#it's got some weird bars in 3. that's as much as we've got to work from

[tyrantisterror]

A Flight of Dragons, I Command It! A FLIGHT! OF! DRAGONS!

doom DOOM DOOM

Hey fuckers, it's February and my Seasonal Affective Disorder is at its fucking PEAK, so it's gonna get REAL weird around here for a while. Luckily, my old ass has spent the last thirty-some years figuring out how to deal with this particular recurring problem, and one of the many tools and tricks I've learned is an age old classic:

I gotta treat myself.

So, ok, I work at a daycare, and one of the things that's very popular with the kids these days are 3-D printed dragons. They're inexpensive, customizable, and pretty easy to transport and store, so it's no wonder kids like them. But, you know, I'm something of a child at heart myself, and I love dragons, so when I saw my kids bringing all these 3-D printed dragons to the center... well, I got a bit envious. And, well... when you're an adult with disposable income... there's no one STOPPING you from buying a 3-D printed dragon for yourself.

Or two.

Or three.

Or... lots. Lots and lots. Because you're an adult and they don't cost much money and you've always loved having swarms/herds/big families of creatures ever since you were a kid, and because it was January when this idea struck you and looking at the estimated time of arrival on etsy for these things you realized most of them would arrive by February, when you might NEED the serotonin provided by having a big ol' flight of dragons.

So let's go on a journey, fuckers. A journey of excess, a journey into imagination, a journey through the marvelous world of people with 3-D printers making a quick buck on etsy. Let's look at some fucking dragons.

I'm going to go ahead and link the store pages for each dragon I purchased, in case you too are deranged and need some dragons in your life, and because I want to give some form of credit to the artists who made these. Granted, that won't always be possible - while a few of these seemed to be unique to the shops I bought them from, many of them could be found from NUMEROUS sellers, which makes it difficult if not impossible to figure out who originally programmed the project files for them to be 3-D printed from.

Case in point is The Crystal Dragon here, which can be found in SO MANY etsy stores. Most of the 3-D printed dragons my students at the daycare had were of this variety, in fact, so it seems to be a very popular pattern for 3-D printing. It's definitely a cute and pretty little thing, and sort of sets the standard bar for a 3-D printed dragon. I wish the face was a bit more detailed, but the rough, angular nature of it does help convey the idea that this thing is made of crystals.

The second most common design, as far as I can tell anyway, is this Chinese Dragon/Loong (oh hey, they used my favorite English spelling!). I really like the face of this guy, and it seems like an excellent rendition of the standard East Asian dragon design - there's even tiny holes under its nostrils where you could insert a wire or thread to serve as its barbells, though most sellers (including the one I bought from) don't make use of it.

While most of the dragons I bought are "realistic," there were some cartoony/more stylized ones for sale that I decided to partake in. This little guy is one such dragon, and I think he's probably the best one to get if you're buying for a kid - the smoother body and smaller, nubbier horns makes it less likely to break, and just a bit more fun to play with in your hands. These things are often marketed as fidgets, after all, so the tactile feel of them is something to take into account.

While on the surface just a variation of the fidgets we've seen so far, this dragon has one particularly clever feat of engineering: because of the way the spikes on its neck are set up, you can get its head in a nice "snake rearing up to strike" position, which, combined with its distinctive short-snouted face, goes a long way to giving it an extra bit of character among the 3-D printed dragons.

While most of the dragons I found seemed to have the same simple color options to choose from, a few sellers seemed to have their own custom ones that were unique to their shop. This mix of bronze and olive greens was unique to this particular dragon, which, along with its painted eyes, really helps its stand out! I will note that the joints of this dragon tend to stick a bit more than my other dragons - perhaps a result of using different plastic colors than is standard? - but if you let gravity do its work they'll sort themselves out, and it's worth it to have such a striking little fellow.

Since this particular style of toy really suits serpentine creatures better than all else, I decided to look for some explicitly marine dragons to add to the group. I really like this sea serpent I found, which comes is very basic crayola-ish plain colors, but has just enough personality in its sculpt (and eyes and teeth in different colors) to stand out.

If you're looking for sea dragons on etsy, though, you're much more likely to encounter this fellow, which almost every store selling it calls Jormungandr and/or the Midgard Serpent. It's got these vaguely Nordic runes carved into it, as well as grooves in its tail designed to fit its prominent fangs so it can make an ouroboros, which makes the Jormungandr connection feel pretty intentional. It's a really distinct design, but I do think it's a little funny that it's far from the beefiest of my dragons. I wonder if there's a shop that sells an upsized model...

While not notable in terms of engineering, paint work, or plastic color options, this dragon IS notable in having heads based on a statue of Quetzalcoatl, who is in turn one of my favorite mythological figures, so I had to get it.

Of course, I also wanted a Quetzalcoatl-style feathered serpent that had the classic "winged snake" look, and this one fit the bill well enough. It originally came with little hair clips attached to its underside, allowing it to cling to your head and/or clothes, which I thought was really clever... but I also didn't like the clips sticking out from under the little thing so I took them off. A lovely little dragon either way, though.

So, ok, I'd been going relatively cheap at this point, but as I shopped I was struck with a sort of passing fancy, an idle thought... what was the most elaborate, fanciest 3-D printed dragon I could get? It's not this one, mind you, but this was very much the start of that rabbit hole. While mechanically it's not significantly different than the dragons we've seen till now, the amount of colors it's printed in immediately make it stand out as a higher quality dragon.

The same store that sold the dragon above also sold this fellow, which may well be my favorite of the many East Asian dragons I found on this little quest. Just look at that wonderfully monstrous face! And he's got a pearl, the little devil!

While the color of the plastic and the engineering of this sea dragon may not seem particularly notable, what has to be taken into account here is the sheer SIZE of this lass. This is one of the biggest dragons of my lot, not only in length but in sheer girth and weight of its joints. The Midgar Serpent needs to move over, this is the REAL leviathan of my 3-D printed dragon collection.

Of course, if you know me, you know I'm a basic bitch who loves the European "four legs and two wings" style of dragon the most of all, so my search for fancy 3-D printed dragons started to focus on finding some that fit this description. I can't actually find the store page for this guy anymore (it's not in my past purchases on etsy for some reason), but it's a pretty solid low budget take on the concept. But we can do better - and we will...

But first, a detour to some wyverns! This little guy is really cute, with a head based on the Peter Jackson Herbit movie's design for Smaug, and a feathery little body that makes it looks like a fantastical archeopteryx.

The same shop makes a more reptile-ish dragon, with leathery wings and scaly skin, which I got in a larger size because, well, you know my preferences. It's like the perfect size to perch on your shoulder, though I'd want something to hold it in place because I'm pretty sure falling off from that height onto a hardwood floor would be the end of it.

There's no shop link for this one or the next because it was a freebie - which is to say I didn't actually order this dragon, but found it in one of my packages as a free gift from the seller. That's the nice thing about shopping on places like etsy and ebay - sometimes the people on the other side of the screen are really solid and decide to give you an extra little treat. This is clearly a Games of Throne-style wyvern specifically, based on the proportions and the shape of the head, and that's pretty cool. The dragons are one of the only things that made it out of that show still looking cool.

The second freebie dragons I got were these little toys of Toothless and Girl Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon. Look at them, they're so cute!

But now... now it's time for the answer to the question:

What

Is the most Deluxe 3-D Printed Dragon

I can get?

The Bronze Medal goes to this marvelous dragon here, which feels like it flew right off of some medieval coat of arms and into my own flesh and blood ones. It's solid, beautifully sculpted, and full of articulation points. However, the method in which it's articulated makes it a bit frustrating to pose, as some of these joints end up bending and twisting in ways you don't want them too. Still an excellent dragon, mind you, but outdone by the next two...

The Silver Medal goes to this marvelous wyvern, which has much tighter joints that are a lot less frustrating to pose. Its wings are a mixture of cloth and plastic, allowing them to flex and bend into a variety of poses (though admittedly the weight of the wings keeps them from holding most of those poses very well). Also, look at that regal face, that sleek sculpt, and those elegant proportions! It's almost a perfect dragon for me. Almost.

My one and only gripe with the previous dragon is that, well, I'm a basic bitch who likes dragons with four legs and two wings the best! And what do you know, they made one of those too! And god, does this dragon look magnificent in person, sporting all of the elegance of the dragon above but with magnificent grasping hands! HANDS! Hands that you'll have to be careful with because the joints are a little loose and like to pop off when you play with them, but still, HANDS!

This is a high enough point to end off on, but there's one more 3-D printed gift I'd like to cover here. My favorite one.

Well, ones I guess. This all started with my students, and well, some of them noted my interest in the 3-D printed dragons they were bringing to school. And a couple of them actually ended up getting 3-D printers of their own (well, their parents' own, ayway) and decided to print off a dragon and a crocodile for me - smaller than all the other dragons here (except the Toothless keycains), but no less dear for it. I guess one of the pros about taking an active interest in the things your students like and letting them gush about it is that they might give you a 3-D printed dragon or crocodile out of the kindness in their little hearts.

[mcbitchtits]

i have some, i think, copland stuck in my head, but fuck if i could tell you which piece

[danieyells]

Rui mizuki’s lines from Tokyo debunker if you haven’t yet PLEASE I will love you for all eternity

They’re edging me with the rui crumbs every chapter I can’t take it anymore

One flirty reaper coming right up!! And by right up i mean almost a week after you asked hhahaha

BUT YEAH WE DO GET A LITTLE OF HIM HERE AND THERE i wonder why he pops up so much. Especially for someone who allegedly tries not to be around other people much due to his deadly touch? Kinda sus--

also this is the first time i've posted all of someone's lines! not that i don't always end up posting 95% of them anyway, but for some reason some of Rui's were ordered weird(they're normally not entirely in order but they're usually sectioned properly, but for some reason one of his affinity chats was way in the wrong place) and I ended up closely paying attention to which one i was looking at and before i knew it i posted all of them lmao. . . .

Hello: (the first time the game is opened after that character is set as home screen NPC. Only happens once per day, unless the character is switched out and back.)

"{PC}, hey! Here's to another day vibing our way through curse twin life!"

You've Got Mail: (whenever there's something in the inbox, usually Arena rewards)

"Huh? Did you know you've got unread messages? Oh, that's why you've been leaving me on delivered! Ahaha!"

no that's just because my adhd makes me hyperfocus on things and it refuses to allow me to attempt to allot attention or energy to things it deems me not having enough attention span or energy or time for and i'm sorry--

Default: (requires no affinity, has no time constraints)

"Aw c'mon Ed, again? Why does he always leave his socks on the floor... It's actually exhausting picking up after him all the time..."

lazy sloppy vampire lol

"You look kind of tired {PC}, you doing okay? Why don't you stop by the bar later? I can be your shoulder to cry on."

"Hey! You on break now? If you're super nice and you're gonna come chill with me now, put your hands up!"

"{PC}...were you just checking me out? Hey, it's all good, don't be embarrassed!"

"Oof, Ed popped out of nowhere so I accidentally touched him and he died again. Now I have to carry him all the way back to the dorm..."

i love the face he makes when he says this lmao like he is so tired of Ed's carelessness!

Affinity 1: (between 5am and 11am)

"{PC}! Did you come here to see me first thing? No way! You just made my day!"

Affinity 2: (between 11am and 4pm)

"Aw c'mon, Ed, what are you doing sleeping out here? Didn't you just take a nap, old man? You're gonna catch a cold!"

Affinity 3: (between 4pm and 8pm)

"Oh hey, it's {PC}! Can't believe I ran into you here, so random! Guess we've gotta go on a date now, huh? It's like, written in the stars!"

i love flirty characters like rui lolol just. there's always More Going On there. and Rui starts off with More right off the bat.

Affinity 4: (between 8pm and 5am)

"I can touch the plants as long as I have gloves on! I mean yeah, I'm pretty sure the same goes for people, but don't you think it'd be scary to test it out?"

Affinity 5: (between 8pm and 5am)

"Come swing by the bar later! I'd rather watch a pretty face like yours while I work instead of a bunch of drunk guys."

Affinity 6: (between 4pm and 8pm)

"What? Ed was praising my good looks? I mean he's right, right? People always tell me my face is my only redeeming feature!"

but rui works so hard!? who's saying that!!

Affinity 7: (between 11am and 4pm)

"Oh sorry, I don't do the whole class thing! You go, I'm all good here!"

Affinity 8: (between 4pm and 8pm)

"Ouch! Aw man, that rose thorn just scratched my arm... Wait, nooo! My rose bushes are wilting!!"

it's so easy for him to accidentally kill anything lmaoooo

Affinity 9: (between 8pm and 5am)

"Are you out here by yourself, {PC}? Isn't that like not super dangerous? ...Wait, did that make sense? Whatever, let me walk you back!"

Affinity 10: (between 10pm and midnight)

"Sorry! A drunk customer broke a glass, so I'm cleaning it up! Everyone's a little pent-up lately, I guess."

Affinity 11: (between 5am and 11am)

"Watering plants in the AM is such a mood lift, right? Whoa, everything's blooming like crazy out here! Better get my pruning shears."

it's a testament to how well he takes care of these plants that they grow super well in permanently-night Obscuary, i think. 8'D

Affinity 12: (between 11am and 4pm)

"Huh? Look, you've got loose threads on your uniform. Give it to me, I'll fix it for you!"

Affinity 13: (between 4pm and 8pm)

"Hey, {PC}, did you eat yet? My door's always open! You can just stay the night after!"

damn already inviting you to stay over at affinity 13--just don't share the bed, you'll wake up super dead

Affinity 14: (between 5am and 11am)

"(yawn) Wow, I am dead tired... but I've gotta take a shower, make breakfast, and do the laundry before those two sleepyheads get up."

it takes a real man to be a single mother. . . .

Affinity 15: (between 5am and 11am)

"Oh hey, what's your poison? Wait, I mean, morning! Man, I tried to take my friend's drink order when we were hanging out yesterday too, occupational hazard I guess."

Affinity 16: (between 11am and 4pm)

"A mission? I'm good, thanks though! Oh hey, you should invite Lyca! He'd totally be into that!"

Lyca also probably needs them to pass the grade lol

Affinity 17: (between 10pm and midnight)

"No way, look at the time! Wish I could keep listening to you talk... Wanna stay over?"

Affinity 18: (between 8pm and 5am)

"Oh man, I'm sorry! I'm closing early, I've got plans with a friend tonight. It'd be awesome if you could come by tomorrow!"

