#i am a creature of nostalgia or whatever

[desolationarchivist]

okay but is it just me who gets HUGE twin peaks vibes from the mandela catalogue??

i have no idea if there is legitimately direct inspiration from twin peaks but: (!!!!!!!spoilers for both)

- doppelgängers and tulpas

- heavy artistic use of nostalgia, postmodern americana, christian/buddhist lore and the uncanny valley. also both have this gritty, almost film noir-ish vibe. and both have colour schemes and visuals as narratively important

- entities as manifestation of the concept of evil, led by a supreme evil being: in tmc the alternates are depicted through biblical lens, tied to the image of satan (who in this story is gabriel, aka a false angel); in twin peaks, a lot of the creatures, doppelgängers and whatnot are tied to the entity of BOB, which is described as being the personification of “the evil that men do”. also the black lodge, where the entities in twin peaks come from, is described as being the domain of evil and dark power

- entities having otherworldly origin: the alternates from tmc are implied to come from another dimension, which really makes me think of the black lodge again

- use of psychological warfare by entities to lead victims to their demise, which leads me to my next point: i’m reaaaally drawing parallels between mark heathcliff & laura palmer - good christian teenagers (well, at least initially), being driven insane by their tormentors and the process of it all being documented by diaries and film footage; in tmc the way to surviving an alternate attack is to be willing to hear whatever horrific things it’s saying to you, which mark wasn’t so he died. this makes me think of laura’s secret diary that details her emotional abuse at the hands of BOB: one of the things that made her become more and more vulnerable and unstable until him killing her is the fact he was constantly bombarding her with awful images and thoughts and she was pushing them away, convinced it would make them stop or chase him away (but it backlashed). what is more, both mark and laura attempt to use religion as a shield against these attacks, to no avail (“and the angels wouldn’t help you”/“who have i been praying to all this time?”)

- taking place in 80s/90s, with a continuity in the early-ish 21st century. also, in tmc the divide between the 90s and the 2000s eras of the narrative are defined by the shift from analog to digital media, which reminds me how twin peaks:the return(2017, shot digitally), is deliberately given a cleaner, more modern look than the original run(it was between the years of like 89-90, I think? and filmed on film strip, aka analog). and like, the “older” era of both these shows is steeped in retro nostalgia

- alienation between people as a result of tragedy, paranoia (either between characters or on the watchers' part): in tmc, this is likely something the characters experience, given that anyone they love could turn out to just be an alternate doppelgänger or have M.A.D. . in twin peaks, the fact anyone could turn out to be laura’s killer + anyone could turn out to not be themselves but possessed by BOB (like leland palmer was);

- both shows are set in rural small towns that have a facade of homeliness and peace but underneath it, awful things are happening (both supernatural and otherwise)

- ominous, cryptic lines (strange and unique enough to be quotable by fans) ("i feel like i know her but sometimes my arms bend back"/"i am the one true savior. i must reverse the delusion. joseph is next.", that kind of thing...)

- the entities of twin peaks look, move and speak in…pretty uncanny ways lol, which again makes me think of the alternates in tmc. especially with the nonstop cryptic ominous riddles

- the us government getting involved, classified files, secret operations etc

- tragic dynamics with parents/parent figures

- tmc has some cop show elements like twin peaks, and one of the main characters being an investigator

- a lot of teen characters, also both shows having an entity that often targets kids (BOB & 6)

- mirror fuckeries

tbh i have no idea if alex kister has even watched twin peaks (though he likely has or at least heard of it because i know he’s a fan of the shining, which is a cult classic vintage horror movie, much akin to twin peaks) but even if he hasn’t, i feel like it has still indirectly affected his work, as twin peaks has a massive cultural legacy and has been pivotal in establishing the small town mystery genre and modern horror as a whole, and i think whether intentional or not, analog horror as a whole owes a great deal to david lynch (not even just twin peaks but also inland empire, lost highway, eraserhead…)

(please yap with me about this in comments and tags, i am so hyperfixated lately)

[lovelyladyabsinthewrites]

Dead Girl Walking

Pairing(s): Jon Snow x Stark!Reader, Ned Stark x Catelyn Tully, refereneced!Rhaegar Targaryen x Lyanna Stark

Warnings: none

Words: 2086

Summary: If this could possibly be your last night alive, you wanted to make it worthwhile.

They were coming.

Arya and Sansa flagged either side of you, knowing that battle would be upon you soon. Maybe that night or tomorrow, the Night King’s army was drawing closer.

Winterfell had fallen onto your shoulders after your eldest brother was beheaded. When you took back your home during the Battle of the Bastards, the northern men that remained named you their queen.

No longer were the Starks scattered throughout Westeros. They were where they truly belonged: in the north. Fewer in numbers, but finally together.

Below the parapet you stood on, men and women alike were preparing themselves to fight for their lives. Surprisingly, their hustle and bustle soothed your nerves. Unsullied, Wildlings, Dothraki and noble blood laike were united. And despite the thumping of boots against stone, the night was otherwise calm and quiet. The fire at your back warmed you.

In a nervous tick, you hold the pommel of your sword. You hoped this wouldn’t be your last battle.

“Practice your dance moves while you still can.” You address Arya who nods and leaves to do just that. She had trained with the Faceless Men in Braavos; you hoped that would be enough to keep her alive. Leaving just you and Sansa alone. You didn’t want to scare her, but you needed to tell her the truth of things. “I may not make it out alive.”

Immediately she opens her mouth to protest but you silence her.

“It’s something that can very well happen. I want you to know now that if I am to die in battle, I want you to take my place as Queen of the North.” You took off the metal circlet that had been comfortably lying atop of your head. It had caused quite the argument between you and the Dragon Queen Daenerys. Even though she had accepted the north as its own separate dominion, she still didn’t like the crown on your head.It made her feel insecure. In a land where the people adored you and obviously didn’t trust her, Daenerys knew that the people were your’s. “This would look far better on you anyway.”

Sansa swallowed back whatever protest that had been sitting on her tongue. “You’ve been through worse battles than this.”

Unable to catch your laugh, you shake your head. “Never against the dead. The living are an easier foe.”

Clinking of metal behind you makes you turn. Sansa smiles fondly at the semi-armored direwolf. “Even Storm is ready for battle.” Sansa muses. Your dark gray direwolf was missing an eye from the bloody battle against Ramsay. It made her appear even more deadly than she already was. She towered over her albino brother Ghost and even some of the soldiers. The days when they were both playful puppies were long gone. Nostalgia grips you when you remembered how you and your siblings sat in a circle and picked your direwolf pups. Of course the odd looking one went to your bastard brother Jon. The albino pup had garnered your attention until Storm had stumble up to you in the most adorable fashion. She had chosen you. Out of all of your siblings, Storm wanted you as her partner in crime. From that moment you knew the two of you would be together until the very end.

And the end was probably creeping up.

As a child you had always been fearful, the kind of child that got scared over the smallest creature. Theon teased you relentlessly. Jon took the job upon himself to become your protector during such times. He would go after Theon with his sword and tend to you in an attempt to make you feel better. Thanks to Jon, he helped you learn how to be brave and not be so scared of the world around you.

You needed a little bit more help in remembering what it felt like to be brave. This was something your father had always warned you about. Winter had arrived and with it the Night King’s crusade. All of Old Nan’s tales were coming true.

Excusing yourself from Sansa’s side, you delve into the castle that was now completely your’s to control and protect. Old and ancient halls where you, Robb, and Jon would run through in the early years before Sansa and your younger siblings were born. Bruising knees on the hard stone when one of you fell down, the other two were always there to help their fallen sibling back up.

You passed the Great Hall where many were gathered, talking quietly amongst one another. Wine was being handed out to anyone who looked nervous. Liquid courage and perhaps the last sweet thing they may taste.

Some of the wildlings and Dothraki men were talking loudly, boisterous laughs echoing even though there was a language barrier. Drinking certified them as comrades in arms. The sight was enough to make you smile at least for a little bit.

Daenerys may have been gracious enough to loan you her army fro the time being, but it was you that made the Dragon Queen’s men and your own get along. The merging of Westeros and Essos. That was you. Something Robb was never able to do was keep his army together.

You inhale sharply and shake your head free of those thoughts that were best left in the grave. Yet your ears continued to grow numb to sound reducing you to stumbling about like a drunk until you finally made it to the family crypt. Your ever loyal Storm followed you down the tight stairs, making sure you didn’t fall. The musky smell of the crypts took the edge off of you as you entered the final resting place of your family. It was quiet and glowed warmly from the torches, revealing that there was one other living person already there in front of your father’s statue.

A man who turned out wasn’t Jon’s father. It must have been bittersweet for Jon to discover his true parentage.

“How fortuitous that you’re down here right when I need you most.” You smile shyly at Jon.

His lips turn up gently. “Something told me that I should come down here.” Ghost pokes his head from around the corner, red eyes two beacons of light. “Or rather someone. Besides, you used to come down here when you were younger. Something about it being quiet soothed you. For a child that was scared of everything, the crypts have never been a problem for you.”

“I felt like our ancestors were protecting me. Like they each gave me a piece of their courage.” The stoney face of Ned Stark looked down on you and Jon. Looking at the carved details of his face made you fill with sorrow. “I just wish Robb and mother could have been buried here too. . .”

“They may not be physically here, but their spirit is.” With the small amount of light offered to you, you catch sight of the scars on Jon’s face. Faint silver lines that told the story of his life at Castle black. They oddly suited him and his often serious expression. Catelyn may have never loved Jon, but Robb loved him just as much as Bran or Rickon. As hard as you searched his face, you just couldn’t see any Targaryen traits. Even if his father had been Rhaegar, Jon was of the north. The Stark in his veins was enough to overwhelm the Targaryen.

Gingerly, Jon wraps an arm around your shoulder and pulls you against his side. You focused on his warmth, the desires of your heart starting to become louder. There had always been an unspoken bond between you and Jon. Neither of you spoke of it out loud, afraid that even speaking of it would bring ruin to the both of you.

But he wasn’t by blood your brother. The truth was out.

Cheeks feeling warm, you take a step away from him. You laugh a little bit at yourself. “What kind of queen am I to show my fear? Mother would never have let her cards slip so easily. Sansa reminds me so much of her now. . .”

“You’re only human. You fear losing your home and people you love. You’re a good queen (y/n). Lord Ned would be proud of you and all that you have done. Winterfell once again belongs to the Starks because of you.” Dark eyes delve deep into you, eyes that wanted to let you know that everything would be okay and if not, well, Jon would stay by your side just like Storm. Until the very end. In the face of Daenerys Targaryen, Jon had to refer to her as queen; it was clear to all though that his real queen was you. He would not forsake you. Now now, not ever. Besides Robb, no man had ever loved you quite as much as Jon did.

