#i own the entire series now and i love these books dearly

[transingthoseformers]

You talked about SG quintessons being like the pemalites, and i want to hear more

This post might not go through because my wifi is absolutely fragged right now, but let me go bring down one of my Animorphs books, fuck I haven't touched these suckers (affectionate) in years

Now I'm gonna be using books 10: the android and the Ellimist Chronicals as references, as again it's been years, fuck it's been so long I missed the smell of these books.

Our first excerpt sets up our initial situation: the pemalites (and likely the SG quintessons) were a quite long lived race, just... loving life. Loving their own lives, and the lives of others. Just... a sweet race, imo the pemalites were the closest damn thing to an objectively morally good race. page 102 (10: the android)

Here's our explanation for why they made the chee (and, possibly a similar line of thinking for the SG quintessons?), page 103 (10: the android)

This just says what we've established again but i just wanted to show it. page 104 (10: the android)

Now this is also a part that majorly reminded me of what i can see the SG Quintessons having done, spreading life throughout the galaxy (carefully of course as to not cause invasive species. I suspect that, respectively in the cases of Ellimist and Quintus, they were taught quite well to avoid that.) page 181 (the ellimist chronicles)

Now i admit i still have a lot to learn about the baseline quintessons, but i feel like the SG quintessons in general would have valued peace and freedom, and that the self arguing we see in canon in SG can be depicted as far more constructive criticism rather than destructive. I'm ultimately fascinated by the setup the Quintessons have between their faces, and how they're ultimately parts of a whole.

... now, you can fully argue that the majority of their species went through an event/attack like the Howlers' attack on the pemalites (though, unlike the pemalites, i believe the sg Quintessons would be only pushed to the brink of extinction rather than fully succumbing to it).

[bosbas]

Hi I just read you’re Colin and Benedict series and I just wanted to say how much I loved them both. I can’t wait to see what you write next. We need another chapter about Benedict and y/n children. Again: absolutely adore you’re writing 🌻🌼

Thank you so much my love!! And you are absolutely correct, I did need more of Benedict and y/n. here's a very quick lil drabble! I hope you enjoy <3 Also, they're using non-toxic paint which I am pretty sure is historically accurate lol. 

I find myself running home to your sweet nothings

series masterlist

pairing: benedict bridgerton x best friend!fem!reader WC: 1.6k words

Warnings: period-typical gender roles, alluding to sex, benedict and y/n having kids, benedict and y/n being very in love

March 14, 1824 – Y/I,

I apologize for not being there as you wake, but I have undertaken a special project with our children. We are not to be disturbed at all today if you can help it.

I asked Anthony to procure you the book you were so intent on finding, and he has, as is typical, been able to find it with relative ease. The book should be waiting for you downstairs at the breakfast table.

Yours,

B

You giggled, giddy as you read your husband’s note. Benedict had been away visiting with a French artist for a few weeks, and you had been left to take care of the children on your own (with the help of their governess, of course). And while you did love them dearly, caring for three small children left you little time to yourself.

After Ben had come home the previous night, he had promised you a surprise in the morning, and a day to yourself was truly one of the best things he could give you.

Sighing contentedly, you descended the stairs so you could begin reading in the gardens as soon as possible. As you passed Benedict's studio, you heard quite a commotion going on inside but decided against investigating. You had an entire day to yourself, after all. Might as well enjoy it.

---

After several hours of reading and only a few breaks in between, you decided that, no matter how much the quiet solitude was relaxing, you had simply missed your best friend too much to stay away. 

Knocking firmly on the studio door so that you could be heard above the noise, you eagerly awaited any indication of what your children had been doing with their father all morning and a better part of the afternoon. 

"Just a second!" called Benedict, and you heard bouts of giggling and rummaging. 

"How long is a second?" you asked after a few moments. 

Opening the door wide, Benedict smiled as he lay eyes on you. Sneaking a quick kiss on your lips and grabbing your waist as he led you into his studio, he said jokingly, "Impatient as ever, I see."

"Only for you," you smiled sweetly, pecking him on the cheek. 

Leaning down to whisper in your ear, Ben responded, "Oh, after last night, I'm quite certain I knew that already."

You gasped, scandalized, and hit Benedict on the arm. 

"Ben!" you chastised lowly, not amused in the slightest. "The children are here."

He only laughed at you.

"The children are quite busy, actually," he pointed out, nodding over to where your two daughters were helping their youngest brother smear paint on a canvas. 

"Is that what you've been doing all day?"

Benedict nodded proudly, scooping up your oldest into his arms while your other daughter remained focused on directing your youngest. 

"Do you want to tell Mama what you've done, Poppy?" he prompted.

"Papa says it's a masterpiece," she said smugly, pointing over Benedict's shoulder to a canvas that had what looked to be a big house surrounded by flowers. "It's our cottage!"

You gasped in delight, looking at all the different flowers she painted. "That certainly looks like our garden, doesn't it? And I do believe that is a poppy, just like your name" you commented, giving her a kiss on the top of her head. 

"And what have the rest of you done?" you asked your remaining children, who by now had collectively given up on Cedric's painting. 

"Cedric, of course, has created a more... abstract piece," said Benedict, looking thoughtful as he assessed the mess of colors in front of your son. 

Being only two years old, he certainly did not have any sort of artistic direction in terms of painting, but it seemed like he had a wonderful time nonetheless. 

You laughed at Ben's commentary but ultimately agreed that your son's artwork was wonderful. 

"Mine is the best," said your other daughter, Lily. "Look, Mama! Doesn't it look just like you?"

Holding up what could only be described as a giant jumble of lines and two barely discernible circles that could be construed as yes, Lily looked as proud as ever. 

You choked back a laugh, making eye contact with Benedict. "Is that me?" you asked your daughter, who was still positively beaming as she held up her painting.

"Yes! Papa has so many paintings of you in here I thought I might try to do one of my own. And look, I even drew a flower here," she said, pointing to an area you supposed was your hand. 

"Oh, I look lovely, don't I?" you commented, rather touched that your daughter had taken the time to paint you, no matter how unrecognizable you looked. "Thank you, darling," you said, placing a kiss atop her head, too. 

"It's got lots of potential," said Benedict thoughtfully. "Just some shading here and there, and it'll be good enough to go in the National Gallery."

You smiled sweetly at his mock seriousness, thoroughly enjoying seeing him in his element with your young children. You supposed that was what marriage was all about. Seeing bits and pieces of your husband in your children. And you couldn't be more thankful it had been Benedict that you ended up with. 

"Thank you," you whispered to him after he let Poppy go help Lily add some color to her painting. 

"I love you," he whispered in return, holding your hand gently and interlacing your fingers. 

---

Later that night, as you were applying all of the creams your lady's maid had insisted you apply before bed, you turned to look at Ben, who was already half asleep. 

"Are you coming to bed soon or am I going to have to carry you here myself," he grumbled. 

You laughed softly, shaking your head. "Who's impatient now?" you teased. 

"I swear I will do it," Ben answered sitting up and crossing his arms as he blinked the sleepiness away. 

You finished up and went over to his side of the bed, putting your arms around his neck as he placed his around your waist. You squealed as he used his hold to drag you into bed so you were lying down next to him, and he proceeded to run his fingers over your lips as he stared at you.  

"I barely slept while I was away. It just wasn't quite the same when I didn't have you in my arms. And besides, I had no one to talk to after every day of looking at wonderful art," Ben said softly, smiling as he looked you up and down. "I missed your face. It's quite a breathtaking one if I do say so myself."

"You might be a bit biased," you teased.

Then, after a beat, "I love you, you know," you said, kissing him softly. "Did the children tire you out today?"

Benedict shook his head, "They're quite remarkable. I do think Poppy will be your clone soon enough. She's far too clever for her own good."

Then, smiling mischievously, Ben said lowly, "And especially now that you're in bed with me I suddenly find myself with bounds of energy."

"I'm sure you do," you responded cheekily, fluttering your eyes shut as he leaned down to kiss you. 

As his lips moved against yours, you felt the same butterflies you had felt years earlier. It seemed they had made a permanent home in your stomach, and they only came to light when Ben did something like this. Three weeks away had been far too many, and you had found yourself missing his sturdy presence in your life. He was as much a part of who you were as you were yourself, and it was simply a gift to be able to live with your best friend since childhood.

"Did you miss me in France?" you said, pausing your kiss. 

You already knew the answer, but it was nice to hear him say it anyway. His letters to you while he had been away were simply not enough now that you knew what it was like to have him stroke your hair as you fell asleep or kiss your forehead in the mornings. Even as a child, you couldn't have imagined a marriage as wonderful as this one. 

"I almost went mad," he said, breathing heavily and nudging your legs open with his knee. "You are my very best friend, you know?" 

"And you are mine."

"I do not even know how I managed to breathe when you were so far away," he said sincerely, kissing your neck.

You gasped in delight, tugging on his hair. 

"It was quite lovely to get a bit of a break from you, actually," you teased.

This was, of course, a lie. You rather enjoyed having Benedict near you every night, talking for hours, and taking long walks on your grounds. But he didn't have to know that at this moment. You had certainly missed him, but he had to work to make up his absence.

"Oh, was it?" Ben taunted, looking down at you with half-open eyes. "I think I can change your mind on that particular matter."

You were positively giddy in anticipation of what was to come. "I'd love to see you try," you challenged.

"I'm certain you would," responded Benedict, a hand creeping up your leg as he bent down to kiss you once more. 

—

series masterlist || buy me a ko-fi!

[theshadytree123]

Here’s a little ramble on why I think the best Johannes Cabal books are the ones where Horst is also in them. Spoiler warning for basically the whole series.

Johannes Cabal by nature is a character who works fine by himself but is really only at his best when he has a partner.

Now, that isn’t to say he isn’t a good character on his own. He’s still plenty entertaining even if he’s doing evil deeds by himself. But his evil deeds and tetchy attitude tends to become a little one-note when he’s the only major player. Personally, this is exactly why the Fear Institute was my least favorite in the series. It was still good, but after a while I got used to Johannes’ general vibes and it started becoming less interesting after a bit. Honestly, by the middle of the book I was pretty bored. It wasn’t until near the end when everything started falling into place that my attention was recaptured.

He needs a foil, someone who is genuinely a friendly and nice person so that they can work off of each other. Having a good, moral person as a contrast makes both of their personalities shine.

Now in the series he has multiple different foils, but I will likely always like Horst the best. And it isn’t just because he’s my favorite character.

Leonie Barrow works fine as a contrast. She got the job done in The Detective, and she was pretty good at it. But she’s not the best. She just doesn’t have enough personal drama with Johannes. Sure, she’s has a past with Johannes (*cough* cough* circus *cough* *cough*), but it just never felt personal enough to me. She is someone who Johannes wronged, very badly in fact, but there’s frankly thousands who have been wronged just as badly or even worse than her.

Horst on the other hand is super personal. He’s practically the only family member who still talks to Johannes, and he was literally locked in a crypt by him for eight years, with nothing to do but sit with his own thoughts and be bored. This mix of bitterness because of what Johannes did to him, protectiveness because at the end of the day he’s still his little brother, righteous rage as Johannes continuously does horrible acts without a lick of remorse, and hope that maybe, just maybe, he can redeem himself and get better, is just so overwhelmingly entertaining and creates such a tense but at the same time loving dynamic.

My favorite example of this might be in the Brothers Cabal, which fun fact is my favorite book specifically for this scene. Throughout this book, Horst is very obviously conflicted about his relationship with Johannes. He is constantly in struggle between his righteous fury and… I wouldn’t call it regret per se, but it was certainly sadness over the general situation. He thinks he did the right thing, but at the same time, Johannes is his brother and he just doomed him to an eternity of suffering. Then there’s the added wrench of being told that Johannes has saved the world multiple times since Horst died, and now there’s this tiny flicker of hope that maybe Johannes can be redeemed.

