Jack Pendarvis, Julia Pott
Storyboarded by: Hanna K. Nyström & Aleks Sennwald
Directed by: Diana Lafyatis (supervising), Sandra Lee (art)
I absolutely adore ghost legends. They are among my most favorite types of tales to hear (I’ve even written a book on ‘em). I’m not sure if I believe in the spirit world yet, but nevertheless, stories of disembodied specters haunting long-abandoned buildings make me so very excited. Perhaps it is the potential for an afterlife that keep me coming back, or perhaps—as I’m more inclined to believe—it’s the allure of the Mysterious.
I use this word to mean a very specific thing. “Mystery” in my mind (borrowing from the thoughts of the philosopher and theologian Jacques Ellul) defines those things we cannot quite explain. It is that wondrous awe we feel when confronted with something that does not quite fit into the world as we understand it. Sometimes, it’s a really creepy feeling, and sometimes, it’s a feeling that there is more out there than we can ever know.
So why am I blathering on about this stuff? Simply put: “The First Investigation” does a wonderful job of being Mysterious. It’s never quite clear how this story is going to conclude until we actually get to the end (and then we get another curve ball, but that’s for later). Indeed, there are so many questions that are built up and then satisfactorily answered in this episode: What exactly are those spirit things that seem to be chasing Finn and Jake? Are they the ghosts of their parents? Of former occupants? Why do the rooms keep switching into different time zones? It’s a testament to the writers’ strengths that, after ten (or nine, depending on how you count ‘em) seasons in the land of Ooo, they can still make me actively wonder what is going to happen next.
In this episode, Kim Kil Whan tasks Finn and Jake with exploring Joshua and Margaret’s old PI headquarters. He owns the property, and one of his employees (who was investigating a possible break-in at the building) was scared by what he claims was a ghost haunted the premise.
Finn and Jake resolve to get to the bottom of this mystery. Once at the house, weird, creepy things start to happen: apparitions manifest before the brothers’ very eyes, the furniture gets re-arranged, and a mysterious video tape falls onto the floor. When Finn and Jake decide to play the tape, they view a purportedly paranormal happening that Joshua and Margaret managed to film: according to Joshua, it appeared as if some spirit was trying to use the tape from their ticker machine to spell out a message... but what does it say?
Eventually, things start to get very spooky. In time, Finn and Jake are separated, and Finn witnesses apparitions that appear to be himself and Jake as babies. Jake, meanwhile barricades himself in a bathroom. To his surprise, he realizes that he has been transported back to some point in history, but when he exits the room, everything turns to normal. After numerous spooky events happen to Jake (including him witnessing his own birth from his father’s head), he starts to crack, and he runs screaming through the house.
The audience then is taken back a few days before the start of this episode, to when Kim Kil Whan‘s employee enters the house to see if there was a break-in. At the moment he steps through the door, Jake comes screaming around a corner, terrifying the poor employee and sending him into shock. At this point it is clear: there is some sort of temporal—and not supernatural—anomaly in this house that is causing these events to happen. Finn and Jake are effectively flying through time at random and spontaneous intervals. But why?
After thoroughly checking the house, Finn and Jake discover clockbear (a creature we were first introduced to in Dr. Gross’s menagerie in “Preboot”) in the attic. The poor critter’s clock has broken and has spilled excess time all over the place. Finn, hoping to help the beast, winds the bear back up, which succeeds in restoring his vital essence. In the process, all the spilled time is sucked up and everything is reset back to normal.
But there is still a little bit of residual time still around the building, and so Finn grabs some ticker tape to leave his parents a message (i.e. the ‘ghost’ message that was captured on video): “I love u.” Meanwhile, Jake is intercepted by his bio-dad (the one we met in “Joshua and Margaret Investigations”) and whisked away on an adventure. He leaves Finn a note, too: “BRB --Jake.”
As I said at the beginning of this review: I love a good ghost story. This episode, it turns out, was not about ghosts, but it still managed to bring that air of Mystery that I love so much. The atmosphere (aided immensely by the musical score, the writing, and the wonderful character designs) throughout is just sufficiently creepy enough that you never quite know what is going to happen, and when we approach the climax, it’s like a spooky roller coaster ride.
