#it was a full plan for a majority of at least an introduction

[kelpie-writes]

There was a romantasy I wrote when I was a kid that was stereotypical mermaid getting captured by a pirate but it was very strange and honestly the premise was more interesting than half the ideas I've had now. I'm very tempted to start writing it now w/ different characters (and making it gay).

[starbylers]

Will Byers main character of season 5 “emotional arc tying up the show”, mysterious connection to the main villain AND the supernatural lore, “it started with Will and it’ll end with Will”, outstanding questions surrounding his disappearance which kicked off the entire show coming full circle, written for seasons as slowly falling in love with his best friend and that point being driven home extremely hard the season before His season….that Will Byers….is NOT ending up with some random side character lol. If you think that’s the most likely outcome I’m sorry but you haven’t been paying attention.

Like truly how do people envision that scenario? Will spends the season going through presumably life changing events grappling with his identity and fighting these deadly supernatural forces alongside the people he’s most closely bonded with in the entire world including his best friend who he is literally in love with and who’s relationship with him is obviously going to be important, full on saving the world in conjunction with his personal coming of age…and then when it’s over he just trots off with cute guy #373848 who has fuck all to do with any of this, or with the story of the show, who Will absolutely would not have had time to build a convincing relationship with given all of the above. A few scenes of what, someone flirting with him? Being nice, being friendly? does not an endgame make for someone who’s not only the main focus of the season but integral to the core mystery of the show. The love interest of a character like that would need to be front and centre alongside him (oh wait…..).

And in what universe could random new side guy compare to and in fact overtake - because that’s what they’d have to pull off - the depth of his relationship with the boy he currently loves, his best friend?? There’s no time or set up for that. Will is a main character. Even Robin - who I adore but she does play a much more minor role - gets a two season love interest who’s involved with the main cast, and don’t get me started on all the complex multi season straight relationships.

An endgame relationship for Will was never going to be an afterthought. The sentiments of I hope the Duffers are brave enough to go for Byler or they’ll just give Will someone else makes no sense to me because this has been planned for YEARS 😭 they were not making season 4 with their minds undecided about Mike and Will’s fate. They were not sitting in the writer’s room like oooh this is fun and messy let’s just slap in this major plot point between two main characters and figure out why tf we did it at a later date.

They made Will, the boy at the centre of everything, love Mike so intensely while actively not presenting a single other viable option (and having him grouped up with Mike yet again next season), KNOWING from the first introduction of Will’s feelings how it was going to turn out. If they planned all along for him to end up with someone else, there would be set up (à la Rovickie but honestly more than that, probably someone who could’ve taken Argyle’s place, or at the VERY least show signs of him letting Mike go). Meanwhile by s4 finale, there’s no other candidate in sight and his heart remains with Mike more devoted than ever like ?????

Will is important. His love is important. I’m so over people trying to downplay the legitimacy of his emotions toward Mike. Gay characters feelings aren’t disposable just because they inconvenience a straight ship, and the Duffers didn’t put Will in this position without an end goal in mind. You decide what makes more sense with what they’ve shown us so far. If you can see the threads (and not see certain other threads) it’s for a reason. Writing is intentional.

[nicosraf]

You inspire me…. Any advice for writing books ?

!! I'm honored u get a little inspiration from me! That's very sweet of you.

I struggle with advice because I've only written about 5 books and published... two-ish. (An old fanfic and ABM, which as you know is basically fanfic). But I think I have some specific advice since I'm revising right now and have a lot of thoughts... Here is what works for me (!):

Outline. I know it sucks but... please try it. (Or you'll end up like GRRM).

Draft without going back to read what you wrote, or at least don't read your unfinished manuscript in full. You will want to edit it. Don't edit it. Yes it sounds bad; yes you used the same word 8 times in a paragraph by accident; yes you can see a major plot hole. Don't fix it yet, maybe write it down somewhere so you don't forget to fix it later. You need to avoid editing while drafting or you will never finish the draft. This is the biggest advice I can give anyone, especially if you haven't written your first book yet.

Give each character a strong backstory, even if it never shows up in the plot. Sounds obvious but sometimes I have to remind myself of this.

Give your characters friendships, not just romantic relationships. Include tender scenes with friends.

A lot of writing is tedious and boring. Drafting is hard, editing is hard. You have to be disciplined. But finding motivation is also hard. Don't motivate yourself using the dream of a fanbase or the dream of becoming famous. You're setting yourself up to be hurt. (Not because any of that is impossible but because achieving it in the way that you dream is virtually impossible.) Motivate yourself using something more personal, if you can.

Re-do your outline after you draft. Why? Because you probably changed things while you drafted, you probably made some stuff up on the spot, character dynamics changed, etc. A new outline is good because you can see the story you actually wrote, which is helpful for editing for plot cohesion, moving scenes, adding and removing stuff.

Your draft is going to be bad. Don't freak out. Drafts are always bad. You're going to want to analyze the hell out of it though. What did you plan, what did you write, what worked, what didnt work, what themes are on the page, what themes should you remove, what themes should you amplify.

When editing a scene isn't working, rewrite it entirely. Yes it's more work. You'll be much happier though, I promise.

The first to second revisions should be for plot and characters and pacing; these should take the longest and be the most difficult. The last third to fourth revision should be about prose. Don't focus on prose when you're trying to fix the plot.

Let characters fuck up unforgivably.

Consider your audience heavily when you edit, but don't consider them when you draft.

I've given this advice before but when it comes to plot devices/objects, you want to give each device a moment of introduction, a moment where it's recalled, and a moment of use. (Ex. A knife is introduced in chapter 1, its mentioned again casually in chapter 7, then it's used to kill someone in chapter 14.) This is mostly to give each object its own arc that feels satisfactory but ur the boss about what works best.

Kill all your characters, but not physically (unless you want to). Make them change so much that, by the end, they would barely recognize who they were at the start.

This is book advice for the type of books that I've written. Things are very different if you're writing, say, contemporary romance, but I think this list is pretty general !! I hope it helps. Good luck!!

[mochiajclayne]

OP Analysis: Blackbeard, his motivations and devil fruit powers

Spoiler alert! This meta post will contain manga panels from the following arcs: Drum Island, Alabasta, Jaya, Post-Enies Lobby, Impel Down, and Marineford.

Blackbeard occasionally appears in the animanga but he is always taking advantage of the chaos behind the scenes. This is equally interesting as much as it is frustrating--but he is a man shrouded in mystery and majority of the information that we, the audiences know, were derived from other characters.

Under this cut will be my observations about Blackbeard.

Blackbeard was first mentioned by Dalton in Drum Island, stating that his group attacked the island a few months ago. I am curious as to why he decided to do this as the relevant information about Drum Island thus far is that they have the greatest doctors, and their medical knowledge is top notch.

My two cents is that Blackbeard wanted to cause an incident that would feature his group in the newspapers. However, the incident isn't news-worthy as what seemed to be the covered story by that time was the rebellion in Alabasta as well as the movements of the Revolutionary Army.

Another theory that I have might sound far-fetched, but I think Blackbeard was looking for the Ope Ope no Mi or at least, if someone in Drum Island ate it considering the reputation that the place holds with Blackbeard expressing interest in the devil fruit's ability to grant eternal life as well as his penchant on hunting down powerful devil fruit users. Starting out in an island full of the greatest doctors is a good place to look, don't you think?

(Another thing I've noticed about Drum Island is its striking similarities with Flevance: both abandoned by their royalty as soon as an issue came up. Wapol abandoned Drum Island as Blackbeard attacked them while the royal family of Flevance escaped with the WG's assistance when they found that Amber Lead Poisoning was incurable. I don't know if it's a similarity brought upon by coincidence but it's an interesting detail.)

Then, we have Ace's introduction/manga appearance. His "little business" was looking for Blackbeard. At this point, we know two things: Blackbeard and his group attacked Drum Island and Ace was looking for him. Their true connection wasn't revealed yet.

Then we have Blackbeard's first appearance in Jaya and revealing his intention of targeting Luffy due to his 100 million berry bounty. Pirates can't even keep the bounty and will be arrested if they drop by any Marine Headquarters, so this course of action is for the sole purpose of gaining an evil reputation. I have to admit that Blackbeard has a good discerning eye for setting his sights to Luffy at the beginning as the Alabasta incident was covered up. If he wanted to gain notoriety, eliminating a rookie captain of a small pirate group responsible for overthrowing a Warlord was a good start.

Speaking of Warlord, Lafitte (who is later on revealed as part of the Blackbeard Pirate crew), invaded the meeting to nominate a "certain man". Interestingly enough, Blackbeard was only acknowledged as part of the Seven Warlords after defeating Ace but he initially targeted Luffy in hope to qualify but failed. At this point, it was revealed that Blackbeard is interested in the Warlord position, hence, his insistence to prove his strength to earn the position. His true intention will be revealed later on in the animanga but knowing initially that the Government gives certain privileges with the Warlords, he is clearly planning to use it to his advantage.

Another mention of Blackbeard was from the conversation between Shanks and Whitebeard. Here, more details about Blackbeard are revealed: (1) he was part of Whitebeard Pirates, (2) he broke an ironclad rule and killed a friend, (3) he was part of the second division, to which Ace is the commander of, and he was looking for Blackbeard to teach him a lesson. Shanks asked Whitebeard to stop Ace from confronting Blackbeard as it's too "soon" for them to face each other. He also warned Whitebeard about Blackbeard hiding from the shadows and patiently waiting for his chance to take action and how he might end up taking over Whitebeard's position (as one of the four emperors). Despite Whitebeard responding that Blackbeard is his (or Ace's, by extension) responsibility, it was shown later on in the Marineford flashback that Whitebeard initially stopped Ace as he had a bad feeling about Blackbeard and his newly gained powers as well as to let this incident go, feeling apprehensive about the entire thing but Ace insisted to get justice as well as to make Blackbeard pay for dishonoring Whitebeard.

The incident that was the catalyst of the Paramount War: Ace and Blackbeard's fight in Banaro Island. Blackbeard invited Ace to join his crew and expressing intent to catch Luffy in Water 7 (this is still in line with wanting to secure the Warlord position as the Strawhats gained notoriety and recognition after the Enies Lobby incident). Ace, naturally, didn't like the idea and refused the invitation.

(Take this part with a grain of salt and I might be overthinking this bit, but I think it was a stroke of luck that Garp decided to visit Luffy in Water 7. Aside from looking out for his grandson's wellbeing, I think it's also partly to prevent pirates from attacking a pirate crew still recovering from their injuries. I'm amused that despite Garp's qualms about Luffy choosing to be a pirate, he's openly laughing and is proud of his grandson's shenanigans, but I digress.)

Here the common ground between Ace and Blackbeard was revealed as he confessed that he killed the Whitebeard Pirates' Fourth Commander Thatch to get the devil fruit that Blackbeard had been looking for (as they have a rule that whoever gets the devil fruit would be the one to eat it). He also mentioned that sailing with Whitebeard for several decades offered the best chance of obtaining the fruit. Here, the Yami Yami no Mi was introduced and based on Blackbeard himself, despite being a logia fruit, it's completely different from the rest--it is the most powerful ability of all the devil fruits.

One of the Yami Yami no Mi ability is "gravitation". Blackbeard himself says that it's a force that sucks everything in and not even light can escape, the attack is appropriately named as Black Hole.

Interestingly enough, whatever that Blackbeard absorbs, it doesn't completely disintegrate into the void but instead reduced a town into ruins. Continuing with the idea that this ability worked like a black hole, I do have a theory that there is a limit on how much Blackbeard can handle in terms of mass. Whatever that he absorbed doesn't disappear, instead, it functions like he would "carry" them around until he decided to liberate or release them. If we continue with this idea, Yami Yami no Mi poses a risk in a way that it's not an infinite pool of "storage" even though it can gravitate and pull everything including light. It's not as bottomless as Caribou's Swamp-Swamp fruit. I think this is also the reason why he can only handle two devil fruit power at the same time, despite the infinite gravitational pull that his ability offered.

Here we are introduced to the most dangerous aspect of Yami Yami no Mi: it can nullify devil fruit's powers through directly touching the opponent.

Despite Blackbeard calling Yami Yami no Mi as the most powerful devil fruit, another thing I've noticed about its property is that it doesn't function like the usual Logia fruit which allows the user to be a physical manifestation of an element of nature. It happened twice with Luffy being able to punch Blackbeard and Whitebeard's naginata wounding him in Marineford.

It was revealed later on that Blackbeard joined the Seven Warlords to infiltrate Impel Down and recruit the Level Six prisoners as crewmates. He definitely took advantage of the Marines focusing their forces for the Paramount War but I think one factor that worked too well for his favor was Luffy sneaking into the underwater prison prior to rescue Ace. Blackbeard's presence was like a fuel added into the fire and he took advantage of that mess.

Ending this long meta post with the iconic panel of Whitebeard straight up telling Teach that he's not the man that Roger is waiting for. With the recent manga chapters and Caribou planning on informing Blackbeard about the Ancient Weapons, I think Blackbeard's dream is eerily close to what Rocks D. Xebec aimed for--world domination. Interestingly enough, he does fear death unlike the other Ds in the animanga and I think that would be highlighted in the final arc. How far would he actually commit to his ambition if his life is threatened?

[wfagamerants]

As is well documented by now, I really love Mario Party, even beyond the realm of Mario it’s one of my favorite series ever. It’s also been said plenty by now that my relationship with the Switch games has been rocky.

I know, me being so nice to ND Cube’s output, only to have problems with the Switch games is for many an off-beat opinion, it’s just how I feel.

When Jamboree was announced it seemed to be the MP I had been waiting for right out of the gate and I can happily say it delivered. While we are still in the honeymoon phase with the game, I feel confident even calling it one of the best Mario Party games, a sentiment I never agreed on when brought up with Superstars, which I only find solid.

I’ll go by the same structure I went with for my essay on the Switch games, since that is what I am most comfortable with, so we’ll start with the roster.

While the selection was very not for me, I do give a lot of credit to Super for really beefing up the character numbers and after a really sad showing in Superstars, Jamboree returns to that, with a 22 characters large selection, one I am a much bigger fan of.

The character/mook ratio is closer to what I prefer, the Toads are back, Pauline and Ninji are wonderful newcomers and my issues with playable Bowser have been addressed with the introduction of Imposter Bowser. At least in terms of what can be expected, the roster is just one Diddy short of being perfect for me.

The game in general prides itself on the sheer amount of content it packs and that shows with the boards too.

7 boards, 5 new and 2 returning. I got some nitpicks, particularly how we are still sticking to only N64 boards coming back, but on the whole I do like the idea of Mario Party going Mario Kart by bringing back old boards. They genuinely are really well remade.

Mario’s Rainbow Castle was always going to be more strategic and involved thanks to the inclusion of items, but Western Land was the big surprise. I always loved the board, but the greater control you have over Steamer, the train here, being able to drive two stations ahead or even get him to come to whatever station you’re at, thanks to the new Steamer Ticket item, really alters the game. It’s a far bigger part of the game plan to knock opponents back to start, but the wealth of movement based items also means you have the means to rush where you need to, it’s well balanced that way.

The 5 new boards are an extremely good selection. Superstars is the basis for the board play, so in many regards it’s a bit hard to go into heavy detail without stating the obvious. It’s classic Mario Party and still clearly based on 1-4, with things like Boo being on every board, but it’s in the details and a couple key aspects where the game leaves its own mark of quality.

