#gloomy tales: horrific show

[hiddenobject-fanblog]

I was so excited about the horrific show game but one of the glitches is that it just has a black screen on computers with higher graphic cards :( completely unplayable! I was so disappointed.

!!! That is EXTREMELY disappointing!! I hope you can get a refund! I saw in another review that the game has a bug at a certain point where someone couldn't progress any further. (Happened to me with The Lake House: Children of Silence </3) I would NEVER buy games with known bugs/glitches like these for full price.

[jeankirsteinsgirl]

Bad Day ~ Jean Kirstein

NSFW

Summary: You had a bad day and Jean wants to make it up to you

CW: overstimulation, missionary, unprotected sex, creampie, oral sex (fem receiving), face sitting, fingering, squirting, nicknames (princess, babe, baby, good girl), finger sucking, massage

Dating Jean for the past two years was like a fairy tale, I mean he was the sweetest most thoughtful boyfriend anyone could possibly have. Despite his tough manly exterior he was such a sweetheart deep down, a part of himself he only showed to you. Jean considered himself to be a feminist but he was also very old fashioned in the way of chivalry. You wanted to open your own door? Don’t be silly. You thought you were gonna pay for your own food? That’s funny. Jean wanted more than anything to take care of his baby, he was a provider to his core. 

You have had a lot of bad days recently due to excess stress from your job but today was particularly bad. When you were in a bad mood you didn’t usually want to talk about it and it was best to just let you decompress on your own. After returning home from your horrific day at work the stress and exhaustion shown on your face, you just look like you’d been worn down, and Jean being the amazing thoughtful boyfriend he is took notice of that immediately.

You walked up to your third floor apartment and fumbled with your keys for a solid 30 seconds before unlocking the door, “Of course” you thought “Just another inconvenience to add to my already shitty day!”. The rain pouned on the roof above you and the thunder outside sounded like your upstairs neighbor had loudly decided to rearrange their entire apartment, a perfect gloomy evening to match your perfectly gloomy mood. 

As you made it in to your and Jean’s shared apartment after what felt like forever you immediately took of your shoes and plopped down like a blob melting into the couch. Jean, having heard your arrival from he bedroom came to the living room to excitedly greet you when he was greeted by your black cloud of an aura, he didn’t even need to talk to you to know you had a bad day. “Everything all right baby?” Jean asked concerned, as he cocked an eyebrow and put one strong hand on your shoulder, rubbing figures eights into it. “I had a rough day Jean… I’d rather not talk about it.” you sigh, leaning into Jean’s strong chest on the couch, immediately feeling relieved by the smell of his cologne. “That’s okay honey, I’m gonna make it up to you, don’t want my pretty baby to have a bad evening too.” He speaks softly, pressing a small kiss to your forehead before standing up off the couch and walking to the kitchen “ It’s rainin’ pretty hard outside baby, but we can have a romantic night in if you’d be down.” He suggests, smiling to himself as he sees sadness on your face get replaced by intrigued excitement “Really? I mean you dont have to do anything for me I’ll be okay it was just a long day-”. “No no no, I’m gonna take care of my girl all you have to do is sit there and let me.” He smirks as he opens he fridge “Gotta be pretty hungry huh? How ‘bout I make you some pasta and you just relax and watch me” “Jean” you giggle “I can help, it’s not like I got injured or something.” you say, amused at Jean’s desire to take care of you. “Mm no ma’am” He takes your hand and leads you to the island of your kitchen and plops you down on the barstool directly across the stove “you are gonna sit right here while I take care of you.”

You blush to yourself at Jeans thoughtfulness, hair a little damp from walking in the rain and work clothes still on. “While I appreciate the offer, I’m soaked Jean I really should shower” “I got it baby” he cuts you off “be right back” he marches off from the kitchen, the water waiting to boil on the stove, and he comes back with a proud smile across his face “your bath is waiting for you honey.” He plucks a small kiss to your forehead before leading you to the bathroom where he prepared a delicious smelling lavender bubble bath for you “for you” he says, smile beaming across his face. “Jean you shouldnt have-” you start to protest and are immediately interuppted as he helps you down into the warm water “Oh but I wanted to baby” He smirks before returning to the kitchen. You let the warm water envelope your cold body, surrounded by the tall bubbles, thinking about how sweet it was that Jean was doing all of this for you. 

After what felt like hours but was really only about 15 minutes Jean came back to get you to tell you dinner was almost ready and you should be getting out soon. As you rise from the bathtub and let the water drain you notice a soft plush bathrobe and matching slippers placed on the counter waiting for you, another one of Jean’s little presents he loves leaving you. You smile to yourself before changing and making your way to the kitchen, following the delicious sent of the chicken cooking for your pasta. “Ah there you are babe” Jean walks over to escort you back to your seat before returning to the stove. “Shouldn’t be too much longer now, ‘bout 5 minutes maybe” he says wiping the sweat from the steam off his forehead with his forearm. You watch as he sautes the chicken before expertly throwing in the cooked pasta noodles, its so hot watching him cook, especially when its only for you. He plates your pasta and walks it over to the dining table that he (like the loser he is) decorated with candles, he pulls out your seat for you and places your food in front of you before sitting down himself.

“Hope you like it baby, ‘ts my moms recipe” he says watching you expectantly as you take the first bite “Oh my god Jean this is amazing” you say in amazement, he was pretty good at cooking usually but something about this time just seemed different. You and Jean finish your meal in the candle light before he does the dishes and instructs you to sit on the couch, he doesn’t want you to have to do any of the work tonight. You sit on the couch next to your dog wrapped in your warm robe waiting for Jean to join you and he finally does plopping down on the couch with a loud thud due to his size, you giggle before scooting close to him and leaning your head into his muscular chest. He smells like whiskey, chicken alfredo, and vanilla, an odd but endearing combination. He puts on your favorite movie before saying “I wanna take care of you tonight” “You already have baby” you reply, amused at his motivation to make sure you have an amazing night. “Wanna take care of you in a different way” he sighs and you blush at his comment but you continue watching the movie as if you didn’t hear him at all. “Let me give you a massage to ease some of that stress hm?” he asks and you softly nod knowing exactly where this is leading and certainly not wanting to stop it.

Jean pulls your bathrobe down to expose your tense back before squirting some lotion over his hands to ease the friction as he rubs it. You shiver when he first touches you, his strong thick fingers working their way over every inch of your soft back “Feel good?” he whispers trying not to disturb your movie, but little does he know you were already very  distracted “really good” you almost moan out on accident, turning a little red from embarassment as you hear Jean chuckle from behind you. “Yeah?” he asks teasingly before pressing a soft kiss to the nape of your neck, sending a shiver down your spine. You slowly lean your back into his chest, giving him exactly what he wants, he slowly snakes his rough hands from your back to your chest, softly brushing them over your hardening nipples. “Jean-” a soft whimper leaves your mouth “Shhh its okay baby just let me take care of you” he remarks before flipping you so you were now the one laying back against the couch. He leaves sloppy wet kisses down your neck to your collar bones, lower and lower until he reaches your chest, he slowly takes one of your nipples into his mouth sucking on it before lightly twisting it between his teeth, making you feel so so good. “Fuck J-Jean” you whine out, but he doesn’t respond, intently focused on making yout feel good. 

While he sucks on one of your nipples he plays with the other between his thumb and pointer finger rolling it and pinching it slightly before switching. He sucks on your tits like he’s starving, taking as much of them as he can into his moth and licking sloppy wet circles around them, leaving hickeys in his wake, at this point this might be more for him than it is for you. But he soon moves on leaving his trail of sloppy kisses down your torso, wanting to taste every inch of your body before he reaches the hem of your panties, smirking as he does. “Should I continue baby?” he teases while dipping his fingers everso slowly into the hem of your panties. You nod frantically, you needed him. “Uh uh baby, use your words, tell me what you want.” You see his lidded amber eyes looking up at you and soft strands of his honey hair dangling over his face, god he was so hot like this. “Please Jean, I- I want you to eat me out” you say covering your face with your hands due to your embarrassment. Jean removes your hands “I want you to watch me okay?” he says as he slides your panties over your legs, keeping eye contact with you the entire time. You nod as he brings his two finger to your mouth, expecting you to suck on them “can you get them nice and wet for me?” he teases as you nod and take his big fingers beyond your lips coating them in your saliva. “Good girl” he states before taking his saliva coated fingers and trailing them over your soaking pussy. “Looks like you really need this huh princess?” he says before dragging his thick fingers across your slit, stopping at your clit to play with it. “Please Jean I need you now” you whine at how slow he’s going but he enjoys the process of getting you nice and wet for him. “Such a needy girl” he says before dragging his fingers back down between you lips and slowly pushing the tips in. You buck your hips to try and take them deeper but he tsks “No baby, I’m taking care of you tonight, you have to follow my pace okay?” he says in a sweet voice and you just nod. He slowly moves his fingers in deeper until they're in all the way and you finally feel that delicious stretch. 

He lowers his mouth down and attaches it to your aching clit, pressing his tongue flat against it. Now that he was done teasing you his only objective was to make his princess feel as good as possible. He began pumping his fingers in and out at a steady rhythm curling them up to hit your G spot every time while at the same time  sucking on your clit like he hadn’t eaten anything in days. He could feel your tight pussy contracting and leaking around his fingers “Already gonna cum princess? Give it to me I love tasting this sweet little pussy.” And just like that his words were enough to send you over the edge, your pussy clamped down on his fingers and he continued sucking in your clit to help you ride out your orgasm. Your high washed over you and you don’t think you’ve ever cum that hard, your pussy squirting your juices all over Jeans face but he loved it, being sure to lick all of it up off your pussy when you were done. 

Before you could even say how amazing that was jean lifted you up and flipped you over so you were sitting on his chest “want you to sit on my face okay princess?” he asked with a false sense of sweetness to his voice “I can’t Jean ’m too sensitive” You replied trying to close your legs on top of him, but he pried them open with hi strong hands and adjusted you so you were hovering right over his face “Oh come on baby I know you can give me at least one more” he said before diving back into your dripping pussy. You whinced at the overstimulation and how sensitive your clit was as he relentlessy licked from your hole to your clit back and forth tasting all of you. He then painted messy figures eights on your clit while he grabbed your ass to press you down more onto his tongue. You legs were wobbling and you knew you weren’t gonna last “Jean- ‘m gonna” you said as you threw your head back once again releasing all your juices onto his face, feeling his slick covered stubble press against your soft thighs. 

“Good girl, see? Knew you could do it” He says as he flops you back down onto the couch completely fucked out already, eyes filled with lust and nothing in your brain except for Jean “I think you’re ready for my cock now hm?.” He says pulling you closer to him by the crease of your knees, you can’t even protest your brain is so filled with pleasure. “Gonna fill up this messy little pussy okay?” He said before pulling his grey sweatpants down to reveal his thick hard cock, Jean was bigger than any other guy you’d been with and the sight of him always intimidated you. “ ‘Ts okay baby I know you can take it.” “Be right back okay honey?” He said before leaving the living room and returning with your favorite vibrator.  “Want you to hold this to your sensitive little clit while I fuck you okay?” He said before pressing a kiss to your forehead and running his hand over his dripping red tip, pumping himself a few times at the sight below him. He asks sweetly and you nodd wondering to yourself how you could possibly cum again. Jean turns the vibrator on and hands it to you, watching you place it on your overstimulated clit “Good girl, so good for me” he says before running his tip up and down your entrance. He finally decides to enter you and only puts the tip in, letting you get used to his size “Think you can take all of me baby?” he asks before slowly slipping deeper into you “Y-yes Jean I can take all of you” you say with tears in your eyes from the overstimulation. He finally bottoms out in you with a loud groan “fuck baby, I dunno how this pussy is still so tight after I’ve fucked it so many times” he starts snapping his hips in an amazing rhythmic way hitting that spot inside you with every. single. thrust. That combined with the vibrator on your clit was sending you to a world of ecstasy you’d never experienced before. His muscles contracting above you would have you cumming even if he wasn’t fucking your brains out, ths sight gets you closer and Jean can feel you contract around him“Fuck baby, you gonna cum on my cock?” he says speeding up his thrusts as he was getting closer. With one hand holding your vibrator and the other scratching red lines into Jean’s muscular back you did just that, you came harder than ever before all over Jean’s huge cock. He continued fucking you deep through our orgasm as he was getting close and with a “fuck” under his breath he released his load deep in your tight pussy, fucking it up there to make sure none of his cum was wasted. He pulled out and watched it leak onto your thighs before pulling you up to lay against him. 

After breathing heavily for a few minutes he asked “I love you so much you know that?” with a red face kissing your cheek. “I love you more Jean” you giggle “Was that okay?” he asked wanting to make sure you enjoyed it. “It was amazing baby, just what I needed, thank you.” You say leaning back into him. He leaves to go get a rag to wipe his cum from between your thighs then pulls your naked body back onto his, wrapping a blanket around you two. “Now, where were we with that movie?”

[shimmerbeasts]

@weavertali gets a small experimental starter set in a hypothetical Star Guardian Verse.

The one aspect of being a Star Guardian, which Jinx had never really been able to warm up to properly was the whole duty part. "You have a responsibility to protect the world." "Star Guardians kill monsters. We do not harm people." "You must learn to temper yourself, Jinx." "Star Guardians are not chaotic." Blah, blah, blah! Boring! Super boring! All Janna's drivel ended up meaning for Jinx was: "We hate you being you. Stop being you and start taking things more seriously."

On some particularly bad days, Jinx thought it to mean: "You do not deserve those powers. You do not deserve to be a Star Guardian. First Star must have made a mistake when it chose you."

Today's training session had been a disaster. It probably hadn't helped that Jinx had been paired with Janna out of all people. Whose idea was this?! All the veteran Star Guardian had done was complain about Jinx's form and her 'enthusiasm for violence', giving some stupid vague warnings about darker impulses leaving you open to corruption. Horse shit! Janna was full of dinosaur doodoo.

Eventually, she had gotten so sick of the constant berating that Jinx had used her powers to quickly half-teleport and half-fly away. She needed to be alone. She couldn't handle Janna right now. She couldn't handle Poppy either. Miss World Hero had stared after her as she had flown away like the very idea of leaving training was somehow punishable by death.

They could all go to, well, not really hell. More like a starless night. Wherever Star Guardians go after they die. The void? Double void? Was that a thing?

Jinx had settled down on the brim of a chimney, her feet dangling precariously off the edge. The chill of the night air kissed her bare skin but the First Star's power was like being your own heater. Jinx barely even shuddered. Shiro and Kuro were circling the guardian, noticing her gloomy thoughts. Despite the lack of wings, both magical mediums were more than capable of flight much like their mistress.

Unlike other magical mediums, which were soft and fluffy looking, maybe even cuddly, Jinx's creatures looked more like the beasts of a horror tale. Shiro had settled down beside her, his white skull with glowing red eyes making the slim ocelot-like creature so very hard to read. Sometimes, he looked even less physical, safe for the bones of his face. His white pelt was dotted and sprinkled with pale grey or silver dots, markings and stripes.

Kuro, meanwhile, had a long serpentine body, though Jinx always swore his hide felt more like touching a shark than scales. Even his black fur was so dense and fine, it seemed to blend into his hide. Sharp claws prickled her shoulders as the cat's upper body craned sideways and peered up at Jinx. Kuro's tail wrapped around her body in a tight hug. Much like Shiro, he had not shut up, softly meowing and purring at her.

"I am not in the mood, guys", Jinx said with a defeated sigh as she snuggled against both mediums. "Kuro, your idea with the firework is cute and all, but my heart ain't in it. Why did anybody think making me spar with Janna was a good idea? She was just gonna pester me anyhow."

She cupped each of her cat medium's horrific chins and fondly looked into their eyes. "You think I am a good Star Guardian, right? There is nobody who wreaks carnage quite like me. I mean who needs starlight anyway? Just tell me what has to be blown up." She laughed and the mediums laughed alongside her.

However, Shiro suddenly got up and floated into the air. Growling, he put his ears back, his weird feathery decoration around his neck bristling. Kuro looked up too, snarled in alarm and swiftly turned himself invisible. Even around other Star Guardians, her rocket launcher rarely showed itself. Almost as if he knew Shiro created enough problems of his own.

Mistrustfully, Jinx rose too and reached up with her hands. Shiro swiftly morphed into her trusted Gatling Gun, which the Loose Canon of a Star Guardian was now directing at the approaching figure. She called out: "Whoever you are, I may have skipped training today, but I can still whoop your ass!"

Her fingers flexed around Shiro's trigger as the figure came closer and closer. It took every ounce of the miserable pile of patience, Jinx possessed, to not give in to the urge to fire wildly at the approaching assailant. Jinx had never taken the whole difference between friend and foe seriously.

However, it paid off that she had waited for as the figure came shooting closer, Jinx recognised a fellow Star Guardian. The pale, rose-coloured hair, the fair brown skin and that whitish-pink dress with its long golden and rose-coloured bands attached to the sleeves were easily recognisable.

"Taliyah?", Jinx called in surprise and lowered Shiro, however, she did not allow her rocket launcher to turn back just yet. Kuro's claws dug deeper into her skin as his eyes bore deeply into the other Star Guardian, still completely concealed. "What are you doing here? Did Janna send you?"

[elsternwick-rp]

Elsternwick Autumn Update! (10-26-24)

Good afternoon, everyone! We hope you're doing well on this crisp Saturday morning, and sorry to keep you all waiting for updates! We've actually got quite a lot to cover, but for now, let's focus on the season and what we have going on!

As Summer came to an end, and Treacherous Treasure has been rounded up, the cool Autumn breeze has come to Elsternwick, bringing with it winds of change and a number of things to do!

Unhappily Ever After (Seasonal Autumn Event: October - Late November)

Autumn has come to town, and in addition to cooler air, pretty leaves, and a farewell to heat, something else strange has been going on...

A number of books have disappeared from the library/museum, in addition to an ancient artifact, and perhaps not so coincidentally, all around the surrounding area, odd colorful structures have sprung up out of the ground, people have been vanishing or appearing to look different...

Thanks to a magical artifact, stories from books, musical tales, plays, and anything before the 1960s of our world have come to life and become a part of Elsternwick!

All throughout town, stories will unfold, perhaps making your muse a part of the tale, perhaps warping the world around it, or perhaps just causing trouble due to a certain character or role forced on another muse, it's up to you to see the story through, change the ending to be happier, or simply put it off until this goes away... but beware, your muse could forever get lost in a good book... literally!

If your muse is assigned a "role", they take on the role of a character in a book/story, for example, a character could be assigned the role of Rapunzel, and now they have longer hair and are stuck in a tower until a brave prince rescues them! It's up to you how you interpret it all, and we're curious/eager to see what you do with this!

In addition, the Multiversal Observance Station is running a very special promotion for the Halloween Season...

For 3 months only, you will be given a glimpse into various mirrors of Elsternwick, alternate versions of town where something went terribly wrong where residents lost their way, their mind, or perhaps something else more precious...

You will be able to participate/observe a "What If?" version of Elsternwick where there are no safety rails for your muse, they could get killed, corrupted, or worse, it's up to you!

Throughout the season, keep an eye out on the Multiversal Observance station, because we'll be cycling through three special Alternate Elsternwick Prompts!

Would You Like a Room? (Gregory Horror Show) - In this alternate Elsternwick, Gregory House franchised it's locations, and happened to score a large property in the middle of town... it didn't take long for the rest of the area to grow creepy and gloomy, and its residents to lose their souls and become permanent guests of the hotel.