And then, at the end of chapter ten, after Horst gets a bunch of dreams of what Johannes is up to in the Fear Institute, we get honestly what I consider to be the best lines in the entire series, “At 14:35, with the sun up and storming down rays of purifying light that pitter-pattered hopelessly upon the darkness, the vampire Horst Cabal awoke. He awoke in fear and mourning for a death too close, and with tears filling his eyes. He awoke with the name of his brother, Johannes, on his lips.” (Howard 121).

And this line is honestly what truly gave Horst the Best Character Award in my eyes. Because even after Johannes shoved him into a crypt for 8 years, and even after Horst tried to doom Johannes to eternal suffering, and even after all these two have done to hurt each other, at the end of the day, Johannes is still his little brother whom he loves very, very dearly, and if he’s in trouble and needs Horst’s help, Horst is going to try and save him.

[lovethistoomuch]

10 characters 10 fandoms

I was tagged by @birdkeeperklink thank you so much! I really had to think on these since, as per my url you can guess there are a lot. (sorry for the late reply. I got no excuse, really, except life continued to happen around me and deciding who to pick was really hard.)

in no particular order (though Loki is Number 1, I'm sorry everyone else), here we go:

1. Loki Odinson from MARVEL

I just love him so much I've written a 78K fix-it fantasy novel (not finished) to give him the happy ending he deserves. there is no other character I identify with harder than this one: a younger sibling full of rage, always feeling overshadowed by the older one, just wanting to prove their own worth and show the world that they are capable (i got over this a lot in recent years but my love for him still remains.)

Tom just plays him so perfectly and I am so heartbroken that the writers at MARVEL did not know what to do with him, so they killed him off (the Loki show doesn't count because that's not him okay.) he's always having a good time, he's snarky and clever and desperately needs a hug. how can you not love him?

2. Mr. Spock and Leonard (Bones) McCoy from Star Trek TOS

Yes, they are two people but I just couldn't choose between them!

The grumpy surgeon with a heart of gold an the emotionally suppressed but deeply loving vulcan live in my heart rent free ever since I was a child. Spock was my first crush ever and his complicated relationship with McCoy has always fascinated me. they are two incredibly complicated people and there isn't enough space here to describe why. writing them is just as much fun as watching them and I actually own the autographs of both Leonard and De.

3. James Wilson from House M.D.

he's a man of many contradictions: he is kind but also House's best friend, he loves people dearly but can also tell them to fuck off. he is confident and funny and he helps people without being a pushover. he loves all of his his wives but cheats at least once. he is a walking mystery which makes him a great friend for House and a nightmare to write. I just love him! also, that smile!

4. Castiel from Supernatural

Cas is the character, truly! he can go from nerdy to badass in the blink of an eye. a cosmic being that plays dress up just to make one human smile, who should be nothing but an ant to him. he fiercely protects the people he loves and always tries to do the right thing. the character that inserted himself into the story against the writer's will and changed the narrative for ever. when he came on the show, I hated his guts. and look at me now...

5. Zuko from Avatar the last Aribender

you simply cannot talk about redemption arcs without mentioning Zuko at some point. an exceptional character amongst a cast of exceptional characters. I once joked that 90% of his lines were just him screaming but that poor boy has so much rage inside him, and with all that trauma, can you really blame him? he is the epitome of character growth and a fascinating example of how the villain can become a hero without taking any shortcuts.

6. Stephen Maturin from the Aubrey-Maturin series

if you read the books, you'll know why. this fucking lunatic is so oblivious to his own eccentricities that you just have to love him. nobody does it quite like him to be honest. no, Stephen, people will not think you're eccentric because you practice sword fighting on deck, however they might think that because you let loose 1000 bees on the ship and run around naked. he has no sense for proper etiquette and i love him so much for it. also, he get's on a ship without being able to swim and performs open brain surgery on deck. he is incredibly skilled and the best damn doctor in the entire fleet. also, his dynamic with his best friend/captain is one of the best friendships I've ever seen/read.

7. Scrooge McDuck

this might be an unusual choice but i grew up reading comics and at one point in my life i figured out that all of my favourite stories were writen and drawn by the legendary Don Rosa, who in his book "the life and times of Scrooge McDuck" created one of the most fascinating and fun to watch characters i've ever seen. starting from humble beginnings and rising to the top through his percevierence, fearlessness and ingenuity, inevitably losing everything he loved and ending up alone, only to be found by his family again, his story is one of my absolute favourites in literature. i know that due the never ending nature of comic books, he can never truly get his happy ending but I really wished he could.

8. Keeley Jones from Ted Lasso

I don't think I've ever seen a woman like her in any media to be honest. she is so clearly feminine and embodies all the traits of a woman that would normally be depicted as bitchy, toxic and self obsessed but she is just none of those things. she is a girly woman who loves pink and cries and she is just so human and lovely and i love her so much for it! her friendship with Rebecca is also so amazing and feels very real and true to what friendships between woman are actually like. I just love her as a beacon of healthy femininity and can only hope that there will be more characters like her in the future!

9. Kim Kitsuragi from Disco Elysium

the voice, the looks, the everything! the moment I met him I knew I wanted him to be my best friend for ever! his deadpan delivery combined with his dorkyness and his shere competence had me on the floor on multiple occasions. I have not finished the game yet but I have never had a companion this incredible in any video game ever! I could listen to him read the phone book for hours. when he went "daba doop doop dead" I died. also him jumping in when I fail a check has to be the most badass thing ever. I love you, Kim. please be proud of me. (also, I know he probably has a darker side to him that I am not seeing right now because I am always choosing the nice options but hey, the best characters are the complicated ones.)

10. Cole Turner from Charmed

this show was so much better when he was in it! the half demon who crosses over to the good side without ever really changing his ways. he burns someone alive and laughs about it, drags a detective to hell and doesn't give a shit about civilians. even when he is completely human his solution to assholes is to punch them in the face. he loves power and controling others and looking good while doing it. I know him beind "good" was a whole thing on the show but to me the most fun about him was that he continued being evil but was now using his powers to help the good guys. show me another character that got redeemed into the hero team without losing his evil edge. Cole was just so much fun to watch but unfortunately his character got totally buthcered by bad writing.

No pressure of doing this but tagging:

@catzy88, @uponxhorhaus, @accrov

[yali-scribbles]

Well, here we are, my friends- less than 24 hours away from the end of The Owl House🦉🏠

I really wish I could finish my portrait series before the finale and I still 100% intend on doing so eventually, but for now, I’m proud to be adding Luz to the squad💜

This show truly means a lot to me. I’ve always been one to get deeply invested in the stories I love, but only a rare few have resonated with me like this. This story about a strong, nerdy, little girl reminds me so much of myself when I was Luz’s age. 14 y.o book-reading, fanart-drawing, owl-collecting me would have LOVED this series, and so does 22 y.o me, haha!

I’ve met so many incredible friends thanks to this show (y’all know who you are💕) that I just KNOW I’m going to stay friends with even long after the finale.

This show was my first ever cosplay, the first piece of fanart I’ve ever sold. I feel like I’ve already rambled about The Owl House to almost everyone I know, including at my acceptance interview for my dream animation school (which I got into, hurray!🎉) I truly hope that my own art can reach people like this one day. This is Exactly the type of show I’ve been dreaming of working on my entire life.

It has made me laugh and cry and cheer and draw and write and it still does to this very day.

I’m going to miss it dearly, but I’m so genuinely grateful to have been invited on this journey in the first place.

To Dana Terrace, the cast, crew and the fandom, thank you for everything. I promise to carry it forward.

After all, us weirdos have to stick together,

don’t we?❤️

[sanjuwrites]

hello on this day of nice asks i would like to ask about the love of my life aishwarya. how did you come up with her, misc trivia (what’s her favorite ice cream flavor, what dish is her absolute weakness, what kinds of books does she love) things you’re going to include in the series and things you’re not i want to know everything pls

oh my god i could go on for ages about her, i love aishu to pieces. i have an entire "aishu begins" style fic in the works, but i am happy to feed you until i finish that one (which wont be for a while lmao)

okay aishwarya rajesh is a heavy combination of people i know in my life, and some of my own personality traits thrown in there. there's a lot to be said about the lack of queer poc/brown women in hollywood, and that was definitely a driving factor of in the creation of her character. she was originally someone i would just write these little scenarios about in the margins of my notebook, going as far back as my freshman year of high school with a couple of other OCs.

ironically, i've always had the same face claim and profession for aish - anupama parameswaran (who is absolutely stunning btw) and paramedic. She evolved as I did, fleshing out into a fully fleshed character over the years.

when i restarted lone star and started engaging in the fandom, i realized that this was a safe space for this character i had shaped into someone i loved so dearly.

anyway enough about how i created her <3

favorite ice cream flavor: has to be haagen-dazs coffee-chip or talenti's chocolate peanut butter cup gelato. she's literally obsessed with chocolate and peanut butter, it's a sureshot way of getting you to forgive her.

favorite dish: aloo paratha, oh my god it's pani puri. whenever tk and carlos did something really stupid, they'd go begging Aparna to help them make aloo paratha so she'd forgive them. once carlos started picking up cooking, carlos started making it himself, picking up so many other recipes. it's a bonding thing for the trio now, where they all go to one of the three houses and make one of aparna's recipes. they absolutely carry this into their adult life, and it's one of aishwarya's favorite traditions that was carried from their childhood.

books she loves: crime thrillers. she's obsessed with them, she thinks there's so goddamn interesting, and she will make carlos read them with her and send him her insane theories (she's right almost 95% percent of the time and it drives carlos nuts) (he doesn't know she reads ahead and actually knows how it ends, and she just likes his reaction) (tk does know this and watches the chaos unfold with his cider every. single. time.)

okay so i've alluded to an aish/iris relationship before, but never really discussed anything, buuuut aish's got an ex-boyfriend, rahul. thye broke up on good terms because rahul realized aish was in love with iris but wasn't ready to confront it yet. they stayed friends and i have not decided yet, but i think they hooked up on and off throughout college, after which iris and aish reconnect again romantically (they do repair their friendship, but they both wanted more)

i'm cutting myself off, because i could tak about her for hours and still have more to share. she's so special to me.

send me more asks about her, please. i love talking about her.

[witchesoz]

The Nome King: Tik-Tok of Oz

The Nome King makes his third apparition in the book “Tik-Tok of Oz”, the eighth of the Oz series. This novel is quite particular because it has a… complicated history. Remember “Ozma of Oz”, the third Oz book? It was published in 1907. Immediately, Baum wanted to adapt it into a musical play – he had done this with both of the first Oz books, and it had always been a great success. And so appeared the third Oz musical – however, this play, called “The Tik-Tok Man of Oz” and published in 1913, was actually a very loose adaptation of the book, mixing up elements of another short story he wrote called “Tik-Tok and the Nome King”. And when I say loose, I mean that there was no Ev, Ozma is now the queen of a “Rose Kingdom”, Tik-Tok is now from Oz…

Anyway, the novel “Tik-Tok of Oz” was published in 1914, and is actually a reinterpretation/remake of the musical play, whose plot was taken back and then extended. As a result you could say it is a remake of a remake of “Ozma of Oz”. And this explains why this book can feel… quite strange.

Now, the novel follows a bunch of people who find themselves outside of Oz, exploring the wild territories of the outer continent. Ann Soforth, the queen of the small kingdom of Oogaboo, who wanted with her army to conquer Oz but was sent out of the country by Ozma’s magic ; Betsy Bobbin and her pet mule Hank sent to the Ozian continent by a sea storm (yeah, she was basically here to replace Dorothy) ; and the Shaggy Man. And it is with the latter that the Nome King’s part begins. The Shaggy Man had already been introduced a few books prior.