The reveal near the end that this was not the product of any angry or distressed spirit but rather a wounded time-bear was a brilliant play, that provided a solid twist but still allowed the pieces to fall where they needed. The use of “spilled time” also provided a creative way for Jake to witness his birth, as well as for Finn to leave his beloved parents a heartfelt message. I’m happy that the show didn’t use the standard idea of “time travel” (that is, using some machine or artifact to zip back into the past), because while I am a fan of that sort of thing, it is a very, very tired idea at this point.
If I have a complaint about this episode, it’s that clockbear as the catalyst for these events was a wee bit forced. How the devil did he escape Dr. Gross’s ship exploding? But since he’s not the main focus of the episode, and I can reason this plot hole away rather easily, it’s not a bit gripe.
“The First Investigation” continues Hanna K. Nyström and Aleks Sennwald streak of killer episodes in season 10. While I’ve been a fanboy about most of their other entries, I think this one might be their tightest one strictly in terms of storytelling and pacing. Everything moves as it should, the plot points nicely line up, and it provides just enough of a twist to keep things interesting without slipping into the realm of ridiculous.
Mushroom War Evidence: Almost the entirety of this episode takes place in the ruins of Joshua & Margaret’s old office, which as we saw in “Joshua & Margaret Investigations” is in the middle of a ruined city.
Final Grade:
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plintern · 7 years ago
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Week 4
Monday, July 2 to Friday, July 7
Monday: Here we go again!
Man, is it a Monday. Tough to wake up this morning, but this was the Monday to wake me up--two programs to attend and a lunch with my mentor and her boss. I started off the day at the newest of my library’s branches to perform for children during a Music Lab. Our library’s summer theme is music, and all three branches are hosting Music Labs on the same weekday every week for the rest of July to introduce children 5 and under to music. There are some easy crafts (like coloring pages and bookmarks), a guitar (with only three strings
) and electric piano for the kids to play around on, and laptops to explore types of music. A part of my job this summer is attending nearly every Music Lab in July, and today was my very first one. I’m not quite sure yet what my Labs may look like at other branches, but today I set up shop in the corner of the storytime room where these Labs take place. I played a variety of pieces on my cello that were already in my repertoire--mostly movements from the Bach solo cello suites. I was amazed to see the smiling and wondrous faces of the kids as they heard the music through the doorway and meandered in. It was inspiring. In essence, I provided a backdrop of music to the walk-in climate of the Music Lab, for both parents and their little ones. It was adorable!
Afterwards, I drove across the city back to my office to meet up with my mentor and her boss (the executive director from the branch I visited last Friday--remember him?). It was a wonderful lunch that helped us break the ice further than our conversation on Friday. We talked just about everything, from the World Cup to superheroes to poetry! The taco-filled lunch was splendid.
I returned to my office, stomach full, to get some quick work in before heading to yet another branch for a Kid Zone program. At this program, subtitled “You Can Hear Music On That?” I assisted an Early Literacy librarian with showing young kids (aged 6-8) how music has progressed throughout the years in terms of how it is listened to. From phonographs to Amazon’s Echo, displays were set up around the room for children to look at (and hear) the transformation of music. She introduced the program by showing them some music boxes and explaining how to be careful with each of the devices available. The children were also given half-sheets of blue paper and a music pencil to complete a matching game, where they connected each musical device to the date in which it was invented. Kids mostly exercised self-autonomy as they traveled from game to game. Initially, most were drawn to the Amazon Echo--they loved asking Alexa to play different Kidz Bop songs for them. At some point I attempted to meme it up by saying “this is so sad alexa play despacito,” but I garnered not even a mere chuckle, not even from the 15 year old volunteer that was also with us. Alas, I am left to meme in solitude.
Following Alexa, the kids were very drawn to the Code-A-Pillar, a caterpillar with detachable segments with different tasks that when assembled caused the technological critter to advance in a form dictated by the ‘codes.’ I myself observed the children converse with Alexa and giggle with the insect, but seeing as they were autonomous, I ventured around the room to the sole children who were exploring some older gadgets, to see what, perhaps, they may need. Eventually, I ended up at the station with the record player, and my attention for the next several minutes was completely enraptured with these vinyls. Most of the devices used to share music with these children came from the EL Librarian’s own haul, and she found most of these vinyls at a local thrift store. I popped several into the record player, and particularly found myself drawn to one that featured Victor Herbert, my favorite composer.