Despite the Super moniker, the boards are thankfully nothing like in that game. They are all a good size and full of mechanics of their own and obstacles. In fact, what impresses me most is how distinct they all feel.

Whether you rack up an insane amount of coins and visit specific shops for items or collect stamps in Rainbow Galleria, brave the delightfully evil Bowser Byway in King Bowser’s Keep or make a mad dash across the track in Roll ‘em Raceway, every board feels distinct and has a very strong identity. I do miss the more varied star collecting methods from 6-8 and DS, with only Roll ‘em Raceway feeling similar to that, but they are still the most distinct bunch of boards to not go for that formula and that is a genuinely huge compliment.

Of course, good boards are one thing, but the finer mechanics need to check out too and luckily Jamboree doesn’t disappoint and that’s where three major points about the board play I love come into play.

First are the Lucky Spaces. I am on and off with how I feel about them, but thanks to the much greater amount of hazards threatening your coin count and ways to spend them, their bonuses end up feeling like a more natural part of the game’s economy. 

They can still feel a little overtuned at times, but unlike Superstars the game is designed in ways to make their instant perks a bit more justified. There even is an Unlucky Space counterpart, even if the penalties there are milder than the benefits of its good counterpart, but it does contribute to keeping things in check.

Secondly there are the items. While there is still a heavy emphasis on movement based items, I think the variety has seen a good upgrade. I’m particularly fond of the returning Bowser Phone, as well as the traps, which are just hexes from MPDS and can turn portions of a board into a hilarious coin and star steal minefield.

What really pushes it to another level though is an idea 6 toyed with in Snowflake Lake and what 7 made a much bigger deal of: board specific items. Superstars did have that in the sense it makes no sense to have a Skeleton Key available on the MP1 boards, but Jamboree is different.

These board specific items are all made to interact with the gimmick of the board. Use the Tide Shell on Goomba Lagoon to control the tide, put a hole into everyone’s deep pockets with the Markup Sticker in Rainbow Galleria and I already mentioned the Steamer Ticket on Western Land and how that alters how you play the game.

Items have always been meant to be the more strategic part of MP, something to give the player agency in a kind of game ruled by the dice and items like this really allow you to make power plays and plan ahead in a way the orbs in 6 and 7, still the best item system to me, excelled at.

The way they are distributed is also good. Multiple shop types like in 3, item minigames are still here as a potential outcome on an Item Space and while Lucky Spaces can still give out items, it feels a bit more restrained or at least the game is better designed around it. Horror Land in Superstars when I play it often devolves into a long series of Chomp Calls, since it’s so easy for everyone to get an arsenal of those. Nothing like that ever really happened for me here.

The third big aspect for me is the Jamboree Buddies.

For all its flaws, being basically just lifted from Star Rush, I did find the allies to be one of the genuinely interesting parts of Super, but it needed a lot of retooling and Jamboree did just that in a variety of ways.

Jamboree Buddies will eventually appear on the board, but only one is around at a time and you need to reach them first. If you aren’t fast enough they just leave and you need to wait a couple turns for the next one to show up.

Even if you do reach them, you need to win a Showdown Minigame first, each centered around that character and only through winning it, will you get them.

While their perks such as their own abilities or doubling the effects of positive spaces OR being able to use Boo twice in one turn or buy two stars at once, are very powerful, they also double negative effects. If you land on say, a Bowser Space, you take double the punishment and on King Bowser’s Keep, that even makes for situations where there are so many Bowser Spaces that passing up on a Buddy may even be the smarter move,

While their perks are potentially game changing, you only get them for a few turns and someone passing by you can steal your Buddy from you, so making the most of their perks in the limited time you have can be a genuine challenge.

All that combined makes the Jamboree Buddies a significantly more balanced take on allies. Very exciting when around, but the game doesn’t centralize around them and it is possible to even suffer more bad effects than good ones, if you get one in a bad spot.

Those are some of the big factors that help Jamboree really push the board play up further in quality for me beyond ‘’boards good’’. In the end it’s Mario Party as you know it, but it has some really good refinements and new ideas.

Another such good idea is a voting system for minigames now being an option, along with the Bonus Star options returning from Superstars. It’s just neat to see Mario Party inch towards a more customizable experience.

In fact to add to this, Jamboree introduces an entirely new ruleset called Pro Mode. This mode offers a bunch of changes, including, but not limited to:

The turn count is a set 12 turns.

Chance Time and Hidden Blocks are not a thing.

Everyone can choose one item to start the game with.

Items in item shops are limited in supply.

The voting system for minigames is the default and only option, no roulette.

There is only one bonus star and you know which one it is from the start, so you can play specifically for it.

Lucky Spaces let you choose between 10 Coins or a Double Dice item.

Bowser on a Bowser Space will automatically steal a star if you have one.

Boo always steals 15 coins, no mashing mechanic to be found.

Among other things.

Overall it’s a really fun alternative way to play the game that changes your approach to many situations. I wouldn’t call it a definitive competitive minded experience, since it is at the end of the day, still a board game, but as a different way to play the boards, it’s a lot of fun.

Of course the board is just half of the MP experience, so how are the minigames?

In my opinion, really good!

I touched on this in my write-up on revisiting the previous Switch entries, but something about how many minigames in Superstars controlled always felt off to me. It’s hard to explain and really weird since I didn’t feel that way about Top 100 or any other MP, but it is a contributor to why I was never fully on Team Superstars.

Luckily Jamboree feels just fine to me and the overall selection of minigames is solid, packing a lot of action based games, mixed with more puzzly or reaction and mashing based ones. The variety is here and there isn’t much in the way of stinkers.

I was a bit iffy seeing returning minigames initially, since two of the three last games were all returning minigames, but Jamboree handles it gracefully and in a way that, like returning boards, would even be totally cool as a new norm for me. There are only a couple, the selection is good and several are even heavily recontextualized, like Leaf Leap, Bumper Balls and Shy Guy Says now being a three-part marathon challenge in Mario’s Showdown game or Platform Peril now being a coin minigame.

I am happy to say the game cools it with Coin minigames. They are still there and that’s fine, but the game isn’t blatantly rigged for them to pop up often like Superstars was and I appreciate that.

Duel minigames are once again oddly snubbed, only five once more, but at least the selection is really good. Slappy-Go-Round in particular is easily one of the most brilliant concepts for a duel minigame in the whole series.

Showdown Minigames for Jamboree Buddies are totally new. They revolve around the character you play for and are far longer than the average mini-game. This is gonna be more subjective but I think they mostly pull it off, with Waluigi, Wario, Mario, Daisy, Jr, Rosalina and Yoshi all having really good ones. Luigi’s is pretty good, but can be an autowin for players who reach him and get an advantage. Peach and DK are the only duds for me. Peach’s has an awkward first part and a luck based second part, while DK’s doesn’t do a great job filling its length and ends up being the one game of the bunch to really feel long for me.

Jamboree also brings back boss minigames from 9, 10 and Star Rush. Once unlocked in Party Planner Trek they can appear as options on the VS Space, making them effectively a return of dedicated Battle Minigames, if mixed with regular minigames in the rotation.

The minigames themselves are decent, Imposter Bowser’s is a bit lame to me and none are quite as good as the ones in previous games, but they aren’t bad by any means and I am happy to see them experiment with bringing that idea over into the classic formula.

Lastly for Party Mode minigames there are the motion control ones and that is a bit of an awkward one. Like in Super, I actually think the controls for them work really well and I like the minigames themselves, but being required to play with the one Joycon method to play them isn’t my favorite thing in the world and it’s a shame that they didn’t find a more graceful solution than to just lock those minigames away when playing with a more comfortable controller.

Also a bit of a shame there are no Bowser Minigames this time, though at least they have a good substitute in another mode.

Despite a slightly more mixed tone by the end, I consider Party Mode a big success, so let’s discuss the other modes.

First there is Party Planner Trek, our first dedicated singleplayer, somewhat story mode, in a long time.

In a lot of ways it’s basically a mix of Advance and the Minigame Island-type modes. You can walk freely across the board and do tasks for NPCs, along with playing all the minigames to collect Mini-Stars. Collect enough and you face the boss of the board, defeat them and you can move on to the next one.

It’s a simple concept, but nicely executed. The best way to describe it is cozy. It’s a nice laidback excuse to run around the boards and play through all the minigames that I can see myself revisiting when in the mood for it. The framing of this being how all the boards are made ready for the big event is also just really charming.

The only bad thing about the mode was getting first place in Gate Key-pers due to its luck based nature. I’d even call it the worst part of the game, but it is just one tedious minigame, hardly something that ruins anything and it can be skipped if you don’t care for 100%.

Then we got the Minigame Bay, with its modes and it’s….okay. The Boss Rush and Showdown Minigames based modes are welcome inclusions and the presentation is great across the board. Still, I miss the minigame modes of days past, especially Decathlon and would love to see some of them again.

We got two more flavors of extra modes and to me the stronger one is easily the two Bowser modes.

First up is Koopathlon, which is very much just Coinathlon from Star Rush, but now with 20 players and online functionality. You still collect coins in minigames specific to this mode, to move across a linear board and race to clear a certain amount of laps first. Even the items are taken straight from Star Rush, apart from Lava Bubble being replaced by Imposter Bowser and even that amounts to the same effect, all that changes is what burns your butt.

None of this is a negative though, since Coinathlon was easily one of the best side modes in the series and Jamboree is a very positive case of more of the same. I’d even say I like it a bit more thanks to the Survivathon Bowser minigames.

These were already a thing in Coinathlon, you try to survive a Bowser minigame and if you don’t you get moved back a certain amount of spaces as punishment. Jamboree edges out as better for me for not only having more and really good Bowser minigames, but also being far more challenging to survive, making them much more intense.

Koopathlon’s just great, taking an already amazing side-mode and making it just a tad better, easily my most played mode aside from Party Mode.

The other Bowser Mode is Bowser Kaboom Squad, one that caused a lot of intrigue pre-release for how little was known about it.

An 8 player team goes up against Imposter Bowser in a city and attempts to dodge him and other obstacles to collect bombs to attack him, as well as balance that with collecting coins for a Bonus Round where all bombs do more damage. 

The team needs to defeat Imposter Bowser in 5 rounds and at the end of every round is a team minigame, where you will net items to help you in various ways, with what items you get being determined by what Rank you archived in the minigame.

In some ways this mode feels like an extension of your typical Bowser final boss minigame from the Hudson days and I really like it for that. It’s frantic, offers fun opportunities for teamwork and Imposter Bowser, especially on Hard, is genuinely imposing to go up against. 

It’s a simple mode, but I really enjoy it. Not quite on the same level as Coinathlon, but a really welcome addition. I have played quite a bit already.

Lastly is the Motion based modes. Those were always going to be more novelty driven, but I do think the end result is a positive one.

The best is easily Rhythm Kitchen, a sequel to its equivalent in Super, my favorite part of that game. Unlike in that game the minigames are cooperative, making it more of a ‘’go with the vibe’’ experience and luckily it succeeds there.

The games are simple, but easy to understand, the music catchy and you even get to play a Rhythm Heaven-style Remix mode, set to the SMB1 overworld theme.

It’s a fun, cozy mode. Doesn’t take long until you have seen everything it has, but as basically a glorified minigame mode, it does it’s job well and is a nice every once in a while option.

I feel similarly about Toad’s Item Factory. The goal is to get orbs to a goal, using motion gimmicks to guide them. The controls are intuitive, the gimmicks varied, that’s really all there can be said. Fun mode, but very simple and not something to go back to regularly, but a good time when you play it.

The last mode is Paratroopa’s Flight School and yeah, that is the lowlight of the game, not bad though.

I do love the idea and the free flight mode in particular is actually pretty cool for what it is, with two extra modes as an extra on top. It works well, never had a problem with the controls and it is a cute idea, it’s just also very much a gimmick and not one that lends itself to going back to it a lot. The idea of it just wears thin and also requires more set-up to properly play.

It’s also weird how the mode locks you into playing as Mario or Luigi as the second player. Not a huge deal, modes where not everyone is playable isn’t new to the series, but being stuck with just one set character feels alien for Mario Party.

That’s all the modes and there is one constant across most of them: online. Jamboree emphasizes that aspect more than any other part of the series and I am happy to say that at least from my experience, it’s very good. It plays as well as the game does offline and I didn’t experience more than one small lag spike and no connection errors, which sometimes plagued Superstars for me.

Another big area where the game shines is presentation. The NDCube games have always been very good at this, but Jamboree takes this to another level. There are so many things to say that I may as well do it in a list format, because there is a lot there, in many different places too.

First off, a lot of old animations got small touch-ups, tiny details in how say, Mario, Luigi and Wario’s hats now obey gravity when they go back down after hitting a dice. Similarly, the characters during high rolls will not only speed up, but even transition into a new sprinting animation once fast enough.

There are several new situation specific animations, such as the panic run animations in the Granite Getaway remake, which you don’t see anywhere else.

The camera on the boards is way more dynamic and loves showing very appealing shots, such as Imposter Bowser looming over the characters in King Bowser’s Keep.

Mario’s Rainbow Castle turns dark and threatening if Imposter Bowser is in front of the castle, you can even see Bullet Bills pass by in the background.

They went through the work to tweak some animations for certain boards. Chance Time always catapults the characters in the air for instance, but in Rainbow Galleria this comes with a crashing sound and a visual effect showing the characters crashed through the ceiling.

Roll ‘em Raceway in general bothered with a unique, if simple, animation set of everyone in cars, to make the board concept possible.

Really, long story short, the game looks great and is full of life and personality. It also retains the zany, cartoony vibe that I love the series for, Super mostly lacked and Superstars didn’t always retain either.

Goomba Lagoon is in part my favorite board for representing this so well. It’s the perfect showcase for the dynamic camera and things like Lava Bubble spaces making everyone bounce across spaces with their butts on fire or the characters being forced on zipline rides they visibly don’t want to get on and even lose their grip by the end, are that toony fun energy that always gave the series a distinct personality for me.

The game also strikes a good balance of modern Mario visuals and original stuff. There is plenty of NSMBU and 3D World inspired content in there, but then you get say, the cities from the Bowser’s Kaboom Squad mode, which feel like cities you could see in Hudson era minigames. It’s nicely diverse.

While Mario Party has always been good with cool references to other Mario things, I’d argue Jamboree may be the best one yet.

The Showdown minigames are an obvious example, with say, Wario’s taking from both Ware and Land, Waluigi’s being a Waluigi Pinball reference or Donkey Kong basically making you play Donkey Konga being some big examples.

Even beyond that though you got things like Imposter Bowser being a shout-out to the SMB1 Fake Bowsers or Plessie making his first appearance in a spin-off. There is a lot to discover and it always made me smile. Mario spin-offs aren’t really like say, Dissidia or Theatrhythm are for Final Fantasy, where they feel like a true crossover and celebration of the whole series history, so any time one does include a lot of nods and elements from other games, it’s a treat.

The music ended up being a surprising highlight too, being full of catchy and varied tunes, not to mention just a lot of music in general. This is a hopelessly subjective topic, but there are several tracks I have already listened to a bunch outside the game. Imposter Bowser’s rocking themes and the bouncy, motivating Level 2 theme for Koopathlon being my highlights.

There is a lot of good detail work in here too, such as Imposter Bowser getting his own version of the Mario’s Rainbow Castle theme when he is out or all 22 characters getting their own little turn start jingles, because this game loves effort and I in turn love it for it.

