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braintapes · 2 years ago

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Sketches 2022 part TWO!!!

September 30:

Around this time I got to thinking about Madam Hotel/the Hotel Herself as sorta like Walpurgisnacht from Madoka Magica. I’m not...really sure why. I think just the aesthetic of that witch, with all this buildup and grandiosity. The fact that she represents futility and helplessness. Her laugh. Her fucking cool as hell design. That she’s a witch conglomerate, formed from the amalgamation of TONS of witches...just good stuff.

October 3:

I really wanted to draw the Bellhop staring down into a bucket with bits of Manager in it, mocking and laughing. I couldn’t figure out the perspective though so it never came to be.

October 4:

More Bellhop. I think going forward I wanna draw her more like this. I’m honestly disappointed with myself that the painting I did of her was so blank-faced when that doesn’t capture her personality at all. I wanna redraw the Bellhop and the Concierge soon to just. look way better and more accurate to their personalities.

October 7:

October 8:

Plans for another big piece. I wanted to focus on doing it across October, November, and December and thaaaaat.....fell through pretty hard. Ah well. I’ll try and pick this up at some point this year. Though tbh what I’d love to do now is a biiig big collaborative illustration with a bunch of people featuring like, a bunch of doors/rooms with various interpretations of the staff behind them or something.

October 30:

October 31:

Around this time, I switched from drawing in a file created for each day (so, say, all of January 3rd’s drawings would be in one CSP file labelled 1-3-22), to creating a file to paint in for the whole month. It just...made things a lot easier with painting as opposed to sketching. The canvas setup is different from my daily files and quicker to get right into.

Consequently, though, while I start strong in keeping everything in those month files labelled and divided into folders for each day, uh...that falls apart by the end of the year...

November 1:

November 12:

November 14:

November 19:

November 28:

I really like drawing screaming faces. I don’t do it nearly enough

December 2:

December 3:

Desperately trying to find an animalistic pose for a Manager drawing. I tried this across several days and could not put together one I was happy with.

December 6:

December 8:

December 11:

I still need to play the Ib remaster. I wanna draw a cool piece with Mary sitting under the Fabricated World painting. She’s a character I relate a lot to, at least from what I can remember about the game.

December 13:

December 15:

December 17:

Attempting to draw lamprey hotel herself and struggling a lot lol. Terrified Judy Blashy. I wanted to make a comic of them having a conversation as like. a peek into what they were doing while the entire New Crew and Old Crew conflict was happening. It was going to go something like:

The Hotel Herself, absolutely cosmically massive, with Judy Blashy resting on her, positively tiny in comparison. The Hotel Herself is rambling, monologuing about how charming human sayings are - out with the old, in with the new, for example, while musing about endless cycles and arbitrary new years.

Judy Blashy is trembling, terrified, crying, of course, and the Hotel reminds Judy that she’s lucky to be getting this much up-close and personal time with Her, so could she at least try to be a good conversation partner?

Judy whimpers and tries her best but, like, clearly is not much at all. It’s still enough of a response for the Hotel Herself to start monologuing again. Meanwhile, in the background, everything from the New Crew’s introduction is going on, speeding by. The Hotel Herself is remarking on how she’s looking forward to seeing how everyone plays together and gets along, and what kind of new year they’ll ring in. The Crews are in an active battle to the death as she says this. She looks to Judy for a response, but despite her best attempts, Madam H is unimpressed.

She gets bored with Judy and lets her know it. In fact, she gets so bored she decides to toss her back out, deciding that she’s not even worth a death. It just wouldn’t be satisfying. Alone with Herself, She sighs and remarks that she misses having someone around that was “good to talk to.” She decides to check in on the staff, only to find the aftermath of their big fight.

Her form coils and winds in a way that suggests a big smile as she laughs and laughs. She says something about sayings, about how “some things never change!” and “alls well that ends well!”

I was still sick with covid enough that i did not have the energy to do all this but i still like the idea

Aaand finally, my last drawings of 2022, on December 29/30??? (I stopped labeling at this point):

Yahoo!! I’m excited to keep drawing more and more cool stuff going forward. I wanna try a whole lot of new things and improving at drawing all different kinds of character designs and compositions and learning perspective stuff and just. Idk where my art will end up but I’m eager to see where!!! Thank you again if you read through this :-)

#i tried to schedule the first one for when no one would be on #but its such a monster of a post that it keeps getting mangled in my queue. sry

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patton-sanders-killed-a-man · 2 years ago

Note

I love the comic and I miss it, and I hope you're doing well

What happened to Patton-sanders-killed-a-man?

Well the short version is: ⦁ trauma ⦁ school ⦁ I had set up an unrealistic precedent for myself

And now you can skip to the Read-More to see the ask-blogs originally planned plotline alongside the panels of the unfinished last update, but if you want the long version:

Patton-sanders-killed-a-man was the first of my creative ventures that ever garnered a notable amount, with me making comics since I was 13, though all of my previous projects got little to no attention. So obviously when the ask-blog blew up, 16-year-old me was ecstatic, but very much not ready to handle it. Not only was this my first project to receive this amount of attention, but I also lacked experience as a writer, and with a medium of storytelling as fickle as an ask-blog in which the plot can change drastically depending on the asker's actions, it was not a good combination.

I mostly wrote the story on the fly, with an outline (which you can read under the Read-More) composed of cool ideas I had and various dark themes I was fascinated with but didn't have the emotional maturity to discuss. But the worst writing decision I made was making the inciting incident, the thing that led Patton to kill "Johnny", based on a personal trauma of mine, one I was in denial about. However by the last update, something happened that forced me to acknowledge it, and after that, I was no longer comfortable with the story I had set up.

That combined with the fact that School Was Kicking My Ass (which to be fair was mostly due to my own overambition) forcing me to shift my focus away from the ask-blog. I had also set up an unrealistic precedent for myself, with updates getting longer and longer. It was unsustainable, but with the pressure I placed on myself I didn't know how to go back from that and make the process easier for myself.

(this isn't even to mention all the different ways I made the art process itself horribly time inefficient, like the way I obsessed over perfect line art, choosing a semi-realistic art style rather than something less time-consuming, not creating character design sheets to help me stay on model, obsessing over wrinkles in the clothing, spending ages taking my own reference photos, redrawing panels over and over because I'm unsatisfied with them. If you're thinking of making an askblog/a comic, if you can't make a single-character panel in 10-20 minutes with your current art process you gotta figure out a style that does allow you to do that. There is a reason why 90% of Homestuck looks like crap til shit gets serious, ok. Please don't do what I did)

I had been running purely on fumes, and the second those ran out, I fell out of love with the story I created.

…

Well, that was a bit of a bummer, huh? But as mentioned I still have been making stuff, even if it isn't ask-blog related, for example, I just recently finished my first animated short which you can watch here:

youtube

(with its completion being mostly due to my teacher, who forced me to learn to take on more manageable projects, which I must thank her for)

I also have made a new art blog, that being @anonymous-utility and have been posting things on my youtube alongside it. I don't post often since I need to focus on IRL stuff, but it's where I post updates to all the projects I take on alongside just various other art. Even if ended far too soon, I'm still proud of this ask-blog, as it has taught me a lot. Thank you all for participating and if you choose to follow my art blog I will be seeing you soon.

Rough outline and unfinished update under the Read-More:

From what I remember, because I never actually wrote it down, as the majority of the storyline relied on the actions of the audience, but it was intended to go something like this:

⦁ Everything that has already happened

⦁ On the bus Dee would meet Virgil's younger sibling Andy (who is anxiety from the shorts), though Dee won't understand the significance of that, not knowing who Virgil is. We'd also be shown Dee's scar on his neck, all shown in the unfinished update above.

⦁ We'd later meet Dee's coworkers, Dee would log in at his desk as the interview isn't scheduled for an hour or so, and he notices that his email is full, this is the first hint that it isn't just his phone the askers can send messages to, but through technology in general- Dee is not stoked about this.

⦁ He then would meet "Johnny"'s mom and older brother (Daniel, aka the critic or Dice as referred by the fandom) They'd be using "Johnny's" real name, Renard, and we don't catch on that it's Remy, until Daniel calls him that. Overall the attitude of the two would be like this; the mother would act upset, but in a manner that makes it all about her, and Daniel would be rather cold and matter-of-fact. Daniel's attitude would frustrate his mother, leading to an argument breaking out, during which Daniel points out that she only cares because Remy is the only one of her children to never go against her, mentioning a certain Remus getting kicked out (to which the mother reacts negatively to daniel calling Remus by his chosen name). The interview ends poorly and Dee leaves the entire situation wondering how this family has ended up being so dysfunctional.

⦁ From then the askers could direct Dee toward Remus or Andy.

⦁ If directed towards Remus Dee would find him working at a library, and with a bit of time, they'd realize they recognized each other, mostly via each other's chosen names, as they were online friends but lost contact when Remus got kicked out and lost access to the internet. Remus is delighted to see Dee again after all these years but confused about why he's in the States, since Dee's Canadian, to which Dee explains that he moved to the States, moving in with Logan, their third online friend, as soon as he could to get away from his own family.

⦁ Once Remy's fate Remus is generally uncaring since his family is dead to him, "So golden boy kicked it, with how many people he pissed off it was only a matter of time, now come back to me when Roman commits manslaughter, oh wait" to which we are told that Roman is serving time for having killed someone in a car accident (something that Remus finds hilarious since he was often labeled the troublemaker out of the two).

⦁ Remus would also be somewhat weirded out by the concept of Patton being the killer, since Remus knew him via association and always thought him a bit of a wet rag, then again even 50's housewives snap eventually. They exchange contact information and go their separate ways.

⦁ After this Remus becomes available to the askers, taking the form of a strange figure that only Remus can see that hangs in the corners that can stare at Remus and make various gestures, though that takes coordination as they would be controlled by various people. Remus would at first try to ignore this strange figure, having experienced hallucinations in the past, but if the askers become more aggressive in trying to get Remus to pay attention to them Remus may become more desperate to get rid of them.

⦁ If the askers direct Dee towards Andy we learn that Virgil went missing three years ago

⦁ At this point, the plot becomes more vague as I hadn't planned that far ahead aside from the major plot points.

⦁ After having spent so much time with Dee, we'd cut back to Logan. Any asks directed to him will not go through the phone, unless Dee is present. Instead, askers' messages would get scratched into Logan's skin, specifically on his arms, and if the askers become particularly aggressive, especially with Logan refusing to acknowledge them due to the absurdity of this situation, the messages would begin to cut into Logan's skin rather than just scratch. This is an issue due to Logan being a high school Comp Sci teacher and really needing to not bleed in front of his student if he wants to keep his job. Logan got his priorities in order.

⦁ This will be the first time the askers would have the option to directly hurt someone

⦁ Logan will not tell Dee about this, due to the absurdity of it and due to his history with depression, he worries that Dee would think he did it to himself.

⦁ Either way, the deadline for Dee's article is closing in and he must make a decision on how to frame the narrative.

⦁ But first, we cut back to Patton. It's the 12th of May, 2020, and he has gotten as far away as he could and is currently in the woods. He is not doing well, and he hasn't heard the askers in the past two days, with him being certain he has imagined them. Once they flood back in it startles him, and he reacts loudly, loud enough to attract a passerby.

⦁ That passerby is Virgil. Patton does not react well, thinking that he started seeing things as well. But once Virgil confirms that he is in fact realm that only replaces the problem of potential visions with the problem of meeting his estranged friend who he hasn't talked to in three years. Virgil quickly forgives him, however, especially after Patton awkwardly states that he is homeless, to which Virgil assumes Remy to be the cause, stating "he took your shit and ran, I told you he wasn't to be trusted", offering a place to stay.

⦁ I didn't have much planned for Virgil, and at the time I was unsure if I just wanted him to be a paranoid guy who decided to live off the grid or… a genuine serial killer who sold people's organs. Needless to say, the second option was certainly a thing my 16-year-old self came up with and it's not a concept current me stands by.

⦁ Either way after this interaction Virgil would become open to asks, with the askers becoming able to slightly move things to garner his attention, though this ability would be limited to asks directed to Virgil only.

⦁ These interactions between the askers and Virgil will spark an obsession in him, as he always feared and was fascinated by the other-worldly since childhood.

⦁ Through the course of the story, Virgil and Patton would grow closer, with Patton eventually confessing to what he did and the circumstances that lead him to do it. Virgil stays on his side, and this leads Patton to grow comfortable, enough that with the help of Virgil he grows to accept his identity.

⦁ Cutting back to Dee, no matter the tone of the article the askers stay, and now it's not just his phone that the messages are being directed towards him through, but all the technology around him, and no one seems to be aware of this aside from him and Logan, eventually becoming convinced the only way to get the askers off his back is to get Patton done in since he appears to be the source of all this, resulting in Dee tracking Patton down and getting him arrested - this solves nothing.

⦁ After a breakdown from Dee, Remus, Logan, and Dee realize they have the same problem, and Remus gets in contact with a coworker and friend of his who is into the Otherworldly.

⦁ That's when it's revealed the askers are an interdimensional entity called The Audience, a creature with uncountable eyes and mouths, and the more people it gets in contact with the closer it gets to gaining physical form, with the sixth person contacted being its gateway.

⦁ The Audience's motive? To take control of the "story" and mold it in its own image.

⦁ Going back to Patton, he meets Roman, who's doing time for manslaughter. Their meeting goes as well as the one between a killer and the younger brother of the victim since Roman was closer to Remy than Remus was. But their meeting also results in Roman becoming open for the askers, this manifesting in them getting control of his left hand, eventually climbing all the way up to his shoulder.

⦁ All the while the askers can manipulate Virgil into breaking into prison, as the prison contains what they both want. With Virgil, he not only wants Patton back but has also become convinced that The Audience/the askers are his dark patron god and serving them is the only way to regain control over his life and be able to do something other than live at the edge of society in terror, while the askers want Roman not only because he's the gateway but also The Audience gains physical form they'll gain full control of the story, perhaps even allowing them to rewind back to prevent the inciting incident from occurring.

⦁ Of course, askers not aligned with this goal can warn the Intruloceit crew (Dee, Remus, and Logan) about what's happening but it will be pretty difficult to make them trust you after all that has happened.

⦁ The rest goes as one would expect from a cosmic horror climax, Virgil tries to get The Audience into their dimension, and Patton probably goes through with it with promises of having his crimes erased and being able to feel safe again after all that happened, but the Intruloceit gang show up armed with knowledge from Remus's friend and seal the gateway, Remus makes fun of Roman for being the cult sacrifice rather the dashing hero and then therapy.

⦁ The very last scene of the ask-blog is Picany alone in his office as suddenly an ask gets sent through his email, asking whether he will be involved in the plot.

