#essentially her story is like. she learns how to have fun. essentially. depending on how i rp her idk yet actually

[swordmaid]

thalia is so growing on me i love my rich woman who has Problems.. i gave her ice powers for like. the elsa vibes.

[germesthegenie]

Seriously what was this guy’s problem

Been wanting to do a drawing with how I imagine Victoria’s fear aura to look like and this arc gave a good opportunity for that. Thoughts on the arc itself below

Ended up with a lot of thoughts this arc so doing this now rather than waiting for Arc 9. Also started writing more of these comments as I read rather than after the chapter/arc.

Arc 8

Looking at the audiobook and thought, Chapters at a reasonable length? Maybe?

Yay Defiant and Dragon!

I liked the little scene of Victoria asking about Armsmaster’s plan during the Leviathan fight in the context of her family’s deaths. Usually thought about if Aegis got killed as collateral damage from the luring plan and how Defiant felt about that now, kinda forgot Manpower was also there

Huh yeah kinda funny how tinker personalities divide like that. Some of these segments of Victoria’s narration do feel a bit rambly or tangential (sometimes kinda feels like WB taking any opportunity to expand the worldbuilding on powers) but at the same time can be fun and highlight how Victoria’s more of a cape nerd to Taylor’s power munchkin

“Wow Kenzie you sure know a lot about lead poisoning!” “Thanks I researched it a lot” … :(

More things building up for Capricorn’s story. Guessing he’s our next focus this arc or the next? Having to timeshare a body with contrasting personalities does sound like it’d suck, even moreso with the sexuality stuff

Damn Monokeros is creepy. Casually having Birdcage tier capes sitting in the same prison as lesser criminals, especially ones with that strong of a Master power, is probably the biggest flaw of the prison system here. Not to mention it being accessible enough to be the target of any capable masterminds in need of minions it seems. I forget, did Khepri or Scion collapse the Birdcage or something to that effect? Or is it just because it’s on Earth Bet that they don’t use it anymore?

Kenzie highlighted the main theme of Breakthrough’s powers: They almost all have incredibly strong and potentially deadly powers, but for one reason or another they hold back, for the most part because they’re heroes. It’s interesting, but also makes me wonder how things will go when they face a threat they can go all out on (like an Endbringer tier or someone with a kill order)

Finally got to see the whole “everyone jumps the rulebreakers” thing Tattletale talked about in the whole cops and robbers talk way back in Worm, at least for smaller time rulebreakers and not S Class threats.

Also still reinforces my thought that Prancer is essentially a more villainous Skitter from an outside perspective. The Undersiders were playing pretty loose with the Unwritten Rules as well by the end of things

Cryptid continues to get weirder and more horrifying what do you mean he has a form that gives birth

(8.7) Wretch, kill Monokeros with hammers please. And Kenzie please don’t internalize what the creepy child killer thinks.

I’ve only had the Major Malfunctions for 1 chapter and if anything happened to them I would kill everyone in this room and then Carol

Ok actually Carol is being kinda cool here… how is she gonna mess this up? Aside from the probably unintentional bit where she assumed Tristan was straight

(8.9) The little secret the group’s keeping from Victoria… I’m guessing its Wretch related or Amy related

“We’re gonna show everyone we can handle PR” ok cool how will you do that Vic- “by telling everyone what happened in Gold Morning” what

(8.11) This is feeling like a high stakes version of 25.4… This won’t end with a 7th Endbringer, right? /j

(8.11) These hosts could never be O, J, and Koffi like they are just all kinds of awful.

That said, it makes sense Victoria is better with PR than Taylor, given New Wave basically depends on PR

Speaking of, Taylor mention! Love the ascension of her rep to “traumatized literally everyone”, and not even using bugs to do it. Wonder how she’d react to that if she somehow learned about it on Aleph.

(8.12) Actually can a 7th Endbringer show up and kill Hamza and John Combs? What the hell is their problem

Between these guys and the Martins, by comparison Carol might actually not be that bad- wait Carol what are you doing

(8.12) Oh ok that’s where Carol messes it all up. Sees Victoria forced to confront her trauma in front of thousands and went “How can I make this about Amy 😈”

Granted, Amy was kinda dragged into the spotlight as well with all that. Fuck Hamza, seriously. Still, not now Carol.

(8.12)…Speaking of. Well damn Amy didn’t realize you had game like that.

(8.x) Please take all of Kenzie’s suffering and give it to Hamza and John Combs

Awkward girl who thinks of herself as weird? Surprising calm confidence in dangerous situations? Incredibly down bad narration around a specific guy? Close enough, Natalie. Welcome back Arc 1-7 Taylor /j

Hookline and Kitchen Sink losing to an untrained civilian and a mostly techless Tinker they are never living this down 😭

(8.y) Every fanfic with Scapegoat in it should have him just randomly keel over with injuries from another Scapegoat’s healing (ik thats not how it works but it’d be funny)

Gotta love power synergies, even if it’s Teacher exploiting them. Also Valefor really does just keep winning (in terms of getting to use his power, probably not gonna be winning as Teacher’s thrall)

Dinah mention?? What’s she up to now?

And a Contessa mention. Not liking that Teacher has plans for her.

[victoryarchive]

Ok. I’ll bite. Hermit! Tommy? Because that looks an awful lot like a really cool Watcher au something? Please share!

Omg if you insist lmao

Buckle up this is gonna be a lot.

This all started when I was thinking about Greek mythology (a common occurrence I fear) and I was thinking how even though Helios is the sun and the god of the sun many people these days assign that role to Apollo (the god of light). And that got me thinking more and more about how as time progresses stories change and gods become gods of things they never were before. New gods exist. Old ones are completely forgotten. Their names change. Look at Roman mythology for a great example of this.

And because I’m one hell of a nerd this immediately translated to ‘how can I use this in fan fiction’

Another thing you must know about me is I hate to fall back on Minecraft mechanics, it feels lazy for me to do it (it’s fine to read I just hate writing it) and must always find a way to make things like respawn and different worlds fit into the lore of the story.

Thus began the world building:

Every watcher is a god of something, Xelqua/Grian: the sun, Pearl: the moon, Kristin: The underworld, XD: [redacted], etc. Each watcher has the ability to create a world (or multiple depending on their power) for their people to live (Grian: hermitcraft, Pearl: Empires, Kristin: the Antarctic Empire, XD: the DSMP, etc) Within these worlds it is very common practice for the Watchers to choose a devoted follower to give a small portion of their power to oversee their world, to make rules and keep everyone safe, an Admin. (Grian: Xisuma, Pearl: fWhip, Kristin: Philza, XD: Dream, etc.)

Now none of these watchers just spawned as watchers, no they became watchers through people worshipping them and writing stories about them as gods. These stories held power so the person held power and became essentially immortal and can do pretty much anything with that power, at least until they are forgotten.

So far the story begins with Xelqua brining his players back from their silly death game and being intercepted by a very very old goddess, one who had almost been completely forgotten. This primordial goddess is peace, not just the goddess of peace, she is peace. She is called Prime. She asks Grian and Xisuma to take her last worshipper and devotee, Tommy, and protect him from another Watcher. And with a little bit of convincing Grian’s like ‘yeah fine ig I’ll take the kid. How difficult can one child be.’

Now that’s as far as I’ve written aside from the beginning backstory stuff, but I’ve got a lot of stuff planned, including an entire few chapters inspired by ‘god games’ from epic the musical, where Grian has to go fight for some mortals life. One of them. I know which one. Yall don’t :)

There’s also a lot of Grian and Pearl back story from when they were kids and still mortal like thousands and thousands of years ago and how they eventually became literal gods.

Tommy learns how friends are supposed to work and gets mentored by none other than Mumbo Jumbo, or Impulse i haven’t decided yet. The only thing I know about Minecraft is redstone so he’s learning redstone.

Also it would be a damn shame for me to not include False and Tommy flying together a bunch bc they’re the only to avians that can match each others speed.

There’s some stuff going on with techno being an admin on an anarchy server. He comes in later in an absolute rage.

Also Joel is a demigod… it makes sense I swear.

I’m having a lot of fun playing around with the world building and each individual characters back story so I will expand on anything if people ask about it :))))

Thank you for asking this has been fun

[molinaskies]

hey, i'm a new sonic fan (really digging your writings btw!!!) would you mind explaining a bit of this tag of yours? i get the feeling youve been in the fandom for a while haha X)

hello, I am SO sorry for the late response. I am terrible with my asks and kind of disappeared for much of the winter. Some might say this particular hedgehog was hibernating! That said, welcome to the fandom!

You are right! I've been here since 2012, but I've done many blasts to the past to learn about the things before my time lol.

This is gonna be an off-the-cuff answer, so bear with me, but this ask was in reference to this post where I mentioned some "questionable Amy Rose characterization." In short, it's only within maybe the last eight or so years that North American Sonic has been in decent sync with Japanese Sonic, as a franchise. While there are still plenty of localization differences between these two realms (from characterization to plot/lore implications), they are largely on the same page, now. This wasn't always the case.

When Sonic first appeared in the 90s, there was essentially a version of him for every "video game region" (North America, Japan, and Europe). Sonic was characterized very differently depending on where he was. Again, super off the cuff, but American Sonic was a super cocky, sassy speed demon who made fun of his enemies and had no fucks to give. Japanese Sonic was still arrogant and sassy, but a lot less flashy about it. European Sonic, I am the least familiar with, but I know him to be somewhere in the middle of NA and JP. NA and EU also have their own cast of characters on top of the official characters we know.

To the core of your question about Amy, Amy chasing Sonic is a trope in JP media between young lovers and was largely meant to be shown as a game between the two. Amy also reads as a lot more "cute and endearing" in Japanese iterations of her in the 2000s.

However, NA Sonic, as a franchise, played up her romantic feelings for Sonic to an absolute extreme for laughs, but it ended up with some really dubious results. Amy's NA characterization makes her out to be more of an active aggressor. Words you might see floating around about this include "stalker," "fangirl," and "obsessed." These things led a lot--like, A LOT a lot--of people to dislike or vehemently hate Amy Rose.

Some iterations of this aren't so bad, but the ones people really point at are Sonic Battle (she mistakenly believes that Sonic intends for a robot named Emerel to be their son), Sonic Heroes (Amy's reason for hunting Sonic down is to "get him to marry her"), and Sonic Adventure 2 (Amy says that she will only free sonic from his prison cell if he agrees to marry her; she is unsuccessful and frees him anyway).

To be clear, I FIRMLY believe that the latter two examples I gave were meant to be understood as jokes and that IS how Sonic takes them. People also point to a moment in Sonic 06 where she says she would choose Sonic over the fate of the world, but I also firmly believe that people misinterpret her meaning (more on that here). However, the fact this is a hill I need to die on shows that it wasn't made clear enough by the American writers. And anyway, this really starts to simmer down around 2008 with Sonic Unleashed.

The general consensus in the fandom, to my knowledge, is that this happened for two reasons. 1) Amy's crush combined with Sonic's (at the time) purposefully ambiguous feelings for her made for the type of gag humour that was big in the 2000s, and 2) Sonic already had a highly popular love interest in Sally Acorn, a NA-exclusive character from the 90s cartoon (Sonic the Hedgehog/SatAM) and the Archie comics that largely acted as a continuation of that cartoon's story.

Sally was so much "in Amy's place," as it were, that the NA instruction Manual for Sonic CD (Amy's introductory game, mind you) deliberately refers to Amy as Sally.

I'm not super well informed about Archie Sonic, but Amy has kind of a bad rep in those comics too. She has a uncomfortable back story (she uses magic, basically, to make herself older so she can join Sally's freedom fighters and be with sonic), is consistency depicted as overbearing and mean, and I've even seen people complain about the way she's drawn (she always has this unbecoming, large mouth that makes her unpleasant to look at).

However, the Archie comics underwent a total reboot in 2013 (the comics ended in 2017), and my understanding is that Amy's characterization is dramatically improved from there on out.

Again, SUPER off the cuff. There were a lot of micro details I skimmed over. I 100% encourage you to go on the deep dive and draw your own conclusions, but I hope this gives some good background to get started!