Affinity 19: (between 10pm and midnight)

"Congrats on making it through another day, {PC}! I seriously admire you for working so hard. You're not doing this all for me, are you?"

Affinity 20: (between 5am and 11am)

"Morning! Whoa, you wanna help me with the housework, {PC}? It's all good, thanks though! The thought's more than enough for me."

c'mon, refusing help at affinity 20? let the pc be your little helper at least!

Affinity 21: (between 11am and 4pm)

"Obscuary looks like it'd be full of downers, but it's actually pretty lively in there, right? Not gonna lie, I def prefer it that way."

Affinity 22: (between 4pm and 8pm)

"Lyca's an open book, but the flip side is he says the darndest things... I feel like watching him is bad for my heart..."

he talks so much about his teammates, he really is such a mom. . . .

Affinity 23: (between 8pm and 5am)

"My eyes are red? Huh, that's weird... Oh yeah, I was cutting onions just now when I was preparing the appetizers for the bar!"

. . .idk this is pretty high affinity. . .you were crying about something weren't you rui. . .or romeo paid you in weed and you were getting tweaked up in the back of the bar

Affinity 24: (between 10pm and midnight)

"Oh, don't worry about me, I always sleep late! I'm down to chat till you drift off to dreamland."

Affinity 25(max): (no time constraints)

"Sometimes I wish I could've met you as a regular guy. I guess you wouldn't have given me the time of day if I had though, ahaha."

is it just me or. . .does it feel like he gets a little more distant as his affinity gets higher? like after affinity 17 it feels like he gets a little less flirty and a little more at arms length. . .like he knows his feelings are getting so strong that he might not be able to resist touching you, but he's too scared to do it even with the gloves on. . .so he tries to keep you a little further away. . .and then he admits it, he wishes he could be with you like a normal person, but if he were just some flirt in the street none of this would have ever happened. Poor Rui, he's cursed to be beloved but unable to give love how he wants in return.

Spring: (March-May) (between 5am and 11am)

"Oh man, so nice... The weather's like perfect this time of year, right? Wish we could just chill like this forever."

(between 11am and 4pm)

"Man, you wouldn't even know it was spring with how bleak it is in Obscuary! Aren't there any cuter anomalous plants out there?"

(between 4pm and 8pm)

"I feel like Ed's getting more senile every day... Maybe I should confiscate his tablet."

(between 8pm and 5am)

"So, what do you think of my spring-inspired cocktail? Almost as cute as you, right? I'm gonna add it to the menu!"

Summer: (June-August) (between 5am and 11am)

"C'mon! It's summer, how can the sun never rise in Obscuary!? I wanna get a tan!"

(between 11am and 4pm)

"It's not summer if you don't hit the beach! I used to go all the time back when I surfed. And then I'd pick up girls on my way home... Just kidding, I promise!"

why 'just kidding' lolol you're not together! this relationship is not monogamous even if you were!

(between 4pm and 8pm)

"Ta-da! I've got sparklers! Fireworks are fun and all, but there's something special about holding a light that only sparkles for a hot moment."

(between 8pm and 5am)

"It's so hot out, I bet the bar's gonna be a ghost town... Guess I'll send Harurin and Romi a PR message!"

reaching out to the local population of alcoholic ghouls to remind them to give him business lol

Autumn: (September-November) (between 5am and 11am)

"There's so many dead leaves this time of year, it's a nightmare keeping on top of them! But you can use them to make a fire and roast stuff. Gotta look on the brights!"

(between 11am and 4pm)

"Hey {PC}, when are you free? I have a date idea for us—a romantic walk to admire the fall leaves! I'll pack us a lunch!"

(between 4pm and 8pm)

"Oh damn! You look so cute all bundled up like that, {PC}! We've gotta take a selfie together!"

direct contrast to romeo who sees you in winterwear and calls you a fat slug kekw

(between 8pm and 5am)

"That piano anomaly makes the soundtrack for the bar! The song picks really tug at the heartstrings, right?"

Winter: (December-February) (between 5am and 11am)

"You're a little late today, huh? If you can't get up in the cold, I could be your alarm!"

just gotta be really loud since he'd be too afraid to touch you awake, since he actually wants you to y'know wake up--

(between 11am and 4pm)

"Oh man, how is Lyca so full of energy when it's this cold? You should take him to Frostheim and see if he runs around in the snow like a puppy."

rui pointing at lyca: that dog is my son please take care of him

(between 4pm and 8pm)

"Nothing like winter to make you miss the warmth of human touch... Oh, I'm good! Just getting to talk like this is all I need!"

BBY WE ARE ALL BUNDLED UP. YOU CAN HUG YOU'VE BOTH PROBABLY GOT ON AT LEAST TWO LAYERS JUST DON'T TOUCH FACES.

(between 8pm and 5am)

"Here, this Rui-original hot cocktail will warm you up! I'll blow on it for you, free of charge!"

is this the next step after gamer bathwater. host club host breath.

His birthday: (March 14th)

"Yeah, it's my birthday today! Oh damn, you're gonna celebrate it with me!? No way, I'm like, super touched right now!!"

Your birthday:

"{PC}... Happy birthday!! C'mon, birthday girl, sit down and chill out! This is your day, you should take it easy!"

New Years: (January 1st)

"Happy New Year! Want to start the year off on a high and come on a shrine date with me?"

Valentine's Day: (February 14th)

"Oh damn, are these for me? My heart! Is this your way of professing your love to me? Do I have a shot here?"

White Day: (March 14th)

"Ta-da! Happy White Day! This is for you! What's inside? You've gotta open it and find out!"

April Fool's Day: (April 1st)

"Guess what!? I finally broke my curse! Let's hold hands... just kidding! April Fools!"

this feels more like a joke on him than on you. . .a mean one at that lol

Halloween: (October 31st)

"Happy happy happy Halloween!! Trick or treat! Obviously I'm picking trick, ahaha!"

Christmas: (December 25th)

"Merry Christmas, {PC}! Oh man, I must be like, super blessed to get to spend it with you!"

Idle: (about 20 seconds without interacting with the game) (below 13 affinity)

"Hey, hey, hey! We finally get to spend some time together, it's illegal to take your eyes off me!"

(13 affinity and above)

"{PC}? You seem kind of busy, guess I'll take this chance to get some work done…"

Absent: (logging in for the first time in 2 or more days?)

"{PC}, you're back! I was worried you'd forgotten about me!!"

he's so flirty and clingy, but also he can't be clingy because he's scared you'll die if he touches you, even if he's wearing gloves. . .also surely your curse would cancel out his? Then again I'm sure a reaper i stronger than any other [living] anomaly out there. . . .

but. yeah. rui's a darling haha he just. he's another one of the 'i just wanna be a regular person, i wanna go back to normal' characters whose desire to just be a guy makes him special in a more fantastical world. i'm really looking forward to seeing the Obscuary chapter--probably like a month away, right? 'u'

[sergeant-angels-trashcan]

DC crossover anon: OKAY OKAY SO CONSIDER… Kate and Dick Grayson. The PARALLELS. Dick knows what it’s like to just be a normal guy on a team full of powered people, to feel like you need to earn your seat at the table. Dick fought for respect as Robin, as Nightwing… Kate did it as Hawkeye. She went toe to toe with Steve for this right. Dick struck out in a new town like Kate did in taking off for the west coast. They understand the hero worship, only to be struck with how human your mentor really is. And listen, if Kate had a nickel for every time she wound up running with a former circus performer who pretends to be a himbo but is actually really fuckin smart…? Well, she’d only have two nickels, but it’s weird that it’s happened twice.

A/N: I am so sorry this has been languishing in my drafts for months and even though i have more thoughts i want to post it because hi i am IN LOVE with them ilu dc nonny

Oh my godddd ohhhhhmy goddddddddddd

I am seeing them getting ready for (superhero) work and realizing they picked up the wrong batons which is so DUMB and so CUTE or maybe they even got as far as superheroing and Kate is like HUH well THAT wasn't supposed to happen as she's standing over some twitching goon and calling Dick like "Hey babe I think we need to label the batons better just a thought" and Dick who is FIGHTING FOR HIS LIFE because Kate doesn't have tasers is like YA THINK???? (I am so sorry for yelling babe I wasn't mad at you I was mad at the situation and also the literal clown I was fighting)

Do they meet at a rich person gala and Kate is trying to figure out if Bruce is Tony Stark rich dude or Justin Hammer rich dude and realizes what better way to infiltrate this sus billionaire than by getting tight with his kids? They both absolutely know how to ballroom dance. Do they meet because Kate decides to take some aerial classes??? DUO ACRO ROUTINE MY BELOVED?!?!?! (OH my goddddddd Dick teaching circus classes? Kate and Clint taking circus classes and he critiques Dick the whole time but they bond over how the Joker is a bad clown. Not like evil, but like, bad at being a clown. The fucking audacity of him.)

Universe mash up where the Avengers et al and the Justice League et al come together for some reason and Nightwing and Hawkeye are impressed with one another in a professional way and then Bruce(Wayne) and Steve(Rogers) decide to set them up by sending them on fake missions together only because Kate is Kate it keeps backfiring and the fake missions all become real missions. It's OK though because they all come together to defeat an interdimensional villain and then there's a frantic makeout session

Kate and Dick would be able to pull off one of my favorite tropes "we've been dating for 3 1/2 years but everyone thinks we just team up to fight crime." Everyone thinks the teamups are because their teamup name is NightHawk. Obvi. Whatever version of them getting together, a total of three people know. One of them is Damian who Does Not Care Thank You Very Much (he does. He cares SO MUCH. when is the wedding he wants to know he had BETTER be a GROOMSMAN, RICHARD. He's already training Lucky to be the ringbearer. But he super mega doesn't care he thinks they're idiots.)

UGH SECRET IDENTITY SHENANIGANS (assuming a crossover where Kate can maintain a secret identity for more than 30 seconds) does the general public think that Dick is dating Hawkeye? That Kate is dating Nightwing? DO THE BUTTS MATCH????

How long before she gives up and starts calling him Dick? She absolutely can't at first, stop LAUGHING, Tommy, and at first the Batfam thinks she's kind of posh and weird like Damian because she's calling him "Richard" does he even actually want to be called Dick she doesn't know!

How into it is Dick when they go to some super shitty bar in Bludhaven and she kicks his ass at pool? He is so super into it its not even funny, honestly any time Kate kicks his ass he is VERY into it.

Kate is out here a small business owner where she is LITERALLY a detective and then at night saving the world? Dick why does that weirdly sound like Bruce? Dick? Do you call Kate daddy Dick WHY ARE YOU RUNNING AWAY ITS A SERIOUS QUESTION

Also I was looking at this on my phone and my eye caught the phrase "struck out" and I am obSESSed with Dick striking out with Kate (trying to date her to get intel on her dad?) while Jason actually gets her to agree to dinner and obviously Jason will never let Dick forget this ever. After dinner--during dinner?--something happens and that's when they realize that Hawkeye (who has been flirting with Nightwing and they're sort of crime fighting dating) just went on a date with Red Hood (they shoot at each other once a week) and that Kate TURNED DOWN the guy she has actually sort of BEEN DATING FOR TWO MONTHS???

Tim texts the entire Batfam about this. Babs steals Kate's phone and texts her entire team. It's terribly embarrassing for Dick and Kate but really brings their teams together.

DICK ADVISING KATE ON GETTING A SIDEKICK?!?!? Damian trying to convince kid!Loki to be Kate's sidekick? DAMIAN AND KATE TEAMUP WHEN DICK IS SICK!?!?! And just. The amount the Batfam would adore Kate. Because she's Kate, because of how happy Dick is when he's with her, because she shares interests with like all of them, Kate and Damian SWORDFIGHTING

I can't decide if Dick's acrobatic training is the only reason he can beat Kate in a fight, or if it's the only reason Kate can beat Dick in a fight (I think they're pretty evenly matched.) On the one hand, Dick's use of acrobatics in his fighting style is pretty unusual and even trained fighters are going to be unprepared for some of his moves. On the other hand, I can see Clint either showing Kate some tricksy moves from his circus days, or Kate just picking it up by observing him. Idk it would be very funny because the acrobatics thing is unique, it gives Dick's moves an edge and he's honestly not used to losing fights and then Kate just. Fucking clotheslines him.

Now that I think about it,

Okay. okay. For Kate, fighting Dick is a lot like fighting Clint. They're built similar and have the acrobatics background. Kate is used to fighting people like Dick. Dick is less used to fighting people like Kate. You remember that picture of an eagle sitting next to a housecat, where it was captioned "I eat things like you, but not your size/I eat things your size but not like you"? That's them.

They also do yoga together after a long night of fighting crime. Also Kate is so protective of Dick it's kind of funny, Dick is ABSOLUTELY capable of taking care of himself but he is SO OKAY with Kate taking care of him, of her being a little feral about him in public, he wants the title of Boytoy. Tim says that Dick is Kate's poor little meow meow and look. points were made. Dick is just SO GOOPY about her in private but if you so much as look at Hawkeye in that tone of voice Nightwing will wreck your shit.

[fandom-trash-xl]

EPISODE 3: DAIMA (Yes, that's the actual episode title)

Jaka-Jaan's already stuck in my head, that's a sure sign of a banger. Anyway, onto episode 3!

This episode using the series recap intro from the first episode totally didn't scare me for a second. If this is going to become a regular thing like Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood's alchemy speech, we might be seeing Frieza a lot more this season (sure, the same shot but... yeah).

We're off to Demon Realm via the giant fish-like portal guardian, Warp-Sama, and Goku nearly blows the whole mission by being himself- I've noticed he's a little more childish. I don't think it's "Dragon Ball Super Brain Damage" bad but maybe because he's in a kid body again, he's taking the time to be a bit more silly and unfiltered.... unless the shrink also made them a little more immature.

The Warp-Samas apparently need an approved pin number to access and Shin can't use his mind link quick enough to tell Kibito- that'll be an uh oh later. And we're also hoping that Kibito will have the little ear illusion magic for Vegeta and Bulma or that'll be a second uh oh.

So, there's three Demon Worlds within the Demon Realm, basically in number hierarchy. Glorio's from the lowest, the third, but does some work in the first. "What kind of work?" (suspicious pause) "...This and that."

If he turns out to be an assassin or something, OH I am EXTRA buying his Funko Pop (or whatever easily accessible/affordable merch comes out first)! At the hotel, the fact that he had a gun seemed to be a tip off for the manager, so I wouldn't be surprised. I enjoy Glorio's vibes regardless.

