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[youghvaudough]

I will forever appreciate a theme in my fictional stories, & that’s exactly what Wind Breaker (by Nii Satoru) has, so, I present:

Wind Breaker characters have a theme to their names.. a thread:

Bōfūrin / 防風鈴

so, even though our protag group’s name is written and visually represented as “wind chime”, Bōfūrin’s name is where this group’s theme of trees/plants start:

防風鈴 (“prevent/protect” “wind chime”) has the same reading as 防風林, a type of forest planted strategically to prevent wind erosion of soil — much like Fūrin’s mission of protecting and serving their town

all of Bōfūrin’s named members (and close associations) so far have some element of tree/plant/wood in their last name (if you look at the kanji of their last names, you’d see a lot of wood radicals/木字旁):

桜 遥 • Sakura Haruka: 桜 / cherry tree

(fun fact: his name 遥 / haruka means "far"; also it's commonly a feminine given name)

蘇枋 隼飛 • Suō Hayato: 枋 / sandalwood (?) or tree used as timber, general term for wooden beams in houses

(fun fact: his last name 苏枋 is the Chinese name of a traditional reddish brown color, named after a pigment made from 苏木!)

楡井 秋彦 • Nirei Akihiko: 楡 / Siberian elm

杉下 京太郎 • Sugishita Kyōtarō: 杉 / Japanese cedar (cryptomeria japonica)

柊 登馬 • Hiiragi Tōma: 柊 / holly osmanthus (osmanthus heterophyllus)

(fun fact: his name 登馬 means "to mount a horse"; no, not that kind of mount, the regular horseback riding kind)

梅宮 一 • Umemiya Hajime: 梅 / plum tree

(fun fact: his name 一 is just "one")

This association also extends to Kotoha, who is very closely associated with Bōfūrin:

橘 琴��� • Tachibana Kotoha: 橘 / orange tree

now, Bōfūrin members yet to be featured in the show: (spoilers below the break)

(if you want to go to later parts: part 2 - shishitoren & part 3 - noroshi!)

梶 蓮 • Kaji Ren: 梶 / paper mulberry (broussonetia papyrifera)

(fun fact: his name 蓮 / Ren means "lotus")

椿野 佑 • Tsubakino Tasuku: 椿 / Japanese camellia

(fun fact: their name 佑 means "to help/protect" or "to bless"!)

桐生 三輝 • Kiryū Mitsuki: 桐 / empress tree (paulownia tomentosa)

柘浦 大河 • Tsugeura Taiga: 柘 / mandarin melon berry (maclura tricuspidata)

There's also 桃瀬 匠 (Momose Takumi, "peach tree") & 水木 聡久 (Mizuki Saku, "wood"), the two other Heavenly Kings

I hope I have rly driven the point home here,, /lh

[1980shorrorfilm]

every road i know

click here. resources for palestine, congo, sudan, and other countries.

pairing…ellie williams x gn!reader

in which…ellie thought it was time to solidify your relationship. she might have been wrong.

before you read…inspired by the strangers, minus the killing n stuff. modern day fic. angst with comfort <3

the autumn night is silent, save for the occasional creak of the old miller’s cabin settling into its nighttime routine. you listen to the wind whistling outside, through the tall pines surrounding the small wooden home. 

it’s a lonely town, the nearest house a few miles down the road, something vastly different from your shared apartment in the city. 

ellie started bringing you here after joel had let it collect endless dust and cobwebs, the woman cleaning it all up for you. whenever life got too busy, chaotic, or hard, this way your getaway. peace. just you and her and the nature that surrounded you.

now, it feels as though it’s purgatory. 

the fireplace flickers softly, its glow dancing on the wooden walls, but the warmth couldn’t seem to comfort you. not right now. ellie sits in front of the flames, her silhouette outlined by the orange gentle light.

she has yet to utter a single word to you. the car ride here was silent. even the radio on mute, because ellie couldn’t find the simple strength to turn it up.

the moment is replaying in her mind, over and over, the sad smile you had given her burned into her memory. the thing she’s had anxiety about for the past month. proposing, to you.

the dark velvet box holding the special ring, now lying on the coffee table beside her. a stark reminder of the event.

you’re sat on the couch, chewing your lip, a rose petal in your hand. it’s soft, you find yourself stroking the smooth flower. they cover, nearly, the whole cabin. ellie had thrown the petals around before you had arrived together, trying to make it appear as romantic as possible. 

it’s not her strong suit, her appreciation toward you shown in much different ways than typical lovey-dovey things you see on television, but tonight it felt right. long candles garnish whatever surface she could put them on, yellow and smelling like vanilla. they’re not lit. 

she assumed she’d spark them when you came back from the long day you had. one that started with your favorite breakfast, ellie waking up extra early to make it as perfect as she could. and she did, you made sure to compliment her repeatedly.

then she took you downtown, viewing places you rarely visited, spending more time admiring you than the other pretty views. what occupied most of your time, was going to a museum she took you to on your first date, reminiscing on how awkward you two were compared to now.

she swears that’s her favorite place, and not just because she’s a nerd, because she now associates it with you. 

ellie had took you out to dinner, to your favorite restaurant, hardly eating and claiming she just wasn’t hungry. that was a lie, she just didn’t think she could keep food down. her nerves were washing over her, multiplying when you had finished, and you took a walk near the river, beneath the red trees that blew softly above you.

you had felt her pause in place, holding her warm hand, and you thought maybe the tie had come undone on her sneakers. she had washed them the day prior until her fingers pruned, you found it odd for ellie but didn’t say anything. but that wasn’t the problem. she stared at you like she saw a ghost, and it worried you.

you almost thought this was the end, she was about to tell you those four dreaded words. we need to break up. oh, the idea terrorizes you. that, however, also wasn’t it.

she had whispered inaudible words to herself, then mumbling ‘okay, okay, okay.’

you thought the woman was breaking before you, concern in your eyes, holding her hand tight. then she gulped, trying to get out the rehearsed words that seemed to vanish the longer she stood in your presence. 

how much you mean to her. from the very moment you two got paired up for a project that she insisted she’d do all the work for, but you fought back, finding yourself in her bedroom the entire week, the girl studying you more than the work laid out before her.

she found herself by your side all the time afterward.

she needed to be by your side. 

she doesn’t know how she lived before you, and if she could live without you— no, insisting she could not live with you. she simply wouldn’t have the will. waking up to a bed you didn’t occupy, not hearing your genuine laughter to her most idiotic jokes, not being able to hold you when you experienced the hardest day of your life.

she couldn’t have that. she needs this…you and her, to last forever. so, she asked those four words that you weren’t prepared for. will you marry me?

to which, you didn’t say yes.

you couldn’t. you love ellie, more than you could ever put into words, you swear on your life that you do, and it didn’t at all reflect your feelings for her. you were just…paralyzed. by fear, uncertainty, and the weight of expectations that you couldn’t hold up to for her. every single insecurity, hitting you at once, in the worst moment it possibly could.

you had said her name in a weak whisper, and ellie gulped, realizing what was happening. a tear slipped from your eye, that she quickly wiped away, reassuring you it was okay. that you’re okay. putting you before her, a habit of hers. bits of her broken heart being blown away in the cool wind that hits you, while she cradles yours. 

you walked to the car together in silence, a suffocating fog. a silence that seemed to last forever.

the tension between you two is almost palpable, both of your minds are currently a whirlwind of heavy emotions. a gentle crackle of the fire and ellie shifting in place, makes you finally turn your attention to her. “ellie,” you say her name softly, voice strained as you finally break the unbearable quiet. “can we talk?”

her gaze remains on the fiery flames, her shoulders tense. “we don’t have to,” she replies quietly, “i get it.”

“i don’t think you do,” you lowly say, heart aching at the mere thought of all the negativity running through her precious head, doubts about herself and your relationship. that’s the last thing you could ever want.

ellie swallows thickly, “it doesn’t matter.”

you watch her get up, turning her back to you as she leaves the room. your eyes trail her to the kitchen before you follow her. she doesn’t glance at you as you lean against the nearby counter, watching her grab an expensive champagne bottle. 

you assume she bought it just for tonight, she wouldn’t drink it any other time. she won’t even touch a glass of wine. she pops it open, pouring it into one of the two glasses beside it. “i don’t…” you begin to say as she hovers over the other glass, ellie nodding in response. you’re afraid if you drink it you’ll throw up all the nerves inside your system. 

“i got your favorite ice cream…if you want that instead,” ellie mentions, tapping her finger on the glass, “went to like…3 different stores. couldn’t find the brand you like.”

she ends the sentence with an attempt at a laugh, finding it so silly now. all the effort, for what? humiliation? pity? she sips on the disgusting drink like it would make her feel better. the only other thing that helps her in trying times, is you; and that’s not exactly possible in this scenario.

“do you…” she pauses, staring at the liquid as she swirls it around, “do you want this…us?”

“of course i do,” you answer her without hesitation, taking a step closer to her, but still out of reach. “it’s not that, ellie,” you tell her, trying to figure out how to inform her it’s you and not her, without sounding like a poor cliche overused excuse. 

“it’s just…we’re young…im scared you’re making a mistake,” your voice wavers near the end, ashamed to admit such a thing, that you are her mistake. ellie looks at you like you just spit in her face. she doesn’t know how to interpret the comment, she slightly feels insulted that you would think that she’s making a ‘mistake.’ 

this isn’t putting a shirt on inside out. this isn’t forgetting to turn the light off when you leave a room. it’s not tripping over your step. it’s her committing herself to you, after five beautiful years attached to you, something she wants hundreds more years of, if that were possible. nothing about that is a mistake.

you’re the love of her life. cementing that is not a fucking mistake. 

“is that how you feel?” she flips the script, putting the spotlight on you, feeling like you’re burning beneath it at the accusation. “what?” you whisper, “n-no…no ellie.”

you can’t read her expression, she’s swallowing the rest of her drink, blankly staring ahead. 

she ignores your response, “i’ll drive us home in the morning. you should get some sleep.”

she turns away, placing her glass carefully in the sink, resting there for a moment. your eyes are boring into the back of her head as if you could read the thoughts inside it. so many bad thoughts. 

you push yourself forward, taking a few quiet steps to her. you plant your feet behind her, wrapping your arms around her body. her breathing is slow, her figure painfully stiff, hugging a tree and not your person. so solid despite the endless embraces where she would melt into you.

you murmur her name, holding her tighter. 

ellie can’t resist you.

her hands reach for yours, resting against the center of her torso. her fingers brush against you softly, her breath hitching slightly, before letting out a sigh she’s held in for hours. 

just for this moment, the tension settles beneath the old floorboards of the cabin, giving you air to breathe instead of holding in. your hug is so tender, ellie could be lured to sleep by it. and her body is so warm, you’d rather die than pull away.

you wish it could last forever, and the hours prior could be forgotten. 

then her phone rings from her back pocket, vibrating against you, and she shifts. you let go, biting your lip, watching her fish the device out. joel. assumingly calling to congratulate her. ellie wishes she never told him, because fuck, this is going to be awkward. 

“i uh…should take this,” she whispers, not sparing you a glance when she walks away. you hear the front door open, then shut. you can’t help but walk back into the living room, standing before the window and peeking at ellie, who sat on the porch steps. 

you can’t see her face, her head down, a glow from a cigarette, and grey smoke surrounding her figure. it’s clearly not a happy conversation, there was no sugarcoating what had happened. it pains you. 

you turn back around, following the rose petals that scattered the floor, all the way down the hall, and stopping at the bathroom. you open the door, turning the light on, eyes falling on the several small candles on the edges of the bathtub. red, grey, and purple, they decorated the space. 

ellie really tried to make tonight special.

you stand idly, taking a glimpse of yourself in the mirror, staring at yourself with shame. a dog with its tail tucked between its legs, knowing it did something so drastic, that the only person they love, finds it hard to look at them. 

you quickly turn away. 

you run the bath and wait, tugging your top and pants off, kicking them to the side. you strip naked when it fills up completely, steam radiating from the water. you step in, adjusting to the high temperature, before sinking into it. it almost burns you, but not in a way that you mind. you just don’t care right now. 

ellie is the only thing on your mind. you wonder if she’s talking about you, openly questioning where your relationship lies, if she thinks it’s even going to last after today. 

before you know it, a single tear is falling down your face.

you hug your knees, turning your head and laying your cheek against them. you stare out the open bathroom door, to the wood paneled wall, a framed photo of a deer hung on it.

you forget to blink, spacing out, not noticing the creaking of the front door or the floor. not until ellie is within your view, pausing in the doorway, looking down at you. you’re crying to yourself.

her expression softens, not saying anything when she joins you, kneeling beside the bathtub and touching your face. her thumbs wipe the salty tears from beneath your eyes, but they don’t stop. 