⦁ The End

All in all a big part of the story would be my own fascination with the potential of ask-blogs serving as a vehicle for cosmic horror, especially with the audience being the source of said horror. Other than that the ask-blog's themes would center around identity and various forms of violence and how one can find themselves the victim of said violence, and other sensitive subjects 16-year-old me was not prepared to handle (nor had the time to with how long this story would have been, comics take a long as while to through their plots yall).

But I have grown since then and have actually finished one of my projects for once (cough please watch 'She gets eaten by the end *cough) and I'm a better writer for it, as well as just better at managing my time. While I won't give any guarantees, with IRL stuff taking the majority of my time, in my free time I have been working on an illustrated horror novel that I plan to release for free once it's finished, so if you enjoy my younger self's writing, you may want to be on the lookout for that on my art blog ;]

#sander sides #ts patton #killer!patton

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ikroah · 4 years ago

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Whiskey river, take my mind, don't let her memory torture me. Whiskey river, don't run dry, you're all I got, take care of me. —“Whiskey River,” Shotgun Willie (1973)

It Keeps Right On a-Hurtin’ #15 - Vegas Outskirts

Collaborative Issue! Guest Colorist: @malpaislegate / @socksual-innuendos

Archive Links

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Read IKROAH on Archive of Our Own

Notes / Original Pencils / Transcript:

Notes:

MAN that’s gotta hurt!! Volume 2 kicks off with a bang, literally if you count the gunshot and honorifically if you count Socks’ knockout color job on this issue. Look at those lovingly rendered bullet wounds!! Muah!!!

It’s been a relief having a month off from the comic as I handled a bunch of other things but there’s a lot to look forward to in Volume 2, as you can probably tell from that very forboding fist clench at the end there. Will Agnes and Cass get the revenge they’re looking for? Can they make it big in Vegas? Will it keep right on a-hurtin’? Find out next ish as Cass leads Agnes to meet the first of their new “friends.”

Original Pencils:

The pencils for this issue are like an autopsy report of all the things that can go wrong with your art if you don’t plan ahead and pay attention. Listen, friend, to my tale of woe, and learn from my mistakes so they don’t become yours!

First, you can see a lot of places where there’s floating objects, empty backgrounds, and incomplete heads. Part of this is because I always intended to just copy and paste repeated elements across each panel instead of drawing them multiple times, but other times I was forced to just because of my lack of planning. The top three panels on page two, for example, required me to draw the background I’d use for them on a separate page.

Second, you can probably tell that I actually had to flip the two raiders around in the final lineart because I forgot to keep the hands their were holding their guns in consistent—and since I couldn’t flip the middle panel on the second page without ruining the composition, I decided to flip all of their other appearances so that they’d be lefties. I doubt you even can seamlessly wield those particular guns left-handed.

Third, the size of the cart that Agnes and Cass are kneeling behind changes CONSTANTLY and is dramatically oversized from the third page onward. After inking these pages, it took a lot of work to correct the inks and shrink that cart in each panel, but fortunately it came out looking good.

And finally, I completely redrew the second panel on the fifth page because it wasn’t until I had already handed he pages off to my colorist that I realized having a second profile shot of Cass so soon after a first one was just...redundant and lazy-looking. So I went back to my sketchbook and whipped up a much more unique, striking angle (I also just wasn’t satisfied with the quality of my art on that panel, so I’m very glad I redrew it). But again, my failure to plan ahead bit me in the ass and my redraw attempt wound up taking up a lot more space than I thought it would, so after inking it I had to basically surgically remove it from the other inks.

I’ll be honest with you folks: part of the reason that I work in such simple, thick, high-contrast lineart is because it’s very easy to make corrections and adjustments with stuff you could technically color in Microsoft Paint.

Transcript:

EXT. SOMEWHERE IN THE MOJAVE, morning. AGNES SANDS and ROSE OF SHARON CASSIDY stand over the wreckage of a caravan, scattered over a dirt road.

CASS: Hell.

EXT. SOMEWHERE ELSE IN THE MOJAVE, midday. Looking over a second wrecked caravan, at the bottom of a ditch.

CASS: Fuck.

EXT. PRE-WAR HIGHWAY OUTSIDE OF VEGAS, mid-afternoon. AGNES and CASS survey a third wrecked caravan.

CASS: Shit. The proof is in the pudding. Or the pile of ash, rather. These attacks were done with Van Graff guns for Crimson Caravan caps. I'm sure of it.

As CASS explains her theory to AGNES, a short distance from the caravan two RAIDERS peer at the two of them from inside a barn at a ruined farmstead. They have snake-bite tattoos on the sides of their shaved heads and are holding rifles.

CASS: The scorchmarks and residue in the wreckages? That's energy weapon shit. Plasma and laser. Silver Rush special. Not like it'd be the Brotherhood. And Crimson Caravan must have bankrolled this fucked-up little hunting trip themselves.

The RAIDERS move out from the barn, sneaking up on two passers-by who’ve stopped at the caravan wreckage.

CASS: That explains why they bought me out...they needed the last loose end to saddle up back west with a tidy sum.

(NOTE: *Agnes delivered it and Cass signed it in IKROAH #7—Lou.)

CASS: It's a racket, Agnes: torch the local competition and it's win-win for both the f—

SFX: KRAK

A gunshot rips out from one of the RAIDERS’ rifles and sears across CASS’ shoulder.

CASS (gasping): —uckers.

CASS slumps down beneath the overturned caravan wagon on the road, clutching her shot shoulder.

CASS: —Aaggghghhhhhhh.

AGNES: Cass! Are you—

CASS: Fuck! Agnes, get down you moron!

AGNES ducks behind the cover of the wooden caravan wagon just as another gunshot splinters the top lip of it.

SFX: DTHWAK!

The RAIDERS advance on CASS and AGNES’ position, firing at them from off the road.

SFX: KRAK

AGNES leans over the top of the wagon with her pistol, returning fire.

SFX: BTAK BTAK BTAK

AGNES lands a shot right in one of the RAIDERS’ guts, and she drops her weapon and falls down.

SFX: SPLUT

CASS, leaning out the side of the wagon, takes as careful of aim as she can with her shotgun by holding it with her good arm. Trembling, she fires, connecting with the other RAIDER.

SFX: KBLAM

The would-have-been RAIDERS are dead.

AGNES: ...were those the Van Graffs?

CASS: No. Just some vultures.

CASS leans back behind cover to sit against the bottom of the overturned wagon again, wincing from her shoulder injury.

CASS: Ugghhn.

AGNES (slipping off duffel bag): Cass, your shoulder—

CASS: Yeah, it's been shot. I'm pretty fucking aware.

AGNES (unzipping bag): Quick, can you take your shirt off—

CASS: What!?

AGNES: —so I can dress the wound, Cass!

CASS: Oh! Good! So you weren't coming onto me on what remains of Griffin Wares Caravan.

CASS starts removing her shirt while AGNES produces a bottle of something from her duffel bag, and dampens a rag with its contents.

CASS: And since when are you a fucking field medic, anyway?

AGNES: 2269. NCR Certified.

CASS: What?

AGES: Yeah. I've been one kind of doctor or another since I was six.

CASS: What?

AGNES: Now hold still, this is antiseptic.

CASS: Since you were six!? I...shit, wait, hang on, Agnes—

AGNES pressess the rag onto CASS’ shoulder wound, and CASS winces instinctively. But, confusingly, there isn’t any pain.

CASS: ...isn't this supposed to sting like hell?

AGNES: No, not really. It's an acetic acid solution. Vinegar, basically.

AGNES begins cleaning the wound with the rag.

CASS: I thought you put alcohol on wounds to clean them.

AGNES: That's...a common misconception. It's good for tools, maybe, but too strong for skin. And it can complicate healing if you apply it directly.

CASS: So you're telling me, all my years, I've been wasting good whiskey only making my boo-boos worse?

AGNES: I mean...it's better than nothing in a pinch, but...

CASS: Well, then. Thanks for the lecture, doc. Can you just pass the whiskey anyway? Shoulder still hurts like hell regar—

AGNES hands her the whiskey bottle. She’d already gotten it out.

CASS: —dless. Oh. Thanks.

AGNES unspools a roll of bandages in her hands, then begins wrapping it over CASS’ shoulder and across her chest..

AGNES: So. It's a relatively minor wound, more of a deep graze than a real gunshot.

CASS: You'd know all about real gunshots, huh?

AGNES (unfazed): Uh-huh. I can suture it if necessary, but for now, these bandages will be fine. Just hold still. How do you feel?

CASS: I feel fucking pissed, Agnes!

AGNES recoils, taken aback slightly.

CASS: As I was saying before I got shot in the shoulder—which, however "minor" the wound, is real fucking close to my head, Agnes—this wasn't some random attack. These caravans, my caravan, got hit by the Van Graffs and Crimson Caravan. It ain't just some tragedy anymore. Now I've got names. Places. Faces.

AGNES resumes bandaging CASS.

CASS: I told you—ow! Don't pinch my tit, dammit—

AGNES: I said hold still.

CASS: —I told you, when you told me about this guy who shot you...when I let you drag me out of that fucking outpost...and when we went to Boulder City...that I would do the exact same thing in your shoes. Now, it is the exact same thing. This fucker shoots your eye out, these fuckers ash my caravan...these same fuckers I sold my own goddamn name to on a piece of paper. I mean...what else are we doing out here, Agnes? Getting shot at by Khans and Raiders just for kicks? Are we just fucking around?

AGNES finishes bandaging CASS, then leans back, pensive.

AGNES: No...no, I really guess we’re not.

CASS: That's what I thought. Your friend in Vegas can wait. Help me get mine, and we can get that shitheel together, and that's a prom—

CASS raises her arm to shake her fist as she speaks, straining her shoulder injury.

CASS: —mmmmmmghhhh. Ooww, oww, oww, oww...

CASS grabs her shoulder in pain while AGNES looks off in the distance and stands up. She looks out towards the horizon—towards VEGAS, and the pre-war casinos and hotels that still gleam and glitter in blinding sunlight.

Her fist clenches. Her brow furrows. Her body tenses, all over, staring at that city, that place.

The caravan wreckage remains alone on the highway, brahmin bones long picked clean by scavengers.

AGNES SANDS IN: IT KEEPS RIGHT ON A HURTIN’

VOLUME 2: MAKE IT BIG IN VEGAS

#fallout new vegas #fallout #courier six #rose of sharon cassidy #volume 02 #15 #ikroah archive

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hawaiian-has-moved · 4 years ago

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Part one of (???) Of my redesigns + little character facts.

Beetleb*bes DNI

Seriously read my bio for once I saw you lurking on my rambles about this project.

(Stand alone character images are at the bottom.)

So these sizes are not based off hair. You can probably guess where skull shape is. So Lyds is like 5'0". Also they might change. I really hate to probably have to go back and redraw Claire or Vince, but considering they're all like 15 or so, they should be a tad taller than the cartoon canon. Considering they're like 12 then.

So besides all of that, let's get to little facts about everyone.

Lawrence Betelgeuse Shoggoth:

Though this does take place after the musical, making it a more musical based lean, he can shape shift just as freely as you would think. Sometimes you'll catch him crack a witty joke or just simply get bored. He in these times usually has his head spin or disappear down into his collar to soon reappear with a different head. This includes the canon cartoon version or any of the actors from the musical who have portrayed him. Rarely will you ever find him making a joke referring to Keetlejuice. Also though not mentioned often, because that would be rather dull, he is aware of the multiple universes. 4th wall breaking narrator, remember?

Donny and him are siblings. Betelgeuse being the oldest. But sadly, not the closest like they were in childhood. He is the hated child. Juno actively (TW) abused him in his childhood and still does to this day. He often freezes up, clasps his hands together and looks at the ground when his mother is around. He does the same occasionally for Donny because he is often sent by his mother to go chew BJ out for something he did wrong.

He sorta of dropped out of elementary, so in his teens he had to pretend he went to school so Juno or his brother didn't find out. He met Jacques and Ginger in high school. Though Ginger did hold a romantic place in his hard for the beginning of high school. The rest of his time was mostly spent with Jacques. He thought it was just hang out times with the boys or something. What a lot of people had told him. But the two grew extremely attached. They dated until a little bit after high school. They got into a very bad argument and broke up. But of course time has healed it for the most part. They could not afford to part ways and live elsewhere, so the trio still lives together in the Roadhouse.

Current relationship wise for him, he is working on a relationship with the Maitlands. They're taking it slowly. He's really only gotten cuddles so far, but they're working to more personal things while they all heal. BJ felt awful for being so unaware of how relationships worked. Of course considering we already touched on Jacques. It's not the first time he was blind on how love works.

Lydia Deetz:

Lydia is 15 years of age. So this takes place almost immediately after the musical. She now happily has her ghost parents, her father, and her step mother who is now happily married to Charles. And of course let's not for get her cool uncle, the ghost with the most, Beetlejuice!

After some understanding and boundary building, the two explore the Netherworld together. BJ shows Lydia around and she gets to explore and meet new friends.

Back in the living world Lydia goes to an all girls school, and recently made up with a bully if hers. Claire Brewster. The two (read Claire's part for why) are now a happy couple. Of course there are the times where they try to kiss and Charles or Beej will rush in to stop them. Which is ironic considering Charles probably did the same at her age and Beej doesn't really know what he's saying and is just coping Charles.

Donny Rigel Shoggoth:

Ugh, sadly so much about Donny is under lock and key until the comic I plan on making after I do character sheets is to that point.

Donny is BJ's younger brother. He seems to oppose his older brother's aesthetic and has actively tried to say he needs a change in style. In nice and rude ways.

He has an oddly happy demeanor and seems to absolutely ignore the trauma and anger given to Beej from his their mother. He rather just blindly helps her.

He hates blue for some odd reason. He doesn't know why. BJ does though.

Prince Vince:

Prince Vince is mostly the same as in canon to the cartoon. A sad romantic prince who wants love.

But to touch on that he is just simply that, romantic. Pan romantic. He has never had feelings beyond romance. And yes, he is still a child and there is still so much he has to grow from her, but he doesn't really have interest beyond sappy poems and giving roses to the people he cares for.

Claire Brewster:

Lesbian ICON. Seriously her new aesthetic is just the colors of the lesbian community flag.

Lydia and her are a couple. But it's secret outside of the Deetz/Maitland household.

At home she is very neglected. Her parents are too rich to care and are often away. But she was raised to be the perfect model of a heterosexual girl. She wears different clothing from what she used to. Even though she doesn't like being a cardboard cut out child for her parents, she still enjoys girly stuff and somewhat formal clothing. Of course she can't step too far out of that around her parents or they might grow suspicious.

Like her parents suck. In the cartoon they'd run away, drive away, or slam the door in her face if she looked gross or was with something gross. They didn't not care. She was so disposable.