Your muse is either a lost person who wandered into the hotel and has to escape, or a permanent resident of the hotel who is (un)intentionally causing problems for the lost, and could even cause them to lose their soul and join them forever in this horrific hotel!

This alternate Elsternwick will include special guest: Hell's Chef!

Reign of the Faery Queen (Fae Horror) - In this alternate Elsternwick, odd occurrences have been happening around town, a green sky, lights in the night, disappearances... it's all a lead up to something worse. The Faery Queen Titania will claim this world, faeify it, and make it a part of her faery realm!

Your muse has already been stolen away and made a changeling servant, is a mortal, or perhaps your muse is a fae in this alternate reality, either way, Elsternwick is doomed, you must escape it... or hasten it's demise.

Midnight Prism Studios Presents: Thrice-Cursed Elsternwick!!! (Classic Horror) - In this alternate Elsternwick, everything is black & white, and has a whole lot of similarities to movies from before 1965, mad scientists, vampires, ghosts, invisible men, even a few giant ants have been spotted around town!

Your muse is either a clueless villager, a (manmade?) monster, or perhaps a brave hunter who wishes to save the soul of their beloved town. Whatever is the funnest movie for you to play in, you should play it! Anything goes!

And of course, besides all this, the typical Autumn Fun of Elsternwick remains, if you're not interested in either of these! Autumn Fae, falling leaves, ghosts , witches, ghouls, and telling stories around the campfire are all still viable options to spend autumn in Elsternwick!

Or maybe a trip to a haunted house will be more your speed! All up to you!

Speaking of Haunted Houses...

Elsternwick Story Event: Macabre Mystery of the Maligned Malicious Mystical Manor! (November - January 2025)

Our third and final event focusing on Elsternwick's backstory and surrounding area will take place next month! This time, we're focusing on the Creepy Manor and the surrounding area of Delta, for years, this creepy shifting manor has laid on the outskirts of Delta, causing strange occurrences, bonechilling frights, and horrific monsters. Nothing has been, or can been done about it....

... So why now has its doors opened wide? Why are there strangely dressed people from all time periods around it? And why do there seem to be more ghosts than usual...? People are going in, but they're not coming out...

You'll have to steel yourself and enter through the doors and hope you'll come out alive!

More details in November!

Update Done!

That about does it for now! We opted to save the character list update for when the Master List is ready to go, and this update was already running pretty long, and we hope you enjoyed reading it!

We hope that your autumn in Elsternwick is enjoyable, scary, and fun, no matter what activity you choose to do with us!

After Autumn comes the cold of winter, and we already have some fun ideas for what will happen then, and we hope you'll look forward to it! And we also hope you've been enjoying learning more about Elsternwick through our story events, there may still be more to come!

Until then, we hope you enjoy the autumn season, and hope that the rest of your day is lovely!

We look forward to whatever you may be up to, both within and without Elsternwick!

See you again soon!

[bigyikes97]

"the powerful lawyer lifted the chin of the naive new hire 17 years his junior who he was keeping hostage in his bedroom with no phone until their eyes met"

**SPOILERS TO EP 4**

"'you look just like my dead brother', he implies sensually"

sorry guys they're gorgeous but I can't finish Devil Judge

I mean if you're going to create a tense relationship built on flagrant power abuse (seniority gap, age gap, power gap) and ALSO a weird?? incest-y?? vibe??? I think you've GOT to have some insight into what's going on in your male lead's head to unpack how those themes are being applied.

But I just don't understand Ga On. I have NO idea what's going on behind this boy's beautiful blank eyes. He goes from suspecting Yo Han and antagonizing him every chance he gets with seemingly no reason, to being unfazed when he wakes up in Yo Han's bed as a phoneless hostage (ostensibly to heal from the same explosion that left Yo Han with only a tiny aesthetic scratch). Ga On ditches his job, wanders his boss's house for three days as he "heals" and then cooks him a homemade dinner with a cute note. It's like a whole different story from the "dystopian hunger games-esque trial by mob rule game show shows dark side of internet-linked democracy as increasingly horrific punishments are approved by majority vote that ignores a weakening legal system due to group think spearheaded by fashionable charisma" that I came here for.

If there was maybe gaslighting directed towards Ga On or some kind of effort made to tie this whole arc into that story I would understand it better. I had any inkling into Ga On's thoughts on this, I would know how to categorize what's going on--is it tying in via a cautionary tale about grooming, manipulation and abuse of power? Is it supposed to be as romantic as a lot of people are saying? Is it supporting or condemning Yo Han's actions in doing this, showing how he manipulates the domestic sphere as well as the entire country? As it is, poor Ga On feels like a set piece to me. He wanders around, he stumbles across some important things, he abruptly warms up to his boss and settles into his house as a permanent guest. I think all the pieces are there to build a really compelling, claustrophobic, gothic-style creepy story a la Crimson Peak, but I can't get a read on Ga On, so it just feels uncomfortable and incoherent to me.

A senior using age and power to coerce a naive new hire into this kind of strange relationship is unsexy and problematic. It's a real dynamic and a dangerous one, which is why I'm not opposed to it being portrayed; but why I AM uncomfortable at the lack of context it's given.

In my opinion, portraying this kind of heavy yet realistic dynamic is only possible if you have more insight into what's going on in Ga On's mind as the person being slowly wrapped in the web. Yet, he doesn't offer anything that makes me believe he's thinking anything about it at all. I was rooting for him more in the beginning, but Ga On seems to me like his writer simply forgot to put any thoughts behind his sweet lil face.

ALSO?? the whole thing with Yo Han being ambiguously obsessed with Ga On because he resembles his brother makes it that much stranger (???) Again, Crimson Peak, anyone? If they went full gothic, it could totally work, just like Crimson Peak worked--AS A HORROR STORY where a naive young woman is tricked by a charming man (who has a thing for siblings, ick), trapped in his big gloomy house and then uses her wits to escape and even find sympathy for her captor due to his tragic past even as she firmly condemns his actions. But Ga On, bless his heart, isn't showing us anything that might let me connect with him as a character and figure out the context of the story. It's so frustrating, I really wanted to like this one and it has so much going for it! All the characters, arcs and sets by themselves are marvelous, so it's doubly frustrating when, to me, they just don't seem to mesh.

[duncan-rawr-x3]

Introducing my headcanon of Princess Flurry Heart and her sister, Princess Skyla.. I had mention the two in Luster Dawn's Headcanon as 'step-sisters' to the changeling-pony. Princess Skyla is base on the mlp plush doll of the same name, the doll was released before Flurry existed which made fans and bronies theorized that she is the daughter of Shining Armor and Princess Cadance. So, I decided to include her as the younger sister to Flurry heart. ________________________________________________________ Flurry Heart and Skyla were both crowned to be the next generation of princesses of the Crystal empire: Flurry Heart is the princess of Love (the title given to her by her now retired mother, Princess Cadance) while her sister, Skyla was given the title of Princess of Guidance (and later, one of the crystal empire guards). During their princess coronation ceremony, everypony cheer and welcomed their new princesses.. they were treated equally. However, Skyla didn't felt the same way, she believed that her sister, Flurry Heart was getting more attention due to her being the 'princess of love' while Skyla, who would guard the Flurry heart, defending her from mad fan-ponies, horrific creatures and so on. Wasn't getting the appreciation she wanted, She even once overheard the crystal ponies talking more about Flurry Heart than herself.. So, the young alicorn locked herself away in her room.. studying spell-books and practicing magic, this wasn't any ordinary magic.. this was forbidden magic- "fairy-tale" magic. One day, Princess Flurry Heart was walking through the crystal empire but notice how dull and gloomy the crystal ponies look.. Similar to when her parents told about the empire, King sombra and Sombra's curse, fearing that the king might've returned! The princess ran to warn her parents only to find Skyla in the throne room, and her parents.. her parents appear to be frozen. Horrified and knowing the true culprit of all this, Flurry Heart demanded her sister to explain herself. Which she did, explaining about how no-one appreciates her and always seem to appreciate Flurry.. alongside saying that she wants the appreciation to be taken from her sister just to spite her, and so she put a curse on the empire.. a very similar one to King Sombra's. She just wanted to show Flurry how it feel to be unappreciated, the older princess bow her head and asked her sister simply "Fine, I can see now.. when will you lift this curse?" Her younger sister chuckled before replying with "Who says I'm lifting this curse?" which Flurry gasped in horror and was in disbelief what she had heard "Will you at least unfreeze our parents?" yell Flurry Heart "WHY are they frozen in the first place?" "They were going to stop me from ruling the empire!" she announced, "So they are frozen until the time being.. I'll be the new ruler of empire!" Suddenly her younger sister started to glow, dark shadows surround her body transforming her into the dark alicorn know as 'Heartbroken Skyla' which is similar to how Luna transformed to Nightmare Moon. Princess Flurry Heart was sadden and horrified by this, she quickly use a spell to unfreeze her parents who were too horrified that their daughter was now replaced by a monster. She had darkness and despair in her. There was no way to convince her to stop this, so Shining Armor, Princess Cadance and Flurry Heart were both force to put their magic together to cast a spell to vanish Skyla to the 'heavens' for the next 1000 years until they could buy time and find a way to help change her back.   During these times, Luster Dawn never really saw Skyla as an adult due to her spending most of her times at the school for gifted unicorns and The school of friendship.

[bthenoise]

ICYMI: Here Are 12 Newsworthy Items You May Have Missed Over The Holidays

Hello everybody and happy new year! While getting back into the swing of things here at the office (aka our house), we noticed a handful of exciting things have been announced while we were off the grid safely celebrating the holidays.

So, instead of pumping out article after article for you to comb through and catch up on, we thought we’d compile all the things you may have missed into one, easy-to-read post.

Let us begin:

GOOD CHARLOTTE DEBUT SOMBER NEW SINGLE “LAST DECEMBER”

For the first time since 2018′s sensational LP Generation Rx, Good Charlotte has returned with brand new music. 

Written as a way to cope with the hard times as of late, guitarist Benji Madden says of the gloomy new single “Last December”: 

“2020 being the 20th anniversary of our self-titled debut album really made us feel like we wanted to release something for those fans who’ve gone on this journey with us. The holidays can be a rough time of year - thinking of the ones we’ve lost and longing for moments that have passed us by is definitely a part of the joy and melancholy. For us, this song speaks to both sides of those holiday feelings and we hope it brings some solace to anyone who needs it.”

To check out the new track, see the video below.

AFI DETAIL PLANS FOR BRAND NEW ALBUM 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by AFI (@afireinside)

Great news AFI fans! Looking to follow up 2018′s five-track EP The Missing Man, Davey Havok and Co. have shared news regarding when you might hear some new music.  

Taking to their socials, the band collectively shared: “With the end of a year that has been, at best, challenging for all, we have news that we hope may bring you some joy. Very soon, new songs shall be yours. Before the year’s end, our 11th album will follow. We could not be more happy with our latest work and hope you will feel the same. Thank you for joining us upon this next journey. We are thrilled to take it and honored to have you at our side.”

Anyone else excited for a new AFI album!?

††† (CROSSES) SURPRISE RELEASE CHILLING NEW COVER 

As if a brand new Deftones album and 20th anniversary version of White Pony wasn’t enough, Chino Moreno concluded his 2020 with a brand new release from his thought-to-be-dormant project ††† (Crosses).

The song, which is a cover of Cause & Effect’s 1990 track “The Beginning Of The End,” is Moreno and guitarist Shaun Lopez’s first offering since their 2014 self-titled record.

To check out the track, see below.  

FOO FIGHTERS DEBUT SECOND NEW SINGLE “NO SON OF MINE”

Continuing their promotional push for their forthcoming tenth studio album Medicine At Midnight, Foo Fighters have released their second new single. 

Titled “No Son Of Mine” (and no, not an Every Time I Die cover), the latest from the hard rock staples leans much more on the louder side than their previous single “Shame Shame.”

To check out the new tune, see below.

FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE GO “BLUE” FOR NEW EIFEL 65 COVER

It’s not everyday you hear an Italian symphonic death metal band cover an Italian techno group but here we are.

Ending their 2020 on a colorful note, noisemakers Fleshgod Apocalypse released a stirring rendition of the 1998 hit “Blue (Da Ba Dee)” -- yes, you read that correctly.   

Commenting on the mind-bending cover, frontman Francesco Paoli said, “After the amazing response over our latest single ‘No’ we wanted to release something that could make the end of this shitty 2020 a bit funnier for everyone. That’s why we took a popular dance track from the 90s and made it the heaviest, angriest, bloodiest party song ever.” 

“We’re ready to blast your ears again in 2021,” Paoli noted, “stay tuned!”

To hear the cover, see below.

AS IT IS DRUMMER AND FUTURE FIREMAN PATRICK FOLEY DEPARTS FROM THE BAND

Bummer news As It Is fans: Founding drummer Patrick Foley has decided to step away from the band to take on a new heroic role as a firefighter. 

The band took to their socials to share: “Our brother and friend Foley has decided to step back from As It Is, to pursue a brand new career as a fire fighter. We could not be more proud of him (and are keeping him on speed dial for when we next use pyro in a live show). All love, Patty, Ali, Ronnie x”

See the band’s emotional farewell video below. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by As It Is (@asitisofficial)

CANE HILL DEBUT DEVASTATING NEW SINGLE “KILL ME”

2021 is shaping up to be a busy year for Cane Hill. Continuing to churn out head-pounding singles, the New Orleans act recently released their blistering new track “Kill Me.”  

Vocalist Elijah Witt commented on the song saying: "I think if this year [2020] has taught me anything, it's that this dreadful voice of negativity in my head is loudest when my life is quiet. Just like everyone else, my mental health has taken a steep decline this year, and giving life to that horrific voice was the easiest way for me to try and combat it. ‘Kill Me’ is what I feel in the parts of me I can ignore when life is normal.” Witt adds, “‘Kill Me’ adds another chapter to ‘Krewe De La Mort’ that continues to bring Louisiana folklore to life. Building upon the visual intensity we established with ‘P.O.T.H.,’ we worked closely with Dreamseeker Productions in further exploring elements of witchcraft and the occult while staying true to these Cajun tales.”

To check out the new song and striking visual, see below.

ENTER SHIKARI SHARE BIZARRE NEW VIDEO FOR “T.I.N.A”

If you’ve ever wondered what Enter Shikari would look like as walking, talking (and dancing) human hands, you’re in luck. 

The band, in support of their latest LP Nothing Is True & Everything Is Possible, have released a truly stunning clip for their track “T.I.N.A.”

To watch the video directed by Matthew Taylor, see below.  

CROWN THE EMPIRE RELEASE INTERACTIVE MUSIC VIDEO FOR “RED PILLS”

Will you take the red pill or the blue pill? This is the question you must ask yourself in Crown The Empire’s new interactive music video directed by Sam Shapiro. 

Set to their track aptly titled “Red Pills” off their 2019 release Sudden Sky, the band’s new clip leaves things in the viewers hands for once.   

Elaborating on the video, the band shared, “We created an interactive experience where you, the viewer, will be taken down a wormhole to decide your own ending. Choose your destiny wisely...”

Check out the video below.

MAYDAY PARADE DEBUT STRIPPED-DOWN VERSION OF “I’M WITH YOU”

Leave it to Mayday Parade to release something sad around the holidays. 

In collaboration with Decatur City Church in Decatur, Georgia, vocalist Derek Sanders and drummer Jake Bundrick have shared a new stripped-down version of their song “I’m With You.”

To check out the gloomy piano-led version, be sure to see below.

DARKO (EMMURE, CHELSEA GRIN) UNVEIL CHAOTIC NEW VIDEO FOR “PALE TONGUE”

While listeners patiently await the debut full-length release from Emmure drummer Josh Miller and Chelsea Grin vocalist Tom Barber, aka Darko, the duo have released a wild new music video.  

Set to their blistering track “Pale Tongue,” the band’s new clip provides insane visuals that will leave you feeling like you hallucinated it.

To check out the video, see below.  

WATCH ASKING ALEXANDRIA’S DANNY WARSNOP STAR IN NEW METALCORE COVER OF “YOU’RE A MEAN ONE, MR. GRINCH”

Who would have known a Dr. Seuss classic would go so well in the stylings of metalcore? 

Showing that the classic Christmas thief himself Mr. Grinch knows a thing or two about mosh pits and breakdowns, YouTuber/musician Jared Dines has teamed up with Asking Alexandria’s Danny Worsnop for a hard-hitting cover of “You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch.”   

To check out the rippin’ rendition and accompanying music video, see below. 

[tsarisfanfiction]

Unaware (Tales From The Heart)

Fandom: One Piece Rating: Gen Warnings: none Characters: Law, Shachi, Penguin

His new companions – and Law still was not over the fact that they refused to leave him alone despite his best efforts – had their quirks. None of them smoked (and subsequently set themselves on fire), nor did they manage to make air tangible enough to trip over it. They weren't needy and overly clingy, nor were they easily bribable with something simple like food. Honestly, Law was glad they showed none of those traits, otherwise they'd be too painful to be around.

Bepo had no willpower. If Law was feeling particularly kind, he would amend the statement to 'Bepo had no willpower when faced with himself, Penguin or Shachi'. He wondered if it had something to do with the way Penguin and Shachi had been beating him up when he first met them, but while Bepo apologised every time they complained about anything, he wasn't afraid of them, so the whole thing made no sense.

Penguin clung to his hat in much the same way that Law clung to his own. He hadn't asked why, yet, but he wouldn't have been surprised if it was given to him by someone special, too. He also seemed down-right addicted to swimming, and while Law could and would admit he occasionally missed the ability, there was a line between recreational and ridiculous.

And then there was Shachi. Loud, cheerful, always grinning Shachi, who never took those ridiculous shades off. Ever. In the sunlight, Law got it. The sun could glint off the waves quite sharply, and it was never a good idea to look into the sun. When they were deep underwater in the safety of the Polar Tang, where the only lighting was the artificial strips, there was no such excuse.

The nonsensicalness of the whole thing finally got to Law one gloomy morning, when the Tang was sailing rather than submerged but dark clouds had gathered to blot out the sun. It made him uneasy, but they'd needed to surface because Bepo had begun to dangerously overheat (the mink was laying out on the deck, panting like a dying man and making frequent moans that could be agony or bliss), and his latest intel had put Doflamingo as being several islands away. To distract himself from the thoughts of paranoia he could do nothing about, Law turned his attention to Shachi's quirk.

The ginger was lounging around on deck, seemingly doing nothing. Law spared a moment to think about how Penguin was being far more useful as he set up a fishing line to make the most of their brief moment on the surface as he approached him.

"What's with those things?" he asked, squatting down next to Shachi and watching as he tensed up. A hand swatted his away as he reached out to prod at the shades, and Law scowled. "The sun's not coming out from behind these clouds any time soon," he said confidently, and Shachi shrugged.

"So what?" he asked, and Law got the distinct impression that something was being hidden from him. The last time someone had hidden something from him, they'd died.

"Take them off," Law ordered, and heard the sound of something hitting the deck from where Penguin had been standing.

"No," Shachi said, his entire body taut as a wire. It was the first time he'd challenged him, and Law was having none of it, reaching out and swiping the shades from the ginger's face too fast for him to stop him.

Instantly, he knew something was wrong. Even as he took in the unnaturally large pupils, blown so wide the coloured iris was all but invisible, there was a cry of pain and Shachi screwed his eyes shut, his hands flying up to cover them. Before Law could comprehend what any of that meant, there was pain in his jaw and he crashed into the exterior of the main cabin.