We've got so many little worldbuild bits- the tunnel between worlds being closed off, gases from the volcanoes making the air heavy and hard to move fast in, the doom river that causes instant death... The fact that pretty much anything you could design as an OC or fan-creature here would fit in. And this is just the third world- as I typed that I realized how that sounds and oh this is going to be a Demon Realm class thing isn't it?

There's a statue left of Dabura that seems worse for wear- either because of just how long he was in power or the stone itself is sensing there's a new king in charge.

Apparently, Shin (and presumably the other Kais) is what's known as a Glind, so we've got new species classifications to work with! ...Are we retconning the magic life fruit origin thing or are we eventually going to come to that tree.

And we have to remember Toriyama's roots in gag manga by slipping in a fart joke

Of course, Goku's still hungry so they stop for some good old fashioned Demon Realm hamburgers- is it weird that after awhile they started looking really tasty actually?

"What meat is this?" "Don't ask." Oh. That definitely means it was a sapient at one point, doesn't it? Maybe that's what they do with all the rogue round-ears? There does seem to be some clear hostility, given they're very quick to start a bar fight- which Goku quickly steps into because you don't come between him and his hamburgers.

After a peaceful night's sleep, they wake up to find that the bar thugs stole Glorio's plane! (checks my GT notes because I'm sure I've seen this before)

Trying to predict what's coming next... From the previews, we might be getting lore on the Tagamis and I have a feeling that we might be meeting Panzy soon. Part of me's kind of hoping we get intermittent cut-ins to how it's going back on Earth.

Also, how I missed the expressive little commercial break in-between scenes! Love them!

EPISODES WITHOUT KNOWING HANVI'S WHEREABOUTS: 3

[charcherry-weekly]

Charcherry Weekly - Issue 205

Hello everyone, Mage of Light Nick Card here. I think I might have a crush on somebody. Either that or its getting hotter around here. Either way, we've got news here.

His name is SCART

As of late, there have been efforts on the writing a public transport bill for the creation of a local public body in Scarab City. The current proposed name for this body is SCART, which stands for Scarab City Area Regional Transport. Reportedly, it is named after a once popular european 21 pin AV cable. As of reporting, the details of the organization are still being solidified, as well as how it will interface with the Desertian Transit Authority that currently offers services there. Further details to be determined.

Beef Extra Rare

Over the weekend, your dear newsletter writer finished and submitted None Pizza with Left Beef Chapter 3 part 1 for the RPG Maker Network Gaymak2024 pride month game jam, and with ample hours to spare. The estimated gameplay time is 20 minutes and the difficulty is reportedly easy, though there were mild complaints about the UX, in regards to the quicktime event bar's feedback. Other than that, the reception was pretty good. This game and the other two chapters can be found on my itch.io account. It will be a long time until part 2 is handled, so in the meantime I will be resuming work on the comic, which is approaching the spaghettivase floppy disc arc.

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This week’s known market stands in Desertia Town:

DTA train ticket stand

Katie’s potion stand (Not available to plitlanders due to regulations, available to all others however)

shinyjiggly pokesnacks stand -Brae's produce stall: - Potted vegetables - Jarred vegetables - Various jams - Hisuian herbs (medicinal leek, pep-up plant, king's leaf)

Driftwood stand

Masquerade mask stand

Traditional Shop: - Whistle, beast (5 gp) - Netting, camouflage (20 gp) - Cobbler's Tools (25 gp) - Backpack, weaponrack (25 gp) - Tent, large (30 gp) - Rope, spider’s silk (50 ft.) (100 gp) - Tent, hanging (20 gp) - Tent, pavilion (100 gp) - Mirror, Steel (5 gp) - Tent, small (10 gp)

That should do it for this week. There wasn't much that happened on the 4th, other than Skye staying up to watch the vanilla UK elections, silent fireworks (responsibly) going off on Mt. Phoenix, and (less responsibly) fireworks being introduced on Neo Alternia. Now if you excuse me I am going to douse myself in cold water. https://letssosl.boards.net/thread/442/charcherry-weekly-issue-205

[verdanteraser]

am i? a diary entry

do i like him? I know the bar is low, but we've been friends for our whole college experience so far (about 1.5 semesters) and i really just want to know if im just making shit up. quick background:

met a few days after moved in (we live in the same dorms but theyre separated by gender assigned at birth, and on different floors anyways).

went to a concert in the fall and had fun

started talking a lot more, esp. over break via text

last night we hung out from about 6pm (got dinner) and then went back to my room (i have a single) to play quiplash w/ some of my online friends

then at about 8, we decided to watch something, and we watched one of my favorites, fear street 1994.

when that was done, we just hung out with each other spotify and assorted social media suggested pages until amab people have to leave my afab dorm at 1am on fridays and sundays. the issue is, during points 4-6, it is important to note that my love language is primarily physical touch. as such, i was sitting really close to him, (i know that doesnt help me pass, im working on

it), and at one point, im ashamed to say, my head was in his lap. this isn't weird for me but when i was replaying the tapes back in my mind overnight, i got concerned that i was being too much. (it is important to note that me and him are both autistic.) i texted him today at the advice of a friend bc i was curious/worried if i made him uncomfortable. he said no. he asked if i felt uncomfortable. i said no. i think that means we are good right? but im still overthinking bc another person told me the other day that most boys doent send each other those little heart emojicons. <3. that makes sense. idk. is he into me? am i into him??

[rowanthestrange]

bless u for thinking there’s structure as to whether i manage to miss a post or not, tungl on ‘mobile web browser’ is a crapshoot

#new friendship level unlocked &lt;3#im not.....entirely sure we've got the same thesis here tho#maybe we do i wouldnt be that surprised if you disagree#but like ive not even formulated my own thesis here properly so im not sure i know it or what you understand of it#/which part of it you disagree with#bc i was........pettyannoyedposting#that word doesnt really work but it's on the pattern of vagueposting#but so first level of my post here was just 'stop calling the doctor neurodivergent especially in canon it annoys me'#second level 'and it misses the point'#third 'and i can prove it' (not convinced i can but)#fourth (getting somewhere into the area of what my actual thesis would be probably) 'the doctor as a character (by design or evolution or#bit of both) is a perpetual other which is an experience that resonates with most people in one way or another#(fun bit of paradoxicality there) and what makes an other is not about (doctor) who/what you are#but rather about what everything around you is. the narratives youre captive in (social identities nationalities racialisation alienisation#what is Normal and how do you respond to it. how do you construct yourself/are you constructed through this response.#and i know what youre thinking now 'dimitri how the fuck did you get here' and also 'you dont know what a thesis statement is'#and you are correct#however how the fuck i got here is autism and its kin (dsm/icd diagnoses) are constructions of (ab)normalcy as heterosexuality and whitenes#and to diagnose the doctor i think doesnt work in a couple of ways#first of which is that a diagnosis i think only means something in the context of treatment#the second of which is that i think it stops what could be an interesting conversation/exploration as a theme in dw#the third of which is that it accepts the authority of the dsm/icd/psychiatrist and the validity of 'neurodivergent' as a concept#which i dont. and now im back to my petty first emotional response. nardole voice: hey we got there#and im missing a lot of aspects of the othering here clearly and also i dont know what im talking about CLEARLY ive never made an essay but#*gestures vaguely* was this the thing you disagreed with? ghkghjgh

Yeah, no, I do get it I think. From this and your previous tags and things, I think so. So here’s my essay i guess. Not a rebuttal just my general take, long, rambly, not exactly structured and best argued cus i’m just killing time til art supplies arrive and my brain wants to do that instead. Feel free to skip sections or all of it tbh, I really don’t care about this all that much despite essay length, do not take this as me giving a shit about minor differences in opinion if that’s even what these are. Headings are in bold for easy skippability.

Personal Views (not Dr Who. This was part of my conclusion but fuck it i’m making it the top actually):

I believe in normalising the not-normal, but I don’t think people saying “everyone’s weird and we’re all a bit different :) ��� is actually the way to do that. I think that’s the “I don’t see colour” approach. I don’t think it works and I don’t think it particularly helps, neither people on an individual level or the wider society practically.

Love disability. Love neurotypes. Love definitions that flex as people lean on them differently year to year. Think diagnosis is incredibly helpful unless there’s a contraindication (like if god forbid you desperately want to join the army, and you think you might be a little autistic, hey, if it doesn’t impact your life that much, don’t need to be barred from getting your dream job just for that but also get a better dream job). Pro medication to be whatever you need to be, be that a woman, a non-depressed person, or someone able to hold down a job. Meds are Accessibility.

I think that some people prefer not be considered abnormal, and I get that, but knowing you’re in a small area that most aren’t in the spectrum of human existence is ultimately helpful. Pretending that some experiences/disabilities aren’t disabilities but actually based on our ‘cultural expectations of x y and z’ are often cope meant to validate negative emotions towards that aspect of the self or that person’s relations with their proximal environment; without true reference to the fundamental experiences of people with disabilities, and the points that actually bind us together across the world to our kin in other countries. And being broken compared to other people can be fine actually. But identifying it helps both internally, socially, and medically.

My General Philosophy - Not Dr Who related, whether relevant or not depends on if I was understanding you correctly:

So I disagree with the general thesis usually put forward in left spaces that ‘mental illness/neurodivergence’ is a socio-cultural construct created by white people, and terms we’ve constructed related to such, like “ADHD”, are therefore fundamentally rooted in that and why should cultures of non-white people be pathologised using these terms.

Here: The Doctor isn’t [earth term] they’re [not from our culture].

This also is often dovetailed with the social model of disability. Which I’m sure you know, but that’s stating ‘disability’ as consequence of a world not built for you i.e. the idea that in a world of wheelchair users you would not be disabled.

On a philosophical level, while I understand them, I generally disagree with both.

Going in reverse.

These often are rooted in people seeing ‘disability’ (and here substitute for any other non-normative words I just don’t want to fill this with /queer/minority-gender etc) from an external perspective. I think it’s probably the least dangerous way for a normative person to think if you have to feed them a lazy solution, but it’s still lacking in nuance. And ultimately It’s a….validation response. “There’s nothing wrong with you, it’s the world that’s wrong” which ew. Cus I don’t think either is ‘wrong’ - a non-normative person or the world. It flattens the concepts.

And while helpful in a ‘please god just make accommodations like ramps’ way, and it is, it so is, please don’t let the non-disabled people read this; it doesn’t have the fundamental core of truth in this world we live in. I.e. if you can’t make a world of all wheelchair users, and you can’t, then with all the feasible accommodations in the world you’re still ultimately going to be disabled. Because you can’t change the heights of everything to a wheelchair user without making taller people have to bend painfully a lot etc. and none of it stops the variety of people that are wheelchair users where some can do some things, others can do others, and none of it gets rid of things like pain and hygiene difficulties and whatever, just says ‘but it would be easier to access painkillers, rest, etc’. The social model of disability purely used, is a good broad base for disability rights, but also in that pure form doesn’t stand up to much scrutiny unless you bring things back to one singular individual.

Example:

When my brain is full of cats, if I was in a world of people whose brains are also full of cats, we’re all still disabled because we can’t effectively communicate our ideas with each other.

Is it only useful to see this as a disability in order to access treatment/medication? I’d argue no. Knowing how and why you’re different is helpful on a fundamental level I feel. And in a world where most people’s brains aren’t full of cats, I get to benefit my psychological situation by knowing the details of how their brain broadly works and my brain broadly works, and having academics having researched people like me, and them, etc. etc. And if you would consider that self-treatment, then that folds so fundamentally with ‘living how i can most happily exist minute to minute and day to day’ that it may as well be indistinguishable.

Now, for socio-cultural construct. You’re not American, so I don’t need to do the whole ‘there’s no such thing as ‘white’ culture’ thing, I’m gonna assume you know all the nuances there, whatever.

There are definitely cultural differences in how people think. Huge ones. Have you ever been to Japan? Awesome place, but I think really shows some of those distinctions in a clear way. The general desire for things to be neat and ordered is so palpable that if you haven’t been there I can’t describe it. It’s like an aura. And don’t get me wrong, despite the amount of people sometimes, my autistic ass felt very at home. In fact because people were more ‘ordered’ the crowds were actually easier than in other countries. But I was still autistic. Still disabled by it. And Japan, like many places, is only just now coming out and trying to help and accommodate people with autism and other disabilities rather than them being in the house all day. They’ve only recently got around to even properly diagnosing ‘adult’ autism. And while there’s such a long way to go there, that’s helping people a lot, that they’re not just called ‘shut-ins’ anymore but they’re starting to be seen as legitimate people.

And this is what we forget when we talk about ‘pathologising’ people. Yes it can definitely go too far, but having someone not just be A Failed Person is also very very important. For them and for the people around them. All very well to go ‘what if we see nobody as a failed person’ cool but we won’t. Even you and I won’t sometimes.

And the reason why a lot of mental illnesses/neurotypes change some symptoms border to border but keep basics is because well, that’s the disability for you. Those are the bits that are wrong with the body and that’s fine. (And while things like “ADHD” may be underdiagnosed if say, you’re black, because people’s racism says ‘all black boys are hyperactive and don’t pay attention’ that’s a racism problem with the diagnoser, the disability is there). And cultural differences are very real, but that’s also one of the reasons why every country has their own diagnostic procedures. So imperfect, very very so, but not to the point of throwing out areas of study. Areas of study that truly have been studied across the entire globe. Fine, a white French person came up with this theory in 1904 but it’s been studied worldwide ever since - we’re going to say “schizophrenia” is a white term if it’s been studied in every continent?

Certainly these things have more weight when it comes to ideas of gender expression and sexual preference. America’s masculine ideal is not English, English masculinity not Finnish, Finnish masculinity not Japanese etc. etc.

However usually discussing this has two real world roots. Are we physically trying to change something in ourselves, or denoting a personal understanding of a boundary. Either way, given all people’s rights are equal (and they are rarely, but I’m pro that part of ‘western hegemony’), that does mean different cultures will view what makes a transgender person differently. For some people an amab’s desire to cook and look after children might cause a question of gender identity where in other cultures it wouldn’t. But that doesn’t mean the terms we’d use in regards to that are less meaningful, just nuances of them shift depending on culture.

(Someone is choking their lungs out outside. Hope we’re ready for the real world deconstruction of the diamond of the core of social disability model which is ‘the majority of people aren’t disabled’, cus hoo boy)

Finally The Dr Who Bit:

Out-Universe:

Doctor Who is a celebration of Being A Weird Guy.