“i’m scared, ellie,” you say just above a whisper, ellie only hears you because of how quiet the cabin is. besides the repetitive dripping from the sink. “i’m gonna fail you…” you continue, your voice now giving up on you, “scared’m gonna ruin this…ruin us…you’re so good, ellie— i just —i couldn’t say yes.”

you choke into a sob, her green eyes now glistening with unshed tears. “oh baby,” she says so softly, giving you the time to process your emotions, to let the tears fall while she holds you. 

“i can’t…” she stops, gulping and sighing, “i can’t change what you think…but i can promise you that nothing could ever change my mind about you.”

her grip on you is firm, reaffirming, as she continues to speak, “we can wait…i’m willing to wait forever for you. i will show you no matter what happens, i will still love you— i will always love you. i just needed…need you to know that.”

very faintly, your lips twitch upwards slightly, ellie mirroring you the moment she notices. “you’re enough for me,” she says, “just you. that’s all i want.”

ellie is, unfortunately, right; it doesn’t change the tainted mindset you have. that, however, has nothing to do with her. you don’t doubt the things she tells you, you’ve never felt more love from someone in your whole life, and you know for a fact that you never will.

and that’s why it brings you relief, to listen to her, understanding her point of view rather than your own, and the cruel demon on your shoulder whispering harsh words into your ear. 

ellie williams is the angel. 

it’s not the first time she’s eased the anxiety taunting you, and it will not be the last. she will always be there, rain or shine, you pushing her away or letting her in. she truly means what she says. you’re enough for her. and soon, you will accept that for yourself.

“i really want to hug you right now.”

ellie chuckles, a lightness in the air as she gets up, grabbing a beige towel. you stand, letting her wrap it around you, shivering at the coolness in the air. not caring about the water droplets still coating your body, ellie’s arms are quickly around you, her palm on the back of your head, cradling it gently.

you instantly feel warm again, at peace.

after the moment of serenity ends, ellie is leading you to the bedroom. she grabs your pajamas from your still-packed bag, letting you put them on while she does the same. your eyes fall on her pale back, watching her throw a white tee on, looking away when she turns her head at you. 

“was thinking about leaving at 8…wanna beat the traffic,” she says, hoping the statement doesn’t go back to making things awkward. just in case, she adds, “can stop at that pancake place you love.”

you can’t ignore the glum undertones of the suggestion, but you still give her a smile, barely modding your head.

you sit in bed, ellie exiting the room to turn off every light in the lonely cabin, leaving you with your thoughts. you hate it. thinking about how happy the two of you were coming here, compared to you leaving. you don’t even want to leave. you want to shut out the rest of the world, but more importantly, your mind.

how differently things would be right now, if you could just do that.

your eyes meet hers when she enters the room again, and you debate what you’re about to ask her. you can’t help it. “can i see it?”

“hm?” “the ring.”

ellie looks at you, freezing for a moment, stuttering, “y-yea…sure.”

again, she exits the room, grabbing the velvet small box on the table, the one she avoided even sparing a glance at just a minute ago. then she jogs back, scratching the back of her neck. she’s nervous as she approaches you, placing it in your open hands, like it’s a baby. 

it’s the first time you’re getting a decent look at it, having been unable to observe it during the moment, and it’s beautiful. it’s simple, yet the green sapphire is so elegant, resembling the way ellie’s eyes look beneath the sun. you smile at it. 

“i…can’t return it…if that’s what you’re wondering.”

“i’m not,” you tell her, “it’s gorgeous, ellie.”

you don’t want to give it back to her. it feels…so right, in your possession, that you can’t help but nervously slide it down your finger. there’s a bittersweet smile on your face at how perfect it is. how when you look at it, ellie is the first thing to come to your mind. 

your lover, for eternity. your lover that swears to you, that your need for her is as mutual as her need for you, no matter the circumstances, it is permanent. that your worries are just that. worries— self-doubt, and bitter thoughts about yourself, that are only present in the moment. they won't last forever. not like you and her.

with hesitance, you take it off, avoiding her gaze when you give it back to her. “i’ll be ready,” you promise, your finger oddly feeling so lonely despite only wearing it for a minute. “i will…i will be,” you find yourself mumbling, ellie getting closer and grabbing your hands.

“hey, i meant what i said,” her thumbs stroke your skin, reminding you once more, “i can wait forever for you.”

and she means it.

[planetdream]

AN EVENING IN THE WOODS !

CHARACTERS ! werewolf!bang chan, human!reader

GENRE ! horror/thriller but barely, smut [minors dni]

WORDS ! 3.3k

SYNOPSIS ! on a drunken game night, you're dared to take a little stroll through the woods after rumors of a werewolf lurking through the town.

THIS FIC CONTAINS ! more thriller than horror i think. mentions of alcohol. being chased/stalked; mentions of being 'kept'. reader desc. wearing long skirt + called 'good girl'. smut [dubcon(?)—reader is basically being used. d/s dynamics—predator versus prey. possessiveness. [rough] sex in the woods. monsterfucking ig. large cock channie <3. pussy eating. facefucking. cumplay + creampie. belly bulge oops. dumbification(?) growling..] used the word 'beast' a lot oops. it gets weird idk

💌 ngl...i think i forgot how to write smut u guys... this is partially inspired by a brief part in house of leaves by mark z. danielewski, but like, not really at all iykyk. anyway, as u kno, i always appreciate feedback <3

There’s a big difference between vampire hunters and werewolf hunters. The creatures are different from each other in both ferocity and nature; thus, the study and hunt of them will differ based on several factors. Hunters of said creatures are expected to know what to do in situations in which they are faced with such foul beasts. You, quite frankly, are neither a vampire nor a werewolf hunter. Inexperienced to the point where you couldn’t begin to imagine what you would do if faced with anything that is such a monstrous terror, let alone a werewolf. Yet, here you are, prancing around the cold forest like a delicious piece of meat, praying that you don’t cross paths with anything—man or beast.

About a month ago, men and women alike began disappearing from town in the late hours of the night, not to be seen or heard from again. In the following weeks, numbers of missing people have only risen, leading many to believe that there might be a serial killer on the loose. That, however, was only until word got around that a town drunkard had seen what he could only describe as a ‘terrifyingly large rabid dog’. ‘It had to be about six feet tall just standing there’, he said, swearing solemnly, even vowing to quit drinking in an effort to portray his seriousness. The man wept, “It was one of them werewolves. I swear by it.” 

Only from there did word travel through the town. Though, no one believed the drunk old man, laughing at his testimony—‘A werewolf? In this town? That’s impossible’—some treating it as some fable, or a game, even. Which is what leads to you, alone, in the woods tonight. A fun game of truth or dare with your friends—being a chronic truth picker, tonight (with a little liquid courage) you decide that you want nothing but to humor your associates, you chose dare—turns into you blindly making your way into the dark forest with nothing but a lamp, pocket knife, and a few neon stickers to help you make your way back; and that’s only if you’re not murdered. 

By the looks of it, the surrounding forest is empty. The only sounds come from the rustling of tree leaves mingling together due to the wind, the sounds of birds squawking in the far distance, and the snapping and crunching of twigs and leaves beneath your shoes. You trek your way through the trees and dirt extremely unnerved. Nothing has happened at all, and although you’re thankfully still alive and breathing, making your way through the clutter of trees and dead wood, you cannot help but be a bit frightened about the dreariness and uncertainty of the situation. 

It’s a cold night, predicted to snow a bit; temperature dropping lower and lower with each hour that falls. The sun had set a while ago and the purple-orange hue leftover has now faded from blue into black. And while the stars are beginning to show themselves—pristine and beautiful—the dark sky only adds to the dreariness of your walk through the forest. The sudden additional silence is eerie, nature has stilled completely. Although the echo of stillness is inexplicable, unusual; it comforts you—knowing that you would hear your assailant coming, should you come close to being attacked. 

When looking at your watch, you find that you’ve only been in the forest for fifteen of the required thirty minutes—it’s very possible that you can go the distance, turning on your heels and deciding to make your fifteen minute walk back to the edge of the dark forest; and most importantly, to safety. After all, your friends must be worried about you by now; maybe even surprised that you’ve really stuck to the dare. In a matter of minutes, this will be all over and you will be resting at home.

You had to have been walking in one straight direction, right? Maybe because it’s dark, and you, admittedly, have drunk quite a bit, but the placemarkers you remember sticking to the trees along your path are nowhere to be found. The light of your lamp shines against tree after tree, but they remain in their natural state, unchanged. Your eyes widen, heartbeat increasing as you look at the leftover placemarkers you hold in your hand, only six remaining of your original twenty—so you know you’ve used them. 

You stop in your tracks, not willing to venture any further than you already have. Mind racing, scanning and assessing all the possible things you can do, slowly slipping into a panic. You could scream as loud as you can, vocally expressing your need for rescue; but how likely is it that you’ll be heard, especially given how deep into this unchanging landscape you are. Perhaps you can continue walking ahead, only praying that you make your way out unharmed—after all, safety should have been just a fifteen minute walk ahead.

As you lift your foot a few centimeters off of the ground to make your first step, through the darkness of the forest and out of your peripherals, you swear you see a large shadow for just a split second—lurched over and next to a thick tree to your right. A chill runs down your spine and you shudder as you realize the presence of this creature; intimidating and dominant. Taking no chances, feet hitting the ground hard as you sprint through the woods, doing your best to escape this nightmare; real or otherwise. 

The action of running when you feel like you’re being chased, versus running because you are being chased, are quite similar. It’s all instinct, a gut feeling that you jump on, increased heart rate; it’s choosing to flee rather than to fight. The difference, in this moment, you realize, is the definite risk of getting caught. The consequences could prove to be unsatisfactory, at the very least, if you were to be caught by whatever it is that may be following after you. Although, looking behind, there’s nothing in sight—no sign of disaster nor danger. You continue along, albeit a lot slower than before, attempting to catch your breath a bit. Walking off trail just a bit to slow down and assess your next course of action. 

The snapping of a twig within your vicinity has you darting from the temporary hiding place. However, the predator is right on your trail, persisting in its hunt for flesh. You weave your way through the woods, brain firing off about escaping quickly without harm. The chase does not last long, though. One misstep taking you down, tumbling. Briefly, in your panic, you appear to meet eyes with the foul beast. Fear lodged in your throat, dry and brittle—crumbling into tiny little pieces that pester your insides like a million tiny beetles finding a dark, cavernous home. Stomach clenching, seizing as you cower in submission to your terror. Hands buried into the freshly fallen snow—previous footsteps already blanketed over and long gone. Never have you thought you would give up so easily; unsure if you’ve got it within you to fight back in the absolute worst case. 

Body stuck in place, paralyzed with fear once you hear the snow behind you crunch, a sign that the creature is inching closer to you. It’s like your life flashes before your eyes once you feel the snout of the creature pressed against the back of your neck, heat blowing against the back of your neck, followed by a short, deep snarl emitting from within the beast. The large presence behind you is undeniable. The way the creature towers over you is horrifying—a domineering and overbearing sense of power, exuding pride and strength in the form of body heat. It circles you, though you are too terrified to look towards it, despite the daring growl it emits. Heart racing, nearly about to jump out of your chest and run away itself. The creature begins to circle around you, and out of the corner of your eye you can see its feet—huge black paws. Oh great! You’ll be eaten alive. 

But then the feet of the beast turns into man, and slowly you raise your face to get a good look at its true face. He starts off as a blur initially, but the longer you look at him, the more recognizable he becomes. A face you’ve always seen lurking around town. Though despite the area being rather small, you’ve never formally interacted—only stared at each other from a distance then kept it moving. Tonight, however, you finally decided to walk up to him at the local bar whilst with friends, only for him to walk away without a word. ‘Oh, him? Yeah, Chan is just like that.’

“Mmm. What’s that smell?” Chan asks while humming. Arms caging you in against the tree as he presses his nose against your neck, right near a particularly sweet spot. “Smells heavenly. So sweet and delicious.” 

He continues to sniff you out, planting a small kiss to your neck before traveling lower, nose now pressed to the fabric of your clothing. Face pressed in between the valley of your breast, Chan takes a long, deep inhale. His eyes are closed as he pulls back, slightly smirking with clear contentment. Chan takes the material of your shirt pinched between his fingertips before tearing the shirt down the middle, groaning at your now exposed chest. His hands cup your tits, thumbs teasing at your nipples, as he runs his nose down the valley, before swiping back up with his tongue. 