We also got a fresher set of voice clips for a bunch of the cast, some new and some from Wonder and I won’t lie, Superstars with how much it makes the characters shout their canned old clips really tested my patience with the same clips they have used game after game, not just in this one sub-series, for over a decade and being rid of them feels like sweet release.

It helps that I genuinely think Kevin does a good job with his roles and while Deanna Mustard was really good, I utterly adore Giselle Fernandez as Daisy.

Been doing a ton of gushing and well, that’s because this game’s damn good and a showcase they learned all the right lessons. It’s not perfect, I have laid out things I thought could be better or are missing, but none of it comes even close to souring the experience for me.

I’d still put 6 and 7 at the very top for me, but Jamboree is really competitive with 3 as a solid third place for me and I don’t think that’s just the honeymoon phase speaking. Jamboree is a true return to form that makes me extremely optimistic for the future of the series.

That and I am curious if we will see DLC this time. The game is already more than packed enough to not need it, but if a MP ever were to see that kind post-launch support, I’d want it to be one as robust as Jamboree.

Because Jamboree really is just that good and I am so happy I can say that.

[oxpogues4lifexo]

Full Kook - JJ/Rafe Fic

Part 1/? - Bella Brooks

Summary: Part 1 is an introduction to the OC told by JJ Maybank. The lead up to my story. Overall this fic is about a troubled Pogue who finds comfort in people she least expects whilst dealing with many turns of events. A/N: This isn't planned out in any way shape or form. No reliability on the release of any parts I'm just writing this because I enjoy writing if it's not for you please move on. Warnings: Mentions of sex, alcohol, drugs, violence, abuse (mental and physical) Anything I missed lmk. Word count: 800

(Not proof read)

JJ's Pov:

Bella Elizabeth Brooks

My best friend since before I can remember. 

Most commonly known as the 'Princess of Kildare Island'; With the face of an angel and a heart of gold. The girl everyone wants to either be, or be with.

I'm pretty sure she'd give it up to anyone if she could... 

She's the perfect girl: a sweet persona, gorgeous appearance, kindest soul to exist. Who wouldn't want to be friends with her?

The answer.. everyone.

She has a close-knit group of friends, only through her dad. Me, because our dads used to be close friends, Sarah because him and Ward are disgustingly inseparable, and then Topper and Kelce because.. well.. Rafe. 

Swiftly moving on..

Bella's the type of person that people don't particularly see as a friend, but more of someone they can go to if they need something. She thinks it's a compliment; that people go to her when in desperate need of help. 

But no just.. no.

She's a toy.. pretty much sums it up; an easy target. 

It makes me sick thinking about it. 

People take advantage of her empathy, her soft attitude, the fact she can't say no. They see her as someone who can get away with anything and use that to their own benefit. 

She puts everyone first, doesn't want there to be any bad in the world, likes to make everyone happy anyway she can. Even if it means breaking herself in the process.

So my duty as her best friend is to keep her safe from the world. Keep her away from the bad. 

It physically hurts to know about the way people see her, and so I feel as if it's my job to protect her from ever dealing with it again. Dealing with the pain and the hurt she puts herself through for others who deserve nothing but a stick up their ass. 

She's my priority. And I will let nothing get in the way of me taking care of her and treating her how she deserves. 

Except for one tiny problem..

Thomas Brooks. - The man who created the Island's untouchable sweetheart.

Let's just say he's got a bad reputation.. but having Ward on his side gives him MAJOR  advantages. 

Don't get me wrong, the Brooks family is THE MOST respected family on the Island but just.. for the wrong reasons. 

And sadly it's not my place to say. Sorry, not sorry. I hate talking about it. 

Anyways, Bella is my everything and before you say ANYTHING, it's purely platonic. 

Well, to her. 

But, with everything she's been put through with all the fucking leeches in the OBX, I don't blame her and I wouldn't ask for it any other way. 

She's my rock, my girl. And no one will EVER take her from me. At least, they can try but it won't end well. Speaking from experience.

Enough about Bella.. but more about Bella..

She lives on the Cut, with me. Well no actually I live with her but, same thing. 

She has never once moaned about the little amounts of money her dad earns, and never once made a single comment about where she lives. 

It's this run down shack-like house. Imagine the Chateau but just.. worse. 

The walls are boarded up from the masses of storms that have destroyed what used to be there causing the remains to become rotten. The windows are cracked and the furniture is far from usable. 

The only healthy-ish part of the house? Bella's room.

It's a huge contrast from the rest of the building, almost like it was placed there separately. The wall's a bright white colour, her soft bedding and her drawers overflowing with colourful clothing puts the rest of the place to shame. A large window overlooks her room, filling it with more light than the whole house sees combined. 

The reason behind this is because her dad isn't the greatest dad. But in his defence he's aware. And so he spends the only bit of money he has on her - Always. Without any slight slither of guilt. He would give her the world if he could and she knows that, which is why she excuses his actions. 

She holds a pretty smile to cover the hurt she feels beneath. Her vibrant choice in her room reflects the young girl inside of her. 

She hasn't got an easy life and if it wasn't for me living with her, I wouldn't understand.

If the island really knew why she's the way she is.. they wouldn't want to be her. 

Please let me know what you think x

Thank you for reading 🌹❤️

Masterlist

[indigosabyss]

Just watched the first six episodes of dungeon meshi. Final thoughts? Not a fan.

The mechanics of the monster cooking were fun, which as far as I can see are the series' main draw. The animation is decent and the characters unique. On its own it's fine, as long as they acknowledge Marcille's orc racism down the line. It's just the plot/writing/setting that doesn't agree with me.

I'm really disappointed bc someone called this the Dr Stone of fantasy food, when it just isn't. Anyone can explain how a certain interest of theirs works. Dr Stone's main draw is how every step and progression leads into the next one (the making sulfa drugs plotline is a shining example here)

dunmesh isn't that. Which is fine. But it did affect my viewing experience.

In terms of technical and storytelling aspects, worldbuilding is my major issue, bc these guys constantly reference dying like it's no big deal but?? Why? Is something ressurecting them??? Do dungeon trawler mangas have the same explanation for this across the whole genre that's so widely understood that they don't even bother explaining???

A lot of character introductions need to be tweaked to make a better impression, and despite the stakes presented at the very beginning, the plot is meandering and oftentimes directionless.

Another thing that gets me is the fact that these guys have gone through the dungeon a lot. They got to the lower levels, they should have done the upper ones a bunch. So why do they act like they have no idea what's next.

Why do they not plan ahead. Why isn't the audience clued into things that are coming up. So much tension can be built up and mini-arcs can be set up, but no. There is nothing to look forward to.

I have watched. A full quarter of this show. And the only semblance of an ongoing conflict we have is the Red Dragon moving up the floors slightly.

Other than that, we have had minimal character building, some interesting monster biology, and a really stupid forced non-communication plot point.

If you like it, that's great. They had a selling point and they delivered on it, at least. But I think i like the fanwork more than the show itself.

[toku-explained]

Dogengers Guide

With the 5th anniversary season coming soon, I figure it's high time to do a quick introduction to this most notable to Local Hero series. The 5th full entry comes in July, previous series having aired april-june for the past 4 seasons.

Dogengers is a Tokusatsu series featuring Local Heroes based primarily in Fukuoka prefecture, but a few heroes have also appeared from other regions. Many of these heroes are either corporate mascots or at least sponsored by local businesses. Dogengers is also notable for having featured a large number of veteran Tokusatsu actors from major series including 2 season's leads, plus voice actors for certain heroes, some suit actors, and supporting characters. The series has also consistently drawn in huge amounts of revenue for crowdfunding, allowing the successive series to be made.

While most heroes and villains are preexisting, each season's Focus hero is newly developed for that series.

Dogengers (March-June 2020)

The villainous Aku no Himitsu Kessya, lead by Yabai Kamen, claiming the power of the national treasure the Golden Seal, use it to finally defeat Fukuoka's heroes and take control. Tanaka Jiro, newly returned to Fukuoka after several years, is entrusted by Ohgaman with the power to become Rookie, Fukuoka's last hero, and now must round up the heroes and free Fukuoka from the villain's grasp.

Dogengers Episode 12.5: Episode of I-Doll (January 2021)

A crowdfunding rewards originally released on the Blu-ray box, serving as an epilogue to the original series.

Just as things seem to have finally been resolved, suddenly Yuki vanishes, alongside those precious items. Tanaka becomes desperate and tires to find them, unaware that I-Doll has been revived and are protecting Yuki, but someone else has also appeared. Tanaka's childhood hero, Great A. What will happen when Rookie and Great A come face to face?

Dogengers Nice Buddy (April-June 2021)

The Dogengers have ended their time as Fukuoka's premier heroes in scandal, and their spotlight has been taken by Hanagata Tokusatsu, who are reviving their Great Series with Ginga Shinsei Great Z. Great Z uses his Affect System to overwhelm the heroes and kidnaps Yabai Kamen to be the main villain. Hanagata Riku supervises Yabai Kamen's work. In order to reclaim their limelight, the Dogengers must work to rescue their enemy, even aligning with the villains to do so, and out outfitted with the perfect weapons for fighting in pairs, the Ohgaman's newly developed Buddy Buddy Buster.

Dogengers High School (April-June 2022)

Yamada Mako is an extraordinarily average girl in an exceptionally unusual town. Tired of her average life and not being able to do stand up to bad people, a chance encounter brings her to the spirit Kireko, who takes her as his master and grants her the ability to become Fukuoka's latest hero, MAKO. She must now contend with fighting villains alongside Kireko and her senpai heroes, working with her best friend Shichimi Ryoko to plan her classes cultural festival stand, contend with antagonism from class president Fushimi Akine and strict teacher Osogawa Tori, and find the courage to express her feelings to classmate Yoshihara Daisuke.

A Drama CD for the crowdfunding was entitled "Receptionist Kireko's Diary", seeing the character work for a month as a receptionist for Yamashiro Gas.

Dogengers High School: Return of Heshikiri Hasebe (September 2022, also produced as a Drama CD)

Mako has finally become a hero and saved Fukuoka, but whoops, they forgot to return Heshikiri Hasebe to the Fukuoka Museum, the Dogengers take a trip there now to return the ancient sword.

Dogengers Metropolis (April-June 2023)

The battles between heroes and villains have been making things difficult for both the police and the Yakuza. While the Oshikawa Group created the android Yuz-Yuz, who aligns with Aku no Himitsu Kessya while being compelled to steal important items of the Dogengers, while the Metropolitan Police have funded the creation of the special armour SP110-Px, aka Hyakutoban, and granted it to junior patrolman Shiraishi Meguru, as he is assigned by Shoko Sakurada to the Dogengers, alongside his captain Masayoshi Yoriki and instructor Akutagawa Tadasumi. As he and Yuz-Yuz continue to encounter eachother, will she come to understand herself, and can the police finally get Aku no Himitsu Kessya off the streets for good.

A Yuz-Yuz Picture Book, and a drama CD entitled "Land of Shura Steam Murder Case", were rewards for the crowdfunding campaign.

The Land of Shura's I-deal ~Dogengers 99 Years Later~ (2022-2023)

In the distant future, the Affect System has been redeveloped into the Ideal Reality System, leading to more and more heroes, heroes are only legally allowed to operate by being affiliated with a company. Kujiki Kei, who admires the legendary Dogengers, sets out to become the Hero I-Deal, as Fukuoka finds itself besieged by the Lifted, monstrous enemies in the image of the long dead Aku no Himitsu Kessya.

A Day of Ohgaman (September 2023)

A documentary crew captures a day of Ohgaman's life, his busy work as CEO of Ohga Pharmacy and fighting villains.

Shin Dogengers (July-September 2024)

The Dogengers have been fighting successfully for five years. But Yabai Kamen, who has been defeated many times and had many forms, is ready to make his counterattack.

[ofcourseiwillmydarling]

I’m 20 and a full - time student.

You can call me ‘Honey’ or whatever you like, i don’t mind nicknames :) My pronouns are she - her.

— I <3 metal and rock but I’m also a big Lana Del Rey fan! My work will probably be influenced by her aesthetic and songs :)

I love to write - or at least, attempt to - and make moodboards ! English is not my first language so I apologise in advance for any grammatical errors - inconsistencies in my work (and introduction lol). I am really big on bikers - motorcycle clubs (fictional and not) and most of my work will focus on them; I do, however, plan to write for the walking dead and supernatural in the future.

! DO NOT INTERACT IF YOU ARE A MINOR. I cannot control what you might read - stumble upon on tumblr but please do not interact with me or my posts if you are underage.

— Please keep messages kind and respectful! This is a judgment free zone, I’d like it to be a safe space for everyone! No judgement or being mean; feel free to share your smuttiest thoughts on our favourite men (and women ;P) , do not be shy to interact with me! I love to talk and hear about random thoughts <3

As in for my writing (and moodboards) - requests - prompts, I will mainly write for Jax Teller, Johnny Davis & Benny Cross. Again do not be shy to send in your requests about the characters not mentioned here! I will write for any character of your choice, the ones mentioned above are a very small fraction of a loong list. Please keep in mind this is my first time posting any of my work, be patient and do not be afraid to send back a feedback or criticism to help me improve !

Most of my work will be x fem! reader, but I will gladly write gender neutral or whatever you have in mind! I will try to keep it as neutral as possible, so if you’d like something more close to what meets your criteria (physical appearance, personality, style etc) feel free to send a VERY specific prompt — if you like, we can discuss it in DMs to get the best outcome :) — and even pictures, whatever you believe might help me create the best possible answer for you. <3

— About my moodboards…be as specific as possible! The majority (if not all) of the pictures I use come from Pinterest, I will try my best to credit the rightful owners but its nearly impossible to trace the original creators - owners. If they are yours PLEASE!!! notify me so I can give credit or remove!

Feel free to send me DMs, asks, prompts, rambles…whatever you like! I love to chat and meet new people, especially if we share the same interests!

Lastly, I am new to tumblr and how everything works so bear with me! I will try to update this introduction and, in the future, add a masterlist for my work :)

Love,

Honey <3

[tee-hee-heidi]

Nymphs and Satyrs - Introduction

Aaaaaah we’re here guys! Apparently I can’t help developing Lore Trademark for everything I do, no matter how small. Anyway, I had planned a very long post about the lore of Mythical Lovers, but that would have been way too much in one single sitting, so I decided to split it into smaller posts. Let’s hope I don’t get too carried away lol.

Satyr and nymphs are a type of mythical creature I started calling Lesser Deities of the Woods, which is probably not super accurate to Greek mythology but I needed a single name for the both of them and I could only come up with this. So if you see me writing about Lesser Deities in this post (and future ones too), assume I’m talking about nymphs and satyrs as a whole.

Anyway, these Lesser Deities usually live in forests, woods, near lakes or swamps. They’re very elusive, but this doesn’t mean they hate humans, quite the contrary! While some communities are more secluded than others, most Lesser Deities don’t mind intermingling with humans, and even take human spouses. Still, they don’t really engage with humans on the regular, preferring to live far from civilisation. As Deities, both satyrs and nymphs are immortal, though they can still die from violent means or illness (something that can’t happen to Major Deities and full Gods) and while they do not die from old age, they can age! Sort of. While their body doesn’t change the way a human’s does, the older a satyr gets the whiter his fur becomes (a fully white coat is considered a great achievement for a satyr!) while older nymphs are almost completely covered in flowers. This usually takes centuries.