But also not.

Because on one hand it’s quirky is good, good to be childish sometimes, and the other is This Character Is Fucked Up Don’t Be This. Both of those are Four, who much like Ten, gets the last but sanded down in people’s minds.

Doctor Who tells us being weird is good, that you should be kind even if it’s weird, helpful even if it’s weird, be clever even if it’s weird, and if you’re an interesting enough person you can even dress super weird if you like.

But it also shows us where being weird is…not good. For us and others around us. Yeah, maybe you should get help for that, go see a therapy group, take some respite, identify your partner as a problem and leave.

And many times it’s neutral. We write them with the differences so that an ADHD or Autistic person can go, ‘hey that’s me :) ’ and characters and writers and actors labelling them so helps those people feel seen. It’s become almost a staple of main characters now to have some sort of identifiable characteristic to people, but wasn’t always so, and I really do think Doctor Who helped a lot with that. Back when freaks weren’t heroes.

One shouldn’t feel the need to have to label every bit of themselves, as a capital-Q Queer I don’t. But having things to guide you is lovely. I came from a very country place in England that’s perpetually stuck in the worst parts of the 60’s. Pre and early days of internet. I didn’t get to know what things like autism, adhd, sexuality, or gender divergence, most races (not joking, exceptionally white, didn’t see a black person til I was like 9 that wasn’t on kids tv or crime watch — as in i know exactly where i saw him, that specific — and there was 1 black kid in our school of 600+ who came when we were 16), even most physical disabilities. If I hadn’t had CBBC I genuinely wouldn’t have had most of what I did. Hadn’t heard of ‘muslims’ until 9-11. I’m talking a deeply stagnant place.

But finding out there were different aspects of people but far more importantly, different WORDS for that? Huge. Game changing. You can’t actually look these things up otherwise. There was no library book that could tell me what I meant when I said I felt like the Doctor. Took a magazine scan on Doctor Who Forum talking about the character to actually say the word ‘autistic’ and help me in any way.

(Also turned out my mother had been fleeing various medical professionals trying to get me an autism diagnosis since the age of four. THANKS.)

Having a label helped me…de-alienise myself. I wasn’t alien any more, I was a person, just a specific kind.

So I’m pro-diagnosing (even if frequently distrusting of the people who are in theory supposed to be equipped to actually do that irl but aren’t). And I’m pro labelling the Doctor. While also giving enough freedom so that anyone can still headcanon the one that’s most like them. But saying Twelve has ADHD does no harm to anyone’s headcanons while also helping ADHD people, things like that are good in my book.

In-Universe:

The Doctor’s culture considers them a freak. If they truly have terms for mental differences I doubt it, they’re eugenicists, we know their go-to for depression is forced-regeneration i.e. suicide-by-murder.

Even the nice ones are not like the Doctor, seem little different to us, or at least those high in politics or money.

Within the Doctor’s own culture, they are extremely different, and if their culture had the words for autistic/adhd/genderqueer/whatever they would be them by their own society’s culture too, not just ours. Saying that they’re not those things they’re just Not From Here doesn’t make sense cus the Place They’re From thinks it about them too.

For it to be a they’re ‘Not From Here’ thing the Doctor would fit normally within their own society but they don’t.

Maybe this was part of the autschizadhdfirework-brain jump

'the doctor as a character (by design or evolution or#bit of both) is a perpetual other which is an experience that resonates with most people in one way or another#(fun bit of paradoxicality there) and what makes an other is not about (doctor) who/what you are#but rather about what everything around you is. the narratives youre captive in (social identities nationalities racialisation alienisation#what is Normal and how do you respond to it. how do you construct yourself/are you constructed through this response.#and i know what youre thinking now 'dimitri how the fuck did you get here'

Trying to follow. But might not be, the idea that you can’t label the ‘other’ parts would seem to contradict that - that the Doctor and us share the same sorts of experiences of othering (despite alien society) that allows one to see ‘same hat!’ and label it so would…fit that, wouldn’t it? Perhaps with the same fluidity we give them on assigning a political spectrum to them, but ‘being defined by what you aren’t’ is surely labelling of ones’ characteristics in a nutshell. That is the construction of ones’ sense of self. The definition of one as an entity and how best to navigate the world with those tools.

But ymmv.

I’m not one of those people who needs people to see things the same way I do. I’m not big on philosophical discussions or whatever, I promise.

the doctor isnt neurodivergent or autistic or adhd or nonbinary or genderqueer or asexual. what the doctor is, is Not From Here

[laceghost]

End of the year ask

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I'm so late but ty for the ask!! <33 1. Song of the year? That's so fucking hard to answer?? I think it's a tie between Spillways and Griftwood

2. Album of the year? Legally obligated to say Impera. cmon

3. Favorite musical artist / group you started listening to this year? Very end of the year find but House of Harm is becoming a favorite of mine really quickly

8. Game of the year? I barely played anything this year tbh :/ I'll say Omori bc I finally finished it and it was super good!!

9. Best month for you this year? So glad that I had such a good year that it's hard to choose lol my whole summer of july to september were the absolute best, I got to spend a lot of time with my best friends, traveled to visit some amazing places and saw some really cool bands! I can't just choose one bc these three months felt like a whole year to themselves

11. Something you want to do again next year? I went to a very cool underground bar/venue in my town for the first time and I really hope I get to go more often!! I really want to see more little shows this year basically

12. Talk about a new friend you made this year HI HIIIIII @niimuue !! Ok so technically we've known each other since before this year. BUT. I didn't meet anyone new and I feel like we really got to know each other this year!! I'm so glad we started talking more,, not to be sappy but you're a literal ray of sunshine in my days when I talk to you. ok i love you

13. How was your birthday this year? Pretty fun! We had a picinc at the park with my friends and I got to eat some good cake :) Didn't cry this year wich is an achievement (yipee)

14. Favorite book you read this year? Oh Gideon The Ninth hands down. I jumped head first into tlt and I don't regret anything (currently working on a Harrow cosplay too!!)

18. A memorable meal this year? Oh I got a real stupid one for this. My bf and I went on a trip to Italy this summer and on our last day we were eating outside and we had?? a french youtuber stumble and almost fall RIGHT beside our table it was such a weird moment of recognition I was stunned because?? is this who I think it is that almost ate shit right beside me?? in Italy of all places???? And when I asked my bf if he recognized the guy bc I wanted to be sure of who I saw, he didn't even know him.

19. What’re you excited about for next year? Seeing Ghost again lmao. Also getting more tattoos!

20. What’s something you learned this year? Kinda learned to set better boundaries! It's helped a lot to be able to protect myself and not let people walk all over me, and being able to communicate in a healthier way when ppl I care about are hurting me and not realizing it

21. What’s something new about your place of residence (room, home, or general location) now vs the start of the year? Umm acquired more trinkets and Miku figures lmao,, Oh I also reorganized my print wall but other than that not much has changed!

22. Favorite place you visited this year? Edinburgh for suuuure I really fell in love with the whole city but the castle was especially beautiful

25. Did you create any characters (in games, art, or writing) this year? Describe one Yeah I made a few new characters for my graduation portfolio :^) I don't want to spoil too much so I'll briefly talk abt Josué! He's a member of my main cast of monsters and he's a cool guy with 4 arms ans that's all you'll get for now!! I'll post about them all when I make full illustrations hehe

[downwiththemutantnjnjaturtles]

We Met Within This Screen (chapt. 4)

[Donnie x fem reader]

sfw, chapt. 3, pt. 4 here

Sighing, you set your phone face-down after sending your last text to Bo. What an abrupt end to something that had been so good. You were confused, a little taken aback and honestly sad. You'd thought the two of you were getting along well. Bo was smart, well-spoken, funny, and all around, a really nice person. He listened to your venting and seemed like he had a response to everything. Always, he had some random fact to hit you with whether it was about biology, chemistry, astronomy, language—you weren't sure where he got all his knowledge from. He'd never mentioned school, if he went. He didn't mention a lot about himself, actually. 

People come and go, someone had once told you. You guessed that he was one of those passersby, as much as you wanted it to be more. 

More?

When had you started thinking that? More what? 

You were tempted to pick your phone back up, to check and see if there were any new messages. Not that you could expect much; Bo had been so curt about his exit from your friendship that it was left at his last text, "Again, I'm sorry." You wanted to say something, but what was there to say? It was his decision. A sudden, uncharacteristic, and frankly odd decision, but still, his. Thinking back on it, you tried to remember any instance you might have crossed a line, or maybe said something you shouldn't have. That's what made you open up the messages again, scrolling up and up and looking for anything weird, but finding nothing of the sort. It had all been normal up until when you texted him about the clamor you'd heard outside your apartment building. And then it went flat—he didn't even respond to it, just said his apology and his goodbye before going offline.

You wanted to take your mind off it with a game, but as you looked through your list and saw the one you and him had played together, you knew it was near ruined for you. It just wasn't the same to play alone or with your acquaintances. An otherwise boring game made fun by one particular person, but now it was barely what it used to be.

Unfortunate. 

The next morning might have felt more normal if it weren't for the fact that everyone was pretending like it was. For the sake of secrecy from their father. As far as Donnie knew, Splinter still didn't know anything was or had been going on, and he intended to keep it that way, too. He wanted to tell his father, he did, but all he saw coming of that was reprimanding, or at the very least an awkward discussion, and possibly, time in the Hashi. He was already feeling the aftermath of his actions; he didn't need any more. Especially as he checked the messaging app one last time, only to find it empty, aside from her goodbye. 

Donnie stood at the kitchen counter, mask off and groggy as usual, scrounging for something to eat. Maybe a cup of coffee (if they had any), which he was looking for when Mikey bounced in. Normally, his brothers would avoid him when he was in one of his "moods". He hadn't a passionate temper like Raph but a slow-brewing one, the kind that festers until it's alleviated or boils over. Cold quiet was his thing. 

But Donnie knew why he was here. So did Mikey. He had that familiar glint of mischief in his eye. 

There was no coffee, so he settled for some kind of pastry they'd found while looking through the dumpsters. Really, the item was fine—only the packaging and appearance was defective. It was a wonder just how much food grocers wasted over arbitrary reasons, but regardless, he was happy to oblige his secret sweet tooth. 

From the corner of his eye he could see Mikey waiting eagerly for him to turn around and regard him. To listen to whatever he was about to talk his ear off with. Their youngest brother was more often than not bright-eyed in the morning, something Donnie's morning fog could not always entertain. He picked at his food at the counter for a moment, mind wandering back to his night and subsequently,  the unresolved feelings. Dreadfully unresolved, he groaned inside. And they probably would continue to be, as after sleeping on what had happened the previous night, thinking about her, he realized something that made his face flush. Oh, no. 

He froze in his place, suddenly very awake. He looked over his shoulder and found Mikey was distracted rummaging through the food for his own breakfast, and with a faint cringe, tried to sneak out of the kitchen undetected. No way would he admit to Mikey's words on the rooftop that night, the ones that made him flinch with embarrassment. The same ones that bounced around his head despite all attempts to stuff it down. "You like her, bro." 

Things involving him could never be simple, could they?

Abandoning his plate, Donnie began tip-toeing out of the room right behind Mikey. His foot hit the leg of a chair and caused a creak—he winced. As he thought, Mikey looked back, "Why are you sneaking around? You didn't finish your breakfast. Can't go on patrol on an empty stomach, dude." 

Before Donnie could even answer, he continued in a whisper, "Plus—"

"Whatever it is, Mikey, not now," he cut his brother off, "last night was the end of it, alright? You need to let it go." It sounded harsher than he would have preferred, but he felt the need to drill it into Mikey's skull that it was over, that it was just something he'd have to deal with. There were a lot of things they dealt with despite not liking it. With time, he'd forget—more accurately, be able to ignore— and maybe he could find the same enjoyment in his brothers once again. That sort of friendship.  But at the moment, it was ruined for him—he got a taste of something more and it was taken away what felt like second later. 

Mikey's face fell. Donnie couldn't stand that, seeing him upset over something he'd said. He had a bit of a soft spot for their youngest, no doubt. Just wasn't always obvious. 

"Aren't you afraid you'll regret it?" he asked, voice soft. 

Fear was a strong word, but of course Donnie was anxious. It was the thing holding him back from being able to simply compartmentalize everything, to put it in a box and on the metaphorical "deal with this later because it's uncomfortable right now" shelf. Or to deal with it at all, as ignoring his problems with studying and unrelated research and experimentation wasn't exactly prime management. He knew that. 

After a while of thought, Donnie was able to give him an answer. "Well…I mean, how could I not be?" he inquired in return before leaning out of the doorway to scan the lair. Everyone was either in their room, the dojo, or there, in the kitchen. Mikey has always made him feel most comfortable, and he was sure that was the case for the other three, just that they had other ways of showing it. He was certainly easy to talk to; if Donnie weren't so careful of his mouth and what came out of it, he could probably spew way more to him than he liked. Mikey could come through sometimes, though, which prompted him to keep going, "It was a big thing for me. We've been disconnected from everything else for so long that it was just...exciting, to get a look into what it's like. Being 'regular', you know?" 

Mikey sat down on one of the bar stools, feet idly shuffling against the floor as he folded his arms and rested on them. "You didn't hear it from me, but I'm a little jealous," he said playfully, but Donnie was aware that it was the case. "Maybe I'm pushing you to go after her because I'm trying to live vic–vicrous–v–…" 

Donnie smiled, he couldn't help it. "'Vicariously'?" he suggested. 

"Yeah! That," Mikey beamed, nodding. "You get what I mean." 

"I understand." 

The conversation died off soon after as Donnie decided to get breakfast over with and do whatever needed to be done before they left for patrol that night, darkness falling earlier due to the upcoming winter. It wasn't too cold for them to be out yet, though, so that still meant a chilly patrol in the Autumn breeze. He hated the cold. 

As Donnie was making himself busy at a circuit board in his lab, he heard the beads in the doorway shift, and to his surprise, Splinter came shuffling in. 

"Sensei?" 

He put down his soldering iron, spinning around in his chair. "Something the matter?" 

Splinter ran his fingers along a shelf on the wall as he wandered by, careful to not disturb any of the items lining it. Beakers, recently-repaired electronic parts, projects put on pause, things that would loathe to be broken. 

"There is always something," Splinter replied enigmatically, "I would not be here if that weren't true. Would you agree?"

 I'm compromised!

Donnie had a strong but hidden dislike for vague speaking, even if he did it himself sometimes. When spoken to you it's much more bothersome. 