Chan isn’t done, nose still pressed against your skin as he sinks down to his knees. Rough hands cupping your ass, squeezing, as he stops—nose pressed against your mound, breathing you in while trying to pull you closer, finally finding the source of that sweet, heavenly scent. He’s breathing heavily to the point that you can feel his hot breath against your skin through the thin material of your skirt; snarling as he takes in your scent. And he’s mumbling something down there—pussy hungry words about how fucking delectable you smell. Perfect to devour. 

Contrary to the petrifying circumstance, the rush of adrenaline you get in the moment is euphoric and exhilarating. Chan’s touch is hot against you, almost scorching, and leaves you wanting—no, needing more of him. 

He hikes up the long length of your skirt with ease, throwing your leg over his shoulder to force your hips towards his face, diving face first into your cunt. Tongue lapping up hungrily at your wetness, moaning and groaning without a care in the world as he gets the first taste of his meal. Plump lips sucking your clit, vibrating when he moans, causing you to shake and squirm, but Chan has a strong grip against you. He’s messy as he eats you—occasionally breaking free, not for air, but to spit against your cunt—as the lower half of his face is covered in your nectar; which he hopes never washes off, absolutely frenzied by your scent, cock hard and leaking cum, jumping at the thought of finally getting to fuck his cock into this sweet little cunt. 

While Chan is usually a patient man, having no problem in waiting—stalking his prey and then teasing them for hours upon hours on end—he finds himself struck with need. A particular need to feast. To fuck and destroy his prey. Days and days of stalking you, taunting you from afar, and you played right into his palm—obviously fated to be found afraid and lost, deep in his territory. It is at this point he thinks to keep you. Perhaps hide you away somewhere cold and dark where only he’d be able to find you. Keeping you bound to him until he gets sick of you—or until you cease to exist. Aching to fuck you over and over and over again until it becomes too difficult for you to even think about moving a muscle, succumbing fully to his torturous pleasure. He stops himself from thinking too far ahead all too soon, clearly entranced by the sweetness of your cunt. 

Chan springs to his feet; cock heavy, hard and curving to the right, tip swelling red with need and dripping with precum. Your eyes are glued to his cock as you watch him massage his right hand over it; even in his big palms his cock is huge. The excitement to take him spreads from the pit of your stomach and up your chest, visualizing into the form of goosebumps all over your arms. He just laughs at the look on your face; how equally intrigued and dismayed you appear. A perfect little lamb stalked and caught by the big bad wolf, unable to flee due to their own fascination despite their fright. 

Chan leans in, his lips against yours briefly. A hand curling into your hair to bring you down to your knees, you follow suit. His hand stays tangled in your hair, pulling harshly against your scalp. With his other hand, Chan strokes his cock, running his thumb over the tip; then pulling your head towards his tip. Eagerly, your tongue slips from your mouth, ready to taste everything he’s giving you. You swirl your tongue around him, but Chan has other plans, slowly sliding his cock into your mouth; helping you savor the slightly salty taste of his seed. Fixing your mouth open as wide as it can go, with both hands now tangled into your hair, he thrusts his cock in and out of your mouth, slowly increasing the speed of his thrust. 

“You just take it like a good girl, huh?” You don’t say anything, but that dazed look in your eye and the moan that escapes from deep in your throat tells Chan all he needs to know. 

“Perfect little mouth, but I bet that pussy is even better.” Chan frees his cock from your mouth with a trail of spit. His hand around his cock once again, the slick sound like music to your ears. Though, it’s at this point that the cold air is starting to get to you—the snow is light but still continuous—yet you power through it for just another taste of Chan. 

“Want you so bad,” You bite your lip, looking into his eyes, eyebrows furrowed together. You stand and stretch to turn your back to him, looking over your shoulder as you wiggle your backside towards him like a bitch in heat. Chan smirks at you, a small laugh erupting from him at the sight of your shamelessness.   

In the heat of the moment, Chan licks the palm of his hand before bringing it down to rub at your cunt from behind. He doesn’t say anything, but you can hear a long, deep snarl come from within his chest. The closer he gets to you, the louder the growl echoes, and the more he warms you with his body heat—caging you in against the tree. You grind into his hand, greedily taking anything he gives you. While Chan is steadily becoming just as impatient as you, he always spares time to play with his food; teasing the tip of his cock against your slit. Chan slowly slides into your cunt—a rough hand clenching onto your hip, nails digging into your skin; not nearly enough to keep him from losing his cool as your wetness encases his cock, wet and tight. 

You’re barely taking half of his dick before the stretch of it nearly becomes too much—but he’s one step ahead of you; arm snakes across your belly and down to your cunt, two wet fingers ready to play with your clit. Chan works his fingers against your clit slowly winding you up, all while planting a quick kiss against your shoulder; tongue drooling out to lick a long wet stripe against your neck. It’s only once he receives a moan from you in response that he starts thrusting into you slowly; the thrusts of his hips syncing with the movement of his fingers. 

It isn’t long before you’re taking more and more of his cock, being stuffed and stretched deliciously. Cunt leaking and begging for more of him. Chan lets out these harsh growls and grunts that contrast with the pitch of your moans. His nails dig into your hips, using a minimal amount of strength to pull your hips back against him, making you meet his thrusts. His hips smack against your ass roughly, cock stretching you further, but your cunt swallows every inch perfectly. That’s only until he slides out of you, wordless, yet, still letting out a snarl. He pushes you onto the ground, hands and knees crashing into the new layers of snow. You yelp out in response, but Chan can only laugh at you. 

“Just letting me push you around like this? I think I should keep you,” He follows you, kneeling onto the ground, cock in hand. Laying  a quick smack at your ass, he hums. “How would you feel about being my little plaything, huh?”

His free hand kneads against your ass while he plays with his cock. “Keep you locked up with me ‘n only let you out in these woods at night, hmm? All cute ‘n naked for me to hunt down and fuck again.”

“And you can’t even hide cause I’ll always find you, pretty.” He finally slides into your cunt, still not letting you have all of him, yet. “How does that sound? Do you like it?”

His words are filthy and so are his touches but somehow he’s got you entranced. You let out a loud, cracked sob of a yes in response to his inquiries as if he bullied it out of you. “Good girl.” 

Chan finally allows himself to break—hips snapping harshly into yours. Not caring if you go limp from the way he’s fucking into you, instead his hands are once again clenching your hips, grinding his hips against your ass whenever he thrusts his cock back into you. Your fists clutching onto the snow as you take his cock, unable to do much but drool and mewl for him. 

He presses his chest across your back, caging you onto the cold ground. His tongue once again flat against your skin, licking every inch of what exposed skin he has access to. Still pounding into you as he chases his impending orgasm. Then he sinks his teeth into the skin of your shoulder, letting out a whine rather than the usual growl as he fucks his cum into you. It’s hot, sticky, and heavy—and it seems like it’s unending; seemingly producing more and more as he pumps his cock into you. Slowly Chan reaches a hand down to press against your lower abdomen; feeling how your belly swells with all the cum his cock is feeding your cunt. 

You moan at the feeling when Chan pulls out of you with a sigh of exhaust. Cum coating his cock and spilling out of your cunt, staining your thighs. So much of his seed has spilled out and he’s no longer stuffing you with his cock, but yet you feel so full. Chan continues to incite, two thick fingers dip into your cunt to scoop up and play with the excess cum that’s dripping from your hole. 

Chan pulls you back to him by your arms, caging you against his chest. He whispers to you. “What if we played a fun little game, hm?”

He grips your chin and those same two digits that were once inside of you, force into your mouth, offering you another taste of Chan’s cum. There’s a hint of a smile in his voice, “Let’s say, I give you a ten second head start to run.”

Chan kisses the back of your neck and a chill runs down your spine. “The ten seconds start now.” 

He frees you from his hold, and springs to his feet leaving you dumbfounded. But by the time you stand and face the direction of Chan, legs weak and cold, he’s no longer there.

It seems his fun little game has officially started. 

© PLANETDREAM 2024

[marlynnofmany]

Arboreal Species

We had plenty of options for ways to keep occupied while waiting for the client to show up and collect his delivery. Several of the crew were playing card games with the captain, using a delivery crate as a table, and she was beating the pants off all of them. (Though none of these particular aliens wore pants. You know what I mean.) Some of the others waited inside the ship, declaring boredom with this particular patch of exotic wilderness.

The rest chatted with crew from the ship that had arrived after us, which was also delivering cargo for the same late-to-arrive local. They had plenty to complain about. They also had food to share, and a decent chance that it would be edible by those they shared it with.

While Alien Food Roulette was always exciting, I’d found a much better option.

“Hey, they tell me your species climbs things,” the stranger from the other ship had said, long snout curling into a smile. She looked like a mix of 3/4 baboon and 1/4 crocodile.

“They’re right!” I replied easily. There weren’t many climbing opportunities on our little courier ship, and I was curious where this was going.

The alien pointed at a huge tree on the edge of the landing pad, which boasted smooth orange bark with branches every couple feet. “I’m gonna go climb that. Care to join me?”

“Would I ever!” I said, already heading toward it. I called back over my shoulder, “If you guys need me, I’ll be up a tree!”

Captain Sunlight didn’t even look away from the game, just waving distractedly, her scaly face intent on whatever play Mur had just made. He was chuckling about it and rubbing his tentacles together in a way that was probably a bluff. As soon as I looked away, he made a noise that said the good captain had just wrecked his clever plan. Trrili hissed with laughter.

None of them cared that I was about to climb to a dangerous height. None thought this was out of character in the slightest, and all of them were missing out on an excellent climbing experience.

It was a great tree. The bark was smooth but not slippery, reminding me of a madrone tree from back home, just without the flaky outer layer. And it didn’t feel as cold. If anything, it was warm as we scampered skyward, almost as if the tree welcomed a good climb by people who’d appreciate it.

The alien stopped, picking a branch to sit on and leaning back against another. “Now that is a nice view.”

I had to agree. “It is!” I found my own convenient pair of branches, draping my arms over the top one and finding a nice footrest on a third. “Everybody down there doesn’t know what they’re missing.” The forest around the landing pad was bright with oranges and yellows, the kind of vivid colors that I associated with autumn, but which could have been year-round here. Rolling hills lined the horizon, with a river sparkling merrily in the distance. The only straight line was the road. It made a nice counterpoint to all the gentler natural shapes.

My new friend cupped a hand to her snout unnecessarily. “Hey, everybody down there! You should come see this view!”

To no one’s surprise, she got a chorus of “no thanks.”

I shook my head. “Such a shame. They’re missing out on all the knowledge that comes from above, too. Hey, Paint!” I yelled down to the crewmate who had just dropped a box of round things. “One rolled under the ramp, and two are over in the grass!” I pointed them out.

A distant “Thank you!” reached my ears.

The alien nodded. “Wisdom of the heights indeed. What else can we see, that those on the ground can’t?”

We spent a good few minutes pointing things out to each other and swapping stories. Apparently her people were called the Farsights, for exactly this reason.

“Oh, motion on the road!” she declared, squinting into the distance. “Looks like somebody’s in a rush to be a little less late.”

“Well that ship has launched,” I said, following her eyes. “Nice thought, though. Say, is that one car or two?”

The Farsight didn’t answer immediately, which made me worry a little. Then she said “Uh oh,” which made me worry a lot.

“Uh oh what?”

She stood up on the branch and bellowed, “INCOMING! Client’s being chased by hostile fauna!”

“Oh jeez.” Now I could see it too: something large and antlered galloping after the little surface skimmer. Both were headed straight toward our landing pad.

Chaos erupted down below as we slid off our perches and scrambled downward. The bark was still friendly-smooth.

“I think that creature eats these!” my friend said, bounding out toward the end of a branch to shake loose a bundle of round seedpod things. “I’ve seen them before!”

“Will that matter?” I asked, slowing. “It looks pretty mad!”

“Can’t hurt!”

I couldn’t argue that. There were more than a few seedpods waiting on my path down, all of which came loose with a little judicious bouncing of the branches. When I hit the ground, it was in a sea of baseball-shaped plant bits.

The rest of the crew was scrambling to move crates and dash into the ships for anything weaponlike. A handful of beefy individuals from the other crew lined up to stare the thing down as it approached, and my ship’s biggest and scariest hurried to join them. Trrili claimed a place in front with her black-and-red carapace gleaming in the sun, pincher arms spread wide. She left space for the skimmer to zip past, but only just.

I grabbed seedpods, making a basket with my shirt. “Will we need these? Is it going to stop?”