In summary, NA Amy Rose (and, to a lesser extent, Amy Rose in general during the early 2000s), is kind of rough to watch. SEGA over-corrected a little bit around 2012 by taking her down the hyper-independent route, but settled on something really solid for her in 2017 starting with Sonic Forces and the IDW comics.

[genshinemblem564]

Genshin Isekai Headcanons

These can be sagau, but they don't have to be.

• Xinyan is stoked that you love her music, and is excited when you offer to play her some music from your world, but she's confused by some of the lyrics. She understands metaphorical lyrics, like the person described in the song isn't actually a rocket, but some of them don't make sense or feel like they were added just to fill a void. Aside from that, she kinda wants to perform some of these songs, now if only she had some band members.

• Tartaglia doesn't have much to say about the guns of your world. The pyro and hydro fatui agents already use guns of some kind, and the cryo fatui agent uses, um. What would you call an ice based flamethrower? No, what he's interested in is the immense amount of new weapons that Teyvat doesn't have, or they probably do, and we just don't hear about them. Like chain blades, I don't know what else to call them, essentially a flail, but instead of a mace, it's blade. I would write something about axes, but I feel like saving that for my crossover series. A scythe is often seen as a special lance, but you tell him that it's much more complicated than that specifically pointing out the blade, and depending on your own skill, you give him a demonstration. He is way too excited to learn all of these new weapons, like a kid excited about a new toy, you can't help but smile.

• Baizhu is perplexed when he first prescribes medicine to you, as you give him a list of allergies, if any, and are more than willing to go through proper examination to learn how resistant your body is to certain toxins. He's even more surprised when you tell him that his unique practice is actually common in your world, so that's why you don't bat an eye at potentially poisonous ingredients.

• Bennett is rather surprised. When you hang out, his bad luck seems to go away. It's actually just you using a bit of foresight, like checking the date on a flyer before rushing to a sale that had already ended, but seeing that glimmer in his eyes, you decide to let his imagination roam.

• You and Cyno are reference lords. You two reference everything, Cyno, his favorite book or book series, and you, your favorite media source. Now, if only people actually understood them, and yes, you do quote Yu-Gi-Oh when playing Genius Invokation.

• If you're an artist, then you quickly catch Albedo's attention. When he sees your drawings, he is quick to ask what you used as a muse, and your answer will have great impact on his reaction. If you point to an object or animal, his response will be normal. If you draw from memory though, he is astounded, especially if what you drew was a scene of some kind, with people, animals, or what have you. Drawing all that from memory is incredible. If you say it's something you made up, he'll compare it to when he's commissioned for his own art.

• Depending on your own interests, you'll be interacting with several different characters. I can't think of anything in depth for these few, so here's a general basis. Barbara is relieved that you're so open to different views. She knows how cruel people can be when they're closed-minded, and she's happy to teach you about the Church of Favonius and Barbatos. Noelle was lamenting not being a knight yet, which led you to bring up the seven chivalric virtues. Yae Miko and Xingqiu are very interested in the stories of your world. Xingqiu hoping to learn more about your worlds code of chivalry, but he ends up learning about justice's different forms. Yae is simply searching for new inspiration. She often calls on you when her old nemesis, writers block, appears. Nahida takes interest in you right away, wanting to gain knowledge from your world, and you seem fun. She knows better than anyone how dangerous knowledge can be, so she asks you to omit potentially dangerous subjects.

• Mona was shocked when you said that you only wanted to know the bad stuff coming your way, not that she could help you, with you being an outworlder and all. When she asked why, you told her "It's best to be prepared for all the bad coming your way, and if you know all the good coming your way, it takes away from life's natural wonder." Which was promptly followed by you asking "Where did that come from?"

___________________________________________

I'm thinking making more of that last one, like " Characters reaction to reader who is randomly philosophical" might need to work on the title a bit. Also, as stated above, these can be sagau, but can also be normal isekai, so I'll use both tags so they can be found more easily

[bestworstcase]

Something I've been chewing on that I do wonder if you have any thoughts on. What is the intended characterization/symbolism of Yang's semblance. Jaune is a healer/support. Ren learned to control his emotions and then grew empathetic. Qrow has his bad luck which is probably a defense mechanism with consequences from the bandits that raised him and Raven. Taiyang's description of Yang's semblance is the closest to an analysis the audience has gotten and that is - "basically a Temper Tantrum". Very interestingly the narrative has so far let that description stand uncontested. And I believe you were the one that did the analysis that Yang's problem was overly depending upon her semblance as a finisher. Also fun to consider how one of the ways that Yang has her parallel with Cinder is with the fire association... which for Yang is just actually her preferred ammunition and the go to imagery for her songs that I can recall off the top of my head except for temper metaphors.

that was me yeah

a core theme of yang’s character is that she’s made of contradictions and cannot be easily defined or fit into a single box. this is true of every character in rwby—there’s always more than meets the eye, complexity beneath the surface—but yang as a character is subject to other characters’ struggle to parse who she is. tai sees a temper tantrum, ruby sees invulnerability, blake has been on an emotional journey spanning six volumes of just learning to see and love yang’s whole, complete self. yang is raven’s daughter, after all—but she’s also summer’s daughter so much that the resemblance screams itself out of the screen.

so. her semblance.

in the story, it’s been described three different times by three different characters:

ruby: “every hit makes her stronger, and she uses that to fight back. that’s what makes her special”

tai: “basically a temper tantrum, great in a bind, but it won’t always save you”

blake: “his semblance is like yours, he absorbs energy through his sword, stores it up and sends it back when he’s ready” (+ yang feeling it’s “cheap” that he “gets to dish out damage without feeling it”)

<- three bears.

in goldilocks terms, yang’s semblance is “too strong” (ruby sees her as invulnerable), “too weak” (tai sees the power it grants her as essentially hollow, false) and “just right” (yang is neither invulnerable nor fragile and her semblance is just a part of her). i also think that what yang says of adam’s semblance is more revealing of her own self-perception than necessarily being meant as an objective critique of adam—it’s not “cheap” to parry/riposte and in fact yang’s growth as a combatant post-beacon looks like learning to fight more defensively and evasively, less reliant on soaking up damage/power for explosive finishers.

insofar as there’s a meaningful difference between adam needing to block hits vs yang not it’s that yang’s semblance gives her a bit of a cushion—she can still riposte even if she misses the parry—and in all honesty i think probably comes down to their kit. yang is a hand-to-hand fighter. she’s blocking hits with her forearms and, gauntlets or not, she’s going to feel that. the specific damage-absorption mechanics of their semblances cater to their fighting styles.

but, yang feels that it’s “cheap” for adam to absorb energy through his sword rather than his own body, because yang takes a certain pride in being able to get back up after being knocked down. her idea that she must take damage before she can deal it back twice as hard is probably not a real, immutable characteristic of her semblance but something that developed in response to how yang herself copes with trauma—it’s a way of, i think, regaining a sense of control and security by telling herself that it’s okay if bad things happen because it will just make her stronger in the end.

the narrative challenges this way of thinking post-beacon—losing her arm and being left behind did not make yang stronger, receiving support from trusted adults like oobleck and port and reuniting with her friends/family is what made her stronger. learning to accept help and treat herself with more compassion is making her stronger. exploring who she is apart from ruby is making her stronger. this is the direction she’s growing in emotionally—that being hurt doesn’t make her strong, healing makes her strong—and her use of her semblance is shifting in tandem with that (still pops it as a finisher quite often but it is pretty rare since v6 that yang uses it to gain the upper hand in fights she’s at risk of losing, bc these days she’s more focused on evasion/outmaneuvering opponents to create openings for her semblance to end the fight)

and then it’s connected to yang’s anger (and fear, as when she gets between neo and ruby) because both the feelings and the semblance are in essence a self-protective response—yang gets angry when she or someone she cares about is hurt and uses that anger to protect herself and/or the person she loves. her semblance is about taking painful things that happen to her and transmuting that into the power to defend herself. same thing.

i don’t actually think that her semblance is hooked into her anger in the, like, mechanical sense (we’ve definitely seen her pop the semblance in context where she’s having a GREAT time, for one)—the correlation arises from yang’s anger being motivated by protectiveness and a desire to not be hurt, which is also what manifests in her semblance.

i would argue that “basically a temper tantrum” is meant to be read in context with ruby’s “that’s what makes her special” and then both those extremes are brought to a resolution by blake’s neutral description of what burn is, mechanically; in that sense i don’t think that tai’s analysis has been left uncontested except insofar as yang didn’t argue with him—but conversely, tai more or less tells her to think of her semblance as a risky weapon of last resort and yang went “k” and started using her semblance more, so i think it’s less that yang takes his advice at face value than it is yang recognizing that tai raises a generally good point [being creative and flexible is valuable] and thinking okay, i can probably get more out of my semblance if i try new things.

her position is that burn is normal (“how is me using my semblance different from someone else using theirs?”), and the way she takes this advice on board reflects that—if someone else relied on their semblance for just one specific tactic and nothing else, what advice would they be getting from their instructors? push yourself further, test the limits of what you think you can do, get out of your comfort zone. that’s what winter tells weiss when she’s struggling! that’s how RNJR are taught in v5! tai views burn as fundamentally different from other semblances, and his advice really comes down to “don’t rely on it, you don’t need it.” but yang disregards that part of what he tells her entirely. she quietly sorts through what tai tells her and only keeps what she thinks will actually help her improve—which is, in itself, of a piece with her semblance. she takes the ‘hit’—the harsh and rather unfair criticism—and then filters/converts it into something more constructive.

(there is also some interesting subtext here with the protective/self-protective drive behind both yang��s anger and her semblance and tai’s perception that the semblance is a “temper tantrum”—which aside from framing burn itself as abnormal also casts yang’s anger as irrational, childish, out-of-control. given the dynamic of yang’s childhood situation, the parentification and leaving yang and ruby alone at home for extended periods of time and over-identification of yang with raven plus favoritism toward ruby… and factoring in tai referring to yang’s anxiety and post-traumatic depression as “moping” well. across the board he seems either unwilling or unable to seriously/genuinely engage with yang’s feelings so how much of his perception that yang has “temper tantrums” follows from outbursts she had when overwhelmed as a child or young teen that tai didn’t take seriously or chose to ignore rather than deal with the root cause of neglect/trauma?)

[kay9leo]

McStareface Part 3 - NO JEWELRY!

Trequel to McStareface Part 1

Sequel to McStareface Part 2 - Smack Talk

No Jewelry

Was the purpose of this entire mini comic series (Especially part 3) because of panel 9?

YES***

Like Eda Mode's "NO CAPES!", growing up when I used to play sports in school we were not allowed to wear jewelry while playing.

And in my mind, magical dueling is as much of a sport just like any other individual 1-v-1 muggle sport.

When I first saw that duel between MC and Sebastian in which Prof. Hecat pits the two students against each other, I couldn't help but think that if that was me, out of habit, I would jump off the piste (in fencing terms, that is the fencing strip play area you would duel on and I would like to imagine that's also the magical name of the dueling strip play area since to me dueling is just the magical version of fencing) and immediately take my jewelry off because I have no wishes to become the next horror story of how wearing jewelry during sports caused an injury.

And hence why part 1, 2 and 3 of McStareface was born - all because of panel 9.

That's it.

That's the whole reason.

***That and to give a reason for Iñaki to call Sebastian "Stare-y McStareface" since she doesn't know his name yet. She essentially gave him the Boaty McBoatface type of nickname as a stand in until she learned his real name 😂. I needed to make part one in order to get part 2 and 3 where I wanted to be and for that nickname she picked for him to make sense. 🤣 This was more than 3 months in the making 😂🤣😂

You won't be catching Iñaki getting a dumb injury because of her jewelry, but unfortunately (or fortunately I guess in this case -depending which scenario you're looking at due to my MC coming from NY) most people (muggleborns and half-bloods who know muggle culture and seen American media) will probably see her taking her earrings as a sign she's going to get in a serious fight and she's not someone to not play around with. Especially since she's Latina and when you tell people that you're from New York, everyone automatically think's you're from the city lol. Ahh, stereotypes. I didn't mean to accidentally stumble upon it with Iñaki 😅😂.