Picking himself up, he looked back at Shachi to find Penguin crouching beside him, one hand still in a tight fist and what little of his face was visible like thunder. His other hand was pulling Shachi close to him protectively, the ginger burying his face in his chest.

"Did no-one ever teach you that no means no?" the oldest of the group demanded furiously. Law attempted to match his glare, only to be distracted by how Shachi was shaking. Like that horrific day not so long ago, when he'd forced them to become murderers, he suddenly felt like he'd been doused in cold water. Shachi was in pain, because of him. His mind flashed back to Doflamingo, and how willing he'd been to hurt his own brother at the end. No. He couldn't let himself fall down that path.

He swore, pulling himself to his feet then locating the shades from where they'd fallen. In the commotion, they'd fallen to the deck and one of the lenses had cracked. Law stared at it numbly for a moment before discarding them again. Broken shades were no good. He approached the pair uncertainly, watching Penguin pull Shachi closer to him.

"Shachi," he said nervously, reaching out a trembling hand to touch the ginger's shoulder. Something about the situation made him feel like a helpless child again, and Penguin's glare wasn't helping.

"What?" Shachi snapped, his voice muffled against Penguin's top but still full of pain and tears. Law's hand stopped, just short of his shoulder, before falling back to his side. It felt like he was back on Swallow Island, facing down two older, taller teens again – enemies – and this time he was the aggressor.

"I'm sorry," he said, and he knew that wasn't enough even before Penguin bared his teeth in a snarl, so he drew his knife and slashed off the bottom of his top. "I didn't realise." He reached up again, cloth strip in his hands, and while Penguin snarled at him again he didn't stop him from touching Shachi's face, wrapping the cloth around his eyes gently.

"Maybe you should learn to listen," Shachi snapped, but he let Law blindfold him and take hold of his hand.

"Let's go inside," Law suggested, and Shachi didn't fight him as he led him into the Tang's dark corridors. He headed straight for the infirmary, noticing the way Shachi first returned the grip on his hand, then increased it until he was all but clinging by the time they reached the large room. "What happened to your eyes?" he asked, guiding Shachi to sit down before walking around the room to dim the lights until he could barely see. Penguin stood protectively by the ginger, and Law noticed that Bepo had dragged himself back inside to curl up by Shachi's knee.

"'m snow blind," Shachi said sulkily as Law headed back towards him in the now-darkened infirmary. Law had seen cases of snow blindness before, but they'd only been temporary. He hadn't known it was possible to get it permanently. He didn't ask how.

"I'm sorry," he said instead, because he was. It was the second time he'd really hurt Shachi and Law really hadn't planned on getting so attached to his limpets, but at some point he had and now he was facing the consequences. "I turned the lights down," he added, because he didn't know how well Shachi could make out his surroundings through the remains of Law's top. "Can I..?" He let his hands rest on the blindfold, waiting for one of them to give permission. Snow blindness in particular hadn't been common in Flevance, but its close relation photokeratitis hadn't been unheard of, thanks to the way everything had been white. If he could help Shachi even just a bit…

Penguin squeezed Shachi's shoulder lightly, and the ginger opened his mouth.

"Sure," he nodded, and Law gently undid the knot keeping it in place, letting the material flutter down to the ground. Shachi kept his eyes closed for several long seconds before he let them open, blinking away moisture in the dark.

Law could barely see anything more than movement. He explored with his fingers, gentle but firm, and wiped away the tears.

"Regular treatments stopped working a long time ago," Penguin said, his voice still clipped but less hostile than it had been originally. "You can't do anything to heal it." Law thought of his abilities, the supposed medical miracles, and wondered about that. But he couldn't do anything yet, he didn't know enough about the eye. One day. One day he'd learn enough and be able to heal Shachi.

"Your shades broke," he admitted out loud.

"I have spares," Shachi told him, and Law felt him turn his head beneath his fingertips. "Hey, Penguin, could you?"

"I'll be back in a minute," the older boy said, and Law heard him head for the door. As he opened it, light from the corridor spilled in and Law positioned himself between Shachi and the light. In what light there was, he saw Shachi's mouth pull itself into a grin.

"Don't mind him," the ginger said once the door was shut again. "He worries way too much. I should have told you before you got this curious." Law got pulled into a hug. "Don't do that again, yeah?"

"I won't," Law promised, astounded at how quickly Shachi had calmed down. It was the same way he'd once forgiven Lami for drawing all over his homework when she'd been bored and too young to know better.

It felt like family, and that was the first time Law realised that maybe his tagalongs were there to stay.

[formalmess]

For Your Entertainment ~ Chapter Eleven

Summary: Luigi gets help and Peasley receives a visitor.

Warnings: Gore, Character Death, Murder

”D-Daisy…”

Luigi’s chest dropped as he watched the last signs of life escape his friend in the form of unceremonious bubbles, Daisy’s corpse floating within her final watery resting place. He sobbed out her name in vain, his stomach twisting painfully as his knees gave away, stumbling back.

”Luigi, my boy.” E. Gadd approached him, his glasses clouded and face pale. He gripped Luigi’s shoulders, trying to help steady the trembling man. “Are you okay? Stand up, young feller!”

Luigi didn’t respond. He was numb, gaze locked upon the screens. “Daisy… D-Daisy…!” The weight of her passing hit Luigi all at once, his sobs turning to screams. “N-No...! NO! DAISY!”

”What is-?” E. Gadd turned around. “What’s going on?!”

”Bravo!” 

From within the recording, Dimentio suddenly spoke up.

The three standing in the lab jolted, moving to focus on the screens surrounding them.

Not yet finished, Dimentio stood up and waved his hands in the air dramatically.

”That was quite the performance, was it not?” His maliciously chilling voice continued without an air of sympathy as he circled the golden box. “Wouldn’t have expected any less from my most devoted and fesity of assistants. Putting up a fight until the very end! What a spectacle, indeed.”

He circled Daisy’s floating corpse in the execution tank with a smile on his face, lifting a gloved finger to his chin in thought. “I do suppose I was partially to blame for the exhaustion that ultimately sealed her fate, though…” Dimentio mused with a sigh. 

He laughed.  “But who am I to resist a game of cat and mouse when presented with it? Only a fool would pass up such an opportunity. Even if the other contender in the game gets worn out, it’s all the same to me! A bit of fun before the show. Certainly a fine way to loosen up a bit before playing the role of host…”

”Oh Grambi, no…” Peasley held a hand over his face, grimacing as he lowered his head, trying not to imagine Dimentio’s cruel titters of delight from when he snatched the Sarasan Princess away. “I can’t even imagine…”

”-But!” Dimentio continued. “Speaking of exhaustion… I do believe my audience is deserving of a bit of a break. Wouldn’t you agree, my flower dame?”

Silence was all that answered.

”Ah, right… Dead.” Dimentio mumbled. He shook his head, clapping his hands together. “Well, in any case, I won’t see to it that I bore my audience with the same old tricks! Why, I need time to prepare for the show’s finale, after all!”

Dimentio turned his attention to the camera, keeping a hand up against the execution box he’d created.

”So consider this your intermission, everyone. Stretch, maybe get some snacks, rest up... Our regularly scheduled program will start again soon!" 

Dimentio further pressed his gloved palm down on the golden box in the middle of the room, grinning madly as his yellow eye twinkled upon examining Daisy's body.

"My assistant will be more than happy to send you off... with a bang!"

He disappeared with a snap of his fingers, laughing.

Without warning, the golden box containing Daisy’s body exploded, the swirling contents inside meshing together in a horrific combination of dark ash and sparks, blood splattering against the yellow sheet of glass.

Bloodied water flooded the camera’s view.

The tape cut to black.

                                                 - - - - - - - - - -

Dimentio kept true to his word.

After the three shakily exited the lab, composing one another despite their festering terror, they soon realized there was nothing to fear. Nothing else in the manor was amiss, and none of the ghosts reported any sightings of the jester.

As the hours passed that evening and the night turned to a clear sunny day, it was made very clear Dimentio’s intentions of giving his grief-stricken audience a break were truthful. He didn't attack, torment, send letters or parcels... It was almost as if he'd gone dormant, the cruel beast locked away for the time being.

Paranoia tore at their fragile subconscious, however, constantly reminding them they weren't safe and that he could strike at any time, to whisk them away to a horrific fate.

But, for now, everything was tranquil. Nothing was wrong. Everything was okay.

E. Gadd took it upon himself to ensure Luigi and his spouse felt happy and comfortable in Evershade Valley upon seeing how upset they were after the video incident. And despite the hesitation at first, the pair did stay.

E. Gadd put lots of work into sprucing up Gloomy Manor for his guests, dusting up cobwebs and fixing furniture with the help of various ghosts. Luigi and Peasley also helped despite E. Gadd’s protests, claiming this was his job, and that the two boys should just relax. But, they insisted they help, using it as an opportunity to distract themselves. Peasley decorated the main foyer and entrance with tens upon tens of yellow roses he’d collected, having been waiting for an opportunity to display them somewhere. He filled the large vases by the doors, telling Luigi that it’d be a nice thing to come home to.

Luigi was already quite familiar with the property from his ghost-hunting days, which made it easy for cleaning up. As they tidied up their new and hopefully permanent abode, Luigi seemed to recognize every nook and cranny, telling Peasley tales of his past adventures.

The stories helped to comfort Luigi, and having the ghosts assist in their efforts to clean certainly helped in making him feel better. The gesture turned something that was once terrifying seem familiar and comforting, much like how he’d been when first adopting Polterpup. The spectral pup himself seemed much happier living in Gloomy Manor, playing by their feet while his owners worked. He even tried to help in his own way, ripping up shreds of paper and curtains that were caked with dust or broken. 

As the days passed, Luigi adapted to the new setting as well.

Keeping his thoughts away from Dimentio, Luigi managed to calm himself down. He often mediated and read to himself in the library with Polterpup on his lap, left to calm himself down when his thoughts began to wander. Peasley would always accompany Luigi wherever he went to ensure his safety, helping whenever it was necessary.

Mario had even sent a letter to the manor, calming Luigi's growing anxieties tenfold. Luigi came to Peasley in jubilant tears one morning to show him the letter, written in Mario's own handwriting with bolded red ink.

’I'll be back soon, Weegie. I miss you a lot, and I'm sorry I haven't been there for you. As soon as I get there, we'll figure this out together. I'm on my way.’

Luigi knew Mario most likely didn't even know what had befallen upon them all. Not the full story, at least. Luigi didn't want to tell him everything. Not all at once.

Not about the Princess...

Luigi shook his head and pocketed the letter, continuing to try and distract himself with menial activities. Peasley did his very best to try and keep Luigi feeling secure and happy as the days passed by.

Luigi's panicked jitters and horrific nightmares began to subside as the days turned to a single month, leaving everyone in the manor and valley feeling much more at ease. The change was almost unprecedented, but no one objected or complained. E. Gadd was pleased to see Luigi's condition bettering, always offering him time to himself.

But, the professor did still request a weekly meeting with Luigi and Peasley to catch up on things in between vigorous lab work. He never saw the boys during the week and wanted the opportunity to see them once in awhile. Their meetings were fun and light-hearted, E. Gadd usually telling bad jokes over tea and snacks. 

Today’s meeting was quieter than usual though. E. Gadd had lost most of his eccentricities, now silent and twiddling his thumbs across from Peasley and Luigi.

"Now... boys,” E. Gadd began, sitting up as he held his hands together. “I know you two have been rather stressed, as of late. But, I wanted to ask you two something. It's just an idea, so hear me out."

Peasley and Luigi glanced up from their separate cups of tea, exchanging a glance. 

"What is it, professor?"

E. Gadd took a breath, and then began. "Earlier today I was in Toad Town, just looking for parts for my next big invention.” He grinned. “Which, might I add, will be quite the revolutionary project, something generations will be studying for years to c-...”

He paused, clearing his throat as he turned to Luigi and Peasley, both with puzzled expressions. 

“Ahem, sorry, got a bit off-track there. Anyhoo, I ran into an odd fellow on the streets. He was wearing the most peculiar outfit, a purple cloak draped over his head and a crystal ball in his arms. He stopped me, noticing I was looking rather pale, and asked if I needed any help. Now, my complexion is my business, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't the least bit shaken from... the incident, that happened a few weeks ago."

"But still,” he continued hastily. “I explained that, and I apologize for letting this slip without your consent, young fellers, but I informed him of your, uh, condition, right now. Rather fragile, the pair of you are. He explained he was a doctor. Lives in Toad Town, not far from here at all. 

“You both need to cope somehow, and I just thought it would be better if you two see a medical professional rather than just bottling it up yourselves. These talks are doing some good, I would hope, but there's not much I can do except offer some words of encouragement. I know not the slightest thing about how the mind works, only what makes gears turn and cogs spin.

“It’s only an idea, but he gave me his information if you two might be interested." He handed over a card he'd been keeping in his lab coat pocket, handing it over to Luigi. Luigi looked the small card over, tilting his head curiously.

It was labelled with the name ‘Dr. Toadley’ and gave the address to Toadley Clinic. The name sounded familiar to Luigi, but he didn’t exactly recall why.

”He said he mainly focuses on having one client at a time, just for an hour session. And he also told me your first session would be completely free. Just tell him I sent you. He seems like a nice-enough fellow, albeit a bit odd, but who isn’t a little odd nowadays?”

"Luigi, this sounds like a marvelous opportunity for you!” Peasley spoke up, setting his tea cup down.

”What? B-But, what about you? I don’t want to leave you alone!”

”I’ll be fine!” Peasley smiled. “Besides, someone’s gotta look after Polterpup while you’re out.”

Polterpup, who was licking up the crumbs that’d fallen to the ground, yipped and perked his head up upon hearing his name.

”I… I don’t know. I’ve been pretty okay, lately…? I don’t n-need-“

”Luigi, my boy, you need help. I’m no professional, but you’ve been out of it for several days these past few weeks. Seeing you cry breaks my old heart, son.”

”But… what if… h-he? While I’m walking to Toad Town, if-?”

”I’ll have some ghosts accompany you, my boy. No one will mess with you when they’re around. Hoho! They’ll be too scared outta their skin.”

”I… I…”

Peasley reached forward, grabbing Dr. Toadley’s card and slipping it back into Luigi’s hands. He held them comfortingly, smiling. “This will be a good break for you, darling. Try and tell him everything. I’m sure he’ll be able to help you.”

”But, I don’t want… I don’t want to remember...”

”I know it hurts. It hurts me every day to think about it too. But, you can’t keep it to yourself any longer. It’s going to hurt you so much more if you do.”

Luigi looked into Peasley’s concerned gaze for a moment before turning to glance at E. Gadd, who also nodded.

”O… Okay.”

                                                - - - - - - - - - -

“I-I’ll only be gone for an hour.” Luigi spoke shakily. “I’ll be in Toad Town…”

“I know, Luigi. Just an hour. You’ll be back before dark, right?”

“Yeah. A-And E. Gadd is just next door, if you need him, for whatever reason.”

“I know, sweetheart.”

“Y-Your sword! Do you have your sword on you? Just in case.”

“Yes, darling. I always have it on me.”

“Lock the door behind me, p-please.”

“I will, darling.” Peasley smiled. “Goodness, shouldn’t I be the one worried about YOU? It’s been quite awhile since we were last in Toad Town. You be careful out there, Luigi. Come back home safe. Stay close to the ghosts.”

Peasley gestured forward. A group of various ghosts stood just outside the door, a rather large Slammer right by Luigi’s side.

“Y-Yeah. I will. I just… I want you to be safe, Peasley...”

“Just try and calm down, my love. Clear your mind. Remember what Snoozemore taught you about deep breathing?”

“I… All Snoozemore reminds me of is… i-is...”

“I know, darling. You can tell Toadley about it. He’s the professional, I’m sure he’ll be able to help. Be sure to not spare any details. He won’t be able to help if you don’t tell him everything.”

Luigi nodded shakily, holding back tears. “Yeah…”

Peasley leaned forward and hugged Luigi tightly, trying to soothe his shivering. “It’ll be okay. Just try and calm down. I love you so much, Luigi. Be safe out there.”

Luigi nodded into Peasley’s shoulder, sniffling. Peasley leaned back and kissed Luigi on the nose, smiling.

“I love you.”

Luigi went to respond when he jolted at the abrupt sound of barking from behind Peasley, Luigi glancing up just in time to see Polterpup jumping up on his legs.

“O-Oh, hello, doggy…!” Luigi muttered as he bent down to pet Polterpup on the head. “I can’t play right now, I gotta go, boy... I’ll be back soon, though…!”

“Polterpup, stay in the house, please.” Peasley playfully chided as he pushed the spectral dog back. He picked him up, smiling. “Well, I suppose we can both see you off then?”

Luigi nodded slowly, turning and taking a deep breath. His ghostly companions led him down the porch steps toward the road. Glancing back, Luigi smiled as he made eye contact with Peasley again, who was still standing out on the porch.

“Bye, darling!” Peasley waved, blowing a kiss in Luigi’s direction. “See you later tonight!”

Peasley watched Luigi go until he was out of sight. He set Polterpup down on the ground of the manor’s entrance, letting the dog run off as he shut the front doors behind him.

Peasley exhaled before walking down the corridor from the entrance, going toward the main hall. He shivered slightly from a sudden cold draft of air through the windows, the suits of armor looming ominously along the walls certainly not helping with Peasley’s unease as he went.

Once in the main hall, he made his way toward the downstairs corridor, holding his sides as he went into the library. A fire was weakly crackling in the fireplace, coating the room in a warmth that easily relaxed Peasley’s anxious shivers. The gentle glow soothed him as he walked into the kitchen, entering from the side door off of the library.

He removed a package of coffee beans shipped to him from the Beanbean Kingdom from one of the cabinets, setting it down on the counter. He silently made himself a cup of coffee, only the sounds of the whirring machine and trickling liquid being there to accompany him.

He froze as he felt an abrupt wet sensation on his legs, turning around feverishly in panicked shock, only to be met with Polterpup sitting behind him. The ghastly dog tilted his head, panting as he sat and rubbed up against Peasley’s legs, licking them again.

”O-Oh, it’s just you. Hah, you scared me, little guy...”

Peasley smiled as he went to pet the dog before the beeping of the machine caught his attention, turning to pick up his cup.

He set off towards the library again, Polterpup trotting close behind him. He seated himself in one of the velvet lined chairs, almost hidden beneath stacks of books. He picked up one of them to read, skimming over the cover as he sat.

Peasley took a short sip of his freshly brewed coffee, exhaling. Polterpup barked from below him.

“What is it, boy?”

Polterpup whined, his puppy-dog eyes widening.

“What do you want?” Peasley laughed, pointing to his drink. “Do you want some coffee? Hah, just because Luigi isn’t here doesn’t mean you can have caffeine. I don’t think he’d appreciate that.”

Polterpup yipped, playfully licking Peasley’s hand as he bent down to pet him. He then jumped up on the chair, squirming under Peasley’s arms before snuggling up against the prince’s chest.

Peasley ran a hand over Polterpup’s back, smiling. He leaned on his arm as he settled into his seat, setting down his cup on the table at his side. He picked up his book, opening it up and beginning to read.

The hour passed by slowly. Every minute, Peasley wanted nothing more than for Luigi to come back. The ticking of the ornate grandfather clock in the corner of the room only heightened his anxiety. He tapped his foot anxiously.

Polterpup stirred at the trembling movement, glancing up at Peasley curiously.