This time, the Shaggy Man explains that he went out of Oz to find his missing brother – he just learned through Glinda’s Book of Records that his brother has been lost for ten years. He was a miner, a gold digger more precisely, living in Colorado (which is the Shaggy Man’s original state), and one day he disappeared entirely as he went deep into a mine – the Shaggy Man is convinced that the Nome King took him away. [Note here that Baum decided to extent the Nome King’s reign to ALL of the underground, including the underground under Earth/the United-States. Which enters into contradiction with Ozma of Oz, where it was specified even Nome magic couldn’t work in non-fairy lands.] The Shaggy Man also gives an… interesting description of the Nome King, similar but different: basically Baum did a reboot here. The Nome King is not called Roquat anymore, but now he is Ruggedo the Metal Monarch, a being believing he owns all the metals hidden in the earth. He probably took the Shaggy Man’s brother away because he was a gold digger, and Ruggedo explodes in rage whenever he learns someone took his precious gold. Now, the Shaggy Man is searching for the “hidden passage” leading to the “underground kingdom of the Metal Monarch”. Shaggy (I’m going to call him Shaggy, no confusion with Scooby-Doo) plans on using his “Love Magnet” to charm the Nome King into accepting his demand (the Love Magnet is an item which forces those who see it to “love dearly” its wielder. Long story.)

Later, the group meets Polychrome, the Daughter of the Rainbow, who fell (once more) to Earth because she was not careful. She warns the group that they will need help if they take on Ruggedo, because the Metal Monarch has been “trouble” for a lot of people before, be them mortal or fairies – though she explains that she doesn’t him personally since the Rainbow cannot enter his underground caverns. She doesn’t know where the entrance to his realm is, but she also says that she is certainly not afraid of him because “no one can harm a Daughter of a Rainbow”, whatever that means.

Even later, the group of Shaggy-Betsy-Polychrome meet Ann Soforth, her army, TIk-Tok and basically the rest of the cast. The Shaggy Man tells Ann of the riches of the Nome King – saying he owns all the metals under the earth, be them gold, silver, copper, brass or tin. So, according to Shaggy, he legitimately owns everything under the Earth – but the Nome King’s greed and folly is to believe he also owns all metals located above the earth, by claiming that since they originated from his kingdom, they are all his. As a result, Ann and her army decide to invade the Nome kingdom instead of Oz, to gain all the riches in the world. They ultimately discover the way to his realm by having the Rose Princess (a rose humanoid, and a cousin of Ozma, long story) ask a few flowers on the way. It leads them to a range of low mountains and rugged hills – the entrance to the Nome realm.

Now, we finally get to see back our favorite villain.

While his palace is, like previous books, a set of caverns and grottos carved under the mountains and with glittering jewels on the walls and ceiling, now instead of a throne of stone, the King has a throne of solid gold, and dresses in “splendid robes” while wearing a crown “cut from a single blood-red ruby”. Now, you might have doubted the fact that this King is the same as the previous one – indeed, they wear different names (Roquat VS Ruggedo), the last time we saw Roquat his mind had been erased by the Waters of Oblivion, and even the title here is different (“Monarch of all the Metals and Precious Stones of the Underground”). But his description makes clear that they are supposed to be the same character: a round little man with flowing white beard, a red face and bright eyes, as well as a scowl covering all of his forehead. Despite his jolly appearance and enormous wealth he is unhappy – because humans and mortals dug deep into the earth and stole from him his metals and jewels (and it is mentioned that Ruggedo and the Nomes have apparently no power on the surface of the Earth, since as soon as the metals as above the ground they can’t recover them – which contradicts their plan to attack Oz in previous books but anyway). It is also mentioned that he hates all fairies living on or above the earth – for not apparent reason.

Like in “The Emerald City of Oz”, the Nome King invokes his servants by hitting on a heavy and very loud gong. Kaliko is still here, though now he is the “High Chamberlain” of the King. Ruggedo invokes Kaliko because he feels in his bones that mortals are closing near to his kingdom – he apparently can always feel it when “earth-crawlers” get near his kingdom. Kaliko uses a magic spyglass to confirm that – it is basically like a submarine spyglass, a tube that goes through the earth and ends up at the side of one of the mountains. When hearing the description of the visitors, the Nome King is not afraid (even mentioning the other day he threw Tik-Tok down a well). He gets scared upon hearing there are little girls, but since they are not Dorothy nor Ozma he is relaxed. He is however quite surprised upon hearing Polychrome is among them (it is mentioned no Nome can harm her), and he ends up concluding it is not a peaceful errand (though he also admits that nobody ever comes to his kingdom on a peaceful errand, since he hates everybody and everybody hates him).

Now, to repel them, the Nome King uses one of his defense tactics: the Rubber Country. Apparently, when you take this precise stretch of road they are in, before reaching the mountains you cross a dull gray landscape with a soft and springy road. There, everything, from the rocks to the trees, is actually made of rubber, and when the Nomes activate “magnetic rubber wires”, the rubber starts to stretch and bounce, going up and down, throwing the visitors in all sorts of directions. That might remind you of something… That’s right. The Emerald City of Oz: the “Ripple Land” Gruph had to cross. This is the exact same thing, that Baum simply re-used under a different name and in different conditions. The only way to cross safely is to avoid the road and the rocks – in fact you have to walk in the stream of water that crosses the country. A water… that is dry water. Yep, it exists in Oz – basically when you walk in this water it doesn’t soak you up in anyway. Don’t ask me how it works precisely.

The Nome King, angry at his obstacle being defeated, walks around his throne room, kicks Kaliko in the shins, keep walking around, and ultimately decides to throw the visitors down the “Hollow Tube”. Kaliko warns him: last time he did that, the Tititi-Hoochoo whose powers are great threatened with retaliation, but the Nome King doesn’t care. Kaliko ultimately convinces the King to at least consider things – of the two imminent threats, better to choose the lesser, and apparently whatever is at the end of the Tube is very dangerous. So Ruggedo calls “the Long-Eared Hearer”, a Nome with enormous hear who can listen to what the travelers are saying above ground while staying near the Nome King. Upon hearing that the Shaggy Man wants his brother, the Nome King is more than happy – the brother is called the “Ugly One”, and he is “too lazy to work” and always getting in the Nome King’s way (apparently, Ruggedo doesn’t turn people into ornaments like Roquat and keeps literal slaves). The Ugly One is currently in the “Metal Forest”, an underground forest the Nome King created out of gold and silver “to keep the precious metals out of reach of mortals”. In fact he hid it so well half of the time he can’t even find it back in his dominions. However, the Hearer also hears that the Oogaboo people want to take the King’s riches – and there he becomes mad with rage. He dances around, bellowing, clicking his teeth, rolling his eyes, swinging his arms. He twists horribly the Hearer’s ears, so furious Kaliko has to use the King’s scepter to hit him on the knuckles – but this only turns his rage towards the Chamberlain, which he starts chasing around. When finally the King calmed down, he decides to throw the invaders down the Hollow Tube, no matter what – and asks his Chief Magician, to twist the path of the invaders so that it ends up on the Hollow Tube, and to turn invisible the tip of the Tube so they can fall in it [an interesting addition, since in previous books without the Belt the Nomes had no magic]. As this is done, Kaliko thinks to himself that he better begins to search out for a new job, because when the Tititi-Hoochoo will learn of that, the Nome King is sure to be no more.

To put it simply, because it would be too long to explain in details: the Hollow Tube is a tube that crosses over the entire planet. It starts at one end in the Dominions of the Nome King, and on the other it ends in an unnamed land at the other side of the world. The Hollow Tube was built “in the year of the world 19625478 by a Magician named Hiergargo. He lived on the unnamed land at the other side of the world, and was a great traveler who explored the planet, so he built the Hollow Tube as a shortcut to go from one side of the world to another (the tube is not a straight one, but forming an angle, so that, thanks to the gravity, the people don’t truly fall in the Tube but merely slide in it). However, you have to be careful with the sliding – indeed you might end up like poor Hiergargo, who went down the Tube too fast and was shot out of it so strongly he went to the sky and was thrown on a star, which exploded on the impact and that was the end of him.

The realm at the other side of the Tube is one of the “Fairylands”. In fact it is literally a Fairyland: it is inhabited by fairies. Each inhabitant of the this realm is a fairy who rules over a specific aspect of the human world – literally ruling. Each fairy has the title of “queen” or “king” of something and wears a crown alongside a tunic with a dragon’s head on it. For example, our heroes spend the night there are the palace of Erma, the Queen of Light, who rules over light in the mortal world with the help of her six servants: Sunlight, Moonlight, Starlight, Daylight, Firelight and Electra (the spirit of electricity). In a similar way, upon arriving the group meets Tubekins, who is the King of the Tube (as in his task is to watch and take care of the end of the Tube arriving here). All the inhabitants here are described as tall and beautiful people with large blue eyes, white perfect teeth, bushy and curly black hair ; as well as a multicolored skin (yellow on one arm, vivid green on the other, a leg blue, another pink, and jet-black feet). In fact they are said to look so much alike it is difficult to differentiate them. The only one truly different is their leader – Tititi-Hoochoo, also known as the “Great Jinjin”. Though his exact position is actually… Private Citizen. Because you see, in a kingdom where regular citizens are kings and queens, the leader is bound to be a citizen. While the other wear scarlet tunics, he wears a white robe, with the same dragon emblem ; he doesn’t have a crown or blue eyes, but his eyes are deep-black, with pupils like “sparks of red fire”. The Great Jinjin does not rule over any part of the world, he merely rules over his fellow fairies, and he is said to have the most power out of them all. He has no heart, and thus can feel no emotions, but he is said to have a “high degree of reason” and to be “full of justice” – while he is merciless, he never punishes without a good reason. [People suggest that Baum inspired himself of Hiti-Hiti, an 18th century king of Tahiti]

Now the thing is that the Great Jinjin got tired of people using the Tube to basically throw stuff away, or to come visit his reclusive and powerful kingdom, so he put up a law: anyone who reaches his realm by willingly using the Tube should be tortured for nine days and ten nights before being sent back up the Tube. And he plans to do so to the poor travelers, until they prove that Ruggedo threw them down the Tube and that they did not want to come here. The Great Jinjin then forgives them, promises them to help return home, and vows vengeance upon the Nome King – it isn’t the first time Ruggedo threw people down the Tube, but the other time the Great Jinjin warned him of dire consequences. And so, Tititi-Hoochoo unleashes his Instrument of Vengeance upon the Nome Kingdom: Quox. Quox is a “young” dragon (only 355 years old), very large, with sharp teeth, a light-blue body with silver scales the size of serving trays, eyes so big it takes him a long time to blink, wide nostrils, a brimstone-smelling breath, a gruff but no unpleasant voice… oh yes and an electric light attached to the end of his tail. Quox is actually a friendly young creature. If he was made the “Instrument of Vengeance” of the Great Jinjin, it was only as a punishment for his recklessness. You see, in this realm lives the “Original Dragon”, who is not just the ancestor of all dragons in the world, but also the first creature that was ever created in the world, and thus the oldest living being of the universe. He is extremely wise, and remembers everything that ever happened since the beginning of times – but Quox insulted him by calling him a senile old dragon, and thus he was forced into basically the equivalent of community service.

The Great Jinjin sends Quox up the Tube, with on its back, strapped to chairs, our protagonists

When the dragon goes out of the Tube, the Nome army is here, hundreds of Nomes led by General Guph (strange, in previous books they were thousands…). The nomes throw their spears, that merely bounce over the dragon’s scale (though, being magic spears, they return to the hands of the nomes).

The protagonist enter the Nome King’s kingdom – and Ruggedo manages to trap Ann and her army of Oogaboo in a secret pit, laid as a trap before the entrance of his throne room. However, others such as Tik-Tok or Betsy Bobbins, don’t fall in the trap. And the Nome King is particularly impressed by how Betsy is not afraid of him and merely asks to eat something – it has been noted in previous books that the best way to impress the Nome King was to not be scared of him. All might be wall, until Betsy asks for an egg sandwich. The nomes, hearing egg, try to capture the girl to lock her in the “Slimy Cave”, but Hank the Mule basically saves her by kicking everyone.

In the confusion, Betsy escapes thanks to Kaliko, the chamberlain, who turns out to be an “honest and good-natured” Nome. He puts Betsy in a secret room, and gives her the key, telling her to not open until she hears three raps on the door. He also gives her Nome food: broiled mushrooms, a loaf of mineral bread, and petroleum-butter. Betsy can eat all of it, and it is quite good – except the petroleum butter, which is inedible for humans.