(I mean she used to be from NYC before she moved to the 'burbs and turned to a suburban kid, but that's not the point XD)

While Iñaki isn't someone to play around, (she has ancient magic - not that anybody knows about it) she REALLY just doesn't want to get injured wearing jewelry while playing magical sports. Heck getting your earrings caught in either clothing, your comb or hair is painful (speaking from experience), I REALLY don't want to imagine how painful it will be in a sports injury. 😬

So she gives it to Natty to hold since she finds her new friendly classmate trustworthy enough to hold it. And Natty is all too pleased to help her new friend.

After all, Natty wants for her new friend, Iñaki, to destroy sweep Sebastian off his feet seeing how Natty couldn't defeat her number one nemesis in Crossed Wands yet. 🤗

Just a girl who wants to support another girl to destroy her dueling rival -just girly things, you know? 🤗🤭😁

Not that Natty is the only one who wants to see the undefeatable Sebastian Sallow go down.

Even if Iñaki doesn't know anything about his dueling record -heck, she doesn't even know who McStareface is- one thing she does know is that she's SOOOOO looking forward to returning the favor of his smack talk in a duel 🤗😁🤗

After all, it's “Perro que ladra no muerde”/ (A dog that barks doesn't bite) talk to her right now. And after her rough entrance to Hogwarts, Iñaki knows how to bite between the dragon, knights and everything not nice she had to face so far up to this point.

So a duel with McStareface should be fun. 🤗

✨🌺💅🌺✨Just girly things, you know? ✨🌺💅🌺✨

Click Here For Iñaki "MC" Martinez Cariaga Masterlist

[camellia-salazar]

Ed Edd n Eddy Pony Redesigns.

Ed Edd n Eddy; Friendships are Jawbreakers. (Ed Edd n Eddy rhymes with My Little Pony)

I did this last month, but for some reason put off posting it until now.

I was into both shows at the time, so it was easy for me to understand the characters as well as the rule set of the MLP universe.

I would tell you each explanation of their cutiemarks, but maybe in another post. For now, I'll explain at least a few distinct facts about each of them.

Ed: Him and Sarah's family are relatively stronger than the average earth pony thanks to them actually being hella strong in canon. AJ would be tripping on the sight of Ed casually lifting a boulder.

Edd: Does pretty well with certain spells, less than Twilight and Starlight, but more capable than most unicorns his age. It takes a lot of energy to even do them, tho, like teleport.

Eddy: Pretty much what Scootaloo has when it comes to his wings. A lot of his insecurities are from his lack of flying. He can barely hover for about 3 seconds but ultimately crashes hard at the end. He blames it on not being taught.

Kevin: Not many ponies ride bikes. He's one of the exception. Wanted to be a Wonder Bolt at one point, but eventually dropped it on account of the day he earned his cutiemark. (I'll explain eventually).

Nazz: Like all unicorns, her magical ability depends on her cutiemark/special talent. She can spark up visions that resonate the stories she would tell. She was also trained in defense magic to protect the kids she would babysit along with herself.

Rolf: His family is the only one that have a stipe across their torsos. It just develops like a cutiemark, but only when you figure out the role you play for the family. So basically, there's a little more pressure on this kiddo.

Sarah: If my pony version would be a version of the show, she and Jimmy would earn their cutiemarks at around season 3. She would be a teeny tiny bit more empathetic, too, since she's a pony now.

Jimmy: He and Sarah were a lot like the CMC prior to their cutiemarks. Mostly inspired by the fact that they act like so in canon, always trying new things essentially. He also struggles with his magic like Sweetie Belle did for a while.

Jonny 2×4: He acts a lot like Pinkie Pie and often would stim by bouncing on his tail. Also, much like how I thought of Sarah and Jimmy, he would learn to fly later on, but most likely the end of season 2, beginning of season 3. Most likely, the former.

Plank: Was supposed to be an imagined pony, but idk if I want to keep that or have him be a dragon. He would give off griffin vibes at times, tho. Idk. Maybe I should just draw his face like the OG so that the others would keep guessing.

Lee Kanker: I couldn't think of her with normal mare hooves, so she inherited her dad's hoof look. Rather, she shaved it, or it was just developed that way is pretty unknown. I thought of the latter at first.

Marie Kanker: Much like Kevin, she loves cloud bucking. The only difference is that she loves it while he sees it as more of a chore. She would often get away with chores because her mother would tell her to. But even then, she would have fun doing it.

May Kanker: Most would be threatened with her magic being red, that is, anyone but her sisters. Not only would anyone know it's her, but also red magic is usually frowned upon. The judgment doesn't bother her, tho, giving the fact that she's used to it.

Eddy's Bro: He got one of the biggest pare of wings anypony had seen on a pegasus. Because of his huge wings, Eddy would have another reason to not only look up to him but also envy him. Stupid bro taking all the flight genes.

So that's it for now, I went from EEnE to other things, so it'll take some time before I get back into EEnE again.

Thanks for reading all of this. Have a good one. 👍💖✨️

[neilgill]

Wish Defense I: The 'Complaints'

“Be to her virtues very kind, Be to her faults a little blind.” ― Matthew Prior

Disney's Wish was actually great and I'm here to defend it.

I'd like to start by negating most of, if not all, the 'complaints' this film's been getting. Please join me as I do this in 12 brief points:

Asha is a great protagonist. She is not just 'quirky' or one-dimensional: she's caring, strong, beautifully flawed, and doesn't solve every problem on her own; the movie makes a point of every one of these. I never saw her as a clone of someone like Mirabel or Anna. And she does have a character arc: she matures and learns to work hard for what she believes in. She learns that doing the right thing is difficult, but it's necessary. All this makes for a beautifully put-together character that gets through challenges and comes out stronger. Why aren't people talking about how great that is?

Magnifico is a great villain. He's an amalgam of familiar villains like Maleficent, Ursula, and Gaston, done in ways that seem fresh and unique. I've seen a lot of people say his motivation seems to change every few minutes or so, but I disagree. Him using his traumatic past is his excuse for his bad behaviour: that's what narcissists do. Just look at Mother Gothel and all her gaslighting. He was always a self-absorbed jerk who wants everyone under his heel, and whose darkness just got revealed more and more. And his 'villain shtick' is a cool and terrifying one: stripping people of their hopes and dreams to make them docile subjects who depend on him. He takes away their agency, essentially their souls and who they are as people. That is the bad thing he's been doing from Day 1, it's what makes him a villain: the film tells us that. How can people defend him? It's like people defending Gaston all over again. He's a great villain in that he goes against the values the story holds dear, challenges the protagonist in personal ways, is wonderful to hate, and is rightfully depicted as in the wrong for doing bad things. He's the selfish one, not Asha as the 'critics' are claiming. Why aren't people talking about that?

Star is a great secondary character. He is intentionally supposed to be a character that harkens back to those like Jiminy Cricket or Timothy Q. Mouse (I have a very personal connection with Dumbo, so this was important to me). People are REALLY misinterpreting that concept art of them: Star and Asha were never supposed to have a romance because Human Star would look like her grandfather. And 'Starboy' would just be a copy of Peter Pan or Genie, which people would definitely slam, thus I'm glad they changed him. See point 11 for more on Star and why his current form is the one they went with. People just care about having a Jack Frost clone (if they did go that route, they'd probably be slammed for copying Dreamworks, knowing 'critics'). The idea of a mute, magical sidekick, something that we haven't seen since Tinker Bell, is a pretty fun one that feels new and cool. And it's important to note that he never grants anyone's wish: he just helps out, letting Asha and others know that they themselves have to make it come true. Why aren't people talking about that?

I was really worried Valentino was going to be little more than a gag, but he wasn't. He helps out here and there, especially when aiding the Teens in freeing the wishes, proving his importance to the narrative. Plus I did find him pretty funny.

The Teens do stand on their own. I went into the movie knowing they were going to be new versions of the 7 Dwarfs, but each of them felt like their own unique person to me, especially Dahlia and Simon.

The animation is gorgeous: you have to watch it in HD or 4k, which people are doing for other films like Spider-Verse or Nimona, just not this one. It is far from 'lazy' or 'Disney Junior level': it harkens back to art styles Walt Disney himself loved. I can't believe they managed to replicate the feel of classic Disney backgrounds, like Snow White or Sleeping Beauty, so perfectly with modern technology. It looks like a painting, or a tapestry. Disney movies are still beautiful. Why aren't people talking about that?

The music is great: I've caught myself singing every song at least thrice. Each song brings something to the table. 'This is the Thanks I Get' fits Magnifico's character, and is something in the same vein as Gaston's song; you cannot tell me that one rent line is worse than 'nobody spits like Gaston'. I still get chills listening to 'This Wish' and its reprise. I don't know how people online are starting to think it's a bad song, but now others are just jumping on the bandwagon. You can see Asha's love and struggles within the song, and it even has the melody of 'Part of Your World'; how can you hate that? I've seen so many people personally connect with that song, myself included... Why aren't people talking about that?

'At All Costs' was never a love song between Asha and Star: Julia Michaels just wanted a love song (find that Variety article), and now it can be used for all kinds of love. I actually did tear up watching that sequence for the first time, seeing Asha hold her grandfather's wish dearly in her arms. I've seen people say it reminds them of what a parent would sing to their child, like 'You'll Be in My Heart', and I think that's just so wonderful and heartfelt. Why aren't people talking about that?

I don't have the actual post, but I'd like to bring attention back to what an artist on the film said: every 'Easter Egg' is meaningfully placed, a tribute to what has inspired generations. Not one of them felt shoehorned in to me. This movie is a tribute, a love letter, a celebration of what people have loved for 100 years. Why aren't people talking about that?

Magnifico's defeat is far from silly. It makes sense given the rules the world of the film runs on: the fact that 'we are made of stars' is a good Chekov's gun that carries a lot of meaningful importance. Each of us is special, each of us has magic, and each of us has hope. And this is where evil dies and good endures: Magnifico cannot comprehend that anyone but himself is worth anything, thus why he cannot quell this and it is the reason for this downfall. He, the villain, loses because he lacks the virtues the heroes possess. Why aren't people talking about that?

The story of this film is special: as confirmed by the staff, the film is an allegory for Walt Disney's life, and the story of Disney overall. Asha is Walt Disney, Star is Mickey Mouse: a magical force of creativity and inspiration that lights up a dark time. Because of the special nature of this, even though I'm a die-hard Disney fan, I'm fine with there not being any romance in this film (even though I'd like it back someday). This was intentionally made as a simple film à la Snow White, which was meant to be a happy, hope-giving film for people back in the 1930s. Just like this film is supposed to be now. One last time: why aren't people talking about that?

This is the first of a few posts I'll make defending this movie, so for other Wish fans out there, please stick around. I don't care if I get dragged for this: I'd rather stick up for my beliefs and defend myself my way than let online bullies like Schaffrillas, Aldone, or Astor Rhymemaster stop me from loving something I really enjoyed. I really hope this movie gets the Atlantis treatment and becomes a beloved cult classic down the line. Until next time.

[onigmos]

because my mouse wheel's button won't fuckin click anymore, navigating the sims 2 is insufferable. So I've been making my own fix in the sims 4 and remade JRO in dere.

In my lil sims 4 save it's like classic sitcom rules where Johnny n Ophelia are busy building a life together and very much doing the love-nest thing when Ripp kinda crashes into their lives needing somewhere to go. Buddy comedy and feel good romcom bullshit ensue. Because sometimes you just want to tell a nice story.

I could go on about this forever, so I'll make a cut as to not clog any feeds.

So in the sims 4, I'm just messing around with them because I love them, but in general, I have so many thoughts and feelings about these three as characters. My sims 4 approach to storytelling with them is VERY light hearted and fun. Outside of that context tho I like my Strangetown families to be the full spectrum of goofy weird shit to classic western gothic. Anyway, we're not here for that, we're here for bullshit musings.