“Did I wake you? Sorry, Polterpup. I’m just a bit worried. It’s almost been a little over an hour, and he’s not back…” Peasley bit his lip, setting his book down. “Do you think he’s alright?”

Polterpup whined in response, nuzzling his head into Peasley’s chest.

“M-Maybe we should go find him. It’s getting late, and I know how much he hates when it gets dark outside…” Peasley mused, lifting a hand to his cheek. “How about we go pick him up, together? How’s that sound, boy?” Peasley tried to relieve his thoughts by sounding optimistic, but it didn’t help much.

Polterpup yipped, jumping off of Peasley’s lap and nearly knocking over a stack of books as he ran toward the doors, clawing at the wood. Peasley pushed open the door, but Polterpup still phased through the walls and doors, the pup rather impatient.

“Hey, slow down! Not all of us can just go straight through walls, you know!” Peasley playfully scolded as he ran after Polterpup.

Entering the main hall, Peasley watched as Polterpup briefly waited for Peasley to ensure he was still following before immediately bolting through the doors leading to the entrance, barking loudly as he went.

“Polterpup!” Peasley called as he opened the doors to the corridor. The same cold draft of air hit him as he entered, squinting down the hall as he started toward the entrance.

Oddly enough, he couldn’t hear Polterpup anymore.

He stiffened upon hearing shuffling on the other side of the doors, pausing in his tracks.

“Luigi?” He questioned as he pushed open the doors, glancing around the entrance hall carefully as he walked in. “Luigi, is that you-?”

He froze.

“Ahahahaha! Look who finally decided to show up!”

Peasley could practically feel his heart stop at the sound of the now-familiar laughter. He stepped back instinctively, horrified at the smiling figure standing before him.

Dimentio stood dressed in his usual garb, a violet and yellow cape draped over his shoulders. The bells on his jester hat jingled as he moved his head, smiling eerily. His mask was almost completely fixed, but small pieces of it were still broken. The jester was holding a snarling Polterpup in his arms, the dog furiously trying to escape his hold, but Dimentio’s expression didn’t change.

“Ah, it’s always a pleasure to meet my hapless victims before the show. Especially you! Why, I feel as though we should’ve had this meeting ages ago.”

His smile only grew as he relished in Peasley’s absolute terror.

“Ahahaha! You almost look surprised, princey!”

Peasley refused to respond, merely keeping his distance.

“Don’t act so shocked, you had to have known this was coming. Even the most dense of imbeciles would have been able to guess I wouldn’t let Luigi’s darling husband just get out of this alive, right? Or perhaps that’s your foolishness at work again?” Dimentio laughed cruelly. “Mr. ‘Oh, he’ll leave us alone if we just wait it out!’, Mr. ‘Maybe he’ll just give up!’, how I am ever-so-pleased to meet your acquaintance at last!”

Polterpup growled in Dimentio’s hold, baring his teeth before chomping down on Dimentio’s hand. Dimentio released a shrill shriek, glaring at Polterpup.

Dimentio’s porcelain smile twisted into a frown. “Miserable creature...”

He snapped his fingers, Polterpup releasing a final growl and sharp yelp before he disappeared from sight, seemingly into thin air.

“Polterpup!” Peasley held back a horrified scream. “W-What did you just do-?!”

“Oh, the mutt’s fine! I just sent him off to my own little pocket dimension for a bit. I just got the place tidied up, after all.”

Peasley stepped back, trying to keep himself from shivering. He reached behind him, grabbing the door handle.

”Well, now that that distraction is out of the way…”

Dimentio held out a hand for Peasley to shake, to which Peasley responded by stepping back further.

”Oh, what? You’re not going to shake my hand? Too good for that, I suppose.” Dimentio scoffed, lowering his outstretched hand. “Fine. Be impolite then.”

Peasley ignored Dimentio as he reached to his side, moving to grab the hilt of his sword.

”No introductions will be necessary for me, I suppose. Surely you know who I am, and you must know exactly why I’m here. Why, you’re my next act, after all!”

”I-I’m not afraid of you, Dimentio.” Peasley spoke confidently.

”Ahaha… Now that’s a laugh! You can say that all you like, but it won’t change a thing. You’re uncontrollably shaking, like a leaf desperately clinging onto a tree during the coldest and foulest of winter days…”

Dimentio floated forward, hovering off the ground slightly. He moved fluidly, his mismatched eyes watching Peasley’s every movement as he leered at him. 

“I suppose you must be curious about what your role during my show may entail. I would just hate to spoil the surprise, but let’s just say it will be quite the show-stopper! Quite a fun welcome back from our short intermission.”

Dimentio suddenly appeared beside Peasley, teleporting to his left side and pushing him back into the middle of the entrance hall. Peasley broke his composure, having lost the grip on his sword.

“No, you won’t be the finale of my show, I’m sorry to say. And you won’t even be the first prince I’ve had onstage either! Aw, what a shame, indeed. I know how much that must hurt your egotistical heart, not being important at all to the program…” Dimentio mockingly pouted, running a finger down his mask to imitate a tear.

Dimentio hoisted Peasley to his feet, staring into his eyes.

“But, you’ll still be a marvelous addition… I’ve planned a very special trick for you.”

Peasley pulled himself out of Dimentio’s grip, stumbling away. He reached to the table along the wall, picking up one of the flower vases he’d put out. As soon as Dimentio lunged toward him again, Peasley slammed the vase over Dimentio’s head, the sound of glass shattering filling the otherwise silent entrance hall.

Dimentio clambered backward, reaching a hand up to his now-broken mask shakily. Black liquid spilt from the cracks onto his gloved hands, thick streams of pure jet-black fluid dripping down the white side of his mask.

Peasley staggered back momentarily before he turned on his heel and bolted away from the entrance hall, rushing out of sight as he dashed down the corridor.

“We’re playing rough, then…? Fine. I can deal with that…”

Dimentio wiped away at the black liquid trickling down his face, his cracked smile twitching.

“Let the games begin.”

                                               - - - - - - - - - -

“T-Thank you, again, Dr. Toadley, f-for everything.” Luigi’s meek voice trembled slightly as he spoke.

The meeting at the clinic had gone much better than he originally thought it would, feeling a sense of renewal fill his chest. It had gone a little longer than he would’ve liked, but the time spent further delving into ways to cope certainly helped.

”It's just been really hard to talk about that kinda stuff lately…”

“Are you feeling better now? Of course you are.” Toadley spoke quickly, brushing his hands off on his cloak. The blackened coat draped over his head concealed most of his features, but Luigi didn’t complain. Eye contact made him nervous. “Will I see you again? I assume so. My services have proven themselves formidable to you, correct?”

“Yes-”

“Of course I’m correct. Stop by the clinic at any time. My intern will see to it that you’re first in line for my services.”

“T-Thank you, Dr. Toadley.” Luigi smiled. “I-I really am feeling a lot better.”

“Happy to hear. Now, hurry on home.” Toadley spoke hastily. “Tell E. Gadd I said hello. And Luigi?”

“Yes?”

“Don’t forget our talk. You have an unseen potential. I foresee you doing great things.” 

“T-Thank you! And will do. I-I’ll probably see you later…!”

Luigi rushed out of Toadley Clinic to the waiting group of ghosts, a smile on his face. He waved goodbye to Dr. Toadley, who saw him off at the door.

The ghosts led their mortal companion back to Evershade Valley, chattering back and forth.

The doctor grinned as he watched Luigi go. But his smile was not his own.

He’d completed his assigned task.

For, what Luigi failed to notice upon his leaving, was the small green sprout curled around Toadley’s cranium.

                                               - - - - - - - - - -

Peasley ran without stopping.

He couldn’t breathe, his vision hazy with tears and his heart pounding in his ears. His skull rattled as he tried to compose himself, attempting to catch his breath. He couldn’t stop for anything.

Dimentio would catch him if he stopped.

Peasley pushed open the doors leading into the main hall, stopping in the middle of the room. His eyes feverishly darted around the space, trying to find the most optimal place to hide.

He turned on his heel as he heard the sharp sound of Dimentio whistling, bells jingling from the corridor behind him.

He quickly darted into the coatroom, hiding himself behind the safety of the closed door. He kept it open though, just by a crack, to keep watch on Dimentio should he come close. He secured a hand on his sword’s hilt.

The doors to the corridor were flung open, Dimentio floating into the middle of the main hall. He turned his head upwards, still holding a hand over his cracked mask as he did.

“Oooh, Peasley!” Dimentio’s sickly sweet voice crackled for a moment, calling out into the silent house excitedly. “Come out, come out, wherever you areee~!”

Peasley kept his hands clamped over his mouth, trying to keep his panicked breathing to a minimum.

Dimentio paused, glancing around, waltzing around the vicinity. Peasley watched his every movement, trying to steady his breathing as he dug his arms into his chest, as though that would stop his heart from beating so quickly.

The air was still.

Without warning or reason, Dimentio sharply turned his head to stare directly at Peasley, his single yellow eye glowing. 

From behind the crack in the door, Peasley nearly lost his breath when gasping out a horrified cry, pulling his sword out of the scabbard on his belt.

But, Dimentio didn’t approach him, instead going up the stairs to the second floor.

Peasley glanced down, allowing a sigh of relief to escape him as he crept out of the room upon Dimentio’s leaving. He tested the floorboards, the old wood creaking with each step he took. He huffed, bolting across the main hall to the corridor he’d entered from. He pulled on the handles, but the door had been locked. 

He panicked, rushing into the downstairs corridor on the other side of the room, shutting the door behind him and gulping down saliva as he anxiously tried to steady his breathing.

Peasley went into the nearest room, the door creaking with age as he did.

He went to cover his nose as he entered, shutting the door behind him.

Something smelt… awful. It was almost like something was on fire, but the lack of light from any such fire was clear as he was consumed by complete darkness as soon as the door shut behind him. He groped the wall for a light, unable to see anything in the pitch blackness.

He flicked what he thought to be a switch, turning on the lights overhead.

The sight that greeted him made him wish he’d hadn’t.

E. Gadd’s corpse sat in a wooden chair in the center of what had once been his laboratory, strapped down. His pale skin was charred and rotting, his head lowered, blood having spewed from his mouth. His glasses lay shattered on the ground at his feet.

Peasley screamed at the sight. The stench of burnt flesh assaulted Peasley’s senses as he staggered back, holding his hands over his mouth.

He stiffened as he heard someone moving in the hall just behind him, quickly shutting off the lights in the lab and crouching down behind an old machine.

Dimentio entered curiously, the light pouring in from the hallway being the only indication of his expression as he went into the lab.

“I know you’re in here…” Dimentio spoke in a sing-song tone. “Don’t try to hide from me...”

Peasley scooted toward the door that Dimentio had left open, trying to slip past his wandering gaze.

“You must’ve seen my little project. Hard to miss, isn’t it?” Dimentio laughed shortly. “I personally don’t think it’s my best work, but it’ll suffice. You should’ve heard the old man screaming! I’m quite shocked you didn’t actually… These walls are quite thin, you know.”

Peasley crawled towards the door on his hands and knees, trying to keep his sword from scraping on the ground.

He didn’t notice in the darkness, however, a small toolbox lying on the ground in front of his hands. He hit it as he tried passing, the clinking of metal making Dimentio spin around, chuckling.

“There you are~!”

Peasley screamed as Dimentio fired a star-like projectile toward him, blasting one of the machines in the lab to pieces. Peasley avoided the blast, coughing and darting out of the abandoned laboratory and running back into the main hall.

Only to run directly into Dimentio again.

Peasley screamed, glancing back over his shoulder feverishly.

“H-How did you-?!”

Peasley slipped past him, Dimentio watching Peasley as he dashed up the stairs, firing another projectile in his direction. Nearly tripping over several steps, Peasley quickly turned at the top, running into the upstairs corridor. He slammed the door behind him, locking it and barricading himself in.

“Yes, run as much as you like, but you won’t be able to escape!” Dimentio called, his playful voice echoing through the winding hallways of the mansion. 

Peasley couldn't help the tears from streaming down his face, hopelessly sobbing as he realized he was trapped. He was trapped in his own home with a psychotic jester who wanted nothing more than to steal him away for a twisted show of his own creation. 

He turned his head, running his hands through his hair anxiously as he tried to steady his breathing, nearly choking on his saliva as he gasped out in short breaths. Running further down the hall, he threw open the door to the bedroom he and Luigi were now sharing, shutting the door behind him. He breathed out choked sobs, guttural sounds of pain escaping his lips as he hugged himself.

He had never felt so powerless and alone. He could try jumping out of a window, but that would probably end in his death. He didn’t know what outcome he feared more.

Turning his attention back to the bedroom’s interior, he noticed Luigi’s pajamas strewn on the bed and the covers pulled back, the pair having not made their bed that morning. Today was supposed to be a lazy casual day.

Peasley blinked away tears, rushing over to the wooden vanity in the back of the room. He snatched up a piece of parchment that was lying atop it, having originally been meant for writing a letter back to his mother in the Beanbean Kingdom.

But, right now, all he could think about was Luigi. He had to make sure Luigi knew what had happened. He had to protect him.

He began to write, his hands shaking so much that his words were barely coherent, looking more like scribbles than anything else. 

An abrupt crash sounded from the hallway. Peasley bit down on his tongue to keep from screaming.

Terrified, Peasley crouched down with the letter clutched close to his chest. His eyes darted about the bedroom, looking for anywhere to hide, soon flattening himself against the ground and crawling under the bed. He curled his body up, hiding in the darkness amongst the musty floorboards. 

He breathed in short spurts, attempting to finish his letter despite not being able to see. The sliver of moonlight from the window was all he had, his words trembling and ugly, messily strewn about. Tears stained the paper, the words smudged.

He just hoped Luigi could somewhat read it. That’s all he needed.

He froze upon hearing more shuffling in the corridor, the door to the parlor in the next room over creaking open. He was getting closer.

Tears trickled down Peasley’s face onto the parchment, blurring the already almost incoherent words as he fought back the urge to start sobbing loudly at the thought that this would be his last interaction with Luigi, ever.

He would never see his homeland again. He would never see his mother. His friends. His husband.

Dimentio had already taken so many.

And he was next.

He buried his mouth in his hand, biting down on his skin to keep himself from making too much noise in fear that Dimentio might hear him. He still shivered, his heart pounding as tears continued to fall. He kept a hand held over the letter to ensure the inked words wouldn’t smudge anymore, but he couldn’t stop himself from crying.

He didn’t want to die.

He continued the message, signing his name shakily, his letters unreadable and his signature unsteady.

‘Luigi I love you so much

don’t let him take you. don’t let him find you.

please never forget how much I love you

please

peasley’

He suddenly froze, petrified in horror as he heard Dimentio’s voice.

“Still hiding, are we?”

He was in the bedroom.

Peasley glanced up, holding back tears and sniffles as Dimentio searched, looking into the closet and sifting through clothing. He stepped back.

“Not where I thought you’d be, then…” Dimentio chuckled. “Hmm, now if I were a stupid little naive prince… Where would I hide?”

Dimentio paused right beside Peasley’s hiding spot, having stopped floating as he lowered himself to the ground, just outside Peasley’s vision. The prince scooted backwards further, trembling. He was terrified that Dimentio might be able to hear his heart practically beating out of his chest.

“Well, let’s see. Not in the closet. He could be hiding under the bed… oh, but that’s the oldest trick in the book! Certainly, even the most dim-witted of fools wouldn’t be caught in such a place! That would be an embarrassment!” The smile on his face could be heard.

Dimentio stood still for a few moments, just inches away from Peasley. He held back a sob as Dimentio stepped toward him, humming a peppy tune.

“Ah, I could look, but it’s just a waste of energy!” Dimentio broke his sarcastic character for a moment, bursting into laughter. “No point in looking, I’m quite sure!”

Peasley came to the horrifying conclusion all at once.

Dimentio knew exactly where he was.

Minutes passed with only the accompaniment of Dimentio’s playful humming as he fiddled with the bells on his jester’s hat, almost as if he were waiting for something, bored.

Eventually, after several long minutes of painful silence and waiting, Dimentio finally moved, floating back toward the door. With a snap of his fingers, he teleported out of the room.

Peasley blinked, almost in disbelief, as he tried to steady his breathing. He waited for another minute before scooting out of his hiding place, careful as to not hit his head. He stood up, brushing himself off before he reached down and picked up his sword and the letter meant for Luigi.

He read over it one last time before he set it down on the bed atop Luigi’s pillow, holding back tears.

Turning on his heel, he threw open the door to the bedroom, intent on dashing back to the main entrance.

He wasn’t expecting to run directly into Dimentio’s chest upon exiting.

Peasley scrambled backward after he made contact with Dimentio, the jester forcing Peasley back as he loomed over him, his signature grin plastered on his face.

“S-Stay back! I’ll… I’ll kill you if you get one step closer to me!”

Dimentio didn’t listen, still moving toward Peasley.

Peasley inhaled, glancing down at his ever-trusted sword in his hand before he glanced back up, glaring at Dimentio. 

He lunged forward, plunging the sword directly into Dimentio’s abdomen. Dimentio glanced down at the sword stabbed through his chest, his smile turning to a frown.

Instead of bleeding out and dying, however, Dimentio simply disappeared from sight, leaving nothing behind.

Peasley dropped his sword by his side with a clang in disbelief, lifting a hand to his face.

He approached the spot that Dimentio had once stood, glancing around to see if there were any remains to speak of.

But there was nothing.

Dimentio was gone.

“W-What…”

Peasley yelped as he suddenly felt two cold hands press down on his shoulders. He froze in terror as he heard an eager laugh sound from behind him.

“Look at you, trying to play the hero again. Your attempts are almost as sad as your appearance.” Dimentio’s familiar voice spoke happily. “It was a fun game though. It’s always nice to play with my little mouse before I pounce upon it…”

“H-How...?”

“Oh, did you not know that I can make duplicates of myself? They’re virtually worthless, but they make for a spectacular illusion!” Dimentio chuckled darkly. “Nice try, princey, but I found you…”

Everything went black in Peasley’s vision, Dimentio’s laughter ringing in his ears.

                                              - - - - - - - - - -

“Peasley! I’m home!”

Luigi entered the main entrance of the manor confidently, striding into the open space with a smile on his face. He shut the doors behind him.

“You were right! That was actually really good for me… I can’t believe how much-”

Luigi froze.

Porcelain and glass lined the floor at his feet, roses littered across the ground in messily strewn displays. The doors to the main corridor were shoved open, ominously swaying on their hinges. Black splotches stained the carpet beneath him.

“P-Peasley?”

Polterpup hadn’t even rushed up to greet him yet, which was almost always guaranteed whenever he returned home from something.

“Polterpup? Doggy…?” 

Luigi felt lost. He was alone.

“Is… Is anyone here? H-Hello…?”

He didn’t want to think it, but he knew what had happened. He didn’t want to accept it.

His worst fears couldn’t have come true.

They couldn’t...

They couldn’t be gone.

[secretly-a-plant]

Head Underwater (PRB 2019)

Here is the fic I wrote for the @phandomreversebang 2019! Thank you so so so much to @lovelydeps and @phanandpenguins for being an amazing artist and an amazing beta! I couldn’t have done this without them. (Reblogs, likes, and comments appreciated!)