After perusing the records, I helped the kiddos build a music box together, make music necklaces and bracelets, take care of snacks, and then clean up at the conclusion of the event, all while playing my cello intermittently. While cleaning, I commented to the librarian how much I enjoyed her records, and to my surprise, she said I could keep all nine of the records in the collection that housed the Herbert. Astounded and grateful, I took home two physical momentos: the set of nine records and a music bracelet I added to my cello case. More than that, though, was what I learned: it takes very little to make a kid’s day.
Tuesday: Driving is my job.
Much like yesterday, where I began work at one branch, traveled to the office, and then to another branch, today consisted of much travel. I began the day at the same branch I did yesterday. Here, I had an intimate Every Child Ready to Read training alongside a new Library Assistant with the same EL Librarian who led the Kid Zone yesterday. I came to the astute observation that I adore this librarian. Her teaching methods are subtle, yet precise, and she kept both I and the assistant engaged throughout the training. The presentation consisted of an explanation of the importance of children reading and the importance of the five practices: talking, singing, reading, writing, and playing. Here are some of the activities she had us do to try and understand how children think at their pre-reading age. Try them out and let me know how well you do!
Activity 1: Decipher this code:    [   *<:    }><#. Using the following alphabet:
A< B/ C* D# E> F+ G\ H** I[ J= K) L] M~ N: O]] P{ Q++ R} S// T^ U! V[[ W(( X>> Y\\ Z|
This forces us to associate figures with letters, much as children learn to read pictures before they learn to read letters and words. To them, letters are just pictures.
Activity 2: Write your name on a piece of paper with your non-dominant hand (if you’re ambidextrous
 no fair).
This activity forces us to use a different part of our brain: rather than writing our name, we are drawing it. This is much like a child who is learning to use a new part of their brain, and is drawing the image of their name.
In addition to these activities, she also had us learn about different puppets and activities she utilizes during storytimes to engage kids by talking (Heggity Peggity Hen). singing (nursery rhymes), reading (Ten Little Fingers & Ten Little Toes), writing (drawing name), and playing. This last one is the one I learned the most about. She taught us that children’s play is their work, as it is them figuring out the world around them. There are three types of play--single, parallel, and group--that happen in stages as children develop and discover themselves. She also provided us with resources to use and give to children. Afterwards I took my time to explore the branch and become comfortable with the spaces. I was already pretty familiar with this branch, as it was the location in which I studied for my SAT and ACT exams, but then again I only stayed in the study sections and fiction shelves in those dark times. So, I revisited the storytime room I played in yesterday, and the rest of the small area. This is our smallest branch, so there wasn’t much to see, but it gave me a better understanding and sense of home to spend some time on my own in the area. When finished, I went off to a personal appointment, and then traveled to another branch across town.
Here, I took part in my second-ever Music Lab. This branch had a much different environment--yesterday’s lab was full of kids coming in and out, playing with excitement, but this branch had a much more laid back environment. Only four kids that weren’t volunteers ever came in the room, and none of them at the same time. Much of the activities that we had were the same, like having bookmarks and coloring pages, but this branch did not have a guitar nor a piano. Instead, there was an out-of-tune ukulele, some percussion instruments, and an interactive floor piano that kids could play with their feet. I played my cello upon request here, and it was wonderful to see when kids were interested in hearing the instrument. One mother in particular adored the cello, and we had a wonderful conversation about Yo-Yo Ma after I played for her. Apart from playing, I put some stickers that were lying about upon my cello case, and I conversed with the kids and volunteers there. These volunteers were some of the friendliest kids I’d met--much more approachable than the volunteers at the branch I visited yesterday. One of the volunteers even drew and colored a cello for me, and his face lit up when I said I was coming back every Tuesday--that is the sort of interaction that keeps me motivated and reminds me how lucky I am to have this job.
Thursday: Office? I’ve never heard of her.