Moreover, both satyrs and nymphs have powers! It comes with being deities. They’re not as strong ad Godly powers, but Lesser Deities are still greatly respected and feared by humans. I’ll eventually make a completely separate post about nymph and satyr’s powers but for now the very short version

Nymph powers: related to plants. Both growing plants, reviving them, and using their natural properties to aid in various illnesses etc. A good example of their powers would be reviving a dead piece of wood, or making natural fibres bloom, or even increasing the potency of a plant, so that its natural effect is even stronger.

Satyr powers: this is still up in the air and probably subjected to change but, satyrs are really great at enticing humans and even hypnotising them with their songs and dances. Usually they use their powers either to protect their communities from humans, driving them away from their place of living, or to attract humans so they can take advantage of them. It depends. If their goal is to attract humans, their traces (hoofprints etc.) can glow, so that humans can follow them better.

Both their powers can be influenced by mood, and especially nymphs need to stay in contact with nature to be able to tap into their powers. Droughts, pollution etc. can seriously impact their magic.

And now, last but not least… children! But wait, how can satyrs and nymphs have children if they’re all male/all female?

When approaching this story I’ve kept in mind that female satyrs didn’t exist in Ancient Greek mythology. That’s a later invention (I think Roman, but don’t quote me on that), I’ve decided to build up on that when conceptualising my world, and since the female counterpart of the satyr is the nymph… I’ve technically made them the same “species” which means that unions between satyrs and nymphs are fertile and will produce offspring. Unions with humans will also result in children, but they will always be either nymphs (if female) or satyrs (if male). A Lesser Deity’s children are always Deities themselves, even if the other parent is a mortal human. The only exception would be if the other parent is a full God (like in Bia’s case)

Children are never considered bastards, even if the father is unknown. The family name (is there is one) is passed by the mother to her children.

I’m still undecided if Crino has a family name or not lol, we’ll see.

[hidelias]

A bend in space-time S1 || a TUA fanfiction

What if, through the whole story of The Umbrella Academy, Klaus had had someone to have his back? I chose to insert an OC - Rin - into the plot of the series, appearing almost only in deleted scenes. This fic is not a self-insert nor a OC-centric fic : Rin exists to flesh out the canon characters, and the fic is mostly focusing on Klaus. Please read the introduction for more details ♡

TABLE OF CONTENTS

🎧 Music is a major part of The Umbrella Academy, and so it is in this fic. You can find the full playlist of this season here : AO3 - Wattpad - Spotify

Chapter 1: Caught in a spiral AO3 - Wattpad - FFN

On her way home from work, Rin finds a telegram from Klaus. The message begins with ''My father is dead, please come and stay for a while', then gets lost in incomprehensible words. Little does she know that she's about to get caught in a spiral that will shape her whole life.

Chapter 2: Feels like deja-vu AO3 - Wattpad - FFN

Rin has agreed to spend a few days at Hargreeves Mansion after the death of Reginald Hargreeves, and is beginning to realize the implications. During a diner, Allison and Diego understand what she can do.

Chapter 3: Out of the brambles AO3 - Wattpad - FFN

Rin spends her first night at Hargreeves Mansion, in the room Diego has lent her. But as she had feared, Klaus - in the room next door - is not sleeping peacefully.

Chapter 4: Not another me AO3 - Wattpad - FFN

The eulogy for Reginald Hargreeves took place, and nothing went according to plan, which was - in itself - to be expected. Before leaving for work, Rin bumps into the Hargreeves she was expecting least: Five.

Chapter 5: The stolen box AO3 - Wattpad - FFN

Of course, Klaus didn't stay sober for the day of Reginald Hargreeves' eulogy. And what's worse, he seems to have pilfered and resold a valuable object…

Chapter 6: A pain in the ass AO3 - Wattpad - FFN

A little shaken by her discussion with Klaus, Rin escapes to the “ kids' lounge ” for a coffee. There she meets a new face: Viktor, looking for his music case.

Chapter 7: The glass eye AO3 - Wattpad - FFN

At lunchtime, Klaus appears behind the window of the hardware store where Rin works, as much to apologize as to be invited for lunch. He informs her… of Five's intriguing investigations.

Chapter 8: Algorithmically caring AO3 - Wattpad - FFN

At breakfast, Rin finally meets Luther, who seems disturbed. While eating the eggs and bacon, he shares with her his concerns about Grace's dysfunction.

Chapter 9: Into the dumpster AO3 - Wattpad - FFN

Finally, Klaus goes looking for Reginald Hargreeves' book in the dumpster. Unfortunately, it appears to be already gone.

Chapter 10: The fall of a sparrow AO3 - Wattpad - FFN

Rin accepted to talk to Pogo about the notebook Klaus had lost. An encounter that won't go as she had imagined.

Chapter 11: The Hollies AO3 - Wattpad - FFN

The aftermath of the encounter with Pogo is hard on Rin, but Klaus gives her his support. Unaware that events are about to take a turn, she leaves Hargreeves Mansion for the evening with a lighter heart.

Chapter 12: Smells like cold ashes AO3 - Wattpad - FFN

Klaus has disappeared, and Rin seems to be the only one who cares. In his empty room, she runs into Luther, who tries to reassure her.

Chapter 13: Safe and home AO3 - Wattpad - FFN

To take Rin's mind off things, Luther has got her to spend the evening with Viktor and Allison. A 'sleepover' that - in the end - will do her good and provide the opportunity for some confidences.

Chapter 14: The ache for what never will AO3 - Wattpad - FFN

Klaus is back, after hours that felt like months. Unfortunately, Rin soon realizes that something is wrong…

Chapter 15: The horseman of the apocalypse AO3 - Wattpad - FFN

Rin is worried about Reginald Hargreeves' intentions for her. She tells Five, who is busy writing equations on the walls of his room.

Chapter 16: Through the looking glass AO3 - Wattpad - FFN

So as not to leave Klaus alone in his distress, Rin takes him to spend the evening with her at her Granny's place. The two of them are on the verge of making important… but contradictory decisions.

Chapter 17: Antechamber to the beyond AO3 - Wattpad - FFN

In the hope of summoning Dave, Klaus decided to go cold turkey. Rin manages to talk to him about something important that's been on her mind for a long time. Unfortunately… this will be 'the day that wasn't'.

Chapter 18: The bonds that matter AO3 - Wattpad - FFN

Finally, another day replaces 'the one that wasn't'. While Klaus has accompanied Diego on some business that Rin knows nothing about, she meets Grace, who has been reactivated and reprogrammed.

Chapter 19: Ut Malum Pluvia AO3 - Wattpad - FFN

Five has been injured and is forced to stay in bed, which annoys him to no end. While Rin is visiting him, he shares a few words with her about the impending Apocalypse.

Chapter 20: Ockham's razor AO3 - Wattpad - FFN

Luther and Klaus' evening at the rave party was a bumpy one. After a blow to his head that led to a disturbing experience, Klaus returns to Hargreeves Mansion and finds Rin in a state of lethargy.

Chapter 21: When the wild wind blows AO3 - Wattpad - FFN

Allison has disappeared while searching for Viktor. Anxiously, everyone sets off to the lakes to look for her, including Rin, despite the state the Valium has put her in.

Chapter 22: What can't be summoned AO3 - Wattpad - FFN

Allison's rescue was an eventful one. Now sober, Klaus finally expresses how much he suffers from the fact that no one gives him any credit.

Chapter 23: It takes three to tango AO3 - Wattpad - FFN

Klaus decided not to stay sober after all. Disagreeing, Ben and Rin unexpectedly prevent him from swallowing his pills… and discover that 'it can take three to tango'.

Chapter 24: The seven peaks Gao Yord AO3 - Wattpad - FFN

The end of the world is imminent. Rin and Klaus visit Granny one last time. As Klaus makes himself comfortable, Rin realizes that one of the tattoos he came back with from Vietnam is anything but ordinary.

Chapter 25: A manageable insanity AO3 - Wattpad - FFN

Harold Jenkins is dead. Has the end of the world been prevented? In the company of Dolores, Five shares his doubts with Rin, and makes her promise to keep still keep a 'plan B' with him.

Chapter 26: The Academy's last lament AO3 - Wattpad - FFN

Convinced that the Apocalypse has been stopped, Rin feels light-hearted as she returns from work. But as she approaches Hargreeves Mansion, she realizes that something is going on there.

Chapter 27: Rock and Bowl AO3 - Wattpad - FFN

After escaping from the rubble of Hargreeves Mansion, everyone meets up at Super Star Lanes Bowling to discuss the situation. In the toilets, Rin chats with Allison… using a notepad.

Chapter 28: S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y night AO3 - Wattpad - FFN

Klaus failed to convince his siblings that he could materialize Ben. Suddenly, a squadron of gunmen invades the bowling alley, and chaos ensues.

Chapter 29: The roars from beyond AO3 - Wattpad - FFN

On the stage of the Icarus Theatre, Viktor's pain expresses itself through his violin and a colossal accumulation of energy. A threat in itself, quickly made worse by the intervention of the Commission's gunmen.

Chapter 30: A bend in space-time AO3 - Wattpad - FFN

Viktor is now under control, but the relief is short-lived. Rin soon realizes that the time has come to put Five's 'Plan B' into action…

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<< Prequel || Season 2 >>

[turtleybeachin]

Burnout in the Devildom: Solomon's Chapter

(re-post to share entire fic on tumblr)

Pairing: Solomon x GN MC Rating: G Word Count: 1.6k Tags: Fluff, Comfort, Platonic, Solomon's Cooking

You’ve been working hard in the Devildom. Classes are intense, especially when it feels like you’re having to play catch-up just to have basic understandings of things everyone else knows innately. Add to that living with seven avatars of sin who can’t go more than six hours without some sort of catastrophe, and somehow you’re always dragged into the middle of their chaos to sort things out and be their big sibling despite being the actual baby of the entire world?

You’re exhausted. The sort of exhaustion that does not just go away after a good night’s rest and an eye mask and a glass of human-world wine. The sort of exhaustion that starts sapping the life out of everything you do, everything you touch, until you feel like you’re just going through the motions and always one inconvenience away from a complete meltdown.

SOLOMON:

Sometimes he feels like you are the only one who truly understands him. The inverse is also true. Sometimes he believes he may be the only one who actually gets you.

In a world full of demons and sprinkled with angels, where magic is mundane and curses and hexes are as plentiful as weeds, it can be so easy to forget the simplicity of humanity. It can be dangerously simple to forget the magic in the magic.

You are a grounding force, reminding him to appreciate the awe of every moment and to stop taking a single day for granted.

But in this moment, you are also a reminder of the stark differences between humans and celestials and infernals. Humans deal with stress much differently, and life in the Devildom has been constant introductions of new varieties of stress.

It's a little astonishing, really. At least he came into this exchange program already self-sufficient and aware of the major players in this political sphere. He knew what he was getting into. You? You have been learning everything as you go, from the actual existence of demons and angels to the reality of magic to your place in this wider world.

You've been doing a fantastic job of it, MC; you roll with some very hard punches and never stay down for long. But it's clear that you're starting to feel it now. You're on your feet, as you always are, but your spirit is bruised. You're exhausted. You're showing all the human signs of stress and strain, physical and emotional and mental.

And you seem to think you have something to prove to everyone still. You think your humanity is a weakness to be overcome, when it is your most wonderful and genuine strength.

MC, you know you don't need to try to impress him, don't you? Nothing will ever make you any less impressive in his eyes.

So do him the honor and the privilege of letting him support you for a change. From one human sorcerer to another. From a friend to a friend. From your partner.

He knows your tendency to overthink the things you shouldn't (and your propensity to not think enough when you really should pause a beat), so he doesn't text or make a polite offer. He sweeps up beside you as you're walking off campus and smiles and asks if you trust him.

You know he's planning something-- he's always planning something-- but you've learned to roll with most of his magical punches well enough. So you say yes, because at the end of the day, you do. He keeps his secrets close, but you trust he has your best intentions in mind.

His hand slips into yours and the ground melts under your feet and you're falling. There's a shift of pressure and then he's gracefully settling on his feet on new ground beside you. (You really wish he'd give you better advance notice to brace for these things.)

You're in a library, but it's not one you recognize. There is light filtering in from windows that reveals you aren't in the Devildom right now. A table nearby has some books scattered across it and journals open to blank pages ready for notes. Two mugs of steaming tea and a plate of cookies sits in the middle of it all.

He's watching you take it in with a small smile, giving you a chance to puzzle things out for yourself. When you shoot him an expectant look, he tilts his head toward the table in invitation and waits for you to look over the subjects chosen for this surprise study session.

All of the books are about depression, anxiety, stress, burnout. There are books on neurodivergency from psychological and biological perspectives. No petty self-help books here, just research and realism. You look to him again, this time in wary understanding.

He gestures for you to have a seat. Leaning over your shoulder, he pulls a few books closer, and you can see they have little tabs sticking out to mark passages. 

There is no problem that cannot be solved, his charming apprentice; it is only a matter of reframing it and creating the answers you need. You see, sometimes you think that something different is something broken only because you do not understand what that difference actually means. 

Humans evolved to survive, and some of those evolutions branched off differently than others. That doesn't make those branches weaker. It makes them better suited for different situations. Anxious minds are more observant, and depressed minds are more realistic. Your only shortcoming is in not understanding how to best care for and protect your unique and beautiful mind.

He slides into the other chair, positioning it at your side but not too close, not crowding your studies. He folds his hands on an empty spot on the table, stretched between the two of you. After a moment's consideration, he gently catches one of your hands between his.

You are not weak because you have limits; you are not failing because you do not measure up to someone else's idea of success. 

There is no rush here; the books are yours, and this library is his own. While is it spelled to keep most everyone out, you are recognized and welcome any time you desire.

And should you want conversation between bursts of reading, he will always make time for you. After all, you can't possibly think he's lived this long and not wrestled with his own inner-demons, can you? He knows every person experiences things differently, and whether you just want to voice your thoughts aloud or debate the efficacy of a coping mechanism, he's your man.

But let's not fall too deep into the serious scholarly hole here! Who do you think he is, Lucifer? This isn't all work and no play, MC.

Sometimes, he admits with a broad grin, the real magic is just simple science. But a little alchemy and sorcery can make the journey more fun.

The only way out is through a problem, but who said you have to take the road most traveled by? Don't limit your beliefs and expectations by what you think is possible, dear apprentice. Together you can create new possibilities.

Why do you think he enjoys creating new potions and fiddling with charms and amulets, hm? Once you live a few hundred years, you get very tired of the same-old same-old. If you're this exhausted by life after a few decades, imagine how absolutely mind-numbing it gets after a few dozen. 

And of course you can start with the basics, the usual culprits. Is housework piling up because you're too exhausted to even think about doing laundry or washing dishes? He didn't live this long without learning some shortcuts for tedious chores.

Are the brothers driving you out of your mind with their neediness? It's both charming and alarming how seven avatars of sin could be so wild about one human. (Then again, it makes complete sense when that one human is you.) But he can teach you a multitude of spells, from forced boundaries to repel them to illusions to make you seem to be in multiple places simultaneously. 

Perhaps just some lighthearted fun, to fill your room with bubbles or change the color of your hair, to walk among stars or create your own symphonies and soundtracks. It's easy for him to forget the simple awe and joy of magic, but seeing that genuine smile on your face reminds him of the truly important things in life.