Reaching your arms up, you cup his face with your palms. Easily Jon lets his face fall into your hands, nuzzling his nose into your touch. How easily Jon trusted you and put down his walls.

You wanted to hold him, place your head against his strong chest. Like you did when you went to the Wall to ask for his help. Years apart had changed you both greatly yet Jon’s arms still felt the same from when you had last embraced him.

Perhaps it was too bold of you, but being with Jon made you feel bolder; You sprung up on your toes and kiss. To finally kiss him after years of longing and confusion. If you were to die, you wanted to do so without any regrets. You wanted to let Jon know just how much you loved him and how you had never stopped. Relief had washed over you the moment Jon revealed what he had learned from Sam. That he wasn’t your half-brother which would still be looked down upon in the north if you were to have any sort of romantic relationship with him. Cousins were commonly married to one another.

Surprise took him as he slipped backward a little bit, but Lord Eddard Stark’s statue was enough to keep him up. It didn’t take long for him to melt against you. If you were to die, you wanted Jon to be the last thing you tasted.

Targaryen and Stark, perhaps the pair were always inevitable. The dragons had conquered the north centuries before, but had still been able to respect Torrhen Stark by giving him the title of Warden.

In his eyes you saw no dragon or wolf. You just saw Jon. Your Jon that you had known since you were a babe. Your best friend, your confidant, the one you had loved since you were a girl.

As he pulled away, stars filled his gaze as he breathed heavily.

“I love you Jon. More than a brother. More than a cousin. More than any man I have ever known.” You lower your gaze, feeling the sun in your cheeks. “If. . . If we are all to die tonight-”

Jon abruptly grabs your face and once again you’re kissing him. “We will live to see the sun rise. Not much good has prospered for me being half Targaryen, except for one thing.” To your utter shock, Jon bent down on one knee while still holding your hand. “My Queen, if you would have me it would be my honor to stand beside you for the rest of my life and after.”

You wanted to slap him initially for taking so long to propose, but you went with your second reaction: you threw yourself against him in an embrace. Both of your winter pelts smooshing against the other. “And how long have you been sitting on those words?”

Chuckling, Jon holds onto you as Storm and Ghost watch. “For years. It was never feasible until now.” You knew he could hear your heart beating fiercely. “We have no choice but to defeat the White Walkers now.”

Yes, you wouldn’t let the Night King take this one great joy away from you. For your future with Jon, you had to be brave. You would be brave. Jon had always been a source of courage for you.

The next kiss you gave him was of a different nature. Seductive and enticing, sweeter than any honey. You still wanted a taste. “Are you opposed to escorting me to my chambers?”

A boyish smile makes your chest flutter. “Of course, Your Grace.”

[tooningin]

Intro to me

Here is my little corner where I reblog and when I feel like it, post about about hyperfixations and just things I really like

As spelt out in my bio I am a MINOR (~16 yo)

Anyway here’s part of my Fandom or interest or whatever it’s called list

SPOP 2018 (the critical side of the community, mostly of season 5)

HH/HB (Also critical)

Muppets

Dog Man

CEC and Rockafire Explosion

Pokémon, Kirby, Mario, and other Nintendo franchises

Sonic

Bojack Horseman

TADC

Mid 90s-Early 2010s Nostalgia

Disney Parks

Arcane

Smiling Friends

TTS (Same as SPOP, just replace 5 with 3)

Bone comics

DNI If you/you’re

-Racist

-Ableist

-Against Trans people and/or LGBT rights

-A creep or P-file

-Pro Autism Speaks

-Pro Israel

-Support Lily Orchard

-Support JK Rowling

-Support Vivziepop

-Unwilling to accept other peoples’ opinions

-An asshole

-A Valentino (Hazbin Hotel) stan

Oh and no NSFW please

Thank you!

Studio C Blinkie made by @lagworks)

(Toontown Blinkie made by @anxious-rainbow-creature)

(Dog Man Blinkie made by @midnightthefairy)

(Palestine Flag Blinkie made by @ice-cappuchino)

Glitter Reptar by @wynns-wonderful-pixel-paradise

YT Channel

[topaziraphale]

Hi I still haven't gotten out of bed but I'm already fully armed and ready to shoot down anyone that tries to say Aziraphale doesn't care about Crowley anymore or WORSE, never loved him THAT much in the first place.

Crowley is quite literally his top priority, he made that very clear with how distraught he is when Crowley leaves. Why would he shout "Don't go!" "Crowley, come back!" and "I NEED YOU!" if Crowley wasn't always at the forefront of his mind? Why is he so visibly striken and upset when he gives him that last, longing look, begging for Crowley to come with him and be with him forever, before deciding to step into that elevator? When he gets in there, his entire purpose shifts. He IS going to make everything better, and he IS going to make Crowley see the error of his ways.

I can promise you all Aziraphale is going to stop at NOTHING to get Crowley to come be with him forever, as an angel. He is going to do WHATEVER it takes, now that he is the acting Supreme Archangel. It's Crowley he wants first, Heaven he wants second, and, sadly, due to the Mettatron making this offer, a life on Earth he wants last. And that sets up such a FANTASTIC conflict for S3!!!!!

Aziraphale, our beloved, fussy, STUBBORN Aziraphale, is now compromised. He is compromised with POWER. Power as the LITERAL, SUPREME ARCHANGEL. Is this NOT SUCH AN EXCITING AND HEARTBREAKING PROMISE FOR A WILD S3 EXPERIENCE??

Guys, we ALL know Aziraphale let Crowley down, but you have to see that Crowley let Aziraphale down in his eyes. Just as much. That's what makes this scene so tragic. We know Aziraphale isn't thinking the way we and Crowley thought he would, or HOPED he would despite how the world Didn't End. How despite everything in how S1 ended, he was still left with an uncontested sense of superiority that we were all too elated to see was something Left Behind within him.

This season brought all that stuff out:

"We will win of course. Obviously. Heaven will triumph over Hell. It's all going to be rather lovely."

"You were an angel once..."

"Why, yes, I am a great deal holier than thou, that's the whole point."

(after gabriel/beelzebub leave in s1) "See, Crowley, it's as I said--" (back to what he said in the Bentley in S1E2, how Evil always plants the seeds of its own destruction and Good will always win out in the end)

These types of thoughts, and him spending all of the 6,000 years he knew Crowley separating them as one inherently good and one inherently wicked.... guys, that won't just go away after only 4 years of being on their Own Side. We hoped it would. We wanted it to. But it doesn't make sense. Yes, even if the earthshattering realization Aziraphale had that Heaven never truly cared about what was Good did change his character and essentially complete his arc in S1... it didn't change everything.

His arc in S1 was completed when he learned that Heaven wasn't for him. That they never cared. That only he and Crowley could save this world. But this is where the show deviates from the book - Aziraphale in the book is angry. Bitter. Scorned. Aziraphale in the show is just heartbroken. He mourns for the only ever family he knew. He mourns what he always saw himself to be. That mourning isn't just going to go away after 4 years. What is 4 years to a creature that has lived for a possible billion before the Creation? 4 years on earth to 6,000? That terrible wound he suffered that day is still VERY much fresh. It's an open wound he didn't properly take care of. And the Mettatron noticed, didn't he? Yes, you can understand that someone or Something isn't FOR you, and know all the reasons why, yet still wish you could go back... it's how abusive relationships work. You confuse nostalgia with remorse. You confuse nostalgia for real love.

Of COURSE he would seize the opportunity to get what he felt he lost back. And HE could do it. HE has the power. He can make it ALL RIGHT again, everything he's ever wanted...

...and this is why he completely breaks down when Crowley doesn't want to be beside him to do it. Rewatch it. Look at him. Look in his eyes. The way he winces when Crowley kisses him. His internal conflict (Heaven/Crowley vs. Our Side/Crowley) is externalized through Sheen's brilliant acting. His arms coming up to embrace him, but they never fully commit, they just graze him and hover around his body. The way he launches himself backward, away from the kiss, but his body is still slightly leaning forward. When he brings up his shaky hand to touch his lips, and not crying. Never crying. Because he is an Angel, and Angels don't cry. Not like a Demon would. Crowley is all he wants, but now, Crowley doesn't want him. Not like this. Not anymore.

Because, well, Aziraphale said it, didn't he?

Nothing lasts forever.

[juniemunie]

This year is comin to a near close and I had an urge of extreme nostalgia so-

Heres all the major fandoms that have been with me throughout the years if you can name all of them, congrats!

For better or worse theyve shaped me to become the weird creature that I am and i love all of these blorbos

The next few years are probably around the time Im gonna be more focused on college and jobs and whatever so I made this, not rlly a final hurrah of my art because im still gonna draw, but this is just a reminder of what got me going and kept me alive and happy

To all my friends both irl and digital, new and old, those I harass on a daily basis and those I haven't been able to interact as much as I wanted to, here's to another shitstorm of a year! We will survive this whether we like it or not LMAO

Book hiccup design is once again by @yv-sketches cuz i still love them

[thatdiabolicalfeminist]

not to be annoying but does anyone have any alternative phrases for like reject modernity embrace tradition when I'm like. wanting to talk about wanting to be a monkey or like eat fruit or whatever cus I've realised with your post about it that its a meme I've used a lot without realising it and I feel dumb now but would like to keep using something that has the vibe that I actually want it to have and not a nazi vibe

I mean part of the problem with that phrase is that harking back to an imagined/idealized past when Things Were Better is kind of inherently reactionary.

So what if you did like a pivot and tried like "Monkey time!" or "time to creach!!" (as in creature) or like "We are mammals. Embrace it"/"Embracing my mammal nature" or like something else that's more your vibe, that's fun to say but doesn't like. Invoke the concept that We Just Need to Go Back to How Things Used to Be.

Idk maybe somebody else will have more fun ideas for you in the notes! But yeah part of the problem is that it's a Nazi slogan, the other part is like what that slogan actually means and how that links in with fascist propaganda ykwim?

idk if you're not using the actual phrase it's probably not that serious like if you said "back to my primate roots" or something it's probably fine in my own individual, nonexpert and fallible opinion

BUT

i do think it's good to think abt this just like in general, because the nostalgia part of fascist propaganda is a really easy sell right now, what with the state of capitalism and like. the rise of. more fascism ironically lmao

i personally am working on not buying into that and not speaking in ways that encourage others to buy into it

[headmate-packages]

A package has arrived for you! Open it?