But yeah, anyway, my approach to Johnny as a character is more in the line of like, Mr All American Boy. I see him as someone who could easily be a jock type if he wanted to be, you know, on account of the theme of his household in the sims 2 being like "THE AVERAGE AMERICAN FAMILY WITH THE HOUSE AND THE YARD! PICKET FENCE MOM AND DAD AND BABY SIS!!!" type shit. I also think it's fun if Johnny succeeds in a pursuit of regular teen boy bullshit considering his weird parentage, which you know, drives the xenophobes (racists? what would you call that??) fucking crazy. I feel like I can go on and on about Johnny and how he works well to be like, a typical boy who likes to throw a ball and drive a car. Tall and blond and handsome, In my little brain, he does shit and does it well and is generally well liked. Regardless, being half alien, Johnny is still certainly a certified weirdo in his own respects. Kind and empathetic, and very well adjusted in his upbringing. He can field most emotional crisis. Open to new experiences and MADLY FUCKING IN LOVE with and protective of his gf. Absolutely got a shitty stick and poke of Ophelia's name somewhere on his dumb body.

Ophelia is my beloved weirdo girl fave. She's anxious and paranoid and a bit skeptical of the world, but after growing up in what is essentially a graveyard, and with an actual serial killer of an aunt, Ophelia is someone who also belongs in the arms and care of someone who will guide her through the dark so to speak. To me anyway! Just going off of her behavior in the sims 2 for PSP, and her bio in the sims 2, I like to think of her as someone who suffers from paranoia and OCD and with good reason. Reeling still from the whole orphaned thing as she navigates life as a young adult. I feel like, it's tempting to let Ophelia's character be some sort of like resilient creature of self reliance but as someone who's also experienced intense grief, sometimes it just doesn't work out that way, and I much rather enjoy the idea of paring someone who needs love and security with someone like Johnny who wants to be "the hero that rides in on a white horse". I like to play with the idea that she figured Olive's shit out at some point. I don't have a concrete idea of what comes next after that, but depending on whether she's a teen, or an adult and comes to learn this shit, defies what happens next in her life. I'll save those musings for another post or somethin.

As for Ripp, he's a premade I was more into when I was a teenager and younger adult myself, but I still like him as the tagalong to these two. I'm all for thruples, but for once I gotta insist I enjoy his character more if he's just like "your buddy who struggles to get the second or third date" He's just kind of generally overall a little goofy. He's harmless, but I feel like his upbringing threw him into the complete opposite spectrum of the household Buzz was trying to create. Ripp lacks discipline, he's lazy, and he hates work. Cycling through jobs, can't commit to anything ever, shaky self image. I like to think their dynamic as teens was as simple as, Ripp was kind of a loner, Ophelia shows up, also a loner, they become natural friends, and once Ophelia and Johnny get together, the two boys become buddies as well. Ripp as an adult is just sort of wading in the water so to speak, and he's sort of There watching his friends advance their lives when he can't even cook a fucking meal without burning the bitch down.

I like to think the unifying factor between all three of them is Ophelia, obviously, as she's literally the bridge of mutual friendship there as it seems to work out in the sims 2. But I like to imagine she has a certain magnetism to her that draws the real weirdos out. She's fascinating in a spiritual way most people aren't tapped into.

I'm officially running out of steam so I'm just gonna close this for now lol. My concepts for them transcend the sims 4 and 2 but are pretty uniform throughout both games. But like, again, I find the sims 4 to be a goofy ass game, so these are just the fun goofy thoughts.

[lara-cairncross]

Hi I did not expect to be hit with this much nostalgia for pixie hollow fairies lol

The way you draw them is so pretty!?!?!?!?! I love their designs so much

I'm considering drawing fanart now, especially since I saw the suggestion of drawing my personal OCs in your fairy au, and I realized.... I have an oc. That I created recently. Like so recently that I haven't even named her yet. And she's already kinda fairy-like??? She's the result of a one-night stand between Leo and a random bird yokai who decided to dump the egg on Leo (it's the accidental baby acquisition trope except its more like you-really-should-have-expected-this-leo baby acquisition XD)

Don't worry though, she's not bird-like enough to want to eat your fairy boys if she met them. She's basically just a feathered turtle who loves shiny things, and I haven't even finalized her design but now I wanna draw her as a fairy haha. I do know her feathers are blue-purple-pink-ish with red streaks, so her colour scheme matches Fairy Leo haha

Hmmmm maybe I should actually put a question here uhh....

You keep hinting at plot points but you've also said you don't plan on making this a comic, so are we ever going to find out what the heck is going on???

And I know the idea of making a whole entire comic can seem overwhelming, but have you considered viewing it as just doodling and practicing? For my own au comic I only have one part drawn so far and it is the first part, but I'm planning to just draw any part of the story at any point in time, just depending on what I feel like. Cuz no one says you have to do it the "normal" way, right? And I like to think of drawing the comic pages as practicing new skills, like learning how to do page layouts and composition better. Aka focus on the journey and not the end goal.

Whoo, that got kinda long and I only really asked one question, but based on previous asks you've answered I have a feeling you don't mind ;)

OK that was entirely just stream of thought after going through the whole au tag (there are more thoughts but most are incoherent and overlapping so this is what i managed to pick out of my brain), but to summarize: I love your fairy au and the boys are gonna be living in my head now, along with every other version of the turtles that I love <3 <3 <3

I'm glad to hear you're liking the fairy au!! I had a ton of fun coming up with their designs :D

I do actually plan on making this into a comic of sorts! I dunno if I could ever make, like, a long-form webcomic or anything like that-- but I'm definitely planning on doing at *least* a few mini-comics to elaborate on the story! And maybe build my way up to something longer and more fulfilled :D As of now, I'm trying to experiment with different comic styles on my own time so I can try and find something that's quick and easy, but still looks decent. I like the idea of treating it as essentially a glorified doodle page. Honestly, as soon as I try to take any of my stories too seriously, I burn out fast-- so I'm trying to stay pretty chill about this one and just making content whenever I feel like it lol

Yup, I'm totally cool with everyone drawing their OCs as fairies if they want to! It's not like I own the idea or anything lmao. The only caveat is that I have jurisdiction over whether or not something is canon to my particular au. Leo and the rest of the boys are still canonically kids/teenagers to me, and I've been writing/drawing them as kids this entire time, so I won't be including anything/anyone related to one of them having a "one night stand" with somebody. I can't really police what anyone else draws though, so have fun :D

Sorry about these little guys buzzing around in your brain ❤️💜🧡🩵

[domokunrainbowkinz]

my productivity at work has been tanking...anyways here are my recent reads:

how to survive as a maid in a horror game (manhwa)

the black mirror (18+) (manhwa)

the other world's books depend on the bean counter (manga/light novel)

I will become the villain's poison taster (manhwa/webnovel)

the villain's savior (manhwa)

turning the mad dog into a genteel lord (manhwa/webnovel)

cherry magic! thirty years of virginity can make you a wizard?! (manga)

how to survive as a maid in a horror game: honestly not sure how to feel about this one bc I was expecting more horror, but the ratio is more like 70% comedy, 30% horror. I do think horror and comedy can work well, but I almost wish this one went more hard in the horror direction. the tone is also a bit too light for my taste so I don't think I'm gonna continue this one.

the black mirror (18+): RAAAAAGH I WISH THIS HAD SIDE STORIES OR SOMETHING I NEED MORE!!!!! really scratched the horror itch for me, but I wish it was a bit longer or more fleshed out (its only 62 chapters so like i finished this one Fast). I really like how it slowly feeds you pieces of what happened in the past to let you connect the dots, it actually kept me on my toes!!! I also really liked how some of the panels were drawn and framed, and i also liked how it conveyed tension in certain scenes. I think this would really tickle someone with a mirror phobia, bc oh boyyyyyy it is CHOCK full of creepy mirror imagery. my only gripe is that I would've liked some more fleshing out of the MC and ML's backstory, they showed us enough to tie the story together, but I think if they gave it a little extra oomph it would've helped me be more invested in the characters. however I still thought this was a great read and I really enjoyed it!!! psychological thriller, supernatural horror, toxic4toxic couples who have nasty kinky sex my beloved....

the other world's books depend on the bean counter: I started reading this manga bc I saw a YouTube comment describing it as "a bl manga where an accountant gets isekaid into a fantasy land and he decides to still work as an accountant there bc he's so worn down by the Japanese work mentality" and like Boy they are not wrong, my guy does NOT know wtf a break is. you can tell that work has consumed his entire life bc he literally cannot think of anything else but work and everything he does is motivated by his desire to work and prove that he deserves to essentially exist in the world. he was accidentally summoned alongside a teenage girl, who's the prophesied holy maiden, and even though the kingdom is providing him with food, money and shelter no questions asked (as compensation for him being accidentally summoned), he still feels the need to provide labour in order to justify this treatment. and the thing is he refuses to do the bare minimum and runs himself into the ground for a place that essentially kidnapped him bc he literally doesn't know how else to function. and in addition to this, the actual worldbuilding itself is so interesting!!! bc he's an accountant, he carries out audits and budget proposals and whatnot, and through this pov you learn about the power structure, politics, and the system the kingdom is based on, idk I just found the dissection of the resource allocation and magic system so fascinating. all the characters are also so fun to read about (YES EVEN YUA EVERYONE IS SO MEAN TO HER!!! SHES A 16 YEAR OLD GIRL HOW ELSE DO YOU EXPECT HER TO ACT) and I also love the rship between the 2 leads bc the ML is like "good god you live like this????" and forces the MC to live a healthy lifestyle. there is also a very bullshit reason for why they need to sleep together that can only ever happen in bl and it was so stupid i was like "god i love bl (affectionate)". overall I really enjoyed this!! I also heard it's getting an anime adaptation and I WILL be on that shit once it comes out.

I will become the villain's poison taster: very fun and lighthearted read, it was giving villain x henchwoman in the beginning but it slowly grows into "oh he's down Stupid bad" and then by s2 he would blow up the entire world if anything happens to her. we love to see that in a man <3 the banter was so much fun to read and the 2 leads have such funny interactions. the FL is also extremely stupid and ditzy but in a way that's fun to read about. this story is also definitely for the villain enjoyers, since it's from the pov of the villains and the plot seems to be following the "white magic = black magic but the white mages pursue the black mages bc they're deemed 'impure' and 'evil'" which like yes pretty cliche but hey this is a "no thoughts head empty" read for me. I'm probably just going to stick with the manhwa since I love how the artist draws expressions in this, and also again bc it's a very turn-off-your-brain type of read.

the villain's savior: idk how else to describe this except that it was hypnotically heterosexual. this is very VERY much an "I CAN FIX HIM!!!!" type of story. I honestly don't know why I even continued reading it bc nothing about it stood out to me but the interactions between the 2 leads had some very tender and loving moments, and I guess that's why I continued??? I usually don't like these types of stories but the way this was written had me like "yeah...I can see the vision actually..." personally the only feelings I got from this were that it's definitely a manhwa that I read lol...this one was for sure a "no thoughts head empty only vibes and feelings" type of read

turning the mad dog into a genteel lord: THIS ONE IS SO FUNNY i love love LOVE the art in this one, ESEPCIALLY how the ML is drawn like i am being SERVICED. AND I LOVE IT. the way the jokes and humour are set up and portrayed is so good that I'm actually gonna wait for the manhwa chapters rather than reading ahead in the novel. I also love the characters as well, the FL is very likeable and the type of heroine I like to read about...I love how she's not naive to the world but also willingly keeps herself ignorant of issues that are essentially above her pay grade (even tho the plot Will Happen whether she wants to or not). she also is very realistic about her situation and imo is emotionally mature, it's so nice to read about someone who...you know...acts like an actual human being lol.... her rship with the ML is also very sweet, however it is a "taming a wild beast" type of story for those who may not enjoy it. i personally am eating this UP. the ML gives me cuteness aggression he's soooooooooooo babygirl. I'm also like 99% sure I've already guessed the ML's true identity since it's pree obvious but I am very curious to see where the plot takes them!! very fun read, I was smiling thru the whole thing

cherry magic! thirty years of virginity can make you a wizard?!: YO this was so cute??? I think this would he a perfect read for me whenever I'm in the mood for something light and fluffy, I don't think it's gonna be something I binge. this was also extremely funny, especially scenes where adachi is like "wow look at kurosawa he's so calm and cool and collected" and then he accidentally brushes up against him and kurosawa's thoughts are just "if adachi was my man I'd fold him into a dumpling and set him in a soup at the perfect temperature so he'd be nice and warm all the time" like my guy u r insane. and they are both so down bad for each other. I'm honestly not sure where the plot is going bc I'm now at the part where (SPOILERS) adachi loses his mind-reading powers (SPOILERS), but from what I've gathered it seems to be a very character-driven, slice of life story, which is why I dont feel the need to binge it. overall I can see why it was so popular it has 2 (TWO) live action dramas, and anime, AND an audio drama.