Aaand, that's all I have right now.

@aquatic-juice helped me with a lot of decisions on this. And a lot of the head canons on Claire's parents are things we've discussed and she has wrote about, so I have to credit her on that.

Tell me what you think. And again sorry I can't tell you more about Donny. It's a major plot point for a comic that connects this universe right after the musical.

Love you guys! 💚

Stand alone pictures:

P.s. no one is straight and if this pisses you off you're probably on the wrong side of tumblr.

#art #fanart #digital art #fan art #beetlejuice #digitalart #beetlejuice bway #beetlejuice fanart #beetlejuice musical #beetlejuice cartoon #beetlejuice the animated series #beetlejuice the cartoon #beetlejuice the broadway musical #beetleb*bes dni

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stellar-imagines · 5 years ago

Text

SCENARIO REQUEST: ❝buried in art.❞

[ Fandom: Boku no Hero Academia ] [ Characters: Class 1-A ]

「You developed a habit of drawing in your sketchbook and often drew in the middle of the class. Aizawa catches you drawing in class and make you go up and share it with everyone.」

You didn't know when it started but before you realized it, you've completely turned into someone who's obsessed with drawing. At the very start, it was supposed to be a method to relieve stress but it soon changed into a hobby. When you're free, you would sit on your desk, drawing something. On the day your friends decided to go for a picnic, you were dragged to a spacious field with a huge carpet of grass and a few trees providing shade. The sky was blue and the weather was just right, the girls had decided to play some game while you sat under the shade, watching your friends run around while drawing the landscape.

You loved your classmates. They were all amazing people you came to appreciate, and they each had a special place in your heart. Maybe not Mineta that much, but it’s not like you wished the guy was dead, he just seriously needed to respect women and keep his fantasies to himself. You've been drawing a bit too much of landscape that you wanted a change of pace. It started with doodles of the girls since you have a lot of pictures taken together with them but you would just change up the style a bit. They had great style and dressed up in cute clothes. Slowly, you decided to draw some of the boys.

By now, you had at least drawn half of your classmates, your sketchbook was packed with various landscape drawings in the first half of your sketchbook and in the other half, there were doodles of your classmates. It wasn't that you're too shy to share it with your friends but they never seem to be bothered by the fact that you're always carrying around that book with you. Some managed to get a peek of what you're drawing from time to time but have never seen the end product.

As Aizawa went on and on about something during homeroom, you found yourself daydreaming a bit. The day before you were training your quirk and exercising in the gym, with everyone improving so vastly, you wanted to change to and decided to train all on your own. You looked down to see your sketchbook opened, a half-empty page greeting you. The occasional on taps from Todoroki who sat behind you kept you awake and you seriously have to thank him once class is over.

"[Last Name]."

The moment your teacher called your name, you were wide awake and alert, wondering why he suddenly called out to you. Maybe it was because you almost fell asleep 10 times? It has to be. Despite the anxiety swelling in your chest, you swallowed the saliva that pooled beneath your tongue and nervously gazed at your teacher.

"Yes, sir?" For a moment, you felt his gaze on you and you instinctively blinked, hoping that you were just imagining things. Aizawa's eyes were focused entirely on you and you couldn't help but think that you're in trouble now. You hoped that he would just tell you to go and wash your face to stay awake or remind you not to fall asleep and stay awake or something. By now, everyone had their attention on you.

"Is there something you want to share with us? Your face was practically buried in that sketchbook of yours."

"N-No! It's not like that, sensei!" you tried to wave it off with a smile, hoping that he would let you off.

"Get up here and share it with the class, maybe that way you won't be sleepy for the rest of my class." Aizawa said. With an exasperated groan and the realization that you can never win against your teacher, your grabbed your book and sauntered to the front of the class.

"Now that I think about it, what kind of stuff does [Last Name] draw anyway? She's always drawing something in her sketchbook." Kirishima muttered out loud.

"I've seen her draw some landscape, kero. But I've never seen the end product." Asui answered.

"Isn't it a bit exciting!?" Ashido quipped with a bright smile.

"It feels like we're back in elementary school doing show and tell." Sero said.

"It's nothing special, guys....." you mumbled with a small smile. Aizawa picked up the book you placed on the desk and flipped through the pages, his tired eyes quickly scanning over your sketches

"She says nothing special but I can't tell if she's being humble or not." he raised your book and showed everyone one of your most recent drawings. There was a moment of silence when your friends eyed your drawing closely.

"Amazing, [First Name]-chan! You drew all that!?" Ashido broke the silence, rising from her seat and skipping over to the front, leaning closer to the book being presented. Aizawa handed it over to the eccentric girl who shifted her gaze to you. One by one, your classmates began crowding you, flipping through the pages to find a drawing of themselves in different parts of your book. Aizawa stepped aside, muttering something about waking him up once this whole ordeal was over. In the midst of the chaos, you stood in the middle next to Ashido, overwhelmed by the attention. Even the ever so stoic Todoroki was next to you, eyes showing surprise when he stumbled over a drawing of himself.

"Ah, I'm there."

"You have the face of an ikemen! This is truly one of my favorite drawings of you! I hope I'm not creeping you out but you have such finessed features, and it felt like I'm redrawing a masterpiece by Van Gogh......" you muttered.

"I'm not that good looking." he replied casually.

"Please apologize to all the guys in UA." you pouted.

"Oh! I'm there too! You're a great artist, [Last Name]!" Kirishima pointed excitedly, slinging an arm around your shoulders.

"A-Ah, thank you!"

"I'm a bit embarrassed, you drew me in such pretty clothes that I can never afford.....!" Uraraka said, turning to you with a teary expression. Just how broke is she?

"You're a natural artist [Last Name], I find myself drawn to you." Kaminari wiggled his eyebrows while you laughed nervously, unsure of how to respond to that.

"Stop embarrassing yourself." Jirou huffed.

"How do I look? Did you get my charm point?" Aoyama peeked over Kirishima and Kaminari's shoulder to examine the drawings. They all had different reactions but none of them said anything negative which made you relieved. Midoriya was in tears, saying things about how he doesn't deserve that much respect from you but when you told him that he was an amazing person and that you admire his hardworking nature, his face turned red and he cried even harder.

"The detail in all the drawings are amazing! Not to mention,

"Yo, Bakugou, you should have a look!" Kirishima called over to the ash blonde who remained seated the entire time.

"Why should I?" Bakugou barked back, narrowing his eyes at the red-haired teen who just beamed back at him. Kaminari nudged Sero and whispered something into his ear. The black-haired male nodded and turned to Kirishima who was given instruction on whatever plan they were hatching. The red-haired male had nodded enthusiastically, a sign that he's in.

"Well then, suit yourself! I guess you don't want to see how [Last Name] draws you." Kirishima replied.

"Hah, just look at that. I can't believe you drew him like this, [Last Name]." Kaminari turned to you. Still unsure why they were talking like this, all you could do was tilt your head in confusion.

"Is this how you perceive Bakugou, [Last Name]? I guess it's a very accurate image." Sero turned towards you with a smirk on his face.

"Eh? Um, thanks?" you mumbled.

Bakugou rose from his seat, the sound startling you. He began making his way towards you and everyone immediately made way for the angry boy who was marching over with an irritated look on his face. They all dispersed, including the ones who deliberately provoked Bakugou into coming. You stood there dumbfound, stepping back when the ash-blonde moved closer to you. When your back hit the board, you gasped. The loud slam of his hand hitting the board beside your head made you squeak. Without saying a word, he snatched the book from your hands to see a drawing of himself. The guys had made it sound like you drew a monster but it was the complete opposite.

He looked so fucking cool.

"It's just okay." he told you before returning to his seat. He tried to play it off by acting like he doesn't care but he's actually pretty happy to see your drawing.

"Bakugou, are you perhaps blushing?" Sero teased.

"Shut your mouth, you extras!"

Total: 1458 words Published: 17.09.2019

We’re now open to requests for Kimetsu no Yaiba! Please have a look before requesting!

Thank you for requesting! *｡٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و*｡ This happened to me uwu It was suuuuper embarrassing and back then I was super awkward with people can’t barely had any friends. It was just public humiliation. ― author Hibiki/Lou

Thank you for requesting! Lou loves drawing and owns like three sketchbooks. True art nerd. We hope you’re okay with this scenario, anon. ― author Natsuki

Please do not mind the grammar mistakes and typos.

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edvonstein · 5 years ago

Note

which precures would read homestuck without being dared to

Boy howdy. There’s a question I didn’t expect. Well let’s see here and go down the list:

Nagisa: Got into it shortly after launch, after hearing Honoka talk about it.

Honoka: OG reader, has been around for most of Hussie’s stuff.

Hikari: She didn’t read it until about halfway through its publication run, but caught up in a single night. She made fanart.

Saki: She tried to get into it for Mai, but it never really meshed with her. Still learned enough through osmosis to cosplay both Dirk and Dave.

Mai: She has five sketch books that are just redraws of the entire series with everybody replaced by Saki. None of her friends must ever see. They saw. They didn’t get it, but liked the art.

Nozomi: OG reader, not the absolute biggest fan, but did walk away liking it.

Rin: Saw Nozomi read it, and tried a little herself. Then she met Kanaya. The rest was history and fanfics. And special flower arrangements.

Urara: Currently lobbying for a broadway adaption. She is undecided which role she wants to play tho.

Komachi: She has changed her writing pseudonym to John Egbert, to get a better likelyhood of getting her Pirate Hurricane series published. She writes more like a mix of Dave and Rose though. It’s fucking mind expanding.

Karen: She had it fed through her home’s in house cinema to watch it with Komachi initially. They all ended up watching it.

Milk/Kurumi: “Vriska did nothing wrong”

Love: Her and Setsuna totally are like Rose and Kanaya. She is Rose of course.

Miki: She knows she is everybody’s Kanaya. She spend some time making masks of the characters. You can imagine how well that ended. Her Kanaya cosplays are somehow still great for the family boutique.

Inori: Yeah, she read it. Each reading session was followed by a trip to the confession booth. Eventually she just started reading it in the confession booth. The priest liked it too.

Setsuna: Her and Love totally are like Rose and Kanaya. She is Rose of course.

Tsubomi: Yes she read it. No her friends must never know. She doesn’t realize all of them have read it too.

Erika: The only friend Tsubomi opened up to about Homestuck. Turns out Erika runs one of the main japanese fansites of Homestuck.

Itsuki: Main mod on Erika’s fansite. Tsubomi must never know. Nor her family. Itsuki still feels too uncomfortable in their skin for that.

Yuri: Almost OG reader, she and Honoka frequented the same forums. Upon casual mention from Honoka, Yuri tried it out. Her young friends must never be tainted by this horror. Hopefully Hussie updates soon!

Hibiki:Learned about it through Ako. Found it pretty sweet, but didn’t make it all the way.

Kanade: Also learned about it through Ako. her bi heart couldn’t be stopped as she steamed through almost all of it in one go.

Ellen: Had been following it for about a year with Hummie before Suite happened. Continued reading while on the villains side. Often plays Homestuck songs while busking, and has several rearrangements on niconico.

Ako: Has been reading Hussie’s stuff since halfway through Problem Sleuth. She was 7 at the time. There’s a reason she a) is so crumby, Karkat is her spirit animal, and b) she decided to go and become an extra af phantom thief precure.

Miyuki: She is a reading machine, and of course this would capture her attention. She came in a bit late but found it on her own.

Akane: Similarly to Rin, she saw it over Miyuki’s shoulder one day, did a bit of reading herself, and got pretty hooked for a while.The hiatuses however broke her streak. Oddly enough the main emotion she took away from it is a hate for Equius, which she shares with Nao.

Yayoi: Main fanart contributor to Erika’s fansite. Her and Reika spend hours talking about Terezi.

Nao: Never did read it, she was too busy with her family and superheroism. More recently though, she decided to kinda wiki crawl the subject. Walked away primarily with a hate for Equius.

Reika: Another mod on Erika’s fansite.She has found her path. Her parents are disappointed. Screw her parents.

Mana: Tried it, didn’t like it. Square.

Rikka: Wishes she could live on that first planet they showed, with the froggies. She tries to dare Mana, but continues to get shot down. Mana is such a square.

Alice: Found it on one of her internet binges to bring her temper down. It proofed a surprisingly good tool to keep her mellow, which is why we see so little of her inner rage during the show. Another Terezi fan.

Makoto: Somehow has never come across a single shred of evidence that Homestuck exists. As unlucky as she is, she might be the luckiest of us all.

Aguri: Unlike Makoto, she has seen what Rikka and Alice are up to. She did read it a little, and liked what she saw well enough, but didn’t stick with it. Not enough time, and her twin sister lives fifty miles in Vriska did nothing wrong territory, so clearly she must be better than her. (She isn’t.)

Megumi: Came across it on her own, read it, but lost interest.

Hime: Runs the discord server for Erika’s fansite.

Yuko: Does occasional lyrics for Ellen’s arrangements, both on youtube and niconico, and makes the occasional troll riceball.

Iona: She was in fact dared, but by Megumi of all people, after she stopped reading. There is no bigger Rose fan now.

Haruka: As an avid reader, it did cross her radar, she went through it, and came out more determined than before to be the best princess she can be.

Minami: Amusingly enough, stumbled across it during her internet binges boning up on marine biology. Feferi popped up in her searches somehow, and the rest is history.

Kirara: Fans suggested it to her. She read it. The most fabulous Kanaya cosplayer of them all.

Towa: Kirara suggested it to her after she herself had finished (by now the webcomic is done IRL) partially because nerds gotta share, and partially because she truly felt it might help her cope with some of her inner turmoil from the guilt over being Twilight. Towa is slow in reading through this particular one, so she is still going through it today. Results unclear, she doesn’t talk much about it, even with Kirara. It might be helping though.

(The remaining characters I don‘t know as well as the others yet, but I’ll see what I can conjure up. Intriguingly I feel this also marks the first generation of Cures that lived in a post Homestuck world, what with Mahoutsukai airing in 2016, and Homestuck ending in 2016.)

Mirai: Got dragged in by the hype over the ending of Homestuck. Dared Riko to read it with her. They did. They planned their wedding to be like Rose’s and Kanaya’s.

Riko: Got dragged in by Mirai. Would feel very big deja vu next year when they both became moms to Kotoha.

Kotoha: Her moms protect her from this vice. (She found it anyways. There is no stopping the corruption of the youth.)

Ichika: Heard about it, but didn’t really care. Unfortunately for her she is on a team with Aoi, Yukari, and Akira.

Himari: Closet fan, wrote several dissertations about the science in Homestuck on Erika’s fansite. Which is probably where her crush on Honoka comes from.

Aoi: Loud and proud, likes this retro comic. Has started collabs with Yuko, Ellen, Amour, and Emiru because of course.