Shipping #: 00000011

📮💌📦

Shipping number: 00000011 (3)

Name(s): Calcite

Nickname(s): Cal, Calcium

Pronouns: it/?/”?”/X/__ / ❔/🪽/ name & nickname

Species: offhuman, shapeshifter

Age/range: ??? Appears 25

Gender: alderliminal Bizarreaesic (all in a neutral way)

Role: Creature Carer https://pluralpedia.org/w/Creature_Carer

Interests: photography (particularly liminal)

Frontcalls: tends to front with nonhuman members especially those who have trouble communicating or making sense of the world

Likes: mushrooms, Teletubbies, lost media, red text, repeating text, nonhumans and children

Dislikes: snobbish, stuckup people

Appearance specifics: non object head, has stars on cheeks

Signoff: ❔🪽

Fears: God. (Does not have to be in a religious fashion)

Kins: (biblically accurate) angelkin, funguskin

Happy place: Wherever is the most nostalgic for the collective

Hobbies: Sewing, photoshopping liminal or -core images

Passion: Discovering nostalgia

Favorite memory: whatever memory is most nostalgic to the system

Handwriting: Digital font

Image ID: Example of Digital font that reads "I WRITE LIKE THIS"

Letter:

I Have Nothing To Say About Myself As It Has All Already Been Written . I Am Not Exactly A Human . I Have Never Felt One And I Never Will . I Am A Mycena Chlorophos Mushroom . And I Am An Angel . In The Dark , I Glow . When I Am Alone , I Fear Punishment For Crimes I Did Not commit . I Enjoy The Company Of Other Non - Human Beings. I Understand Them . And I Feel Understood By Them .

- CALCITE

Face claims:

Appearance: Calcite can shapeshift and therefore can appear in different ways. Calcite’s shapeshifting has the limitations of always being humanoid and never being perfectly human.

It's difficult to portrayed Calcite through picrew but here are some traits Calcite takes on

Its skin is either sickly pale, white, or grey. Its eyes are either grey or purple, often with a spiral within them. It's hair is either white or purple. Xs face has stars especially across the cheeks.

Calite almost always has wings. Calite often shows with enlarged elf-like ears or extra eyes. It sometimes has mushrooms growing from it.

Any white, as well as ?s mushrooms and stars glow in the dark.

[demonfox38]

Completed - Costume Quest

…Dad?

I was worried that my generation would ruin Halloween like my grandparents ruined Christmas. You know what I mean? In the love of the holiday, Christmas became an overblown mess, with family mandates and stress over gift-giving sapping the quiet affection one could experience on a dark winter’s night with their family. I thought Millennials would go too far with Halloween, put up one too many giant skeletons, spend hundreds of dollars on candy and booze and get blasted into oblivion all in the name of having a good time.

I can’t say that I saw a worldwide pandemic burying it. Could have seen Stranger Danger doing it in, though. Maybe it would help if my neighbors ever participated in handing candy out. Or, if a bag of good candy cost less than $20.00 a pop. Or, if it was ever over the freezing threshold here on Halloween.

The point is, Halloween in Iowa has become a raw deal. You should probably pray for all of the Iowa City college girls with their butts hanging out the bottom of their costumes. At least, if you are the praying type.

Is it too early to think about Halloween? Wal-Mart doesn’t think so. Neither does “Costume Quest.” As I was cycling through my Steam library, trying to pick what to work on next, it managed to boot itself up and go, “LMAO, loading drivers, idiot.” Which, fine, whatever. I’m behind on my quota of games to beat in a year. Might as well knock an eager one out.

“Costume Quest” is a turn-based, button-prompt style RPG set on a nostalgic Halloween night. Ya know, the kind of magical night where simple pieces of junk turn a child into a gigantic missile-launching robot or a vampire or a unicorn or whatever this sentient fry monster thing is.

Using the power of imagination and their smart mouths, protagonists Wren and/or Reynold (whichever you pick) sets off on a mini-journey around their suburban hellscape while their sibling (dressed as a candy corn, of all the indignities) is kidnapped by goblin-esque creatures. They pick up two additional teammates who also manage to get into trouble by their own personalities (being too brave and being a little science nerd, respectively.) Along their way, they discover how and why these monsters invaded their little town, as well as the motivation for all of their candy thievery. You know. When the adults aren't just freely handing it out, mindless of who is at the door.

In addition to the main game, a DLC bonus story called "Grubbins on Ice" is included with the game. This takes place a few months after the original adventure, following up on the twitterpation of Wren/Reynold's party members and the homeland/culture of aforementioned monsters. It mostly serves as a teaser for "Costume Quest 2" (and an ad for "Stacking", if you find it), but it does tack on a couple more hours of gameplay, for what that is worth.

Am I glossing over a bit with the writing? Probably. "Costume Quest" isn't on par with something like "Psychonauts", in terms of depth or ingenuity. It's not to say the game is entirely without charm or a few chuckles. It's just exactly what you'd predict for a story like this. Some Halloween nostalgia, lots of modern era cracks at mid-century suburban living, adults being unobservant dingdongs. That kind of stuff.

The gameplay systems are relatively standard as well. Most of your exploration boils down to knocking on doors, seeing if you are going to get treated (receive candy) or tricked (get into a monster fight.) Equipped costumes affect what attack styles and special abilities a character has in combat, to mostly predictable consequences. Except for the fry monster. That's definitely unique! Additionally, some costumes allow you to take special actions while exploring, like using a plastic lightsaber to light up dark areas, skating over ramps with roller blades, or luring people to new destinations using the scent of…french fries.

Look, the fry thing was really creative, okay? Maybe it's not the most impressive costume, but it is super unique. I'm trying to give credit where it's due. That, and using the power of liberty to restore health.

The nearest thing I can ballpark that to is "Parasite Eve"'s Liberation mode, and even that is in name only. (Although, someone should really have a deeper talk with these kids about the underlying and disturbing implications of "Manifest Destiny"…)

In terms of input style and numbers, this is very much a "Paper Mario" / "Mario & Luigi" style of RPG. Your health and levels will seem low-capped, although that is not without some humor as well. (Your max level is 10 in the main game and 14 in the DLC, which corresponds well to ages that kids often stop going out for Halloween. At least, that seems like the joke to me, at the risk of ruining it via dissection.) You will also have to time button presses, tap madly, or wiggle sticks to maximize both your offense and defense.

One to three hits are enough to take out members on either side of the field. So, don't be too surprised if your kids drop like flies early on. You can always bolt on a battle (even final ones), if you don't feel prepared to tackle it. Any time you exit a battle, you will fully restore everyone's health. So, get aggressive. Get cowardly. Do whatever works with your flow!

“Costume Quest” isn't the most complex of games. Like, I completed the game and its DLC within 8 hours, and that was including leaving the game idle while taking dogs out. The reason for this may be… not shocking at all, if you hang around the same circles of gaming journalism that I do. To make a short story shorter: AAA publishers suck; Double Fine needed some fallback game ideas for when their more lucrative deal fell through; an idea jam session resulted in the creation of a couple of games (including "Costume Quest.") So, this game didn’t have the kind of budget more renowned Double Fine games might have had. It was more born out of a need to do something small to keep the lights on. Which, hey. Understandable. Respectable, even.

Having said that, a little polish on the game’s levels could have been helpful. I’m not running the most cutting-edge gaming machine known to man, but it’s more than strong enough to handle games from over a decade ago. There feels like several spots where the game is lagging due to what I’m assuming is bad level occlusion or excessive detail rendering (I’m thinking tree leaves.) Additionally, some of the side quests are redundant, particularly the apple/eyeball bobbing mini game. I can’t say I was enraptured by the music at any point either, but that’s a matter of taste. The battle victory/defeat music could have wrapped up a little faster though. Like, chop chop. We’re out of that mode. Let’s go.

As of writing this evaluation, the Steam price for this game is hanging around $9.99 USD, which…Sure? Am I gonna be that picky on the price? If you catch it under $7.99, that’s probably a little fairer to you, but I’m not the person to tell you how to spend your allowance. I guess it’s at least cheaper than actual Halloween candy. And it’s coconut free! That’s a point in its favor!

Sometimes, friendship and/or civilization is all about finding the people that like coconut and hate almonds so that you can trade with them and make both of your lives better.

[soyouareandrewdobson]

Nintendo-vember Level 4: a last minute birthday special and opinion on Zelda

Okay so before I start this post, I should admit that I initially intented to post this one only in a couple of days, to let the previous entry settle down a bit. But as some anon made me realize, today on November 21th is actually the 25th anniversary of Ocarina of Time.

I am not going to let this chance go to waste. So enjoy this entry.

Following the Localization comic and me giving the claims of Dobson a bit of a verbal beatdown, I decided out of a certain (biased) nostalgia for the Ocarina of Time, to dive in a bit further into Dobson’s genuine disdain for the game.

For a start, I take some clues from “thehypocrisyofandrewdobson” and just point to those little posts Dobson made in regard of one videogame, that not only fans but (as I want to show later) some of the biggest game developers ever have cited as being one of the greatest ever made.

So what is it? Is it your favorite game on the N64 or an absolute pile of shit? I also find it very telling, that Dobson doesn’t give a damn about story and only visuals, at least according to the tweet.

And before you ask, no, I don’t think Shadow of the Collosus is a bad game because “it’s not Zelda” or something. I actually agree with Dobson that it is a visually stunning game. In addition it manages to tell a rather tragic and poignant tale with only minimalistic story techniques and has quite some unique platforming elements and ingenuity in order to defeat the titular creatures. But you know what is also funny? The director of the game, Fumito Ueda, cited Ocarina of Time as a major inspiration and influence of the style of the game

As did other game creators, at least according to Wikipedia. And who wouldn’t believe it? After all, OoT among other things was one of the first games back in the day to include a target lock system for fighting enemies in a 3D-environment, making it as such something of a breakthrough when many other game developers truly fumbled with the jump from a 2D environment into a proper 3D one. Not just that, it was also one of the most successful game sales of its time. The N64 version alone sold over 7.6 million copies world wide. All while also being one of the most re-released Nintendo games ever, having gotten releases on the Gamecube and a graphically updated one on the 3DS.

Anything else I want to say about OoT I want however to contextualize in the “analysis” of the following two comics made by Dobson. One SYAC related, one just Dobson whining about the things that in his opinion make OoT a terrible or great game, depending on whatever mood he has right now.

This one is just one of Dobson’s earliest SYAC comics, in which quite frankly, all he does is bemoan the fact that people hate him for his “silly” takes on things. Flying eyebrows included. Which if you are even slightly familiar with Dobson is kinda bullshit. After all, his “silly takes” and opinions included among other things bemoaning the whole of anime being garbage because he fell out of love for it and the fact people called his work derivative of anime comedy tropes of the 80s and 90s. Or outside of just his comics openly attacking fans of stuff he didn’t enjoy rather blatantly.

There is also another “funny” thing about the comic. The blond guy (one of the few blonds not demonized by Dobson through his artwork) is pointing at the Holiday comic as one example he is confused people got angry about when it comes to Dobson

The thing is, I myself can understand people calling the comic crap without genuinely being offended about the “Christmas” and Holiday thing. For starters, Danny is a genuine asshole here to the old lady, who hasn’t done anything wrong then to wish him a good time, by essentially making her believe that she did an accidental racism by saying “Merry Christmas” instead of being sensible and assume he is jewish. In addition, you could argue that Danny is doing something inappropriate too by claiming to be of another religion than he truly is, to exploit the privilege connected to it to shame someone.