Splinter waited for his answer, looking at him expectantly. "Donatello?" 

"Yeah, um…yes, I would—I would agree. I suppose. So...what is it again?" Damn his stutter, he couldn't get away with anything, hardly. He was only able to stifle it just enough. 

Picking a random pipette on the desk next to Donnie, Splinter studied the green liquid close for a second before his nose twitched, and he put it back down. "You have been very busy lately, it seems. What is it that you work on all day in here? Or are you playing games?" 

Donnie's heart thumped. His hand found that particular spot on his neck and began to scratch, and Splinter looked at him dead in the eye. He should have known; there was no hiding anything from their father, he was too good. Stupidly, infuriatingly perceptive. Donnie caught himself scratching that spot and slid his hand away, he hadn't even noticed he was picking at it again. He knows, Mikey told him, I probably look like a guilty idiot right now, I'm—

"I haven't been playing games," Donnie blurted out. 

Quizzically, Splinter gestured at the computer screen on the other wall, which had the menu of the game he'd opened up just earlier. Reminiscing over it even though it had been only a couple of days since he and his friend had last played together, but he stared at the screen as if it had been years. It made him realize how easily he'd gotten attached to that. Well, to her. He was on the fence about whether he wanted to try playing again or not and left it on.

Oh, you have to be kidding. I'm a fool in a man's shoes. 

Donnie laughed uncomfortably, "You caught me, Sensei," he said, "I guess I have been playing games more often lately." 

It was honest enough, right? 

Splinter hummed and cupped his hands behind his back. "I see."

Straightening out, Donnie dipped his head a little. "I'll...lay off on them. Sorry for lying. I've just been really distracted recently." 

"Liars never prosper, my son. Take care of yourself." 

He then left. 

So he didn't know. Donnie still couldn't say it with any degree of confidence, because Splinter would trip them up here and there, but it was assurance enough to know that if Splinter was aware of what had gone on between the four brothers and his new—rather, former—human friend, he would have confronted Donnie about it. Or all of them, considering it was now a secret they were all in on actively hiding. And on top of that, Raph and Leo didn't know Mikey was conspiring. Layers and layers, he sighed. 

With Splinter gone, he let out a breath of relief. Too close. Much. But, swiftly evaded. A chuckle left him, not of humor, but more because he was actually feeling a little confident. Just a little. They were really hiding something from Splinter; it was reason enough to pat himself on the back, nothing got past Splinter. Except for him.

Briefly, he thought of Mikey's outlandish idea as he spun back around in his chair. "Mikey, you are crazy," he mumbled to himself as he took his soldering iron, resuming his work from before. "But..."

Chapter 5

[softsebnbuckystan]

Souls ties - Part 3 (Bucky Barnes au)

"I had all and then most of you

Some and now none of you

Take me back to the night we met"

The sun had set a while ago and the band had been replaced by speakers, meaning the party was coming to an end, even though you still hadn't properly talked to Bucky. You  knew you probably should've payed more attention to your own husband but Darren seemed to enjoy himself more around his college friends. It would've driven you mad, had it been a regular party. Oddly enough, his behaviour that night didn't bother you as much as it should've. One might say your attention was elsewhere. It was late, and you were thirsty for water after all the champagne and hors-d'oeuvres you'd had. You were positive your rosy cheeks attested for it. At the bar, you took a minute for yourself and sat down, taking this occasion to relieve your feet from your high-heel shoes. The night's fresh air made the hair on your neck stand on end and your body's instinct was to shiver, even though the weather was still quite nice. Your body tensed up as you felt a presence at your side.

"Feeling a little tired there?" he asked. You were starting to know this voice now, and it was like music to your ears.

"I needed to be away from the crowd for a moment," you confessed.

"Oh, I can leave if you want."

This made you look at him instantly. "No, stay." You realised how pressing you must've sound and chuckled at his confused eyes – which had a beautiful shade of blue in the moonlight. "I mean...I didn't want to get away  from you, specifically. Sorry if it sounded that way."

"I'd get it, you know," Bucky said. "What happened earlier..."

"...was disturbing for us both, I assume."

Bucky didn't say anything about you interrupting him. It felt natural, actually, almost like finishing his sentence rather than rudely stopping him mid-speech.  "Yeah, exactly," he continued. "I'm really sorry if that caused you...any pain or something."

"What? The coffee?" you asked naïvely. "Don't worry, it wasn't that hot," you said with a wink.

A faint smile appeared on Bucky's lips, making you notice both how he hadn't smiled much until then and that it lightened up his face in a touching way.

"I meant pain as in fear, or anxiety. Your wedding mustn't be the place you expected to hear those words." He looked you in the eyes and you  shivered once more. "Are you cold?"

You shook your head no before looking down to your knees. His eyes on you were making you  feel all sorts of ways you wouldn't dream of sharing with anyone. "No, I'm not," you said. Taking a careful breath in, you decided to glance at him. Your eyes paused at the same time as your lungs, taken away by the beauty of the man's face. Something behind his blue iris was beyond description and drove you even more eager to get to know him, his story, his passions and pet-peeves, his everything. He'd seemed to have stopped breathing for a second as well, but you weren't entirely sure it hadn't been a figment of your imagination.

"Maybe we should go back to the others," you whispered. You tried getting off your stool and slipped next to your shoe. Bucky moved fast to grab you with his arm and prevent you from hitting the ground. His grip was firm –  exaggeratedly firm. You brushed off the sensation of his leather glove on your back and thanked him hastily before going back to Steve.

"Are you okay?" he asked, lowering his voice.

"Yeah, sure." You knew he wasn't fooled by your answer ; Steve knew you better than you knew yourself. Bucky stayed silent for a while after that, and neither of you seemed to fathom what to do next.

---

"Ready to go, honey?"

You opened surprised eyes at Darren's question. It was barely past midnight.

"Darren, we can't leave before the other guests, c'mon..."

Your husband looked disappointed and now that most of your shock had gone away, his attitude was slowly driving you mad, especially when you gave deeper thought to his actions and words throughout the day.

"Do you even want to be here at all?" you asked him, somewhat dryly.

"Calm down, y/n. We've been here forever and I wanna rest for the night. Is that too much to ask?"

"Resting on your wedding night? Yeah,  that's a lot to ask for," you replied. "I thought we were going to party until the end and have fun with our friends before going home. Consensual marriage is supposed to be celebrated, don't you know that? Ugh, you really are a buzzkill sometimes."

"Wow, easy there. If you want to stay,  fine. But I'm going home."

"Are you serious right now?" Your stomach was burning with anger and disappointment. You loved Darren, but this kind of behaviour had become a habit of his. "You're going to leave me alone at our wedding party?"

"You're not alone, you have Steve and Wanda and...whoever that guy is over there. Enjoy the rest of your night."

"Damn it, Darren, that's not fair!"

Wanda's eyes turning towards you made you realise how loud your voices had been and you lowered yours a notch.

"Fine, go home. But don't expect me to be all smiles when I join you, if I even do."

Upon those words, you turned around and walked away from him. You were perfectly aware that there was no point in reasoning with him at this point. You ended up going back to your group and were surprised to see that Steve and Wanda had walked away as well, leaving Bucky alone.

"Where are they  going?" you asked, still angry from what'd just happened.

"They're grabbing more drinks. Wanda said she'd choose something for you since you were...busy."

You brought your hand to your forehead, ashamed that he'd heard you losing your temper.

"Sorry about that. He's just...difficult, sometimes."

"I saw that," he said with his hands in his pockets, "and no need to be sorry." You could see him take a deep breath in before he kept talking, even  though he was trying hard to look as calm and composed as possible. "Come, let's take a walk. It'll help you blow off some steam."

You followed Bucky through the garden and as you drifted away from the crowd, hearing less and less voices, a soothing feeling filled your body and mind. You took deep breaths in and deep breaths out, taking in the bucolic smell of the close-by forest. The only thing left bothering you were your shoes, and you made the call to take them off, leaning on Bucky's shoulder without even thinking about it. He stopped to let you do it.

"Here, let me hold them." He gently grabbed your shoes by the heels and carried them for the way.

"Thank you." You took a peek at him and smiled. "How did you know a walk would calm me down?"

"I...I  just did," he answered with a shrug. "Did it work?"

"It's starting to." You smiled at him ingenuously, taking in some of his features at the same time. The slight crook of his nose, the rebellious hair on his neck...  A question was burning your lips. It was just the two of you, so you might as well just ask. "Did you ever give much thought to what your tattoo said?"

He didn't seem taken aback by your question. At least you didn't think he was, even though his emotions were hard to read.

"Not really. I just assumed someone would pay me a compliment out of the blue  and confuse the hell out of me." He chuckled for the first time since you'd met him and you got a feeling that didn't happen often. He stopped quickly, as would a kid caught red-handed. "You?"

"I had lots of scenarios in my head. Someone bumping into me, stepping on my feet or even running me over with a car...I mean, that sentence could've been said at many occasions, really."

"It's true, though I don't think saying 'shit, I'm sorry' would be an appropriate apology after running somebody over with a car."

You laughed at his remark and nodded in agreement.

"True. It is only an appropriate apology for spilling coffee all over someone," you teased.

You couldn't even hear the music the speakers were playing anymore, only the insects buzzing and leaves brushing against each other. As you walked, you got dangerously closer to Bucky. You knew what your body was doing, where your legs were taking you, but you had no idea why  they were doing it. You shouldn't have been standing so close to him, especially on your wedding night. Your hand accidentally brushed against his leather glove and he moved away. His movement wasn't big enough to call it an act of repulsion, but you also didn't know why exactly he didn't want to be close to you.

"I'm sorry," you said. "I just..."

"...want to be close. I know." He sighed and stopped walking. "It's a weird feeling and I didn't think you...I thought you weren't feeling it."

"What? The feeling that draws me to you and that I can't control? Of course I feel that. I've...I've met you hours ago, and yet..."

"You feel a connection that dates to much longer than that," he finished.

"Exactly. I couldn't really put words on it but...yeah. That's what it feels like."

"I'm sorry," he said. "Steve wanted me to come here for some reason and I..."

"Don't say you shouldn't have come, please."

He looked back at you and saw you'd been staring at your feet saying that sentence. His face changed in an instant.

"I didn't mean to hurt you. Not at all, actually... If I hadn't been there tonight, you might have actually enjoyed your wedding."

"I did enjoy it," you replied in a hurry. "Just not the way I imagined." You stared into his eyes,  trying to understand what he was feeling in this very moment. "We'll see each other again, right?"

"That might not be a good idea, as much as I would want to."

"But...as my sister always tells me, soulmates don't have to be romantic. I can be happily married and still get to know you....can I?"

He tightened his lips, thinking about his answer. His face gave you no clue as to what he truly wanted, but the answer he gave you might have been an indication.

"You can try. I can try."

---

Part 3 is where I chose to start the fluff haha! I hope you enjoyed this part. It felt quite cute writing it, so I hope the final result is :)

tag list:

@ginger-swag-rapunzel

[possiamo-andare]

No More Divisions - Chapter Three: The Jacuzzi

JJ x Original Character

I'd like to give a small shoutout to @fangirling-allday for giving me such a sweet comment. You have inspired me to write another chapter so this one is dedicated to you! <3

MASTERLIST

~

If I could only describe Sarah's younger sister, Wheezie, in one word it'd be difficult. I've met her a total of two times and both times she's been difficult. She always has to put her two cents into every conversation and she asks so many questions.

Trust me, I love curious people but Wheezie isn't just curious, she's nosy. She's basically the stereotypical annoying younger sister.

With that being said, she no longer was difficult to me anymore. She was our hero. The cup with the string attached to it ended up being a makeshift phone where Wheezie could hear us from her room.

At first, Sarah was going to try and explain to Wheezie the truth but it was clear that within the first few minutes of talking to her, Rafe had gotten to her first and poisoned her mind.

So, since telling the truth didn't work, we decided to lure her into Sarah's room. Our plan was to get Sarah to fake cry hard enough to get Wheezie to unlock the door to come comfort her sister. When she opened the door, we'd then explain to her that we needed her to pretend to be us in the room as we slipped out the front door.

This plan was foolproof.

That is, until Wheezie asked a question we hadn't even thought she'd ask.

"If John B. didn't do it, who did?"

Sarah and I looked at each other as this child stood in front of us, begging to know the truth. We didn't know what to say. How do you tell a child that their brother was a murderer? Sarah shook her head at me. It wasn't the time nor place. Wheezie would find out eventually but not right now.

"We have to do something first," I say, crouching down to meet her gaze. "But you need to promise us that you'll be here for as long as you can."

Wheezie nodded, furrowing her brows together. I could tell she still didn't understand what was going on but she wanted to help out as best she could.

"Can you do that for us?" Sarah asked, her pinkie out towards her sister.

Wheezie nodded again, this time holding onto Sarah's pinkie finger with her own.

We tucked Wheezie into Sarah's bed and created another "person" under the sheets with a pillow and blacket so it would seem as if Sarah and I took a nap. After we said our goodbyes, we turned off the lights and quietly made our way downstairs.

I was barely breathing as we crept down the stairs, hoping not to cause a commotion even by breathing heavily. Once we successfully made it down the stairs, Sarah led me to the sliding windows in the back on the house. As Sarah quietly opened them, I was the lookout. I could hear the faint distance of talking with the tv drowning out what the actual words between the two people were. I could tell Ward and Rafe were bickering but I couldn't make out what they were saying, only that Ward was mad.

Sarah nudged me softly, getting my attention as she pointed to the open sliding doors. We quickly made our way out of the house before quietly closing the doors again.

After the doors were fully closed, we took off running. Sarah's bike was at the front of her house and now that it was darker, we were sure that Ward or Rafe couldn't see us from outside.

Once we found Sarah's bike, Sarah told me to sit on the handlebars as she rode out of the neighbourhood. She said she had a suspicion where John B. was and wanted to see if she was right. Once we made it out of the neighbourhood, we were swarmed with flashlights and dozens of people looking for John B. Apparently there was a $25,000 reward for whoever caught him and everyone in OBX was making it their mission to find him. People young and old, even children, perused the streets calling out for John B. as if there was any way in hell he'd answer back.

As we rode, we stopped to ask people where they were going. Some were going to the ferry, others were going to the docks where they knew many Pogues hung out but what we found was that no one was going to the Bell Tower, where Sarah believed John B. was. Although I wanted to go with her and make sure she was safe, I knew I couldn't go.