[wenclairfamily]

Wednesday and Enid's Future Daughters Star In: "LOVE FINDS A WAY"

Wednesday and Enid's daughters: Harmony and Ana begin truly exploring the world on their own without their mothers for the first time, and learn how much more complex and dark it is.

Links to the Full Story: Wattpad, Archive Of Our Own, Fanfiction.net

-Or just click keep reading to see the full story immediately!

Wednesday Addams and Enid Sinclair. They were a duo that shouldn't have worked... but they did... and somehow their relationship resulted in marriage and two twin children - Harmony and Ana: two incredibly resourceful and talented teenage girls. Harmony, who carries both of her mothers' special abilities, continues to grow and explore the world alongside the love of her life: Megan. Ana meanwhile is a very "different" type of girl without special powers, who is still trying to figure out what she wants to do with her life, while going on adventures with her boyfriend Gerard... who just so happens to be a ghost.

"Love Finds a Way"

Written by: "Fun But Shy Girl"

In the early evening: Harmony Addams was riding in the passenger seat of a car, while an older woman was sitting next to her driving. Harmony had a troubled look on her face, which the older woman noticed out of the corner of her eye and said, "You okay Harmony?" Harmony made a little sigh, and then said, "Yeah... it's just... I thought this internship with social services would be... less depressing. I mean... the stuff we saw earlier... the stuff those kids went through... I don't understand how kids in the foster care system could go through that kind of abuse. I mean... Wei, you've been doing this for years now. How do you deal with it?"

The older woman: Wei tried to keep a straight face as she said, "Well... the foster care system isn't perfect. No system is. However, I remind myself that I at least have the power to do unannounced check ins on the foster kids I'm assigned to, and make sure they're safe. Unfortunately, there's a lot of abused kids in regular families that don't have the benefit of people like us being allowed to check in on them. Don't worry though. Those kids you saw earlier will be sent to one of our more dependable group homes, and get a lot of time to talk to good therapists. They'll get good help. Trust me."

Suddenly, the sound of a phone ringing could be heard. Wei turned on her Bluetooth speaker and said, "This is Wei. What's going on?" A voice on the car speakers immediately said, "The Thompson's place. A kid just sent a call to 911. Said something about a wolf attack. The police are on their way, but we need you there in just in case." Wei looked determined as she said, "I'm five minutes away. Heading there now." As the call ended, Harmony looked confused as she said, "Hold on. Since when do social workers respond to 911 calls?"

As Wei kept her eyes focused on the road, she said, "Since the former governor finally realized that sending only trigger happy cops into domestic situations isn't always the best idea; at least with foster homes. We're essentially the level headed backup now that steps in to help give the police a much calmer alternative response if needed. However, if there is some sort of violent animal attack going on at this house, you better hang back."

Harmony smirked as she quickly had her nails turn into wolf claws and said, "I can take care of myself... but if there is some sort of animal attack, my sister has someone that can actually possess a dangerous animal into becoming docile." Harmony then quickly took out her phone, and after a moment passed, she said, "Ana, you're still in the area right? I think I might need you and Gerard to help me with something."

Wei parked the car outside a house where she saw a man, a woman, and three other children standing scared. As Wei and Harmony ran over to the group, Wei asked, "What's going on? Was there some sort of wolf attack in your house? Also, where's Luna?" One of the children looked terrified as they said, "The wolf is Luna! She was looking outside at something just as the moon came out, and then suddenly she got all big and scary." With wide eyes, Harmony said, "Oh my. The girl in that house must be a werewolf who just wolfed out for the first time."

As police cars came onto the scene, Harmony looked at the arriving police officers as she said, "Look, there's a young werewolf in there, and I'm one too. She just wolfed out for the first time, but I know I can calm her down! Please, just let me try!" Wei glanced at the officers as she said, "Let her. Last thing we need is the news reporting a young minority in the foster system was attacked by law enforcement." One of the police officers nodded as they said, "Okay. But call if you need us."

Harmony then walked into the home through the open front door carefully. As Harmony walked in, she heard what sounded like a puppy whimpering. However as Harmony turned into a room: she saw a small female werewolf curled into a ball crying. Harmony smiled as she said, "Hey there. You okay?" The small werewolf immediately saw Harmony, and then scurried to a corner. Harmony kept the smile on her face as she said, "Hey, hey. I'm not here to hurt you. My name is Harmony. Now look, I know this is very scary for you. Wolfing out for the first time always is. However, you're in control of how you look. Now, one trick to turning back to normal is focusing on something that makes you feel happy. So just think about your favorite special thing in the world."

The little werewolf then pointed to a black cat toy on the floor. Harmony smiled as she handed the black cat toy to the small werewolf and said, "Is this yours? Do you like it? Well just think about all the happy times you and your toy have had together. That's it. Just relax and think about the good times." The little werewolf then began to turn back into human form. Harmony immediately wrapped them up in a blanket, as the body of the little werewolf soon became that of a seven year old girl with curly blonde girl and slightly tanned skin.

As Harmony looked at the little girl before her, she said, "Wow. You look so pretty in both your werewolf and human form. What's your name sweety?" The little girl quickly hugged her black cat toy as she said, "Luna." Harmony sat down in a relaxed position as she said, "That's a real pretty name. So why do you look so scared Luna?" Luna tuned her body to the side as she said, "I'm a monster now. I saw myself in the mirror. I'm a scary werewolf!" Harmony had a look of love in her eyes as she said, "Werewolves aren't scary. Only if they want to be, or if people don't understand them. You know, your little cat you're holding I know is very nice, but I bet a lot of mice would think he's scary."

As Luna squeezed her toy cat tight, she said, "But what am I? Am I a werewolf or a girl?" Harmony looked excited as she said, "Well, guess what? You can be both if you want to. You see I'm a werewolf too, and it's so exciting to get to have two different bodies I can jump back and forth between. People like me and you... it's like we get to have two lives. Doesn't that sound amazing!?" Luna looked down as she said, "I guess so." Harmony then moved closer to Luna as she said, "Is there anything else bad going on here? Has somebody in this house hurt you?" Luna then began to look more afraid as she said, "No, but I saw a ghost earlier. I was scared, and that's when I turned into a werewolf." Harmony now look confused as she said, "You say you saw a ghost?"

Suddenly, running in through a back door was Ana Addams, wearing her special gloves that had claws attached to them, followed by her ghostly boyfriend: Gerard. As Ana jumped into the room taking an action pose, she said, "The cavalry has arrived!" Gerard meanwhile smirked as he said, "It's time for this ghost to become a wolf buster."

Being suddenly scared, Luna immediately screamed, "Ahhh! Ghost!" As Luna turned her head away in fear, Harmony then held out her hands out as she said, "No, no. This is my sister and her boyfriend. They're nice people." Ana then put her gloves away, looking guilty as she said, "Oh, I'm so sorry we came in here all gung ho. Don't mind my boyfriend. He's a friendly ghost. He's like Casper... but way hotter." Gerard looked impressed as he said, "I'm hotter than Casper?" Ana giggled a bit, and then said, "Babe, you are way hotter than Casper. If Christina Ricci ever met you, she'd be so jealous of me."

Meanwhile, Harmony looked right at Luna as she said, "Luna, is that boy over there the ghost you saw earlier?" Luna nervously turned her head as she said, "No. I saw a different ghost." Gerard suddenly looked intrigued as he said, "A different ghost?" Suddenly the group were interrupted by the sound of a police officer outside saying, "You okay in there ma'am?" Harmony turned her head as she loudly said, "Yeah! Be out in a minute!"

Harmony then looked at Ana and Gerard as she said, "Thanks for coming, but we're okay. You guys better leave the way you came." Ana nodded as she said, "Okay. Sorry for the scare." As Ana and Gerard left, Harmony turned to Luna again as she said, "Come on. Lets get you some nice new clothes to wear and take a walk outside."

A little over a minute later, Harmony stepped out of the house while Luna (in a new set of clothes) walked next to her while still holding her black cat toy. A smiling Harmony waved to everyone as she said, "It's okay. She's okay. We're all okay. Luna here just discovered she's a werewolf. It's no big deal." However, the female adult foster parent nearby looked horrified as she said, "No big deal!? I signed up to foster real children. Not monsters!" Hearing those words, Luna had a look of despair and devastation go across her face. Harmony meanwhile looked angry as she loudly said, "She's not a monster! She's just a girl who is different!"

Suddenly Wei stepped between everyone as she calmly said, "Mrs Thompson, I'm sorry this foster assignment does not seem to have come across as a good fit. We'll take Luna with us now if that would help ease all the tensions here tonight." A still angry Harmony then whispered to Wei, "What are you doing? That woman is a bigoted idiot!" Wei then calmly whispered to Harmony, "And yelling isn't going to suddenly change her entire outlook on the world. We'll have someone come back to investigate her later. As for right now, lets just get Luna out of here so we can deescalate this entire situation as fast as possible." Harmony sighed, then got down on her knees, looked at Luna and said, "Is there anything you need before we go Luna?" Luna however had a very sad look in her eyes as she hugged her cat toy and said, "No. I don't have anything else."

Meanwhile Ana was walking through the woods (as the full moon shined high above), while Gerard floated near her. As Ana put her hands in her pockets, she said, "Man, I hope we didn't scare that kid too much." Gerard made a little smile as he said, "Your sister is with them. She's in the best hands now. But what I'm more interested in is the other ghost that girl said she saw. I mean... I've been a ghost for awhile now, and I haven't encountered any other spirits like me. Could there perhaps be another..."

Suddenly both Ana and Gerard stopped as they saw a glowing figure flash by them. Without any thought, Ana immediately dashed in the direction of the glowing figure. Gerard flew beside Ana as they both moved forward quickly. Then within a few moments: Ana and Gerard saw a glowing female teenage ghost trying to hide behind a tree. The female ghost looked worried as she said, "Please, I'm not here to hurt anyone." However, Gerard looked amazed as he floated towards the female ghost and said, "It's okay. I'm a ghost too." The female ghost now looked confused as she said, "Wait. You mean I'm not the only one?" Gerard continued to look amazed as he said, "That's what I was going to say."

Harmony was sitting in a large open office space filled with many desks, chairs, and people doing paperwork. As Harmony finished up the paperwork she was working on, her wife Megan quickly rushed into the room and approached Harmony. As Megan sat next to Harmony, she said, "I heard you had a rough day today. Everything okay?" Harmony looked a bit upset as she said, "I'm okay... but this crazy freaking world we live in just keeps reminding me how ugly it is. There's this little girl I met tonight. She was apparently doing just fine with this foster family she was assigned to. They apparently really loved her... until they discovered she was a werewolf, and then they all went hate crazy on her. I mean... has all this anti-outcast propaganda out there that keeps blaming outcasts for everyone's problems just totally warped people's minds now!?"

Suddenly, Wei walked over to Harmony and said, "You got that paperwork done Harmony?" Harmony nodded and handed her paperwork to Wei as she said, "Yeah, here it is." Wei made a grateful smile as she said, "Thanks. You've gone above and beyond what any college intern has ever done here before. Thank you." Harmony began to look a bit angry again as she said, "If anyone wants to thank me, then get that little girl Luna into a home of actual kind people. I mean, is there a nice werewolf family Luna can get adopted by?"

Wei sighed, and then said, "Unfortunately, public pressure right now is preventing us from doing that. In fact, if you missed the news the other day: outcasts have now officially been banned from adopting any kinds of children across most of the southern and mid-western stares, whether those kids are normal or outcasts. It's a real hot button issue in the political world right now." Harmony rolled her eyes as she sarcastically said, "Right... because outcasts are certainly the leading cause of all problems in this country."