Lastly, it is hilarious how Dobson wants to “stand up” for non Christians on the holidays, when people at this point likely knew of the Channukah incident, that happened a few years BEFORE the comic was published

But again, I digress. Anyway, Dobson’s choice of the topic of OoT is in my opinion more than deliberate, even if Dobson claims that the only reason he did so was, because the comic is partly based on real events.

I get the feeling that was not really all that happened, because who in their right mind would not try to elaborate on their point. And even if the person in question just yelled at Dobson and then moved away, the strawman argument the (of course) uglified strawman nerd makes in the comic is not entirely wrong.

Look, say about OoT whatever you will. Perhaps it is not the best (Zelda) game ever (cause what accounts for “the greatest game ever” in a series or in general is partly based a lot on personal bias as well as the point in time it came out) but I think the following two things ring true:

At least storywise, it was a massive step up from previous Zelda games (especially the very first two of the NES days) and to a degree held the title of the “most complex” storydriven  and “technically less flawed” Zelda compared to some other games that followed in the series for quite a few years. At least Wind Waker based on what I heard (haven’t played it yet, sorry) had a few flaws like the sailing and fishing for items mechanic that nudged the game down a bit, despite how many people consider it a great game in the franchise now. Twilight Princess was widely considered a spiritual successor to Ocarina, but some people complained about a too dark presentation or were even annoyed about Midna. And Skyward Sword’s original controls and the entire thing about Demise hasn’t sit too well with some people either. Mind you, this doesn’t mean I think the games are crap and Twilight Princess is in fact one I want to revisit soon again, now that I am in the mood thanks to the review.

The second thing, it did have a massive impact on the Zelda franchise. Many of the things that kinda make the world of Hyrule way more fleshed out and as such contribute to the fun of the games, found their roots in the game. Things Dobson btw may claim to enjoy in Breath of the Wild, but as evident by that comic I now present hates.

And in order to make my point, I combine what those elements are, while also dissecting the comic that is the true main point of this entire post, panel by panel

First, the “derpy Goron” thing. So, you don’t like the Gorons? Okay, fine, you do you. But why is your idea to show why you think they suck to give them derp-face and portray them as “dumb? Sure, they are simple minded in a manner in the game, but not like that?

If anything, Dobson’s choice of facial expression and the “DUH” implies that he wants to use the word retarted to describe them. Which you know, kinda offensive. And also hypocritical, as Dobson would show down the line in life that just even the word “derpy” to use to describe a character, would in his mind be problematic.

As evident by the following MLP related posts provided by Hypocrisy, that show his dA journal expressed opinion on the Derpy Hooves controversy of 2012

In addition, hating the Gorons? Why? I admit, I did not think too much of Goron City as a location. It is a cave system in form of a hole in the ground, inside a mountain. Not very much to see there, but that was in regard to the technical limitations of the time. As a species however, I like them. Some of them are just simple minded, but kind creatures, but then you also have a badass like Darunia, who even becomes your brother in blood after you save the species from starvation. They are to me kinda like the Zelda version of the trolls in Discworld, elemental creatures that can also be funny but badass. In addition, traveling through territory leads to encountering some of the best dungeons in the game. Including the dungeon in Death Mountain, where you have to fight a dragon with a sledgehammer.

Nintendo's original GigaChad

Lastly, the Gorons would help to flesh out the world of Hyrule significantly, by introducing one of the first non human/elfish and yet intelligent species in the entire franchise. Till then, most of the time when you interacted in a Zelda game with an NPC able to talk, it was some other Hyrulian phenotypical to Link. Creatures such as Goblins or Lynel were only minions to Ganondorf. The Gorons, Zoras and Gerudos are the first major species with their own additional culture and kingdoms in the land of Hyrule and they got introduced in this game and further developed in other games.

Heck, Darunia is actually even something of a callback, as he is named after a town in the second Legend of Zelda game for the NES. You know, the sort of games Dobson worshipped.

Ganon(dorf) not being a pig Yeah. And that is a good thing.

Frankly, when OoT came out, most people assumed it to be a “prequel” to A Link to the Past from the SNES, because in this game Ganon isn’t yet in a boar demon form and goes by the name of Ganondorf. And they thought it was awesome. After all, A Link to the Past was a great game for many, and this implied that through OoT we get the “backstory” of this game, by diving into the very conflict that sealed away the Golden Land and resulted in a thief becoming the King of Evil. And we did… kinda.

Ignoring the Zelda timeline branching out more than Dobson ever did in his artistic growth, for quite some time it really came off like this game was a prequel to the SNES game. But not just that, it expanded on the Zelda myth and in doing so also on Ganon, which was more than a good thing.

Let us be real here: Ganon until that point was a boring boar. He simply was a fat blueish boar demon sitting with his thumbs up his ass in the final dungeon till you came along and finished him off with the sword or the silver arrows. Of all the four main Zelda games that existed by Nintendo up until that point, he only showed up in two.

The thing on the left is supposed to be the true embodiment of evil? Oracle games Ganon on the right was better than that!

Sure, he was the main antagonist and supposed mastermind behind everything in the first Zelda and A Link to the Past, but he had no real presence in the game. He wasn’t like let’s say Kefka in Final Fantasy 6, who showed up early on and became a constant thorn in the side for the heroes over the course of the game or the narrative till we were meant to fight him.

Ganondorf rectified that. In OoT, he was an active threat from the get go. Having assured that the Deku Tree would be infected by a deadly parasite, almost starving the Gorons to death, infecting the patron of the Zoras with another creature before the adventure of Link even began. And once he got IN story the triforce of power after essentially taking advantage that those dumb kids tried to stop him in order to enter the sacred realm… HOLY SHIT did things turn dark. Now Hyrule was ruled by a genuine king of evil.

The great kingdom we travelled before in search of three gemstones being turned into a wasteland and everyone we started to care for suffering in one way or another. We had more urgency, because the way the story had handled Ganondorf up until that point, made defeating him way more personal than in prior games. We didn’t just get a final baddie to fight to wrap things up, we saw the rise and fall of evil. Not to forget, his boss battle, with the castle falling apart and then the final battle in which Ganondorf finally snaps and takes on a demonic beastform… I have to say, playing that as a kid felt way more epic than the way it was presented in prior games.

The game essentially abandoned Ganon’s beastial cartoonish look and shallow final boss presence from previous games, to reinvent him as one of the greatest videogame villains of all time. This game establishes him as a determined, malicious and highly cunning villain in search of ultimate power, with his own backstory and origin to booth and laid the groundwork for his presentation in every game afterwards. Be it the old, more regal but still utterly mad man who wants to make Hyrule resurface from the sea in Wind Waker, the semi immortal manipulator in the shadows in Twilight Princess or the usurper and semi demon god in the Breath of the Wild continuity, who even in death is an utter menace thanks to his miasma overflowing the kingdom like some eldritch horror.

You know how they say that a villain is at times only as good as his best villains? Ganondorf is that example for the entire Zelda franchise, if not the entire Nintendo canon. As evident by the fact, that fans and even the main company alike think, that in any form of villainous team up he would be the true leader among the group.

The timeline branching Okay, I kinda agree with Dobson, the timeline branching really is an issue with that franchise. But none I would blame OoT for.

Timeline according to the Hyrule Historia post Skyward Sword but BEFORE the Breath of the Wild

To me it is like that: The timeline branching is a problem that first genuinely surfaced in the wake of Wind Waker and Twilight Princess, as prior to those games you could, even as a casual Zelda player, kinda put the games into a certain chronological order, even if the games themselves were NOT released as such.

Like to me OoT was the first game, followed by Majora’s Mask, then a new Link fought Ganon along in A Link to the Past, the Oracle games and Link’s Awakening, before the NES games had the final incarnation of Link get rid of Ganon for good. Either that or you ignored the NES games and considered everything from Wind Waker on a reboot.

But I digress. To me, OoT can’t be blamed for the timeline branching (nonsense), because the game itself did not attempt to “branch” the timeline. That is something other people, the game developers of future installments started to do, all while just saying OoT should be the point of divergence because it is chronologically the first game with time travel shenanigans.

Blaming it, is like blaming the great grandparents of Jeffrey Dahmer for his murders, because by reproducing and bringing one of his grandparents into the world, the existence of that monster was guaranteed.

On another note, Dobson also genuinely thought the Zelda games should only follow ONE Link for all eternity, instead of reincarnations or alternate versions. Which I guess may be linked to some autistic desire for conformity.

Sidekicks Oh, you are one of those people!

Frankly, I never got the hate Navi gets. I admit that her “hey listen” can get annoying over time, but as far as I know, this has been more of an issue in the American release of the game, than in the PAL version. Or at least I never got the impression she was that annoying. But frankly, she had way more positive functions as a “device” in the game to me, than anything. Plus, I can think of worse sidekicks in the series interrupting the flow of the game.

Navi has been criticized by some people in the fandom so hard, at this point it isn’t fair criticism in my opinion as much as it is blatant character bashing.

Also, complaining about annoying sidekick characters and how they are dumb?

Dobson is the last person online to do just that.

Fans Yeah, how dare people have fun with a videogame, that may have also impacted in a positive manner how they think of the medium overall.

I will say this: Yeah, overzealous fans in any fandom are annoying and I actually agree with Dobson on the notion that even if you love something, you should also look at it once in a while with a critical or neutral eye. Admit for example if something has flawed, but also try to explain why these flaws make it good in your opinion e.g.

However, two things work against Dobson’s point.

First, I think that overzealous hatred for something is even worse than overzealous joy.

Second, like with his hatred for sidekicks, Dobson is one of the last people on the planet to get mad at people being fans of anything to an extreme degree, when he himself has shown rather unhealthy fan behavior. Be it by hating George Lucas for the Star Wars prequels…

Obsessing over KorraSami to the point of it overshadowing the actual show…

Or spending more than 500 hours on Zelda Breath of the Wild in only 7 sessions

Now in his defense, spending hundreds of hours in an open world videogame is not the problem. But 568 hours in seven sessions? That amounts to an average of 78,2 hours per session. So either Dobson let the console run while he was busy doing other stuff (though I doubt they included actually drawing comics) and in doing so wasted precious electricity or he is a severe game addict.

The Zora redesign Again, I don’t get the problem. Zora’s in “A Link to the Past” were pretty much just mindless random monsters. This game established them as a sophisticated species and independent kingdom. And while Princess Ruto could be annoying and the Water Temple was so frustrating, I spend months not playing the game because I was stuck in it, I think the Rutos were a great addition to the game and the series as a whole.

Again, the world of Hyrule wouldn’t be as colorful and interesting, if it hadn’t been further fleshed out by the addition of non-elfish species and kingdoms/tribes. This game learnt to walk, so that Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom could essentially run.