Note that during this time the Shaggy Man, Polychrome, Quox and the Rose Princess are all waiting outside. Only Ann, her army, Betsy/Hank and Tik-Tok entered. They talk of the Love Magnet, and the Hearer hears this. Despite not liking the Nome King, especially since he likes to twist his ears, he still recognizes him as his master and tells him about it. This news horrifies Ruggedo: he abhors love and is very proud of his hatred. In fact, he says that he would rather lose his wealth and throne than to have his hate turned into love by a magic amulet. The group outside of the grotto decides to enter, to see what became of their friends, but the Nomes attack and tie Shaggy in ropes so that he cannot use the Magnet. Polychrome manages to flee outside and tries to warn Quox to act… but Quox is sound asleep, and waking a dragon is a VERY difficult thing to do, not even hitting him with rocks is enough. Desperate, Polychrome enters the Nome palace herself, and finds Ruggedo with around him all his prisoners. And there…

Something strange happens. Ruggedo feels love. For Polychrome. He does not hate her, but finds her beautiful and lovable. So he offers her to become his Queen – though actually it is not love that moves him, but just her beauty. You see, when she is here, all the jewels of the palace glitter with new shades and colors, and that’s what the King truly loves. He offers Polychrome to release all her friends – if she agrees to live with him forever as his “daughter or wife or aunt of grandmother – whichever you like”. (PedoBear theme song, return!) Polychrome does not want to leave her friends, but she refuses to stay with Ruggedo under the earth. So at first the Nomes (Guph and Ruggedo) try to capture her by force, but since she keeps flying and eluding them, the Nome King calls his “executioners” to have “fun”. Here come evil-looking Nomes with great golden pincers, prods of silver, and various clamps and chains of precious metals incrusted with diamonds and rubies. Their leader is named Pang. The Nome King plans to melt Tik-Tok in their gold crucible (and when Kaliko tries to save the creature by saying how an interesting machine it is, Ruggedo threatens to throw Kaliko in the furnace with him). Ruggedo also turns the Shaggy Man into a dove [Now that’s even more curious, since previous books stated the Nome King had no magic without the belt] by waving his hands, palm downwards, in seven semi-circles while reciting “Adi, edi, idi, odi, udi, oo-i-oo! Idu, ido, idi, ide, ida, woo!”. Polychrome, horrified, flees, and returns to the sleeping Quox, who she ends up waking up by hitting him with a pearl locket of hers.  

Quox decides to attack the Nome King, by slipping his body into the entrance/tunnel of the palace, his head appearing in the throne room – but the Nome King was actually ready for this, and manages to tie a heavy iron chain held by hundreds of Nomes around the Dragon’s head, preventing him from loving. Satisfied, Ruggedo turns the Rose Princess in a fiddle, and plans to turn Quox into a chameleon. Quox answers calmly that Ruggedo will not – and when asked why, he asks “Do you see this ribbon around my neck?” The King says that yes, he sees it, and it is quite ridiculous on a dragon. Quox asks “Do you really, truly see it?”. Ruggedo annoyed, answers again that yes, he sees it perfectly well. “Then you are as helpless as a clam.” Quox explains. Indeed, the ribbon has been enchanted by the Great Jinjin so that when Ruggedo sees it, he will lose all his knowledge of magic and forget all the magic formula he ever performed. Ruggedo is sad to find out it is true, but still says he has “fire and the sword” and is still King of the Underground – to which Quox explains that the vengeance of the Great Jinjin is not done. Tititi-Hoochoo condemns, through Quox, Ruggedo to be exiled from his kingdom and live at the surface of the earth, where he will wander forever without any friend or follower, without any home or country, and with no more riches than what he can put in his pocket. Though the Great Jinjin is merciful, and allows the King to fill his pockets with jewels and gold before leaving. The Nome King of course says he refuses to listen to this nonsense, and will be King of the Nomes until the end of times.

That’s when Quox smiles (a cold, cruel, terrifying smile) and a locket around his neck opens – letting a dozen of enchanted eggs out. The Nomes are so terrified at their sight they leave the throne room, and slam its door in their King’s face. The King ends up climbing on his throne to escape the eggs, but they roll towards him, and then defy gravity to roll upward alongside the throne. He keeps escaping them by running and jumping around the room, throwing at them his ruby crown, his golden scandals and his scepter, but they are unbreakable. He ultimately rans out of his palace, by squeezing himself alongside Quox’s body, and once outside realize that the curse of the Jinjin took effect – he was banished. Before, he could have used his magic to make the eggs non-poisonous to Nomes (he knows a charm of nine passes and six verses), but now he is powerless. The eggs now guard the entrance of the Nome Kingdom, barring it and preventing the King from entering. Ruggedo was now cursed to be an eternal wanderer.

Now with Ruggedo gone, the pink ribbon that stripped the King of his powers is used to reverse the transformations inflicted upon the heroes, and Quox officially names Kaliko the new Metal Monarch. Kaliko is happy, and so are the Nomes, because they like him better than Ruggedo. When the Shaggy Man asks for his brother, Kaliko explains he begged Ruggedo to let him go but the stubborn King always refused – and Kaliko also proposed the Ugly One to escape, but he refused. They describe again the Metal Forest, located in the largest Nome dominion (The Great Domed Cavern) – being in the forest is like being outdoor except trees are made of gold and silver, and the floor is covered in precious stones. Ruggedo made three secrets ways to access the Forest, but he changed those ways every week, so that no one could go there without his permission. The Shaggy Man is not sure why the Nomes call his brother The Ugly One, in fact he says he actually can’t remember what he looks like at all since they haven’t seen each other in a very long time. Anyway, the heroes and nome start to search the Metal Forest.

But Ruggedo is also nearby, and he also remembers the secret ways to the Metal Forest, that only he knows and that is certainly not guarded by eggs. He opens a secret stone-door in the mountains to enter in his underground world, but Polychrome sees him. So the heroes find the Metal Forest, where the Ugly One has been living for two or three years, feeding of some real fruit-bearing trees hidden behind the fake ones. They also find there Ruggedo, who is arrested. He claims he just came to fill his pockets, as the Great Jinjin promised, and so he is allowed to do that before being escorted out – and the former King fills all of his pockets with so much gems he ends up barely able to walk on his own and needs to be carried out. As for the Ugly One he is found in a small hut he built himself out of twigs and golden branches,  however he refuses to go out of it or be rescued. He explains that when he was captured he was very handsome (the Shaggy Man explains he cannot remember if he was, since he left home at a young age, but their mother clearly said his brother was the prettiest of the two), but the cruel Ruggedo enchanted him, turning him into a man so ugly he terrifies himself when looking in a mirror. At first, Ruggedo had the Ugly One parade in front of his Nomes for him to be publicly mocked and humiliated, but since it distracted the Nomes from their job, Ruggedo locked him up in the Metal Forest. The Ugly One only agrees to come out and join his brother out of the Nome realm by wearing a mask hiding his face – and Kaliko explains that sadly he can’t break the enchantment because Ruggedo was “fond of magic” enough to learn all sorts of enchantments that the regular nomes know nothing of.

The Ugly One points out that the real trees in the Metal Forest are most curious. There is a tree with “three-course nuts”, basically coconuts, but divided in three: the upper part contains soup, the middle part meat, potatoes, vegetables and salad, the last part a dessert, either pie, cake or cheese, when not crackers, nuts or raisins. Other are “Breakfast Nuts” which are like the previous ones, but with coffee in the upper part, oatmeal in the middle and fruits at the bottom.

As they are leaving the Cavern, they see a trail of jewels, leading to Ruggedo, who actually still isn’t out of the Dominions. The weight of all he took was so heavy he walked at the speed of a slug – and anyway his pockets burst, resulting in the trail of gems he left behind him. Now Ruggedo is said to be “humble” and “meek”, having lose all ferocity and cruelty, and he sadly explains that he cannot revert the spell of the Ugly One, since his mind got erased of all magic – even though every charm has its antidote. However, after being asked several times, he vaguely remember that a kiss can break the spell, though he does not remember if it is the kiss of a mortal maid or a fairy or even a mortal maid who was once a fairy. So the three ladies of the group try: first Betsy, the Mortal Maid, then the Rose Princess, Mortal Maid and former Fairy, and finally Polychrome, the Fairy. It is the last that break the spell. Though Shaggy and the others are a bit disappointed to find that his real face isn’t immensely beautiful, though Betsy finds him good-looking (and there was previously hints that the Ugly One was simply extremely vain and blowing his beauty out of proportions). But Kaliko assures them that, compared to what he once was, the Ugly One is now magnificient.

Ultimately, strangely, Ruggedo is now a sad and sorry creature, even crying when Betsy shows him kindness. Betsy pleads with Kaliko about how Ruggedo is now harmless and they shouldn’t be hard on him, so Kaliko decides to let Ruggedo stay in the Nome palace as long as he likes – but if he ever misbehaves, he will be driven out in the wilderness to wander forever as the Great Jinjin said.

And so our heroes leave a now peaceful and benevolent Nome King with a reformed and humble Ruggedo.

… as you can guess, it won’t last.

And no, it is never explained why Roquat became Ruggedo or how Roquat/Ruggedo regained his memory after it being wiped by the Water of Oblivion – especially since all the other evil spirits tribes are never mentioned again.

- - - - -

It is quite fascinating to see that Tik-Tok of Oz was released the same year World War I began... A book about peace being settled with an old enemy, coinciding with the beginning of one of the most dreadful and terrifying conflicts of human history. What an irony.

[readjthompson]

Well, since my novelette Cancel Toby Chalmers! (copyright me, now) has been sitting around, completed, for nearly 16 months, I’ve decided to share it for free, until it’s later released as part of a Toby Chalmers collection.

Here's Chapter 10.

Chapter 10

“Wow, they actually did it,” Toby announced to a hypothetical audience, alternating between primal rage catalepsy and giggly nihilism. He closed his laptop to avoid smashing it, then massaged his temples, blinking frantically. He clamped his jaw shut to stifle his screams.

All of his books’ Amazon listings were gone, as was his Author Page. So, too, had every trace of his fiction been expunged from Goodreads. Google searches turned up no literature, neither synopses nor cover art. Years upon years of honing his fiction yielded no evidence whatsoever online.

Toby had purchased author copies of his own titles before the great erasure, however: a hundred of each book, stored in boxes in his garage. Attempting to list them on eBay, he’d found his account deactivated. He’d left a copy of each in his local Little Free Library bookcase, and planned to do so again, probably. Otherwise, he wasn’t sure what to do with ’em. Would door-to-door selling gain me sales or bullet wounds? he wondered.

After composing himself slightly, feeling half-spectral, he reopened his laptop, to search for traces of his existence on social media. There, too, all evidence of his books and references to him as an author had vanished. Posts and replies branding him a racist remained, though, along with screenshots of his drunken meditation on blackness.

Joseph McCarthy Jr.’s call to action post had been edited, with every mention of Toby removed. Lest Toby feel entirely neglected, however, Joe had crafted a brand-new post in his honor, released to the masses just a few minutes prior. And, boy, was it a doozy.

Toby saw his own photo staring back at him—a squinting, smirking portrait that he’d always hoped conveyed wit, but feared imparted the opposite impression—the one he’d been using as his author photo for the last couple of years. Aside it was a second photo, its subject a strangely hirsute grade-schooler that Toby had never seen before. Beneath them, it read:

AN UNCLE’S ORISON

Oh, my wonderful, diverse social justice superstars, my much-valued supporters in horror fiction renovation, my Rocks of Gibraltar in the tempest, my radiance in the howling void, I beg of you, right now, wherever you are and whatever you’re doing, please, please, please attend my plea.

After the opioid epidemic seized ahold of my sister Clementine, after she let horses sodomize her for bindles of heroin and became famous on the internet, after she overdosed in the carwash with nary a vehicle in sight, she made the courageous choice to check herself into rehab. The good gal’s been an addiction center patient for just over two months now, showing extraordinary progress, and I couldn’t be prouder of her.