Yukari: She was a depressed gay teen during Homestuck’s peak... what do you think?

Akira: She was a gay teen during Homestuck’s peak... what do you think?

Ciel: She would have been save. But Undertale dragged her right into this fresh hell.

Hana: Huge fan of Undertale, but never quite pulled together the energy to tackle the behemoth that is Homestuck. Did learn through osmosis, with so many of her senpai cure friends being raving lunatic homestuck fans.

Saaya: Actually dodged both the Homestuck and the Undertale bullet initially. Hana then tossed Deltarune at her, and Saaya fell down the rabbit hole.

Homare: She had some inner hangups about getting into the whole mess, but Hana did dare her, knowing enough about the series to know that it’s message might gibe Homare the kick in the behind she needed to give ice skating another go.

Emiru: Big Undertale fan, but doesn’t care about the webcomic herself. Uncertain if even a dare would work, she does her own thing... well, besides the music. She freaking loves the music.

Amour: Read the whole thing in one hour to understand its impact on culture. What else would make her crash and join the heroes? Jokes aside, she did do it, and it did leave an impact on her. She was the one who connected Aoi and Emiru.

Hikaru: What are the freaking odds that she hasn’t read through it in its entirety three times this week alone?

Lala: Had her ship read it to her as something to fall asleep to. It put her to sleep quickly, actually, like tales from home. Her ship didn’t fare as well. It’s one of the biggest crack shippers on Erika’s site. Lala only heard like ten percent of the story.

Elena: Has neither the free time nor privacy to read a webcomic that’s now a decade old. Likes listening to Hikaru’s ranting about the series. Also likes how somehow that ranting makes Madoka’s face light up.

Madoka: It is unknown how she found the time, but she is a freaking huuuueg closet fan. She wants to talk with Hikaru about it, but still feels too uncomfortable being public about it. Hikaru does however know that MoonSollux, one of the biggest fanfic writers on Erika’s site, is her, but will wait for Madoka to come out of her shell in her own time.

Yuni: Missed the whole mess being a space alien idol phantom thief. Is getting a very wrong idea about human culture from Hikaru’s ranting. A dare would totally work.

(I have zero grasp on the Healin’ Good Girls, so not gonna do them.)

#precure #homestuck #why did i do this #who are you anonymous?#actually i have a suspicion given my follower pool

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a-mad-scientist-approaches · 7 years ago

Text

The Cipher Conspiracy (8)

Here! Have a chapter entirely about Ford!

I estimate at the moment there will be fourteen chapters in total of this, but that may chang, as in the past my estimates have been very off XD.

Adeline Marks is @hntrgurl13‘s, and the Addiford ship is @scipunk63‘s.

She doesn’t have a direct appearance in this chapter, but @missinspi‘s OC Madeline McGucket is still part of the fic, so I’m going to mention her anyway.

AO3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Gravity Falls, Oregon (USA) ∆

Ford groaned as he straightened up. How long had he been hunched over this desk for?

Too long, he reflected, scanning through the work he had completed.

He made his way towards the elevator, intent on getting himself some food before proceeding to the next step. The doors opened before he could reach them, revealing Bill.

“Okay, smart guy, let’s see these plans,” he said, strolling out. Ford turned around and led the way back to the schematics he had been redrawing.

“We – uh – I altered the gun’s design in Russia, so there should be less chance of it malfunctioning during use now. I just finished making the final copy, so all that’s left is to start constructing it,”

Bill straightened up from pouring over the plans and clapped him on the back. “I knew you could do it, Sixer! A few problematic hangers-on aren’t enough to slow you down!”

“Right.” Ford said, deciding to move past that comment as quickly as possible. “I think I should start putting together microcomputer first.”

Bill nodded, moving around the desk so he could scrutinise the plans more. “Use the precision instrument from China. Calibrate it to, oh, a working range of eight hundred nanometres to two centimetres. Lock it in position five for the circuit board, but position six should do for the rest.”

Ford was taken aback at the sudden rattling off of instructions. “You’ve used one before, then?”

Bill laughed. “Of course not Fordsy, I just know my stuff. Good thing I’m around, huh? Not to say that you don’t know what you’re doing, but, well . . .” he shrugged amiably.

“It’s good to pool knowledge,” Ford finished, choosing to think optimistically rather than be offended.

“Whenever you need me, pal! I’ve got things to do upstairs; you don’t mind if I take over the place for a bit while you’re not using it, right? Catch ya later,”

Ford did not like to criticise Bill: he had, after all, given him the opportunity to prove the full extent of his abilities to the world, if not in quite the way Ford had anticipated while growing up. For this reason, Bill was more like a friend than a boss, a sentiment that Bill had stated when Ford first met him, and which he had kept reinforcing through the years. However, it did irk him slightly that his residency was also morphing into Bill’s base of operations. On the other hand, it was also rather gratifying to see how much Bill trusted him. As far as he knew, no other agents were overseen as much as himself.

Monitored as much as myself.

. . . it was difficult to deny how freeing the weeks away had been. Perhaps he would like a little more breathing room.

That would no doubt occur once he finished the memory gun. Bill just wanted it complete, and then work would resume more like how scientists usually worked: in a less-than-imposing manner. Such as how he and Fiddleford had collaborated.

Speaking of Fiddleford, Ford was sure he would have loved this part.

He set up the machine on the desk, turned it on, and watched it knit together a circuit board with liquid fluidity.

∆

Bill swiped a squeezy toy from a couch as he passed. Making his way to the kitchen, he leaned back in a chair and put his feet on the tabletop. Then he took out his phone, tossing the toy up in the air.

“Ivan! I want an update. One that doesn’t ruin the good day I’m having,”

“McCorkle just had a meeting. I recall that Pines encountered two of Jheselbraum’s agents in Oklahoma . . .” The voice became more reluctant, as if the owner wished it wasn’t him that was bearing this news. “She was meeting one of them. You were right sir, Oracle Division is definitely involved.”

“Hmm. Well, good thing I was expecting that, or this would be really unpleasant for you.” Bill stood up and began walking around, tossing the toy from hand to hand, the phone jammed between his shoulder and ear.

“It’s time to shut Oracle Division down. Don’t blow your cover, Jhezzy’s pup’ll be outta your non-existent hair soon enough. Bigger problems to worry about, et cetera,”

“As you say, sir. I should also mention that Stanley Pines has reappeared,”

“Leave him. He’s out of the game now, or close enough. Besides, he just wouldn’t die. Four rounds of one-sided Russian poker and he’s still around – he’s like a roach! Whose underpants are stitched from luck! Maybe I’ll make him a job offer one day,” Bill mused, bouncing the toy off the wall.

“Yes sir. And what about the other Pines?”

“On track, finally. How long does it take to get some materials for cryin’ out loud? No need to come out here. But be on standby, just in case. Our resident genius is wising up.” The ball thudded into the wall again, but Bill didn’t catch it. He walked away, leaving it to ricochet behind him, where it cracked a glass frame and popped.

∆

Ford’s eyes were burning. He hadn’t blinked in a while. That was it.

Ow. Blinking hurt too.

He pinched the bridge of his nose, keeping his eyes closed. His fingers were trembling.

This was ridiculous. He had not even been working for that long! Granted, affixing the circuit boards to the hard drive of the microcomputer was slightly harder than he had anticipated, but he was getting there. And arranging the trigger mechanism had been frustrating. And positioning the internal reflective mirrors was an ordeal, to say the least. But all in all, he had about a third of the gun constructed (if he counted the tiny wires which he had laid out over the blueprints in preparation for their insertion), and it was only –

What time was it?

Ford opened his watery eyes and tried to make sense of the clock on the wall.

One o’clock? That can’t be right, I got home at one-thirty.

. . . I should really change that display to show twenty-four-hour time.

As he moved back towards the elevator room to find a chair, he realised that standing very still while bent over a table for six hours was not a great decision on his part. Every inch of him ached, even the parts that were not involved in keeping him upright. Sitting burned.

Midway through Ford’s groan, Bill came through the elevator, muttering.

“Those Oracle superiors better be awake . . .” He noticed Ford awkwardly slumped in a swivel chair. “Taking a break already, are we? It’s only been, what-”

“Eleven and a half hours,” Ford croaked.

“Come on, you’ve done longer than that at university!” Bill grinned, striding over to stand in front of him.

“Probably.” He yawned. “Just give me a minute.” A thought struck him. “Did you say Oracle? Like that Oracle Division you mentioned a couple weeks ago?”

Bill stiffened slightly, then shrugged.

“Yeah, they’re causing some trouble that I’ve gotta put a stop to. Banging on about the ‘Cipher Conspiracy’ again. Don’t ya just hate it when people won’t listen? Anyway, they won’t be a problem for much longer. That whole shebang is coming down pronto.” A momentary dark flicker crossed his expression. “I got a special gal who’ll be taking the fall, and when she does, so will the rest of those cage-rattling do-gooders.” He clapped his hands suddenly. “So! You gonna get back to work then, or do I have to find another genius?”

Ford chuckled and Bill laughed, but made no move to leave, and kept staring at Ford expectantly. The amusement fizzled out of the air. Ford suddenly wondered if it had ever been there.

“Well, I was thinking I could get back to it tomo- later this morning,”

“Come on, Sixer, we’re so close! Don’t tell me you traversed the globe for this, only to give up now?”

“I don’t think it would be giving up-”

“No? Sure looks like it,”

Ford stared at Bill, floored. Bill’s expression was the same as always: friendly, encouraging, betraying none of his thoughts.

Slowly, he stood up. He walked back to the desk where the almost one-third of a gun was.

“I knew I could rely on you, buddy!” Bill praised (or perhaps crowed) from behind him. “You’ve got some insane dedication, I think it’s safe to say, which means that device should be raring to go in no time! Got it? This is your ticket to the stars, and my ticket to the throne. It’s going to be great. You’re doing me a huge favour, you know that? You’re one of a kind, Fordsy, one of a kind. Don’t prove me wrong! That head of yours has to be good for something, haha, you know I’m joking. Catch ya later! I reckon you’ll be about half done by then, whaddaya think?”

∆

One third complete. Fully complete, not almost complete. Ford did not consider it a victory. He did not spend too long thinking about why. There was nothing to be gained from that, anyway. Nothing that could be considered important right now, per se. Nothing that, while worthwhile to consider, could probably just be attributed to the stresses of directing an agency. Nothing that could not be overlooked in favour of the . . . probably overall good that would come of the invention. Nothing that –

Ford sighed. He had been staring uselessly at the wall for five minutes now.

It would be better to throw himself into the work, he considered.

∆

God I’m tired.

I need to try harder.

Bill is right, we have waited far too long for this device’s construction, and I need to complete it, although he could be more helpful. He has already shown how adept he is with the machines. There’ll be plenty of time for rest afterwards. What is a few hours’ sleep deprivation in the face of an invention that could change the world? This is a personal challenge that I am entirely willing to accept.

have reluctantly allowed myself a five-minute break to write an entry in this journal. It is this, or fall face-down, unconscious, onto my desk. I am determined that, after two weeks of often having to share a room with Stanley S who cares? that the next time I sleep, it will be snorelessly. Is that a word? silently.

His snoring was strangely reassuring, however. It certainly made things seem less alone, cold, and dark. Or perhaps that’s just what the basement is like all the time.

I may need to head upstairs for a meal soon. I have not eaten since breakfast with Stan yesterday. Stan was a good cook. He made pancakes. Stan made pancakes. Stancakes. I think it may have been inadvisable to become so reliant on him for food.

∆

But what did he mean? Ford unwillingly wondered for the umpteenth time. It was happening every few minutes now, as he impatiently waited for the precision machine to complete another task.

Bill said odd things every now and then. It was just something Ford had learned to live with. Why was he noticing it now?

The answer was obvious.

But then again, no, it was not. Ford might occasionally become irritated with some of his boss’s mannerisms (arrogance), or his way of working (uncommonly close-at-hand), however he had never before felt as uneasy as he did now. He had always had the idea in his mind that while Bill might be his employer, he afforded Ford the same amount of respect he received. That idea was diminishing.

Simple answer.

But was it?

Yes.

I’m noticing it now because I’ve seen what it’s like to be without it.

∆

My mind keeps returning to our goodbye. Stan said to make sure that I did not get too caught up in my work. More occasions than the present one apply to this statement: for instance, once in primary school I became completely engrossed in a science project. It was a volcano with real lava, all contained on a miniature island. When I was unable to test it properly on the day it was due, I found myself having a panic attack. Now, the entire affair seems inconsequential, especially with the threats problems I face in the present. It mattered a significant amount at the time, though, and fortunately Stan knew me far better than I knew my project. He was able to calm me down, and the next thing I knew, the presentation went off without a hitch.

I miss him. And his Stancakes.

I meant what I said when I saw him off at the airport: I was going to come see him when I finished the project.

All the more reason to finish it soon, then.

∆

Ford took the clock off the wall. It was distracting, not to mention discouraging.

∆

The machine was obviously not accustomed to being handled manually: it had made the circuit boards on its own far easier than it let Ford use it to arrange the delicate piece of filament at the end of the gun.

He could feel Bill watching over his shoulder every step of the way. It was like at any moment he was going to snatch control for himself. The tremor had moved to Ford’s stomach now, leaving his hands feeling slow and heavy. Tiny pinpricks of sweat were forming on his forehead, nose, eyes. His glasses were about to give way and fall straight onto the gun, effectively smashing to pieces all his hard work. The microscope lens Ford’s face was glued to in order to see what he was doing would not stand a chance at stopping it. The glasses would fall, and everything was doomed. He might as well accept it now. No. That would be giving up. He did not give up. Bill was unmoving. The damn machine was not tilting properly. The filament would undoubtedly be lost forever in the ensuing chaos brought on by Ford’s crappy eyesight. He had not breathed in for a while. His stomach was lurching now.

In a fit of desperation and frustration, he jerked the controls roughly forward.

Miraculously, the filament slid exactly into place.

“HAH!” Ford shouted – or tried to. There was no air in his lungs for that to happen.

He heaved in a huge breath, straightening up as he did so. His glasses fell forwards and made a gentle tap on the lens of the microscope. Ford laughed hysterically. Bill made no comment. He just stood to the side, silent and watchful.

“Four fifths of the way done!” Ford said cheerfully, turning to him. To empty space.

Bill had left hours ago.

The elevator rumbled down, grating on Ford’s nerves, depriving him of a momentary relief.

Bill caught sight of him and laughed briefly. “Well I can tell you’ve been working! Never seen anyone so tired they put their glasses on the wrong seeing-hole.” He gestured to the machine, which Ford’s glasses were comically hanging off.

“Ah! Yes,” Ford said brightly, jamming them back on his face.