I think the only reason Dobson hated them was, because he thought them being turned humanoid turns others into furries. Granted, I can kinda understand why someone would go Troy McLure based on that design…

But I think the designs of later games are even more detailed.

Heck, if I ever find out that he claimed for Breath of the Wild or some other game, that the Rutos are amazing and he always loved them, I will laugh my ass off at the hypocrisy. Before punching him in the face while smiling like Sidon

Oh and I will admit freely, that I love Sidon and his sister, even if my current main expossure to them is via Hyrule Warriors- Age of Calamity. Cause god dang it, those two siblings deserve a happy end, even if it is just in an alternate timeline.

Moving on...

Empty Fields

I will say this: Yeah, the Hyrule Field is my least favorite location of the entire game. It is just a huge grassy plane connecting the different more intriguing locations of the kingdom and before you get Epona or the songs to teleport to the different temples and dungeons, traveling across it can be rather annoying. But if walking around terrain without doing much is such a problem to Dobson, why exactly does he enjoy Breath of the Wild again, as it does involve a lot of travelling around vast space too? Granted, it is at least space with interesting scenery and great battles against minor yet dangerous monsters, but it’s the principal that counts for me here. Not to forget, walking around an overworld map that is kinda empty or devoid of much has been a stable for many games. Including great ones, wherein the lack of action, but the presence of a great atmosphere, helps to sell the game’s atmosphere. Including Shadow of the Collosus, which Dobson claims to love. Btw, if Dobson hates dungeons in Zelda, why isn’t he lapping up the actual overworld?

And this btw is only the second most annoying nitpick in the comic if you ask me. Cause the most annoying comes of course now

LINK IS BLOND! Again, like I asked in the last post, what is it with Link having a lighter hair color now than before, that makes Dobson channel his inner Chris Chan here? Link being blond is essentially what Sonic’s arms are to the internet’s most famous motherfucker. I just get the impression that Dobson genuinely believes the stereotype of blond people being dumb or at the very least “nasty” as the face Link makes in the panel also is kinda one reserved for genuine douchebags. Smug, slightly arrogant, as if he is going to give someone a swirly.

Heck, Dobson’s asshole level smugness about Link’s hair color has not only been more or less the reason for an entire comic complaining about it to exist…

If he could, he drew the character as often with brown hair as he could.

Frankly, I am more concerned about how Dobson’s interpretation of Link looks more like Link’s mother fucked a troll doll (something about the nose in most Link drawings by Dobbear give the impression to me) than anything from the genuine games. Like for someone who considers himself an artist, his own art doesn't really manage to capture what Link is supposed to be (End part 1/2. Second part uploaded in a minute because of a problem regarding the uploading of pics)

[koolkat9]

Royal Red Bros Week 2023: Day 2 and 3

@royalredbrosweek

Prompts: Growing Up || Remembrance/Nostalgia and Celebration || Canada Day

Rating: T

Relationship: England + Canada (+ a little bit of Scotland)

Word Count: 3685

Read on AO3

Time Ticks Away

His whole body felt like it was on fire despite the cold February air even nipping through his bandages. But he had a duty to meet his new charge.

Cautiously he approached the little log cabin in the middle of the woods. Francis had said this was the place the representation formerly known as New France liked to call home. With a shiver, Arthur approached the door and knocked.

There was no answer. Everything was still. Snow untouched save for a few paw prints, decorating the trees in gobs. It would be rather peaceful, a perfect winter wonderland, if it wasn’t so cold and he wasn’t so sore from the long war he had just come out of.

But that image was further shattered by a rustling from the bushes. Arthur snapped his attention towards it. Surely it was just a woodland creature, but after years of war, sudden noises called for concern. Better to be safe than sorry.

He stood straighter and eyed the bush. “Come on out, whatever you are. I know you’re there.”

There was more rustling, then a blond nest of curls popped out, followed by a whole boy no older than five. His deep blue eyes, like two ice caverns, stared at Arthur wide and unblinking. His hair was in tatters as were his clothes, and Arthur didn’t want to think too deeply about how he ended up like this, especially in winter.

Arthur approached the boy slowly so as not to spook him and crouched down to be at his level. “Hello there lad,” Arthur greeted, extending a hand to the boy, “I am England…er…Angleterre. Je suis sûr que vous avez entendu parler de moi. Quel est votre nom?”

The boy blinked, staring at Arthur’s hand as if it was foreign. Had Francis not taught this boy manners?

Finally, New France placed his hand in Arthur. “Matthieu,” he whispered, barely loud enough for Arthur to hear.

“Right then.”

Arthur looked over the boy…Matthieu. Though it was a mess, there was no doubt that hair was originally Francis's doing. Arthur continued his scan, wondering if those clothes could be saved at all. But what caught his attention most was the scrapes on the boy’s knees and palms.

“Let’s get you in the tub and then patch up those scrapes.”

Matthew tilted his head.

“Oh…er…” Arthur fumbled, “Que diriez-vous d’un bain? Et alors nous pouvons nous occuper de ces éraflures.”

Matthieu looked over Arthur, almost like a curious animal would. It was rather endearing if Arthur was being honest and reminded him of himself when he was a child.

Still holding Arthur’s hand, Matthieu guided him inside.

- - -

Matthieu–or Matthew as Arthur started to call him–never asked for anything. At first, Arthur had figured that was because the two of them were practically strangers that were suddenly parent and child. No play time, no stories, no sweets. But when he caught Matthew trying to prepare his own meal, Arthur realized this was more than just an issue of change.

Though he wasn’t sure how or if he should address the underlying problem, he had at least ensured that Matthew didn’t attempt to cook any time soon. That was the other thing about Matthew, you only needed to tell him something once, and he would listen. But Arthur never liked the horror in the boy’s eyes whenever this happened.

Arthur exited his office. He might have finally finished his paperwork, but now he had an oncoming headache. Why did his bosses have to print so small?

He entered the living room and found Matthew sitting on the sofa, nose in one of his favourite picture books, studying the images on the page. Arthur couldn’t help but smile. That boy was following in his footsteps as a bookworm, it seemed.

“Would you like me to read to you?” Arthur asked, taking a seat next to Matthew.

Matthew visibly jumped when Arthur announced himself. “I-I…um…don’t...want to be a bother…”

“Come now poppet. You could never be a bother. Especially not like this.” He took the book from Matthew. “Reading is one of my favourite activities after all, and it’s even more fun when I can share a story with someone.”

Matthew nibbled his lip, wide eyes falling to his swinging feet. “Y-You sure?”

“Mhm. Now get comfy.” Arthur wrapped an arm around Matthew’s shoulder and pulled him against his side. Matthew tensed, but as the story began, each word seemed to get him to relax.  

By the end, Matthew was almost sound asleep, cheek resting lazily over Arthur’s heart. Unable to bring himself to move him, Arthur spent the rest of his afternoon there.

- - -

He had been staring out the window all afternoon as if he was looking for someone. He was if what Alastair had said was true.

Arthur took a seat next to him, ignoring the burning hot sensation in his chest. “Everything alright?” Arthur asked, slow and cautious.

“Yes,” came the curt reply.

“Matthew,” Arthur warned, “Don’t lie to me.”

Matthew flinched.

“I overheard Uncle Allie talking with Uncle Dylan…” Arthur went on.

Matthew curled into himself, wrapping his arms around his torso and pulling his knees up. “I-I’m sorry…I-I-I…I’m trying not to miss him b-because I’m happy with you and Uncle Allie, b-but I just…I-I don’t…”

Arthur took a deep breath. “I get it,” he sighed, “I would rather not discuss Francis, but I’ll make an exception, this once. I understand being forcefully separated from someone you called family. I was around your age when I was forced away from my brothers. And I know how much it can hurt.”

“I’m angry…” Matthew whispered, staring daggers into his knees, “Why didn’t he fight harder for me? Why didn’t he warn me what was going to happen? Why is he ignoring my existence? All those letters Uncle Allie brought him.”

Arthur was furious that Alastair had gone against his order to keep Francis out of their lives, but when he caught Matthew fingering away tears, that discussion could wait for another day.

“But I still miss him,” Matthew whimpered, “He may have not understood me like you and Uncle Allie, but he still…” He couldn’t finish his sentence before he burst into sobs.

Arthur chewed the inside of his cheek, torturing himself by watching his child shake and cry. Before pride could interfere like it always seemed to do, he pulled Matthew against him and held him tightly. “It’ll be okay. Maybe not now. But I promise you, someday. We’ll make it work out.”

Matthew tensed in the embrace and, for a moment, struggled as if he was a trapped rabbit. Arthur kept his hold, carding a hand through the boy’s hair until he finally settled.

- - -

“And here I actually thought you might be changing,” Alastair spat, “But I should have known that was naive of me.”

“Yes, it was,” Arthur replied sharply as he folded his clothes into his suitcase, “We’re nations, and you know the duties that come with it.”

Alastair scoffed. “And yet you could fuck off to the sea during the mid-1600s.”

Arthur bristled. He took a breath, wanting to avoid this argument that they kept coming to time and time again.

“Alfred is already hurting, and you know it," Alastair kept pushing, "Look how big he’s grown in just a few decades. And how much of that time were you there for it.”

“We will not have this discussion now.”

Alastair laughed bitterly. Arthur’s back may have been turned from his brother, but he could feel the acidic eyes melting into him. “Oh, you’re just like Francis,” Alastair growled, "‘Business first, child second.' And that’s a generous depiction.”

Arthur whirled around, nostrils flared. “Don’t you  dare  ever compare me to that frog,” he whispered, poison dripping in his words, “I love those boys for more than just their land, and you know it.”

“Then act like it. Be a parent. Be  there for them . You’re missing the most important experiences of their lives.”

“I’ve told you I–”

“And I’ve told you, you can. I’ve been doing it because I can’t let Matthew feel abandoned again. He’s already breaking his back to impress you because he doesn’t want to be left behind again. Don’t you see it?”

He did. He saw it from the very beginning. The way Matthew never asked for things and how it was like pulling teeth just to convince the boy he could ask for stories, to play, and other things children asked for. How he would get lost staring out the window. How he never stepped out of line, and if he did, it crippled him for days after.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Arthur closed his suitcase. He brushed past his brother only to freeze when he spotted a blur of blond curls rushing away.

- - -

Matthew watched as droplets dripped from the icicles hanging from the roof of the little cabin. Spring had sprung, as they said, chasing away the last of his cold. After a winter of being cooped up inside and bedridden for most of it, Arthur knew he had to get that boy out.

He had to head into town for some errands giving him ample opportunity to bring Matthew.

So the two hopped in an open carriage and set off on their way. Matthew was even mellower than usual, Arthur couldn’t blame him, his body was still exhausted, and after all that coughing surely his throat was still recovering. At least he seemed to be enjoying the fresh air given his tired smile.