Clementine has a tremendous heart and I love her dearly. So, naturally, I volunteered to take care of her son while she gets the treatment she needs. I’ve paid for his food out of my very own pocket, introduced him to some of my favorite horror films (Jordan Peele’s first, natch!), and ensured that he kept up with his schooling. Overall, Shadrach’s a great child—smart as a whip and nearly as handsome as his dear old uncle is—but he’s had some, let’s say, moral deficiencies that I’ve been helping him overcome.

As much as it shames me to admit it, the boy’s shown evidence of insensitivity to the black cause. I caught him laughing at an African American that he saw on TV, as if that individual was less human than those of other races.

Well, you know that Joseph McCarthy Jr. won’t permit bigotry in his radius, especially when it’s coming from his own family! Immediately, I devised a series of role-playing exercises to make poor, misguided Shadrach sympathize with black folks and their culture. The boy was showing great progress; congratulations were forthcoming. Then infamous racist Toby Chalmers came along and spoiled everything.

I don’t know how they first communicated—some sort of clandestine message board, I’m assuming—but one night, a fully grown fellow showed up on my doorstep, asking for Shadrach by name. The boy’s just eight years old. No way would I let him near a cisgender, racially challenged, straight man I don’t know.

“Who are you?” I asked.

“Toby Chalmers,” the man answered.

“That evil fellow from social media who thinks that blacks are worth less than dirt?”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” Toby then declared. “Don’t you know that those coal-coated animals will never accept you, that they’ll rob and rape you any chance that they get?”

“Lies!” I shouted. “Black is beautiful! It is! Stay the heck away from my nephew or I’ll call the police!”

Silly me, I assumed that Toby Chalmers possessed enough intelligence to realize that I’m not a man to be trifled with, that I have pal-o-roonies all over the planet, linked by a love of horror fiction more powerful than religion. Your strength is my strength; my strength is yours.

But then I began sighting Toby Chalmers when Shadrach and I were out in public—lurking in a parking lot’s periphery, seated behind us at the movie theater, even browsing at the comic shop. As I couldn’t prove that he was stalking us yet, I tried to photograph him with my cellphone, but the man kept hiding behind his hands every time I snapped a picture. Clearly, he was planning something terrible.

My worst fears were confirmed just a few nights ago. Shadrach and I had spent the entire day together, shopping and singing, dancing and gaming, grubbing and gabbing, as close relatives do. After an invigorating supper of lobster ravioli, I left the boy to his own devices while I attended to some Transylvoria correspondence. There are many exciting things in the pipeline, believe you me (OMG, OMG, OMG, one of my favorite movie stars is thinking about writing a monthly column for us! Keep those fingers crossed, fam).

A couple of hours later, with my evening’s editorial duties behind me, I looked at the clock and realized that it was my nephew’s bedtime. Naturally, a nurturing fellow such as myself would rather die than miss an opportunity to tuck that boy into bed. My heart was so full of love; indeed, I couldn’t stop smiling.

That lip curl upended itself when my door knocking went unanswered. Entering the guestroom that I’d donated to Shadrach for the duration of his stay, I found him absent. Most of his clothes were gone. The screen was missing from the window frame.

Indeed, it seems that evil Toby Chalmers has abducted poor Shadrach, undoubtedly to indoctrinate him further in Toby’s black-hating ways. I’ve already contacted the police, but I need the help of all of you good people, too. Spread these photos and this story all across social media, so that if either of the two shows their face anywhere, the authorities and I will be notified, and Shadrach can be deconditioned, and Toby Chalmers can face justice.

Now and beyond forever, I love all of you, my exquisite, intelligent, diverse pal-o-roonies.

“What…the…fuck?” said Toby. Before his eyes, by the thousands, Joseph McCarthy Jr.’s words accrued likes and reposts. Replies sprouted every second: “Toby Chalmers can’t get away with this,” “We’ll stomp that child rapist to mush,” “Stalkers don’t belong in our country,” and myriad variations.

This smirking sack of pudge actually thinks that I visited him? Toby wondered. He thinks that I abducted his strange, hairy-faced nephew? Do I have a lookalike out there? Nah, Joe must be fabricating this story, for attention. Where’s this asshole live, anyway?

A quick internet search revealed that Joseph McCarthy Jr. and Transylvoria were based in Georgia. That’s like three states over. No wonder the cops haven’t bothered me yet. Will they, though, sometime soon? Do the posts of social media jackals carry much clout with authorities? I doubt that there are many Transylvoria fans with badges, but how can I be sure?

Whatever the case, I can’t keep letting this lit scene fascist take shots at me. People incapable of writing horror fiction don’t deserve to control it. No one does. Art should always, always, always evolve unrestrained, and have its existence acknowledged. I’m gonna have to kick this loser’s ass, aren’t I?

Grinning at the thought of Joseph McCarthy Jr.’s mouth imploding under a clenched fist, at watching that slanderous scumfuck writhing on the ground, choking on his own teeth shards, Toby navigated Transylvoria’s website.

“Holy mackerel,” he soon exclaimed. “Transylvoria’s Media Outreach Luncheon—whatever the fuck that is—is just a couple of weeks away. Joe is signing autographs there and everything.”

Perhaps I can’t fight cancel culture as a whole, Toby thought, but I can at least hurt this malefactor, this prime pile of dog shit. How satisfying will that be? I can wear a disguise and devise an escape route. If I do happen to get caught, assault’s just a misdemeanor anyway. Totally worth it.

He flexed his fingers and stretched. A mad impetus had seized him. I’ll start a literary blog under a false name on a free site and whip up a dozen quick reviews, he thought. That oughta get me through the luncheon’s registration page. Their website doesn’t take payments, so I’ll pay the fifty bucks there, in cash. I can do this. I’ve gotta do this. Fuck Joseph McCarthy Jr.

[averagetransman]

October 29th, 2024. 9:11 PM

Oh. Oh, dear God. I was not expecting to see this again but I might as well answer since it's been 4 years.

Dear 14 year old me:

I'm sorry. I'm sorry you had to endure that pain. I'm sorry to say I barely remember that moment now, but maybe that's for the best. What I DO remember is the pain, the anger, the abuse he put us through.

I remember RWBY; I haven't watched the final season but I've been meaning to do it for awhile now.

I don't think I'll ever forget those Homestuck pauses. Those were crazy times.

I remember being able to keep up with weekly let's plays. Now...I just don't have the energy for that.

I do remember my band friends, although I barely talk to them anymore. If y'all are reading this, I miss you guys 💔

I do remember the crew, but we don't speak of Ryan. He turned out to be a scumbag and was rightfully fired for it. I guess that villain "persona" wasn't actually a persona at all.

Of course I remember my best friend. I've long since gotten over him, thankfully, and we still have a healthy friendship. Even if things didn't end well between us romance-wise, I'm just glad we could still be friends. I won't cringe; you were just young and hormonal. It's normal. Feelings are normal. Crushes are normal. Don't worry about it.

Dear 17 year old me:

Are you really so surprised at our 14 year old self's cogency, considering how many books we read? I would be more surprised if he WASN'T at least a decent writer.

Yes, dad shutting power off to the entire house for not cleaning your room IS a big deal. It is not something a normal person would do in reaction to that situation. I know he's gaslighted you into thinking you're not being abused because the abuse isn't physical, but you very much are. Please, allow yourself some grace.

Rooster Teeth is no more. The AH crew have all gone their own way, but mostly still stream.

Minecraft Xbox finally ended after many years as well. Ol' Stampy is moving on to greener pastures.

The Homestuck epilogue concluded and Homestuck 2 is still going strong. I need to catch up on it though.

Believe it or not, Jet Set Radio is getting another official entry in the series. No one knows exactly when it will release yet, but from what I've seen, it's going to be great. I just hope SEGA takes the time to make it great.

And now...

Dear 21 year old me:

Yes, we married, but no, we are not in a relationship anymore. To put it simply, I fumbled the bag. Hard. She lives in Austin now. We're still on good terms and maintaining our friendship, but there's no hope of us ever being in a romantic relationship again. And honestly? I'm okay with that now. I don't know if I'll ever be in another relationship again, but maybe one day I'll make peace with that, too.

Her name is Shyloh now. She just turned 5 not too long ago. It's been a very long time since I've seen her. I miss her dearly.

I had to go off of T for awhile due to becoming homeless and because the gel is very expensive, and am now doing injections, despite how much I hate needles. Honestly, though, with mom helping me with it, it makes it much easier. I am now almost one year on T injections. I'm not on blockers, but I don't think I need them...for now.

Her name is Casandra now. She's actually working, but still doesn't know how to drive. Hopefully she'll finish her lessons and get her license soon; as much as I love driving, I really hate revolving around her schedule because she gets up so early in the morning.

And finally, the question that I've been dreading.

Am I successful? No. I'm barely alive. The accident that made me homeless ruined my life, and it's entirely my fault. I still haven't fully recovered, physically, mentally, emotionally, or financially. I don't have a job, I'm living with mom and my sister, and I feel like dead weight. I genuinely believe that if they didn't need me to run errands and stuff, I wouldn't be here typing this right now. I'm damn lucky mom is able and willing to pay for my transition. I just...hope I can find something soon.

And now, questions for future me.

What job do you have now?

Are you still single?

Do you still have your friends?

How's your transition been going?

What's your living situation like?

What has changed in the past 4 years?

That's all for now. I hope future me actually sees this.

-Mateo

APRIL 10, 2014: 10:59 P.M. To my future me: Do you remember me? It’s your 14 year old self. I’m sure by this point you don’t want to remember me, but I need someone to talk to. Remember the night that dad shut the power off because our brother and mine’s rooms were dirty? Remember the anger? The hate? Remember how you drew so many little marks on your left arm to stop you from hurting yourself? I do, and it scares me. That night is the night I’m writing this note for you. I am writing this from my bed, the soft hum of the AC and old Christmas tunes bouncing around the walls of my room. I really should be sleeping, but I’m laying here in my bed writing a note for you instead. There are a few things I want you to remember. Remember the excitement for RWBY Season 2? Remember waiting in anticipation for Homestuck to finally come off of hiatus and update? Remember the anticipation of the new Let’s Play Minecraft every week? And Minecraft XBox? Remember Katie and Mercy and Josh and Lindsay and Maddie and all the other friends you met in band? Remember the AH crew: Geoff, Jack, Ryan, Michael, Gavin, Ray? Remember Rooster Teeth? Remember JSRF? Remember Christian? At this point, you’re either laughing, grimacing, frowning, or smiling knowingly. Any one is fine, but knowing us, it’s probably not the last one. I wish I could see your response so I could know what the future holds? Have I had my first kiss? (Probably not.) Am I successful? (Maybe.) Do I still want to stay at least unmarried throughout my life? (Hopefully.) Of course, I’ve changed, but I hope I haven’t changed too much. I have one more thing to say before I go to bed: post this. Even if you don’t use Tumblr anymore, post this. I want people to see what life was like. And finally, write another note to your future self. I want to see how long this tradition will continue. Sincerely, Your 14 year old self

JANUARY 19, 2017: 12:24 P.M. Dear past me- You’re a dumbass, but I don’t blame you. It’s clear you were still in the ‘no marriage at all ever’ phase when writing this. As for first kiss…well, let’s just say you may have gone farther than that. I’m surprised at the difference in writing style, too…your thoughts are actually collected and in order, and mine, well…I didn’t answer any of your questions in order. I’d say getting upset over dad shutting the power off is no big deal (just clean your damn room) but I understand your depression was a LOT worse back then. I am now heavily medicated and have gone to multiple therapy sessions to help me cope with my mental illnesses. RWBY is in season 4, Let’s Play Minecraft is into the 200s, Minecraft Xbox is into the 400s, and Homestuck has officially ended (although I’m still waiting for that FUCKING epilogue). Yes I remember JSRF. It’s only, like, the best game ever. Yes, I remember all my friends from band, how could I not? They shaped me as a person. You’ll meet more wonderful friends later on in your band career. Sadly, Ray left Rooster Teeth, but now there’s Matt and Jeremy-those guys that made the Grifball map. They’re seriously awesome. Also, you’re fucking stupid if you think I’d ever forget Christian. He’s my best friend in the whole world. I care about him more than most anyone else. He’s like family, and so much more… Am I successful…? Well. Not quite yet. I’m getting there. Success takes time, and I’m taking small steps as not to stress myself. I’m still alive, and if that isn’t success then I don’t know what is. You’re going to be OK, kid. Hang in there. -Future You P.S. I fixed some spelling/grammar errors in your note. You’re welcome.