“Almost done I see.” Bill said, looking hungrily at the almost-complete gun. “Let’s get that last stretch over with, pal! I gotta tell you, I am longing for a chance to try it out. You know, you should be proud. It was you who brought all this into being.” Bill swirled an upright finger around to encompass the general vicinity.

“I appreciate it,” Ford said, banging a hand down onto the table to emphasise his statement. The gun jumped half a foot into the air, making a loud clunk as it fell. Ford laughed again when it did not break. The thing was invincible!

“Good to see you’re finally gaining a sense of humour,” grinned Bill.

“Who are you going to test this on? Not me, I hope,” said Ford grinning equally wide. Everything seemed very hearty at the moment. He remembered this feeling – first from university, and now every so often from the five years he had been working with Bill.

“Oh no, Fordsy, you’re my number one! There have been a few pains in the neck hanging around though. I’m sure I can think of someone,”

Ford nodded in agreement. Bill was good at thinking.

“Anyway, time to make that bulb! You’ve got some shimmern to melt down and some specific heat calculations to redo. You see that there? You forgot the indices.” He pointed casually at a sheet of working paper.

Ford managed an acknowledgement through tightly grit teeth and a strained smile. It was becoming painful, actually. How did Bill keep it up all the time?

∆

There had been stabbing pains in his stomach a few hours ago. He only remembered them when he reached precisely twenty-four hours without food.

Coffee counted as food, Ford decided, heating up the kettle.

The kitchen was really bright and his eyes did not want to adjust. He squinted into the –

He glanced at the clock.

- eight AM light rebelliously.

Coffee in mouth.

HOT.

His legs felt really tired. He was fine, but his legs ached. So did his back. And arm muscles. And fingers. Taking a moment to sit down might be advisable.

Ooooohhh it was.

It was rather peaceful up here. Very quiet. Cool. The makeshift forge was making the basement incredibly hot, so until it was at the temperature it needed to be to melt shimmern, he would wait up here.

He should stretch out his neck more. A few cricks, but nothing too painful. It felt especially pleasant when he rolled his head forwards. Quite heavy, too. Maybe he would just lie on the table like this for a moment. Wait for the coffee to cool down. Wait for the forge to heat up . . .

Where are they?

There was blood everywhere, but no one in the chairs. No one in the room. A light was growing – a bright blue-white light. Not emanating from anywhere in particular. Just growing.

Someone shouted his name.

Fiddleford.

Was not with him. He must have found them. Ford turned to go.

There they were. All three of them. Standing just beyond the threshold of the door. They stared at him expressionlessly. Addi and Stan had bloodstains on their clothes. The ever-increasing light threw the colours into sharp relief. Everything trembled around the edges as though it was about to explode. Stan’s left hand was being held by someone he could not see. Fiddleford was looking at a photograph.

Where did you go?

"You were the one who left," said Addi.

A hum he had not noticed rose to a peak. He started forwards, needing to let her know he hadn’t, he was right here, he was going to see Stan so soon, he was going to ask Fiddleford to help on his next project, he was going to kiss her for real one day, he just needed some time, just a little –

A bulb exploded. Sparks. Silence. Dark.

Dark.

Laughing next to his ear.

He jerked upright, lashing out beside him, eyes wide despite the glaring light, but he was alone.

Ford gasped for breath. How long had he been asleep for? Sleeping was – was not good. He scrubbed his face with his hands and downed the cold coffee with a shudder. Better than nothing.

Looking at the clock, he saw it had only been ten minutes. Plenty of time. He had plenty of time. He was not even on a time limit. That was how much time he had.

∆

When shimmern melted, it glowed a bright yellow-white and radiated incredible heat. Ford had to wear goggles and gloves just so he could stand to be near it, and even then he was sweltering.

The lovely tear-shaped pendant gave him one last sparkle before it liquified completely. A flash of a playful grin danced in front of him, the memory of an immense wind determined to drive him back briefly hijacking his senses.

“So much for returning it,” Ford muttered.

“Oops, might’ve forgotten to mention that we needed to use all of it,” shrugged Bill from the other side of the glowing material. “Ah, memories, memories.” Before he sauntered away, he gave Ford a look that was all too piercing.

Then again, a voice in his head weakly protested, everything looks hazy over here. You might be seeing things.

Ford snorted. “I really need to talk to someone that I actually want around,” he informed the blazing liquid.

He grabbed the last machine from China and started to shape molten shimmern, steadfastly ignoring an image in his mind’s eye of Adeline smiling as he had tried to dismantle the very same device he was using.

∆

“Y’know Ivan, he’s really come through,” said Bill, raiding the fridge. “I thought for a while he was going to pull some crazy stunt-” he waved his hands around wildly – “but it looks like he held out. Our genius is back on track!”

“So the device is complete, then?” asked Ivan on the other end of the line.

“It will be. VERY soon. Ol’ Six-Fingers can be amazing if he’s pushed. So anyway, just calling to let ya know I don’t need you to, ah, how to put this delicately,” he swiped a hand across his neck, miming a beheading, “murder him painfully. I mean, I haven’t exactly been keeping everything under wraps lately, but like I said, no crazy stunts, ‘You betrayed me!’, yadda yadda yadda.”

“Very convenient, sir. Is there any word on your solution for the situation over here?”

“Oh, yeah, our very own Agent Marks should be touching down right . . . about . . .” Bill checked his watch theatrically, “now. Once she’s blown off a head or two, you rush to her place having heroically tracked her down with your fantastic FBI training and arrest her. Events, cover-ups revealed, bing, bang, boom, Oracle Division topples like dominoes. And then I’m free to put that memory gun to some use.”

∆

“Sixer!” No answer. Bill frowned and walked back downstairs. “Weren't you . . . hey, Sixer!” Again, no answer.

Bill moved decisively towards the basement entrance.

“Well, well, well, well, well. My memory gun finished yet?” Silence. The entire basement was still. All the lights were off, like they were no longer needed.

“Pines . . .” Bill growled. Not taking his eyes off the dark space ahead, he took out his phone and pressed and selected a contact to call. No answering phone rang, apart from on the other end of the line.

∆

Ford fumbled one-handed with the phone, managing to answer while keeping a set of bloodshot eyes on the road.

“Bill! Yes, I’m here,”

“No, y’see Sixer, that’s the problem. You really AREN’T,”

“The memory gun’s finished. It’s on the worktable. Do you need something? I’m a little preoccupied right now.” Should he be talking to his employer so disrespectfully? Welp, too late now.

He careened around a bend in a move he felt his brother would have been proud of.

“You’re testing my patience, Fordsy. I’m sure I don’t have to phrase my question, since it should be OBVIOUS,”

“I didn’t tell you? I swore I did.” Ford said, genuinely surprised. After a second’s reflection, he reconsidered his position. “Oh. No, I only thought about telling you. That was probably when I got into the car,”

He revved the El Diablo’s engine enthusiastically.

“I’m going to visit Stan,” he informed Bill lightly, speeding past the “Welcome to Gravity Falls” sign so fast it was a blur.

“Why,” stated Bill coldly, in a way which was very emphatically not a question.

“Because I said I would!” Shrugged Ford happily. “I like being around him. I don’t like being cut-off and alone. I think the Cipher Wheel could benefit from a new point of view! Also, I need to return his car.”

He might regret saying most of those things later. He did not at the present moment, however, which was the important thing. It really was amazing what thirty-two hours without sleep could do for an individual’s self-confidence. In fact, this had been nothing; he felt like he could continue without sleep for days more.

“This is a little off-the-rails for you, you gotta admit. Pretty unexpected. A bit of a crazy stunt, you might say,”

“I suppose so. I think I’m overdue, to be honest. I will see you in a few days, sir!”

“Oh, you never know. Anything could happen. For instance, I bet you’re going to receive one heck of a welcome in Sacramento!”

“I’d settle for anything at this point!”

They both laughed. And kept laughing. And laughed some more. Ford ran out of breath first.

“I suppose you gotta make a stand at some point, Stanford! Might wanna scout out the turf beforehand, though. Seeya, kid!”

∆

“Ivan! You remember what I said about painfully murdering Pines? Yeah, let’s do that. He’s headed your way, and I wouldn’t miss him if I were you. In fact, same goes for anyone who gets in your way. We’ve got the means to deal with the fallout now,”

The memory gun glinted as Bill turned it over in his hand.

#gravity falls #fanfiction #spy au #double o sixer au #stanford pines #bill cipher #blind ivan #adeline marks #stanley pines #fiddleford mcgucket #the cipher conspiracy #my writing #ford's survival instincts desert him when he's sleep deprived #so much insane laughter

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dragon-moms · 7 years ago

Text

Entry 162 - Baroness

Conquest continues.

For better or worse, I have completed my task.

Our breakfast meeting had everyone seemingly upset.

“There isn’t much to this,” Nobody said as she finished her bowl.

“Oh… I’m sorry. We’re almost out of supplies, you know?” Merry said. She was still smiling.

“We’re running low?” Gloria asked.

Merry nodded. “There’s been so much going on I’ve been trying not to worry about it… with Philly being upset and the chamber and everything...”

“According to her, we have perhaps three more days of meals of this amount,” Myrmidon said.

“Three?” Gloria said, frowning. She closed her eyes and took a big breath before speaking again. “You should have told us, Merry.”

“Well, I just… I’m sorry…” Merry said.

“I probably would have been doing the same stuff,” Flare said. “It’s probably fine!”

“I don’t know about that, terror,” Gloria said. “And it’s okay, now we know. But we do have to make a decision, then, or we won’t have any food to fly on to get wherever we’re going after this.”

“Where are we going?” Merry asked.

There was a silence over the chamber. It occurred to me specific plans on where to hide and set up places to live had not ever happened. It was just “somewhere in the human lands.” It did seem a problem.

“Home,” Philly said, finally. Everyone turned to look at her, and she pulled her hood down a little. “We can go home, if we make a White dragon rise. And we know how.”

“You act like everyone’s going to welcome us back and shower you with praise,” Dagger’s voice said. “We’re all still traitors. Maybe not me, but I’m just a ghost, so it’s bad for me either way… but you all...”

“I can talk to the Queen,” Gloria said. “I can make her understand, once I can prove there’s no danger.”

“Are you just fucking telling yourself that, or are you sure?” Nobody said. “We can’t count on love-conquers-all garbage, Gloria.”

“There will be a way,” Flare said, smiling. “I’m sure of it. And hey, Barry and I figured out how to power the chamber thing yesterday! So we should be good to go, right?”

Everyone looked to me. “I… believe so,” I said.

“Then… then we…” Merry said. Myrmidon put a claw on her shoulder. “Then we do it tonight, right? Baroness?”

“I… I can probably prepare in that time frame,” I said. “Though perhaps more tests would be recommended to ensure no problems.”

“We don’t have time though, you know?” Merry said. “Do you think you can? Do you… do you think Philly will be safe?”

I thought about it.

“...I am… good at what I do,” I said. “The possibility of problems will be low on my end. It is more an issue of not having full knowledge of the chamber itself.” I looked to where Dagger’s voice had come from, though I could not be sure ey were there. “But the information my child has gathered for us suggests she should be fine.”

“Okay… so we’ll… we’ll set up today! And we’ll try tonight, and then… then we’ll know where we have to go, afterwards,” Merry said. “Okay? So let’s, you know, let’s get to work and have a good day!”

Nobody scoffed at this. Gloria poked her with a wing.

“Baroness, take whoever you need to get this done safely,” Gloria said. “Miss Nobody and I will come up with a contingency plan if we don’t feel it safe to go home. Anyone who isn’t helping, let’s pack, I suppose. We can’t stay here any longer.”

“Why me? Unlike you all, I’m not a traitor,” Nobody said. “I have no need to go fucking camping after this is done.” Gloria gave her a look, and she sighed. “Fine, sure, let’s look at some maps.”

“Everyone… I just…” Merry started. “We’re all, like… none of us are perfect, you know? I’m just a baker, you know? I’m not special. But together, with you all… I’ve done special things. I’ve got a family, I have a daughter I never thought I’d have… and I’ve come here! To these ruins! Like, this is incredible! You know? But, what I mean is… I got this far because you all helped me… me and my family… and I’ve been trying to help back, I think, and I think I have… and together, we did all this… and this is just one more thing, one more amazing thing we can do together, so… just… no matter what happens, let’s remember that we’re not alone… Trust, and be trusted, and you’ll never be alone. That’s… something I’ve heard. And it’s true. And I trust all of you, so… so just remember that, I guess.”

“I trust you as well, my sweetest,” Myrmidon said. “I trust us all gathered here.”

“So do I,” Philly said.

“I do too,” Gloria said.

“Of course I do!” said Flare.

“You are family and friends,” I said. “I trust you.”

“Me too, I guess,” Dagger’s voice said.

Everyone looked to Nobody. She fidgeted. “What?”

“Come on,” Gloria said.

“You already fucking know it,” she said.

“Just say it!” Flare said, smiling.

“Fine, I fucking think you all are okay and not horrible to be around and I trust you. Alright? There. Fucking happy you made me say it?”

“Yep!” Flare said. “Now let’s do this!”

We soon broke into teams to do our parts.

“Should I come with you, Baroness?” Philly asked.

I looked to Myrmidon. They looked to Merry. Merry did not notice.

“I believe I should be able to proceed without your assistance,” I said. “You should help your mother and my child to pack.”

“Alright,” she said. “But if you need me, let me know,” she said.

“I shall,” I said.

“Yeah, let’s see what we’re not going to need in the morning!” Merry said. “We can do that, right?” She looked at me with an expression I could not place. As she and Myrmidon left, Myrmidon turned to mouth “thank you,” at me.

I was pleased to have read the situation correctly.

I worked on setting up the ritual lines on the edge of the lines in the chamber. Flare watched, pacing this way and that and occasionally attempting to see my work.

“It looks great!” he said as I stopped drawing for a moment. “Like, super neat!”

“I am not yet done,” I said. “I am checking my work thus far.”

“Oh…”

“It will… take me a while,” I said. “Though I will need you to run tests to ensure I have properly accounted for the strength of your aura’s energy output.”

“Sure! I can help with that!” he said.

“I will tell you when I am ready,” I said.

He nodded, and went back to pacing.

Finally, I had it all drawn out to my satisfaction. I only had time for one trial run, since I would have to redraw my lines for the power conversion. “Let us test this,” I said to Flare.

I watched as he filled the design with his aura, and the power slowly started to fill the chamber. I let it fill to one of the first closed shapes, watching to see if it reacted badly. It seemed to be similar to when my apprentice casted, from what I could tell. “Stop,” I said.

Flare pulled back. “Everything look okay?” he asked.

“I believe so,” I said. “The only real concern is the stabilizer for the spell itself.”

“What’s that?” Flare asked.