But think wilder, MC! Think broader! Ask pointless questions and make extravagant answers. Joy doesn't come by doing the bare minimum to survive, it comes by doing something new and exciting and absolutely unnecessary.

You don't need to create a bracelet that causes the wearer to speak only in bad puns, but it sure would be hilarious. You don't have to invent cursed socks that always slip down the wearer's heels, but it'd be entertaining. You aren't required to invent a potion that results in actual visual thought bubbles over the imbiber's head, but it'd make family dinners much more fun.

Name your wildest dreams, MC, and he'll help you learn how to make them reality.

While magic can't be used to change the way your mind works (such things are banned for good reason, and your mind is perfect the way it is), it can help you find new ways to cope and help you understand the root causes of your symptoms. It can give you avenues of discovery to find new purpose and meaning.

But most importantly, remember that you are not in it alone. Even in the Devildom, you do not have to face your humanity by yourself. 

Yes, your emotions and your pain can be a burden, but they are a burden worth sharing, a burden he wishes to help you manage. You are worth the effort, MC, and you are worth the struggle. 

Because that is the strength of humanity:  no matter the hardship, humans will band together and help one another keep standing and keep fighting. Not because it's the easy thing to do, but because it's the human thing to do. 

He had nearly forgotten his own humanity before he met you, but you've reminded him of how precious a gift it is. 

Now, please, have some cookies! He made them himself, and they're some of his best work if he does say so himself. They have a great little kick to them! .... Why are you making that face?

[megafreak400]

Watching all of One Piece - The East Blue Saga

Well i've been trapped. You watch one introduction story about a cute reindeer doctor and suddenly you're locked in anime jail, unable to leave until you've traversed the entire grand line. I'm committed at this point though, so join me on my journey as I watch all of One Piece for the first time. Some background to start with. As alluded to the entire reason why I started this was I watched the Drum Island Arc on a whim before deciding to say fuck it and just watch the entire show. I haven't watched an anime series in like at least 5 years so why not start with this behemoth (this was decided before I watched Zombie Land Saga, but I blame a friend for that one.) Also note that i'm watching the Funimation dub of the original anime (not the live action also.) The plan is to write a blog post for every story saga. Is this the smartest way to break thing up? Eh maybe not but I'm going with it if it comes back to bite me oh well. So yes while I did watch Drum Island first, I won't give my thoughts on it until I finish the next saga. My plan is to break this down in four sections, though this may change in future blogs. The sections will be: 1. A talk about music I liked and OPs I liked 2. My general thoughts on the arcs (I will not recap what happens this blog assumes you know) 3. My thoughts on Major Characters or Characters I really really like. This saga will be a heavily focused on our main cast, but i'll make mention of guys that stood out or guys I hated as well for the supporting cast/villians during the arcs section 4. Overall thoughts on the saga.

Music

A great first opening for this show, catchy as heck and I think it fits the feel of the show perfectly. I do think maybe a rap may have been a better fit but this is still really good.

Sadly the second OP is just ok. It's not bad but I think the english version isn't nearly as good as what i've heard of the Japanese version, and even that just doesn't hit as well as We Are. I also think the weird 4 image thing the op does is kind of lame compared to unique animation and as far as I can tell that's how it was in japanese as well. As far as ED's go, none of them really stood out to me except one.

This song is just so catchy, even more so in the English version which just has more energy to it. I mostly like the starting section with the kid versions of the main cast running, it's so good and i love kid zoro just running super extra hard it's adorable. For background music, all of it is very good but by far the best background song is this one:

Specifically the first part. When these trumpets start blaring you know that someone is doing something cool or about ready to make a bad ass stand. It's also very catchy and powerful. On a similar note I also really enjoy Rubber Bazooka. You know Luffy (or sometimes buggy for no reason...Like seriously why did they use this theme for him in that one episode) is kicking some major ass and it's always a fun time.

And my last pick for my top 3 favorite songs is Mother Sea, a remix of We are that usually plays when the saddest backstory ever is happening. Always fits the scenes perfectly, doubly so since a lot of these scene have like a white fuzzy boarder of sorts to denote a flash back that for some reason when mixed with this song just gives a very sad nostalgic vibe that I appreciate.

One last honorable mention goes to the snippets of character themes that play midway during an episode when it goes to commercial. I know that there is a full song to these and these are just parts of that full orchestration but the parts they pick really fit the characters perfectly and it's always a delight to hear the song and be like "oh zoro's poster is gonna flutter on up." All of the music in this show is delightful and I can't wait to hear more.

Arcs

Ok It's time for the Meat and potatoes section. This is mostly what stuck out to me, so if I missed something you found cool i'm sorry. Romance Dawn Arc

A good start to the story, introducing us to the insanity that is Luffy. This is mostly just an introductory arc so I don't have a ton of specific reactions here that wouldn't be mentioned in Luffy and Zoro's overall character thoughts. For other characters Koby is a weenie but I do end up liking him and I love how Luffy inspires him. It is really wild that he ends up friends with a pirate despite wanting to join the marines (though honestly kid, 90 percent of the marines I've seen in this show suck, maybe don't.....or go find captain smoker), but I guess Luffy is just built different. Villains wise, most are kind of forgettable. Alivda is a whatever character here and Helmeppo is silly but kind of obnoxious. Morgan is horrible and starts the trend of the main villian of the arc being the biggest piece of shit, and usually even a bigger piece of shit compared to the guy from the last arc. One piece is in an arm race to find the worst characters for Luffy to beat up and I'm kind of all here for this. I guess the other thing to note is Shanks, who is shown in a flash back (though in the manga I know it's just the first chapter. I really like Shanks and I know we'll see more of him in the future. Just know I think he's really cool and I hope he doesn't end up being an asshole. But beyond that there isn't much else to say about this arc. I like the Nami shows up here doing her own thing but beyond that it's just a solid introduction arc without anything too crazy that stands out.

Orange Town Arc

Chouchou is best boy! The fake out of you thinking he got slaughters when actually he struck a blow was great I really hope we see him again in the future, though I doubt it since he's such a small character. Also the Mayor was really fun, respect to him marching off to fight Buggy. Stupid of him, but he had guts. Beyond that uh yea sorry I don't really care for Buggy. This arc is great because we get more Zoro and Luffy character building but Buggy and his crew are a bit of a snooze fest. Maybe it's the dub actor who sounds like he's going for Joker if he wasn't funny and also was barely evil but I guess most of the villains in this show are giant asshats who you want to see beat up. Buggy is just kind of an annoyance so far. He's a lot more annoying in later episodes, here he was fine but IDK the anime seems to love this man and he hasn't done anything to make me enjoy watching him. Chop Chop powers are fun, but he doesn't really do anything creative with them here. His lackeys also overstay their welcome. The fact that I remember Chouchou more than the guy he was fighting should be evidence of that. And acrobat guy shouting random attack names was funny but again just got old after a while. The more important part of this arc is Nami finally meeting Luffy an Zoro. I want it noted that it takes a while for me to like Nami, here she slightly got on my nerves mostly because she was being a bit silly about thinking she could trick Buggy, at least at the time. Also shout outs to Zoro just sleeping after a bad stab womb. Won't be the last time either, I love this dumb swordsman.

Syrup Village Arc

Ok this is the first Arc I really gelled with. Not that I wasn't enjoying the show before this, I was because I really like Zoro and Luffy. But this was the first arc where I thought the overall story and pacing kept me enthralled. Ussop really shines in this arc and while it's kind of his fault no one believes him he steps up and the battle that follows is incredible. Kaya is a sweetheart, though some of her actions in this arc are a little short sighted. Her going to Kuro just seemed like the wrong move, but i respect her guts. She is also part of the reason Ussop works in this arc because his tall tales are for her benefit and it's shown she really enjoys Ussop's company. Next up....how did Merry survive? I know this won't be the last time i ask this but seriously this dude should have died. I legit thought he was going to become their boat through some strange reincarnation, and I wasn't entirely wrong? Obligatory Zoro is so dumb and I love him for it. Nami pushing him down into the oil, ok sure dick move but the guy took like a half hour to realize he could just use his sword to climb up. I also find it absolutely hilarious that if he doesn't have a sword in his mouth he's like at half strength. The Black cat pirates are by far the best villains so far. Kuro is an absolute dick and even before the reveal I hated this man. This man was a wanted pirate who decided to hatch this insane scheme to take over this rich families fortune by 2 years of pretending to be their faithful butler and faking his death to get the marines off his tail. Just an absolutely over the top insane plan but it doesn't matter because he sells it just due to how cold and cunning he is. Unfortunately he stupidly decided to reveal his plan to merry for no reason before failing to kill him, so maybe dumber than you think (like most cats.) His crew is also a lot of fun, the back and forth of them wanting to cheer him with his old name and him getting mad at them is great, and them just switching to cheering for Luffy when he reveals he was going to kill them all is hilarious. Jango is also a lot of fun, his hypnotism add a lot of twists to this arc that I enjoyed. I've learned quickly that for a lot of these arcs they need something to prevent Luffy and Zoro from just winning right out the gate, so having Luffy be hypnotized here was not only hilarious it also gave Ussop a time to shine. Oh yea and shout outs to the ussop pirate gang, those kids were pretty cool in the end and respect to them for staying to fight against Jango. Overall best arc so far, it was a joy from start to end. Baratie Arc

This might be my favorite arc of this saga. I fucking love this insane restaurant everyone who works here is nuts and It's the best. There are so many good characters in this arc. Patty and Carne stand out from the chefs, but even the nameless background chefs are great. Zoro's bounty hunter friends are introduced here and I loves these weirdos and the fact that they stick around for so long. Zeff is the best dad, his backstory with Sanji is the saddest backstory ever and I really love his goodbye with Sanji. Also The idea of a kicking pirate is great and I love that he taught Sanji everything he knows. Also his interactions with Luffy are hilarious. Full not metal not alchemist is a giant weenie and a great way to introduce how nuts the fighting Chefs of the Baratie are. I assume we'll see him more in the future but glad he got what was coming to him. Gin is a great character and I love that we get a complex villain here. One piece needs a giant asshole for the crew to defeat but having a character who is technically on the other side but has good morals helps give a bit more complexity beyond just bad guy is bad. Mihawk comes way the fuck out of now where and I assume he'll be way more important later but he's a good way to show how insane what they'll find in the Grand Line will be. It's interesting because a lot of this arc feels like setting up for later arcs, with the stuff with Nami leaving leading directly to the next one or Zoro's fight here most likely leading to big things later down the line but it never feels like it's out of place. Don Krieg is a giant weenie and seeing him and his stupid armor taken down was very satisfying. This man also sucks because he's supposed to be one of the strongest pirates ever and he went to the grand line and instantly got his ass handed to him. He also has a punch able face. The setting to this arc is also very fun. The idea of a floating restaurant is just such a cool concept. It also makes for an interesting battle ground since neither party wants to destroy the terrain. Also Sanji. This is the last time Sanji gets to be not cringe for an entire arc (so far at least) I like sanji here a lot he's fantastic. I feel like fighting wise he doesn't really get to do much here (he honestly feels more normal here and less super strong compared to later fights) but his morals when it came to feeding people and his defending of his family and home and how he finally agrees to join Luffy's crew are all handled fantastically. Sadly though he has one glaringly bad character flaw, but i'll get to that later. Overall I just love the pacing of this arc. It flows perfectly. From them meeting the bounty hunters (which is hilarious by the way, don't pour lemon juice down a man's throat to cure scurvy at home kids) to them deciding they need a chef as the reason to go the restaurant in the first place. The from there the marine jerk causing Luffy to become a chore boy, and them being there leading to Gin escaping and bring back Krieg, it just feels all natural. And as mentioned with Nami leaving it also feels like it just flows well into the next arc. 10/10 best arc. Arlong Park Arc

Fuck

Ok......Let's try this again. FUUUUUUUUUUUUCKKKK This arc is apparently the arc to watch if you want to know if you'll like one piece and I get why. Also the arc that made me go "what the fuck how did 4 Kids dub this" before realizing the answer was "badly." There is some brutal stuff in this arc, and if you thought Kuro was an asshole, clearly you haven't met Arlong. Ok some minor things. Momoo is adorable and I love them. I feel so bad for them and I want to give them a hug. Granted the running joke of Luffy and Sanji not knowing what the heck animals are is really funny but leave my poor cow baby alone. Ok other small things uh............fuck everything in this arc isn't really small. Ok uh....Ussop he gets to be heroic for once, that was cool. Oh and the pinwheel guy and Nami's sister are fantastic I love them and them trying to save Luffy is hilarious and also Luffy is an idiot. alright uh where to start. Arlong is a fucking asshole. Fuck this guy the biggest piece of shit until the next piece of shit. IDK what the worst part about this guy is. The racism, what he did to nami's mom, what he did to the village, what he did to nami both in making her join his crew and giving her false hope before snatching it away. Take your pick, they're all good choices. Arlong is our first introduction to the fish man species and I really hope there are some good fish men later on (there are I know this) because pretty much everyone here (except one) are just awful. Arlong's defeat by Luffy is extremely cathartic. The entire scene in the map room and luffy's reaction...it's perfect. uh other fish man....honestly most of the other guys are whatever except Hatchan. Dude is hilarious and also very dumb. While I said Gin was great for being a good guy on the bad team, Hatchan is good for being a dumb guy on the bad team. From his first meeting to zoro to his entire fight with zoro seeing dumb vs dumb is a sight to behold. Ok i'll get to this more during nami's character section but Nami is a character who slowly gets better arc from arc with slow character building and moving her to this moment. This is her arc, and it's also when I was fully on liking her as a character. That scene, that fucking scene man. You know the one. It's just so good everything about her in this arc is done masterfully. How she fakes killing Ussop, the Tattoo she ends up getting after everything, her friendship with Luffy here. Nami is this arc and while I did enjoy the Baratie more, this arc hits on an emotional level with the saddest backstory ever told. Also obligatory Zoro is dumb. Did I mention I love him? Louge Town Arc

This arc is a fun time. It's a good breather arc, setting up the the transition to the grand line, introducing some new characters and reintroducing some old characters. I was not expecting to see alvida again, and though she basically acts like a different character, it's cool to see her return i guess. Buggy is here....yay? IDK maybe Buggy becomes amazing later on but he's more just used here to establish characters coming back and act as a way to make Luffy seem cool. The side stories in this arc are what i mostly enjoy though. Everything with Zoro in the sword shop was a fun time, and I can't wait to see more of this not the dead girl zoro knew in the future. Ussop's story with Daddy the Father (yes that's his name) is also fun. Any time Ussop isn't being annoying i'll always applaud. Some insane stuff happens near the end of this arc, like this weird man and the weird lighting but I'm assuming we'll learn more about that much later. And lastly, Smoker. We love Smoker. The first marine I like and IDK what his role in the story will be but i can't wait to see more of this man. Warship Island Arc

An anime only arc that....exists. This arc is fine, but honestly thinking back I really don't have much to say about this one. Eric is a stupid weenie and the entire arc is them going to the wrong place and having to back track. I do like Apis, she's a fun character, but the overall pace of the story just is kind of whatever. I do like that they work this arc into manga events like getting trapped in the calm belt or entering reverse mountain, and the main cast continues to be pretty fun in their interactions with each other but I kind of just want to get to the grand line already!