Wei rubbed her forehead for a moment, and then said, "We're doing the best we can Harmony. If anything, we should all be grateful that the government hasn't done mass firings of this agency recently. Also, we are gonna give that girl Luna plenty of time in therapy. Plus, now that we know she's a werewolf; we'll make sure she's with a family that knows that, understands that, and accepts that. I know you only see a system that needs to be improved, but trust me when I say it's far better than it was decades ago. Anyway, have a good night." As Wei left, Harmony covered her face. Megan then gave Harmony a side hug as she said, "Don't be mad Harmony. You just have a heart that cares so much."

Harmony sighed, and then said, "It's just... I thought getting a degree in the field of social services would help me feel more empowered and ready to help the world... but now I just feel more helpless." Megan then held Harmony's hand as she said, "Well, I actually learned some interesting stuff in one of my Family Science courses today. Apparently, outcast children weren't even registered in the foster care system until literally a few years ago. Foster care systems in many states either just ignored them, leaving many outcast kids in real rough shape... or like the girl you met tonight: people didn't know their foster kids were outcasts until later on, and then those kids wound up getting neglected by the system and seriously abused. So as much as things need to get better, like your mentor said: things have improved." Harmony then covered her face as she said, "But they haven't improved enough."

Meanwhile, Ana and Gerard were facing the female ghost. As Gerard moved towards the female ghost, he said, "Lets start from the top. I'm Gerard, and this is Ana. What's your name?" The teenage female ghost looked a bit timid as she said, "I... I'm Lilith. I... I died about a year ago. I've been wandering around ever since. Trying to stay out of sight because most people are afraid of me." Gerard smiled as he said, "Yeah, I did the same for awhile. But luckily I've started to show myself more to other people now, thanks to my girlfriend Ana here." Lilith then looked confused as she said, "You're not afraid to show yourself to other people?"

Ana and Gerard then glanced at one another for a quick moment, and then Ana smiled as she said, "Hey. Ghosts shouldn't have to be afraid to show the world what they are. Sure, some people freak out and scream over the sight of ghosts; but some people also freak out and scream over the sight of men in dresses. I mean, those things may not be ordinary, but they're not causing any real harm." The ghost girl: Lilith looked relieved as she said, "Thanks. It's just been so long since anyone has shared with me any kind words or even a hug... not that I could get one anymore." Gerard had sympathy in his eyes as he said, "Aww. Come here." Then Gerard held out his arms and instantly hugged Lilith. Lilith meanwhile looked surprised as she said, "Whoa. I never thought I was ever gonna feel a hug again." Gerard meanwhile also looked very surprised as he said, "Me too. I... I haven't actually felt myself touch anything for a long time too."

Soon, Gerard and Lilith stopped their hug as a curious Gerard asked, "So... what kind of places have you been hiding your ghostly self?" Lilith smiled as she said, "Oh, so many amazing mountain tops with amazing views. You wanna see them?" Gerard then turned to look at Ana with excitement in his eyes as he said, "Wanna come with us?" Ana made a little sigh, and then said, "No. I unfortunately have homework to do; and I'm actually starting to fear mother's threats she's made towards me for not studying now... so that should say something. But you go ahead and have fun with your new friend." Lilith then made a big smile as she said, "Okay. Lets see if you can catch up with me." Lilith then immediately flew fast into the air, as Gerard happily flew after her. As Ana watched the two fly away, she looked concerned for a moment... and then casually walked away.

FIVE WEEKS LATER:

Harmony was stepping out of a car, as she was being led to a house by Wei. The two were soon invited into the house by a man and woman. Wei made a little smile as she said, "I'm gonna talk with Mister and Mrs Peterson for a moment. Harmony, how about you spend some time talking to an old friend of yours." Harmony looked confused for a moment, until she heard the voice of a little girl yell, "Harmony!" Harmony turned her head and saw Luna running down a hallway towards her with a big smile. Harmony then got down on her knees and excitedly said, "Hey there Luna. How you doing?"

Luna looked very happy as she said, "I'm having so much fun here. I get two big brothers here, and I get to eat Cinnamon Toast every morning for breakfast!" Harmony looked relieved and happy as she said, "I am so glad to hear that. So have you wolfed out since the last time I saw you?" Luna looked a little shy as she said, "Only once during the full moon. I ripped my clothes, but my foster parents said it was okay."

Meanwhile, the two foster parents: a man and woman approached the two with Wei. The foster mother then said, "Oh, we don't mind having our little werewolf here tearing apart a few clothes. Considering how fast she's growing, she was gonna rip through them at some point soon anyway." The foster father smiled as he said, "We think it's wonderful to have a werewolf be part of our household. People don't understand how beneficial werewolves can be for a family." As Harmony stood up, she looked content while she said, "Well, it really makes me feel good to hear you say that. Thank you."

Ana was sitting in her dorm at Nevermore Academy, looking frustrated as she was working on her homework. Suddenly, Gerard and Lilith flew in through the nearby window laughing. As they laughed, Lilith said, "Oh man. The look on those ducks' faces as we dive bombed down. It was hilarious." Gerard chuckled as he said, "I know!" Ana however looked at the two with a concerned face as she said, "Everything okay? Gerard, you've been gone for over a day. You missed our show we watch together." Gerard looked slightly guilty as he said, "Sorry. It's just... Lilith showed me that since ghosts don't breathe, we can actually go into space. We spent a whole bunch of time looking at the Earth from high up above. It was amazing." Lilith meanwhile looked a bit guilty too as she said, "Sorry for the trouble. Anyway Gerard, I'll see tomorrow at dawn like we promised." Lilith then flew out of the dorm with a big smile on her face. Ana then turned to look at Gerard with a serious face as she said, "Should I be worried about what's going on with her?" Gerard then looked into Ana's eyes with a worried face.

The next day: Harmony, Ana, and Megan were sitting at a dinner table together. As the three women were eating, an upset looking Harmony said, "I just don't get it. If it's still not technically illegal for outcasts to adopt in this state, there should be no reason why outcasts can't foster outcast children." Megan however tried to put on a smile as she said, "Harmony, that girl Luna is in a safe home now. That's what matters the most at this moment." Harmony sighed, and then said, "I know. It's just... what about the next outcast child that finds themselves in a rough placement?" As Ana was cutting through some food of hers, she casually said, "Hey. At least outcasts have most of their rights. You know, I think it's unfair Gerard has to put up with haunting a world that's he's not allowed to vote in... although he can get into movies for free now, so maybe that balances it all out."

Megan then made a little smile as she said, "So how is Gerard doing? Last time we had dinner, you said he had a new female ghost friend?" Ana rolled her eyes as she said, "Oh yeah. Lilith..." Harmony now began to look very interested as she said, "Hold on Ana. Are you jealous?" Ana made a serious face as she said, "No. Gerard is my boyfriend, and I totally trust him to remain faithful to me." Then an interested looking Megan said, "Yeah, but... it's not like Lilith couldn't tempt him. I mean... you told us that ghosts can touch other ghosts. So... can ghosts get... you know... aroused... down there?"

Ana suddenly began to blush as she said, "I... I... I would have no idea." Harmony suddenly looked very interested now as she said, "Oh my gosh. You actually know the answer!" Ana then covered her face in humiliation as she said, "Look. Gerard is typically a perfect gentleman. But... one day I slipped in the shower and screamed. He flew in through the wall worried I was hurt. He looked at me naked for just a moment... and I looked at the giant bulge growing in his pants... but then he immediately left as he apologized." Harmony and Megan both immediately began to laugh, as a grinning Megan said, "Oh my God! Ghosts can get horny! This is amazing!" Ana meanwhile got up, her face blushing as she said, "I am ending this conversation now."

The next evening, in the quiet of the night, Gerard was floating outside a cave Lilith had led him to. As Lilith looked at the cave with excitement, she said, "I found this cave awhile back. It's real special." Gerard looked confused as he said, "What makes it so special?" Lilith made a smirk as she said, "It's a cave no one ever explores... so we could maybe have some... private fun in there." Gerard however looked very nervous as he said, "Lilith, I'm sorry but I don't want to do that kind of thing with you." Lilith looked a bit sad as she said, "Why not? It could be so much fun. Plus, it's not like you've been able to have that kind of fun since you died."

Gerard then looked into Lilith's eyes with conviction as he said, "And I never did when I was alive because I wanted to wait for the right person and the right time. Look Lilith, I care about you, but I'm in a relationship with Ana. She's the only one I want to share myself completely with." Lilith then began to look upset as she said, "But when will that ever happen? She's mortal and you're a ghost. Come on. Fun between ghosts is more than what mortals experience anyway. When ghosts do it, we actually merge our spirit with the person we fancy... through doing this."

Then suddenly, Lilith reached out and grabbed Gerard's hand, attempting to pull him closer to her. Gerard immediately felt an eerie force take over his ghostly body, as his hand began to slowly melt into Lilith's hand. Suddenly the ground beneath the two began to open up in the shape of a hole. Fire emerged from the hole, as a scared Gerard said, "What's going on!?" Lilith then made a big smile as she said, "It's what happens when a spirit who has been to hell begins to merge with a spirit who has never left Earth. It essentially works like a secret password that opens up the back door to hell!"

Gerard tried to pull away from Lilith, but found his hand was now fused to Lilith's hand. Gerard began to look very scared as he said, "What's going on? Who are you!?" Lilith grinned as she said, "I am the bringer of darkness: Lilith Morningstar... otherwise better known as... the daughter of the devil!" Gerard now looked terrified as many gruesome looking demons began to crawl out of the fiery hole beneath him, and then began to run towards the nearby city.

Sirens began to go off across the city as police officers rushed onto the scene with guns drawn. The police officers looked shocked as they saw the army of demons coming towards them. Some of the demons began to laugh, as they easily dodged the bullets fired at them. One demon grabbed a police officer and began to eat them, causing the many other police officers to run away in panic. Meanwhile, Luna was being pushed out of her foster home by her foster parents, while her foster mother said, "Okay. It's time to protect us Luna. Wolf out and save us from those monsters!" Luna however looked terrified and confused as she said, "What!? I can't control when I wolf out, and I don't know how to fight monsters!" Then Luna's foster father simply said, "Come on. Sure you can. This is why we wanted a werewolf to live here. To protect us. Now protect your new home!" Then Luna's foster parents immediately got back in the home, and closed the door behind them.

Luna however stood completely scared as she saw two demons running down the street. Then as the two demons saw Luna, they began to move towards her. Luna immediately fell to her knees, closed her eyes, and screamed. Suddenly, a large shadow fell over the two demons, causing them to stop in their tracks. Realizing she was still alive, Luna opened her eyes and saw Harmony in her werewolf form standing between her and the demons. Harmony was standing with stretchy work out clothes still on her body, her werewolf fur was shining in the moonlight, and her arms were making a fighting pose as she used her gravely werewolf voice to say, "Don't worry Luna. I'm here." Luna had a look of amazement in her eyes as she said, "Harmony?"

Meanwhile, Harmony looked down at the two demons. The demons looked out at Harmony as one of them said, "A mere werewolf? You're not going to be much of a challenge." Harmony snarled and said, "You don't know what you're dealing with!" The demons then both lunged at Harmony. However, Harmony grabbed one demon by the throat and threw it into a nearby fire hydrant. The other demon meanwhile tried to charge at her, but Harmony dodged and then used her powerful fists to smack it hard into some nearby pavement. Then the first demon got up, grabbed a metal rod from the side of the street, and then swung it at Harmony. Harmony however grabbed the rod with her teeth and snapped it in half. The demon looked surprised, and then tried to grab Harmony's fur. Harmony however swiped at the demon with her claws and sent it flying far away into the sky. Then Harmony grabbed the other weakened demon, and threw him into an abandoned truck very hard, knocking it out.

Harmony then turned back to look at Luna as she said, "Are you okay?" Not waiting a single second, Luna immediately ran into Harmony's arms crying. As Luna began to sob, Harmony slowly transformed back into her human form. As Harmony held Luna close, she said, "Don't worry Luna. I'm here. It's gonna get better from here. I promise... it's gonna get better from here." As Harmony hugged Luna, Luna's foster parents stepped out of the nearby house. Luna's foster mother then asked, "Is it all over?" Harmony then angerly glared at the two foster parents as she bitterly said, "It is over... for you two."