[mochidoodle]

✨ mochidoodle info & FAQs ✨

Hello and welcome! Thank you for visiting my blog 🥰 Here's a masterpost of FAQs and information. Please consider giving it a browse!

ABOUT ME

Who are you (and are you steoh!?)

Yes, I'm steoh (she/her)! My handle is steohsama on TWITTER and INSTAGRAM. This blog is named after my cat, Mochi, and I haven't the heart to change it.

Where are you from/how old are you/etc.?

I'm based out of the US and I'm veritably 阿姨-aged.

Do you draw professionally?

Nope, I'm an engineering researcher by trade.

How can I support you as an artist?

Reshares on any social media are appreciated! I immensely enjoy reading the comments and tags you all leave 🥺 I also have a Ko-Fi if you feel like supporting my art!

ABOUT MY ART

Do you take commissions? Requests?

Batch 1 commissions are closed. Batch 2 opening early 2024!

May I use your art for my profile pic/header/edit?

You may use my art for PERSONAL USE ONLY with proper credit visible somewhere in your profile or the post itself. Much appreciated if you asked me beforehand, too!

May I repost your art to my own account?

NO. PLEASE DO NOT REPOST MY ART.

All reposts will be reported swiftly without warning (and with extra ire if my signature is removed). If you find my art on an account that is not this one or any of the steohsama handles, I would be very grateful if you informed me! (...so I can slap a DMCA report on it)

May I translate your work?

Please ask first (though be warned, I'm likely to say no.)

Where did you learn to draw/how long have you been drawing?

I'm self-taught through visual osmosis of my favorite mangaka and other artists. My first memories of doodling (all I did was illustrate horse girls in horse books lol) is probably almost 20 years ago now.

What do you use to draw?

Primarily an Intuos 4 with Clip Studio Paint. I highly recommend CSP! When I'm on the go, I have an affair with my iPad Air.

What kind of art can I expect from you?

I like to draw fun and fluffy ideas for the most part. Usually it's some whimsical AU where the entire cast of a series is impossibly alive and interacting in interesting ways (this is mostly to staunch the pain of canon lol).

🔞 There is occasional spicy content, so be warned! I do tag it as 'nsfw' or 'slight nsfw'.

FANDOMS & INTERESTS

What are your current interests?

I have reawakened my roots in Katekyo Hitman Reborn...

Will you draw [FANDOM] again?

Depends on my mood...rest assured, I probably still love those series dearly. Except book fan art. Sorry...

Do you have OCs?

YES I DO. I hope to share more about them in the future! Feel free to browse this moment or the Houseki tag.

Fandom list?

Katekyo Hitman Reborn, Spy x Family, Psycho-Pass, Naruto, Legend of Zelda BOTW/TOTK, FMA Brotherhood, Unlimited Blade Works, Kuroko no Basuke, and Majin Tantei Nougami Neuro.

[crowandmoonwriting]

Sci-Fi: Dreams and Nightmares, an Essay

You know, I have a problem with sci-fi. That isn't to say I dislike it, I just have a problem writing it, conceptualising it, and enjoying it. I'm a historian, and a traditional medieval historian at that, and I find most of my comfort in the past. My ideas about the future are very dark, and although I explore darkness and even horror in my writing very often, it's a darkness for once I'm not comfortable with. It's a little too close to home, I think. The further into technological advancement we go as a species, the worse I feel about the future. I have a few cyberpunk ideas I came up with in high school or even middle school that I doubt I will ever finish. I can't do it anymore. I feel vaguely sad about it all, and maybe I can work on them someday, even if I just adapt the characters and situations to a genre I'm more comfortable with.

I used to love sci-fi in all incarnations. I have always adored Star Wars and Star Trek. I favoured Star Wars for a while because it smacked more of fantasy, being a space opera and completely unrelated to Earth. It was escapist, it was mystical, it was just a bit closer to my true fictional love, Lord of the Rings. Star Trek I fell in love with later on, as I came to appreciate the social and political commentary and the intricate hard sci-fi aspects (I should note, I only adored the original series, and the other Star Trek media never captured me quite the way it did). When I found Dune, it swept me away, another fantasy, another mystical technicolour dream, and I loved it. When I first saw Bladerunner I was obsessed, and when I first read Asimov's Robot Series I was fascinated.

But something happened when I was in high school. Something that has ravaged my mental health and sense of well-being, my sense of self and my faith in humanity. It's something most of us rely on now, and it's something I can't escape (unless I do finally run away to the woods and live in a cabin as though it's 1470, growing and raising my own food and hunting to have furs to keep warm in the winter etc, as I long to do). I have to be online. I have to be on social media. I have to promote my brand, my writing. I have to be here to be aware of the news (I don't watch live TV at all). And worst of all, most crippling of all, I have to find inspiration. My desire to find media that will take me away (media I don't have to make myself) is what keeps me coming back. It's one of the things that keeps me here.

But I admit, I'm getting very tired. I'm traditional in several senses, and I'm tired. I miss dearly how I used to look at sci-fi. It was a wonder. Even dystopian sci-fi had its charm, its allure, its fascinating aspects. But then whatever electric sheep dreams I had became nightmares. And waking up, I found the nightmares all around me. It's painful that something I used to love I now avoid. Something I used to turn to for fun or pleasure is something I now fear.

But I am determined to love what I can. I am determined to have hope. As someone who's suffered from great mental illness in my life, and has come to a place finally, finally of stability, I think I can now reflect on things. The truth is, whether a dusty tome-perusing historian like me wants to hear it or not, the future is not a nightmare. It's not a dream at all, but reality. And fiction is not reality. Sure, I see things in real life I thought were just nightmares from Orwell's 1984. But I also see dreams, the iPad in my hand filled with hundreds of books, the stylus gliding brilliant colour over a smooth screen, the little device at my side an Alexandrian library of writing and music the likes of which no one in previous centuries could have imagined. I can type up a few words and my friends can respond to me within seconds. Through the gleaming portals at my fingertips I can learn about the entire world. I am connected. And connection is terrifying. It's vulnerable, and I think we're all just trying to figure out how this new type of human connection works.

I do have hope for the future. And I think it's time we saw that in sci-fi. Now I do note, there is some utopian sci-fi media. Star Trek the Original Series being my favourite. But I want to know what you have to say. Writers, artists, musicians, whatever you do, I want to see some hope.

I am not exempt of course! I need to change the way I think about sci-fi too. I need to take that hope in me and make something that will give someone else hope. Or at least let them have a little fun with a book, whether it's a paperback or leatherbound copy, or an intangible but nevertheless legible file. The interesting thing about sci-fi is that it's always somewhat based in reality (in science, of course!), but it's the 'fi' of sci-fi that's the best part. It's fiction. It's the dream. And as we have seen before, the dreams of one generation can become the reality of another. So it's time to write sci-fi with hope. It's time for me to stop being afraid of the future, and start looking forward to it.

[bakgos]

🔥 + bnha

anonymous. | SEND 🔥 + A FANDOM I WRITE FOR FOR A CONTROVERSIAL OPINION ABOUT THE FANDOM, ONE OF THE CHARACTERS, THE RPC, OR THE MEDIA ITSELF.

          with my whole entire chest , i am so tired of seeing bakugo haters in the fandom spew the same bullshit over & over as a means to justify simply hating him & then showing their ass when confronted with concrete evidence against what they’re talking about. like whatever , it’s fine if you just don’t like him because yeah , he’s loud , he’s obnoxious , he’s an asshole , that’s all TRUE. but if i see one more of you weirdos talk about how the series would be better off without him , how deku would be better off without him , how you wish he would’ve just stayed dead , i’m going to blow up ur house!! we’re not watching the same series!! 

         y’all wanna argue about his character development , but he’s had and is STILL having one of the best metamorphosis in the show. he’s not supposed to change over night , that’s not how real people work. people just don’t know how to read between the lines , catch onto subtle cues , pay attention to context , because bakugo has been slowly blooming into a better person from the end of season one. you can LITERALLY see it if you’re paying attention. some of y’all arent manga readers & i get that , if you’ve been able to miss spoilers , good on you , but until then , anime - only bakugo haters ain’t got shit to say. 

          y’all wanna argue about his position next to deku , as if he isn’t deku’s reason for pushing himself to become the best?? as if he wasn’t the catalyst behind nearly , if not all , of deku’s quirk evolutions?? as if he wasn’t the first person with a quirk that deku really studied & sought to chase after in his own journey to become a pro hero? AGAIN , are we watching the same series!! this isn’t even EXCLUSIVE to deku like , students from class 1-a AND 1-b have been able to put some respect on bakugo’s name because he IS an inspiration , whether they like him or NOT. 

          now again , if bakugo’s behavior & the way he talks to people is a trigger for you , that’s a different story & absolutely valid & understandable. i’m just irritated by the people who spit on his character for the dumbest reasons or for no reason at all. i could literally go on to write a book about this but it spurred up because i have a best friend that likes to talk shit on bakugo ( to ME of all people ) but this same person will excuse characters that are murderers / evil / sadistic / ect all bc they have tragic backstories & while i love this person dearly , those are the type of people who annoy me the fucking most in fandoms. you can dislike a character all you want , but i’m just as allowed to speak my mind about it. especially if you come to my doorstep. 

[miazeklos]

Popular opinions about the Lannisters that you disagree with?

Oh, Anon, you've unleashed something terrible. ;D I disagree with so many popular fandom Lannister-related opinions. I'll try to keep it short - and likely fail. All opinions mentioned are show-based unless otherwise specified. I tried to highlight names here and there so that you can just read the parts of this rant that you care about if you want. ;D

- To get the worst out of the way: 'Jaime and Cersei only love each other because they see themselves in the other' makes literally zero sense with their show relationship and personalities and I am sick to dеath of seeing it in meta based on show events.

- I've said this before, but: Cersei was not crazy, was not ~spiraling into madness~ and never would have. Yes, she did a lot of terrible things because she was cornered into it or because she's ruthless, impulsive, has anger management issues, and sometimes is straight up just a bad person. Getting rid of her enemies the way she did, spreading propaganda and being neurotically aware of everyone who could possibly be a danger to her family is not a madness symptom, it's a 'Tywin Lannister raised this woman' symptom. Being a war criminal doesn't mean you're insane; it just means you're a war criminal.

- And while we're on the topic: she was genuinely just a pretty decent, organised and effective ruler when you consider that the decisions she made that we saw consisted of trying to keep the parts of Westeros that she did have control of fed, out of ridiculous amounts of Iron Bank-related debts, and out of danger. Yes, they were a meat shield, but the Red Keep was the safest place for them to be anyways. She did literally anything she possibly could to defend the city, even if it was only to defend herself, and it was impressive how much damage she did considering that she was vastly disadvantaged by her enemy having the faux medieval equivalent of nukes.

(And I will never not be delighted at the show calling her more efficient and effective than Tywin, literally never.)

- Tyrion wasn't stupid in seasons 7 and 8; he was just plagued by severe conflict of interest. Yes, he made mistakes; yes, a few domino events that could have been prevented (like, y'know, the Wall falling down and other minor mishaps) were rooted in questionable decisions he made, but it was literally all because he was trying to have his cake and eat it too. The only genuine mistake he made was thinking that Casterly Rock would be the main line of defense; everything else was a deliberate, if bad, choice that he could predict the outcome of.