“The song,” I said. “It interacts with the magic in some way I have yet to fully understand. But to not have it on a spell of this size would be… extremely dangerous. I had hoped that my child could assist in this, as ey have in previous spellcasting, but ey are not talking to me.”

“Didn’t you apologize?” Flare asked.

“Yes,” I said. “I attempted to. But I was informed ey need time. I am giving them what ey need.”

“So you’re holding back?” he said.

“...yes,” I said.

“That’s weird,” he said.

“Is it?” I asked. “I am to understand it is a standard approach when dealing with emotional harm… it is just important to confirm it is needed, as you suggested.”

“I did?” he said. “I was all, like, ‘Go fix it!’ I thought you were going to get it fixed and stuff.”

“Well, yes…” I said. “However, the situation called for a different approach. It was… good to be more proactive, however…”

“A different approach…” Flare said, thinking. “Okay, yeah… yeah! A different approach!”

His aura rapidly grew, and I backed off quickly. I was unsure why he was yelling in excitement.

“I can’t push people into things just because Progress tells me,” he said. “Progress is guiding me, but that doesn’t give me an excuse to act like I normally wouldn’t. And I wouldn’t normally push people into things! I’d just offer to help! That’s how I fix the problem I was having with Merry! I wasn’t being myself, I was being some Paladin thing! But Progress wants me to be the best I can be! The best me! So I need to do it like me! I think!”

I nodded, unsure what to say.

Flare started running off. “I’ll be back and stuff! Draw the thing without me! Oh, and Progress says not to worry about the song thing! So you don’t have to, if you don’t want to! But if you do that’s okay because I’m not pushing you into anything bye!”

And then he was gone.

I redrew the ritual lines. I considered each detail as best I could.

Soon, everyone started to gather. My creation joined me first.

“How is the situation?” I asked Myrmidon as they came up to me.

“It is… good, I believe, my lady,” they said. “It is difficult to say goodbye without saying goodbye, you understand, but I do believe Merry and Philly are as satisfied as they are likely to get. I wanted to give them some time alone. They should be along shortly.”

“I see,” I said.

“How about on your end, my lady?” they asked.

“I… have been told not to worry about the last piece. All else has been completed,” I said.

“Ah, excellent,” they said.

“I would suggest that you and Dagger exit the ritual chamber during the actual casting, however,” I said. “I am unsure how much feedback there will be and would not like either of you harmed.”

“Will you be okay, my lady?” Myrmidon asked.

“I… am unsure. But I need to be here. And I am… expendable.”

“I understand,” Myrmidon said. “Though let us hope it does not turn out that way.”

“I will return to Caroline and Juliet’s farm, if I am destroyed. You may leave message of where I should go from there.”

Myrmidon nodded, and then took my claws in theirs, smiling at me. “We will be awaiting your return, if events go that way, my lady.”

“...thank you…”

Merry and my apprentice soon arrived, followed by Gloria, Nobody, and Flare, once more.

I shall begin the ritual shortly.

#dragons #moms #dragonmoms

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vanillatwilight17 · 7 years ago

Text

A New Beginning (Chapter 7)

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: Thank you for all the awesome reviews I got on the last chapter. Special shout out to kmomof4 for her amazing reviews of the whole story! It's Christmas in July for this chapter! I hope you enjoy and please review to let me know what you think!

Chapter 7: The Most Magical Time of the Year

Christmastime was in the air in Storybrooke, Main and it seemed like everyone was floating around on clouds completely immersed in the holiday spirit. At seven months pregnant Emma was now fairly large in the stomach area and tired very easily and perhaps as much as Killian wanted her to she hadn't let it slow her down any. They had just this morning resolved the issue of when she was going to stop working.

"You said you were going to take some time during Henry's school break to spend with him before the baby comes right?" Killian had asked that morning after they had gotten into the station and were getting their day started.

"Yea…" Emma said wondering where this was going.

"Well I was thinking that maybe you should let that be the start of your maternity leave as well."

"Huh? Did you get into the rum last night while I was sleeping?" Emma asked him. David put down the file folder he was looking over and relaxed back in his chair.

"This is going to be good." He said.

"You stay out of this!" Emma said pointing her finger at him causing David to throw his hands up.

"Well you were going to need to stop work eventually right?"

"Yea but not with two months still to go before the baby is born! What am I supposed to do for two months? Sit home and knit?" Emma asked frustrated at her husband.

"You know how to knit?" Killian asked.

"Figure of speech!" David whispered to his son in law causing Emma to shoot him a death glare.

"Killian, I'm pregnant not sick or handicapped. I'm not going to break so stop treating me like a piece of glass."

"You are my one true love and you are carrying my child! Damn right I'm going to do everything to protect you both now and for always! I know you aren't going to break but you need to slow down a little! As the due date gets closer I think we just need to start planning a little for these things you know?" Killian said.

"Dad!" Emma said turning to David.

"I thought you wanted me to stay out of it?"

"Well now I want you in it. He's saying nice things and making me want to cave." Killian let out his famous pirates grin on that one.

"I think…you two should compromise." David said.

"What a copout answer you are supposed to take my side!" Emma said.

"I had this same argument with your mother around this time when she was pregnant with you and your brother. I agree with both of you. Emma you need to start slowing down a bit, I know you may feel like you can still go one hundred miles per hour but the more this pregnancy progresses your body is going to be more susceptible to stress. You were born a week early because of it. Killian, I understand you completely as I have been in your shoes, with every day you are going to worry abut them more and more but believe me when I say she's not going to break." David said.

"Fine, how about this? When I come back from time off with Henry I will be strictly on desk duty and then once February rolls around and we are in the home stretch I'll take it on a day to day basis." Emma said.

"Second week of February you go on maternity leave an take the time at home to prepare for the baby." Killian said. The two had a stare down and David found his eyes going back and forth like watching a tennis match.

"Fine." Emma said returning to her work and Killian got up and went over to her and gave her a big hug and kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you love! I love you more than anything you know that?" Killian said.

"I wouldn't push it mister." Emma said.

"Right, then, back to work I go." He said walking back to his desk.

"Killian,"

"Yes?"

"I love you too." Emma said smiling at her husband who returned the gesture.

"Ok there are way too many of us, if we give presents to everybody we are all gonna be in the poorhouse." Regina said as she, Emma, Snow, Zelena, and Belle planned for their big holiday get together one evening at Snow's house.

"Agreed. So how do we want to handle this?" Snow said.

"We could do Secret Santa." Emma said.

"What is Secret Santa?" Zelena asked.

"So typically there is a hat or a bag and everyone who is going to be in the gift exchange puts their name in and you take turns drawing names and whosever name you get you buy a gift for that person. Everyone gets a gift but it saves a you a lot of money." Emma said.

"I love that idea!" Belle said.

"Agreed!" Snow said and the others nodded their heads.

"Ok there are basic rules to it, like you can't get your own name, you can't say who you have because then it's not a secret anymore and once one person says who they have it becomes this domino effect of process of elimination of who has who and the fun is gone."

"I say a fifty dollar limit on the gift. Anyone object?" Regina offered and everyone agreed.

"What about the kids?" Snow asked.

"I say the kids are fair game, I feel like Henry will want to participate though so we can put his name in and let him pick. In immediate family's what you choose to do for actual Christmas Day is up to you. I was planning on getting Killian and my parents something for instance and obviously "Santa" is coming to see Henry." Emma said.

"Aww Henry still believes in Santa?" Belle asked.

"If it's out there, Henry believes in it. I think he knows the truth but I enjoy that he still goes along with it." Emma said.

"Soon you will have another a little one at Christmas and that is the best!" Snow said rubbing her daughter's belly.

"Ok so when we pull names, you can't get yourself, you can't get anyone in your immediate family, and you can't say who you got." Zelena offered as official rules and everyone agreed. They met everyone at Granny's that evening and names were pulled to yield the following results. It was decided that since Red was off with Dorothy in Oz Granny would be invited to their family get together. After several times needing to redraw everyone ended up with a Secret Santa. Everyone also got a good laugh out of people's reactions to who they got.

Emma = Regina "Ok that's not so bad!"

Killian = Granny "Oh bloody hell!"

David = Zelena "This will be…interesting."

Snow = Belle "Oh that's easy!"

Henry = Gold "Probably good I got this one."

Regina = Snow "I would pull that one."

Zelena = Henry "Thank God!"

Belle = David "How exciting!"

Gold = Emma "Why me?"

Granny = Killian "Well this will be cheap and easy, got the perfect present in the back!"

"I give it two days until everyone knows who has who." Granny said.

"What's the fun in that? Everyone keep your secret! We will exchange gifts and have dinner Christmas Eve at my house!" Snow said.

"We're going to be spending the night afterwards as well." Emma said.

"Really?" David asked excitedly.

"Yea, we talked about it a few days ago. That way we can just be there for Christmas morning and stuff." Emma said.

"Do you want me to take you over there after you open your presents?" Regina asked Henry.

"Actually I was just going to stay there with them and then come to your house later, unless that's not ok." Henry asked. Emma silently kicked herself, she should have talked to Regina first before she made these plans.

"Oh…that's fine. Just let me know when you are headed over." Regina said smiling but obviously a bit crushed at not being with her son first thing Christmas morning.

Later that evening Emma sat down in front of Killian who was reading a pregnancy book on the couch.

"Ok so I got Regina." Emma said.

"I think you missed the point of Secret Santa love." Killian said putting down the book.

"No I'm telling you because I need to talk to you about what I want to give her because it involves you too." Emma said as Killian grabbed her feet and started giving her a foot massage.

"Now I'm frightened." He said.

"I wanted to ask her, if it's alright with you that is, to be the baby's godmother." Emma said.

"The irony of the Evil Queen being godmother to Snow White's grandchild is beyond anything imaginable." Killian said.

"I'm aware of that but besides you and my parents she is my best friend." Emma said.

"I feel like there is more to it then that. I saw the face you made when Henry announced his plans for Christmas morning earlier."

"Ever since I came back into his life and the first curse broke Henry has drifted more towards us and while he and Regina have a great relationship I can tell she misses him and the days she had him to herself terribly."

"Henry isn't a child anymore love, he makes his own decision about where he wants to spend his time. Albeit when he started calling me dad I could tell it bothered her a bit." Killian said.

"Now that there is a new baby coming, one that is going to be his sibling none the less I feel like he will gravitate this way more and more. So I want her to have a special role in the baby's life and feel included. She spent so much time shut out from the family…"

"Her own doing…"Killian reminded her.

"Agreed by her own doing but she's done the hardest thing anyone can do, you should know this, she changed. So what do you think?"

"I think…it is a great idea." Killian said smiling. "How do you plan to give it in a gift though?"

"I was thinking something similar to how I told you about little one here," Emma said placing her hand on her stomach.

"Regina doesn't strike me as the pocket watch type." He said laughing.

"I was thinking more like a locket or something." Emma said swatting at his leg.

"Sounds good to me love." Killian said leaning over to kiss his wife on the lips.

Soon enough presents were bought and wrapped and it was Christmas Eve. When Emma and Killian walked into Snow's house that afternoon they found her mother and Granny hard at work in the kitchen.

"Hey Mom! We're here! Need any help?" Emma said as they walked into the kitchen.

"Hi Sweetie!" Her mom yelled back. "No I think we got this covered you just relax. Where is Henry?" Snow asked as Emma walked over to hug her mother.

"He was with Regina last night so I could wrap all his presents so she's bringing him with them. Spoiled turd!" Emma said.

"That's what kids are for!" Granny said and David and Neal came in the kitchen.

"Emmy, Emmy!" Neal said running to his sister as Emma bent down to pick him up.

"Hey buddy!" Emma said giving her brother a hug.

"Is Santa coming tonight?" She asked him.

"Yes!" He said excited. "Baby come?" He asked pointing to her stomach.

"No, baby isn't coming yet, soon though. It's getting hard for me to hold you right now Bud," Emma said and Killian reached over to take him from her.

"Killy!" The little boy said.

"Were you a good little lad this year?" he asked him

"Yes!" Neal answered.

"Good, because Santa only brings toys to good lads!" Killian said.

"I good lad!" Neal announced causing everyone to laugh.

"That's good. David could you help me bring these presents in from the car. We need to stash some down in the basement so this guy and the one coming later don't see them until tomorrow." Killian said.

"Sure thing!" David said.

The evening progressed and people started to arrive and the tree became almost hidden behind all the presents. Dinner was incredible and after everyone had finished eating the kids declared it was time to open presents. They let the kids open their gifts first since they couldn't wait any longer. Soon Robin, Neal, and Gideon had so many new toys they didn't know what to do with themselves.

"And Santa hasn't even come yet!" Belle said looking at how loved all the children were. Henry got gifts from his grandfather and Granny as well but was told he would have to wait until tomorrow for his other gifts. Gold gave Henry an orb that would change color depending on the weather, his mood, moods of other's around him.

"That better be all that thing does Gold." Regina and Emma said not trusting the Dark One.

"I'd never hurt my grandson ladies, don't worry!" Gold said. After the kids opened their presents it was time for Secret Santa. Killian and Granny laughed that they had each other. Killian had gotten Granny a new set of pots and pans as hers were getting old and rusted and she had given him a bottle of rum and a monogramed flask.

"You know me so well Granny." Killian said. David got Zelena tickets to go see Wicked on Broadway and he was surpised to find she loved the idea.

"I've been dying to see how those bastards depict me this time."

"You're actually a good guy, Mom took to me see that play a while back." Henry said and the gifts continued to be exchanged.

"It appears it's my turn." Gold said getting up to grab his gift.

"Mrs. Jones." He said handing the wrapped present to Emma.

"Oh God." Emma said not sure how to feel.

"Relax, it's nothing magical. It's more…sentimental. Something I found lying around my shop that I believe once belonged to you, that I thought you might want for your child." Gold said. Emma unwrapped the box and opened it to find a glass unicorn mobile inside causing Snow to instantly burst into tears.

"Oh Emma that's the mobile from your nursery!" She said. Emma looked down at the gift and felt speechless.

"Gold I don't know what to say…thank you." She said. Perhaps the man really did have a heart in there somewhere after all.

"It seemed only right you should have it." He said as Belle put her arm around him and smiled. The person to give her gift was Emma who reached over and grabbed a small box and handed it to Regina.

"Saved the best for last!" Emma said nervous at Regina's reaction to her gift as she opened the box to reveal a locket.

"Thank you Emma it's beautiful." Regina said.

"Open it." Emma urged. On one side of the locket was a picture of Regina and Henry and underneath inscribed the word 'mother.' On the other side was a picture of the baby from the 3D ultrasound they did with the word 'godmother' inscribed underneath.

"Emma…"Regina said looking from Emma to Killian.