“Beats me!” said my new friend. She grabbed an armload and ran. “Let’s find out!”

I raced after. We joined the lineup just before the gigantic whatever-it-was skidded to a halt, rearing to paw the air and roar thunderously. The guy in the skimmer was trying to park behind our ship. The various scary aliens yelled back at the huge moose-rhino.

“How well can you throw?” asked my friend, not waiting for an answer. She dumped her armload and started chucking seedpods.

“Pretty well!” I didn’t bother dropping mine, just grabbing them one by one from my shirt basket and aiming for the head.

I didn’t count how many of those direct shots were me, but I’m going to say most of them. The pods burst into squishy fruit with a solid core, doing a great job of annoying the creature as well as coating it with presumably-tasty purple goo.

Its forefeet hit the ground with a teeth-rattling thud. It roared some more, but half-heartedly, like it was just trying to save face at this point.

My friend the Farsight had run out of seedpods, so I gave her some of mine. While our crewmates did their best threat displays, we pelted the dangerous beastie with fruit until it turned to lope in the other direction. I made sure to throw a few on the road near it, in case it felt like picking up a bite to eat on the way. It didn’t, but I did see a tongue lick out as it turned its back on us.

Belatedly, Kavlae and Eggskin skidded out of our ship with stun guns at the same time as a couple people from the other — was that a rocket launcher or a flare gun? — none of which turned out to be necessary.

“Take that and eat it!” crowed the Farsight.

“Yeah!” I agreed. “It’s probably delicious!”

“It probably is, actually,” she said as the congratulations started to pour in.

I picked up a seedpod I’d dropped and sniffed it. “Smells a bit like kumquat.”

Captain Sunlight, busy trying to coax the client out of his vehicle, yelled across the landing pad, “Don’t eat that until Eggskin runs it through the medscanner!”

“Aw, really?” I complained, perfectly in synch with my new friend.

“Yes really!” She shook her lizardy head. I couldn’t make out her muttering from here, but I could guess it was about omnivorous habits, self-preservation instincts, absurd treeclimbing species, or all of the above.

The Farsight said, “If these are safe, I’m taking some back with me.”

“Even if they’re not, the seeds would make good souvenirs,” I pointed out, pulling at the pod where it had separated. “Look how perfectly round they are.”

“Oh yeah, those are nice.”

Trrili stalked past with a haughty tilt to her antennae. “You two get along far too well.”

“Like two seeds in a pod!” the Farsight quipped.

That made me smile. “Hey, my people say that too!”

We had plenty to talk about while everybody else handled the actual delivery we were there for. Eventually Eggskin did check the thing with a medscanner. It tasted like sour kumquat. The seeds cleaned up nicely.

And most importantly, my new friend had family with a whole enclave at the next space station my ship was planning to visit. And they had a climbing structure three stories high. I couldn’t wait.