Ao3 Link

-Dan’s POV-

The ocean is a beautiful and serene place. Dangerous yet peaceful, mysterious yet full of joy. And forbidden. Completely and utterly forbidden. Ever since I was born I've been told horrific stories of winged creatures flying too close to the waves and getting lost in the blue depths. Unable to escape because their wings are sodden with saltwater and the tears of drowned sailors. I’ve been told that every creature that lies below the surface is my mortal enemy, destined to destroy me. That I should never venture to the sea for as long as I live. And yet, I seem to have an unhealthy fascination with the sea. Specifically with a dark-haired merman whose eyes shine brighter than every star in the sky.

I first saw him years ago. I had just gotten into a fight with my parents. This wasn’t a rare occurrence, it seemed that my father and I were always at each other’s throats, and my passive mother almost never took my side. I had stormed off in my usual manner, but instead of retreating to my room, I found myself walking the seldom tread path to the coast. I sat on a rock, closer to the sea then I had ever been before. I was gazing off at the skyline when my eyes caught a shimmer of light in the shallows. Curious and feeling rebellious, I moved closer. It was then that I locked eyes with the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. Full of terror and amazement I quickly turned away and ran back up to the sanctuary of the forest.

And here we are. I’ve been coming back every day since to try and catch a glimpse of the mysterious sea dweller. Pathetic, I know, but I can’t bring myself to stop. One more look I tell myself, just one more complete look and then I’ll be satisfied. Today is a gloomy sort of day. Dreary and cold. The type of day that sinks through your skin, chilling you from the inside out. I don’t expect to see him today, but my subconscious seems to be driving me towards the water anyway. I walk past the cliffs that surround the cove. Craggy and leering, like giants sent to protect the land. I feel my feet sink into the sand as I close my eyes and breath in the ocean air. I feel the mist settle on my skin and the wind whip through my hair. The serene moment is interrupted by a loud splash. I jump at the sound and dive behind a rock. I cautiously peek out from behind my hiding place to be met with the exact thing I had been searching for. I tell myself that I have to go. I’ve gotten what I wanted and now I must return back to safety. But I can’t tear my eyes away. He turns, and quickly I duck down, but I know he’s seen me. I hear the gentle sound of water lapping against the coastline and tentatively emerge from behind the boulder. In front of me is a merman. Dark hair, pale skin, shining blue eyes, and a long scaly tail. He looks nothing like the drawings of mermaids that are in history books. Those mermaids are fearsome and ugly. Eyes full of rage and mouths full of fangs. The creature standing before me looks like he was crafted from sunbeams, and wrapped in layers of serene waves. Once my mind has started working again I realize that he’s looking at me with as much unfiltered awe as I am with him. Has he never seen a human before? But surely he must have if the tales of these creatures are correct. I come to my senses and abruptly turn around. I can’t just stand there and let myself be distracted by how he looks. Looks can be deceiving and while his skin may be devoid of imperfection, there are horrors in his mind. I get no more than two steps when I hear a gentle timid voice.

“Wait!” He says, his voice apprehensive as if testing it out. “Please stay.”

I turn around and see the look in his eyes, curious and pleading. I take a few steps back and sit down on the sand a few paces away.

​“Hello,” I say, with a surprisingly steady voice. I know I should be scared, terrified even, but I can't bring myself to feel anything but wonder.

“Greetings, I am Phil”

I feel a small smile start to spread across my face, matching the one that Phil has adopted.

“I’m Dan.”

 -Phil’s POV-

 ​I’d never seen a fairy before. I’d heard about them, horrible winged creatures sent down from the sky on thunderbolts, with a personal vendetta against the ocean. But looking at the being standing before me, I don’t know how he could be dangerous. His eyes were ringed with red as if he’d been crying, and every part of him from his curly hair to his oversized jumper to his soft gray wings looked safe and warm. Such a contrast from the harsh blues and steely grays of the coastline. Suddenly he turns around and starts to run. I think “No, wait!” but the words are stuck in my throat and I watch as he disappears among the cliffs. And then he’s gone, so quickly that I was certain I imagined him. I sat there for a moment before slipping back below the waves.

​That was years ago. I thought I’d never see him again and that it was probably for the better. When I had gone back to the ocean teeming with excitement at my discovery, no one believed me. They couldn’t fathom that a fairy would come anywhere near the water. And so I waited. I resisted the urge to go back up to the surface to try and catch another glimpse of the boy I had seen so long ago. Today was different. It was a dreary mid-October day. The ocean floor was empty, my parents always went away once the leaves changed to seek warmer waters, and most of the marine life went with them. However, I seemed to be the exception. The brisk weather had given the ocean a dreadful chill. The sun was not strong enough to pierce the layer of waves and seafoam and warm the sand underneath. I made the decision to go on the shore. Maybe I could find a nice rock to lay on, and the sun could chase the chill from my bones. As my head breaks the surface, I see a creature standing on the shore. A creature with curly hair and soft gray wings. My eyes widen in surprise. It couldn’t possibly be the same fairy, could it? But it must be. His wings displayed the same patterns that had lived in my dreams for years. Slowly he turns around, and stands motionless, looking me directly in the eye. Then he jolts, as if startled, and turns and starts to run. This time I manage to voice the words that I hadn’t been able to say last time.

“Wait! Please stay.” I say, immediately self-conscious of the tremor in my voice.

He hesitantly turns around. Finally facing me, he takes a few small steps in my direction and sits on the sand.

“Hello,” he says, his voice calm and smooth.

“Greetings, I am Phil.” I wince at the overly formal greeting, but he doesn’t seem to mind. I begin to smile. He does too, a shy grin growing on his face.

“I’m Dan.” He says, then hesitates and blurts out a sentence so fast I can’t understand what he’s saying.

“What was that?” I ask, with a slight chuckle in my voice. He is clearly embarrassed, his cheeks flaring red as he stumbles over his words.

“I’ve been, um, waiting for you. For a while. Since I was young. I’ve been coming here every day hoping to see you again.”

“So you are the same fairy! I’d hoped I wasn’t making a mistake.”

“Um, yes. That would be me, I think.”

“So. Dan. You’re a fairy. Aren’t you supposed to hate me?”

“Oh, uh, well not exactly hate you. Resent and fear you more than anything else. And frankly, shouldn’t I be asking you the same question? Isn’t your species hell-bent on killing off every single fairy?”

“That’s ridiculous. I’ve never hurt a fairy in my life. Neither has any other merfolk that I know. I’ve always been told that it was fairies that were set on destroying my species.”

“The only reason we ever wanted to hurt you was because of the pain and suffering you’ve caused us. Do you have any idea how many faires your relatives have drowned?”

I start to feel anger replace the curiosity that had bloomed inside me. What right does that boy have to come down to our ocean and start accusing my ancestors of murder?

“Maybe you should go. Who knows, if you stick around maybe my murderous grandma will emerge from her home and eat you.” And with that, admittedly petty, comment I sink below the waves, making sure to splash some of the icy water back up on the shore.

 -Dan’s POV-

 At first, all I'm feeling is rage. But slowly it starts to turn into guilt. He was just defensive of his family, if I had been in his position I would have done the same. Besides, he clearly had very little knowledge of the bloody rivalry between the two species. Maybe if I go back and apologize we can come to an understanding. But not yet. He probably won't be back today, if the way he stormed off was anything to go by. My shoes were now soaking, which definitely made me a little less apologetic. If I give a little time for the dust to settle hopefully we can ease the tension a little bit. For now, I should probably just go home and try not to catch a cold.

When I first wake up I have no memory of yesterday's events. As I drag myself out of bed my conversation with Phil comes back to me. I stand still for a minute, trying to process what had happened and where to go from here. I eat a quick breakfast and gather a small collection of things to bring to Phil.

​When I return to the small cove, I see no sign of Phil. I move closer to the water, probably closer than I’ve ever been, and hesitantly call his name. I wait a few minutes,  then come to the realization that he’s not going to show up. Maybe he’s still mad about yesterday, or maybe he just didn’t feel like indulging a stranger who accused his family of murder. As I’m about to turn away, I instead decide to sit down on a warm rock dangerously close to the coastline. I never realized how peaceful the ocean was until now. I start to zone out until I hear the sound of something moving in the water and I quickly snap back to attention. It’s Phil. He looked like he was just as surprised to see me as I was to see him.

“You came back.” He says, sounding confused, and then his expression shits to annoyance. “You’re not here to slander my species’ reputation are you?”

“No,” I said indignantly. “I actually came back to apologize. Plus, I brought peace offerings.”

I begin to pull a couple of sweet rolls out of my bag. “I don’t know what you eat, but these are some of my favorites.” I hand him the food, and he takes it, looking at me suspiciously. He takes a hesitant bite and I immediately see his eyes light up.

“They’re good, aren't they?” I gloat with a slight smirk on my face.

“These are quite possibly the best thing I’ve ever tasted!” He exclaims loudly.

I let out a short bark of laughter at that. He quickly finishes both of the rolls and proceeds to come a little closer, resting his elbows on the rock I’m resting on. I find myself inching back instinctively, but instantly regret it after seeing the downcast look on Phil’s face.

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“For assuming that you and the rest of your species were murderous beasts? I brought one of my history books so you could see it from my perspective.” I slowly pull the book out of my bag and hand it to him, making sure not to drop it in the water. He opens it and flips through the pages. Then, to my complete and utter surprise, he bursts out laughing. Hysterically laughing. Laughing so hard that his tongue pokes out of his mouth. He quickly puts the book on the rocks so that he doesn’t drop it.

“Why are you laughing? I thought you would be...well I don’t know what I thought your reaction would be, but certainly not laughter!”

“I’m laughing because this is simply the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen. Merfolk’s don’t look like this! They all look like me! Well, similarly to me anyway. If I looked like this I would have converted a long time ago.”

“Converted?” I ask, confusion evident in my voice.

“That is what I said yes. Any merfolk can choose to become human. It’s complicated, supposedly painful, and it doesn’t happen very often, but it is an option.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“Well, there seems to be a lot of things you don’t know.” He sounds teasing as if he was talking to an old friend and not someone he had met yesterday.

“Maybe you could teach me?”

“Are you really willing to learn? You still seem scared of me.”

“I am still a little scared, to be honest, but it seems that our historians got some things wrong when it comes to the ocean, and I want to know the truth.” He smiles brightly, and in that moment I knew that I would do whatever I could to see that smile again.

 ----

To my surprise, visiting Phil has become my favorite past time. I bring him food and books and stories, and in exchange, he teaches me about his life, tells me stories, and gives me the gift of friendship. I am going back home after one of such these days when I find a letter from my parents. Great. I love my village, I’ve got a small house perched on top of a tree, and I love visiting the markets and walking on the soft pine needle carpeted floors. That being said, everything about my home is tainted by my family. I was never anything my father wanted to be. I stopped studying and became a pathetic drop out living off of odd jobs and his parents’ financial support. So getting a letter from them asking to come over for dinner is far from good news. Nevertheless, I prepare to endure the endless streams of questions such as ‘Do you have a job?’, ‘Are you eating enough?’, Or perhaps most annoying of all, ‘Do have a girlfriend?’ My parents are obsessed with micromanaging my life. They’re constantly trying to set me up with horrible banking jobs and nice mellow mannered girls from good families. I hate it with a passion. And yet I don’t have the courage to tell them that I don’t want either of those things. I arrive at my parents' house. I take a deep breath and knock on the door.

 ----

 Dinner is awkward, to say the least. There’s a blanket of silence that lays over the table that almost never accompanies family dinners. It’s nice, peaceful even. It allows me to have the illusion that I’m not a disappointment to the family name. That is until my father clears his throat.

“So, Daniel,” I hate when he calls me that. “Where have you been going every day? Did you find a job?” I stutter and nearly choke on a bite of potatoes. They noticed. Of course, they noticed. I’ve been so stupid. They cannot find out about Phil. It would only end badly for both of us.

“Oh, not exactly.”

“Care to explain?”

“I’ve been um, studying uh, history?” I grab at the first excuse that enters my mind.

“History? Where?”

“The next town over has a nice library. I’m thinking about pursuing a career in it.” There, that should keep them satisfied for now.

“Oh! That’s wonderful Dan!” My mother says with a warm smile on her face. I begin to feel guilt growing in my stomach. If she knew what I was really doing would she still be smiling? Certainly not. And I hadn’t seen her this proud of me since primary school. I smile weakly and try to eat more food even though I now feel sick to my stomach.

 -Phil’s POV-

​After a few months, Dan slowly becomes my favorite part of my daily routine, and I often find myself missing him when he’s not here. Although there are other things to look forward to, my parents are visiting today. It’s still too cold for them to stay here for long periods of time, but they claim to miss me, so they’re swimming down for a day. I’m waiting for them just outside of our house, rubbing my arms together to try and ward off some of the chill. I begin to see their dark silhouettes emerging from the murky water, and I quickly swim out to meet them. My mother quickly embraces me with a warm hug, and out of the corner of my eye, I see my father smile warmly. My father has never been as affectionate as my mother, but over the years I’ve learned that he shows his affection in different ways.  

​The minute we get back in the house my mother immediately comments on the lack of nutritious food.

“Goodness, Phil! Have you been eating at all?”

“Um, well…” I stammer at a loss for words, unsure how to explain to her that I’ve been eating large amounts of fairy food every day.

“No matter,” She interrupts my mildly panicked mumbling “Fortunately I predicted this and brought some food with me.” She begins to pull food out of her sack, far too much food for three people I might add, and I chuckle fondly.

“So Phil, what have you been doing lately?” My father inquires. I freeze. Should I tell them? I can trust my parents with anything, can’t I?

“Well, I’ve um, been spending some time on the beach…”

“Not too much time I hope,” My mother says jokingly “We wouldn’t want you to grow legs and run off somewhere!” I chuckle weakly.

“Well actually, I’ve been making some friends,” My mother looks at me confused and before she can interrupt I rush to continue “His name is Dan, and he’s very nice, I’ve been teaching him about merfolk culture.”

“This...Dan, he’s not a pixie is he?” My father says apprehensively, sharing a worried look with my mother.

“Well yes, but…” My father breaks me off. “Absolutely not. Fairies are dangerous. All they want is to hurt us. Humans I could possibly allow, but I will not see you talking to fairies.”

“I know dad, and I thought that he wanted to hurt me at first too but he’s actually very caring, and he just wants to understand,” My father stands up abruptly.

“We need to leave, and this time you’re coming with us. I can’t have you endangering yourself and others.”

“What? No! I’m staying here! I like it here!”

“Phil,” My mother says weakly “Please don’t do this. We need you to stay safe.”

“Why does everyone hate them so much anyway? What did they ever do to us?”

My mother and father share another loaded look.

“A long time ago, when your grandmother was still a young girl, fairies discovered the ocean. They were fascinated, naturally, they had never seen anything like it before. And the merfolk were scared. These creatures were coming to close for comfort, and tensions were running high between the two species. One day, a curious fairy wandered to close to the water. There was a mermaid there, the boy was fascinated, he’d never seen anything like her before, not knowing what she was he tried to capture her. The mermaid, scared and confused, tried to get him to go away,” My father breaks off, his voice choked up. “And when he didn’t, she drowned him. After that, the two communities were at each other's throats. Merfolk began mercilessly killing off fairies, and fairies were hunting and capturing merfolk by the dozens. Eventually, the fairy council and the merfolk council made a peace treaty. No more fighting, no more killing. But you can see why we don’t exactly get along.”

I sit in stunned silence. We had both been right, me and Dan, our ancestors had tried to kill each other. Finally, my father speaks breaking the tense silence that had fallen over the room.

“Phil I can’t force you to do anything. But please consider what I’ve told you.” He turns to face my mother “I think it’s time that we go.” She rises nodding silently and goes to hug me, just as tightly as before, although this time it was lacking warmth and joy.

---

As soon as I saw the end of my father’s tail disappear into the fog, a thought struck my brain. I have to tell Dan.”

 -Dan POV-

​

When I get down to the beach the next day, Phil is already at our meeting place looking anxious. When I approach he looks up suddenly as if startled out of his thoughts.

“Are you ok?” I ask, worried about my normally chipper friend.

“There's something I have to tell you.” Anxiety swirls in my stomach, those words almost never lead to something good.

“Last night my parents visited.”

---

By the time Phil finishes recounting the horrific event, I feel sick to my stomach. I stand up quickly the minute he finishes speaking. I don’t know what to do. My thoughts are running wild and nothing is making sense.

“Please don’t go” I hear Phil’s voice say. He sounds scared and confused, his voice reflecting  my thoughts exactly.

“I know it’s awful and confusing, but I’m hoping that we can work it out together. Just because our species have a bloody and dishonest history doesn't mean that we can’t be friends.” He sounds nervous as if there is any universe in which I wouldn’t be his friend.

“You’re right. I want to be friends.” I say with a small smile. I sit back down on the rock and Phil sets his elbows up next to where I’m sitting, causing water to splash up beside me. I flinch, my natural reaction when coming in contact with ocean water. Phil must have noticed because a small smile starts to form on his face.

“Have you seriously never been in the ocean before?”

I shake my head no, and Phil lets out a startled laugh.

“You have to try it! It’s the best thing ever!”

“Nope. No. Definitely not.”

“Please Dan? For me?” He looks up at me pouting with big blue eyes and how could I possibly say no to that?

“Fine. But only so you’ll shut up.” I say, rolling my eyes. I try to feign nonchalance but my heart is racing. Surely the water can’t be that dangerous. I cautiously dip my feet in. It’s cold and slightly terrifying, but calming at the same time. I stare in fascination at the spot where my feet disappear under the water, waves lapping at my ankles.

“That doesn’t count! You barely dipped your toes in!” Phil looks at me with a mischievous glint in his eyes and the tip of his tongue poking out of his mouth. Suddenly I understand Phil’s train of thought.

“No, Phil-” But it’s too late. Pale hands wrap around my ankles, pulling me down into the ocean. I emerge sputtering and wiping water out of my eyes to find Phil doubled over in laughter.

“You absolute twat! I could have drowned!” He scoffs.

“You wouldn’t have drowned. Not only is it shallow here, but I’m also here to pull you out if you were in any real danger.” I huff, but in spite of my annoyance, I feel a smile building up inside of me. I look at Phil, and I feel pure unfiltered joy. I wish I could live in this world forever, just me and Phil. My sentimental thoughts are interrupted by a shiver that wracks through my body.

“Bloody Hell, Phil! It’s fucking cold!” Another wave of laughter hits him before he opens his arms invitingly.

“Come on, a hug will warm you up.” I try to keep up my pretense of being cross, but I can’t resist the temptation to tread through the water into his arms. He wraps me up into his arms and I immediately warm up. He seems to be a swimming heater. I stay there for what feels like hours but was in reality probably less than a minute. I pull back slightly and find my eyes locked onto his. Mine brown, like the earth I had walked on since I was a very young child. His blue, like the ocean in which we were currently standing. We were so close together I could feel his gentle breath on my face, and I feel my gaze subconsciously dropping to his lips. I break away from his embrace and chuckle nervously.

“I should probably go, I don’t want to catch a cold.”

“Yeah, that’s, uh, probably a good idea.” He seems so disheartened compared to a few minutes ago, and I long to say ‘No wait! I made a mistake, I want to stay here forever!’ but I need time to process the thoughts running through my head. I slowly pull myself out of the water. I stand up and turn to walk away.

“Dan?” I turn around,

“Yeah?”

“I- I’ll, uh, see you tomorrow?”

“Definitely.”

---

By the time I get back to my home, thankfully without being spotted in my sopping wet clothes, I have come to the inevitable conclusion that I fancy Phil. This is a terrifying thought because there is absolutely no way that Phil could ever reciprocate my feelings. I suppose the best solution is to ignore these feelings until they go away. After all, it’s just a little crush.