Episodes not in Arcs

Ok there are really only two things to mention here. 1. Gaimon is the best and I love his island with the weird animals. I assume he's not important but his episode is fun and the idea of this weird box man is hilarious. 2. Buggy's episodes suck. like the only episodes of the show i really didn't like. I don't like buggy as it is but he absolutely can't function as the protagonist. Small buggy dicking around is painful to watch but then they have a second episode with his crew and I just don't care. The lion is funny but other then that these episodes just felt like a waste of time.

Characters

OK I'm only going to cover the main guys here, in later sagas I main include more, we'll have to see. Monkey D Luffy

Luffy is an idiot. He's like so dumb but I kind of love him for it. Probably my second or third favorite character at this point, this man is Goku brained. That's not a bad thing mind you, but if you've watched original dragon ball, all the traits are here. A love for food (and a huge appetite,) loves to fight, gets insanely pissed if you hurt his friends, stupid strong, very very dumb and a has a good heart. Luffy is a simple character but honestly that's fine. Everyone else can get sad backstories and deep lore Luffy is fine just being this rubber wrecking ball. The fact that he actively doesn't want to know the backstories of his crew is both hilarious but also touching in a way, since it doesn't matter to him where they came from. He decided they were on his crew and his friends and that's just the way it is. East blue Luffy overall is a fun time and while him being nerfed at times due to stupidity is a bit, well stupid, it also makes it so he doesn't overstay his welcome. Him being dumb could be annoying but it's mostly paced well enough that it ends up just being funny and not overbearing.

Roronoa Zoro

I love Zoro. Man is stupid strong, stupid stupid and a good guy. Granted he's smarter than Luffy and I love it when he notices stuff and gets to show off a bit of his tactical no how. But the man also is very dumb in a lot of other ways and I love him for it. The fact that the only reason he's known as a pirate hunter is because he just beat up pirates trying to find his way back home because he got lost and he doesn't even realize he's known as this big bad bounty hunter is pretty incredible. It does suck that he gets wounded so much in east blue but if he didn't he would probably win all the fights with no struggle. And because of that we get to see how determined he is to be the best swords man. His fight with Mihawk after learning his back story is such a great moment and i really hope he becomes just that, the greatest swordsman. Nami

I like Nami a lot and I only keep liking her the more I watch. I do think it's a slow burn to liking her, she's not exactly the nicest character to the guys for the longest time, but a lot of that is her wearing a mask due to her past experiences. Once we get to Arlong park and realizing everything she's been through and how strong willed she is, it's understandable and from that point she also becomes a lot more approachable to the rest of the crew while still maintaining a bit of her trademark "you idiots" bite to her. I do wish she was a bit less money hungry at times but compared to other characters it's a minor flaw so far.

Ussop

Ussop is in a race for my least favorite main character in the East Blue and it sucks because I do like him. It's just while the lying in his arc was fine, when he starts to brag and lie during other arcs as a way to seem tougher or to take credit for others deeds, he just comes across as obnoxious. Because Usssop doesn't need to lie, he's pretty cool on his own. Him doing his marksman thing and generally being one of the smarter members of the crew is enough on it's own, you don't need to be freakishly strong dude. He took out a fishman on his own and it was legit hype but then he decides to lie to the town and tell them he did everything despite them clearly watching the whole fight against Arlong. I think Ussop will always be a character who is always really good or really annoying, but I hope he leans more to the good side the further on we get.

Sanji

Oh Sanji. Sanji, Sanji, Sanji. Sanji could be such a good character but he has one really annoying awful trait. He's horrible when it comes to women. Not only that but he's kind of an asshole to the rest of the crew during the every day travel, and only good when in battle. He was great during his arc mind you, but he always acts weird around Nami or any girl and just please dude. Men being weird about beautiful women is always a weird joke and while a lot of times it can kind of work, it just doesn't here. It's unfortunate because it kind of becomes Sanji's whole character or at the very least eclipses anything else good about him.

Final Thoughts

East blue overall is a fun saga to start our adventure. I think it establishes the world of One Piece well while leaving room for more insane characters and story elements the further in we get. It gives us our main cast (besides best boy Chopper) for a while and introduces all their back stories. A good mix of comedy and heartbreak i'm excited to watch more of this show and see how deep the rabbit hole goes.

[bobbinacrossafricatake2]

En Route

May 14-15, 2024

We thought this day would never arrive…..wheels up! Hurrah, we’re on our way!

It’s not clear who was more relieved to be done with all of the trip prep, Jillebob or Sebbie. The worst of it, of course, was making sure our respective jobs were fully covered while we are gone. For Seb, that meant finding coverage for her clients, whether in the middle of a real estate transaction or not. Because in real estate, things happen all the time so being ready at the drop of a hat is the name of the game. Updating and collecting records, passing relevant information to the colleagues backing her up, making introductions, ugh - it’s a lot! For Jill, it meant spending a year working extra time to offset a full month of flexible time off (the new policy of non-accruing leave her company imposed, just as we finalized plans for the trip) and making sure her various tasks were at a point where she did not feel too bad walking away and leaving them in the very capable hands of her terrific colleagues.

But that’s just the beginning. Yikes, the packing! Our most restrictive weight limit is 33 lbs, luggage and carry-on together. We managed to coordinate some electronic stuff, to eliminate redundancy of things we could share. But even so, the priority items are heavy so 33 lbs adds up quickly: cameras, binoculars, iPad and keyboard, sunscreen, bug spray, etc. And even though we plan to use the soap and shampoo provided, there are still personal toiletries that are a must. And all that’s before clothing. Sarah was talking about this packing dilemma to (her neighbor) Lauren’s friend, Ken, to which he replied, “oh, so it’s a clothing optional trip, huh?” Indeed, if not truly clothing optional, it was extra shirts, packing cubes, a few extra socks and such that went into the reject pile. Pack-weigh-remove a few items and repeat… and repeat… and repeat. And a lot of commiserating and consulting with each other. You get the idea. In the end, we’re each pretty close to 33 lbs. No major shopping on this trip! Well, until the very end.

After a few days of Sarah spending time with her housemate for the summer, Elizabeth, to get her situated and Fergie passed to Kim’s loving care for a month, Sarah jumped into an Uber with duffel and carry-on, and headed toward Jill’s place. Jill was waiting at the door and onward we went to Dulles. Richard, our Uber driver, was delightfully chatty. We were giddy with anticipation and it made the journey fast. Jill found it quite therapeutic to wave at her office building as the Uber drove by. We were super early, plenty of time for a glass of wine and catch up on our last preparations and excitement over the trip. We found ourselves pondering what if we never took that first trip to Ireland when we barely knew each other. Would either of had made the trips we’ve done — India, China/Tibet, South Africa/Botswana/Rwanda/Kenya, Churchill, and Galapagos/Costa Rica? We could agree… maybe we would have, but we would have missed out the best travel buddy thing going, and it wouldn’t have been as fun.

Man, it’s a long way to Johannesburg, South Africa! Seven hours across the pond to Amsterdam and another ten going south. When one factors in transportation on either side, it’s over 24 hours door-to-door. We each slept very little on the first flight and more on the second, seemingly more comfortable flight. The layover in Amsterdam was easy - such a nice airport and good opportunity to get at least a little walking in! As our pilot walked up to the gate to board our flight to Johannesburg, a flight attendant asked everyone to give him a hand for his last flight before retirement! We were clearly in good, experienced hands! Movies to entertain, a few magazines, pretty good food, and we made it to the other side.

[whispersafterdusk]

Ensuring the Future - ch 4

With the sudden addition of a lift for the salvage yard the majority of her time had been spent scavenging and assembling; Miguel brought her tea every morning and they chatted while she stoked the furnaces and organized the day's work. They were careful to keep their chatter to innocent things so as to not start the days off in low moods (and had also planned to meet up for dinner every Monday, to hell with their respective schedules) but there was some annoyance to have a desire dangled in her face and knowing that she could not reach out to seize it without letting something else important fall through the cracks thanks to Yan's mismanagement.

At least once the lifts were installed it wasn't such a pain to gather materials -- one had to take the small victories where they could. Down in the ruins everything was far more plentiful: raw ore was easier to refine than recycling scrap and anything and everything wooden was pulled apart and carried back to the surface to be stripped, sanded, and repurposed; little by little things were falling into place and it was taking less and less time to fulfill the late commissions, and it certainly helped that Mi-an's list had been so well organized too -- efficiency was a key component of speed, after all. As she began to streamline things and get established her schedule would effectively open up (a thought both welcome and terrifying). ((Continued below cut))

Recent deliveries included boards to the saloon (and fixing a few loose stairs while she was there), a bucket of screws and a single hardwood panel to the general store, a new pane of glass for a display case in the temple... This morning though was one she was actually looking forward to: a few buckets and some replacement boards for the Moisture Farm.

Contracting exclusively with the botanists in Highwind had introduced her to the work of many of the botanists scattered across the Free Cities; Sandrock had Zeke and his work out here in the desert was discussed quite often -- Professor Luo had even commissioned her to build a more compact hydroponic system to send out here on a trial period to see if it was a feasible means to speed up production and conserve water in such an arid environment. She'd built the unit, they'd sent it off and had received a few tentatively hopeful reports in response, but after about a year or so she didn't recall any further mention of the machine. Whether that was good or bad news was something she intended to find out as she rode the yakmel cart over to deliver the commissioned goods.

She left the boards and buckets beside the door in orderly stacks and took a moment to look over the outside of the farm; it looked like a wrecked and repurposed flying machine with a giant glass-pane dome protecting the plants within. It was heavily rusted and she spotted a few areas that could use some attention, quickly making a mental note of it, then shouldered the door open and walked into the humid enclosure.

It smelled lush and organic -- fresh-cut greenery, wet dirt, and a touch of manure, and it brought back a rush of memory and emotion of Highwind and its greenhouses...though the greenhouses had always been full of students, professors, and aides, and the work always filthy and back-breaking, it had still been a peaceful and fulfilling place to labor. There was but one man here though and she could spot him bent over a planter full of newly sprouted wheat stalks not far from the door, and he in turn had turned just enough to peer at her from over a shoulder.

Olivia smiled at him in greeting and headed over, immediately noticing the rotting board at the top of the planter but turning her full attention to the man for introductions first. "Good morning, am I right in thinking you're Zeke?"

"Uh, yeah, that's me. You're...one of our new builders, right?" He straightened and dusted soil from his hands and beyond his large frame she could spot another ailing planter.

She resisted the urge to look up to check if the weakened areas she'd spotted outside were visible from here and offered her hand. "I am indeed. I'm Olivia, and am pleased to finally put a face to the name -- Professor Luo spoke quite highly of your work out here, and several of your soil testing techniques are being put to use in Highwind and up north near the border settlements."

A very subtle look of surprise managed to overcome his neutral expression. "Really? Huh. He never mentioned any of that." He took her hand and delicately shook it; his fingers were moist and cool from where they'd been digging around in the dirt and she could feel a fine grit still clinging to his skin along with numerous calluses -- not so different from her own after decades of working with her hands.

"I find that surprising...the man was always honest with his praise." Olivia let her hand fall away and glanced back to the planters. "I have your boards and buckets sitting just outside - I'm more than happy to repair these planters for you and if you've the time I did have some questions and an offer."

He struck her as a man that didn't or wasn't used to talking much, and he seemed a tad overwhelmed by the rush of words. "What kind of questions? And what kind of offer?"

"Let me fetch your commissions and I'll explain fully."

"I'll help you carry." He scrubbed his hands off on his thighs and she caught his eyes flicking down to the brace on her leg.

"Thank you, that's very kind," she replied with a smile.

He left her the buckets and easily hoisted the pile of boards up on one broad shoulder; she held the door for him and followed along as he carried the wood over toward the planters. Olivia quickly sorted the boards out by size and walked about the farm to place them next to the correct planters, then returned to where she'd left Zeke at the wheat plants.

"It won't take me long to repair these but before I get to that I wanted to ask about a hydroponic unit that was sent over a while back. How has it held up?"

Zeke scratched at his chin, fingers audibly rasping through his beard. "Well, it worked great, until it didn't. After about a year it broke - think it was the pump or something, since it stopped circulating the water. Asked Yan and Mason to fix it, they both said it couldn't be fixed. I ended up draining the water and storing it in the shed so I could fill the spot it was sitting in with basic planters."

Olivia frowned and closed her eyes, swallowing down a sudden anger and inhaling slowly before opening them again. "Did they say WHY it could not be fixed?"

"Don't think so. They didn't say what had broken for sure either."

"Of course..." she sighed. She already had a suspicion on what the issue was. "And I imagine they didn't do any maintenance on it whatsoever?" Zeke shook his head. "You said you'd stored it then - do you still have it?"

"It's over here."

She followed him over to a metal shack built against the wall squeezed in among some sweet potato pepper planters. The door swung open with the tiniest squeak revealing sacks of seed arranged on shelves, containers of fertilizer (with the expected smell wafting out in force), and various trowels, rakes, and other tools and empty containers. In the back left corner she could see the hydroponic tank sitting on its side with the lighting fixture hanging from some straps from the ceiling - she was pleased to see that the lights had been disconnected from the main unit properly so those probably wouldn't need any work (but she would check them regardless). Zeke moved some of the fertilizer out of the way then lifted the tank free and carried it out to carefully sit it on the floor between them. As he tilted it she could hear the tell-tale rattle of loose parts where there shouldn't be, and nodded more to herself than to him once it was put down.

"I believe I already know the issue, and if I'm right I can't fathom why they claimed this couldn't be fixed," she muttered. She'd brought a hammer and nails for the planters and an adjustable wrench just in case but to get the pump and engine housing cover off she'd need a flathead screwdriver - she didn't have one of those but she did have a penknife that should do the job if she was careful with it. "...well, from what I've already seen - coupled with this - I suppose this just proves a point and makes me hope you're agreeable to my offer."

"What sort of offer are you, er, offering?" he prompted.

She slipped the penknife free of her pocket and flipped it open, bending to place the tip of the blade into the screw's slot. "Along with being so backlogged I've also heard from a few people that Yan has, without scruple, turned down posting commissions he didn't think were 'important' enough jobs, AND-" she paused, freeing the first screw with her fingertips once she'd loosened it enough, "-I had sent two sets of instructions with this unit: one for its usage, and one highly detailed set for its maintenance. I'm assuming you got the usage ones?" she glanced up and he nodded at her. "Good. So that confirms that the instructions were not magically lost in transit, which tells me that Yan or Mason, or both, willfully decided not to maintain this machine. I intend to bypass this carelessness right now," she grunted, pulling the next screw out and moving to the third.

"About six years ago," she continued, "the builders in Tallsky got together with the Central Commerce Guild to rework some of the regulations -- namely, to allow builders to specialize, or be more selective in the work they wished to take on. Those new rules allowed me to set up an agreement with Highwind's botanists. I won't bore you with the legalese but basically, so long as I do not charge less than the going rate of the local guild commission fees, do not claim the jobs as points on any local leader boards, and do not repeatedly favor the private contract over any active municipal ones, I am allowed to enter into contracts with specific people or groups at my own discretion. Of all places to have every need met, no matter how large or small a job, I would say the farm providing the majority of a town's produce should be on top of the damn list, so that is what I propose: I will enter into a private contract with you to attend to any need that arises. You will not need to deal with Yan at all unless I am somehow not available, in which case you'll go through the usual process as normal."

As the third and then fourth screw came loose she looked up to him; a gamut of emotion crossed over his face: confusion, uncertainty, thoughtfulness, and now there was a ghost of a smile playing at the edges of his mouth.