- (both book and show) Jaime is responsible for 100% of his own decisions, like. Not sure how this is still an argument. A popular take on everything from him entering the Kingsguard to pushing Bran out the window to returning to KL at the end of the show is that it's all somehow Cersei's fault because she was so much more mature and clever when they are. literally twins. He was cognisant enough to make his own choices the entire series. For the majority of the time, no one asked him to do all that, but he did, and anyone but Jaime getting blamed for that is wild.

- While Jaime does have his moments of 'hey I'm kind of being a terrible person right now', he;s much less remorseful than people seem to think he is. Riverrun, both in book and show, is an excellent example of that, IMO, even if his speeches in the two sources took different directions. Most of his good deeds feel like more of an attempt to prove himself to himself rather than putting his heart into the good deeds in question, if that makes sense.

- Once they were out from under Tywin's influence and the truth about Joffrey's dеath was revealed and they got all their unreleased drama out of the way, Cersei and Tyrion got along surprisingly well and I dearly wish that we'd seen them actually talk at least once more even though I understand why it wasn't possible.

- Tyrion is neither a villain nor a saint; he's pretty much the definition of anti-hero, IMO.

- Tywin dуing was entirely his own fault and Tyrion was right to kill him. (Is this an unpopular opinion, actually? I don't think I wanna know)

- This might just be me enjoying the Game (TM) more than any other aspect of the show as per usual because I know plenty of people who found it dull, but the Cersei vs Daenerys political storyline in season 7 was genuinely the most engaging/intriguing/entertaining/analysis-worthy part of the show for me. Just, Cersei being a ruler with such off-handed ease was a treat in general.

- And finally, back to Cersei, book version: even in the books where she's far more chaotic than she is on the show, she's still just genuinely doing her dаmn best with the education she had to rule (which was minimal because Tywin never wanted her to rule in her own right) and, like... prior to reading the books (I started with the show), all the discussion boards and forums and the like had led me to believe that her chapters, when I eventually would get to them, would pretty much be just crazy talk and completely incoherent delusional stuff. They were not and the inside of her mind was actually a really fascinating place to be. Even when she made mistakes, I could see where she was coming from, and a lot of her feelings honestly made perfect sense to me and I gradually started to distance myself from the ASOIAF fandom because the whole experience led me to discover that the majority of these people just. do not like or respect women very much, or at all.

This got about as long as suspected. :/ Thank you for the ask, Anon!

[mctherofdragons]

Against the Tides | 5 | F. W.

Pairing: Fred Weasley x Fem!Reader

AU: Pirate!AU; Muggle!AU; Historical!AU

Summary: The year is 1710. The Duchess is kidnapped by Captain Fred Weasley, the most notorious and blood thirsty pirate of the age. Aboard his ship, The Midnight Rose, love, lust, and longing collide on the high seas.

Rating: Mature

Warnings: angst, fluff, kidnapping, fred is a pirate for god’s sake don’t come for me, kissing, gets a little steamy but no sex, physical illness (not serious), yelling, fred grabs her arm, crying, angry fred, captivity, alludes to trauma, self harm, i didn’t edit this, again he’s a fucking pirate don’t send me hate thanks. 

A/N: Thank you all so much for waiting for me during my little break! I had so much to sort through in my own mind and heart. I am feeling much better and I’m grateful you were all so supportive of me during that time. This chapter is not very long, and serves as more of a ‘filler’ but none the less I hope you all enjoy it. I’m so excited to continue this story <3 I love it so dearly! 

I do not consent for my work to be published or translated anywhere without my permission.

Series Masterlist. 

Taglist: @oh-for-merlins-sake @minty-malfoy @slytherinlovesgryffindor @futureofanthropology @inglourious-imagines @sinz-and-tragediez @acourtofsnakes @vivianweasley @n3ssm0nique @cruciostyles  @whizboingies @shadowsinger11 @whitewineandpizzapuffs @gcdric @the–queen-of-hell @gloryekaterina @hogwartslut @theanxietyqueen17 @vogueweasley @blossomweasley @asthmax @ilovejjmaybank​ @theweasleytwinsgirl @tyyyweasley @feetoffthetablee @thisismynerdyself @wandsandwheezes @loony-loopy-lupinn @missmercurymoon @willowyreads @l-adysansa @arcadianmoonlight @weasley-x-wheezes @lumosandnoxwriting @darthwheezely please message me to be added/removed from my taglist).

______________________

It had been days now since you shared your first kiss with the captain. It was new to you - the way his lips felt when they brushed yours, sending chills down your spine. The feeling of his kisses caused your heart to flutter in your chest. You had allowed Captain Weasley to steal kisses as much as possible, delighting in the way he would come to you just for a few moments of restless kissing. Captain Weasley found solace in the sweet and pure moments you spent with him. You would giggle when his hands found their way to your hips. Your chastity was something newfound for him. It reminded him of the innocence that had long been taken from him.

Fred had taken quickly to doting on you. The crew took notice as well, pretending not to recognize the way he had been going easier on you. His eyes would soften when he saw you, losing their usual shade of darkness.

“Hello, treasure,” He would greet, pulling you away from the eyes of the crew. He would go in for a soft and longing kiss. Your back was often pressed against the damp walls of the ship. Sometimes, his rough hand would wander up to place a thumb on your cheek with the other fingers behind your ear, pulling the kiss deeper than before. You had allowed Fred to play with the soft fabric atop your breasts, but never much more. He savored those touches regardless, due to the way they’d let his mind wander to what it would be like to make love to you.

_________

The days passed by slowly. Eventually, you stopped questioning the Captain about how far you were from home. In fact, you had begun to wish somewhere deep inside of you that maybe he would never return you. The truth of the matter was that Captain Weasley knew exactly where the ship was. He would have been able to get you home in just a few days’ time. But the thought of saying goodbye to you cut him to the quick, and so, he purposely steered the ship in the opposite direction. He felt only a small amount of guilt for deceiving you. After all, the joy and warmth you brought him was a small sacrifice for a lie.

The Captain had even surprised you with a chest of books when you stopped at another port. He had gestured to the chest absentmindedly as he read a map, only glancing up when he heard you gasp. You had torn through the chest, pulling out all of your favorite books. “Oh Captain! You shouldn’t have. Where did you get these?”

“Some poor bastard left his cart unattended. Anyway, you said you were lonely, and that you missed readin’.”

You dropped a copy of Romeo and Juliet as you ran over to him, wrapping your arms around his neck. He dropped his compass, letting you straddle each side of him. You kissed him softly and he leaned back in his seat. Fred moved to plant soft kisses behind your ear, eliciting a soft gasp from you.

“That feels good, eh, Duchess?”

He kissed your sweet spot again, letting the smell of rum fill your senses. You felt an unfamiliar flush rush between your legs and you climbed off him quickly, straightening your dress out with both hands.

“It’s not proper.”

“It isn’t anything to be ashamed of, Duchess.”

“It simply isn’t done, Captain. I’m betrothed.”

“I know.”

He turned away quickly, going back to focusing on what he had been doing before. You looked up at him as you grabbed a book, going to sit comfortably in his hammock. You were chewing your lip, deep into the story, unable to notice the way he looked at you without you noticing.

You turned a page of your book, closing it, before setting it on your lap. You fixed your dress again, cocking your head as you began to spoke. “Why are you being so kind to me, Captain Weasley? Letting me sleep here? Stealing books for me?”

“Pretty to look at,” he said, a small laugh coming from somewhere deep inside of him as he took a swig of rum. His eyes raked over you and you felt your skin flush scarlet, going back to burying your face into the pages of Shakepeare’s Othello.

__________________

You were laying in his bed, listening to the sound of his breathing. He sounded a bit stuffy, if you were honest, and it worried you. When his eyes opened, he let out a small groan, reaching up to place a tattooed hand on his head.

“You sound ill, Captain,” you noted, placing the back of your soft and petite hand on his forehead. “Thank heavens. No fever.”

“I’m not ill,” he grumbled, going to stand up quickly but shortly landing back to sitting on the bed. Fred put his hand on his head again, shutting his eyes tightly as his ears rang and his head pounded. You cooed, crawling over closer to him. You looked over his shoulder as you placed your hand on his bicep.

“Lay back down, please, and let me make you a cup of tea?”

“I’m fine, Duchess…”

Perhaps it was his recent kind gestures, but you were no longer afraid of the Captain like you were before. Fred’s soft side had become more apparent. Sometimes, you even forgot he was your captor, enjoying being in his company. You pouted a bit and he cracked the smallest smile. “Y/n, it is mighty kind that you want to baby me, but I’ll be fine.”

There was a small rap on the door and you blushed, getting out of his bed before any of the crew got wild ideas about what you were doing there in the first place. You busied yourself with straightening up his desk.

“Come in,” Fred said, going to grab his boots but becoming wobbly on his feet. He let out a loud sneeze, shocking even himself. You looked at him, giving him a knowing gaze.

The door opened and Lee Jordan entered, tipping his hat to you. Fred glanced at you, and then back at his first mate.

“Jordan, why don’t you take over my duties for today? I’m not well.”

The Captain had caved and it took everything in you to not rejoice in triumph. Lee looked surprised but nodded. “Yes, Captain.”

“Don’t let this ship go under or I’ll have your skin, Jordan.”

“Yes, Captain.”

“Now, get out.”

You smiled, leaning down to light the fire under Fred’s kettle. You poured him a hot cup of tea, bringing it over to where he was sitting in bed. He coughed a bit, taking a small sip of tea.

“You must have gotten a cold from being damp and freezing.”

Fred had been out in the cold the night before, barking demands at the men as they went through another tempest. He had come back to his cabin soaking wet, shivering from the cool temperatures.

You curled up next to him, placing your head on his shoulder. “Is this alright?”

Captain Weasley hesitated before he spoke again. “...Yes.”

You looked at him, watching his eyes flutter shut slightly. “Tell me your story, Captain.”

“What do you mean? You’re the one with your head in a book.”

Fred closed his eyes. In his mind, he could feel the comfort of his childhood bedroom. As clear as day, he swore he could hear Ginny’s little giggle out in the sitting room. He and George were running around the room, playing with the wooden swords Arthur had carved for them - a special Christmas present. They would play pirates, unbeknownst of the irony in their childhood joys. In the same vision, he saw George’s body again, cold and lifeless on the ground.

He tore his eyes open, staring up at the maroon canopy above him.

“Not a story, Captain, your story.”

“I don’t have a story, Duchess. Please, leave it be.”

“Everyone has a story. Even you.”

You poked his chest playfully, playing with the top button of his shirt.

He reached up, moving your hand off of him. “Stop.”

You sat up, clearly not used to being told ‘no’. Of course, as a Duchess, what you wanted was always given to you. It was a discomfort to be denied something you desired - even something seemingly silly.

“Freddie-”

At the sound of the nickname, Fred felt his entire body tense up. It was the last thing his mother had said when she closed him inside of the wardrobe, never to return to him again. Hearing another person call him that sent fear through his entire being. He was afraid to get close to you because he knew the deep-seated truth that you were only his for a fleeting moment.

The happiness once existent faded from his eyes and he quickly rose from his bed, pulling you out by your arm. He would push you away before you got any closer to him. Fred knew he couldn’t protect his mother from the monsters. But now, he was the phantom, and he was determined to keep you guarded.

“I’m done playing this silly game with you, Duchess.”

“What ever are you talking--”

Fred dragged you toward the door and you could not help but follow behind, trying to keep up as he pulled you. You fought tears, unsure of what you had done to upset him.

He pulled you down the stairs, using his free hand to open up the cell he had been keeping you in originally. “Captain, please, talk to me,” you felt tears filling your own eyes. It was only then, as you looked up, you saw warm tears streaming down his face. His brown eyes looked brighter as they glistened.

He pushed you gently inside of the cell, slamming the door with a loud bang. His hands shook as he turned the key. He couldn’t remember the last time someone saw him cry. He felt embarrassed, but more so, he felt foolish for putting you in danger. Loving you was a losing game and all he wanted to do was keep you safe. He was falling for you faster than he could keep up with. His only defense was to retreat back into his role as a wretched villain in your story.