"I can't go with you." I say to Sarah as she peddles forward.

"What?" Sarah asks, holding onto her breaks as her bike comes to a stop.

"I have to go to JJ's house and help them. I'm sure they are doing something for John B. there. They need my help more than you do." I say, getting off the handle bars and crossing my arms over my stomach this time.

Since my clothes were stained with blood, Sarah lent me her clothes. Everything she had was cropped which wasn't usually my style but it was the only option. I had changed into a purple tube top with black ripped jean shorts and although Sarah said I looked awesome, this cropped top made me super self conscious.

"Okay. I'll give you JJ's address and you help him and Kiara and Pope. I'll find John B. We'll meet at the JJ's father's dock at 3pm tomorrow. Okay?" Sarah smiles at me, grabbing my arm for a moment to reassure me. She tells me JJ's address and I repeat it back to her to remember it.

I nod to her as a way of saying bye. "Okay. See you tomorrow. Stay safe until then."

We both smile at eachother and then briefly hug. It's weird that even in a time like this, where our lives are literally in shambles, we still have the time to smile and hug eachother.

"Love you Callie." Sarah whispers to me as we hug.

I pull away from her. "Love you Sarah."

And with that, Sarah is off again. She peddles away from me, not looking back once. I stay completely still until I can't see her anymore. Until she's into the woods so much so that she becomes a dark little speck.

Once Sarah's completely gone, I take off running like a madman. I run on the pavement, my sneakers slamming down on the sidewalk the faster I run. I run down one street and turn and then turn again. I continue to run until I don't recognize the houses as Kook houses but Pogue houses. I run until I get to JJ's street and I count the number of houses I pass until I come upon JJ's.

JJ's house is more like a shack than a home. A home is where you feel safe and cozy. I don't think I'd ever feel safe here. The screen on one of the sides of the house is ripped. It looks like somebody ran through it and I wouldn't be surprised if someone did. JJ had a reputation after all. He got into fights, stole, and hated Kooks. He hated them so much that he'd start fights with them for no reason. This made me question why he was so nice to me. I understood why he was nice to Sarah, but why me? If I was a Kook and he hated Kooks, why was he nice to me?

I decide that since it's so late, not to ring on the doorbell but instead make my way to the backyard and see if anyone's there. Once I get closer to the backyard, I hear people talking and I hear a distinct voice. I recognize it as Kiara's.

"Pope make sure you get two gallons of gas. Not one. He'll need two if he's ever gonna cross the border."

I try to make my way quietly over to them but a stick breaks under the pressure of my foot and it makes a loud noise.

"Who's there?!" JJ yells from his place on the jacuzzi.

Wait. A jacuzzi? Why does his house look like a shack, but he has a jacuzzi.

It was dark when I first arrived but someone turned on the lights and I soon see all three of John B.'s friends much more clearly. Pope is sitting on the floor beside Kiara who is sitting on a chair in front of JJ, who is sitting on the ledge of the jacuzzi. They all look very happy to be with one another, even though something bad is happening to their friend. I guess that's what happens when your only family is your friends; you're always glad to see them.

"It's me, Callie." I say, loud enough for them to hear. I'm only 10 feet away from them now and I can see all of them turn around in shock this time. JJ is literally so shocked to see me he stands up to greet me.

"C-callie." JJ stutters.

"Where's Sarah?" Kiara asks, walking up to me and giving me a hug. I return it with open arms.

Kiara was always so nice to me even if Sarah and her didn't get along.

Sarah always told me not to talk to Sarah but Kiara and I shared the same biology class and our interest in the environment allowed for us to bond. We were never close and rarely spoke outside of school but she was a sweet girl and I'm so glad Sarah and Kiara are friends again. Maybe after all of this is over, we can finally hang out. If all of this ever is over.

"She's looking for John B. She says she knows where he is." I reply as Kiara pulls away from me and I get a chance to greet everyone.

I hug Pope briefly. He was always nice to me whenever he saw me with his father and I think we've talked about four times. Each time he was sweet and very pleasant so I'm glad he's here to help. I can tell he's very on edge about the whole situation and I'm not surprised if I look as nervous as him.

Then there's JJ. I make my way to him and give him an awkward hug. He pats my back and then we quickly move away from each other. I've never talked to him before and I've never heard good things. Yet, all of those bad things were from Rafe and he's not exactly a model citizen. I decide to see how he is now and make my own decisions about his personality.

There's a small amount of silence that passes through us and Pope breaks it by talking. "Did you actually see Rafe kill the Sheriff?"

I nod. Kiara, JJ, and Pope all look at eachother in disbelief. They knew Rafe was crazy but never like this. I don't think anyone could think Rafe could do this, no matter how cruel he was.

I want to change the subject so badly that I end up asking, "What were you guys just doing?" I glance at the notebook on Kiara's chair.

It has all their names on it with different things to do. Pope is supposed to get two gallons of gas, Kiara is suppose to get food from her parents restaurant and JJ is supposed to get his dad's keys. This is definitely a list of things for them to do but I don't know what for.

"We're getting a boat for John B. with food and gas so he can get away." Pope answers me.

I look to Kiara who is not meeting my gaze. "I thought we were gonna clear his name."

I hear JJ scoff from behind me. "Yeah, we tried that. These officers have tunnel vision. John B. has to leave, at least until we can clear his name."

I turn and look to JJ. I could tell he's been observing me since I came. I know he doesn't trust me like Kiara and Pope do. I dont know why but my gut tells me it's because I'm a Kook and he hasn't had the best experiences with Kooks.

"How can I help?" I ask, turning to face everyone. They've all gathered around me now and I'm ready to hear what they have to say.

"JJ is gonna give me a hand with getting all of John B.'s food. You can help. We need some extra hands." Kiara says, grabbing her notebook and writing it down.

I nod. "Okay."

"Well," JJ sighs, looking to Kiara. "I hope you know what you're doing."

Kiara rolls her eyes at JJ and then looks to me. "I do."

~

After each plan is made down to the last detail, I finally feel a little at peace. The final plan is that Pope is gonna take two gallons of gas from his dad's shop and try not to get caught (I hope that Mr. Heyward is not too pissed off). JJ, Kiara and I will get food from her dad's restaurant for John B. for at least two weeks. And JJ will steal the keys to his father's old racing boat. We will all meet at the garage where the boat is at the bring it back to JJ father's dock for 3pm tomorrow.

After everything is written and memorized, we all lay blankets down on the floor and decide to sleep. I take the edge and Kiara takes the other. Pope takes a spot beside Kiara while I get stuck with JJ. I'm not facing him when he lays down so I can't tell if he's disappointed or not but I can imagine he's not exactly thrilled to sleep beside me.

"Night." Kiara yawns before turning over. Pope does the same and before I can reply, I hear their soft snores.

JJ says nothing to me and I actually like it that way. I'm beyond exhausted and I don't want to have to deal with him if he's just gonna be cruel. He hasn't be outright mean to me but he hasnt exactly been hospitable while I've been here so I'm a little scared to talk to him alone.

Five minutes later, I'm asleep and dreaming. Except dreaming is supposed to be fun but this is a complete nightmare.

I see the sheriff on the floor like how I did this morning and I try to rush towards her. I'm calling out to her and running as fast as my feet will take me but she's just getting father and farther away. I am forced to watch her bleed out but I'm not getting any closer. I look down at my feet and see that my feet are stuck in cement and I can't move them. I'm yelling to the Sheriff but she can't hear me. I'm drenched in blood and I see Rafe. He's looking right at me. I call to him and he laughs and lifts his right hand to point a gun at me.

Before I can scream, I wake up. It's almost dawn now and the space where JJ was sleeping is empty. I sit up and look around.

Kiara and Pope are still sleeping. They look so cute cuddled up together. I look around more, trying to find JJ. I finally find him in the jacuzzi.

The water is up to his chest but the jacuzzi is not on. He's just sitting in a jacuzzi that's not on which has to be one of the most depressing things I've ever seen. My heart aches for him. There is something up and I want to make him feel better.

I stand up and walk towards the jacuzzi and where JJ is sitting. He's playing with the water and moving it with his hands. I don't think he realizes he's even doing it. Once I get to the jacuzzi, I rest my elbow on the ledge and JJ finally sees me.

"What are you doing up?" He asks, a little surprised to see me.

"I should ask you the same thing." I smirk, letting one of my hands touch the water. It's hot. He must've just got in.

"I can't sleep." He says. He seems detached and cold, as if he doesn't want to talk about something.

"Bad dream?" I ask. I don't mean to pry but sometimes I can't help it. Especially when someone is feeling sad. I want to help.

JJ nods. He quickly looks up to me but then quickly looks back to the water.

"Same actually." I sigh, my hand now also absentmindedly playing with the water.

"About the Sheriff?" JJ asks, actually holding eye contact with me this time.

I nod. "How did you know?"

"You were yelling her name." JJ answered, closing his eyes for a second to take a deep breath. "This jacuzzi actually helps me with my anxiety alot. Especially with nightmares."

"Really?" I ask, a little skeptical on why he's brought this up.

"Yep." JJ nods, finally moving closer to me. "Would you like to come in?"

I don't know whether I should or not. On one hand, I barely know this guy and he's already indirectly asked to to strip and get into a jacuzzi with him. On the other hand, I bet that hot water would feel amazing on my skin and very relaxing. Even though my better judgement tells me no, I go against in. I might get arrested for aiding and abetting tomorrow so what the hell.

"Okay, but close your eyes until I get in." I narrow my eyes at him, being a little sarcastic but at the same time I'm completely serious.

JJ rolls his eyes. "Please, don't flatter yourself Kook."

I frown. "Just do it."

JJ nods and closes his eyes and then covers his closed eyes with his hands. Once I know he's not peeking, I take off my sneakers and unbuckle my jeans. I lift my tube top over my head and lay it neatly beside all if my other clothes. Now I'm in my black underwear and pink strapless bra. I curse Sarah in my brain. If I knew a boy was gonna see my bra and underwear today, I would've told her to make them match.

I slowly get into the water as JJ sits across from me, hands still over his eyes. It's really warm and my skin starts having goosebumps the more I emerge myself in the water. Once the water gets to my shoulder, I shudder a little. This water feels amazing on my muscles. I've been running around and fighting all day yesterday that I completely forgot what it did to my body. Now, I realize how achy I really am.

"Okay." I say, my hands absentmindedly playing with the water between my fingers.

JJ finally uncovers his eyes and opens them. When he does, there's a smirk on his face. And it's directed towards me which is super surprising.

"Feels nice, right?"

I nod and continue to play with the water. "What's this beauty's name?"

JJ smirks. "Finally someone who appreciates the finer things in life."

I laugh. "I'm thinking Cherry." Cherry was a Kook JJ had slept with last year and I had only heard about it because she had slept outside his house overnight to prove her devotion to him. It was just about the funniest thing ever. Sad to say it didn't work out between them.

JJ rolls his eyes. "Although that is a very good guess, it's actually called cat's ass."

I snorted. "You weirdo."

JJ rolls his eyes. "I think it's weirder you remember Cherry. You obsessed with me or something Callie?"

This time I roll my eyes. "Cherry was the funniest story ever. The day I start to like you JJ is the day of my demise."

"Well, I think this is the start of your demise then."

I don't say anything but I kinda know JJ's correct. Before long there's a silence between us. It's not like last time. This time, it's a comfortable silence. Like we're both just relaxing together and not worrying about John B. or Sarah or the Royal Merchant.

"What was your dream about?" I ask, my eyes closed now. I could fall asleep like this if JJ wasn't here.

When JJ doesn't answer me, I try not to take it personally. Only when I hear the water moving a little too loudly, I open my eyes. JJ is moving towards me and now I'm super aware that I'm basically naked. In an attempt for him not to see my bra, I cross my arms over my chest.

When he finally sits beside me, he speaks, "You don't wanna know."

I scoff. "Oh yeah, sorry my little privileged ass could never handle your mind." My tone is dripping with sarcasm and JJ is smiling as I speak.

"Yeah basically." JJ confirms, only making me more pissed off.

"I know that my demons could never compare to yours, but I have them too." I roll my eyes at him and look to the water, away from his gaze.

"What demons? You're a Kook." I could feel his smirk as he said this.

I look back to him. "Being a Kook doesn't protect you from the bad shit in life. Hasn't what's happened yesterday proved that?"

JJ doesn't answer me. For a moment, he's just taking in what I've said. I don't think anyone's ever done that. I don't think anyone's ever just thought about what I said so deeply as JJ is now.

Finally, he speaks. "Are you still with Rafe?"

I scan JJ's face for a moment before answering. Does he wanna know because he thinks I'm gonna betray them or because he wants to know if I'm taken. I can't tell but either way I'm gonna answer him.

"No, we broke up weeks ago." When I answer, I make sure to see JJ's reaction but he gives me no reaction. This guy is really good at hiding his emotions.

"Cool." I want to ask him what he's thinking but I can't.

I want to look away from him but I can't. JJ is acting so differently from when I first met him that I can't help but start to like him. He's already changed his views on me by talking to me. I know he'll never like or trust me 100%, but to know he respects me enough helps.

There's been a long silence between us and I want it to end.

"So," I say, wanting this awkwardness to stop. "What was your dream about?"

JJ takes a deep breath and looks away from me. We must've been staring in each other's eyes for 10 minutes. It feels like that anyways.

He doesn't answer me again, just stands up from the jacuzzi and hops out. He grabs a towel that was hanging from a wire and dries off his swimming trunks before hanging it back up on the wire. Then I see it. There's purple spots all over his torso. He looks like he just got into a fight and he wasn't the winner. I look for defensive wounds but there's none I can see. Taking a beating and not defending yourself does not seem like something JJ would do. I realize that maybe he didn't fight back because he cared for the person beating him.

As he puts on his shirt, I speak up. "Did your dad do that?" I'm still in the water and I feel a little colder now that JJ is no longer inside.

He looks up at me once he has his shirt on. "We all have different demons Callie. Some are just worse than others."

And with that, he's walking back to where Kiara and Pope are sleeping. And I'm stuck here, in a jacuzzi I don't even want to be in anymore. It's not the same without JJ.

[librarianbusdriver]

[Text made illegible by stabbing.]