"Not have to deal with Yan, huh? Can't see him liking that."

"It's legal - whether he likes it or not isn't my problem," she said with a thin-lipped smile. "I've already given up on trying to get along with that mustachioed weasel and I find lazy and crooked men tend to never straighten. If he chooses to put up a roadblock then I will find a way around, over, under, or through it."

He let out an amused snort at the weasel comment, then removed his hat to run his hand through sweaty hair. "I'm not against it, so long as it won't cause you any trouble."

"It won't - if I can handle the workload of roughly fifty instructors and twice as many students, I can handle this. And, I actually picked up quite a bit of knowledge about botany and agriculture in my time with Professor Luo. I know the situation here is vastly different from Highwind but it's my hope that what I've learned will help make our working relationship here smoother."

Zeke nodded and pulled his hat back on. "I like the sound of that. So...what needs to be done?"

Olivia paused long enough to pop the pump housing cover free and frowned again as several loose metal shards and springs came tumbling out. "I will write the contract up, it will be a fairly standard one declaring our reason and intention for entering in to the agreement, a one-party-dissolution clause, outlining the scope of work and availability -- which is any time you have need of me, for any reason," she added, briefly glancing up to him. "Even if it's a single nail at 2am."

That finally drew a chuckle out of him. "I'm not even awake then. Or I'd better not be." He bent to look at the revealed pump as Olivia began to gingerly pull more and more broken bits loose. "Can you fix it?"

"Oh, certainly," she replied. "At the moment it appears the pump burnt out - probably due to a lack of lubrication on certain moving parts within it and the motor running it. At the very least the rest of the unit is still in one piece so, worst case scenario, I just replace the pump and motor. I could have this back to you within a week at most."

Zeke nodded and straightened again, and looked a tad embarrassed at a few loud pops from his knees. "It'll be nice to have it back. I'll have to find somewhere to put it though."

"Would you like more of them? They're not so hard to put together."

After a few moments to consider he shook his head. "I was mostly using it to get seeds germinating quickly and letting the seedlings get strong before transplanting them. Did some calculations and found that while it uses about 23% less water than what's needed for a planter when you start factoring in the limited growing space, needing to get the exact right nutrients dissolved and balanced to prevent stunted growth for a variety of plants, and amount of power needed to run them too, then what you're saving on water costs is kind of wiped out by other variables. With how thinly balanced our resource needs and availability is out here, one or two more wouldn't hurt but beyond that diminishing returns would start chewing into the benefits." After a breath his eyes widened briefly and he looked faintly sheepish. "Not to, uh, insult your work or anything."

She laughed and stood, pocketing the screws and closing the knife. "I'm not offended, rest assured. It was my hope that it would make a difference out here but it sounds like I need to refine my design to take care of a few of those variables - which I don't mind at all," she added in a firm tone. "A builder not willing to learn and improve should find another profession. Now..." Again she held her hand out to him. "I believe I've taken up enough of your time, considering I barged in here unannounced. I'll get to those planters and then be back as soon as I can with the repaired unit and contract."

Zeke shook her hand again - his had warmed up. "Don't worry about the planters, I can handle those."

"Are you certain? I came here with full intent to fix them."

"Yeah - nailing a few boards into place is easy enough. Do y'need help carrying that out?" he asked, nodding toward the hydroponic unit.

"I can manage, but thank you."

She popped the lid on the water tank and tossed the engine housing cover in, then shut it securely and slipped her hand into a slot on the lid -- it was meant to slide open to allow water to be added without needing to remove the entire thing but for now it sufficed as a handle to carry it by. Zeke held the door for her and watched silently as she hopped onto the yakmel cart and headed back toward her workshop.

Once back home she set the hydroponic unit down on the assembly platform and went to collect all the tools she'd need to disassemble and determine the full extent of the damage. She hadn't quite shed that little flare of anger from earlier -- that Yan and Mason had essentially sabotaged the Moisture Farm...grr. It made her want to drag both of them into the street and cane them in the town square.

At least in Mason's case the man looked worn down...at the end of his career and the life sapped out of him. It was not an excuse for abandoning his duties but she could at least sympathize with the inability to care. She'd been there once before. Yan however...

She would need to watch him very closely.

--------------------------------

Zeke watched as the yakmel cart pulled out of sight.

He'd heard from Burgess about the new builder; how she was older, wiser, polite yet to the point, and above all seemed like a kind and lovely woman. What he hadn't heard about was her take-charge and 'suffer no fools' attitude.

That she was moving to immediately mitigate Yan's creative way of managing commissions gave him a faint sense of hope. A lot of things at the farm had fallen by the wayside -- if it wasn't a vital or large job Yan usually ignored it or else he dragged his feet, maybe hoping that the request would be forgotten, and usually Zeke had no option but to let it go. He was at least capable of doing most of the repair and maintenance on the planters and tools he used daily but there were weak spots in the floor, rust and degradation, cracked glass... It was a lot of small things but after awhile small things could add up to a lot.

He retreated back into the farm and stood just inside the doorway, resting a hand at his belt and looking up at the dome far above. What 'little' problems should he even address? It'd been this way for so long he'd learned to just deal with it. Maybe he ought to let Olivia assess and decide -- she'd know far better than he would about...things.

...maybe this was a sign things would finally turn around.

--------------------------------

"You look quite worn today. Do remember to take breaks, dearest -- the desert is very unforgiving when it comes to the wear and stress it places on a body."

From across the table she smiled at him wearily. "I am becoming quite acquainted with the sentiment, yes. No need for alarm however, I expect this next week will see things finally slowing down."

Miguel nodded slowly. "As you say. I assume this means you and Mi-an have gotten things caught up to where they should be?"

"Just about, yes," she chuckled. She brushed away wisps of hair from her face and used her fingernails to somewhat comb them back into the hair at her temples, where the rest of it was swept up into a messy half ponytail secured with that silver shield hairpin. "Though it would have been much easier on everyone involved if Yan would have temporarily waived the daily commission limits."

"...limits?" Miguel repeated.

"It's our ranking system," she explained. "As Mi-an and I are new builders to Sandrock we are ranked the lowest out of everyone in the Eufala region - 'tis the same deal every time a builder takes to a new area. Essentially, we must work to prove ourselves but for some Light-forsaken reason the lowest ranks are limited to a single commission a day. There are exceptions to that rule such as in emergency situations but Yan did not think being two months behind on everything was 'emergency' enough to allow Mi-an and I to take more than one a day."

"I suppose I've never given that much thought." He could not immediately decide whether such a rule was warranted; you would not want lazy builders snatching up commissions that were late or never finished nor would you want shoddy crafters being the ones completing your requests either, but did that not also make it extremely difficult for a builder to establish themselves? "How odd that the system is set up in such a manner."

She waved a hand. "It's not so bad. Just because we can only take one at a time doesn't mean we can't prepare ahead of time. I've finally gotten things down to wake up, take my morning coffee, gather up the end result of a commission I already know is on that board, grab it, deliver it, done with my 'day' by 8:15."

He chuckled at the mental image. "While I am certain everyone greatly appreciates the promptness - and forgive me, I don't mean to sound insulting - that doesn't sound like a workload that would warrant your current level of exhaustion."

She glanced down at the table between them, a sly look crossing her features before looking back up to him with a self-satisfied smile. "Ah, you could say I've been finding other means of keeping myself busy."

"Such as?"

"Do you assist Matilda in handling the mayoral and administrative duties at all?"

"Yes," he answered, drawing the word out and fixing her with a playfully suspicious look. "You aren't committing any fraud I should be aware of, are you?"

"Ha! No, no fraud, but I'm making certain things are being done however I can manage. I imagine you'll hear Yan howling about it when he figures it out. Consider yourself forewarned."

He leaned forward, steepling his fingers together and resting his elbows on the table, eying her curiously. "Please do elaborate."

"It's nothing illegal or untoward, if that's what you're thinking. I'm merely making sure all the needs of the Moisture Farm are being met. In order to do that I am having to...route around Yan."

"...I'm afraid I'm not following. I thought you were limited in what you can take per day?"

"From the guild, yes. There are no such limits on how many jobs I can take on on personal basis. Which is what I'm doing."

Owen chose that moment to come over with a cheerful "Evening you two!" so Miguel's follow up questions had to wait. "Good evening, Owen. A pot of tea, if you please. I am not yet ready to order a meal -- but don't let that stop you, if you are," he added, nodding to Olivia.

"Tea is fine, and I shall see where my stomach leads me later."

"I'll have it right out," Owen chuckled, lightly tapping his fingers against the table before hurrying off toward the kitchen.

Miguel watched him go, using the moment to refocus his thoughts. "So, as I understand it, you are taking on commissions...on a personal basis?" Olivia nodded; he felt her foot brush up against his pantsleg as she shifted her legs beneath the table -- unbidden, a memory of a cheeky game of footsie at a family dinner came to mind bringing with it a smile he couldn't contain that he hastily tried to hide behind a clearing of the throat. "-ahem, how- how then does that work with your duties to Sandrock?"

"Quite well, actually. And before you ask, it IS permitted by the Central Commerce Guild commission to have concurrent contracts active. So long as I follow their rules it's perfectly fine and wouldn't even be needed if not for Yan turning away requests."

Yan was turning-- what? Why? That idiot... Turning down commission requests could draw the wrong kind of attention if it reached any sort of authoritative body! That was the last thing they needed out here! "I...see. And wish I had heard of this sooner. What exactly have others been saying that he's been doing?"

Olivia paused as Owen returned with a teapot, two teacups, cream and sugar, and a small brick of pressed tea; based on the swirling, whole leaf pattern Miguel suspected it was from Meidi -- it was surprising that Owen possessed such a thing, and also touching that he would choose to allow them to consume it at the cost of the local stuff as it could not possibly be cheap to import it all the way out here. The teapot was steaming and after a cursory check under its lid he saw the strainer was in place and broke off a serving from the brick, placing it within as Olivia moved the cups and cream out of his way.

"Primarily turning away jobs he didn't deem big or important enough, though it seems he eventually caved at some point and began posting them again but then they simply weren't being completed. Which is saying something when you consider how many screws, boards, bricks, and nail commissions we've had to complete and deliver, and there's still a handful more to knock out before we're completely caught up."

He sighed and shook his head. "Had we known sooner it was more than just delayed completion we could have encouraged him to promptly and correctly fulfill his duties as Commissioner...perhaps if we had you would not have arrived to find things in the state they are. At least, in terms of commissions anyway...the situation here is what it is, and we've just got to squeeze water out of the sand here, so to speak. You'll find MOST everyone here does whatever they can."

For better or for worse, he thought to himself. Someday, hopefully soon, everyone will see sense.

"And so am I, which is why I've put myself at Zeke's disposal -- whether he needs an entire shed or a single nail, by Peach I will get it done. Why anyone would choose to take the majority food resource for granted is baffling."

Miguel simply nodded at this -- it was, after all, not his intention to starve anyone (and certainly not himself, either!) The loss of water would eventually began affecting the Moisture Farm but that could not be helped, and he prayed that by the time it reached the point that their food was in danger that the remaining majority here would have moved on to greener pastures.

And let it be literal greener pastures...these people deserve so much better than this life of disorder and strife, scrabbling around in the sand even as it buries them.

Judging that the tea had had time enough to steep he filled their cups and paused to admire the fragrance; it was quite familiar so certainly a Meidi blend (though he could not name it specifically). "If not for the Moisture Farm what would you currently be doing in this downtime?" Miguel asked as he spooned a small amount of sugar into his cup.

His attention was drawn to her lips - they puckered gently as she blew across the top of her tea, and she took a sip without adding anything (nor did she seem inclined to do so even after a second sip). "-building up a stock of basic hardware, gathering raw materials, that sort of thing. You never know when you might suddenly need something and it's good to have plenty on hand in case of emergency."

Smiling, he curled his hands around the teacup. "You always were the prepared one... Still, do not overwork yourself. Life is not a race."

"I very nearly have the farm caught up on the more immediate repairs needed, after which I'll turn my attention to the less pressing issues. As soon as all of THAT is taken care of my schedule will be wide open," she said, with a coy little smile and a playful flutter of her eyelashes. "Which, I'm sure we'll find ways to pass the time."

He couldn't help the happy little hum that rose in his throat. "-I very much look forward to it."

Olivia laughed quietly and brought her tea cup up close to her face, inhaling deeply. "Never thought I'd be drinking THIS again."

"You recognize it?"

"If I'm not mistaken it's Prancing Snowbloom - from Meidi's northern border. There's a small spring-fed valley up there where they grow it."

Miguel blinked at her in surprise. "You say that as though you are familiar with it." And good heavens, how expensive was this tea?

"A very dear friend and traveling companion of mine, Zachary, was from that region. He talked about his home village quite a bit when we were sitting around in the evenings. Many a time did he promise to take me there someday, to show off the springs..."

"Oh?"

She nodded. "It's a long story, and not one I am willing to touch on tonight. I never did get to see the springs but I did get to meet his wife and children though -- I still get letters addressed to 'aunt Ibby.'"

Miguel chuckled again. "Aunt 'Ibby'?"

"Well, Olivia and Livvy have some sounds that little tongues had trouble with. By the time they were old enough to say it properly the name had already stuck."

With a small smile Miguel leaned back, wiggling his shoulders a bit to readjust the booth cushion behind him (Owen may need to replace this one - it was feeling quite thin). "Have you been to many places within Meidi, then?"

"Only those few villages and hamlets we stayed at on our way to Zachary's home. I was...not entirely comfortable traveling there so I wasn't inclined to do any sight seeing."

"Whatever for? Meidi is one of the safest lands on the continent."

"...that is also not something I am willing to touch on." She then sighed, smiling weakly at him. "Sorry."

He waved a hand. "Not a problem. I may not understand now but perhaps, in the future...?"

She nodded. "Perhaps. I wouldn't hold your breath though."

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Grace approaching -- the tea hadn't really stoked his appetite yet so he kept his attention on Olivia and topped off his drink. "All in due time. So! I must say hearing you've been to Meidi was a bit of a surprise. Where else have your travels taken you?" "Well-"

"-hope you don't mind my butting in, since I just overheard you asking about travel," Grace interrupted as she stopped at their table. "I'm actually curious about that myself."

Olivia gave her a look of mild surprise - whether it was due to the interruption or the declaration of curiosity it was hard to tell - and gingerly returned her cup of tea to its saucer. "I see. Well, the simple answer is 'many places.' Why do you ask?"

She had placed a gentle emphasis on 'you' and was looking at Grace so Miguel assumed it was directed at the waitress and calmly awaited her answer.

"Ever since I saw you I've had the feeling like we've met somewhere before. Have you spent much time in Atara?"

"Off and on. You'll have to be more specific as to the year," Olivia replied.

Grace tapped her pencil against her chin. "Being as I was born and raised in Atara, and factoring in that I'd need to be old enough to have met you previously and remember the encounter...anytime within the last decade?"

Olivia let out an amused snort. "Not quite specific enough, but I can say with a high degree of certainty that I don't recognize you."

"Perhaps you passed one another in the street often enough to spark familiarity?" Miguel suggested.

"That's possible," Grace agreed. "When you're busy with school and jobs I guess things can just slide on by even if you're looking directly at it, I'll just have to deal with the feelings of deja vu until it either comes to me or I get over it. Anyway, would you two like to order anything or should I come back to check in on you in a bit?"