"Regina, you have been a huge pain in the ass but you have also always been there for me when I needed you. You are my best friend and an incredible mother to Henry and it would be our honor if you would be our baby's godmother." Emma said. She barely got the words out before Regina was across the room with her arms wrapped around her.

"Of course! I would love to be the baby's godmother! You have no idea what this means to me. Thank you guys so much!" She said then turning to hug Killian.

At the end of the evening everyone had gone home except Emma, Killian, and Henry. Cookies were put out for Santa and everyone sat down so David could read The Night Before Christmas before everyone went to bed. The next morning there were even more presents than the night before surrounding the tree and Henry and Neal were anxious to get started unwrapping.

"Hold on guys, let me get the camera!" Snow said before they started. Killian had gotten Emma a beautiful necklace with a heart that had two stones in it, an aquamarine for March when Henry was born and an Amethyst for February when their baby would be born. She had gotten him a new ring with the same two stones in it and they laughed at how similar their minds worked. Henry was thrilled when he opened his new Nintendo Switch.

"Thank you guys!" He said running over to hug his parents.

"You're welcome kid!" Emma said hugging him back. "Ok guys hold on, I have a special gift for you!" She said to her parents and she went and grabbed a box. This is something I have been working on for awhile now and I finally got it done!" She said handing them the box.

"It's for both of us?" Snow asked and Emma nodded and Killian put his arm around his wife knowing what the gift was.

"How long before she cries?" He asked.

"Second page max," Emma said and her parents opened the box to find a scrapbook.

"So I don't have a lot of stuff but this is everything I held on to or was given by my foster parents or the system when I aged out." Emma said. It was a scrapbook detailing in pictures, art work, school work, etc. her childhood. Snow didn't even make it to the second page before she was absolutely in tears.

"Emma you have no idea what this means to your father and I to have this. We missed so much with you and now we have a glimpse into your childhood and a chance to have some of those memories back. I promise that we will be here for you from this moment until our last days. You are an incredible mother to Henry and this new baby is going to be so lucky to call you Mommy." Snow said hugging her daughter. Emma looked over to see her father also in tears looking at pictures of his baby girl.

"Come here Daddy," She said and he came over and kissed the top of her head holding her close to him.

"I love you Em," He said.

"I love you too Daddy." She said back.

After they had dropped Henry off at Regina's and carted all their stuff inside Emma and Killian sat down together for a few quiet moments.

"Merry Christmas love," He said to her, kissing her softly.

"Merry Christmas Killian."

"Merry Christmas baby." They both said to her stomach where their hands entwined.

"Next Christmas we will have an almost one year old." Emma said.

"That's hard to even wrap my head around at the moment." Killian said.

"I know I can't even grasp that soon the baby will be here let alone what our lives will look like in a year," Emma said. "I have one more present for you though." She pulled out a small box she had been stashing. Inside was a small ornament for the tree that showed a man, woman, and boy, the woman with a swollen belly and man with his arms around her, that said: Killian, Emma, and Henry on the top then Jones Family Christmas 2017.

"I figured every year we could get a special ornament like this and it could be like a milestone for the year." Emma said.

"I love it Emma. However, you have already given me the greatest gift of all in the form of you, Henry, and this little one right here." Killian said and he leaned in to kiss her one more time and they relaxed on the couch, watching the fire in the fireplace enjoying some of their last few moments together before the baby arrived.

"Merry Christmas to all." Emma said.

"And to all a good night." Killian said back.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed. The baby will be here in either the next chapter or the chapter after that at the latest I haven't totally decided yet. Any guess on boy or girl? Please review and let me know what you think!

#cs ff #cs family ff #cs baby ff #daddy killian #pregnant emma #emma jones #emma swan #killian jones #captain swan #ouat ff #ouat

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comicteaparty · 5 years ago

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December 7th-December 13th, 2019 Creator Babble Archive

The archive for the Creator Babble chat that occurred from December 7th, 2019 to December 13th, 2019. The chat focused on the following question:

If you could redo one part of your story, which part would it be and why?

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

I can and do redo parts of my story. I’m working on a redux of the first two chapters of my comic, Dark Wings: Eryl (https://www.flowerlarkstudios.com/art-archive/eryl-redux-archives/ - rated M) right now. I’m doing so for quite a few reasons, some of which are very personal and have to do with my own growth as a person, not just as a creator. It was also to update the writing, partly to update the art, and because I took a three year hiatus a long time ago which created a huge, jarring gap in not the just art and writing, but also the tone and direction of the comic. I also sometimes go back and adjust speech bubbles in old pages to close plot-holes or fix some badly-written dialogue. I feel that if there is any part of my story where redoing sections can improve the entire course of the comic and readers’ enjoyment of it, I will. And if I don’t, I run the risk of losing inspiration for the entire comic because I can’t figure out how to work with an older part of it. Rather than twist my plot into pretzels trying to explain something carelessly written a decade ago in current scenes or allowing plot-holes to open, I go back and fix the bad parts. Reduxes are often seen as taboo by a lot of comic creators. But if looking back genuinely helps me to keep going forward, then I will.(edited)

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

For Phantomarine (http://www.phantomarine.com/), it'd be less about rewriting existing things, and more about... adding back in the extra pages/detail/fun-stuff that I originally wrote, but had to cut out to meet a reasonable page count per chapter. With the number of hours a single page takes to paint, I really REALLY have to streamline things, or I'll never finish this damn project Good news is, I think it's helped the pacing in its own way. And I have lots of fluff and fun stuff coming down the line that I think are better suited to the story anyway. So... I guess... in a different world, I'd simplify the art style, so I could just write more? Yeah, that. Let's go with that.(edited)

AntiBunny

We all have things we'd like to redo, but if we kept rebooting we'd never make progress. That said in AntiBunny: The Gritty City Stories http://antibunny.net/ I'd probably have set it in the 1980's instead of present day. It's hard to write mysteries around google and cell phones, or to keep the superscience impressive. Grounding it in a known time period would have been easier.

Eightfish

@LadyLazuli (Phantomarine) I just read through your archive and ohmygod, wow! Your art is so beautiful. The colors! The backgrounds! Every page is like a painting the panels are so well put together. And I love the way you draw the seaghosts all together. I can't imaging how much time that took. And the worldbuilding is fantastic and creative, and the dialogue flows so well, and I'm so invested in your characters (when are we getting back to Phaedra??), and your villains are so fun. Cheth is so fun to see, and such a unique idea, I am so into it.

twothirty

i actually did redo the first half of chapter 1 (http://versecomic.com/) when i came back to it after 2-ish years. I opted for a much slower start to introduce readers to this world where things aren't perfect but people are getting by. Originally i had it start off in the midst of a catastrophe and i just wasn't feeling it. I always ruminate on the pacing of my story, i think the first book moves very fast, and there's some scenes i'd make a few pages longer to just get in some more dialogue...

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

@Eightfish Oh my goodness!! That’s so wonderful and so kind of you to say. It’s my only current story idea, so I’m putting all the effort in that I can muster. Thank you for checking it out! This is the last of the chapters that help flesh out the outside world - we’ll be seeing a lot more of Cheth and Phaedra very soon... for better or for worse. I can’t wait to get back to them and FINALLY tie all the threads together Thank you again!

seetherabbit

The only one that I would do a redo would the first story in Vulperra https://vulperra.com/comic/flash-gauntlet-1/ Apart from giving it a George Lucas (redrawing it with improved graphics aka art skill), I would also add in pages before and after the 10 pages thats out. What I would add is Flash Gauntlet (the main character) tell the tale of him fighting the demon in the story. There's one story that I did a redo on before it got published, which is this one. https://vulperra.com/comic/guardian-of-castle-bogo-1/ What I changed was the climax and the ending. The story is about a bunch of people in a castle that has only one guardian who protects the rest of the citizen from monsters and such. No one else wants to use weapons and the guardian is tired of his work and tries to throw it on Flash Gauntlet. The climax is that Flash Gauntlet convices the others to help the guardian out by making better defences around the castle. In the old version, the citizens learns to wield weapons instead. I didn't like the old version because I felt it was too preachy, and the ending gave me a bleh feeling. There's a couple of things in the story that's being published now, and one future one that I could change, but that's more minor things that I think I don't need to go back to. I'm more of a "let the mistakes be and leave them as a reminder to get gudd" kind of guy. Unless I hate it the story, like the Castle short

Capitania do Azar

Oh I have done so many edits over at https://www.sarilho.net/en/. They're mostly to text (for clarity) and minor edits here and there for continuity or correcting mistakes. Tho more recently I found out than I have the time I shouldn't let it reflect anything less than my best work, so in the latest chapter I've moved pages and panels around to make for a better story flow (even adding pages when I realized I would go over the initial number of pages I planned)

Phin (Heirs of the Veil)

Sometimes I think I should have started the story with Victoria's situation at home and her relationship to her mother, since that is pretty important for the plot. But to be fair...not showing this at the beginning created a little bit more intrigue and I guess I'm not far enough into the plot yet to really want to change anything of substance.

sssfrs

I would redo chapter 2 https://tapas.io/episode/1486719 to improve the art and change around some of the dialogue

Ooh there were also some details I forgot to include in the most recent chapter

Deo101

I think I would want to add some pages to slow my pacing down, and also spend a bit longer on backgrounds. I suppose in theory I could add pages in now, but I think I'd rather put that effort into moving forward!

snuffysam

In terms of art - a lot lol, the early art of Super Galaxy Knights http://sgkdr.thecomicseries.com/comics/ is pretty bad. But I'm almost finished redoing all the chapters that were drawn on paper & didn't have shading, so that won't be a problem for much longer. In terms of the writing and pacing and stuff, I'm mostly still good with my earlier work? The one thing I regret is the end of Book 1 Chapter 7 - the part where Cahe straight-up murders three guys. I feel like it doesn't make that much sense for his character, and doesn't even resolve the "we need a rounded out team" thing very well. An ideal redo would change Cahe's ability to make more sense for his character - say, he can put a shield on Pejiba that reflects all damage to her back at her attackers. But making a change like that would make it impossible for Mizuki to use that ability while fighting Zebugu, which would take away one of the major aspects of that fight. At the very least, I'd probably cut out the page where Cahe kills the tank driver :p

#ctparchive #comics #webcomics #indie comics #comic chat #comic discussion #creator interview #comic creator interview #creator babble #comic tea party #ctp

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drink-n-watch · 6 years ago

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Kriegspiel (‘War game’) is an unorthodox chess game in which the players only know for certain the moves of their own pieces. They have to deduce where the opponent’s pieces are by questioning an umpire. It is played on three boards with partitions between them. – via Wikipedia

You know, Crow was a bit nervous about reviewing this show, I think I strong armed him into it. I felt a little guilty at first but man am I glad now. I am loving this show and in no small part because I get to have these wonderful conversations around it. Your comments have also been fascinating and insightful. Please keep them coming. I can’t get enough of these talks.

Strong-armed? Hardly! You said you would like to review it — very politely, I might add! — so I watched the first episode — and to keep a theme going, I’m glad I did! And you’re absolutely right about the comments! Thought-provoking and imaginative stuff!

Oh, and by the way, my turn to be bold! At least in print! (That was Crow)

That’s quite a start

So remember last week when I said the arrival of Sister Krone could prove to be a disruptive presence for both sides!!!

Criminey, you weren’t kidding!

First though, let’s talk about that tiny bomb shell we got a the beginning. Every episode of The Promised Neverland packs so much in that it’s easy to forget the details, but one of the biggest things that stood out to me came from Ray, Norma and Emma’s conversation in the opening act, when they were still speculating on the transmitters. Apparently, it’s 2015!

that font is so not 2015

Obviously this is an alternate world but it places us in a grey zone. The technology we’ve seen so far in their daily lives is certainly not quite up to 2015 standards, but the teaching rooms seemed to be overly advanced. The demons may have some form of very advanced technology not available to the children but we haven’t seen it yet and the frequent use of nature (especially flower) motifs makes the seem more mystical than technical.

I’m not entirely sure why, but having the story clearly situated in time like that, felt important somehow.

Maybe an alternate timeline. But honestly, I’m not 100% convinced this is Earth — as in Sol III. It looks the same, but we’ve only seen a small part of it.

I’m not either which means we don’t know the rules governing what’s “human” which opens lot of doors!

brilliant!

At this point we also had a little speculation on the world beyond the farm. The kids discuss the fact that they must not be the only facility and that livestock comes from somewhere. The idea that demons probably rule the world. The kids seem to have pretty much the same line of thinking as we did. Except they have more pressing questions and trying to guess what’s out there isn’t very productive right now!

I’m still amazed at how clear-thinking they are! No unreasonable leaps of logic; just applied thinking based on their observations and thoughts.

These kids keep their eyes on the ball, then again, they’ve never known any other world. Emma, Norman and Ray, having figured out last episode that there had to be some type of tracking device on them are now busy trying to figure out where it is, while we get to know the newly arrived Sister Krone.

why not redraw the missing pupil? it would be so easy…jus for extra creepy?

I must say, with this much story and background to unpack, I don’t blame the show for resorting to Ray, Normand or Emma explaining the situation to each other (and by extension us) , but I couldn’t help but snicker a bit at Krone’s schizophrenic exposition. It was fun but just a little clumsy.

Did you like how she was portrayed? She almost seemed like a caricature, though her interactions with Momma (Isabella) were fascinating. And when she ran, she reminded me a lot of the T-1000 Terminator model from Terminator 2 Judgement Day!

I have to say, I quite like the notion of an addled, almost pathetic yet still threatening and entirely terrifying antagonist. Movies way too often play up particularly cruel villains as brilliant masterminds but I’ve always found that an opposite characterisation was very effective, and interesting. Someone who is just not bright or sane enough to tempt or coerce. Someone you can’t reason with….

Someone who’s bound to do anything…When I was really small, we had this electronic chess board you could play on. It had difficulty settings up to 10 (hardest). When you set it to 10 it would beat you instantly, unless you didn’t know how to play chess. You see, nonsense moves confused its algorithm. It would start taking forever, trying to figure out what your strategy was, while you were happily licking all the chess pieces or something. Once you get too smart, it starts to be very difficult to understand stupid, or senseless. Krone may prove to be a challenge… for everyone.

Meaning maybe Isabella won’t take her seriously as a threat — until it’s too late? This show has way too many ways to keep us off guard!

there are no cameras, no need to look for them

Of course she immediately decided to betray Mama, which I predicted cause I’m totally psychic and no other reason whatsoever. Say Crow, any thoughts on the judgement call behind deciding to loudly sing your treason plans in a crowded house with only a thin wooden door to block the sound?

That’s what I always do when I decide to betray someone! Seriously, I had to wonder at her sanity. Why would she possibly do that? Was the show just being funny? Or was it telling us something about her — namely, that she’s not entirely rational?