When I really wanted to go to the bar. The bar... Big surprise. You sure spent a lot of time in bars. Ted: Well, that's just we did back then. Me, marshall and lily, Barney, We all used to hang out at this one bar Called mcclaren's. But then, one night... Why don't we go to mcclaren's? Let's go to mcclaren's. You guys talking to each other? Nobody's listening? What's wrong with mcclaren's? Mcclaren's is bore-snore. Ted, tonight we're going to go out. We're going to meet some ladies. It's going to be legendary. Phone five. Ted: I had no idea why I hung out with barney. You didn't phone five, did you? I know when you don't phone five, ted. Come on. We always to go to mcclaren's. Yeah, 'cause mcclaren's is fun. Mcclaren's is this much fun. What I'm offering is the chance to have... This much fun. See, you say that. You say it's going to be this much fun, But most of the time it ends up being this much fun. This much fun is good. It's safe. It's guaranteed. This hand gesture thing Doesn't really work on the phone, does it? No, it doesn't. ( Tires squealing ) Get in the cab. Marshall, you, too. I think lily and I are just going to... I understand. Get in the cab. Why can marshall say no? Uh, because he's getting laid. Consistently. Ted, ted, ted... You keep going to the same bar. You're in a rut. And I am a rut-buster. I'm going to bust your rut. It's not a rut, okay? It's a routine, and I like it. Ted, what's the first syllable in "rut-tine"? Peace out, suckers. All right, so what's this legendary plan? First we've got to pick someone up at the airport. Okay, I'm out of here. Estaban, doors. ( Doors locking ) Okay, we just do this one little thing, And the rest of the night is ours. Why do you have those suitcases, And who are we picking up? I don't know. Maybe her. Or her. ( Chuckles ) Wait, so when you said you were going To pick someone up at the airport, You meant you were going to "pick someone up" At the airport? Scenario: A couple of girls fly into town Looking for a fun weekend in nyc, When the meet Two handsome international businessmen Just back from a lucrative trip to japan. Sample dialogue: "you have a wheelie bag? Well, I have a wheelie bag." You've got to be kidding me. False. Sidebar... Tuck in your shirt. You look sketchy. I'm sketchy? Trust me, it's going to be legendary. Don't say "legendary," okay? You're too liberal with the word "legendary." We're building an igloo in central park. It's going to be legendary. Snowsuit up! Ted, ted, ted... Right here. This is happening. Now you can either put the bags on the carousel now, Or you can listen to me give you A really long speech Convincing you to put the bags on the carousel. Your move. Ted, since the dawn of time... Mankind has struggled... That night, marshall had a ton of studying to do. So lily went out with robin... Who was new to new york and looking for a friend. I'm so glad we finally get to hang out, just the two of us. Yeah. You sure you're okay giving up your Friday night To hang with an old, almost married lady? Oh, please. I'm so sick of the meat market scene. Guys are like the subway. You miss one, another one comes along in five minutes. Unless it's the end of the night and then you get on anything. Hey-oh! Compliments of that guy. Really? Sweet. Oh, for you it's $6. Oh, yes, that's one drawback to being engaged. I'm sure that's why he didn't... [Text made illegible by stabbing.] To refine our back story first. How did we...? Ted, you klutzy great guy you. Hey, I'm barney. Hi. My god, are you okay? I am so sorry. It's fine. No, you were shaky on your landing. I give you a 9.2. Ooh. Hi. I'm ted. Look, I'm really sorry that we have to hit and run, But we've got a plane to catch. Where you headed? Philadelphia. Philly? That's where we're headed. You are? Well, then we'll see you on the plane. Yes, you will. Follow them. Ticket's on me. [Text made illegible by stabbing.]

( Phone ringing ) Whazzup, ted? Are you all right? Yeah. Hey, guess where I am. I'm on a... Ready? Plane to... Ready? Philadelphia. [Text made illegible by stabbing.]

Let's go talk to those girls. Whoa, whoa, the seat belt sign's on. Ted, you've been living your whole life in a seat belt. It's time to unclick. Sir, the seat belt light's on. Yeah. Sorry, sorry, sorry. Well, I grew up in park slope. Oh, I love park slope. When did you move to manhattan? You're from park slope? Uh, no, she is. So where are you from? Heaven? Yeah, I'm a ghost. I died 15 years ago, like that pickup line. Hey-oh! God, I'm so sorry. Oh, believe me, I've been there. I have this line that I use when guys come... Check it out. Hey... You take this one. I'll save it for the next one. ( Chuckles ) So what brings you guys to philly? We're visiting our boyfriends. I think hers is going to propose this weekend. Isn't that great? So great. So there we were: Stuck on an airplane to philadelphia With two very un-single girls, [Text made illegible by stabbing.] crowding your junk. I'm not gonna take off my ring. Wouldn't you be jealous Of guys swarming all over my beeswax? Oh, yeah, you know me... I'm the jealous type. Any goon so much as looks at you, I'll sock him in the kisser. [Text made illegible by stabbing.] Bye. Robin! Robin! Hey, I'm over here. ♪ G-g-goin' to philly! Marshall, don't come to philly. But we're on an adventure. We're on a tarmac in philadelphia. Crazy... Adventure. Fine. No! No! The night has just started. Look, airport bar. Flight attendants. They'll get your tray table in its full upright position. Say what?! Passengers mosby and stenson, please come with us, gentlemen. Keep your hands where I can see them. Barney, I am going to kill you. Don't say you're gonna kill someone In front of airport security. Not cool, not cool. This is an outrage! We are international businessmen On very important international business trip. I demand you release us immediately! You demand?! No, no, no, no, no. He does not demand. We-we-we-we have no demands. [Text made illegible by stabbing.] Okay. Yeah, I'm calm. I'm totally calm. We've got footage of you placing two bags On jfk carousel 3, [Text made illegible by stabbing.] We are international businessmen. [Text made illegible by stabbing.] Now, please let us go Before we miss our international business meeting. Can't remember the last time I saw an international businessman With an untucked shirt. In addition, we received This footage taken over the last few months. Believe it or not, that duffel bag thing worked. The truth is, my friend... He does this thing where he goes to airports With fake luggage to pick up girls, And we followed some here to philadelphia. That-that-that's it. That's all this is. [Text made illegible by stabbing.] We at least get to call our lawyer. Exactly! We have a lawyer? Listen to me... you're both american citizens. Don't let him pull any patriot act voodoo. You both retain the right To refuse to answer any questions So don't say anything until I get there, all right? Okay. Good-bye. ♪ Philly! ♪ The adventure continues ♪ destroy! It's ridiculous in here. Why don't we go somewhere else? No, this place is great. What are you doing? What? With your lips and everything? My lips are always like this. You had to play the race card. Oh, relax, ted. We didn't do anything wrong. And, b.T.W., we'd be out of here by now If you had tucked in your shirt. Go ahead, jfk. What is the baggage status? They're clean. It's just a whole bunch of condoms. And a powerbar. You're free to go. Ted: Don't come to philly. Man, I'm almost halfway there. Yeah, we just got released And we're heading back on the next flight. Uh, meet us at mcclaren's. Maybe we can still make last call. Can't we just, just... No, we can't just. We're going home. We're going to sasha's. Who the hell is sasha? Sasha. She's having friends over for drinks at her house. It's gonna be legen... Wait for it... And I hope you're not lactose-intolerant 'cause the second half of that word is... Dary! No. Legendary. Legendary. That sounds awesome. No,

marshall, we're going back. Fine. Hold on. I have another call. ( Beep) Hello? Marshall, we're going to sasha's. No, we're not. Ted, ted, ted. Right here. Yes, we are. ( Beep) Sorry, buddy... two against one. Ooh, look, a booth opened up. Really? Yeah, I thought we could Finally go talk... And you're not Listening to me, so I'm going to walk away. Yeah, yeah, booth. Hey. Hey. I'm engaged. Yeah, I'm sorry. I took my ring off. It's very, very sweet of you To come over and talk to me, but I just... Yeah, I'm gay. I just came over to let you know That you sat on a grape. Oh, damn it. Ted: So barney and I hit the town. Philadelphia, pa. Our first and only stop: Sasha's party. ( tv blaring ) So, uh... You're sasha's friends, huh? You know it. ( Whispering): You guys, keep the volume down. You're gonna wake my grandpa. Who wants hard lemonade? Philly! Shh! ( softly): Philly. Back at the bar, girls' night out Wasn't going as robin had hoped. ( cell phone ringing ) Lily's phone. Robin, uh, where's lily? She's, uh... Is she talking to some hot guy? Oh, you can tell me. It's totally cool. It was my idea. Hell, I told her she could take the ring off. Really? Well, I thought it was kind of weird, But if you're cool with it, yeah, uh, it's off, And she's talking to some guy. Do you want me to go over and... No, don't interrupt. It's awesome. So, the ring's really off, huh? It's awesome. Well, just tell her I called. And tell her that she is... Awesome. ♪ Really, really awesome ( weakly ): ♪ our relationship is built on mutual trust ♪ I can't breathe. ( Iaughing ) You hear that, ted? Dana works security at the liberty bell. I do okay. Wow, it must be really well cordoned off over there. Do you ever go behind the rope and touch it? Only all the time. You ever, like, stick your head inside it? Yeah. You ever lick it? Nope. I have never licked it. Hmm. I bet nobody in history has ever licked the liberty bell. If someone were to pull that off, I dare say it would be... What's the word? Well, this is my stop. Legendary. Ted, legendary. Barney, I'm going to the airport. Sasha, thank you, and, uh, Tell your grandpa I'm sorry I walked in on him in the bathroom. I'll get some club soda for that stain. Lily, I thought tonight was about us hanging out. Just fending off the advances of that totally hot guy. Dude, I think that guy is gay. Oh, I know that guy is gay. It's just, marshall and I have been together for nine years. I haven't been single since high school. You want to be single? You want to fight off loser guys all night? Does that seem like fun to you? I guess I just wanted to throw this net back into the ocean And see how many fish I could catch. So far, one. One gay dolphin. And marshall. Lily, all these girls here tonight Are all hoping to catch what you've already got. You're right. I know. Hey, do you want to go get coffee And have an actual conversation? If by "coffee" you mean "cheesecake," then yes. Hey, I got that club soda. Let's see that booty. Oh, thank you so much. You want to mess, pal? That's my fiancée's hot backside that you're dabbing. Marshall, no. Baby, please, don't ever take that ring off again, No matter how awesome I say that it is. It's okay, man... Back off, hombre! I'm not that afraid to fight you. You want to test This guy, be my guest, come on. Marshall, he's gay. Oh, thank god. I've never been in a fight before. You don't say. Ted: So, it turned out Uncle marshall really was the jealous type. Unfortunately, that guy's boyfriend... Also the jealous type. Hey! Could have licked the liberty bell. We're going to the airport. Bong... Bong... Bo... Why do I hang out with you? Why? All I wanted was to have a regular beer At my regular bar with my regular friends In my regular city. Ted, ted, ted. You're not even looking. No, I'm not. Look, our forefathers died for the pursuit of happiness, okay? Not for the sit around and wait of happiness. Now, if you want, You can go to

the same bar, drink the same beer, Talk to the same people every day, Or you can lick the liberty bell. You can grab life by the crack and lick the crap out of it. That was beautiful, man. Thanks, leonard. Ted, you're missing out on a valuable life lesson here. Look, I don't need you to teach me how to live, okay? I know how to live. If you want to go lick the liberty bell, Just go lick it yourself. No, it has to be the two of us. Why? Why do you need me? Because you're my best friend, all right? You don't have to tell me I'm yours, But the way I see it, we're a team. Without you, I'm... I'm just the dynamic uno. So, fine, if you want to go home, Then we'll go home. ( Sighs ) Fine. We'll go lick the liberty bell. Good 'cause we're here. I had no idea how barney Redirected the cab without me knowing, And by god, we licked the liberty bell. You know what it tastes like? What? Freedom. No, actually, it tastes like pennies. Oh, my god. Did you guys really do that? We really did. And that was when I realized why I hung out with barney. I never got where I thought I wanted to go, So, that girl you were talking to... That was mom? Kids, every story in a man's life Is like a dot in an impressionist painting... So that's a no? Yeah, that's a no. ( Kids sighing) [Text made illegible by stabbing.]

Hmm...? The manufactured world around me falls apart! A fanged smirk plays across my lips, as I know, here and now, that a kind Samaritan is granting me...

Freedom!

WHAT THE FUCK????

FREEDOM? WHAT??? HUH???????

[haddonfieldproject]

1️⃣7️⃣

<<PREVIOUS⏺<<CONTENTS>>

1.1.17 HALLOWEEN NIGHT 12:24 AM

Haddonfield, Illinois

Samantha yawned as she pulled the keys from the ignition. More lightning flashed in the sky as she behind her, through her rear windshield, at the square building in front of which she was parked. A white triangularly shaped sign with blue lettering designated this as THE PYRAMID INN. The property was perched on a flat hill, overlooking what the locals called “Dysfunction Junction”. Interstate 57, US Route 31, and Illinois 395 all came together in a tangled mess of off ramps and on ramps that sprawled like spaghetti noodles over the northern running section of Lost River, which in this part of town had been diverted into a concrete culvert in the early 40s as part of one of Roosevelt's “Work's Projects”.

Samantha had parked at the end of the mostly empty parking lot, which was her custom, and from her vantage point she could see down into the nest of intersections. She saw the lighted signs of big box stores off to the east on her right. Straight ahead she saw the gas station from which she had come, and to her left, off to the west, she saw a strip club that very obviously used to be a Howard Johnsons, it's parking lot completely full with some cars spilling out along the side of the road in front.

Lovely, she thought sarcastically as she opened her car door. Just my kind of town.

The sweltering humid air hit her in the face like a tennis racket.

“Jesus, it feels like Miami.” She said to herself, and then smiled as she clicked the button on the fob in her hand to open the hatchback on the Murano. “I wish it were Miami.”

Nyguen pulled her rolling suitcase from the back of the car, placed it on the asphault, and extended the handle. “We'll just pretend it's Miami.” She decided as she closed the hatch and turned toward the motel.

The Pyramid Inn seemed to want to help her with the fantasy. For one, it was sweltering hot, almost as bad as outside, and as Ngyuen walked through the automatic glass doors, she felt like she had been magically transported back in time twenty-five years. The lobby was painted a pale teal color, with mauve indoor outdoor carpeting, and popcorn ceilings flecked with glitter....this Sam noticed right away. The yellowish light from pineapple shaped fixtures along the walls was defracted by the glitter, creating the sensation of moving sparkles above her as Samantha strolled through a lobby furnished with wood and wicker tables and chairs, painted white, the chairs padded with brightly colored cushions patterned with tropical motifs. There was abundant wall art too---strange scenes of Egyptian landmarks like the pyramids at Giza and the Sphinx, except...done in a weird art deco style that seemed wrong somehow.