Miguel glanced back to Olivia and paused; she had sounded fine only seconds ago but there was the barest hint of something in her eyes, with a sense of discomfort in the air. He cleared his throat. "Ah, Grace - I would like to order a bowl of the date and lotus soup, if you please."

"You got it." Grace quickly whipped out a little notepad and wrote the dish down, then looked back to Olivia. "How about you, builder?"

"A half order of the tomato beef brisket and a tea egg, please."

"Any desserts?"

Olivia shook her head; Miguel did as well. "No, thank you."

Grace, perhaps noting the change in the atmosphere, nodded and headed off without any further questions. Olivia let out a soft sigh and shook her head; Miguel studied her face, not seeing any sign of that discomfort from moments ago but also not noticing any hint of her current state of mind.

"...Olivia, are you all right?" he asked quietly.

"Hmm? Oh, yes. Sorry. Trying to remember if I've seen Grace before brought a few other memories to mind." She let out an amused huff, shaking her head. "T'would seem tonight we're determined to dance around subjects and people I wish to leave in the past."

Miguel looked at her with some concern but she'd put a warm smile on, as though nothing was amiss, and took another sip of her tea. A flicker of annoyance was warring with worry -- annoyance with Grace for, if unintentionally, upsetting Olivia, and a mild anxious sensation over her well-being and mood; but...as he'd said, he was not about to cross her boundaries. However... "Speaking of the past... You know what holiday approaches."

She blew out a long sigh that trailed off into a buzzing of lips. "Yes, it sure is. One of my least favorite times of the year."

That was true - and, HAD been true even before Doss had... She simply hadn't liked being frightened, even in the name of fun. "How have you marked the occasion these past years?"

Olivia leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table and putting her face into her hands. "Ah, well, to be honest, usually a bottle of something strong and a quiet, deserted corner somewhere."

Miguel blinked at her. Alcohol? Olivia drinking?! She had never-- "I- find that...er."

"Shocking, yes?" she asked, laughing nervously and peering at him through her fingers. "I know, I know, the girl I was before would never. You may choose to believe she finally grew up or died with Doss or fell into a hole, take your pick."

She'd despised alcohol...the taste, the idea of being inebriated, and the thought of even being associated with such behavior. "I...hrm. Of all things to imagine had changed, that one is certainly surprising."

"Oh there's loads more that have changed that you'd likely find more surprising than that."

Having recovered Miguel chuckled a bit and drank from his cup, letting the tea sit on his tongue for a moment to savor the flavor. "-tell me something else that has changed, then. Whether you personally consider it surprising or not."

She let her hands drop to the table, silently drumming her fingertips against it. "Let's see then... I cannot stand the taste of cabbage now."

"What?" he blurted out, laughing. "You loved your mother's cabbage spring rolls!"

"I know!" she said, laughing as well and throwing her hands up. "I still have the recipe memorized but I just can't bring myself to eat anything with noticeable amounts of cabbage in it! There was a time years ago where I fell very ill and cabbage was the most readily available food item so it was in every damn meal. Ever since then the taste of it makes me gag -- I just can't shake the association with that period of time."

Shaking his head Miguel spotted Owen on his way over and reached to move the teapot out of the way. "Astounding what our minds and memories will cling to... Does the smell affect you as well?"

"No, just the taste, thankfully. You're welcome to eat it all you like, it won't bother me."

Owen quickly set their meals in front of them then headed off back toward the bar. His soup was especially fragrant and it was only then that his stomach chose to rumble.

"Your turn," she said suddenly, as his spoon was halfway to his mouth.

"Ah-" Well, t'was only fair. There were things he could say had definitely changed with him...but what to share? Something playful, as she had, but what? "Hmm. To remain on the topic of food: urchin minoris."

Olivia snorted. "Oh, sea urchins? I believe I know where this is going but, do continue."

"You mean to tell me you knew?"

"Yes, I did."

He pursed his lips but wasn't really angered or frustrated -- while Olivia had been quiet and meek in most other things, she'd been adventurous about trying foods (for better or for worse). "Well, once I was told what part of the creature we were eating I couldn't stomach it anymore."

She snickered and sliced into the tea egg with her fork. "Sympathy?"

"No. Pure disgust in knowing that a creature died and that is all that was harvested from it, and I didn't find it all that palatable even before I knew any of that."

"Well, to each their own," she said, tone airy. "They were always too salty when they reached Doss anyway, and I do promise you that the spines were used in other things so it wasn't wholly a waste of an animal. You should try the ones they have in Portia -- they're much larger than the minoris type and actually develop edible meat that has a much more subtle taste."

"I believe I would still react in much the same way as you with cabbage."

She laughed again and stuck a bite of the egg into her mouth; Miguel took that as a sign that it was safe to fill his own mouth and for a time they ate quietly, enjoying the meal and company as around them the saloon began filling up with the dinner crowd and started to grow noisy and distracting. "Would you like to take a stroll around the oasis when we've finished here?"

"I would love to."

After they'd eaten and the tab was settled they stepped out into the evening; Sandrock was mostly deserted at this time of night - everyone was either at home or at the saloon for their supper - so they were free to stroll along the street without anyone interrupting. In the early evenings the oasis always felt cooler than its surroundings (at least for a little while; the desert could get shockingly cold very quickly depending on the season) and there were insects chirping quietly in the moonlight. Beside him Olivia took a deep breath and smiled toward the water.

"Do you remember that pond, and the rope swing?"

"Of course. Knocking a tooth out because I fell off it is one of those childhood memories I doubt will ever fade."

Olivia laughed quietly. "Well, I wasn't thinking of that, I was thinking of sitting beneath that tree reading, listening to the frogs singing their little hearts out."

Miguel smiled fondly at the memory; he could recall bare feet, reading by candlelight just barely hanging on in the breeze, whistles made of grass and some very cross parents every time they stayed out past their curfews. "We've no frogs here so I hope the crickets and cicadas suffice. Sandrock does have its little unexpected joys of nature."

"That it does. I've seen other places out in the Eufala but Sandrock seems especially lucky with its landscape -- it's a lot less desolate here than elsewhere."

He slowly nodded. "...for now, anyway. The desert is trying its best to swallow this place up and while I can applaud, in the most basic sense, the efforts of those trying to slow the inevitable there's times where it feels more like the arrogance of man trying to defy nature itself, even as I look around and witness what we have managed to accomplish. I'm afraid it seems already 'too little too late.' The relic rush stripped the land of life, we are merely the palliative caretakers."

She glanced over to him, mild surprise on her face. "I would never have taken you for such a pessimist."

"Less pessimism and more...realism," he replied after a moment. "Though you do have a point: that was carelessly dismal of me." He blew out a sigh. "I counsel the people here, and those in the villages around us, and while I wish I had Matilda's ever-present optimism someone has to be careful not to instill false hope."

"Mmm, true. But sometimes you need to feed the soul as much as the stomach and even false hope can keep someone going when they would otherwise stop in despair." Idly she tapped the foot of the cane against the boardwalk beneath their feet, suddenly chuckling deeply and winking at him. "Consider it arrogant of me but I shall be the optimist to your pessimist and so declare, 'not on my watch.' I came with the intention to spend the rest of my days here -- let's see what I can manage."

Deep in his gut he felt a twinge of...something. It was uncomfortable and nameless but felt akin to nervousness tinged with a sudden faint frustration that was gone as suddenly as he'd noticed it. "Ah, well...I wouldn't get your hopes up too high, Livvy. And, besides," he added with a small smile. "I could very well be reassigned to a new post tomorrow. The future is ever in motion."

Now she lightly tapped the cane against the side of his shoe. "Already planning for me to pick up and follow you, hmm?"

His cheeks flushed a bit. "I do not actually foresee moving on from Sandrock anytime soon - my duties here are not yet finished," he replied, the words coming out in a rush. "But... I would hate to leave you behind, when we've only just found one another after so long."

She smiled and looked back out over the water, tracing the path of a firefly as it lazily wandered through the tall grass. "As you said: the future is ever in motion. It's wholly possible you might find me an inadequate partner and it won't even matter."

He frowned. "Don't say that... What reason could I possibly have to think that?"

This time she offered him a wan smile. "We're not the same people, Miguel. I'd caution you about holding too firmly to the memory of who I was. I know I'm struggling with it myself. ...I should get going. I've an early day at the Moisture Farm and it's going to be a rough one -- my not being a morning person is at least one thing that's remained UN-changed," she added ruefully.

"I wish you a good night's sleep then," he said softly, reaching out to gently touch her hand. "I will see you in the morning."

She briefly squeezed his fingers then stepped around him, shaking her head. "No no, no need to trouble yourself this time -- when I said early I meant early: I need to replace a window pane and a wall panel and that's more easily done without the sun directly in my face. Sleep in, and I'll see you later on."

"If you're certain."

"I am. Unfortunately."

He laughed quietly and clasped his hands behind his back, moving to walk with her across the stone path. "I will walk with you a bit further - I could use the exercise."

"Oh please. You're a twig."

He laughed again. "I am not as frail as I appear, I promise."

He accompanied her as far as the corner of the fence at the end of the oasis near the train station where she continued across the tracks to go home and Miguel, at first, walked over to the yakmel cart before noticing Yan leaving the saloon and heading toward his own home. His conversation with Olivia earlier came to mind and in a split-second decision Miguel turned from the yakmel station and hurried up the road; he caught up to the man right as he was unlocking his front door and, after checking to see who was about (and with some minor protests from Yan), shoved him inside and entered behind him, tugging the door shut and fixing him with a glare.

"Hey, what's your problem?!"

"Shut up and listen to me," Miguel hissed, reaching out to...well, at first he wanted to seize the sleazy oaf by the collar but that would be sinking to the same despicable level as the creep, and so settled for jabbing a finger into the garish tie instead. "Whatever you are doing outside of your duties, stop it. Word has reached me that you were turning away commission requests--"

"-well yeah, for stupid things!" Yan interrupted. "I don't have time for chump change-"

Miguel jabbed his finger against him again, drawing a pained yelp from him. "Shut. Up. If anyone has actually reported your...dereliction of duty to any sort of governing body, we may very well have to deal with some sort of investigation or audit, and I should not need to explain why we do not want that. Perform your guild duties, to the letter. I don't care how small the fee or "stupid" the request -- if it is submitted through official channels, you do your job. Do you understand me?"

Having seemingly found his courage Yan swatted his hand away. "Calm down old man - no one's going to figure out anything!"

"I said-"

"Yeah, yeah, I heard you. Fine, whatever, just- get out of my house! I didn't even invite you in! Rude!"

Miguel straightened, pulling his shoulders back and shooting him a final warning glare before turning and leaving, with Yan slamming the door on his heels.

Fool... For as easy as it was to convince the stupid, greedy man to assist with their plan there were times where Miguel genuinely feared those qualities would be their downfall; if there was a weak link anywhere, it was him.

...drat, he should have also warned him about retaliating against Olivia. He was only feet away from Yan's stoop still but there were stragglers in the street now as the saloon began to empty out; he did not want to draw any more attention to himself than he needed to or may have already -- it was a little too late in the evening to use 'official business' as an excuse for being seen leaving Yan's house (and honestly, who would visit Yan for anything but business?)

With a sharp exhale through his nose Miguel brushed a hand down his front to smooth out the fabric of his uniform then let his feet direct him toward home.

---------------------------------------

"Oh Pen, she's been here barely any time at all. I think you're overreacting."

"You would - you haven't seen the two of them smiling and laughing. Frankly it's disgusting. But regardless, I'm telling you: she is going to be a problem. We need to take care of this now."

Matilda sighed, looking at Pen from over the top of the papers she was organizing. "She is not a 'problem' and we don't need to turn this into one."

Pen crossed his arms, staring at her with a petulant look. "And just why are you so certain you're right?"

She gently set the papers down and folded her hands atop them. "Why are you? Listen... I've known Miguel for a long, long time Pen. I've seen him at his lowest, and now? Now he's happy. Happier than I've ever seen him, and happy men fight like hell to hold on to that happiness. If anything, having that builder here will only strengthen his loyalty. Leave them be -- if anything changes then I'll reconsider as needed. Don't you dare do a thing to that woman unless I order it, understood?"

Pen huffed. "Fine... But I'll be keeping my eye on her."

"So long as it's eyes only; keep those hands of yours to yourself. Now...head on back to your room before someone notices you're not there," Matilda said with a kind smile and a hint of ice in her eyes.

Pen grunted before stomping from the home; Matilda shook her head slowly -- she appreciated having the knight as back up and a sort of insurance against the plan going awry but sometimes he thought the worst of simple situations and jumped right to the wrong conclusions.

And, Miguel might be a pawn in all of this but she did actually care about the man, and even if she didn't a happy pawn was a loyal pawn. So long as everything played out like it was supposed to, who cared if he found love in the process? Maybe he'd even manage to hang on to it to this time.

She signed a few lines and neatly stacked the papers on the edge of her desk to carry over to the commerce guild in the morning then busied herself with getting ready for bed.

[broke-bruce-wayne]

That post about fanon corrections reminded me that I like your opinions and I've been meaning to ask you: what should a new DC fan read to like, have a decent understanding of Babs, Steph, and Cass? Like are they in the main Batman series or did they get their own series' or what?

So I ended up writing a lot more about this that I initially planned to, so I'm putting it all under the cut.

One of my personal rules is I must mention No Man's Land at every possible opportunity, but I would highly recommend reading that, even as a new reader. Not sure how you read your comics, but DC Universe has the whole arc in proper reading order (which is how I read it). But you can also find reading orders online if you want to just read it from different sites. Its a lot, but it gives you a good introduction to basically every Bat character who was around at the time. It's also where Cass is introduced, and is my personal favorite big Bat event, as well as my favorite era of Bat books. But Babs and later Cass are both big players in the event.

I would follow that up with reading Cass's solo run, Batgirl (2000), at least up to issue 37. One of the best comic runs ever, in my opinion. It's very hit or miss after 37, as most comics are, but after finishing the initial run you'll probably want to keep reading Cass stories. Cass is the star of this run obviously, but Babs and Steph both play major roles as well.

For Babs, I'm mainly familiar with Post-Crisis Babs, so Oracle, not Batgirl (though I have read her N52 and part of her Rebirth runs out of curiosity). She makes guest appearances in the first Suicide Squad run, starting with issue 23. Then she has a leading role in the Birds of Prey series written by Dixon and then Simone. This is probably her most popular full series as a lead. There is a lot of good in this series, and a lot of not so good (I personally like Simone's half more than Dixon's, but there are definite pros and cons to both). Despite being the first Batgirl, Babs was the last one to get a solo Batgirl run, which started in 2011 only after she was magically "cured" because they wanted to reset the universe (which is a whole another thing, and smarter people than me have made more detailed posts about how bad this was, for Babs as well as for everyone, but for our purposes here what you need to know is this was extremely unpopular, for numerous reasons).

As for Steph, she was introduced in an arc in Detective Comics (647-649), before Cass, so I guess you should read this first if you want. But after that she was mainly used as a side character, in Robin (1993) and other places. She has her brief run as Robin in the early 2000s. She only has about 10 issues or so as Robin across multiple runs, before unceremoniously "dying" in War Games (don't read War Games, it's terrible, but maybe search the panels of Bruce talking to her in the hospital). These Robin issues are good for the most part, but were basically written as a last hurrah for her before editorial stepped in. Then, after she comes back to life from overseas, she finally has her own solo run as Batgirl (2009). This is a fun run where she's balancing being a college student with being Batgirl.