---

This isn’t working. Every day my feelings for Phil grow stronger. It’s like a rose blooming in my heart. Soft beautiful petals representing the happiness I feel when I am around him and the hope that perhaps he could feel the same way, while the thorns represent the facts of reality.

 -Phil’s POV-

 Ever since I got Dan to come into the ocean, I can hardly keep him out of it. Nearly every time he visits he immediately jumps into the waves. This has done nothing to help my growing feelings for the other boy. When Dan was on land and I was not, there was a clear, visible barrier between us that helped keep my feelings at bay. But now that he is in water with me, so close that I could reach out and touch him, I find my feelings snowballing every day. How could someone not fall in love with Dan? He’s perfect. Absolutely, amazingly, perfect.

---

A few more weeks pass, and I think I have to tell Dan how I feel. It’s getting impossible to bottle it up. Dan’s constantly being flirtatious, without ever officially making a move. The hope that my feelings could possibly be reciprocated continues to grow. But how? In what way can I possibly reveal the romantic feelings  I harbor without humiliating myself? The question hangs over my head, making the task seem even more daunting.

---

It’s a beautiful day, sunny and warm. Dan is lounging next to me on the same sunny rock that he sat on the first time we talked. We’re not talking, but the silence isn’t awkward. With Dan, gaps in conversation are never uncomfortable. The quiet understanding covers me like a blanket. Instead of talking I take time to simply sit and watch Dan. His eyes are closed, face turned up to the sun. He has a small smile on his lips making his dimples pop. I’m struck with the sudden realization that I might be in love with him. It’s terrifying, but my brain is invaded with thoughts of growing old with him, of living together, of having a family with him. The tidal wave of emotions causes me to take a sharp breath. Dan turns to look at me, his warm eyes gazing at me fondly.

“What’s up?” I feel my heart burst in my chest and I know I have to tell him.

“I have something I need to tell you.”

“And that is?”

“Um I- I like you. Actually I mean I might love you, but that’s a rather recent development so I’m not completely sure-” I pause at the look on his face. He has turned fully towards me, and his mouth is open in shock. I immediately feel shame growing inside me and rush to apologize.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything, and you probably hate me now -” I’m cut off by Dan once more, however this time it is from Dan pressing his lips to mine. I melt into the kiss, his lips lotting into mine like they are pieces of the same puzzle. He pulls away, his face splitting into a  shy grin.

“I think I might love you too.”

 - Dans POV-

​ 

The months after we confessed our feelings are some of the happiest of my life. The many months that I’ve spent with Phil have been a roller coaster of emotions. Curiosity, anger, fear, infatuation, and now we seem to have fallen in sync with each other, a feeling that can only be described as love. But alongside the happiness there’s also pain. I can only see him for a few hours every day, and even then I can only hold him close to me for a small fraction of that time, and I’m sick of having to sneak back from visiting him everyday because my clothes are dripping with saltwater. These thoughts have been plaguing my brain for weeks now, and after a lot of research I think I might have found a solution.

---

​It looks like it’s going to rain. Not ideal for visiting the ocean, since I usually get soaked anyway and the rain adds an extra layer of chill.  I sit on the rocks, dipping my feet in the water, anxiously waiting for Phil to arrive. When he finally swims to the surface my eyes light up with excitement.

“Phil!”

“Dan!” He exclaims, mocking my excited expression. I take a deep breath, a cocktail of anticipation of nerves swirling in my stomach.

“I have an idea to propose to you. I’ve been thinking about it a lot, and we both know that our situation isn’t ideal, to say the least. I did some research, and I think that there’s a way for me to become human. I know you’ve mentioned converting before, but I know it’s a hard and permanent decision. But even if you don’t want to do it, I still think I will, I love you more than I can put into words, and I want to escape this prison that I’ve put myself into. The past between our species horrifies me, and I hope that by converting I can begin to break down that barrier. I want to be able to hold your hand and go on adventures with you, and I-” My voice breaks and I realize that I’ve started to cry.

“Dan,” Phil says, voice cracking with emotion, “I want that too. All of that, and honestly I’ve been thinking about the same thing, and if you’re sure you want to do this, I want to join you.”

“Okay, alright, then let’s do this,” I say smiling as I wipe a tear from my face.

“Let's do this.”

---

My first thought when I get back to the forest is that I have to tell my parents. At least my mom. If I disappear off into the human world, she deserves at least some sort of explanation. With that thought I change directions and head to my childhood home.

---

I approach slowly and knock faintly on the door. Despite how quiet my knock was, my mother still answers within seconds.

“Dan! What a wonderful surprise! Please come in, I just finished making biscuits.” We walk in to the warmly lit kitchen and she ushers me to the stools by the kitchen counter. I take a seat, and she bustles around gathering plates and mugs. She sits down, placing a mug of tea and a plate with a biscuit on it.

“So dear, not that I don’t love it when you visit, but why are you here?”

“Well,” I start, I break eye contact and instead gaze into the murky brown of my tea. “I-I um, I think, and I’ve thought about it a lot, and done some research, and I uh, want to become human.” She looks at me with soft eyes.

“You met someone, didn’t you?”

“Well I mean, yes. I met someone.”

“Who is it? What girl is so special that she can draw my baby into the human world?”

“For starters, his name is Phil,” my mother’s eye brows raise in surprise. “And he’s not exactly human, in fact he’s actually a mermaid. But don’t worry! He’s very sweet! Probably the sweetest person you’ll ever meet, and he’s going to convert too, and-” I break off in surprise as my mother rises from her seat and quickly envelopes me into a hug.

“Darling, I want more than anything for you to be happy. And I trust you to make good decisions about who you spend your time with. If you need help, I’m always here.” Instead of words, I decided to just pour all of my love and gratitude into the hug.

---

“Now Dan,” My mother is once again seated across from me, this time her face serious. “Converting isn’t easy, and it’s permanent.”

“I know. I’m not rushing into this.”

“I know.” She smiles. “It’s not complicated, you must simply have someone cut off your wings at the very base. Now the tricky part is that if you have any reservations about it, any at all, it will be extremely painful. More painful than anything else you will ever feel. That being said, if you believe that you are truly doing the right thing for yourself, the cut will be quick and painless.”

I swallow, nerves swirling in my gut. But then I think of Phil, of his eyes and his smile, and all my doubts melt away.

“Can we do it now?”

“Now?”

“Yes. I want to do it as soon as possible, and there’s no one that I’d rather have do it then you.”

“I- alright then. If you're sure.”

“I am.” I hear her take a deep breath as she rustles around looking for a knife. I hear her come up behind me.

“Can you, take off you shirt for me dear? It will be easier that way.” I do as she says, and then take a deep breath to steady myself. I feel the cold metal against my skin, and then a soft tingling, similar to the feeling you get when your foot falls asleep. I feel my wings fall, and for a moment I feel my skin melding together, leaving no trace them. I turn around and see my mother smiling.

“Did it hurt?”

“Not at all.”

“Then you should go to him. I’ll always be waiting for you if you ever need to come back.” I hug her tightly a few tears falling from my eyes onto her shoulder.

“I love you.”

She gives a wet chuckle, “I know, my darling.”

 -Phils POV-

​

I decided a long time ago that I wanted to convert to human, and now that Dan’s doing it too my decision is set in stone. I also decided a long time ago that I didn’t need my parents’ help or acceptance. The merfolk history nauseates me, and now that I know the truth I can’t imagine spending the rest of my life as one of these creatures. According to Dan, his conversion was easy with no complications. When I saw him walking down to the ocean, a large grin replacing his wings, I cried tears of joy. He jumped into the water and wrapped me up in his arms. Unfortunately, the merfolk are a little more dramatic. In order to properly convert, it has to be a full moon. I have to remove ten scales and then my tail will supposedly fall away to reveal legs. Technically, no one else had to be there, but I told Dan many times that I want him with me regardless. As I gaze at the ocean, lounging on a rock while waiting for him, I hear him approach.. I turn around excited to see him. He looks tired and disheveled as if he’d just woken up. Which, to be fair, he probably did. I curiously look at the bundle of clothes he has in his arms.

“What are those?”

“Oh, uh, those are clothes. For you. After you transition, I mean.”

“Oh yeah, of course. I didn’t even think of that.” I give a nervous chuckle. He sits down next to me and pulls me into his arms.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” His whisper tickles my ear.

“Of course.” I pull away slightly and begin tugging at my scales. Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. Five. Four. Three. Two. I hesitate. Dan locks eyes with me and gives me a small smile as he gently squeezes my hand. He says so much in that smile. He says ‘I love you’ and ‘I will support you no matter what you do.’ I take a deep breath as I pull the last scale.

---

I inhale sharply in amazement as my scales begin to slide off of me, forming a puddle around where I am sitting. I begin to see pale skin replace the deep blue. Dan passes me a shirt and a pair of trousers and I quickly turn and dress. Or try to. I’m clearly not used to legs, or being on land. Dan laughs loudly, and quickly stands up to help me stand. I fall into his chest and join in his laughter. He pulls away slightly and places a gentle kiss on my lips.

“Do you want to leave now? Or wait?”

“Now. I want to get started on my new life with you.”

---

As we’re walking through the forest, on the way to a train station that can take us to London, Dan pauses behind what must be his parent’s house. He looks and suddenly the back door swings open. A kind looking middle aged woman walks out, Dan’s mother I’m assuming. She looks at us. At first her expression is shocked, but then it slowly transforms into one of happiness and love. She winks, then turns around and closes the door.

 -Dan’s POV-

 Dear Mom,

​I’m sorry I haven’t contacted you before now. Phil and I are really happy in the human world. It wasn’t easy at first, we had to find someone who could give us fake information to make everyone believe that we had been in the human world forever and didn’t just spawn into existence a year ago. I am going to give this letter to the agent that helped us, and I sincerely hope it gets to you. Fortunately, this letter is filled with happy things. I wrote a book, about the magical ‘fantasy’ world of fairies and mermaids, and Phil has been working as a marine biologist ever since he found his ‘land legs’. We have a house, a dog, and a gaming system where we spend way too much time playing mario kart. Don’t get me wrong, there a lot of things that are bad here. Take taxes for example. But at least here me and Phil can have the life we’ve dreamed about. In fact, I’m trying to put some of those once distant plans in motion.  After I finish this letter I’m going to propose to Phil, that is unless I back out, and I hope with all my heart that he’ll say yes. Because I love him. So so much. So much that someday I want to have a family with him, as scary as that is. I want you to be a part of that too. Please write back, maybe we can plan a time to meet. I want you to meet Phil, formally this time.  

​Much Love,

​Dan

 I put my pen down and fold my letter into an envelope. I put it on the kitchen counter, nearly tripping over Otto, our corgi. I walk out to the back garden where Phil is sitting on a bench looking out at the sea. I place a gentle kiss on his forehead before sitting down next to him.

“Phil?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you ever miss it? The ocean?”

“Sometimes. But it doesn’t matter, because you’re worth a million oceans.” I shove him lightly, a fond smile on my face. I take a deep breath and pull the rings out of my pocket. Phil gasps, and it takes a lot of self restraint to not burst into laughter at the look on his face.

“Phil, you are easily the most important person in my life. I would cross continents for you, and it is my deepest hope that you would do the same for me. So with that thought in mind, I would like to ask you to marry me.”

“Oh my god Dan, yes! Of course yes.” I smile as I slip the ring onto his finger. It’s simple, containing a small bit of feather from my wings. It matches mine, the same design but with some of Phil’s old scales instead of feathers. He laughs.

“What are you laughing for?” I say indignantly.

“I’m sorry, it’s just so cheesy.”

“Shut up, it’s supposed to be cheesy.”

[travelcenter-uk]

Top 5 places to visit if you love dark tourism!

If the shiniest tourist attractions seem to be rusting, you’re probably in need of a desperate change of pace. This is where dark tourism comes into play! Characterised by tragedies, horrific flashbacks and daunting legends, the places I’ve highlighted for you in this article have a razor-sharp edge that glistens with different shades of gloom, taking you miles away from the usual happy-go-lucky experiences you’re accustomed to in a regular holiday.

The next part of this article discusses suicide, genocide and other related topics. If this triggers you in any way, please refrain from reading further

• Aokigahara Suicide Forest, Japan

Ahem, you might be familiar with this one; actually, I think we’re all familiar with this one, especially, after the Logan Paul incident. But if you’re not one to get caught up in the whirlwind of YouTube drama and the creepy side of Japan, I guess, then you probably have no idea what I’m talking about. To give you a little context, the Aokigahara Suicide Forest is said to be one of, if not, the most haunted place in the world. It’s a space known for, well, you most probably guessed it. Suicide.

Locals would advise you to stay from this place at all cost, but recently, more and more tourists have been paying a visit and documenting their experiences to prove their case and answer the ongoing question of whether or not ghosts exist. Word of advice? Don’t be like them. Going there is your wish, but documenting a place that people go to end their lives takes being insensitive to a whole new level. Flashing orbs, wails of terror & pain, and sightings of spirits are the regular starter pack you sign up for when you visit this place. Many visitors also describe the atmosphere to be crushing, like its heavy and mention it gets harder to breathe the deeper you venture into the forest.

Check Here for the Japan’s best destinations

Here’s Japan’s best homemade udon server!

Did you know?

Logan Paul’s video showed the body of a victim who had committed suicide, it almost cost his entire career and sparked a viral series of hate tweets, threats and videos made by the general public and other creators to bring awareness to the forest and its history.

Chernobyl, Ukraine

It’s not a segment about dark tourism if we don’t remind you of Chernobyl’s existence. Surprising nobody, Chernobyl scores the second spot on our list of places that capture the obscure intensity that dark tourism radiates. With a haunting tragedy dating back to 27 April 1986, the disaster-struck area is widely recognised for its grey-clad skies, dry leaf enveloped scenery and daunting views kept away by barbed wire. But hey, that’s just the tip of the iceberg, experiencing Chernobyl’s gloomy yet fascinating atmosphere is much more sophisticated than you think. This ghost town is as good as it gets!

Everything you need to know about Chernobyl

Did you know?

Many suspects that animals exposed to high levels of radiation in Chernobyl will very well, in fact, begin to develop unusual mutations. Let’s just hope that it doesn’t bring in anything more than flying puppies.

FIND BETTER OFFERS

The Hoia Baciu Forest, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

No, seriously, what is it with the paranormal and forests? I’m starting to see a pattern here. Some would even say that all of this is being done by concerned environmentalists from deforestation. But, hey, I guess its working. So, props to them! We’re back to yet another place that many deem to be the world’s most haunted spectacle. Its most notable feature? The clearing where nothing grows! A space that some believe to be the portal to another dimension, while others suspect satanic cult activity and some to be UFO.

Throughout the years, the forest has garnered a heavy dose of media coverage, with many world-renowned scientists being unable to explain the strange phenomenons encountered in the woods. Shrouded in myths that may very well be true, the Hoia Baciu forest has many tales passed on about it. One story tells of a six-year-old girl who went into the forest and came back out five years later, wearing the same clothes and not looking a day older. It is also suspected that more than 1,000 people have gone missing in the forest. Visitors to the forest report strange symptoms – nausea, anxiety, the feeling of being watched – and the failure of electronic devices.

All you need to know about Romania

Did you know?

The name of the forest comes from a local legend of a shepherd who entered the forest with his flock of 200 sheep and was never seen again.

The Killing Fields, Cambodia

The Choeung Ek was transformed into a memorial site and tourist attraction in a bid to remember and educate both locals and tourists on the historical massacre. There’s also talk of a tree that is over 100 years old, a tree that witnessed every bit of inhuman torture that the victims faced. It’s definitely an emotional walk down a very dark lane, so please do try to be respectful. Try not to take pictures with the skulls, dress appropriately and don’t smoke drink or eat while touring the site.

The Complete travel guide to Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Did you know?

In so many other places in this genocide park, poking out from the ground, you can see as yet uncollected evidence of the horrors: teeth, bits of cloth from shirts, kids’ shoes, bits of smashed bone from broken bodies and more

Auschwitz concentration camp, Oświęcim, Poland

The fortified walls, barbed wire, platforms, barracks, gallows, gas chambers and cremation ovens show the conditions within which the Nazi genocide took place. The atmosphere is understandably eerie, and the former concentration camp has also gained a reputation for being haunted. Visitors often remark on seeing apparitions, but the most common story is that of a child’s laughter. Just like the Killing Fields in Cambodia, the Auschwitz concentration camp has a dark story that rests on its shoulders, so try to remember you are at the site where over 1 million people were killed. Refrain from doing Tiktok videos, taking selfies, making jokes and anything else that’s a step away from being respectful.

Did you know?

There’s a special place in hell for people like Hitler and Pot Pol!

INTERESTED? PICK A BARGAIN!

Suggested Article

Well, with that being said, we’ve finally come to the end of this article! Take a vote and let us know which of these 5 places you would visit. Comment below on what you think and remember to call or send us an email if you’re interested in flying to one of the places I’ve mentioned above.

Read More:- Top 5 places to visit if you love dark tourism!

This Article, Information & Images Source (copyright):- Travel Center UK Blog

[hiddenobject-fanblog]

gloomy tales horrific show is a halloween carnival themed hopa. it had some minor bugs when I played a while ago but maybe they’re fixed now… my favourite parts were the werewolf guy with the hot voice and the main character’s halloween sweater

This looks like a good one!!! Thanks for the recommendation, anon, looks like it's on Steam, and on sale right now! Will try it out soon.

[darling-wednesday]

dare u to do all the hc question memes

Your dares are no match for my power. Let me know if you want elaboration for any of these. :* 

100 Random Character Development Questions

Under a read-more due to length.

001. When is their birthday?

September 17th

002. Do they do anything to celebrate their birthday?

Absolutely! The Addams family celebrates life as well as death! Cake is mandatory, and the family makes a point of spending some special time together, whether it be a fun outing or a game night at home. Gifts are present, but generally not the focus as gifts are often given on random days as well. 

003. Does your character like coffee better, or tea?

Tea! When she gets older, Wednesday doesn’t mind coffee, but Thing makes wonderful tea, they know just how long to steep it. 

004. Do they prefer being alone or with others?

In the right company, being with others, but it’s very much with the right people. Wednesday doesn’t mind being alone, but family and friends always make for a better time. 

005. Are they in good health?

For an Addams, absolutely. It may not be good health if someone outside the family would follow her diet, but she’s a bit different. She’s in no danger of major illness, and is by all means in a rather athletic shape. She practices Judo and is quite skilled. 

006. What sense do they most rely on?

Sight. Wednesday is generally rather good at using all her senses, but sight is really just the most useful. 

007. Is your character an optimist or a pessimist?

An optimist! Things have a way of working out for an Addams. 

008. What is their favorite fairy tale?

Her and Pugsley’s version of Red Riding Hood. The wolf is okay in that one. 

009. Do they believe in happy endings?

Yes.

010. Do they believe in love at first sight?

Yes. 

011. How would your character court the person of their dreams?

Well, her family has lots of advice on this. She’d wear pretty dresses, keep her hair down, learn to dance, and pull a nice long face. If that doesn’t work, though, she’s been given plenty of backup options. 

No, but really, she would likely change her appearance somewhat, but would largely offer her affection as acts of service and time spent with the person of her dreams. If it truly is a person of her dreams, then they will want to court her as well, and she imagines things will fall naturally into place. 

012. What makes your character embarrassed?

Remembering the terrible crushes she’s had on people that wouldn’t even play with Pugsley’s octopus. 