The rest of the crew thought that sounded pointless and dangerous, of course, but none of them had ancestors who danced through the tree branches, so clearly they have no taste.

~~~

The ongoing backstory adventures of the main character from this book. More to come! And I am currently drafting a sequel!

[agatharkn3ss]

Episodes and story predictions (spoilers!)

My restless brain has been on another quest.

Full theory explanation and lots of plot side-notes included below, but the short of it - I think the episodes order is going to be something like this (including previous ones for completion):

Ep. 1 - Westview: Agnes of Westview Ep. 2 - Westview: Setting up the journey Ep. 3 - The Road: Water trial - Jen (blue road) Ep. 4 - The Road: Fire trial - Alice (orange road) Ep. 5 - The Road: Spirit trial - Agatha (purple road) Ep. 6 - Westview: Teen backstory Ep. 7 - The Road: Air trial - Lilia (yellow road) Ep. 8 - The Road: Earth trial - Rio (green road) Ep. 9 - The Grand Finale (Agatha all Alone?)

BACKGROUND ON THE SYMBOLISM First of all, thank you to the production team for their incredible attention to detail. It is clear they have done a lot of research and put a lot of thought into symbolism and telling the story from the visual point of view. This is what makes theorising so much fun!

The whole show seems to revolve around the Wicca religion (also known as "The Craft" - I see you Teen!) that uses the pentacle (5-pointed star inside a circle) and typically worships Triple Moon aka Triple Goddess aka Hekate (Maiden, Mother, Crone) and Horned God (could be Marvel Mephisto). The magic circle uses 5 elements - Fire, Water, Earth, Air and Spirit. Together they are believed to be the root of all matter. Each element has a set of values associated with them, often also colours. While the colours are not always coded in the same way, I found that this (totally Agatha-unrelated) graphic below fits so well with the show's imagery.

The moon phases also play a big role in here. There are 8 lunar stages, but only 5 elements, so it will be interesting to see how the show continues to link these two strands (so far we've had Full moon for Water trial and Waxing for Fire). Moon phases are also linked with the stages of life - I won't go into full analysis but check out @shutupineedtothink post who beautifully explained possible connections with our witches.

I only wonder whether the full moon in the first trial was maybe mistaken and it was New moon instead? So that we are just moving through the first 5 phases of the moon? After all, it was Teen who identified it - although he was correct about it being the Water phase.

Episode 3: Water Trial - Jen - Blue - Full Moon Colour: we already saw that as the events unfolded, the light took on the blue tint, because of the water outside. Jen's own nightmare was all in blue. And the road (leaves, roots, mushrooms) leading to the trial was all blue. Story: Jen being associated with Water elements makes sense. Healing, Expression, Peace and Compassion fit really well with her role as a midwife and influencer (did you all realise that it was the midwife work that Agatha referred to when she explained why she spared Jen and her powers because it was "good work that matters" - a nod to Agatha appreciating maternal values). I don't think we will see much more of Jen's backstory - at least not as a dedicated episode, but only through bits of conversations like by the campfire. It feels like Jen's struggles were to do with a mental block and I think Agatha's pep talk was the one that made Jen realise her real power and, though she might not realise it yet, she might be regaining her magic as she starts believing in herself again. Plus I like the idea of not giving an evil man too much of a screen time because it's not his story. Trial exit: oven... so into the fire (as next trial)

Episode 4: Fire Trial - Alice - Orange- Waxing Moon Colour: red/orange tints were so much more obvious in this trial and the road to trial was orange. Even Alice's hair have some red/orange streaks. And her nightmare in ep.3 had some orange tint to it. Story: Alice also fits so well with the fire element values. Passion, Inspiration, Intuition, Creation, Protection - all of these align with her role as an ex-cop, but also her emotional journey as she thinks herself responsible for everything. Then there is the nod to creation when she overcomes the curse with the aid of a song. She is also (except for Teen) the youngest of them all (Maiden). When she was playing, there were flickers of orange magic between her fingers. So I think she's had magical powers all along but just didn't know about it, because she didn't believe in it. Her Road wish was to break the curse, not to get powers. Trial exit: piano... so into the soul (as next trial)?

Episode 5: Spirit Trial - Agatha - Purple - Half Moon? Colour: post-fire trial the road is purple - the leaves as well as fluorescent mushrooms etc. The scenes look dark and it's hard to see if they have purple tint. Agatha's nightmare in ep.3 was very dark too though. Story: This is the 80s sleep over episode (judging from the episode 5 font). Spirit values are the Soul, the Devine, the Mystery. While it's true these kind of also remind me of Rio, I think it's fair to say that Agatha is a total mystery, with all those many layers and masks that she wears. She is also the soul of the coven and the guide of the trials so far. She might have lied and not have walked the Road before (although I begin to change my mind on that), but she definitely leads the coven. It was her pep talk who guided Jen to the solution. And it was her who figured out Lorna's protection spell and guided Alice to play the song. As the ballad says "(...) we carry on, Spirit as our guide" (for a long time I thought it would be the spirit of the dead guiding them). So in this episode we see Agatha's spirit becoming possessed. So the Road is not just testing Agatha, but the whole coven - see how they manage when their Spirit is not available to guide them - and I don't think it ends well. I believe this is the episode where Alice realises she has magical powers. But because she doesn't know how to use them yet, we might lose her. Peppered across the promos, we see images of Alice wielding her orange power - once inside the sleepover room and once when she's on a broomstick. We also get to see Agatha absorbing someone's power while wearing her 80s jersey. We also see at some point Agatha has a whisper of red/orange magic in her palm. My theory is that although the trial is Agatha's, Rio will play a significant role. After all, they are going to have ouija board that will spell "Death" was in the room with them. And one of the posters for the episode was Rio. Agatha will become possessed and everyone acts scared, and it will be Rio who talks Agatha down. I hope we will get some soft moments between them and that we see some flashbacks of their story to give it more meaning. But then maybe Agatha needs magic to return her soul. Rio can't give it to her (I wonder if they explain to the witches why), so Alice blasts possessed Agatha instead. She absorbs the magic and returns to normal. They exit the trial on broomsticks. However, I think as they are flying away, they get attacked by Salem Seven. This is where Alice tries to use her magic again, but she might be exhausted or just inexperienced and she falls off the broomstick and we don't get to see what happens with her? This is why I think Lilia from the future tries to send her the message "Alice, don't try to save Agatha!" (but it gets split in two visions). I also think we finally get to see Teen using his blue power - maybe to help defend from the Salem Seven? Then leave us all on a cliff-hanger when the other witches realise this. (This would explain why he's poster is for that episode as well - and he's dressed as Billy Maximoff Halloween costume - the Wiccan). The red moon silhouette shows only 4 witches in clear view - I think they are, from right to left: Agatha, Rio, Jen and Alice. In the far left, in the dark, it looks like Lilia is there as well. So maybe Salem Seven kidnapped Teen because he protected Agatha with his magic, and now the witches are chasing them? I think Lilia somehow ends up left behind (I'll explain in later episode).

Exit: On broomsticks - into the Air (next trial)?

Episode 6: Westview - Teen story The episode list has this one circled in red, so I wonder if it's the "odd one out". Maybe we don't get to follow the Witches on the Road, but see flashback to Teen's backstory, following his blue magic cliff-hanger from the last episode? Maybe we see his family car crash mentioned in episode 1. We see that his parents (the two "perps") maybe don't die, thanks to the air bags, but are in a coma? That's why Teen says he's 100% certain his parents are asleep (or he talks about Wanda and Vision who tucked the boys in their beds right before the end of the Hex). I wonder if the body that Agnes investigates in the woods isn't Wanda or Darkhold, as everyone thinks, but Rebecca Kaplan - Billy's mom. Anyway, Billy Kaplan is at the back of the car and dies. But then two things happen - Death appears (Rio) to collect him, but Billy Maximoff reincarnates into the body and he lives. Hence the "Near death in Westview" hint for Joe Locke's end episode credits. Rio is intrigued and sticks around, maybe finally finds Agatha who is no longer able to hide from her because she has no Darkhold. I think Billy will try to summon the Witches Road by himself - maybe he wants to find his brother Tommy, maybe he wants to bring back Wanda and Vision, or maybe he wants to get back his Kaplan parents? I hope we get introduced to the final character that's missing from the end credits!

Episode 7 - Air trial - Lilia - Yellow - Waning Moon? Colour: Lilia's nightmare in ep.3 had distinct yellow tint. We also see lots of promo material of scenes with very heavy yellow filters. Even the road is yellow-ish at some point. Story: Air values are Intuition, Knowledge, Renewal, Change - this fits well with Lilia's divination abilities, as well with her age. We know she is the oldest witch in the coven and has lived for some 450 years, through many tragedies and the many ways the women were persecuted. Lilia is also always so vocal about the negative stereotypes that surround witches - she mentions green skin, broomsticks, talking to goats. Episode 5 might already give us the broomsticks and in this trial we will actually see Agatha as the green-skinned Wicked Witch of the West, so maybe we will also have a nod to the goat talking bit? That would be funny! Anyway, in this episode we see that Lilia will be Glinda (the Good witch), Agatha will be Elphaba (the Wicked witch) and Jen looks like the Evil Queen from the Snow White, but in her old hag form. And even the "yellow" road would be a callback to the Wizard of Oz. So I think the trial will be about those negative stereotypes and how witches have been perceived. We know Lilia doesn't like having to predict all those tragedies and feels deeply for all the victims. So what if her tarot trial will be about her trying to predict something good because it's something she was never able to do? Or maybe about her trying to use her powers to manipulate the cards to change the prediction into a good outcome? Or - trying to reverse a tragedy that happened in the past. It's interesting that the card she holds in the promo poster is The Tower. The card stands for "sudden, disruptive revelation" - kind of like Lilia's 'blips', and the trial seems in a tower-like room. There will be swords sticking out of the ceiling, threatening to fall down. We also know Salem Seven make their appearance again. So I think Lilia tarot reading will be about sending all those messages to the coven in the past (check my other post to explain the detail) and to send herself the list of the witches name so she writes them down for Agatha. When she succeeds, the timer (sand glass) gets turn upside down, and everyone in the room gets inverted as well - so they are flying in the air? That could mean that the Salem Seven gets impaled on the swords... but eek, I hope Lilia doesn't share the same fate... I didn't see any other characters in the air though. There is also a rumour that we will get another version of the Witches Road ballad - this time focusing on Lilia, so we will hopefully see them using Patti's full potential.

Back to the rest of the coven... I think after the broomstick flight they get separated. Lilia gets to the tower/castle first as she was left behind. That's why we see scenes with only Agatha, Teen and Jen on the Road (yellow filter) and they somehow circle back to the start, where Agatha falls over a pair of shoes they left at the beginning. Alice and Rio are not there - maybe because Alice died and Rio is taking her to the underworld. Or maybe they just separated, fingers crossed. We also see Agatha and Teen looking at a castle in the distance - that could be the castle that Lilia is in, so that's how they rejoin her.

Trial exit: the ground - so that next trial is earth?

Episode 8: Earth trial - Rio - Green - New Moon? Colour: green? There are a few scenes with dark green filter but not much else has been revealed Story: Earth values are Fertility, Wealth, Abundance, Strength and Wisdom. I hope we get to see how Rio is connected to that. The trial itself is the one where we see Agatha and Teen inside a morgue. This ties in well with both Earth and Death - lots of buried bodies! So sometimes I think maybe Rio isn't Lady Death after all, but her powers make her connected to the dead bodies, maybe to bring life? Agatha has her hands on Teen's head, so I wonder if she's trying to finally get rid of his sigil. They somehow pass the trial - which they believe to be the last one. Maybe the trial room gets flooded with soil at the end, and they climb their way through it - back up to the surface in Westview - maybe we will find out that everyone else who "died" on the Road has actually just climbed back to Westview. But maybe Agatha doesn't get out that way and still has to find the exit. At some point she gets angry because she still doesn't have her powers back even though she passed her Spirit trial (she screams "I want my prize!"). Maybe she realises it's the hair locket (or the symbol behind it) that stops her from regaining her powers and she needs to sacrifice it? Can't really deduce huge amount about this episode yet, other than we see Rio in her full chaotic self. She blows a kiss to someone as well (Agatha?). I think this is going to be a big episode, where Rio's true intentions are finally shown.

Episode 9 - The Grand Finale I draw blank on that one. I don't want to guess how they tie it all those strands together and how they show the impact of the Road on the witches lives. But there is that thought that keeps eating at me - in ep.1 Agnes says "If there is one thing we can agree on is that these cases are always about the place. The specific small town, the history of it, the secrets buried beneath it. That's where the answers lie." I think this is important and there is some big foreshadowing going on in there. Because yes exactly - why did Vision choose Westview of all places for their forever home? (Was it even Vision who chose it or was Wanda just made to believe that? The reason she knew about the plot was that someone dropped a file in her car) And after the events, the traumatised people still choose to live there. And Mrs Hart mentioned she would've expected to see "remnants of a failed public transit system" under Westview. I mean, would such a small town need it? I think there is something going on with Westview itself, maybe there will be a big reveal about this Mephisto at the end?

But that essay will be for another time. For now, I think I need to give my brain some rest. What does everyone think? Have I missed anything or are the elements that don't quite line up with the above theories? I would love to know! Thanks to getting this far!

[joyce-stick]

The Beef Stroganoff Song! (arbitrary subtitle discourse edition)

So, you may have noticed here that the subtitles in this clip (from Symphogear GX episode 3) are fairly different from what you're used to seeing when people post this video, and the phrasing in the subtitles is fairly different from what the associated memes often say

For those who don't know, Symphogear got itself released on blu-ray by Discotek, and with that came with a new translation authored by Noelle (@ulsairi on twitter ) who is notable for being the only trans lesbian anime translator I know of off the top of my head.

Her translation appears, in my opinion, really rather polished and very good, and I strongly appreciate the way it's written and how much character it adds to the dialogue by giving everyone distinct voices and adapting things into more natural English. It's also a fair bit gayer. I haven't encountered many people who've seen these subs, but I think most fans of the series would consider these a net positive change. There are some people who are mad about these subtitles, and they can die mad.

Anyway, let's talk about the different phrasing of the beef stroganoff song. I'm mostly going to compare to Crunchyroll's subtitles for reference since that seems to be what most others go off of. Here's a link to that version.