“Hey, I have an idea,” Arthur said, “Want to learn how to drive?”

Matthew fiddled with his sleeve. “A-Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“Of course it is. It’s very important for getting around these days. Now we’ll start with stopping and starting.”

Arthur explained the process and demonstrated what to do. Matthew, despite how nervous he looked, seemed to hold onto every word. In the end, those worries were for naught as Matthew flicked and pulled the reins like a pro.

Next was turning. Once more, Arthur walked him through it and showed him what to do. But this time, Matthew jerks the reins a bit too sharply and ends up spooking the horse.

“Hey, lad. Just–” But all words were lost on the panicking Matthew, who was now desperately pulling back on the reins trying to get the horse to stop, but only making it more anxious.

Arthur snatched the reins from Matthew and eventually got the horse to stop just before they ran into a tree. Arthur let out a quick sigh of relief, collapsing back into his seat.

With everything now calm, Matthew burst into tears.

“Now now lad,” Arthur gently chastised, “No need for tears. It was a simple mistake.”

“I-I’m sorry…”

“It’s alright. Everyone is safe.”

“But I could have–”

“Matthew, remember: we don’t dwell on what could have happened. It only makes us upset over something not worth it.”

Matthew nodded and rubbed his eyes.

Arthur handed him a handkerchief. “Here, it’s alright now. Let’s dry those tears.”

Matthew nodded again and wiped his eyes with the handkerchief.

Arthur watched the boy clean himself up and take a few deep breaths. The image stirred memories of when he was a young boy always running to Dylan in tears after the smallest inconveniences. But the world was quick to shove those feelings down into the deepest corners of Arthur’s being. Aggressively. Violently. This world was not built for those who wore their heart on their sleeve.

Arthur had considered doing something before Matthew had to learn that the hard way, but he never did. Not when Matthew looked at him with those crystal blue eyes. Arthur couldn’t break him even further.

“Can we continue on our way?” Arthur asked instead.

“Mhm.” Matthew kept a tight hold on the handkerchief, but at least he wasn’t crying anymore.

“Chin up poppet. Perhaps we can pick up some ingredients while in town, and we can bake together when we get home. Would you like that?”

Matthew peeked out from behind the handkerchief, eyes shining, a small smile tugging at his lips. “Yes please.”

- - -

He could smell the blood. It was the only thing Arthur could use to tell where he was. His eyes were stuck shut, and he couldn’t tell if it was the exhaustion, the pain, the mud, or a mixture of the three. Not that it mattered. Not now.

It was still raining. Normally, Arthur would find it calming, but each drop was like a bullet on his inflamed skin. He deserved it.

“--d-–ad,” someone called. The voice was panicked, but still so gentle. It enwrapped Arthur like a warm blanket, slowing his mind. He was finally nodding off, but not before catching a glimpse of blue and blond.

“Alfred?” Arthur croaked.

“Dad? Dad, it’s me. It’s Matthew,” the blond boy cried, taking Arthur into his arms. “Don’t worry. I’m going to bring you home.

Everything after that was a blur. Days, perhaps even months passed. Some days everything hurt, other days he felt like he was floating. But each day, Matthew’s voice was there, low and steady despite the clear worry in his pitch.

When Arthur finally came to, enough to sit himself up, supported by shaky hands and the headboard of the bed, Matthew was the first thing he saw.

Matthew’s curls were longer than he had ever seen them, splayed on the edge of the bed like a tablecloth, covering Matthew’s face. It looked as though he hadn’t brushed that mane of his in days.

He looked far older than the thirteen-year-old he was.

Tentatively, Arthur reached out and brushed a few strands away, revealing Matthew’s long lashes blanketing his eyes. Always such a beautiful boy. His beautiful boy. The beautiful boy that stayed.

At the time, neither of them would realize it, but something changed in Arthur. When Arthur realized that Alfred was gone and Matthew had stayed. Cried over him. Cared for him. Nursed him back to health, Arthur knew deep down that he had to repay that boy in every way he could, starting with putting Matthew first.

- - -

Arthur had been summoned to London. Ever since Alfred’s revolution, he hadn’t been home, and his bosses were practically begging him to come back. Arthur scoffed at the letter. It wasn’t like they listened to him when he was there. They functioned just fine without him.

He planned on ignoring it, continuing to live in the small cabin with his two sons in the heart of the Canadian North (only leaving to bring Jack his land for the sake of his people). But in the end, Arthur's own people seemed to be tugging him back to London.

Jack had just been put to bed when Arthur joined Matthew in the study. Just as he suspected all those years ago, Matthew was a bookworm just like him, always having a nose in some sort of novel. He hated to bug him, but he wanted the oldest who still lived under his care to know what would be happening.

“I’ve been summoned to London,” Arthur said softly.

Matthew didn’t look up, but his shoulders tightened up to his ears. “I figured. I’ve seen the letters being dropped off.”

Arthur nodded. “I want you to come with me this time. Both of you.”

Matthew whipped his head up to Arthur. “What?”

“I’ve…um…realized some things a-and…I don’t want you two to be alone for so long. There is no telling how long they’ll keep me considering how long I’ve been gone.”

“B-But…When I would go to France I–”

Arthur ruffled Matthew’s hair. “You always worry too much lad. You’re going to give yourself a heart attack at this rate.” He smiled and took a seat beside his son. “I think you both are old and stable enough to withstand the journey. And if there is any issue, we’ll come right back here.”

“Yes but–”

“And Jack has been doing well here with us right? So he’ll be fine.”

“That’s true.”

“I won’t make you come if you don’t want to, but I will be taking Jack with me, and then we’ll be heading back to his land before we come back here. Will you be fine on your own for that long?”

Matthew sucked in his bottom lip. “I-I guess I’ll come.”

Arthur clapped him on the back. “Good. And don’t worry yourself. You know I would never let anything happen to you two.”

Matthew smiled slightly. “I know Dad.”

- - -

It was finally happening. The son who stayed was leaving the nest. Sort of.

Matthew had approached Arthur one night asking for more freedom. By now, he had to be physically 17 or 18 Arthur guessed, a good few inches taller than him, and the colony seemed to be finding its own footing. Arthur was not about to make the same mistake twice and agreed to bring it up to his Parliament.

After some lengthy discussions and political proceedings, it was agreed that Canada would become a self-governing dominion. Not fully independent just yet with a few last ties to the British Empire, but it seemed to be enough to please Matthew, and that’s what mattered.

Though Matthew had physically grown from that owlish little boy that barely said a word, some things never changed. Like the way, he twisted and tugged on the sleeve of his blazer.

Arthur gently patted the hand. “None of that lad,” he whispered, “You got to show them how capable you are.”

“But what if I’m not…” The words barely reached Arthur, and for a moment Matthew was staring at him with those large round ice caverns from the first day they met.

“Oh Matthew,” Arthur beamed, cupping the boy’s cheeks in his hand, “You are more than capable. It’s not going to be easy, and you have already seen things that have shown you that. But you’ve taken them in stride. You’re still here.”

Matthew nodded.

“And I’ll still be here. Not as England, but as Arthur Kirkland. Your father.”

Matthew smiled and pulled Arthur into a tight hug. “Thank you.”

Arthur was shocked for a moment before patting Matthew’s back affectionately. Despite how big he had grown, there still seemed to be more growing to do.

- - -

Arthur peeked over the trench. It was dark. He’d be lucky if he saw anyone–friend or foe–coming across that field of bodies and shells. It was probably risky--no telling if those Germans would shoot bullet over just to keep him and his men on his toes. But he had to make sure Matthew returned safely.

In the silence of the night, Arthur heard the sloshing of someone approaching. He fell back into the trench, gun drawn just in case it was an intruder.  

“Father?” the wispy voice came.

“Matthew?”

“Mhm.”

Thank God . Arthur pulled his son back into the trench while the rest of the men leaped back in themselves. He dragged Matthew back to their little makeshift room. Matthew should have been back an hour ago, and Arthur had been relieved from his post to rest two hours ago, but his body refused to stay still on the stiff cot.

When they got into the low light of their dugout Arthur spotted the splatters of crimson that covered his son’s cheek and chest. “Please tell me that’s not your–”

“It’s not Dad,” Matthew sighed, taking a seat on his cot, “Don’t worry.”

“You…”

Matthew smiled softly, but something bubbled underneath the young serene face. It made Arthur’s stomach twist.  Him too…Grown too soon.

“You should have seen Ludwig and Gilbert’s faces. Never thought such stone-cold eyes could become hot with panic."

“Did you–”

“They escaped before I got the chance,” Matthew scoffed, pulling his helmet off and tossing it to the corner.

Arthur grabbed his canteen and an old rag. Wetting it, he began to scrub off the blood. “This is our life,” he muttered, more to himself than Matthew.

“I know…Which is why I am going to be there for all of you. I won't let them lay a hand on you.”

The icy caverns that were once Matthew’s eyes burned bright and hot like blue stars. He was no longer that little boy in the bush, and he was no longer that young dominion that needed Arthur to fall back on. He was Canada, wild and rugged, a force to be reckoned with. What Arthur had always wanted him to be. But now, he just hoped that sweet little boy was still in there somewhere.

- - -

“I-I don’t want you to push yourself.”

Arthur waved his hand at a fretting Matthew. Oh, how the tables turned in the last few decades. “I’ll be fine. A little under the weather, sure, but it shouldn’t be nearly as bad as it is on the fourth.”

Matthew sucked on his mug slightly. “I-I guess we could share a cake or something.”

“Come now. You’re celebrating 150 years of independence! That deserves something more than just a cake.”

“I have the big party with Alfred.”

Arthur always felt the chill of annoyance whenever Matthew mentioned his combined party with Alfred. But he knew Matthew never liked to be the center of attention. If this was how Matthew chose to celebrate, Arthur couldn’t tell him ‘no.’ Matthew wasn’t a child anymore.

“So a cake is all you really want?”

“Mhm. Your red velvet is the best.”

Arthur smirked. “And when did we agree that I would be the one baking it?”

Matthew just smiled serenely. “I’ve known you most of my life. You wouldn’t miss out on a chance to bake. Especially for your children.”

Arthur tried to mock offense, but a smile tugged at the corner of his lips. His precious owl-eyed boy, who wore his heart on his sleeve, had finally grown into himself. Still kind, but now full of so much fire. Arthur couldn’t have been prouder

Translation:

Je suis sûr que vous avez entendu parler de moi. Quel est votre nom = I’m sure you’ve heard of me. What’s your name?

[laufire]

new tag game: list ten of your childhood ships

tagged by @blairwaldcrf (ty!)

see, a few of my childhood otps have ~remained with me lmao. I'll try to go for those I don't think about that much these days, after so long (although I'm sure that if you put them in front of me, the wave of nostalgia that'd hit me would knock me out xDD). this means none of my classic DCU ships, my bangel, my gabrielle x xena... *sniffs*

in alphabetical order:

-Alex and Stevie (Wizards of Waverly Place). They knew what they were doing with this one.