013. Have they ever been bullied or teased?

Yes, she didn’t mind much so long as they were just insulting her. 

014. Detail one secret shame your character feels.

She wants her Marie Antoinette doll to be period-accurate. Even though the clothes she wears are beautiful, and the period-accurate ones are horrific, Wednesday would rather it be light and frilly. 

015. Are they most likely to fight with their fists or their tongue?

That depends– not much aside from insulting her family will make Wednesday resort to physical violence, but when words simply won’t do….

016. What is their choice of weapon?

If a weapon is to be used, a nice knife. 

017. When does your character think that violence is justified or deserved?

As mentioned before, when someone insults her family. 

018. Your character wakes up to find that war has been declared. What do they do?

Rejoice. 

019. If they could have a superpower, what would they choose?

Teleportation

020. What are their hobbies?

Writing, raising spiders, painting, ballet, etc. 

021. How do they display affection?

A loving look, or (as a child) excited hugs. Occasionally thumps on the head. Sharing of possessions. 

022. What is the most beautiful thing they’ve ever seen?

Her mother’s garden

023. What do they consider beautiful in others physically?

A lovely pallor 

024. What do they consider ugly in others physically?

A penchant for bright clothing

025. What do they consider beautiful in others personality-wise?

Intelligence 

026. What do they consider ugly in others personality-wise?

A sense of superiority

027. What is their idea of perfect happiness?

Family and the means to decorate and provide for her family in the way that will make them most comfortable.

028. What makes them laugh out loud?

Uncle Fester’s dynamite caps

029. What sort of sense of humor does your character have?

Dark & Gloomy

030. Do they believe in the afterlife?

Yes, though her idea of the afterlife is not conventional or definite by any means.

031. Are they superstitious about anything?

Yes. Imagine most superstitious, reversed (ex. lucky number 13, breaking a mirror is 7 years of good luck, etc.)

032. Does your character believe in ghosts?

Yes

033. Do they keep their promises?

Most of the time.

034. What’s their view of lying?

Reputable people don’t lie. That said, sometimes she doesn’t feel like she has to be reputable. 

035. What is the most important rule your character lives by?

Family first and family last and family by and by. 

036. How honorable is your character?

Depends on when you catch her. I’d say mostly honorable. 

037. If your character saw someone drop a large sum of money and knew that they could probably take it without anyone noticing, what would they do?

Give it back. Depending on the sum, possibly slip in a little more for charity. Money’s a strange thing, for the Addams family. 

038. What bad habits do they have?

Using her family’s possessions without permission

Proclaiming when she knows a secret

039. What do they think is the worst thing that can be done to a person?

Isolation from loved ones

040. What is their obsession?

Raising pedigreed spiders

041. Are they comfortable with technology?

Depends on the type. 

042. What is their greatest achievement?

Though no one knows it’s actually her art (as they believed it was Sam Picasso’s), her paintings have been critically acclaimed. She’s most (un?)known for her trees with human heads. She’s more proud of her spiders, though. 

043. What will they stand up for?

Family. 

044. What disgusts them?

Apples

Non-consensual sadism (deriving joy from hurting someone that doesn’t want to be hurt). (while I HC the Addams Family are neither sadists nor masochists, there’s no judgement of those who are, unless it hurts those who do not want to be harmed)

045. Does your character have any chronic medical conditions?

No

046. How do they handle getting sick?

Her father will typically call Dr. Mbogo, but he’s usually busy and by the time they’ve run off another doctor, the illness will have run its course

047. What was the last medical problem your character had?

Her temperature was very oddly low for a few days. 

048. Do they have any allergies?

No

049. How does your character feel about growing old?

Well, everyone must

050. How does your character feel about their own mortality?

What of it? It’s unconcerning

051. If they knew they would die tomorrow, what would they do today?

Spend time with her family

052. What is your character’s worst flaw?

A shocking refusal of awareness that her family is in any way “strange.” Also her undying loyalty.

053. What is your character’s greatest strength?

Undying loyalty. Also her refusal to think of her family as “strange.”

054. Does your character want power or authority of any kind?

No? Yes? She’s happy to have it but does not demand it.

055. Is your character an introvert or an extrovert?

Introvert

056. Has your character ever struck someone in anger?

Yes. Harold Pomeroy. 

057. Has your character ever killed anyone?

No

058. What is your character’s idea of a perfect day?

A nice storm staying at home and curling up against Kitty. Lurch would play the harpsichord and her parents would dance, she would play with dynamite caps with Pugsley and Uncle Fester, Grandmama would tell her about Marie Antoinette again, she’d play hide and go seek (and Thing would help her cheat), and at the end of the day her Mother would read her a lovely bedtime story.

059. List several phrases your character is fond of uttering. Where did they pick them up?

“It’s so nice and gloomy” - How she’s always described her house. Echoed from her mother’s words. 

“It’s Marie Antoinette” - Whenever people ask about her doll

“No.” She’s a very stubborn girl, and knows exactly what she said.

060. What is your character’s attitude toward education and learning?

She’s extremely intelligent… but may have the system a little backward. She’ll fail to spite her teachers, unless she’s very interested in the subject. Even then she doesn’t like answering tests. 

061. Does your character prefer adventure or safety and security?

Adventure. 

062. What sort of legacy does your character wish to leave behind?

That of a true Addams

063. How well does your character handle difficult people?

She’s undeterred. 

064. In what ways does your character annoy others?

Wednesday is very set in her ways at times, and will keep at her argument without escalation (and without deescalation) when it comes to minor differences. 

065. Is your character better at leading or following? Which do they prefer?

It entirely depends on the situation. 

066. Does your character prefer city life or being out in nature?

Nature

067. Does your character believe in fate or destiny?

Not in the way this question makes it sound. 

068. How strong is your character’s sense of responsibility? What kinds of things trigger it?

You may have guessed it now, but very strong. Particularly to her family or any group she is a part of, she feels she has the responsibility to show her worth and care for those within. 

069. What about your character is heroic?

She will defend her family until her death and beyond. 

070. What about your character is cowardly?

If there’s something she doesn’t want to deal with, she simply won’t. This isn’t really a problem for smaller things, but sometimes....

071. How kind is your character?

I think she’s actually rather kind, but it may not come across that way, always. She has a very good heart for those she cares about. 

072. In a Dungeons & Dragons game, which class would your character be? (wizard, fighter, bard, priest, ranger, etc.)

Oooh... this should not be as hard as it is... I want to say warlock. 

073. In a novel, what plot role would your character fill? (hero, anti-hero, sidekick, villain, etc.)

Strange mysterious character that ends up giving you a cryptic, true answer but you don’t realize it until the end

074. What is your character’s favorite game?

Dolls (when young), poker (when older)

075. Is your character ticklish?

Not that anyone knows.

076. How do they express anger?

Violently and vindictively. Wednesday isn’t truly angry often. 

077. How often do they cry? Over what?

Not too often. When she was younger it was because of those awful tales where knights slew the poor defenseless dragons. Nowadays it’s just a nice cathartic cry every now and again. 

078. How emotionally stable is your character?

Rather.

079. How easy is it for them to read the emotions of others?

Rather.

080. How easy is it for others to read your character’s emotions?

Fairly.

081. Is your character religious?

No?

082. What are your character’s sleeping preferences?

On her back, perfectly still, under two light blankets with a hard mattress and pillow.  

083. What is the first thing they say and/or do when they wake up?

Yawn, then make the bed.

084. Describe your character in one word.

Novel

085. Describe your character in three words.

Child of woe

086. How would your character describe themself in one word?

Wednesday. 

087. How would your character describe themself in three words?

Wednesday Friday Addams. 

088. Is your character quiet or loud?

Quiet, except when she gets to use fresh dynamite caps. 

089. How vocally expressive is your character?

She says what she thinks.

090. How bodily expressive is your character?

Very, if you know how to look. But it is rather subtle 

091. What type of music does your character like?

Instrumental. Her favorite artist is Lurch, on the harpsichord. 

092. What emotion does your character evoke in others?

Unease, sometimes. Who on earth could know why?

093. What is your character’s goal in life?

To support her family, and someday have her own.

094. Name three things most would not expect your character to be able to know.

The works of  Edgar Allen Poe, Dante Alighieri, and William Shakespeare.

That B-O-O-Z-E spells booze (at six) 

Approximately how many heads were chopped off in the French Revolution.     

095. Name three things most would not expect your character to be able to do.

Judo 

Advanced mathematics

Be the unintentional cause of several law enforcement officers’ resignations.

096. How do they move and carry themselves? What energy do they project?

With confidence, poise, and grace. Wednesday projects a strange, dark energy, but one that is assured of itself and uncompromising. 

097. How well do they adapt to change?

Fairly easily. Sometimes she’ll become a bit down if it isn’t as gloomy as she’s used to, but she can get it there. 

098. Does your character like animals?

Yes. She has a spider named Homer and a lizard name Lucifer, among others. She adores animals! Though dogs and bunny rabbits are a bit… weird. 

099. Do they talk to inanimate objects?

That depends on what you consider inanimate. In the Addams home, those lines get blurred. 

100. Does your character dream? If so, what do they dream about?

Yes. Usually just about daily life-- playing, going to school, talking to her family, etc.

[goblinmandoestvandfilm]

Horror

In TV and Film I have studied a range of Horror films, some comedy, some straight up heart wrenching, but each appeal to the horror’s narrative genre. The two I will be discussing are Happy Death Day and Don’t Knock Twice, these films are drastically different and both appeal to opposite audiences. In terms of their narrative structure as they follow a 5 faze structure.

This is targeted towards teens to young adults due to the horrific and terrifying nature of the films.

Happy Death Day

This film follows a non-linear story, tells the tale of the protagonist “Tree” who relives the same day due to her murder. The film is littered with plot twists and tries to make the character dislikeable from the very start, this makes the audience feel a strange distaste towards Tree, as she seems like a b*tch. As the film goes on we see the lighter and more frightened side of Tree, this combined with the comedic tones makes this film a lot more fun and lighter on death portion of things.

The visuals in happy death day may not be anything to write home about but it’s simplistic nature helps provide appealing tones to the story, an example of when this occurs is with the car seen. In this scene we see a car get exploded with Tree in the back, this was probably the limit in the film as all other visuals were either plain or boring, such as Tree jumping to her death.

The film’s location takes place on college grounds and because of this is very hyperactive.

The diegetic sound is louder in happy death day as this helps the audience understand what is actually going on, I wouldn't say there is anything special about it as most of the time characters are fighting or at a standstill. However, the nondiegetic sound was implemented quite well, an example of when used well was at Tree’s death, the jack-in-the-box happy birthday song was added over and made louder which helps us the audience anticipate the thrill.

According to Barthes Happy Death Day follows a closed narrative as there is a clear ending, Tree finds out who her killer is. the story follows the Hermeneutic code which means that not all facts are revealed from the start, his is very useful to see as we now that there a secrets being kept from us. Enigma is also used as tension is built through her deaths.

Propp’s theory

Hero=Tree

Villain=Lori

Donor=Carter

Helper=Carter

Princess=Carter

Princess’ father=none

Dispatcher=Carter

False Hero=Teacher and murderer

Most places in Propps theory are failed, this is good as it shows us how Tree rose up to the occasion and found her murderer.

This story uses a lot of plot twists, like the fight scenes, and Red Herrings, the real killer, which leaves the reader going off track a bit and causes a lot of misleading ideas which stir up in the viewer’s mind. This makes for a very compelling story as the odd uplifting tone leaves me thinking if this movie is really a horror film.

Don't Knock Twice

Unlike Happy Death Day, Don’t Knock Twice creates subtle undertones of a gloomy atmosphere, this helps to elevate the mise en scene as we see the surroundings in the opening. Don't knock twice is about a haunting demon who wants remain on our main character because of a framed child napping, which the demon (who is the old lady got blamed for), the thing about don't knock twice is the absence of the mother who put her child into care before these events transpired, it’s this absence of the motherly figure which represents the lack of maternity the daughter has for her mother making the poltergeist like scenes more thrilling.

Don’t Knock Twice portrays a more linear stories and can be related to more recent horrors as they both carry the same tropes.

The visual in don't knock twice were dark and gloomy in a positive sense, they helped portray drama and action, the design of the witch seemed very unnatural but yet humanlike, I will admit it wasn't anything special but it still helped carry the story.

The sound on the other hand was alright and full proof, Don’t Knock Twice is good at portraying its diegetic sound in a way that is mainly used when the characters are engaged in some sort of dialogue, an example being the mother doing her statue making. To add to this, the nondiegetic sound is mainly used between transition and jump scares, i would say the music implemented helps scenes reach climax, I would also say that most of the orchestral music they used helps heighten the tension for the introduction of the demon.

Barthes follows a closed narrative and follows a linear story. The enigma is widely used to build up tension as the monster is a key part of the production. The symbolic code, shows the underlying meanings of the text. these features help make the horror more terrifying and thus makes it a more impactful to watch.

Propp’s theory

Hero=mother and daughter

Villain=the demon and police man

Donor=the mother in some aspects

Helper=Tira

Princess=none

Princess’ father=none

Dispatcher=Chloe

False Hero=demon

Propp’s theory helps us understand roles of the characters in Don’t Knock twice there are absent roles which helps convey the isolation and independence our heroes have.

Don't Knock Twice can relate to McGuffin as there seems to be a set focus to the film as we see the main characters constantly trying to find a way to get out of the mess they are in. An element of Red Herring can also be seen; the orphaned girl looks for clues online but quickly gets debunked by some spiritual customer her mother serves. These minor things help give the story some depth and partial meaning.

Both

To fully compare both “horror” films we should analyse their narrative structure. Firstly, Happy Death Day starts off as appearing as a teenage drama/romantic comedy which quickly takes a turn for the worst when her killer suddenly emerges from under a bride with a happy birthday theme being played from a wind-up toy. The idea of relating horror to children-esc themes makes the horror more exciting, this opening scene is the mise en scene as the lighting low camera angles and over the shoulder shots all contribute to the eerie feel of the scene and make her first death seem a lot more realistic. If we compare this to Don't knock twice we are quickly met with a lot darker themes as the lighting seems dimmer and the overall atmosphere is the complete opposite to that of happy death day, an example being Happy Death Day primarily taking place in the day, while Don’t Knock Twice taking place either indoors or at night, it’s these themes that make these seem like binary opposites. Don’t Knock Twice uses young teen/adult orphans who have a lot of street smarts to represent a rumour of a haunted house, while this is still going on we see the daughters original mother taking custody of her. These mystical and controversial tones help make the opening that more dramatic as we see the way each character feels and reacts to events that have transpired in the past.

After the initial shock in Happy Death Day our main character Tree eventually susses out that she is living the same day twice, while newly met acquaintance Carter eventually finds out, but this is only after a few more deaths, he devises this plan to have Tree to get killed in a range of ways in order to figure out who her murderer really is. This time in production relates to the build-up, problems and events, this is a unique way to relate to narrative structure as it seems most of the action takes place in a same/familiar way, for example Tree waking up in Carter’s room every day, from these similar areas help us the viewer really feel like we now the layout of the college. However, unlike it’s opposite counterpart Don’t Knock Twice uses the same location but different areas to make the viewer seem more scared, giving of this feeling of isolation and mystery. The build-up, problems and events of this film include lots of blood and jump scares, the loss of a best friend/metaphorical brother Danny and the introduction of the demon who wants them dead. It’s the fear of the unknown that makes these scenes so crazy, one moment we see the demon but suddenly it’s gone. Overall to compare these parts of the narrative structure ends in two different but satisfying build up to watch.

Finally the resolution and ending, in Happy Death Day we see an unusual turn from regular structure, that being the murderer framing someone else who also turns out to be a harsh murderer, this plot twist revived the film as it started to get duller and duller similar to Tree, as we were witnessing the recurring themes of the film, after this though we found you the real killer was her roommate who poisoned her cupcake, however the reasoning was a silly lovers quarrel and doesn't relate to the fact that Tree was a horrible person before her deaths, the ending is also odd as its cool she survived but the end confrontation was overboard by a lot, this is clearly evident through how she killed both with over the top action e.g. she literally flung her roommate out of the window and still didn't get arrested for manslaughter? I think it's these moments in this “horror” which clearly went overboard. On the other hand, the resolution and ending of Don’t Knock Twice leaves me with subtle confusion, this film is a horror at its core and its because of this i actually think this film is good, but its plot holes is what lets it down, the plot of the film tries to intertwine all these mythological points which don't translate to film very well. But at the end of the day the acting and various shots at the ending leaves a good atmosphere but leaves something to valued. Overall, both movies lose their track during their initial endings and because of this leaves something to be desired.

Conclusion

Overall Happy Death Day can be seen as a more comedic horror which shies away from what the typical horror can be classed at, the binary opposite to this is Don’t Knock Twice which stays to the typical chains of what a regular horror stand for. If I had to compare these horror films i would say the versatility of both allowed me to grasp and have a better realisation of what horror films are about. This can be beneficial in analysing action next as I will be able to assess what makes a livelier film fun.

[jonathanbogart]

Yugotones: Balkan Communist Pop and New Wave

Part six of seven (probably). Parts one through five can be found by clicking the tag “my mixology career” at the bottom of this post; probably wait until you’ve clicked through to the full post before you do that, though. (Yes, I am explaining Tumblr to people who are not on Tumblr.)

The YouTube playlist for this mix is here. The tracklist is below; my notes on the mix, the background, and the songs are below that.

Bebi Dol, “Rudi”

Xenia, “Troje”

Zabranjeno Pušenje “Zenica blues”

Data, “Neka ti se dese prave stvari”

Dorian Gray, “Za tvoje oči”

Borghesia, “On”

Idoli, “Bambina”

Film, “Boje su u nama”

Bastion, “Hollywood”

Slađana Milošević, “Ja sam neka čudna vrsta”

Bliski Susret, “Kao nekad”

Plavi Orkestar, “Suada”

D’Boys, “Mi smo D’Boys”

Denis i Denis, “Program tvog kompjutera”

Gjurmët, “Të shtrirë mbi kanape”

Zana Nimani, “Što ne znam gde si sad”

Paraf, “Fini dečko”

Crvena Jabuka, “Nek’ te on ljubi”

U Škripcu, “Siđi do reke”

Videosex, “Moja Mama”

Josipa Lisac, “Ja bolujem”

Yugotones: balkan communist pop and new wave

For a long time when I was planning these mixes, I was going to lump all of Eastern Europe together into one Behind The Iron Curtain mix. But the more I listened and read and understood, the less snugly that seemed to fit the facts. Not just because Yugoslavia had broken away from the Soviet-aligned Eastern Bloc in the 1960s, siding with Maoist China in the Sino-Soviet split, but because Yugoslavian media — print, radio, and television — did not wholly abjure the decadent West. State-owned record labels issued foreign and local beat groups in the 60s and prog and hard rock groups in the 70s, with the result that the Balkan punk wave hit roughly contemporaneously with the French, Spanish, Italian, etc. waves. (Meanwhile, in the Soviet sphere, Fifties and Sixties rock signifiers were only just starting to gain official approval, as we will see.)