So right off the bat we can see here that while CR's translation appears to be a lot more, for lack of a better word, functional, Noelle's translation tries to apply more dialectal force "it's beef stroganoff/Yes! It's THAT beef stroganoff!" And generally communicate through the tone how excited the girls are to get started. Additionally you'll see throughout that the latter is a fair bit more lyrical, there's a lot more punctuation and verbal tics and filler phrases written into the dialogue to express that they are singing, which makes sense since Japanese tends to omit a lot of the sorts of prepositions that Noelle threw in here,

Like, Yumi (yes I went and looked up her name on the wiki) just says "beef stroganoffu" because it's obvious from context that it is beef stroganoff, she doesn't need to spell it out, at least, not in Japanese

(We know like maybe ten hiragana and 1 kanji do not trust us on Japanese this is all just basic shit we learned from online guides)

So this probably leads to a rushed translator from Crunchyroll (they are notoriously crunched for time) who's just trying to Get It Done probably not really bothering to throw in extra additional connecting letters to express the tone of the character, only doing so when it's required to make basic grammatical sense in the target language. So they likely didn't think to make the subtitles have flourishes like this that aren't explicitly in the original Japanese. Noelle meanwhile had the time to consider things like this and take such liberties in order to attempt to convey the same tone that was arguably implied by the Japanese, even if not explicitly put forth

And that's about all the things I should not repeat I guess, TL;DR, these subtitles are more fun to read because the translator had more time to think about the best way to make them more fun while still being accurate to the spirit of the original dialogue, who'd have thought!

(In case you're wondering, the Commie subtitles say kind of the same thing here, and y'know, it doesn't seem like a wrong translation, but also I really dislike this subtitle styling, orange on pink with that font and that drop shadow is just kinda bad. I appreciate the effort but like. Come on. Please fansubbers, please think about if the font and colors you chose actually work with the image you're putting them on)

Moving on!

horizontal and middle rhyme with each other so you can almost actually sing this, actually let me take a moment to try it right now- never mind, I can't sing. Hahaha. I don't actually think it lines up that well with the melody But I thought it did! Didn't I? That's significant, that this actually reads like plausible lyrics to a silly song someone made up instead of a literal translation of a Japanese song

Anyway, here comes the first major difference!

So in the Crunchyroll subtitles, Yumi says "it doesn't have to be beef" which in English (in my estimation) sounds a tad scatterbrained, like, "oh yeah sure beef but whatever really it doesn't actually matter," while Noelle's subtitles rather say "Got no beef? Don't you worry!" Which implies something different.

"It is recommended to use beef, but you may substitute something else if you are sorely lacking in beef" as opposed to "Oh the beef doesn't actually matter, zoinks lol!" CR's translation is kind of a bit funnier in how it sorta comes from nowhere without this qualification, which probably lead to this phrase's memeticness, but Noelle's translation seems more reasonable to me so yeah again, tada, yay for sensicalness.

Now here's another interesting change:

Again, the flat manner in which the CR subtitles say "finish with salt" with rendezvous only being included because that's literally what they said, is sort of absent any stronger emotional implication,

Noelle's translation meanwhile going with "don't forget them, they need it" imparts personhood upon the salt and pepper. The implication being that the girls are saying, "the salt and pepper are in love, please reunite them, they must be in gay love together." Or maybe you think the salt and pepper cannot be forgotten and must be reunited because they are Only Friends.

Whether you choose to believe that this is the salt and pepper getting married, or merely subtext, or an interpretation, or salt and pepper shipping bait, this is a deeply important tonal indicator because it reminds you that these girls are ultimately playing with their food!

"And there, now you're in for a treat!" I don't think I need to explain this one.

Now, here's an interesting one!

In the Crunchyroll subtitles, it just says the memetic "boys don't know this." With no context, no elaboration, no clarity, no qualifiers. Boys don't know. Did the boys magically get their brains wiped? Are the boys biologically incapable? Who knows. Nothing is said but that.

Noelle's subtitles, on the other hand, qualify this statement by saying "Boys aren't taught to cook, so they may not know" (And note again how, it says "kno-ow" to emphasize, once more, that they're singing, and also this lines up with the long "ooooo" sound they make at the end of this lyric, so cool)

There is now context! Boys aren't taught to cook! Anime and Japan's culture in general still pigeonholes people into gender roles! And an anime translator just wrote you a hidden translation note about it! You might be a boy, you might know how to cook, but certain boys in another part of the world aren't traditionally taught cooking, so they may not know

They may not, but they could!

Trust a trans person to express gender facts with subtle nuances like this in anime translations.

And with that lovely bit of good translation and good writing and good localization of a thing to make it make sense to people

Mew!

[nnnn99999]

The ending of peaceful property, much like the entirety of the show, was bittersweet. I really tried to hold in my tears, but ended up crying anyway.

The ridiculous part is that it wasn't the sad backstory or Home's goodbye with his grandpa that made me cry. No, it was Home's silly little song and dance wearing that bright orange outfit that broke me. To me, it was the most impactful scene in the whole series. For me, this was the climax of the story. Because to me, this scene represents everything I feel this show was about. It was the perfect culmination of contradictory emotions.

Yes, this show has its flaws. Yes, it is nowhere near perfect. But I loved it anyway. There was so much love and effort poured into this series and it shows. Everyone involved in this project tried their best to present something meaningful and wholesome, and I appreciate that genuine love and passion.

Finding comfort in your own home with the people you truly love amidst the cruelties and unfairness of life-to me, this is what this whole show was about. To be able to laugh amidst the difficulties of life, to feel deep sorrow even in the happiest of times, to survive the harshest struggles without a moment of weakness yet fall apart because of a simple sentence, to love the person you hate and hate the person you love, and so much more that makes us human-this is what this show gave us.

It started as a silly little ghost show, and ended up becoming an exploration of family and home. While watching this show, I laughed, I cried, I became angry, I felt frustrated, I felt helpless, I became excited, I felt disheartened and so much more. To me, a show that managed to make me feel so much is a good show. I had a wonderful time watching it.

Was the ending of this show happy or sad? You could say it was neither, or you could say it was both. And that is why I think it was the best ending for this show. I am glad that my ragtag family of weirdos can stay together and start a new journey together. Suradech is alive and well, and so are the other four, and that's all I wanted from the ending. Because as long as you live, the possibilities are endless.

Peaceful property will always have a place in my heart.

Side note 1: I really appreciate the fact that Suradech remained the mvp till the very end. He really saved the day. Suradech is the ultimate best boy. Making a shades wearing bodyguard without any dialogue so endearing to the point I was willing to get into a fight for him is the real achievement of this show in my opinion.

Side note 2: I have a lot of things to say about family and familial love in this series. This is something that has been brewing in my mind since the first episode so my thoughts re all jumbled. But I will write an essay once I manage to organize my thoughts.

Side note 3: I was not scared by the horror part of this show. I don't know if it was because I am genuinely that unbothered by horror or because I was too busy appreciating the ghost makeup. Whatever the reason may be, the primary emotion I associated with the ghosts was sadness, not fear. The team truly did a great job with the ghosts.

[crystalizedcryolite]

Hello!! Was reading your fic recently and I'm wondering, what was the inspiration the aliases the colour gang has?

Ah, a wonderful question! :D

Red's name was actually from the comment section of the first chapter. I needed help coming up with a name, and from what I was given, I chose the Greek Name "Proteus"! I'm a sucker for greek mythology <3

Orange’s was a similar case, but this time I had people choose between Sketch and Canvas. Sketch won! Which fit better since they sort of have to sketch out quick drawings to get it done faster while in action.

Yellow- I had no idea. For now he's being called "Y", which is honestly cool, but I'm considering "Hephaestus", but maybe not considering it's lengthy.

Green's was almost going to be Siren, but it felt waaay too similar to other fics I've read from other fandoms. But Songbird seemed fitting, at least! I wanted it to really reference how he's associated with singing.

Blue's was by far the easiest. Witch, because- she's a witch. But witches are also very tricky to deal with! And Blue, even if she's powerless, is also very tricky to deal with.

And I'm not sure if Purple counts as the CG (most definitely not but they are quite important) but I'll share it anyway!

Purple’s alias was always meant to be Aeolus from the start. Another reference to greek mythology, since they seemed like the type to like that stuff! ^^

Thanks for the question! I appreciate it a lot, you have no idea.

[battlemaiden13]

Heeeyyyy,,,, i was wondering if you associate any of the hnd boys with certain types of music? Especially syrup. Like if there's any certain songs you think represent them or a genre - because i may or may not be makingindividualfanplaylistsforthemasireadthefic.

Anyways- its oddly hard for me to assign music to syrup despite him being a fav of mine. Like i relate to him an odd amount (protective, not murder-y) so you think it'd be easy but nope :,] i feel like shoegaze might fit him but idk. Im not that far into the fic but I've read your headcanons so im not entirely clueless (i hope). Im probably going to just focus on making a Blue playlist or smth for now. Any help would be appreciated 🙏 💚 <3 for context im on chapter 36 since i only started a day or two ago.

The one song I heavily associate with Syrup is Little bird by Ed Sheeran. It’s the only reason that one bonus chapter is still up because I hate that fucking thing and want to burn it. But that song. Very Syrup. Syrup all over. 

I wanna be your slave by Maneskin is also very Syrup coded but those are two very different genres so do with that what you will. 

As a genre though I associate Syrup more with Hard Rock. Maybe some Punk and then just Little bird 

Orange is actually the one I have a heap of songs I associate him with. Some of which are also associated with some other Chaos Quartet (You'll meet them later) members but I could make a playlist for Orange easily. 

Some of these include: 

Did I say that outloud?, Odds are, Lookin’ Up (All by the barenaked ladies) 

Inertia by AJR

Sweet tooth by Scott Helman

Teenage FBI by Harrison Boe

Hero in your story by Vinny Marchi

I hate your friends by Alex Cole

Runner up by Bailey Spinn

Punching Bag by set it off 

And more but that's enough of my terrible taste in music

[moxleys-whore]

Comfort

Not requested.

Warnings: Blood

1..2..3.. the match was over. A new champion crowned. Jon Moxley had taken the championship from Orange. A bloody and grueling match, Cassidy could hardly see with all the blood in his eyes. Wanting nothing more than to get backstage and take a nap. He had failed to retain, he was a failure. More than anything, he was tired, so, so tired. The moment he stood from the mat a wave of nausea washed over his body, he could feel how sore his entire body would be in the morning. Stepping out from the ring and beginning the walk backstage he staggers, walking with the aid of his friends. Even then, surrounded by his best friends, he felt alone. The arms around him didn't feel right, he didn't deserve their love and appreciation.

Making his way backstage he immediately goes to walk to his locker room before a hand on his wrist stops him.

"Dude, you need to go get checked out." Chuck releases his grip on Cassidy's wrist, pleading with him to go see medical.

"I'm fine." Cassidy blows him off, wanting to get to his hotel and asleep as fast as he can.

"No dude, you're going to get checked out. Come on, let's go." This time it's Trent pleading. Cassidy turns away from his friends, walking away.

"Get him, Kris go get Y/N." Trent gives out commands to the other Best Friends. Cassidy turns at the mention of his lovers name, only to be met with the large frame of Chuck Taylor. Within seconds, Chuck hoists Cassidy off the ground as Kris runs off to find the before mentioned partner of Cassidy.

Cassidy doesn't fight being carried, nor does he fight being dropped off Chuck's shoulder and onto the cot in medical.

"I don't need to be-", he's cut off by the voice he associates with home.

"Yes, you do. Can we have the room guys?" Y/N watches as the best friends, minus Cassidy who sits on the cot looking rather guilty. Y/N sighs before grabbing some guaze and alcohol.

"Are you okay?" It's a soft whispered question that breaks the silence as Y/N begins cleaning Cassidy's wounds. He winces and grabs his lovers waist out of instinct.

"I'm tired", its a short answer but that's just how Cassidy is. Nothing is said as Y/N cleans the man up. Wiping as much blood as they can from their boyfriends head and chest. Once he is as clean as he can be without a shower, Y/N drops the gauze and holds Cassidys face in their hands. His eyes connect with theirs and he pulls his lover closer to him. Resting his head on their stomach.

"Let's go to the hotel so you can sleep. I already packed your stuff and got it in the car."

Cassidy smiles softly at how much care his partner put into him, knowing exactly what he wanted, more so needed actually. The pair walks out of the building hand in hand, getting in their rental and driving to the hotel.

Stepping into the hotel Cassidy is pushed into the bathroom.

"Go shower."

Cassidy grabs Y/Ns hand, "Help. Please?"

"Of course."

Y/N helps Cassidy strip down before doing the same for themself. The two step under the warm water and Y/N begins massaging the head of Cassidy, watching as the water turns red. They wash Cassidy's hair, seeing his eyes flutter shut and his body relax.

After washing Cassidys body and then their own, the two step out of the shower, dry off and change into comfortable clothes.

"Do you want to order some food or just sleep?"

"I just want to sleep."

Y/N nods, getting under the blanket and holding up their arms for Cassidy to fall into. Cassidy quite literally falls face first into the bed, before moving his body up towards his lovers. Resting his head on their chest and wrapping his arms around them tightly. Y/N turns the lamp off before wrapping one arm around the back of Cassidy. Letting their other hand move into his hair and scratch at his scalp. Cassidy lets out a purring cat-like noise, wrapping himself tighter around his lover.

"I'm so proud of you. You did so good tonight. You may not be holding the belt but you're still a champion to me. You deserve this, you deserve love and care. We are all so proud of you. I love you Cass."

Cassidy doesn't speak, just kisses the chest of Y/N.

"I love you too."

[nokaru]

Akagami No Shirayukihime ED 2 Flower Analysis

Hello! Hi! Yes, I'm back on my bs with flower language in ANS nonsense and this time I tried looking into the flowers depicted in the ending sequence of the second season. This was made thanks to the gorgeous ending post that's been going around again so thank you OP for that! The beauty of the ED NEEDS to be appreciated!

Anyway, let's get into the flower analysis and their meanings 🌸 though keep in mind I can't 100% identify all flowers correctly etc etc...and be aware that Japanese flower language may differ from the Western one sometimes so I will provide both versions. Cheers!

Starting with the first panel:

Shirayuki with her signature Yura Shigure

nothing much can be said about this besides Shigure being Shirayuki's fictional flower. The flower's whole deal is "if planted in the wrong place, it becomes toxic to other nearby flowers", it is also considered a very delicate and unusually beautiful flower.

Kiki & Mitsuhide

NOW this is super interesting because MITSUKIKI HAS PINK ROSES ON KIKI'S SIDE!! BUT YELLOW ONES ON MITSUHIDE'S!! THAT IS HUGE CAUSE!!!!