This said, even with her very limited presence this episode, I still find Moma to be the most chilling presence on screen. I also suspect that Moma let Krone know about the *older* children who had discovered the secret, for a specific reason. She doesn’t strike me as a woman who trusts readily or speaks carelessly. (I do both!)

I think your observation is spot on. There’re reasons Moma’s where she is, and one of them is that she’s astute. I think your title for this post is perfect. It’s Moma on one side of the board and Emma, Norman, and Ray on the other. Krone doesn’t know it, but she’s just one of Moma’s pieces.

terrifying I say

Speaking of deceptively smart, even though the series has so far established Ray and Norman as the masterminds of the series, with Emma seemingly playing the role of the enforcer, it was Emma who came up with the brilliant insight that the newly arrived baby might still have a scar from the tracing device incision. And when ging to check for herself, she also came up with the brilliant line of reasoning that the demons would probably not want to eat the implanted tracking device so it would have to be somewhere “easy to remove”…. Turns out, it’s the ear! That’s where we tag cattle – makes sense.

Remember I talked about feedlots? Yeah, we tagged the calves’ ears. The newer tags nowadays even have microchips in them. This is all terrifyingly familiar!

We are slowly seeing themes of human connection. The baby’s fingers coiling around Emma’s, creating that visceral instinct to protect our most vulnerable. It reminds us on this base level of the idea that we are all human and in this together. I assume this blatant set up is to only make those upcoming hard decisions even more devastating!

I’m having flashbacks to Made in Abyss… Which is to say, I think that’s exactly what they’re doing. And we’ll see those hard decisions through Emma’s eyes!

I desperately want t see that. I should get whatever platform i’s on…

they look a little alike

After having found the tracking device, or at least a likely place for it, it was time to turn to the practical question of escaping with everyone. Ray very appropriately pointed out that the smaller kids would have a hard time keeping up in their current state. Thankfully, it seems that hide and seek is already the main form of entertainment there, so this comes in handy for practicing kills like running away and, well hiding…

A game with Norman as the seeker serves as an excuse for Ray and Emma, serving as teachers, to show the kids some tricks. I quite liked this scene. It had all the ominous implications but because most of the kids think this is a simple game it was presented as joyful and sunny and relaxing. The contradiction was interesting to take in.

Very effective, dramatically. I felt like it also made the upcoming decisions that you already referenced feel even more dreadful. Those kids playing so happily will soon be running for a much different reason. With a much different consequence for being found.

well maybe not completely unaware

Speaking of blissfully unaware. More than once, the episode went out of it’s way to point out how beloved the caretakers are and how happy the children. Ray and Norman are eve gearing up for the possible necessity of lying to everyone because there’s a strong chance they would simply refuse to believe the truth and get them all killed. Once again, we’re being confronted with the limitations of Emma’s mercy.

It’s a great moral dilemma. Is it permissible to lie to save someone? And if you do, how far can you take the lie? Because once the kids found out they’ve been lied to, there’s no telling how they’ll react!

Krone had been eyeing all the older kids ever since Moma told her someone had discovered the truth. By not reporting it immediately, it seems Moma as broken the rules. Krone figures that if she can figure out the culprits and turn them over herself, she could usurp Moma’s role and become the new Moma.

Seeing the children play, Krone sees her own chance to do some recon and evaluate the children’s skills at the same time.

At this point, the game got a lot more menacing. How did you feel about it Crow?

run!

Oh, yeah! All those subtly menacing feelings we got while the kids were playing tag alone got bumped up a couple notices. Remember when she gathered up several kids at once and picked them up? I thought that was terrifying!

Having Krone discover a cowering Emma hiding two small children was pretty chilling, but not quite as much as Norman looking down from that boulder as Ray snuck up on Krone to win the game… See what I mean about Norman, gotta watch out for that kid.

He and Ray make a dangerous combination. I just hope they’re dangerous enough! And by winning, I wonder if they just made Krone more resolute? Or do you suppose that’s Moma’s plan — to make Krone and the kids focus on each other and leave her more free to operate?

how do they keep their clothes so white?

So test run no. 1 went a bit better than expect with Norman and Ray coming out on top. Still, depressingly predictable, Emma’s insistence on trying to save two small children, so they were all caught. Let’s hope it’s not foreshadowing…but it totally is. (I don’t know, this is as far as I got in the story)

It sure felt like foreshadowing! But if it was for a terrible decision Emma will have to make, or if it’s showing Emma preparing the kids to control even their breathing, only time will tell!

Man, I hope they can get themselves out of this mess!

oh man…this is so cool!

The episode ended on yet another bombshell and I must say I adore this one. After the game, Krone decided to back off, while Moma had completely disregarded Norman, Ray and Emma despite her obvious suspicions. The three soon come to the conclusion that the adults aren’t bothering with them because someone else must be keeping tabs and reporting back. But there’s only one option left, that someone else must be one of the kids.

This mic drop moment was spectacular. It completely changes the dynamics and interaction of the narrative. And since we the audience don’t have any extra information, we get to share in the kids’ paranoia! This was perfect!

If Emma’s hopes to get everyone out before looked unrealistic, now they look self-defeating. Because if they try to take everyone, and if “everyone” includes the snitch, then, to quote Han Solo, “This is going to be a real short trip!”

They’ve built a lot of suspense in three episodes, don’t you think?

I can’t believe this is episode 3. It could have been a built up season. Yet – it doesn’t feel rushed. Magic I say!

I may have said this before but: terrifying!

I just got over my Tsurune screencap disease and now The Promise Neverland is trying to drag me right back into it!

The Promised Neverland Episode 3 –Kriegspiel Kriegspiel ('War game') is an unorthodox chess game in which the players only know for certain the moves of their own pieces.

#action #anime #Collab #drama #dystopian #episodic #Promised Neverland #suspense

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laseroy89 · 7 years ago

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Desk Flora

I leaned back, taking a break from a long day of editing proposals. The cheap office chair creaked underneath me as I stretched fully, cracked my knuckles, exhaled loudly, rubbed my temples and all those shit one normally does to release stress. Oh man, I needed a pay raise - been overworked is an understatement. My fellow workers and I were overwhelmed by the countless projects that upper management had thrown at us, trying to milk us for all we were worth.

I slowly became aware of a weird sound coming from one of the cubicles to my right. I cocked my head in that direction, trying to figure out what the hell it was. Who the hell was making it? Why the hell was he/she disrupting my peace? As I listened intently, I realised it sounded like someone muttering gibberish, like…oh I know exactly what it was. Reluctantly, I stood up and walked to the desk two cubicles away from mine.

“Hey Gillian.” I leaned on the cubicle wall, trying to act as casual as possible. I pointed at a potted plant that I haven’t seen before on her desk. “Hey, that’s a new one. What’s its name?”

Gillian jumped up at the sound of my voice, and whirled round to stare at me, a guilty look plastered on her face. She had been bending over close to her table, her face buried in the leaves of her little ornamental plants - she called them “desk flora”.

“Her name is Giselle.” Gillian looked really jumpy, and she was avoiding eye contact with me. “Sorry about the noise. Trying to….”

“Nah, it’s alright, I actually feel that your plants are good for releasing your stress - wait what’s that?” I squeezed past Gillian and reached into the leaves of another plant, picking out a mug with the words “World’s #1 Dad” emblazoned on it. It still had some coffee stains inside. “Lance has been looking for this for a week!! What’s it doing here?!” I whispered fiercely to her, trying not to be heard by surrounding coworkers.

“Sorry Bryan. My plants…I…sorry, I just like to…can you please help me return it to Lance? Perhaps just sneak it back on his desk?” Gillian looked up me, her eyes pleading for forgiveness. Well, I couldn’t resist helping out a coworker that I have a soft spot for. I nodded and returned to my desk with the mug, the gibberish starting once again behind me, albeit a tad softer.

I felt sorry for Gillian. When she joined the company, she roused the interest of the entire office when she started decorating her workstation with her desk flora. It was a good conversation topic to have, and she was a pleasant person who welcomed any questions about her plants. Now, with the abrupt increase in workload, all of us naturally felt more stressed, but Gillian…she became more withdrawn. She grew so attached to her plants that she named each one. The cactus was Oliver, the African Violet was Justine, the Snake Plant was Wyatt, and the recently-added Aloe was Giselle.

Being in the same team as her, I wasn’t too worried about that. After all, everyone has their own methods for dealing with stress. But I was surprised when I caught her talking to them about two weeks ago. Now, that was abnormal enough, but she vehemently denied it when I jokingly asked her about it. She repeatedly said that she was calling someone, or just thinking things through, even though I saw her whispering to the plants. It didn’t help that coworkers kept finding their belongings around her area, maybe around her desk, or stuffed into the leaves of the desk flora. Small stuff like staplers, cups, utensils, and once a calculator. Some staff have lost their temper at her, and she could have been fired on grounds of mischief or even theft, if we hadn’t been so pressed for workers.

We had so much work to do, that our entire department was ordered to put in overtime for Monday and Wednesday, in order to finish a really, really huge number of projects. While most of us were quite pissed off and grumbling about “lack of work-life balance”, “I need a pay raise”, I saw the look on Gillian’s face changed from a passive expression to that of…horror?

“Gillian, what’s wrong?” I tried to placate her as we walked back to our workstations after hearing that particular announcement. While I knew she was stressed, I didn’t expect such an adverse reaction.

She turned to look at me, her stricken expression never leaving her face. Her eyes bored into my skull for a good five seconds before she regained her composure and put her hands on my shoulders. “If you can…please leave the office after working hours. Please. I’ll do your work for you.”

“Gillian, don’t be absurd. I have thirteen plans to redraw, and two proposals to edit. And I know you have a similar amount of work. It’s very kind of you but no, that’s simply impossible.”

Gillian’s shoulders sagged. She looked so defeated. I would have comforted her, but I had totally no idea what she was making such a big fuss about. Dammit, it’s just overtime. If anything, we should be getting to work now.

“No matter what happens - whatever you hear, smell, see, sense…don’t acknowledge it.” She leaned in close to me, speaking softly and slowly, stressing every word. I gave her my best “What the fuck” expression.

“I mean it! Just…just pretend you never see anything.” She pleaded with me. I couldn’t disagree, and watched as she went back to her desk. What the hell was that?

As I resumed my work, I couldn’t really focus. I would jump at any sound, and any sudden movement at the corner of my eye would cause me to turn around. Gillian’s warning made me nervous, for some reason. Perhaps it was the way she said it? Or maybe because I was the only one who was warned?

As the time neared 9pm, I slowly began aware of a weird sound coming from one of the cubicles to my right. I cocked my head in that direction, trying to figure out whether it was Gillian’s weird chanting again, before my exhausted mind realised that it was coming from the cubicle to my immediate right. Which was unoccupied.

I didn’t hear anyone enter that cubicle.

It sounded like…leaves rustling.

I looked up and saw a leaf. More specifically, the characteristic long, banded leaf of a Snake Plant. Curling round the top of the cubicle wall, pulling itself up, and….two cold, emotionless and completely black orbs appeared. It took me a while before I realised those were eyes. They stared at me, before a small hole appeared beneath them. A small hole filled with rows upon rows of sharp thorns.

Gillian’s words suddenly rang in my head, stopping me from screaming bloody murder. “Don’t acknowledge it.” I made my face as neutral as possible, and slowly turned to face my computer screen. And continued typing.

I ignored the steely cold gaze raking the side of my head. The rustling started again. I couldn’t focus on my work but I kept my gaze straight ahead. I remained fixed in that uncomfortable position, filled with uncertainty and fear, as the plant - Wyatt, wasn’t it? - lowered himself on the table, crawled slowly over it - over my *hand* - over my keyboard - over my other hand - and paused to stare at me. The same cold stare, unblinking, challenging me to make eye contact again. I didn’t dare to do it, because I didn’t want to find out what would happen to me, and also I didn’t really like looking at that abomination. After about one minute, Wyatt finally moved on to the next cubicle.

I heaved a sigh of relief before I heard other leaves rustling. It seemed to come from everywhere - behind me, to my right. I adjusted my blank second monitor, only to see the reflection of an African Violet - Justine? - crawling on the floor behind me. Oliver the cactus was climbing up where Wyatt appeared earlier. I didn’t know where Giselle the aloe was, and I didn’t want to know.

It was the same - I could feel their eyes on me, watching my every move. I trembled with fear, cold sweat forming on my brow, but remained still. Slowly, they moved on.

I guess this was what Gillian warned me about. It couldn’t be hallucinations from being overworked, as I definitely felt Wyatt crawl over my hand, and Oliver left some small little holes on my cubicle walls (Thankfully I moved my hands away in time).

A scream rang out in the silence of the office. I jumped up, but almost immediately, a hand forced me down. “Nothing is happening.” Gillian hissed, sounding both angry and persuading at the same time. “Go back to work.” I had no choice but to sit back down.

More screams followed, along with more noises. The tearing of paper. The ripping of wallpaper. Cubicle walls being knocked down. Desks and chairs being overturned - no, thrown around. The rushed footsteps hitting the floor fast. Bodies hitting the floor, struggling, punching, kicking. And the most of all, the sound of leaves rustling. It resembled ordinary sheets of paper flapping and rubbing against each other, yet it sounded so ominous, so eerie. I sat down still at my desk, staring at my screen, but had long forgotten which proposal I was working on.

Gradually, all the other noises subsided. The rustling became less vigorous, but more rhythmic. The entire office was now silent, except for the rhythmic pitter-patter of leaves.

It was nearing 10pm, when the office fell deathly quiet. I wanted to stand up and find out what the hell happened - no, I wanted to leave the office and get the fuck home.

“Bryan? Can you do me a favour?” Gillian beckoned to me. “It’s alright. It’s safe now. We’re ending work soon.” She said as she saw my moment of hesitation. I tamely followed her to her cubicle.

My jaw dropped. Plants were scattered all over her desk, covering all the paperwork with a thick layer of leaves, roots and dirt. Vines and roots were similarly strewn on the floor. I distinctly remembered that she didn’t have that many plants today.

“What…what happened?”

“I’m sorry to bother you, Bryan. I know you haven’t seen most of these plants before. They’re new.”

I bent down, picking up one of the vines. They weren’t brown like normal plants, they were….blond. The leaves had red smudges….that looked like lipstick. The flowers didn’t smell natural, they smelt like deodorant and cologne.

“That’s Lance.” She gestured at the vine in my hands. “That’s Gertrude, Margaret, Robbie, Lenny….” Those were…those were our coworkers’ names.

“I’m sorry about what happened, they normally just steal small stuff.” Gillian shrugged helplessly, her voice ringing with regret. “It got a little out of hand. Do you mind helping me load these desk flora to my car?”

#flowers #office plant #office #nosleep #flora

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