Meanwhile, Lilith was floating over the portal to hell as many demons kept crawling out of it. As Lilith laughed a maniacal evil laugh, Gerard's hand was still fused to hers. Lilith smiled as she said, "Yes. Yes! Soon hell shall rise to rule the Earth!" Suddenly the two heard a voice yell, "Not if I have anything to say about it!" Then Lilith and Gerard turned their heads, and saw Ana running towards them. Lilith looked surprised for a moment, but then she laughed as she said, "Aha! If it isn't the love sick little girlfriend. I should have known you'd come to rescue your ghostly lover." Then with a snap of her fingers, Lilith sent several demons after Ana.

Ana's heart was racing as she dodged the demonic creatures that were thrown her way. She zipped and dashed through the air, using her agility to avoid their sharp claws and teeth. As Ana ran around the portal to hell while dodging demons, a liquid fell out of her backpack she was carrying, making the area around the portal very wet. However, Ana was still able to duck and jump over many of the demon's attacks. But then suddenly two demons jumped at Ana from above, and pushed her to the ground. Ana tried to get up, struggling as she yelled, "Let me go!"

"Oh, I most certainly will not," Lilith happily began to explain, "You see Miss Addams, you and your boyfriend can't stop me. I've been planning this for centuries. I waited for the day when the small tear would appear between your world and the underworld, and then I searched for a spirit that was on this plain of existence that had never been to the underworld. That was the secret key needed to open the lost portal. So I spent my time befriending poor innocent Gerard here, luring him into a state of trust... so that I could use him when the perfect moment came. The ultimate icing on the cake though is that I also fooled one of the children of hell's greatest enemy: Wednesday Addams."

Ana then looked into Lilith's eyes with anger as she said, "Let me tell you something. You think you're so clever, thinking you had us fooled... when really, you never did. Now Gerard!" Gerard then used his free hand to create a wind that moved the flames coming from hell onto the liquid that Ana spilled around the portal. The liquid was revealed to be gasoline, which immediately made a ring of fire around the portal. Ana then threw several rare plants from her pocket into the ring of fire, causing it to become brighter. Suddenly, like a vacuum: all of the demons (even the far away ones) began to get sucked back into hell.

Lilith looked worried as she felt her body being pulled down towards hell. However her hand was still stuck to Gerard. Gerard was using all of his inner strength to not let himself get pulled into hell with Lilith, while an angry Lilith looked at Ana as she said, "How?" Ana then stood proud as she said, "Me and Gerard knew something was totally off with you the moment we met. I mean, Gerard introduced me as his girlfriend to you that night we first encountered one another, and you seemed totally unfazed by that. So you obviously weren't someone that had hung around this side of reality in quite some time. Also, my mother has had experience with spirits and demons escaping from the underworld before. I even watched her send one back to hell once when I was a kid. That's how I knew exactly what to do to undo your little portal you made. Also, did you really think you were gonna introduce a cliche love triangle to mess with me and Gerard's relationship? There's nobody that will ever tear me and Gerard apart."

However, as Lilith felt herself being pulled into hell, she tried to use her other hand to drag Gerard closer to her as she said, "I can still tear you and your boyfriend apart... as I drag him back to hell with me." As Gerard tried to use in her inner ghostly strength to pull away from Lilith, he found himself now being pulled closer to the portal to hell. Fear and terror began to enter Gerard's face, as Lilith made an evil smile. Gerard then turned his head to look at Ana. Ana looked worried for a moment... but then gave Gerard a look of determination; with Ana's eyes alone communicating her love and faith in Gerard. Gerard suddenly began to look more determined and brave as he pulled back against Lilith.

Gerard then began to scream with determination, as he slowly pulled his hand away from Lilith's. As Lilith felt her hand slowly being broken apart from Gerard's, she angerly looked at Ana while saying, "You may have stopped this plan of mine... but the demons of hell still have connections here on Earth. The people that kidnapped Wednesday Addams and sent clones to attack her... they weren't working alone. They had hell on their side. So rest assured, the underworld still isn't through with tormenting your family!"

Suddenly, Gerard and Lilith's hands came completely apart. Lilith was then pulled down into hell with the last of the demons... and then the portal closed. Gerard looked shaken up, while Ana fell back and sighed in relief as she said, "Oh wow. It's over. I was worried for a second our plan wouldn't work." A disturbed looking Gerard however looked at Ana as he said, "I was worried too. For a second... I thought we were gonna be pulled apart and I'd never see you again." Ana then looked into Gerard's eyes, and smiled as she said, "That will never be Gerard... because we're too crazy for each other to let that happen."

As Gerard took a moment to compose himself, he said, "Well... I am still worried about something. What was that talk Lilith was saying about the underworld still tormenting your family?" Ana looked down as she said, "I don't know. I mean... my mother has been through a lot recently. Somebody or some people kidnapped her and tried to kill her in some building. Then before that, they sent weird clones to attack her. My mother assumed it was weird crazy scientists or something like that who were behind all of it. But now... the whole explanation of what's been going on around her lately just got way more complicated."

Outside of Luna's foster home: Wei was looking angry at the two foster parents as she yelled, "What were you thinking sending a little girl into battling demons!? You're foster parents! You're supposed to protect the children!" Meanwhile: Harmony and Megan were standing on the nearby sidewalk, as they leaned against Wei's car. Harmony had a sad look on her face as she said, "Well... in a few minutes, me and Wei are gonna take Luna to yet another home. Uggh. This girl has just been through too much. Why can't the system just let an outcast family adopt her?" Megan then held out her phone as she said, "Well, I just got some good news from my Grandma Maya. She may not be a judge in this state, but she has a friend out here who is. It's not gonna happen overnight, but a few law makers and judges are working together right now to pass an emergency bill to allow adult outcasts that have had some form of training in the foster care system to adopt outcast children if the child's therapist and social worker believe it's best."

Harmony looked impressed as she said, "Whoa. That's amazing. But what if other law makers try to oppose it and take it to the Supreme Court?" Megan made a little smirk as she said, "That might happen, but Grandma Maya says the opposition might be too scared to; because if a Supreme Court case involving outcasts doesn't go the way the opposition wants, it could actually lead to a domino effect that ironically will give outcasts more rights nationwide." Harmony looked a bit relieved as she said, "That's great... but how many outcast adults out there have any training in the foster care system?"

Luna meanwhile stepped out of the nearby foster home and walked towards Harmony and Megan. Luna had a very sad look on her face as she simply hugged her black cat toy. Harmony then tried to make a smile as she said, "Hey Luna. Good to see you. This is my wife Megan by the way. I've told her all about you." Megan made a little wave as she said, "Hi there Luna. How are you doing?" Luna had a few tears in her eyes as she said, "I'm leaving another home... again." Harmony and Megan then got down on their knees as a sympathetic Harmony said, "It's gonna be okay Luna. Miss Wei is gonna work extra hard to find you a better place to live this time."

Suddenly, more tears appeared in Luna's eyes as she said, "I'm never gonna find a home. I'm never gonna have parents. I'm gonna be alone forever and ever and ever!" Then without waiting for another second to pass, suddenly Harmony reached out and hugged Luna. As tears were now in her eyes, Harmony said, "Don't say that Luna. I promise... you are one day gonna find your forever home that will have parents that will always love you." Luna then hugged Harmony back, as she softly said, "Thank you Harmony." However, as she continued to hug Luna, a look of realization appeared in Harmony's eyes. Harmony then turned to look right at Megan, her eyes speaking an unspoken question to her wife. Megan looked a bit hesitant for a moment... but then nodded her head with a little smile. Happy tears then appeared in Harmony's eyes as she made a big smile.

Ana was sitting in her dorm at Nevermore Academy wearing a purple night gown while looking at her laptop. Suddenly, Gerard came in floating through the window as he said, "Hey Ana." Ana made a big smile as he said, "Hey Gerard. Ready to start our movie marathon?" Gerard however floated in front of Ana with a serious face as he said, "Not tonight. Ana... I've been thinking recently." Ana looked slightly concerned, but mostly curious as she said, "About what?"

Gerard's face looked nervous, but his words sounded confidant as he said, "With me being a ghost, I think we've both just assumed the two of us have all the time in the world. However... after everything that happened with Lilith almost pulling me into hell with her, it made me realize... we really don't know how much time we have together. So I don't want to wait any longer to take our relationship to the next level. So I'm ready now... for us to completely share ourselves with each other."

Ana looked amazed, but also a tiny bit worried as she said, "Are you sure? I mean we've talked about it and almost done it once but... are you certain? Do you actually wanna try to posses me and touch my spirit with yours?" Gerard nodded his head as he said, "Yes... but I want to do more than just possess you. One good thing I actually learned from Lilith is that ghosts can do more then possess. Possession is like gently pulling someone. But Lilith showed me that when you spend a lot of time around someone, you can eventually merge your spirit with theirs. Lilith wasn't able to merge with more than my hand though because I was skeptical about who she was from the beginning. But Ana... I've never been skeptical about who you are. I love you, I want to be with you... and tonight... will you allow my spirit and yours to come together as one?"

Ana's face turned into a big smile, as her eyes slightly widened, and her breathing and heart beat began to increase in speed. Gerard smiled as he looked at Ana's smile, but still felt the need to ask, "So is that a yes to what I'm asking?" Ana excitedly nodded her head as she said, "Yes. One thousand percent yes." Ana then happily laid down on her bed as Gerard began to hover her. Ana began to look slightly nervous, but also very excited as she looked into Gerard's eyes and said, "I'm ready." Gerard however kept his body hovering over Ana, remaining still as he looked into her eyes. A curious Ana then asked, "What is it?" Gerard smirked as he said, "Just... thinking about how beautiful you are." A few happy tears then appeared in Ana's eyes as she relaxed her body.

Gerard then moved his ghostly body down as he got closer and closer to Ana's body. As Ana looked into Gerard's ghostly face, she could see her reflection in his eyes. The reflection looked slightly distorted, but she was proud to see the love and passion she had for Gerard captured in her face. Then... Gerard's ghostly form began to began to disappear into Ana's body, causing Ana's eyes to glow. As Ana felt Gerard's spirit come into her, it was like a warm blanket was wrapping around her soul. She felt his love, his passion, his fears, his anger at the world, his regret at dying too young, his hope for the future, and his joy that came from finding her. It was like a flood of new emotions, thoughts, and memories were coming into Ana. It was so much, it almost overwhelmed her. It was like she was seeing someone's entire life flash before her eyes.

Then suddenly, it was like two puzzle pieces snapping together. All of the emotions, thoughts, and memories that once solely belonged to Gerard became a part of Ana. Her body no longer held just the spirit of Ana Addams; she was now both Ana and Gerard. However, Ana didn't feel like she was losing her identity. Rather, she felt like she was experiencing a feeling of completeness she had never felt before. Gerard's voice was now in her head as he said, "I love you Ana." Ana's voice was filled with happy emotion as she replied, "I love you too Gerard."

As their spirits became fully intertwined, Ana's entire body now glowed in a warm light. Ana felt like she was floating in a sea of pure love and joy. It was like nothing she had ever felt before, and she never wanted it to end. Ana's body arched and writhed on the bed as she felt Gerard's spirit now carefully experimenting with controlling every muscle of her body. Ana felt her hands start to make small movements from not her thoughts, but Gerard's. It was like Gerard was caressing her entire body all at once. It was a feeling that was so intense, it was almost unbearable. And yet, she craved more. Meanwhile, Ana felt Gerard's excitement grow from being able to actually feel the sensations of a real human body again. Gerard's mind began to excitedly (but gently) make Ana's arms and legs move in small motions. Ana felt Gerard's gratefulness in this experience, and so she urged Gerard to keep going.