Pink Roses: in JP flower language Pink Rose signifies grace and is considered a very ladylike flower. They are usually given as a "Thank you". In the Western language Pink Rose similarly symbolizes gratitude, appreciation and admiration - but also romantic feelings and overall innocent love.

Yellow Roses: in JP Yellow Rose is considered as a sign of jealousy BUT much more often a sign of courage and inner strength. Fundamentally, Yellow Rose means friendship, devotion and self-sacrifice. Perfect flower for Mitsuhide.

Panel 2 featuring Obi, Ryuu, Garak and Kihal has more flowers + two ANS fictional herbs

Obi

Orange Carnations: Carnations are globally considered a "sweet love" flower, though orange ones symbolize happiness, warmth, determination and other positive emotions. They tend to represent health, balance and success - Orange Carnations are given as a celebratory flower but can also mean a refusal.

Obi & Ryuu

These two share (Orange) Dahlias and possibly(?) African Daisies.

Orange Dahlias: in JP Dahlia symbolizes "good taste". Overall, Dahlias symbolize celebration, good relationships and resilience. Orange ones focus on determination and strength. The interesting thing about them is that they are associated with "standing out from the crowd" and "following your own path".

African Daisies: or Gerbera symbolize optimism and loyalty, especially white ones that are drawn in the panel mean - hope and high esteem for someone.

Garak

Roka Fruit, ANS specific plant, associated with alcohol. Good for you Garak.

Kihal

Possibly(?) Chrysanthemums OR Dahlias again.

Chrysanthemums: ironically in JP Chrysanthemum is a sign of the Imperial/Royal Family...symbolizing the Sun and light, also longevity. The split of Red and Yellow there is questionable because Red Chrysanthemums mean love BUT Yellow ones mean sorrow and neglect - therefore these might not even be Chrysanthemums :/ though the flower as a whole just means rebirth and joy.

Last Panel 3 - Raji/Sakaki (tho i think the flowers behind them belong more to Mihaya..), Mihaya, Izana and Zen!

Raji & Sakaki & Mihaya

Either Lilac or Phlox (??? big MAYBE here, its probably Lilac)

Lilac: in JP Lilac symbolizes growth and the promise of new beginnings. Quite literally Lilac is a living emblem of renewal. The "redemption" arc flower for the baddies. Purple Lilacs are a sign of early love, new emotions and confidence.

OR Phlox: literally means "We Think Alike", helps with family relationships, harmony and unity. Purple and Blue Phlox symbolize maturity and responsibility.

Mihaya

Irises: in JP Irises are considered a sign of good news and loyalty - convey a message of wisdom and honor. They are mostly associated with ambition and courage in the Western world.

Izana

Only thing I'm sure about is that these are Lilies by his side. Iconic Izana flower. The bush is giving Gardenia but not sure??

Lilies: in JP Lily is a flower of purity and rebirth. Very honorable flower used in all kinds of ceremonies and special occasions. Lilies are considered mythical and mysterious flowers in ancient times.

Gardenia: Globally means SECRET LOVE and admiration. Associated with trust, clarity and hope. Translates to "You Are Lovely". Damn Izana.

OR another possibility Sweet Mock Orange: literally means "misleading" thanks to its orange-like scent. Big symbol of Deceit. Sweet Mock Orange is a flower of BROTHERLY LOVE. Good.

Izana & Zen

Their shared flower is either Hydrangeas or Lacecap Hydrangeas specifically.

Hydrangeas: JP meaning is gratitude, pride and heartfelt emotion, occasionally considered as an apology. In Europe White Hydrangeas symbolize boasting and bragging - simply arrogance but also purity and and grace. Can be also considered a sign of good relationships because the petals grow so closely together.

OR Lacecap Hydrangeas: Popular display of humility. On the other hand, associated with estranged relationships because the petals grow apart from each other in contrast to the usual Hydrangeas.

Zen

Last flower(s) is Zen's Lavender or possibly Muscari!

Lavender: in JP Lavender is a flower of faithfulness/fidelity. Other meanings are devotion, serenity and contentedness. Typically Purple color is a color of royalty and luxury. It's not necessarily a romantic flower but rather a flower of comfort and cherishment.

OR Muscari: in JP directly translates to "bright future", although in Europe Muscari is a flower of disappointment. Its commonly used meanings are power, wisdom, and confidence. The flower carries "sympathies" and symbolizes trust and sincerity.

🌸

AND THAT'S IT FOLKS! Hope you enjoyed this lovely flower voyage as much as I did! Till next time I feel bored enough to rant about flower language with yall <3

[cristalthenarwhalpotato]

Introducing Marnal Corezz! My Star Wars Jedi OC or Jedisona

She's a Jedi Padawan during the Clone Wars. Hope nothing traumatic happens hehehehe

Marnal is obviously a Nautolan as anyone with Star Wars lore knowledge can tell. (Although technically we've never seen a pink Nautolan we have seen red and purple according to Wookiepedia so that means pink is possible fuck you)

She's the Padawan of Jedi Knight Riven Merai, who i plan on making a finished artwork for later but for now have this shitty doodle of how I imagine their dynamic.

(He's a great influence totally)

Marnal Corezz is, pretty chipper and easily excited. Often a beam of endless talking once she opens her mouth. (The adhd and tism is strong) She also enjoys reading up on lore, history and overall knowledge, and is good at adapting to a situation. Improv is something of a specialty.

However in stressful situations she can sometimes freeze up, getting caught overthinking or even panicking. In these moments all she needs is a nudge or reminder to stay on focus- and then she's back on track with little issue.

Since she's ultimately a bit of a self insert I've added several of my own traits. But she's still very distinctly different from me imo- not just counting her being a space wizard.

Also she's a bit of an empath because 1. I am very empathetic 2. Nautolans can apparently feel the vibes of other people's feelings and 3. Jedi bullshit.

-

Marnal practices Niman and Shii Cho mainly, but thanks to Niman's customizable nature she's implemented Ataru as well to make up for her size. She's below average for a Nautolan. (I'm not self projecting shut up)

Here's her Lightsaber and Padawan braid from my doodles. I decided on a yellow-orange leaning color since they're associated with Jedi Sentinels but also with Jedi who are between Consular and Guardian. But also that it typically symbolizes a strong connection to the Light. Also it looks the best on her lol

I found that Padawan beads mean different studies or accomplishments. She has white and yellow, symbolizing healing and weaponry of all kinds. Marnal begins to study force healing after healing an ally during one of her first missions. But it's part of the Healing corps. Her force healing is rudimentary at best, and typically she can only do minor things and not fully heal or close wounds. (Fuck the sequels) plus it drains her a lot, so she's encouraged to avoid using it...

Her weaponry bead is due to her lightsaber skills, but also due to her learning how to tinker and master other weapons. In fact she is a good shot with a blaster. After order 66 she even starts using one a lot more. Because like- nobody suspects a Jedi with a g u n

Anyways yeah that's enough rambles for now. I've made a lot of lore and I am having so much fun making Star wars ocs etc.

Also some of the lore was made alongside @hoodedalchemist who I've dragged down into my oldest fandom obsession. In fact we gpt shared oc lore going on. Dunno if Alchemist will ever post it tho but I am tagging them because they deserve appreciation.

[yuri-is-online]

I just wanted to throw this at someone who might appreciate it because I'm not really in the Twst fandom that much but the new anime ad reminded me that the seven deadly sins have corresponding colors: Red is Wrath (Riddle); Yellow is Greed (Leona); Purple is Pride (Azul and Vil?); Orange is Gluttony (Kalim); Blue is Sloth (Idia); and Green is Envy (Maleous). Might have just been a coincidence, I think it lines up really well for most of them?

Leona's is the roughest to eek out maybe. I would have given him envy. Kalim's makes most sense from the Japanese understanding of his relationship with Jamil. Azul feels right as pride instead of greed. Pride is the root cause. Greed is the symptom. Idia sloth as the guy who doesn't want to participate or join society, not as in 'lazy'.

Lust color is white or dark blue btw

Hello!

There's a lot of talk about associating the seven deadly sins with the overblot boys... I'm not entirely certain where color coding comes from but that's an interesting point... personally I can't really see Disney signing off on something with "sin" in the name (at least for the English version) but I'm very much of the opinion that's something Yana had in mind when she was creating Twisted Wonderland.

That's an interesting point about Azul. He is very happy to describe himself as greedy, but his pride is very much what causes his plan to fail in Book 3. Likewise with Leona, greed is what makes him fail in Book 2 while sloth/pride are character traits he's more willing to admit to. It's a neat juxtaposition to twirl around in my head, thank you annon.

[devildevotee]

stormy 🌩 here, i apologize if it felt like i was pressuring you in my last message! take your time. regarding your last post, what entities would you recommend for beginners in demonolatry? i appreciate it <3

something i always recommend is starting with lucifer or satan, or an infernal entity of similar power (i don't think you're going to find anyone more powerful than lucifer or satan, but if you're more comfortable with a king, i'd encourage you to seek out a king. it's about what YOU want). the reasoning for this is, lucifer/satan is someone who (in my practice) commands a lot of respect from other demons, he has a lot of influence.

why do you want respect and influence over other demons? well, i've noticed it's really viciously fed into us that demons are going to try to hurt us, and it's extremely hard to get that kind of voice to be silenced. having lucifer/satan around can help us get a sense of control and protection, whether we need their assistance or not. while you get used to lucifer/satan, you can take a moment to breathe and be assured that they will take care of you while you start challenging your fears of other demons. additionally, i've noticed if you have a good relationship with lucifer/satan, that can help you get a good relationship with other demons. plus, lucifer and satan are pretty approachable (or have been to me and some others in the community, it's pretty rare i see someone have an issue with either of them), i'd consider them welcoming towards those new to the path.

other kinds of demons i'd recommend are demons associated with protection. again, this is to inherently challenge the little voice in your head telling you they're scary and evil and aggressive. asmodeus (he likes gold candles) is an someone i recommend a lot for this purpose due to the sheer safety i feel whenever i call upon him, but i'd recommend that you dive into purposes for different demons and see which protection demon feels best for you! it's all about what helps you feel the most comfortable.

other demons i'd recommend are demons that have similar interests to you. do you like crystals? look up stolas (he's very kind, he enjoys gems and herbs). have an interest in growing your business? look up bune (she's been like a mother figure to me, bring oranges with your offerings). while i think demon relationships should be about what BOTH of you want, using your interests to navigate what demons to start off with isn't a bad thing.

ultimately, who i'd recommend the most is lucifer/satan, but you don't have to stop there if you don't want to! do research, and see who clicks. they are your beginner-friendly demons.

and that aside you're all good re: pressuring. :) i just haven't been able to do readings lately due to being busy.

[vantaesfairie]

𝔭𝔦𝔠𝔨 𝔞 𝔠𝔞𝔯𝔡 : 𝔴𝔥𝔞𝔱 𝔱𝔶𝔭𝔢 𝔬𝔣 𝔭𝔢𝔬𝔭𝔩𝔢 𝔡𝔬 𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔱𝔯𝔲𝔩𝔶 𝔞𝔱𝔱𝔯𝔞𝔠𝔱?

atlty’s tarot readings - dm for paid readings and prices! 

choose a picture below: 

pile 1, white and black koi: 

you attract people who are or want to be well known in their field, smart. they like to be celebrated and almost be put on a pedestal. they enjoy the feeling of recognition. they might be someone who debates a lot, loves intellectual conversations, and in a toxic situation - might like to one-up others to make themselves feel better. they’ve got a sharp tongue and a quick wit. however, they’re prone to getting into conflicts and feel animosity towards others quite quickly especially if the other person is better than them. they enjoy victory and respect, and probably have a big ego. im getting very insecure inside but confident outside vibes. 

careers that i associate this person with: athlete, lawyer, businessperson

pile 2, orange koi:

you attract people who can be possibly devoted to their religion. they enjoy following rules, and have a traditional mindset. they enjoy learning new things and expanding their horizons, which makes them a magnet to others. their constant energy of a curious mind uplifts their bright energy. they can be persuasive, and quick thinking, their mind works faster than their mouth. they can be viewed as a blabbermouth sometimes. they love talking, and are probably popular in their friend or work circles. they are probably the first to deliver the latest news and gossip, and are possibly influential / popular on social media too. 

careers that i associate this person with: social media influencer, student, pastor

pile 3, gold and white koi: 

you attract people who are generous with their love. their heart is good, and they’re an emotional soul. they literally radiate aphrodite energy. they’re also quite creative. however, they do get into arguments quite easily, and can be defensive. they probably walk away with hollow victories, and lay at night worrying about what they could have said. they dislike hurting people and may keep a defensive, confident front up. they are the type of people to get off social media to clear their head, they have low social battery. they can probably be into meditation, journalling, or spirituality; they may enjoy sleeping. 

careers that i associate this person with: artist, therapist, boxer

likes and reblogs are heavily appreciated! check out my paid readings if you’re interested. have a nice day! 

[pretty-batty]

Ere the Sun Rises

Eddie x Judy Part 13 of Eldath's Priestess 3414 Words

No warnings for this one. Lucky 13! Thank y'all for the amazing ride! This isn't the end my dears, just a rest. A new start to a new year. Now on ao3 Thanks to @anakinkshamer for being my beta reader through all these chapters. Love you, sweets!

Summary- Judy fulfills her and Eddie's dreams of escaping Hawkins for the final time. And not alone.

Judy opened her eyes once again to the blaring sun streaming through her window. Her fractured skull was healing. Though it took a few nights at the hospital to get that that point. She’d be happy if she never saw that place again. The things in those halls. The thing hidden in her for weeks. Since Eddie’s frenzy. 4 weeks.

It was gone now.

Two weeks since Venca was defeated, to heal from the D&E, for the earth to heal. Eight weeks total since mass hysteria stuck the town of Hawkins, Indiana for 48 hours. That was the official explanation, anyway.

Hysteria following the tetanus toxin deaths of 3 high school students in late March of 1986. Deaths which were wrongfully pinned on a local youth in an act of religious intolerance. It was easy to name an entire honky town as zealots.

Gillespie did as he said, getting his story published through the Associated Press while Judy was in the hospital. The people who threatened to kill Edward Munson were labeled as Christian extremists. The actions the town took against this young man were so inexcusable that anything but the most fervent disavowing of their actions was seen as fundamentalist ramblings.

Judy and Wayne were glad to receive the official apology from Hawkins’ law enforcement. This act of repentance came with a posthumous clearing of his name and an expungement of his record. From the town came his honorary diploma from Hawkins High School, and a settlement of $50,000.

There was one thing Judy prided herself on, and that was being bitter. For years, she feared being the annoying Jew. The pestering, scheming Jew. But after what Hawkins did to Eddie, she was happy to become the villain. She’d cover them in vinegar and ash, take their money, and run.

Of course, not all the money. That was all Wayne’s by right. That didn’t stop him from shoving a check for ten thousand dollars in her hand and saying, “for y’all.”

Now came the running part.

She couldn’t stand to stay here anymore. The only thing that brought her back and kept her was Eddie, and now. Well…her boxes were packed completely. Her shelves and closet were empty. The walls of her bedroom were bare for the first time since she was five.

Judy’s footsteps thundered down the carpeted stairs one last time. “I can’t believe you let me sleep in!” she said with a smile, her final box of clothes in under her arm.