The only problem was that you had long forgotten him as a sinful pirate. Now, you had become to see him shed his harsh exterior. The light and warmth that emitted from his true self was not something that could be faked, and you knew it. As he stood before you crying, you longed to kiss his lips. You yearned to pull him close and wipe his tears away, using your lips to meet his dripping cheeks with affection.

“Fred, please, I...talk to me.”

Captain Weasley brought his hands up to the bars, slamming on them once more. His rings caused a loud, metallic sound to clang in your ears. “You do not know anything! You spoiled little rich girl! You think you do but you don’t.”

“Teach me,” you begged but he banged on the bars again.

“Be quiet! Jordan will be down with your supper.”

Fred wiped his tears quickly, adjusting his keys back onto his belt. He felt for his dagger, letting his thumb run of it. Just slightly, he let it slice into his skin, relishing in the pain that came soon after. He ignored the sounds of you banging on the bars, calling out to him. You were better off - or so he told himself.

[themistas]

there is something so genuinely heartbreaking about the very last line of midnight sun... the total opposite of twilight...

'And he leaned down to press his cold lips once more to my throat.' / 'As the night finally overcame the end of the day, I leaned forward again and kissed the warm skin of her throat.'

there's... hope in twilight. hope during the last chapters, hope in the very last scene. to me, this very last sentence was always a door, the door to something more -- or less: had twilight been a single book rather than a series, this sentence (ignoring all the other things happening in the scene, the loose ends that would have not been tied had edward turned bella right there and then) was the perfect way to end it; hinting at more, but leaving it up to the reader to Assume. even now, as i reread twilight, and i reach this very moment, and i close my book, i'm always left with a feeling of hope. i know three books come after, but this sentence carries so much hope. so much things we could just imagine and be left forever unanswered. does edward turn her? he must, and they live happily ever-after -- they find a compromise, surely, and they get a fairytale ending that allows readers to sleep soundly, that heals the heart that broke as james and his two partners ruined everything. edward presses his lips on bella's neck, and life -- death -- happens.

but on edward's side, it's so... heart-crushing. the chapters that precede it, filled with self-hatred, lies, broken promises. the realisation that the point of view bella has at the end of twilight, at the beginning of new moon, is nothing but a lie, and what she thought was lasting, was only fleeting.

bella says 'press' -- leaves it up to the reader to imagine what comes next. edward says 'kiss' -- does not imply anything and hands us his thought, his act -- his decision -- on a silver platter. he goes one step further than bella, one second later than her ending. he ties it up, neatly, and at the same time, if i may, crushes it. there it is, bella tells us, figure it out on your own. there it is, edward whispers as we close her side of the story, i've taken my decision and it's only a matter of time.

and it's not a fairytale ending, it's not the happiness we wish for them throughout the entire book. it's the breach of a promise, a crack on something that seemed perfect for a long time. it's, funnily enough, not at all like hades and persephone, but more like orpheus and euridyce, if in a twisted way, life was death and vice versa. an orpheus who's been dead for years, and is midway through accepting eurydice as a partner -- who realises, as they head to the underworld, and penniless souls reach for his soulmate, that he cannot do this, and willingly turn around -- curses eurydice into a life (life itself,) something she does not yearn for.

for a man who talks so much about pomegranate seeds and how he's cursing bella to hell -- edward sounds a lot more like the half of a soul that cannot live on his own -- one who cannot stop from turning around. he sure sounds like the king of the underworld, too, sensible and devoted to his other half, crying as he hears about a touching love story -- but he is also the one who tells the story, and who begs for another chance. he's the man who dies without his other half, and yet curses himself to his fate.

mourning forever, enchanting others with his voice. this orpheus cherished life dearly, and lost his lover to it. a self-fulfilling prophecy, cutting threads of hope on his own. a tragedy.

a midnight sun, peeking at exactly twelve, like the day would -- and then heading back to the shadows.

back to purgatory.

[chidoroki]

TPN - “Dreams Come True”

What better way to cheer up the TPN fandom after the second season’s final episode than with the special exhibition chapter finally being fully translated. I caught glimpses of a few pages here and there over the past couple months but seeing all the children live happily together in the human world in their own little village that they made close to Emma and Alex warms my heart. Of course I would’ve loved if we got to see more of the GP Resistance (because the anime denied us of them) but following the GF kids around the world as they experience their dreams is fair enough. We started the series alongside them so might as well finish strong with them too. I really loved seeing everyone grow up but no matter how old they get or how much time passes, I’ll probably never get used to seeing Emma without her iconic “63194.” It’s a bittersweet feeling for me, but her smiles bring me so much joy and I’m beyond happy that she accepted everyone into her life as they accepted her without her memories.

I haven’t a clue on how much time passed since everyone found Emma in ch181 to now, but seeing her call out everyone’s names is a little detail that I love so much considering she had no idea who anyone was at first. Trying to remember 60+ names doesn’t seem like an easy task to me. No doubt I was just as shocked as our girl upon learning these mere children bought a goddamn plane! We learn in a couple pages that it’s because of Norman’s company that they can afford it, but still, he’s like 15 or 16 now? He’s still a child! And I’m impressed! Not only at him, but that Oliver and Violet became pilots as well! It’s especially cute when you remember that Lucas gave Oliver a little toy plane during their time at Goldy Pond.

Speaking of GP, is it just me or does Emma’s current outfit resemble her GP one just a little bit? Sure we have no idea what color scheme this one has but come on, the short jacket, the dark shirt and jeans.. just imagine it! Jemima, Yvette, Alicia and Mark remade Gillian’s original GP outfit sometime before the Grace Field Raid arc (ch137 extra page) so I don’t doubt they could’ve done the same for Emma. Of course that’s just me being completely hopeful and missing the Goldy Pond arc to death but yeah! I’m also so happy to see Chris up and moving again! Seeing him wake up briefly in ch181 was nice but this is so much better. I imagine he and Emma have a lot to catch up on in terms of stories, with him being unconscious since ch105 and Emma not remembering anything.

But here we go, the original 15 escapees plus Norman, Phil, Sherry, I believe I saw Carol somewhere and a couple other random kiddos ready to see the entire world. They get to accomplish so much.. and in a single day too I believe? At least that’s what Phil and Alicia say a bit later about everyone’s wishes, but aahh what a lucky bunch. Hell, I’ll say we’re lucky readers too to be able to see such a great story. Can’t thank Shirai and Demizu enough y’all. I wish we got to see more of Alex though. He’s such a kind soul but I’m sure he’ll be just fine staying behind with everyone else.

This entire page where we learn about Norman as a CEO is gold. I still can’t believe this child successfully built up an entire multipurpose company not only to help their search for Emma but also because he didn’t want to live off the Ratri clan. I wish I knew about this last week when writing out Norman’s birthday post because hell yeah this deserves some praise! AND he managed to graduate school as well during all that! Well, by skipping grades which totally makes sense. I mean, if he managed to pass all the Grace Field and Lambda tests effortlessly I’m sure normal human world school was a piece of cake for him. Holy shit dude, keep on impressing me why don’t ya. Not only him but Nigel and Sonya too! I’m not surprised that Vincent helped out but I’m glad those two got a tiny moment to shine as well! Ray is another obvious choice when it comes to helping Norman, as they’re best friends and he’s always been good with machines.. but boy, I can’t take you seriously when you’re just sitting there unamused and eating chips! Hahah I love him so much! And the fact he replies to Norman’s idea with just a simple “kay” is an eternal mood.

Okay boys aside, can we talk about our fabulous girls now? Because oh my god, they’re so darn beautiful! They’re more fashionable than I’ll ever be and it’s so cute how they drag Emma along to take advantage of the 3-for-1 deal. But our girl pulls off that sporty look so well! (r.i.p. goldy pond outfit ver2.0). I’m not at all surprised that Nat wanted to go see the opera. That's perfect for him and I’d like to think the anime did something similar with that one shot we see of him in the human world. We don’t see him in a theater like this but to me it looks like he’s on the streets of Broadway? At least that’s the vibe I get from it. I’m sure there was something music related on one of those signs.

I can’t get over how adorable all the children look and how happy they are fulfilling their wishes, even if some of them aren’t as extravagant as others. Like eating a fluffy pancake and a ton of ice cream? We can do that whenever we want. But for these kids, it means everything and they absolutely deserve to experience such simple joys like that after all the harsh nonsense they’ve been through. I also love how Ray continues to be such a great older brother by still looking out for them too. The fact he remains completely unfazed by the haunted house is perfect. This boy has been haunted by his own nightmares and demons his entire life, there’s no way a couple of lousy jump scares are gonna spook him. Though I do find it funny that Alicia and Rossi still manage to get scared while Yvette is having the time of her life. I can’t help but laugh at Thoma’s “Shirai face” as well.

I find it interesting that out of all the different kinds of exhibits they could’ve shown us while Rossi visits a museum, they give us dinosaurs.. like that seems so silly to me. Y’all have seen several demons in your young lives already and yet dinosaurs manage to amaze you too? God these kids are precious. And then our boy Phil finally gets to see and ride a train! Just look how happy he is! The poor kid can’t even sit still he’s so darn excited and I can’t help but smile with him! Thankfully the anime showed us this too.

We eventually get to Ray’s wish and guys.. oh my fucking god. Tell me that this is not the absolute best and prettiest smile we get to see from him!! It honestly leaves me speechless okay? Ray never imagined he would ever get to see the outside world, let alone live past the age of 12, and yet here he is, seeing such a beautiful sight such as this, right in front of him instead of from inside a book. You can’t believe how happy and proud of him I am right now. Did you see how ecstatic I was when the anime kept Isabella alive? Multiply that feeling by ten and there ya go. That’s my level of happiness upon seeing my favorite boy smile like THAT! AAHHH!! That panel is gonna live rent free in my head until the end of time. I can’t get over how damn perfect it is. His smile is so pure and how he looks like he’s in complete awe is beautiful. He’s about to burst into tears and I swear I might do the same because I’m making myself emotional over this fantastic boy. Someone hold me.

No seriously, hold me because we’re about to get into some angst as we move onto to Emma’s wish. We all know that ever since 2039 her one dream was to ride a giraffe once they got outside, so here we are, about ten years later and the animals in question are within reach. Our girl should be totally excited, right? Ha, not quite.

That wish was something the old Emma wanted, but since demon god had to be such a bastard, this Emma doesn’t know what to think, let alone what to even feel. She hasn’t experienced the same hardships as her family. She hasn’t gone through hell and back while holding onto that one wish that would make all the suffering worth it. The amount of joy everyone else felt upon living out their dreams, she wonders if she would be able to feel it too.

They brought her here to make her happy, but is this truly want she wants as well? This is old Emma’s wish after all. What about her and what she wants? Could this wish make her just as happy as her old self? She knows her family is only trying to help, but seeing her doubt herself does a number on my heart. Even without her memories, she’s still the same Emma deep down, as she doesn’t want to disappoint her family. She spends so much time worrying about living up to her family’s expectations, to try and be that Emma they all love so dearly.

Little does she know that she acts the exact same as usual, almost as if nothing has changed when she finally expresses how much she wants to ride a giraffe. And that’s great considering when they first arrived at the giraffes, no on had even mentioned riding them. She came across that feeling all on her own and everyone else can’t help but laugh and feel relieved. Her mind may have forgotten but her heart remembers everything. There is no “old Emma” and “new Emma” to her family, just “Emma” and words can’t express how wholesome that is because they love her regardless. All that matters to them is Emma’s happiness because if anyone deserves to feel and experience that, it’s her.

I just made myself tear up, damn it. I started this series with season one okay? I heard about this precious girl’s dream within the first minute of the first episode and here I am, a little bit over two years later, finally reading about it coming true and seeing that bright as hell smile on her face. Do you know how amazing it is to come full circle like that? My heart feels so full right now. I’m beyond proud of her and love her to death. Say what you want but I believe this to be the true manga ending in my eyes.

(damn this series for always getting me emotional)