[Caption: gif where Alex walks around Steve, while Stevie smirks and turns around to look at her.]

-Claire and Peter (Heroes). I was like 12, I was FEELING them... and then the reveal YOU KNOW THE ONE. I felt so betrayed añsldfjaf. Whatever, they still had that IT factor xDD

[Caption: in heroes, a brunette Claire tells Peter "I'm sorry, Peter. I always loved you." and proceeds to shoot him in the head (which he stops with his time-control powers).]

-Cole and Phoebe (Charmed). There's a ship I like more (Paige/Kyle) but I definitely still think about them, while Phole is more... background to me now, despite probably being my first ship ever.

[Caption: gif of the moment Phoebe meets Cole. She turns around when he arrives to a crime scene as a district attorney, immediately taking notice.]

-Dana and Kai (Chronicles of the Tower). These are books written by Spanish author Laura Gallego García. The first one (which is self-contained, IIRC it was meant to be a standalone) is available in English, afaik. Now THIS woman knows how to break my heart with her romances... everyone else intending to write romantic subplots in fantasy should learn from her :P

[Caption: part of a book cover. A young girl and boy sit on a horse. She has black short hair, covered with a lilac hood. He's translucent, blond, sitting behind her with his arms around her hips.]

-Elisa and Goliath + Demona and Goliath (Gargoyles). I just can't choose lol.

[Caption: Elisa, embracing Goliath with her arms, surprises him with a kiss.]

[Caption: Demon appears from the shadows, with her eyes shining red. She's telling Goliath that she has a name, given to her by humans a long time ago. Pointing at him with a large weapon, she tells him he should know it before he dies: "I am Demona."]

I contain multitudes!

-Jake and Rose (American Dragon).

[Caption: with Jake in dragon form and Rose dressed as a hunter, they fight on a roof. Jake says "Hey! Check you out. You're good, Huntsgirl.]

-Juliet and Pauline (Heavenly Creatures). Yeah... (but man, do I need to rewatch this one...).

[Caption: Juliet and Pauline lie on the ground on top of leaves, in white tops/underwear, laughing and embracing and briefly kissing.]

-Lilly and Veronica (Veronica Mars)

[Caption: Veronica has a dream of her and Lilly in pink bikinis, floating in the water on top of mats, surrounded by water lilies. Veronica says "This is how it's supposed to be." and Lilly replies "Totally."]

-Marissa and Ryan (The O.C.).

[Caption: Marissa and Ryan's first meeting, on the street outside the Cooper's and Cohen's houses. She asks him, "Who are you?; Ryan, with a cigarette in his mouth, replies "Whoever you want me to be."]

tagging: @missbrunettebarbie @erensattacktitandick @charlottesmatthews @habibialkaysani @grapecaseschoices @peresephones @equusgirl @elviriel @nomattertheoceans @nastasyafilippovnas no pressure!

[ifuckinglovedinosaurssomuchjesus]

Ok, all my thoughts on the new Jurassic World news:

I like Jurassic World, I am glad it's continuing.

I'm glad that we're getting a new writer and probably director. I like Colin Trevorrow but I also want someone new on the helm for variety sake.

David Koepp is a fun choice given his history with the series, but I'm not jumping out of my seat thinking he'll save the franchise or whatever. He wrote the Mummy reboot and the last two Indiana Jones after all.

They're being vague with whether it's a sequel series or a full reboot. I hope it's not a reboot, there's no image in my head of a modern version of Jurassic Park that has any value beyond nostalgia milking. The universe is big, tell new stories, not the same one we saw decades ago.

I hope they put some care into the dinosaurs, my biggest problem with the transition from the JP series to the JW trilogy is the nose dive in amount of research given to creature design.

And that's about it. It'll probably be close to a year before we get any actual information on the movie, so I'm saving any hype for later, but color me happy that there's more to look forward to in the future.

[mylittlesecrethaven]

Heh.... I'm Back To Webtoon I Guess

I swore I wasn't gonna go back.

I told myself the nostalgia would hurt too bad.

And yet here I am.

Back reading a ton of Webtoons.

And I am not upset in the least.

(Below is just a list of all the different Webtoons I'm reading in case you're looking for anything to read on Webtoon yourself)

Bailin and Li Yun - Caught up - A cute bl story about a mermaid and a researcher.

Pixie and Brutus - Going to read - A series of different short scenarios that I kept seeing on YouTube.

Osora - Caught up - A story about a prince dealing with his kingdoms expectations. (Includes a love story, some bl and bxg, and some trans rep, but do be warned, there's lots of homo and transphobia)

hello, hello - Need to read

The Prince of Southland - Need to read

Boyfriends. - Have read, need to reread - Another series of short scenarios about a poly relationship of 4 of the most adorable college bois (also has a poly relationship of 4 girls)

So Not My Type - Caught up - A funny comic about the MBTI personalities as their own characters in college.

Crow Time - Going to read - Kept seing this one on YouTube as well.

Karsearin: Adventures of a Red Dragon - Need to read

Cursed Hero - Need to read

Not Even Bones - Have read, need to reread - A kinda gory story about these people with powers and other mythical creatures. Has lots of sensitive stuff and plenty of blood. (Though, it's not based around the blood)

Moonchild - Caught up - A comic about a teen who can see spirits and has his own abilities. I won't detail this too much, but it is very gory and has many sensitive topics, but is adorable in some places. (Tbh, a little hard to understand what's going on)

The Croaking - Have read, need to reread - Can't remember too much, but it's about these winged people in a military school and there's a crow there and people don't like crows.

The Little Trashmaid - Need to read - Kept seeing this on YouTube as well and it just looked adorable.

Out of Sight, Out of Body - Need to read

Everything is Fine - Caught up - A very mind-fuck of a story. Very dark themes and slightly gory. Very good though.

Castle Swimmer - Have read, need to reread - A bl story about two mermaids. It's very good and very cute.

SOULWINDER - Need to read

Straylight Tiger - Currently catching up - A futuristic world where some people have powers and some don't, and a girl suddenly finds out a secret about herself. Includes: A ragtag team of students teaming up to fight a cult, a mystery about the main character, and adorable characters and awesome designs.

LUMINE - Have read, need to reread - I think this is about a werewolf? It's been a while.

1HP Club - Need to read

Miez - Need to read

Lalin's Curse - Caught up - A comic about a kid who believes in conspiracy theories with all his heart. Are they true? Or is he going to be hurt by the truth?

I kinda just subscribe to whatever looks cool, tbh.

I'll read them all.

Eventually.

(I'm getting at least 20 chapters of whatever I'm reading done a day along with everything else I do, so I'm not exactly reading slow.)

[salt-volk]

I remember being into DV in beta initially because, I, being a mid teen, was like 'oh hey this game seems promising!! it looks nice!! sure it's a little grindy but that'll probably change!!' Then I forget about the game, come back a year later for a couple days, dip because I was too annoyed I lost my (minimal threes forest but I recall the grinding being worse with only 3 hearts at a time I think), and then in the grand year of 2023 come back, expecting a lot to have changed, and instead it's... well, I assumed it'd reveal what changed once I got further in the game. it had me fixated on a bit because I was in need of some daily little scheduled quick grind at the time, I even bought a couple chests (once a month ofc) because it's basically half the price in GBP so it didn't sting much. Besides that I was and still am a casual player in any game of this style.

You see the first few changes I was surprised by, and I hoped there'd been a rehaul to really get into the worldhopper lore, but then I reached the mines and got. bored. the events were fun, but it just felt like just a grind after they passed. I still went go on it occasionally, but I literally have nothing to go for now since my main goal was get enough rep with characters to unlock the accessories, but then I learned that, indeed, I can just get it for equal price in the trades sales. whatever they're called. That was the last thing stripped from my motivation to be invested. I can't be bothered to go for pets at all, they were never a big interest to me since incubating them always broke my rhythm quest wise, I was more into the avatar stuff, because I could spice up my character whenever and however.

Honestly, I'm a simple creature, dangle quick dopamine hits and I go for it. But here, after three years? There was basically nothing new. At all. And. is there even... like a team behind this or is it like one person. TBH coming across this blog accidentally and reading this gave me new light into the game, slightly saddening, but also it made me feel less mad that maybe I somehow wasn't playing the game right LMAO. the economy is wack, the adventuring layout is broken and wack, everything is wack. It's a shame, it did have an air of nostalgia for me, and I hoped this game would be fruitful, instead it fell off the tree under-ripe.

(sorry for the long post haha)

.

[houseofhurricane]

Against Nostalgia | Chapter Three

Summary: Fifteen years after the end of the second war against Voldemort, Hermione Granger is invited to Hogwarts for a one-year appointment as the professor for History of Magic, forcing her to take a break from a successful career at the Ministry of Magic. Draco Malfoy, meanwhile, is Hogwarts’ Defence Against the Dark Arts professor. He’s a former Auror, despite the fact that he still bears the Dark Mark. Though there’s mutual distrust between them, sparks quickly fly between Hermione and Draco…sometimes literally. And although the war is long over, it doesn’t take an interest in History of Magic to see that history is intent on repeating. Between them, Hermione and Draco have the power to shatter the world they know. Or, maybe, the could make it into something new. (Imagine if they fell in love at the same time.)

Pairing: Dramione

Word Count: 7,140

In this chapter, we see Professors Malfoy and Granger in action... in the classroom. Because that’s what we look for in dark academia, right?

Thank you to @iftheshoef1tz​ + @poisonivy206​ + Carter + Farrah + Gillian for beta reading this. You have the sharpest eyes, the best questions, and the biggest hearts. All mistakes, as always, are my own.

Thank you all for the love and support on this fic! I hope you enjoy the latest chapter 🧡

You can read Against Nostalgia on Archive of Our Own.

The first years in particular always stare at him, and so Draco starts the first day of the school year the way he’s started the past three: by shoving up the sleeves of his robes and revealing the Mark on his forearm while the Gryffindors’ and Hufflepuffs’ eyes go round as saucers.

“I can tell you about defending yourself against Dark magic from experience,” he says, once he hears the first student squirm in the silence, “both as the good wizard and the evil one. I’ve met many of the creatures we’ll be learning about in your course of study, and called them friend or foe at different times. And what I know is this: what seems very clearly evil to you now will not always remain so. Goodness and evil may seem, at different moments, like their own kind of traps.”

One of the Gryffindors, Alfie Prewett, scowls at this. Draco stares at him until the boy is forced to meet his eyes, his lips nearly the scarlet of his tie.

“I am not here to instruct you in morality,” he continues, “rather my goal is to ensure you’re prepared for whatever you might face. But I will tell you that your fears are instructive.”