Much like Tuesday, I spent most of today at another branch. I had a branch training at our largest and oldest library, where I met with the site manager, had a tour, and discussed my project proposals. This is the library that I am most unfamiliar with, so I believe I learned more today about the libraries in my community than I have at the other sites. The manager is the newest leadership member of the library, having held her post for about a year. I knew her before coming to this training, however--she is the mom of one of my high school friends. This was both refreshing and comforting for me, as the environment was already jovial and understanding. There was essentially very little ice to break. We started by discussing the history of the branch, where I learned how much remodeling and complications the library has endured since its creation in the early twentieth century. Then we discussed how much had changed since this manager had come on board, specifically with staff turnover and reforming some outdated processes. The mornings at this branch are dedicated more towards early literacy, for the ‘trouble times’ of 12 to 5 exist in the afternoon where librarians must deal with infractions to the library code of conduct. However, these issues are not such a problem now, since the trouble seems to be more seasonal, occurring in the winter. I learned of the four stages of a team--forming, storming, norming, and performing--and how outreach groups in the city interact with the library. She also shared the importance of having more staff-to-patron interaction than posters, and having libraries be evolving and relevant to the demands of the public. We spoke much of the difficulties the library faces, but also remained hopeful towards what she is working on for the future. Then, we took a tour of the building, where she specifically showed me two areas that she is hoping to revamp in the coming years to be more relevant and helpful to the public. During this walk, we spoke much about the microbusinesses of a library, how space is allocated and utilized, and about the upcoming cycle of a master plan where she will work with other library leadership and a consultant to create a vision and goals for the upcoming years. Microbusinesses in a library include tasks such as inventory, and it was eye-opening for me to understand the depth of the services that the library provides, specifically at this branch. After our tour, we returned to her office and discussed my project proposals. Much like my discussion with the manager of the branch that I met with last week, she was incredibly helpful in her feedback. While last week, the manager kept me realistic and helped me understand my parameters, this manager helped me see what my projects could become if I did in fact hit all the roadblocks that lay ahead, so I could be prepared to reform my ideas if need be. I left my meeting with her feeling hopeful and wise.
I rushed back to my office for a quick lunch before returning to the same branch for my last Music Lab of the week. Again, every Music Lab is different, and this one was no exception. Like my Tuesday lab, very few children came into the room; my guess is about 5 or 6 kids total over the length of the program. I was quite excited to be there, though--it was led by the Early Literacy librarian that I raved about earlier, and apparently one of the volunteers knew me and was excited to have me there. Also, my high school friend that I haven’t seen all summer came to visit! It was a wonderful time, where I played cello for the majority of the time for our small audiences. We had a whiteboard with musical notes and staves for the children to learn, an iPad connected to a projector, several percussion instruments (much more than on Tuesday), an out-of-tune guitar, and again several coloring pages and crafts. I tuned the guitar for the parents of some of the kids and briefly interacted with the volunteers, but most of the time I spent sharing my music with those in attendance. The intermittent applause made me so happy--I know these Music Labs will be a consolation and safe, happy place every week.
Friday: Work, work, work, work.
How anybody can expect a man to work on a day of the world cup quarterfinals is beyond me, but alas, I did. While Uruguay lost to France, and Brazil subsequently fell to Belgium, my little Latino heart was crushed--all I could do was check every time I met one of my short-term goals, and then cry a little bit inside. Of course, this all happened during one of the most focused days I’ve had in awhile. I spent the day in my office, and the majority of which I spent editing my proposal drafts. I cross-analyzed the feedback I received from both branch managers I met with as well as my meeting last week with my mentor, and I worked through the holes, weak points, and challenges of each proposal. I did so through going through my extensive notes, annotating my previous drafts, and then changing my drafts to modify my current visions. The meeting where I will present my finished drafts is next Thursday, so I need to have my drafts as revisited and polished as possible for that date. I’m proud of the work I did. I worked efficiently and heavily in preparation to show these re-drafts to my boss during our check-in meeting this afternoon, but alas, she rescheduled last minute to next Monday. This gave me some time to prepare for my Music Labs next week as well as organize myself for other upcoming programs. I also realized I’ll be working next week right after the world cup final--will I be able to survive? Anyways, during my Music Labs this week I mostly played music from my own repertoire--Bach movements, some romantic pieces, etc. I think children will enjoy my playing more if I am playing pieces more relevant to them, so I tried to find pieces they might recognize, like an arrangement of the Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings theme songs. I soon realized, however, that the age range of music lab kids (under 5 or 6) means that they probably wouldn’t recognize these tunes. So, instead, I looked for some recognizable classical tunes--like the Can Can or the Waltz from Sleeping Beauty--instead, alongside songs everyone knows, like Wheels on the Bus and the ABCs. I found a large cache of music and I feel prepared to practice it and have a more personal concert series next week.
What Did I Learn?
I learned the most about programming and library history this week through my interactions with staff, kids, and parents. It was busy and immersive, and I also learned about my own limits, and what I can handle as far as loading myself with programs.
Links: 
My city’s library history: https://history.fcgov.com/visit/library-history 
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