Steve immediately ran to the stairs to take the box from her. “You had a skull fracture. I know a little bit about head stuff…well…like injuries, and things.”

“You really don’t have to do everything for me. But-”

Dustin interrupted her, coming back from the kitchen, half-finished glass of orange juice in hand. “Skull fractures can take months to heal.”

“Buuuut…I appreciate that you are doing so. I really do.” She smiled, patting the top of Dustin’s head, ruffling his hair. “Is the moving van here yet?”

“Yeah. You sure you can trust him? I mean, he’s a stranger driving you up to Pennsylvania.” Judy and Steve did not know each other well before she had returned to Hawkins, so his concern was less than warranted. Or, at least, it would have been under different circumstances.

Judy smiled, moving her hand from Dustin’s head and on to Steve’s shoulder, “Wayne knows him very well. He’s a good guy.” She joined the others outside, assisting in loading the rest of the boxes and furniture into the van.

Some of the kids had volunteered to help her move. A group of world-saving superheroes, and they were loading Mr. Mumble into the U-Haul. The makeshift bugbear plushie sitting in his box. Once the job was done, the goodbye train began.

When she reached Dustin and his demeanor changed, like he had resigned himself to ask the unspoken question.

“Eddie didn’t make it?”

Judy’s pleasant smile dropped. “We had to stop chest compressions, and he came back for a moment when he was free from Vecna, but it didn’t last” her eyes darted to the patch of grass over Dustin’s shoulder, two blinks, then back to him. “…I think there was time between when he was wounded and when he was possessed where he was still…”

“Still alive? When I was holding him, doing nothing, I could have done something?” Dustin’s pitch lifted.

“You couldn’t have stopped the bleeding in the first place without surgery. Besides, his brain had been without oxygen for too long. There aren’t enough chest compressions in the world that could’ve brought him back. There was nothing you could have done.” Judy sighed, taking Dustin’s hand, chasing his gaze as it drifted down, catching it, “Hey, there was nothing you could have done.” One squeeze of his hand, “You have my number, and if you consider Carnegie-Melon for college, you will always have a place to stay during the summers. You and I wouldn’t be the only ones in the house though. Just a heads up.”

The moving van blasted its horn, the capped figure motioning to her to wrap up her goodbyes. Her gray bug hitched to the back, the trusty steed awaiting the journey to Evans City, a hamlet north of Pittsburgh, where her uncle and his boyfriend had a vacation home. Far off from society, but close enough to access necessities.

It was never something Judy would have considered, but that was before.

She rushed through her departure, quick hugs and broken smiles. Robin and Steve, Argyle too. Andrew, Gareth and his parents, that was the hardest. She knew Gareth for almost as long as Eddie. And Andrew…the last of the original Hellfire.

“Does that invitation go for us too?”

“You all are welcome in my house.” She rested her chin on Andrew’s shoulder, “especially you. You will always be welcome.”

The last was her aunt Margie and Wayne Munson, both of them clutching her closely.

“You take care of yourself. Oh, and uh, tell our mutual friend to trim his nails outside.” Wayne said.

���Naturally,” she smiled. “How did you find us, by the way? I never asked.”

“Rick told me where you were. He was in the middle of the street when I drove back to the house.” Wayne said it like it made sense. “It’s tragic that he didn’t make it through the night, something must have happened when I went after y’all.”

Judy looked past the two at her old home. She didn’t want to get into the confusion his statement caused. The tree beside her bedroom window creaked one last time, waving to her. With the wind at her back, pushing her to the truck, she strode to the passenger side door as it opened to greet her.

“Let’s get moving, buttercup. I know how nervous you get when we drive at night.” Eddie smiled, stitches no longer pulling as much, hidden behind a shapely beard. The yellow in his eyes had faded even further, hidden by his aviators, claws straining behind the tips of his work gloves. Hair tied back and topped with a trucker hat. He reached his hand out to help her into the cab. Judy closed the door behind her, buckling herself in.

She fished her sunglasses out of their case, swapping them with her regular specs. Eddie proceeded to release the parking brake, shifting gears, slowly pulling out of the driveway before turning and starting the journey towards northern PA.

There was a calm silence between the two of them. Eddie was the first to speak, “What did you tell him?”

“I just explained your brain had been cut off from oxygen for too long.” Judy answered, resting her right ankle over her left knee.

“It almost was.” He added.

“Five minutes and some change, close call. Surprised your brain didn’t suffer more damage. Guess that Vecna magic regenerated your neurons too.”

“What was your name again?” Eddie teased, “Smoody, Judinda…”

“Haha,” Judy rolled her eyes, pausing before returning fire, “you mean Yudit Mountain-Song? By the way, Ye-hu-dit, not just Yudit.”

“I took artistic liberties.”

“I can’t believe you canonically shipped us in your little campaigns.” She snorted, head resting on the headrest, “talk about pussy whipped.”

“How could I not be?” Eddie reached for her left hand, bringing it to his lips, eyes still fixed on the road.

The two of them held their breaths when they left the border of Hawkins. Finally exhaling soon after, Eddie was still alive, no longer tied to that little town. They continued down the highway until they crossed into Ohio, parking at the welcome center.

They sat in silence, breathing in the no-longer-Indiana air. Eddie took off his hat and gloves, throwing his sunglasses on the dashboard, and crashing his face into Judy’s smile. Their lips tangled with each other, separating in drawn-out smacks. His claws dug into the meat of her thigh. “I’m so fucking mad I can’t fuck you in this thing.” Eddie grunted, pressing his forehead against Judy’s as she chased his lips for one more chaste smooch.

“You gotta wait five more hours. Can you do that for me, Eddie?” She cooed, her finger running along his facial hair. She had to admit how sexy he looked with it.

He pouted playfully, “maaaybeee.”

“Maybe?”

“If I can fuck you raw over the countertop you told me about. And you run around naked while I bring our stuff in.”

“Is that all?” she asked, rubbing her nose along his.

“Is there more you want?”

“Oh, my sweet paladin,” Judy kissed up his cheek, resting her nose against his temple, whispering in his ear, “I want you clothed on the couch. I sit on your cock, completely naked, watch tv, and have you play with my clit for hours.”

His eyes rolled back, lids fluttering closed, letting out a stifled moan, “holy God in heaven, woman.”

“Now we’re on the same page.” She pressed a kiss where her nose had rested, sitting back in her seat. “Who’s the freak now, Munson?”

“You were always the freak, baby.” He said and flashed her a blissful smile.

Judy watched as he turned the key again, starting the truck back up. “Did you pull into this rest stop just to grope me?”

“No…” The coy lilt in his voice said otherwise.

“Perv.”

“What’s wrong with wanting to touch my future bride?” He asked with a slight giggle, his claws running down the side of her head, combing through her bushy hair. Just as gently, he pulled away. “We gotta get moving anyway, though.”

Judy napped intermittently during the drive. Between those, she joined Eddie in terrible renditions various pop songs. When Sheena Easton came on with her thinly veiled song dedicated to her vagina, written by Prince himself, Eddie immediately cranked the volume up to unreasonable levels with a “Oh FUCK YEAH!”

He knew every lyric, wouldn’t be caught dead singing it anywhere but with Judy. Eddie out carrying out the long high pitched “Ahh!” in Sugar Walls was only outdone by his subsequent fruity “ooh”.

Judy caught his gaze, just once as it tore from the road, her warm husky voice beckoning to him, “Come spend the night inside my sugar walls.”

“You can-NOT sing that part when I’m driving.” He laughed, “hard enough as is.”

Judging by the massive amount of potholes and the encroaching city, Judy discerned they were nearing Columbus, traffic slowing to a casual stroll. “Want me to help?” She purred.

“Please don’t, baby. I’m a little on edge.”

“On edge?”

“This truck, your beetle on the back that could be knocked loose with the wrong pothole. Me looking like this. My face being plastered on papers again. Baby, if we get in a wreck I don’t know what I’m going to do. I just…” He let out a calming breath, slow and tight, “I just need to get to where we need to be. And I can lay you down on whatever surface I can. And I can just kiss you until I’m safe.”

Judy’s long slender fingers gently ran over his right hand as it gripped the wheel, relaxing it at the slightest touch. “Do you not feel safe, Eddie?”

“Not yet, baby.” His pointer claw tapped impatiently against the steering wheel.

“Why don’t we find a motel?”

“Hm-mm,” he shook his head, “nope, gotta get home.”

“Okay.” Her voice barely came out, a click in the kay. She was about to loosen her grasp before Eddie stopped her with his other hand. Just a pat, then back on ten. Ten and two, and two.

They had made a few more stops since Columbus. But not until they crossed state lines, at Judy’s insistence. “I’d rather stop in Wheeling than make two stops in oh-ho-ho.” Then the truck crossed the Neville Island bridge by late afternoon. The familiar homes and terrain of Judy’s childhood brightening her outlook. Eddie’s exhaustion was beginning to show.

“A little less than an hour, baby.” She stroked his arm, “you can make it.”

“Yes, I can.” He reiterated.

They reached Evans City by 6pm, the house proper at 6:35. In the pink and orange sunset against the grass, setting it alight. The gravel path like white marble, leading to the Victorian style house. Mauve with white trim, the black roof tiles glistening slightly.

Judy broke into a skip as she went to unlock the front door, switching on the lights as she kept her pace. “Just as pretty as I remember!” She laughed. The clanking of the u-Haul door rang from outside, sliding open, the ramp coming down with a thump. She quickly joined Eddie. But there were no kisses, not yet. The two began picking up box after box, carrying them into the foyer, pushing them across the parquet floor to make more room until the trailer was empty, locked up.

Covered in sweat, Judy turned to speak to Eddie only to be caught in his arms. His beard rubbing at her cheeks with each sweet kiss from his lips. The melodic hums that echoed from his chest as he grasped at her curves, pushing her further into the house. Judy’s legs hit the arm of a couch, Eddie’s force pushing both of them over as they fell on to the sheet covered cushions.

“Fuck baby,” he growled playfully, “they knew we’d get messy right away?”

“It’s for dust, big guy.” Judy laughed, “you wanna get messy?”

“Wanna keep suckin these lips…maybe the other ones too if you let me.” Another kiss, gathering her into his mouth, his hips threaded between her thighs, dipping and grinding against her. He swallowed her whine, born from the friction of him against her covered mound. “That’s my good girl.” His eyes closed, but hers remained open, watching his face ease into a state of peace as he rocked himself against her. Her concentration broken by another kiss, feeling only the heat of his breath and the weight of his body as he continued to grind against her.

Her hands clutched at him, squeezing him close. There was something in his desperation that she knew came from pain, fear. Eddie pulled away to take a breath, lifting just enough for Judy to reach up and caress his cheeks. “What’s wrong?”

He sniffed, face red and glowing from sweat, “we’re safe.” Another deep breath, fanning her with his stale cigarette breath. “We’re safe.” He repeated. His head nodded, regaining his previous demeanor, rising off her slightly, “And I’m horny. Since…that first stop in Ohio. And judging by how hot you’re getting right now…” His loving claws stroked along her shirt hem, “I’d say you’ve been waiting just as long.”

“I think the guest room has less dust. And…oh my God.” Judy wiggled from beneath Eddie, pushing him off until she was on her feet. “You gotta see the master bathroom. I know we’re probably relegated to the guest room and the shared bath but still…baby…”

“Am I gonna like it?”

“Well, they kept almost everything intact. Even the shared bathroom…but the master…” She leaned in, voice barely a whisper, “double headed shower.”

Eddie’s eyes widened. “I’ll race you.” With a flash of that smile, he took off up the stairs, Judy jogging far behind.

She called from the middle of the stairs. “You don’t even know where it is. And the towels are still in the hall closet.” Silence. “Babe?” Silence. A twist in her stomach, but nothing too real. Hand on the railing, she slowly crept up the rest of the stairs. “Please don’t sneak up on me, I’ll fucking cry.”

She heard a sigh from down the hall, then a yielding voice, “I’m coming down the hallway.” Step, step, step. “I am still coming down the hallway.” Step, step. “I am approaching my” he stopped, turning, “oh hey it’s my wife.”

“Not quite yet. We’ll need to work on your Hebrew, find a local Rabbi who will lead you through the conversio- AGH!” Judy’s spiel was cut short as Eddie lifted her up, hands gripping under her thighs as she wrapped them around him. Once settled and stable, she continued. “Then we do your beis din, then the mikveh, then you do your first aliyah if you want. I think you’d be amazing at it.” She pressed her lips to the tip of his nose with a mwah. “We can even do it together.”

“Mmmm…I’m thinking about the shower.” He started down the hallway he had emerged from. Judy’s hand following the walls, switching on the lights as she passed. “Which door?” He asked.

“Hm…” Judy’s fingers slightly lifted from his shoulders. Sticking her thumb to horizontally, index finger up. “Right.”

Eddie turned left.

“Wait wait wait shit no, my right.”

He turned heel, going down the shorter hall to the master bedroom. An empty four-poster bed, dark wood fitting perfectly with the deep teal wall. “Ve-ry nice.” He muttered, letting Judy’s legs down his hips as she quickly darted back down the hall, and across to the linen closet, opening it and fishing out two towels.

Eddie, meanwhile, grabbed either side of the mattress that was leaning against the bedroom wall, pulling off the plastic before walking it over to the bedframe. Using the power in his legs to waddle himself and the mattress across the floor.

“What are you doing? I said we were taking the guest room.” Judy sighed from the doorway, flicking on the overhead light.

He let the mattress fall on to the frame before adjusting the corners. “It’s just for tonight. It’ll be easier after we fuck in the shower to fuck in here. Less walking time.” He smiled, kneeling down to the bedside table and opening it, looking for sheets. He immediately closed it. “Not in there.”

Judy wiggled her eyebrows, “ooh, did you find something salacious?”

“No more salacious than your drawer.” He said, rising to his feet and striding to Judy, another kiss on her already kiss bitten lips. “Where are the sheets?”

“The guestroom is already prepared, baby. Please…” She folded her hands around his face, “I don’t want to get in trouble. They’ll be coming here tomorrow to help unpack.” The anxiety from her gaze bristled against his skin. No founded fear, but that lingering need to impress.

“Okay, okay,” another kiss, this time on her forehead, “I’ll put the mattress back.”

“I’m sorry, lemme help.” She insisted, following Eddie as he walked back to the bed. She moved the mattress until it was horizontal on the frame, pushing her side up as Eddie brought the other down, walking the thing back to the wall, draping the plastic back again. They both sighed in tandem, Judy rounding the furniture until they were together again. Her arms wrapped around him, cheek to his shoulder, his neck to her lips. “Sorry.” She whispered.

“It’s okay, buttercup.” He whispered, holding her close, “you don’t need to be sorry.” Another kiss on her knuckles, one she returned against the skin of his neck. “Show me the shower?”

“Mhmm.” Another kiss, she parted from him only enough to fetch the towels and washcloths before coming back. One more kiss, hotter than before, parting his lips to taste his tongue. She pulled away, his hand in hers, dragging him into the spacious bathroom.

“Holy shit!” Eddie shouted. The giggle from Judy’s lips bounced off the tile as she closed the door behind them.

Here we are. Oh course I had to give them a happy ending! Like I said, this is the end of our main journey, but not the end of them. You'll hear from them again. No worries.

Vocab list:

Beis din, or Beit Din- tribunal of Jewish adults that agrees to and witnesses the conversion.

Mikveh- Ceremonial pool used for ritual cleansing.

Aliyah- Calling to the Torah for reading or reciting the blessing.

Tag list: @loserboysandlithium @userchai @secretdryrose