The Ministry and McGonagall would have him finish his opening salvo with a paean to light and goodness, but they’re not watching this class and Draco’s frankly not in the mood. Not when he’s playing Dark wizard on their orders.

Instead, he tells them about the origins of Dark magic and the creatures they know as monsters.

“You need to know that there are times when you may use these spells and feel as if you are causing harm to someone or something that doesn’t deserve it. Trust your instincts and keep going.”

A witch with deep brown skin and close-cropped curls raises her hand into the air, her Gryffindor tie catching the light with the motion.

“So if a vampire is bent on sucking our blood, we should think about offering our necks?”

The tone of her question, the certainty in it, reminds him so strongly of Hermione that Draco has to bite back a smile.

Read the rest on AO3.

Tag List: @almosttenaciousmoon @bekkakat @bloodyinspiredstuff​ @blue-pinguin13 @bookbaby2021 @booknerd87 @carol-pisarro @damedechance @diamonata @dramionefeltson @foundress0fnothing @gracegotyou​ @heartoffleur @hizqueen4life @hobidyllic @iftheshoef1tz @igotoseeekagreatperhapss @interlude-jk @jewlsiverse @kresseida @likethemist42 @lvckycarms @magic-in-onyx @melodyofemotion86 @midnightmourning @mirubyjane @newjerzyyy @nottypicallytessa @octobers-veryown @ofduskanddreams @otplovers087 @ouatromanticgal-blog @poisonivy206 @pricelessdreams86 @reyiasolo @sherunswithzombies @sillywoman01 @spookedlentil @stopthenrewind @tamaud @theforest @theforestmsga @usagiii3 @varsitycowboy @vypers07 @whitleystardust @zootndingo

Please let me know if you’d like to be added or removed from my tag list. Thanks for reading 🧡

[sunny6677]

October

(A Spooky Month AU Series)

PART 17/CHAPTER 17: A Plan.

Summary: A 19-year old Skid ends up moving back to his old town for the sake of nostalgia. But he finds himself surrounded by familiar faces.

TWS: PROFANITY, PUMP BEING LESS OF A DICK, IMPLICATIONS OF ROYS TRAUMA, IMPLICATIONS OF FLASHBACKS, DEATH THREATS(EVEN IF ITS AS A JOKE IN THIS CHAPTER).

A/N: I genuinely wanna know. Who do you think is actually in the wrong in this situation? Skid or Pump?

————

Skid gulped, staring into the eyes of.. well, Eyes. They looked like the feathers of a peacock, the cyan blue dots staring back at him with such intensity. Even if he remembered how he had befriended this creature with Pump in the past, it was still a horrifying sight. His anxiety levels had never been so high before, he hadn't ever believed they would ever become higher than they already had been.

He glanced at Pump who had still been beside him. Pump was not uttering a word now, his eyes completely fixed on the gigantic cyan eyes from before the two. For whatever reason, Skid had not been effected.. much like the previous time they had visited this creature inside of his lair. Skid only continued to stare back at the creature, and finally said in an almost shivering voice, "H—Hey.. Eyes.. uh.." Skid nervously glanced around, struggling to keep his calm, "h—how've you been? Heheh.. your not.. gonna kill us, are you?"

The creature did not utter a word for a moment, before its booming voice echoed around the lair yet again. "WHY WOULD I KILL SUCH INTERESTING AND UNIQUE PILES OF FLESH?" The creature asked, making Skid tense up as he continued to stare back at it in slight fear. His anxiety was plummeting to the roof right now, and his heart was beating a hundred miles per hour. The booming voice then spoke again, "YOU LOOK DIFFERENT. WHY WERE YOU GONE FOR SO LONG, FLESH?"

"W—Well.. I—it's been a long time, Eyes, I—I moved away for a decent amount of time and.. and had myself a break from this town, I guess. M—My mom ended up dying, so.." Skid said, staring down at the void-filled cyan-filled ground that consisted of nothing but the tentacles below. "I KNOW, FLESH. I AM EVERYTHING, I AM EVERYWHERE AT ONCE." Eyes answered, slightly leaning closer, which caused Skid to look away upon his own anxious instinct. "A—Ah! Of course, of course.. w—wait, why did you ask, then?" Skid said, turning to Eyes in gentle confusion.

"I JUST WANTED TO SEE IF THAT WAS WHY YOU LEFT, FLESH." Eyes answered, looming closer. This made Skid look away again, though Pump still stayed still in his position, still appearing hypnotized. "O—Okay, okay! J—Just.. just stop getting so close to me, please." Skid begged, seeming very anxious. Eyes backed away slightly, looking down upon the two humans before him, and said in a snarling voice. "HOW OLD ARE YOU TWO NOW, FLESH? WHY DOES PUMP STILL LOOK LIKE A.. KID?" Eyes said slowly, seeming as if he were trying to correct himself. Had he been trying to learn the lingo of the humans? If so, it was hard to tell.

Quietly, Pump said in a low and raspy tone, not breaking eye contact, still hypnotized, "You will be dead in the next five minutes.." Skid looked at Pump with a worried glance, before slowly turning back to Eyes. A plan was slowly forming in Skids mind to get the two of them out of there. "L—Listen, Eyes, we need to go.. Pump needs to get back home, and he's had a pretty long day.. I've had a pretty long day too, so.. can you please let us go?" Skid tried to gently ask, as if gently inquiring Eyes had been Plan A.

"NOT UNLESS THERE IS SOMETHING YOU MAY GIVE ME IN RETURN, FLESH." Eyes growled, slightly leaning closer again, which caused Skid to fight the urge to flinch back in anxious fear. He maintained eye contact, holding a slightly determined look on his face. A light bulb then clicked on in Skids mind, but it hadn't been obvious on the outside. "U—Uh.. what about.. do you mean spooky month?" Skid softly asked, giving a nervous smile as he slightly shrugged where he had been positioned.

"...ITS THE SPOOKY MONTH?" Eyes asked, suddenly eager. Skid quietly let out a sigh of relief, it seemed this plan was sort of working. Pump, even though he was still hypnotized, had said in a slightly lower tone, "...wait.. what?" Skid only glanced at Pump, still holding a look of empathy and concern. But then, his look turned into that of determination.

Without further ado, the two suddenly felt themselves being pulled closer to Eyes, and before they could fight back..

————

"Right in here, men!" John called out, grabbing a rope as other officers lined up from behind him, tugging onto the rope as well. Jack only rushed to the other side of the hole that had been plunged out of the ground, holding a walki-talki close to his mouth as he bent down to get a closer view of the hole. The officers had been determined to let the two men out of the hole, they had been ready to rescue them.

As the men and John began to try and throw the role into the very spot of the hole, they suddenly heard a loud crashing sound yet again, and everyone in the room began to tumble. Jack tumbled foward, nearly falling into the hole himself. In fact, he nearly actually did fall into it, but was then grabbed by the wrist by John who had fortunately been nearby. John then looked to whatever the source of the crashing noise had been, and uttered in a very shocked tone, "Holy shit.."

It was.. the weird tentacle-creature who had captured Skid and Pump, "Eyes", as the two had called it. And.. Skid and Pump had been on top of its head, on top of its brain-like head. Skid had been sitting in the front, while Pump had been sitting from behind him. Pump seemed to be looking down, his eyes how a teal or cyan blue. For seeming hypnotized earlier, he seemed more in control now for whatever reason. Perhaps the lair had made it worse?

Eyes, without warning, began to rush out of the house, making the officers scramble around and shriek at the top of their lungs. Skid and Pump screamed as well, not expecting his sudden movement, in fact, they screamed both at the same time.

Eyes had left the officers there, still having Skid and Pump riding on him as he rushed out of the house on the hill. John looked to be in shock, and grabbed a walki-talki rather quickly, and began to frantically call for more help.

————

"H—Holy shit, what is he doing?!" Pump had yelled that, still seeming a little.. hypnotized, from the color his eyes had been. He seemed to be more in control, but he seemed almost sleepy and exhausted with each sentence he spoke. In fact, he nearly fell off of Eyes, but Skid had stopped him from doing so, placing a hand where he would have fallen had it not been for him.

"Pump, I'm gonna need you to follow what I say for once, alright?!" Skid yelled at Pump, who had been behind him still. Skids stare seemed more stern and determined now, he was being unusually assertive. "What do you mean follow what you say for once?! I've basically been doing that this entire time!" Pump yelled back. Their voices were barely hearable over the sound of the loud footsteps of Eyes, or tentacle-steps rather.

"Yes, but your really going to have to do it this time, Pump! No sarcastic comments, no getting angry at me, and I'm certainly not gonna get angry with you! Your gonna follow what I'm saying, alright?!" Skid yelled at Pump, seeming more assertive and almost like an authority figure now. Pump didn't answer for a moment, which made Skid lightly shake him by the shoulder. "Alright?!" Skid repeated again, seeming like he was getting a little too into the role of being assertive. Pump seemed shocked, like he hadn't been expecting this.

"O—Okay, fine!" Pump agreed, with a slightly sassy roll of his eyes. "But what are you even gonna do anyway?!" Pump asked, with a rather sharp gesture of his hand ad he struggled to remain on Eyes. "That was exactly what I was gonna explain before you interrupted me, now pay attention!" Skid raised his voice, sounding as if he were panicked and assertive at the same time. Pump slightly flinched, but slowly nodded in understanding.

Skid then whispered, "We're just going to take him for some candy and some spooky dancing, and then we'll leave, alright? Just like old times!" Pump widened his eyes, and said in a mildly confused voice, "W—We're just gonna do the same thing we did last time? Isn't that a bit weird? Couldnt we have just done literally any other plan—"

Skid gave a stern but determined glare, which made Pump quiet down immediately. Pump sighed, and yelled with an annoyed look in his eyes, "Okay, fine, but—" Skid swiftly turned around, and said in reply, "No, your not questioning me anymore, your gonna listen to me for once because this time it's important! Now hold on tighter so you don't fall off!"

Pump obeyed this command, holding a look of shock. He hadn't ever seen Skid so.. determined or assertive before. But both of their eyes widened upon Eyes stopping in his tracks suddenly, and they saw what he had stopped by.

It had been Roy, Robert and Ross—they seemed to be standing by the gate. Ross seemed to be putting a comforting hand on Roy's shoulder, while Robert only worriedly glanced down at Roy. Roy seemed to be.. crying, but he was wiping his tears. "S—Sorry, guys.. I just don't have a lot of good memories with this place." Roy apologized, his voice sounding calm compared to his face. He seemed to be referring to.. the house on the hill?

"Its alright, Roy, we—" Ross stopped, and looked up, his eyes immediately turning a cyan blue. Robert looked up too, his mouth agape, and his eyes now a cyan blue. "R—Ross? Robert?" Roy tried to say, and slowly looked up. Roy's eyes widened, and of course.. they immediately turned a cyan blue.

...Eyes was hypnotizing them, again.

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