Then Ana's eyes rolled into the back of her head as she felt Gerard's spirit take control of her heart. It was like an electric shock of love and pleasure. She could feel her heart beating faster and harder, as if it was trying to break free from her chest. Then the muscles above Ana's legs began to spasm as she started to feel the most intense pleasure of her existence. However, this was more than just physical pleasure... it was shared spiritual pleasure. Ana was now feeling her body and soul reaching the peek of shared ecstasy; a sensation that she alone wasn't experiencing. Rather, it was a shared identical sensation that she and Gerard were both experiencing. So working as one: their two souls controlled Ana's mouth together as they moaned in deep pleasure. Then as Ana felt the climax of her pleasure come, it was as if all of her senses were heightened, and she could feel every single cell in her body tingling with delight. Then finally, it happened. The climax of their union. A giant wave of incredible pleasure over took Ana's body as her spirit and Gerard's cried out in happiness together. It was a moment of pure bliss that seemed to last forever. Then as the waves of pleasure subsided, Ana's body slowly stopped glowing.

Gerard's spirit then began to emerge from Ana's body. As Ana felt the warmth of her ghostly boyfriend's presence slowly leave her, she felt a brief pang of sadness. However it was quickly replaced by a newfound sense of closeness between them. They had just shared something incredible, something powerful than went beyond imagination. Soon, Gerard was floating above Ana again, looking into her eyes. Ana looked back up at him with a smile that seemed to light up the room. "How do you feel?" he asked her gently. Ana took a deep breath and then said, "I feel... complete." The two of them remained still, just basking in the afterglow of their union. Then as the two just continued to gaze at one another, they felt content and deep pride, knowing that despite being a girl and a ghost, somehow... love found a way to make what they had work.

THE END (FOR NOW)

[gemapples]

Rant away my friend

apparently a few people wanted me to vent about the kirby novels so head in hands ig i'm gonna go for it LMAO (this is inspired directly from @desultory-novice 's posts about it)

ALSO IM SORRY IF THIS IS SO DISORGANIZED gonna be honest i forgot a good half of what i wanted to talk about. But Anyways. please note that all of this is entirely My opinion you ofc dont need to agree and despite everything i actually really love and enjoy the kirby novels a lot !!

so okay after hearing her talk about the reason we're likely not getting a magolor epilogue novel and knowing takase's erm.... Infamous reputation regarding how she handles magolor's character that had me thinking a lot and. Wow i'm kind of Really nervous for how this magoland novel will turn out actually because a lot is kind of at stake here when you think about it

takase will either be forced to actually develop magolor's character, or she will just completely scrap everything that happened earlier, remove any mentions of the epilogue and go straight back to square 1 where magolor is -- once again -- the villain of the story. Don't get me wrong i like evil magolor a lot lol i think if done right it can be a very enjoyable portrayal of his character. but there's only So many times you can make a character the antagonist before it just gets straight up exhausting y'know

i think it's ESPECIALLY different in terms of magoland. This might be a cold take idk lmao but merry magoland isn't just some wacky little theme park magolor created out of the blue for no reason. It's something that signifies and sets in stone how he's a changed character. Merry magoland is magolor's dream he's had for a really long time by his own words and truly shows that all he's wanted to do is make people have fun and be happy. if you make him the antagonist in that, that completely just fucks up Everything relating to his character and renders that entire development null and also invalidates all the hardships he's gone through to make that happen

i do think takase's portrayal of magolor is fun! i do enjoy it and i do appreciate how he has a hard time communicating his desires and showing true friendship. i think that's important. one of magolor's most significant flaws is how he has a hard time understanding how friendship is supposed to work and what to do when you have friends. but maybe instead of making him the villain. Over and over and over again you could idk... have him Learn?? and actually Develop from his issues??? i know waddle dee is a completely separate character but for the sake of comparing to another person who has gone through a huge amount of development in the novels -- why can't magolor do the same? why is it constantly so insistent that he be the one causing all the problems for no reason other than haha it's funny (in most cases at least. i know dreamy gear was different and i will give it a giant shoutout for that)

i'm so sorry if i sound too harsh here i literally don't know how to word it otherwise lol i think it's important to emphasize that despite everything i do like seeing magolor's character in the novels. but it just gets to a point where it's Grating to me at times and depending on the scenario is just completely inaccurate. that's why i think magoland is such a huge point for us here with a lot on the line -- if she chooses to not make magolor the antagonist and make it accurate to the game's actions and desires, that will be an essential key for his development and showcase that we're actually making progress with his character. but if she chooses to make him the antagonist again, the potential for him being something more than a villain -- which is RIGHT there -- is completely wiped

afaik magolor and kirby's friendship was also mentioned and i just want to throw out there. merry magoland happened because of kirby. merry magoland happened because of magolor's friends. kirby, meta knight, dedede and bandee are the reason merry magoland exists. so if takase chooses to not acknowledge any mention of that and make magolor go against them all, that also erases the potential of magolor's relationship with other characters as well yknow... the characters he's gone against for this whole time? it also makes no sense whatsoever??

so yeah this is a bit long but there's just a lot to either look forward to or dread about this novel -- or even both lmao -- the more i thought about it. i want to have a decent amount of hope that i could be wrong here, maybe takase will take advantage of what she has to work with game wise and create something truly special. but throughout all of magolor's appearances in the novels... *hand on mirror* it seems like all of his character is constantly scrapped in favor of treating him like some apathetic irredeemable character with no regard for others or understanding friendship. so that's kind of a hard pill to swallow

[otherworldseekers]

6.55 and onward to Dawntrail!

And so Endwalker is officially at an end and the months until Dawntrail stretch out before us. It's going to be a difficult wait.

Spoilers for 6.55 msq and DT ahead.

Personally, I've been excited ever since they announced our destination for the new expansion. There's little I love more than exploring new places and getting to know new cultures and Severia is the same. The set up of "participating in a contest for the throne" I've been more or less neutral on. I knew my response would depend entirely on the characters involved so I've been eager to know more. Having now met Wuk Lamat, I can confidently say that Severia and I would do anything for her.

I know some people have worries about the so-called conflict within the Scions, but from the information that Wuk Lamat gave us I think the whole succession issue is more about competition than "conflict" except for that one mysterious contender that she says cannot win. (Can't wait to find out more.) It seems highly probably that Koana, the miqo brother she mentions who studied in Sharlayan, is another contender and is the one that Thancred and Urianger have agreed to help. That leaves two unknowns. I'm going to make a prediction that Estinien ends up in support of a third Mamool Ja contender, who is not the dangerous one. I don't know how Y'shola and G'raha are going to fit in, but I have every confidence in the writers' creativity.

I am also intrigued by the little mentions of Garlemald in this patch. Alphinaud and Alisaie want to come specifically so they can gain knowledge that will help Garlemald. The "conqueror" Wuk Lamat warns about is interested in taking advantage of Garlemald's weakness. We even get to help some Garleans kick back and relax on our Island. As someone with an interest in Garlemald (for reasons), I am hopeful that this is an indication that Garlemald's future will continue to concern us in the future and that we can do something about its current state.

It struck me, now that we have our WoL's party set up, that it is meant to call back to our initial journey to a new city in 2.0. Alisaie and Alphinaud were there then too, though we did not know them. And Erenville, who travels for a living, could be said to take the place of the merchant. I believe the reason that they had a stand alone side story for the 6.x msq rather than the pattern that we are used to, is that 7.0 is meant to feel like 2.0. It's the start of a brand new story introducing us to a brand new world where we have no connections or history or baggage and are essentially back to being just adventurers again.

While Yoshida has joked about this being the WoL's vacation, I'm hoping that the tantalizing mentions of the City of Gold will lead to some fun Indiana Jones-esque adventures. But I am definitely most excited about delving into Solution 9 and learning its mysteries.

As usual, I am always hoping and praying that Nero will become relevant in the new content again. (Come on, SE, there are a million ways you could use him and he improves every single thing he's in.) However, even if he's not, I plan to drag him into the story in my own headcanons and writings. Severia's not leaving her man behind this time, not when he would be so eager to explore a whole new potential source of technological discoveries. How exactly he'll fit in I will leave until I actually see how the story plays out.

All in all, I am very excited and looking forward to more exciting story to experience this summer!

[go-learn-esperanto]

I'm making this post specifically for a new follower @crescentstudies to say:

This blog has a lot of MCYT stuff aka content related with Minecraft roleplay. Just so you're aware. This blog is very much my personal blog which kinda translates to a lot of fandom stuff. I know you followed me because you found one of the few Portuguese related posts I make. Now, I am very passionate about my language and culture and absolutely love discussing it but unfortunately I'm also obsessed with block people. I say this as a warning for the future of your dashboard

That being said the fact that you're learning European Portuguese is really sweet, and I assume it's not easy to find resources, at least not as easy as Brazilian Portuguese. So I'm gonna do a bit of a cultural post where I give something that I think is essential for learning a language; finding fun content that is culturally relevant. A lot of times when learning a language you see a lot about language and rules and although that can be fun sometimes it can quickly get really boring. Sometimes finding some content isn't easy when you're learning the language and aren't emersed in the culture.

Give it up for

My Portuguese music recommendation

A list for people who are interested in the culture or just want to hear some different music from a different country. Of course the music I'm gonna give is gonna depend on what I like and what I know, so you're not gonna get Pimba from me (for context Pimba is like... Usually very simple formulaic Portuguese pop songs that are played at parties... Not the kind your parties you're probably thinking of but more like festivals with a lot of people. It's not really good music in a cultural sense, and the music style is kinda stolen from Germany but that's a whole other story)

Let's start with a song that came out this year! Some might recognise this girl as the one that represented Portugal in Eurovision two years ago. I believe she has a lot of great songs, both in English and Portuguese. I'm sharing this one as I find the acoustic guitars in it absolutely beautiful.

(Flashing TW) Alternative Rock babyyy!!!! Even if you don't understand the lyrics this one is still fun as hell, although understanding them does make the song better of course. It's about how the singer is having a bad day so he's gonna be really really pissy about it. If you're wondering why the vocalist is half naked all I can say is that I've seen this band live, and he doesn't start naked but he's always gotta be by the end of the concert. Why? ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

A surrealistic song from the 80s. The lyrics don't really make much sense, however the song shouldn't have the right to be this good.

And keeping on the theme of "80s songs with lyrics that make zero sense but the woman who's singing them is absolutely killing it" we have this one. Clearly a pop-jazz that's just really fun to listen to.

A Portuguese folk song. I'm mentioning this song because last year I made a post about it discussing the lyrics and various versions of the song. I really enjoy it.

This song is just pretty. It's really difficult to explain. It seems to tell a fairytale like story of a man meeting and falling in love with Starfish goddess or nymph on the beach. The piano and the lyrics are just gorgeous. That's all.

A song by a band that is known for its very lively songs. Funnily enough the most popular songs from this group are not my favouritea from them. This group explores such topics as

The singer wants to get together with her neighbour

The singer wants to get together with a guy from a marching band

The singer wants to get together with a priest?? Is that what I'm getting here??? She keeps saying she has a lot of guys that want to fuck her in religious imagery and that she's better than the virgin Mary I fucking can't

The singer wanted to get together with a guy from the notary but he was an asshole so she hit him in the face with stamps (The paper and the ink kind of stamps) (the sexual energy and innuendos of this song though 💀)

The singer wants to fuck you up (In which way you ask? Wouldn't you like to know weather boy 😏😘)

The singer says you should stop playing video games because she wants to beat you up with her bare hands

The singer wants to go to the beach but the weather is always shit so she has resulted to judging her neighbours that actually managed to go to the beach for their lack of cultural knowledge out of jealousy

If you've done something good say it's from Portugal if you've done something bad lie and say it's from Spain (the actual meaning of this song is ultra nationalism is stupid)

Your parents' expectations are bullshit

The economy is bullshit

The singer is dinning with friends and they keep asking her to sing but she manages to literally flee from the restaurant without singing... Or paying

However this song in specific is about how after falling in love the singer can't help but see happiness around her. She knows nothing is perfect, she knows the world is fucked, but for a moment she just wants to be happy.

A comedy song! A very weird song that describes the tragic deaths of various animals upon touching lightbulbs. It's not in standard Portuguese, very much on purpose, but in the Alentejo dialect. I guarantee it's funnier than in it sounds by the description. Unfortunately this is a song where you do have to understand the lyrics to get it, but if you do It's really good. The images this person is putting on the video do make it 10× better too, as they are doing surprisingly well at showcasing the whole story the song is telling.