There was, and is, far more complexity to the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia as it existed between 1945 and 1992 than I can hope to convey here, even if I fully grasped it all, which I don’t remotely. But put simply: ethnic tensions, especially between the richer, more populous, and administratively overrepresented Serbs and minority populations like Croats and Bosnians, were always high. The 1980 death of President-for-Life Josip Broz Tito, who came to power fighting Fascists in the 1940s, accelerated those tensions, and ghouls like Slobodan Milošević would take advantage of the power vacuum to stoke the flames of ethnic resentment: the horrific post-breakup wars of the 1990s, which are all most of us know about the Balkans, were far more the product of sustained propaganda campaigns than of any regional propensity for violence — indeed, propensities for violence are inculcated by means of sustained propaganda. (Which is how toxic masculinity, to choose an example not at all at random, operates.)

But very little of that grimness, tension, or rage is present within this music, which like much of the rest of European pop in the early 80s is both excited and wary about new technology, eagerly devouring the new and rummaging through the old to see what can be relevantly cannibalized, and giddy with its own creative strength. Although Eastern European and Balkan rock has since the 80s gained a certain reputation for seriousness, not to say dourness, that’s only partly true here — mostly, granted, because my own predilections privilege the froth and giddiness of pop rather than the grim chug of rock, but also because Yugoslav society (to the extent it was a unified society) was much freer and more open in the 80s than it had been for decades. The death of Tito functioned much like the death of Franco had in Spain: the old truths (and especially the old censorships) no longer held, and all kinds of material rose to fill a marketplace which had weathered thirty years of the Cold War better than any other in Eastern Europe.

In fact, you have to go to MTV in the Us or Top of the Pops in the UK to find as much solid pop-video work as there is in this mix: most of the biggest songs had several different videos, because there were a lot of competing pop shows on Yugoslav television and sometimes they each commissioned their own video.

There is still plenty of Communism represented in the mix, though: notably the predominance of the state record label, Jugoton, as the issuer of most of the music below. Variants mostly reflect the city of origin, to which point: Yugoslavia was a federation of six socialist republics: Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia, Slovenia, Macedonia, and Montenegro, as well as two autonomous communities within Serbia, Kosovo and Vojvodina. Linguistically diverse (Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian, and Montenegrin are all to some degree mutually intelligible, but Slovene, Macedonian, and Kosovar Albanian are not), ethnically and religiously heterogeneous, and with a long history of nominal administrative unity but distinct local practices, Yugoslavia represents the point in these mixes where my slender grasp on the languages in question fails entirely.

There are seven Serbian, seven Croatian, three Bosnian, two Slovene, one Macedonian and one Kosovar songs, not that I could distinguish any of them except diacritically. Albania, the Balkan socialist republic bounded by Yugoslavia and the Mediterranean, is not represented at all except linguistically (Kosovo is largely ethnic Albanian); state repression of non-folk popular music was enforced in Tirana until the 1990s.

I think that’s all the hedging I wanted to do. Although this project has been called a “deep dive,” I think of it much more as a surface skim. Anyone with the patience to click around on YouTube, fact-check against Discogs, and use Chrome’s translation tools could do the same. You can too. If you like anything you hear, you should.

1. Bebi Dol Rudi PGP RTB | Belgrade, 1983

We open with perhaps the most perfect pop song produced in Eastern Europe all decade: a valentine to Rudolph Valentino, sung by Serbian pop starlet Dragana Šarić. Her stage name is such deliberately infantilizing phonetic English that the breadth of her music, far from being lolita-esque dance-pop, can take the unwary by surprise. Her work was influenced by jazz, Arabic pop, and traditional Slavic folk as well as international pop: and despite its puppy-love lyrics, “Rudi” is structurally surprising, as she takes a basic pop song and unfolds unexpected harmonic filigree in post-chorus vocal flights. The voluptuous sweep of the melody fits in well with the plush erotic fantasies enacted on screen by Valentino: one video clip has Šarić intercut with scenes The Sheik, which helps elucidate the colonialist trappings of Western commodified (heterosexual) desire.

2. Xenia Troje Jugoton | Zagreb, 1984

What I always think of as the Blondie model of pop — a sharp pop-rock band fronted by a cool, attractive woman — was extremely popular in the early 1980s, and in Yugoslavia every major ethnicity had their own. Xenia was the Croatian version: singer Vesna Vrandečić was the singer, although on this single (“Three”) she cedes the chorus to the band’s guitarist and songwriter Robert Funčić’s laid-back almost-rap. Since it’s a song about the drama of men fighting over a woman, and the chorus is first-person from one of the men, it makes a kind of sense: but overshadowing both singers is the tense, blustery edge of the music, all paranoia and bluster, replicating the physical sensation of being in the room for such a fight.

3. Zabranjeno Pušenje Zenica blues Jugoton | Sarajevo, 1984

Although one of the smaller and poorer republics in the Yugoslav federation, Bosnia was one of the few to engender an honest-to-goodness local cultural movement (as opposed to merely imitations of Western models) in the 1980s. The “Novi primitivizam” (New Primitivism) that swept Sarajevo between 1981 and 1987 was a jocular proletarian reaction to the self-serious New Romanticism of British import (and Croatian popularization, as we will see) and Slovenian Neue Slowenische Kunst (we’ll see a bit of that too). Zabranjeno Pušenje were perhaps the foremost Novi primitivizam band: a folk-punk outfit like the Fugs or the Mekons, their music was characterized by local slang (often borrowed Turkicisms), simple melodies, and rudimentary instrumentation. Their low-key anthem “Zenica blues” (sometimes “bluz”) is a Johnny Cash-like tale of petty criminality, prison sentences, and the gloomy garrison at Zenica.

4. Data Neka ti se dese prave stvari Jugoton | Belgrade, 1984

YouTube comments are full of how this is a copy of Depeche Mode’s “See You,” but a synthesizer doing the wedding-bells riff from the end of “Then He Kissed Me” isn’t exactly an original thought. Regardless, it’s a beautiful synthpop gem from associates of Serbian synth-funk collective the Master Scratch Band. The three members of Data, who also played behind the Scratch Band’s girl group Šizike, only produced a single 45 under that name, but have been endlessly compiled and reissued on the strength of it.

5. Dorian Gray Za tvoje oči Jugoton | Zagreb, 1985

The Croatian adoption of the British New Romantic ethos found its greatest exponents in a band named after an Oscar Wilde character, whose first single, “Sjaj u tami,” was a Scott Walker cover, and whose singer, Massimo Savić, ran the gamut of glam-rock masculinity from David Bowie fey to Bryan Ferry louche. “Za tvoje oči” (For Your Eyes) was the title song from their second LP, a crooning, brooding masterpiece but commercially disappointing; the following year, Savić went solo, and has become an elder statesman of glamorous, elegant Croatian pop.

6. Borghesia On FV Založba | Ljubljana, 1985

The most famous musical wing of the Neue Slowenische Kunst (New Slovenian Art; the German title is intentional) was the long-serving industrial band Laibach — since they primarily sing in English, they don’t  appear here. But fellow-travelers Borghesia, also industrial, electronic, and dark, primarily sang in Slovene. “On” (He) is a full-on Electronic Body Music song, as developed by Belgian group Front 242: arpeggiators and screams soundtrack lyrics to a descent into fetishism which even in choppy Google Translate makes Venus in Furs read like Mother Goose. The video needs no translation: it’s not remotely safe for work.

7. Idoli Bambina Jugoton | Belgrade, 1983

More or less the founders and guiding spirit of the Serbian new wave, Idoli (Italian for idols) came to prominence in 1980 with songs like the post-punk “Retko te viđam sa devojkama” (I Rarely See You with Girls), about closeted homosexuality, and the Cossack-ska “Maljčiki” (Boys), mocking Soviet socialist-realist aesthetics. By 1983 they had produced several of the landmark albums of the era and had little left to prove; their final album Čokolada (Chocolate) was a huge-selling last hurrah, full of pop hooks and complicated sentiment. “Bambina” sounds like a love song, but the lyrics are actually full of suspicion and resentment.

8. Film Boje su u nama Jugoton | Zagreb, 1983

The Croatian standard-bearers of new wave — so much Idoli’s counterparts that they co-headlined a joint tour in 1981 — by 1983 Film were closer to the shiny guitar-pop of classic rock than to the twistier, more acerbic edge of new wave. Their 1983 album Sva čuda svijeta (All the Wonders of the World) leaned into the Hollywood signifiers suggested by their name: album opener “Boje su u nama” (We Are Made of Stars) includes Dirty Harry, Kubrick, and MGM references before the song even kicks in. When it does, it’s a blissed-out relative of “Start Me Up,” as hippy-glam as Marc Bolan at his best.

9. Bastion Hollywood PGP RTB | Skopje, 1984

The sole representative of Macedonia in this mix, Bastion was a four-person operation: one on synths, one on bass, one on vocals, and one on songwriting and visual art. The result of that skeletal operation was a surprisingly dubby approach to synthpop, as singer Ana Kostovska’s Lwin-y vocals wander around an endless funk-bass echo chamber punctuated by all kinds of sounds. The lyrics are the usual trenchant commentary on the dream factory that you would expect from the title, but the bass is the reason to listen.

10. Slađana Milošević Ja sam neka čudna vrsta Jugoton | Belgrade, 1983

My choice of this song to represent Slađana Milošević (her first name can also be written Sladjana) is perhaps eccentric, but it fit too well in the mix to not. Something between the Grace Jones and the Nina Hagen of Serbian new wave, she had weathered controversy in the late 70s for her Patti Smith-inspired rock, and was such an international pop star that her 1983 record Neutral Design was recorded in Munich with German musicians. It’s a hell of a record: every song made it onto Yugoslav television, often in multiple videos, and they’re all good. This, the closer (“I’m an Odd Sort”), is unexpectedly light and breezy: a witchy, jazzy calypso in which she mostly sticks to a high, soft register to sing about forbidden knowledge and how poor an adept the song’s “you” is.

11. Bliski Susret Kao nekad Jugoton | Zagreb, 1984

It wouldn’t be an entry in this mix series if I didn’t include at least one single that has never been reissued and is only available on YouTube. The Croatian act called Bliski Susret (Close Encounter) only issued a single song (the B-side is the same song in English), this beautiful slice of studio-based nostalgia, all production and sentiment. It was a one-man show: Željko Bošković, whose real career has been as a studio owner and producer in Zagreb, producing some of the best Croatian pop of the last thirty years. “Kao nekad” (Like Before), which sums up romantic pop from Spector to Gainsbourg,  remains a swoon-worthy calling card.

12. Plavi Orkestar Suada Jugoton | Sarajevo, 1985

Bosnian pop in the 80s was not at all just the New Primitivism, although no doubt its emphasis on stripped-down structures and folkloric origins had some influence on Plavi Orkestar, who sound exactly like what a Western conception of “Balkan pop-punk” might be. Anatolian rock riffs, all-comrades-together shouted choruses, and lovelorn lyrics about a faithless woman — and in the middle eight, about forgetting the faithless woman by going out on the town with your boys — made “Suada” a huge hit, the first of Plavi Orkestar’s long and enviable career.

13. D’Boys Mi smo D’Boys Jugoton | Belgrade, 1983

There are more differences than similarities, but the act that kept coming to mind as I dug into the D’Boys discography was Wham! Like George and Andrew, they were dismissed as lightweight pop fluff compared to the Real Rockers surrounding them; like George, Peđa D'Boy (Predrag Jovanović) assimilated a host of influences and went largely unrecognized as an innovator who predicted much of the trashier end of the European 90s. Which doesn’t mean that the Laughing Gnome effect which opens this drum-machine-and-guitar-bash anthem isn’t a throwback; but it’s also a sound I’ve heard a lot more often in global pop in the 2010s. “Mi smo D’Boys” means “We Are D’Boys,” and Peđa’s party (in both senses) sloganeering over its dumb-brick simplicity makes me think of such ironists as Morrissey, Neil Tennant, and Jarvis Cocker — another D’Boys track, “Sexy Sexy,” sounds unaccountably like “Common People.”

14. Denis i Denis Program tvog kompjutera Jugoton | Rijeka, 1984

Comparing Croatian synthpop duo Denis i Denis to British acts like Eurythmics or Yazoo is probably less illuminating than otherwise; but the general set-up is equivalent. Davor Tolja was the synthesizer maven, Marina Perazić the voice and sex symbol: her gasps and strangled sobs during recording were as important to the band’s electronic-erotic aesthetic as her low, singing voice. This single (Your Computer Program) was their biggest hit, but they were so consistent between 1983 and 1988 that just about any record could have gone in.

15. Gjurmët Të shtrirë mbi kanape RTP | Pristina, 1985

The sole representative of Kosovo on this mix, Gjurmët were very nearly the first rock act to sing in Albanian ever, and probably the first recorded. Their only release during their years of activity in the 1980s was a cassette delayed by the censors for over a year due to perceived Albanian nationalism, but later reissues, as both Albanian and Kosovar culture has become more open, have kept their memory faintly alive. “Të shtrirë mbi kanape” (Sprawled on the Couch) is their best uptempo song, urgent and moody, with superb new-wave guitar heroics from Bekim Dyla.

16. Zana Nimani Što ne znam gde si sad Jugoton | Belgrade, 1986

If Xenia was the Croatian Blondie, the Serbian edition was Zana, with a series of sparkling power-pop hits over the early 80s. But when singer Zana Nimani, for whom the band was named, left in 1985, the band carried on with a succession of new singers and little diminution in popularity. Nimani’s only solo album, 1986’s Noćas pevam samo tebi (Tonight I Sing Only for You) was recorded in Sweden, and this minor hit (I Don’t Know Where You Are Now) sounds like it: shiny and heartfelt, only her melodramatic voice gives her away as Balkan.

17. Paraf Fini dečko ZKP RTVL | Zagreb, 1981

In these mixes I’ve had little patience for straight-up punk or its immediate descendents, but Paraf are unique and strong enough to be an exception. They began as a shouty punk band, and were important enough to make the 1979 compilation documenting Zagreb’s punk scene; but after their first album in 1980 singer Valter Kocijančić quit, and female singer Vim Cola (Pavica Mijatović), and keyboardist Raul Varlen joined. They moved towards anthemic post-punk, as documented by this first single in the new line-up. “Fini dečko” means “FIne Boyfriend,” and the lyrics document how weirded out Cola is by a good, clean, upright boy. They would go on to make some of the most politically righteous music of the Croatian new wave, but this single, with one foot still in punk, is their most fun.

18. Crvena Jabuka Nek’ te on ljubi Jugoton | Sarajevo, 1986

Don’t be fooled by the huge glossy opening chords: Crvena Jabuka (Red Apple) aren’t a Sarajevan Van Halen (not that that would be a bad thing). They’re closer to a Bosnian Enuff Z’Nuff: a shiny hard-rock body over a winsome 60s-pop chassis. Named after the Beatles label, their self-titled debut album in 1986 was an immediate hit: but several months later the lead singer and the bass player were killed in a car accident. The remaining members forged on, and achieved even greater success, becoming one of the key figures of late 80s and early 90s Yugoslav rock; they still record today. “Nek’ te on ljubi (Kad ne mogu ja)” (Let Him Love You [If I Cannot]) is a power-pop gem that had unexpected resonance after frontman Dražen Ričl was replaced, and surpassed, by keyboard player Dražen Žeri.

19. U Škripcu Siđi do reke Jugoton | Belgrade, 1983

This shouldn’t be your only exposure to Balkan pop: there’s so much I haven’t included, from synthpop pioneers Boa and cross-dressing glam-funk star Oliver Mandić to stuff I don’t even know about. But after hearing it, I had to include “Siđi do reke” (Come Down to the River) by post-punk band turned New Romantics U škripcu (In a Heartbeat) no matter who I bumped. A hovering, almost ambient piece, equal parts “In Every Dream Home a Heartache” and traditional Serbian folk song, it’s one of the magnificent centerpieces of 80s Yugoslav pop.

20. Videosex Moja Mama ZKP RTVL | Ljubljana, 1983

The Slovene equivalent to the Croatian Xenia and the Serbian Zana was Videosex, who were probably the best of them all: singer Anja Rupel had more personality and the band was more versatile, jumping from straight-up synthpop like “Moja Mama” (My Mama, a mocking pout about stepmothers) to the noirish “Detektivska priča” (Detective Story) and even reaching back to 1940s swing for “Tko je zgazio gospođu mjesec” (Who Was the Lady of the Month). Rupel would go on to sing with Laibach; but this early giddy work remains unspeakably delightful.

21. Josipa Lisac Ja bolujem Jugoton | Zagreb, 1987

Comparisons to Kate Bush would be arrant nonsense: Croatian singer Josipa Lisac had been a distinguished art-rock singer for a decade before “Wuthering Heights,” both with beat group Zlatni Akordi and on her own. But in the neon 80s her eccentric sense of style was given room to flourish, and she made a series of crucial recordings halfway between pop, electronic rock, and local art-song traditions. When she presented “Ja bolujem” (I’m Suffering) at the 1987 MESAM festival in a dress that moved on its own as dancers below it ran through an intricate choreography, it was a magnificent capstone on the first half of her career. She’s since gone on to a more sedate Céline-like goddesshood, but her voice is still one of the most powerful instruments in the Balkans.

Next: “Eastern Europe” is a vast territory to cover. Whatever I do, I will not do it justice. My only comfort is that I haven’t done justice to anywhere else either.

[snarkyoracle]

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Call of the Suicide Forest #2 (of 5)

Story: Desiree Bressend Art: Ruben Gil Cover: Toni Fejzula

Retailer incentive cover, served 1:10, by maestro Pasqual Ferry!

Close to Mount Fuji lies the Aokigahara forest, the cradle of horrific ghost stories, one gloomy place notorious because of the many people going there to end their own lives… Portia, haunted by the spectral figures of the Yokai, cannot help but return to the Suicide Forest. The ranger Ryoko, puzzled by the circumstances surrounding the young woman who attempted suicide, finds no solace in her master’s words and approaches the lonely Buddhist monk of Aokigahara: the man called Deshimaru.

  This miniseries is the sequel of the acclaimed graphic novel The Suicide Forest, written by El Torres with art by Gabriel Walta, masterfully written by Desiree Bressend with the artwork by Ruben Gil, but it can be read independently. And this time, a Retailer incentive cover, served 1:10, by maestro Pasqual Ferry!

*

UPC Code: 732030830844—00211 DEC171087 – STL071941 Alternate cover: DEC171088 – STL072123 32 pages FC

Toni Fejzula (Dark Horse’s Dead Inside, Veil…) has created the covers of the miniseries, a set of five connected covers! Check them each month!

  Tales of Rogues! #2 (of 6): Games Edge!

Writer: Desiree Bressend Art: Jose Antonio Sollero Color: Juanma Cañada Cover: Pasqual Ferry UPC Code: 713482801859—00211 DEC171089 – STL071948 32 pages FC

Want to read more stories about Bram and Weasel? Tales of Rogues! are auto-conclusive comics by new, emerging hot artists!

Where are the boundaries between fantasy and reality? Is the world just a video game? Are we the owners of our own actions? Join Greg, the friendless nerd, following Weasel in a world of adventure games with dragons, chickens, and enchantresses with ambiguous genitalia!

Desiree Bressend is the amazing writer behind Call of the Suicide Forest, and has also collaborated with Jose Antonio Sollero in Spanish comics like Spanish Civil War: 1937. Their approach to Rogues! in this self-conclusive story will knock your socks off!

Each month, we will present a book with a different team. Some stories take place in the Rogues continuity, but others are “elseworlds”. We just wanted to give our creators complete freedom to show how cool their stories and their skills are!

February 2018 Solicitations: Amigo Comics Call of the Suicide Forest #2 (of 5) Story: Desiree Bressend Art: Ruben Gil Cover: Toni Fejzula…