An large old fashioned square CRT television was affixed to a hanging mount in each corner, below each was a potted palm tree. One of the TVs was displaying The Weather Channel although the sound was turned all the way down. A pretty blonde woman was standing in front of a map of the Midwest, sweeping her hand across thick line of red, orange, yellow, and green splotches. The other TV had the volume on and was showing an aerial view of a baseball stadium even the most casual of fans would know.

“We're in the top of the 10th here at Wrigley Field in Chicago. The Cubs have gone to the bullpen yet again for another pitching change as the White Sox have just taken 3-2 game lead in this decisive Game Seven of the World Series.”

Nguyen rolled her luggage around a coffee bar, and approached the desk, bumping into a cheap looking display rack featuring brochures with picturesque views and colorful headings. SEE CHICAGO! THINGS TO DO IN CENTRAL ILLINOIS! PEORIA CALLS YOU! And SEE THE CAVERNS OF LITTLE EGYPT!

A morbidly obese woman sat behind the counter fanning herself with one of the brochures: LOST RIVER KAYACKING!

She wore a white t-shirt with red letters that read: I SURVIVED ARKANSAS' LARGEST SLINGSHOT AT THE CRITTENEDEN COUNTY FAIR 2003. The shirt had either been shrunk so many times by frequent washing or the woman who wore it had ballooned up in weight considerably because now it hugged the contours of her bulbous body, giving her a look of the Michelin Man. Her mouth hung open revealing two sets of badly yellowing teeth, and a large dime-sized mole protruded from the left side of her neck. Sam could see the light from the pineapple lamps reflecting off hairs near the tip of the mole.

Not quite Miami, Nguyen thought as she cleared her throat.

“Excuse me?”

The woman did not stir.

“Curveball from Bellamy drops inside, it's one and one on Franklin.”

Nguyen rolled her eyes.

“Ma'am!” She exclaimed and plopped her car keys loudly on the desk.

The woman jumped and her eyes snapped open. The brochure fluttered aimlessly to the gound as she leaned forward in the seat, blinking rapidly for a moment before fixing her gaze on Samantha.

“Jesus Lord Almighty!”She exclaimed, breaking out into a haughty laugh that seemed to come from the depths of her enormous stomach. “You scared the everliving tar out of me!”

“I'm sorry.” Samantha smiled warmly.

“Don't be, don't be.” The woman groaned as she stood up from the chair. She wiped the beaded sweat off her forehead. “Jesus God is it hot in here!”

“Yeah it is.” Samantha agreed, withdrawing her phone from her pantsuit pocket and checking the time, mentally calculating the precious few hours of sleep she was going to get that night.

“It's not our fault.” The woman exclaimed, reaching the desk and panting as if she had just climbed a mountain. “Corporate has the damn thing programmed. This time of year the AC never comes on in here. We're supposed to run the ceiling fans, but that's been broke for two years.”

She motioned to the ceiling behind Sam who turned around and saw two wires protruding from a hole in the ceiling in the center of the room, as well a slight discoloration in the form of a circle where a fan obviously used to be.

“And then they tell me if it gets too hot to open a damn window. I said Christ!, it's just as damn hot out there! And the wind aint blowin for nothing.”

Samantha replaced her phone in her pocket. “Yes, it sure is strange.”

“It's NEVER like this in October...hell..now it's the first of November! NEVER like this! I mean...we've had a hot day or two at the beginning of September but NEVER this hot on Halloween!”

Samantha nodded, not knowing what else to say.

The woman moved a computer mouse across the desk and began typing on the keyboard.

“I tell you what,” she said, “I don't understand all of the mess that they talk about on the TV.”

As she said this, she pointed to the television in the corner that was displaying The Weather Channel, which right now was showing a commercial for Flex Seal. “But this type of weather will make you a believer in that Global Warming stuff.”

“Yeah,” Nguyen forced a laugh.

The woman looked up at her and waved her hand. “But you don't gotta worry about it, there's a window unit in your room. The rooms are nice and comfortable.”

“That's good.” Nguyen replied.

“Just you tonight sweetie?”

“Just me.”

“I just need a drivers license.”

Samantha presented it.

“Just passing through?” The woman asked as she entered Sam's information into the decade old computer.

“No, I think I'll be town for a few days.”

The woman looked up in disbelief. “In town? What town? This town?”

Samantha didn't know what to say.

“No one comes and visits Haddonfield!” The woman laughed another belly laugh. This one devolved into coughing which she stifled with her hand....the same hand she handed Samantha back her driver's license with.

Not Miami at all. Sam thought, placing the card into her wallet.

“That will be $38.96 sweetie.”

Sam couldn't hide her surprise. This was the cheapest motel room she had gotten since...well...ever. She passed over her Bureau issued AMEX card.

“Oh I'm sorry honey, we don't take American Express.”

“Oh.” Samantha shrugged. Ordinarily this might have been an issue but she was pretty sure she could handle a $40 motel room from her personal checking. Besides, the department would reimburse her later. She passed over her VISA.

“I'm gonna need a receipt then.” She said.

“You got it.” The woman replied and opened a drawer in front of her, pulling out a large bronze key on a white triangular shaped keychain emblazoned with the motel's name and logo.

Actual keys, Samantha marveled, not those plastic keycards. She wracked her brain for the last time she had seen that and decided on..never.

Five minutes later she had rolled her suitcase into room 113 and had turned the key in the lock. The room was furnished very much like the lobby: light teal walls, mauve indoor/outdoor carpeting, popcorn cielings flecked with glitter set to sparkle by another pineapple shaped light fixture. She was almost positive the bedspread and pillow case mached the pattern in the chair cushions in the lobby as well. Samantha paused briefly to look at a picture on the wall, another strange Art-Deco Egyptian painting, this one featuring Cleopatra flanked on both sides by lions. The paintings were so bizzare and striking. Sam looked in the bottom corner: Rose Gauge 2019.

I'm gonna have to google more art by this Rose Gauge person. She thought, kicking off her shoes into a corner. She walked over the window unit as she pulled at the buttons of her pantsuit. There she turned the knob all the way toward the thickest part of the blue semi-circle and felt a refreshingly invorating blast of cold air hit her face from the dusty looking window air conditioner.

She laid down on the bed, and still with her bra and spanx on, she fell asleep almost immediately.

NEXT>>

[dzpenumbra]

12/25/22

Today was a good day, it's nice to say that again, it feels like it's been a while. Kinda weird how when I have good, healthy social interactions, I have a good day. And when I have bad, unhealthy social interactions, I have a horrible day. Meh, probably just a coincidence...

I spent a lot of time in bed. It takes me a bit to get the engine running even normally, but catching up on sleep and when I'm low on sleep, I can be in bed for up to an hour or more sometimes before finally getting up. But I did some neck and upper back stretches while I was still clinging to bed, so that was very smart. My cat finally got me to venture downstairs and feed her.

It's cold today. 11F right now. My heat doesn't work great, to be honest, not at these temps. And I know it can get up to 20-30 degrees colder on a bad year, so... fingers crossed it doesn't get too bad. I only have one of my two baseboard heaters in the downstairs working, so if worse comes to worse, I can get someone to check it out and figure out why the second one isn't firing up.

I got some pretty cool stuff done today. I got my new rock tumbler set up and running. I have a batch of clear/smoky quartz that I salvaged from a "throwaway" rock, that's in one barrel. And I have an etc bag that came from my old rock tumbler that has like... rose quartz and amethyst and tigers eye and fluorite and sodalite and shit. So... hopefully mixing hardness on those won't cause bad results, but I already sorted them into hand-polish and tumble piles and filled up the second barrel with those. So I have a lot of stones tumbling right now, should be done in like a month or so. The flip side - it isn't exactly quiet. Now... my old tumbler was loud as fuck, like living next to a waterfall. This one is kinda like having a washing machine or dishwasher going in the next room. And I went into the hallway and I can't hear it out there at all. I have no idea if my neighbors will be able to hear it, but if they do... it would probably just sound like a bathroom fan that's always on, water running through pipes or a white noise machine. I get used to those sounds very quickly, I actually really like them, they're soothing and comforting to me. They help me sleep a lot. So I'm really excited to sleep tonight and see the difference. But there is a lingering fear that someone might be upset. If they are, they are free to come by and lodge a complaint, I will explain the situation and offer to share some of the bounty, maybe make some jewelry for them, if they're willing to tolerate the white noise. They have a doormat that says something like "The witch is in" or something, so like... I think crystals and stones and natural jewelry might appeal. But either way, it doesn't seem like much of anyone is around the building for the holidays, it's much quieter.

So the tumbler is going. Tumblr. Yeah, I see the connection. I mean, I get why a rock tumbler is called tumbler, I wonder why they call this Tumblr...

I got some packages from the package room. Gorilla glue - FINALLY. Sisal rope to rejuvenate Max's scratching post. And another bar of soap, which was like... down to the last tiny bits. I talked to my mom for another 3 hours, it went really well. We even went back to the conversation about furniture - the one we had a big fight about almost a week ago - and had the same exact snag we did last time, where she proposed movers bring furniture in and my brain went "nope" and... it didn't go bad. It stalled for a bit, but I called it out and went "yeah, we've hit this roadblock before and I'm not as emotional about it this time since I've experienced this before, but I'm still hitting a roadblock on it. A brick wall. So, could we try a different way?" And it actually led to a possible solution, one that might actually work for me. It was... hope-inspiring. So that was great.

We went over my past and stuff, a lot of the conversation was about this ADHD stuff and how I'm struggling to accept the diagnosis still. Again, even after 2 confirmed diagnoses and a brain scan which showed clear telltale indicators. This --- okay, I might as well get this out since it's clearly super important to me --- You know how sometimes you go through life and a thing happens to you and you just don't really process how big that moment was, even like 5+ years later? It's processed as like "oh yeah, that really sucked, but like... it's whatever". Like there aren't really feelings behind it, it's just a bad thing or whatever? But... it still has a profound effect on your life? I'm trying to be relatable, let me be more specific.

Getting misdiagnosed with epilepsy really fucked me up. Like... much more than I thought it did, much more than I can really tangibly feel right now, more than I'm aware of. So, let me go into the story very briefly (haha, me? brief? good one!) and then follow up with my question I have right now that I'm going to forget so fuck it I'll ask it first: "should I consider a malpractice suit?"

Here's the story. It was fall of 20...17? Maybe 2016? Hmm... I think it was 2017. What the fuck even is time, good lord. Okay. So I had come off of benzos in the spring of that year, I was on heavy daily doses of Xanax for daily "functioning" and prescribed a compound of Seroquel (a hypnotic typically prescribed for psychosis) to help with sleep. That spring, I quit my job that was bleeding my self-esteem dry, I got in a relationship with someone who moved cross-country to a house 20 minutes away from me totally not to peer pressure me into dating her... who I wasn't physically attracted to, but had some shared hobbies and a somewhat shared sense of humor. And I got off benzos. All at the same time. That summer was a complete blur as my body and mind were adjusting to... feeling feelings again, and becoming a new person. By the fall, all of the changes - I mean, my entire life changed... - started to take their toll. I was very unhappy, very depressed, very lost, struggling to find purpose and direction, didn't really have any form of guidance, I was just going day to day, hour to hour, aimlessly. I didn't recognize myself in the mirror, I dissociated regularly, I would just tune out for periods of time, I was insanely hypochondriacal. After I found myself being a dick to a neighbor about keeping their dog on a leash when I was walking my dog with my girlfriend... and then like... dissociating afterwards... I felt something was wrong, and I went to get help.

I went to a local counseling center, who got me set up with the only guy they had who was free - a snowboarder dude in his... early 40's I want to say? A bit overweight, vegetarian, with an office full of plants, an oil diffuser (lemongrass always brings me back to his office) and strong Buddhist tendencies. In hindsight, he would've been a great fit for current me. But for that incarnation of me... I dunno. Let's just say, bless his heart for putting up with me. Plus, he was a drug and alcohol counselor, so like... yeah, don't know if it was a good fit. Anyway, that's not what this story was about. On my intake, I had to get a screening kinda thing. And that means... you sit in a room with a lady who has a background in neurology who is a psychiatrist, they ask you questions for like 15-20 minutes and you try to answer the best you can. (I was much less forthcoming with information and much less trusting back then.) Then you leave the room with your diagnoses. That's just kinda, how that process worked at that specific establishment, I guess. And this woman gave me Major Depression with Psychotic Features... still don't really know why, and that psychotic stuff got dropped pretty quick later on... Generalized Anxiety... well, duh... and the coup-de-grace: Partial Complex Seizure Disorder. A form of epilepsy. And she started me on epilepsy medication, which I was on for months. My whole winter I was on carbamazepine, I remember that clearly. In the spring, I switched to other meds. I remember Depakote really fucking well, that one fucked me up REAL bad.

Around late-winter/early-spring, the woman who diagnosed me - who was the head prescriber for half the state of counseling centers - left the place to go work as an ER psychiatrist at a local hospital. And I was left in the lurch. I eventually was transferred over to another woman, who... I didn't mesh great with, but that's a different story. I got to the point where I was having more side-effects than benefits. Like... I don't know if there were any benefits. But my GI tract was getting fucked up real bad. Maybe it was the meds, maybe it was just constantly being sick and thus... sedentary... but my GI tract was fucked. I ended up having to get a colonoscopy at 32 to figure out what was going on, which of course came back negative. And a few other related GI problems that put me in urgent care. I decided enough was fucking enough and demanded an EEG to like... confirm or deny this fucking diagnosis. I had been treating this shit for like over half a year and they never even thought to try to confirm this shit with an EEG. So, I drove to a credible hospital with my girlfriend. We stayed in a hotel, we ordered mexican food. (We got fleas in the house, so... sorry hotel, we brought fleas with us, whoops.) I went early the next morning to the hospital and went into the neurology department, where there were people who were like... in car accidents and stuff. It was intense. And I got this fucking electrode cap thing installed, they gave me some little box thing, told me to press a button whenever I felt "symptoms" and log that. And wrapped my head in gauze and had me come back in 48 hours.

I remember vividly being on my porch smoking a cigarette wearing a gauze full headwrap (with a chinstrap and everything) and just being fucking completely humiliated. Like "I look fucking insane right now." And I go back to get the results, idk if my ex came with me. But I went to get them processed, and they did... and the doctor comes in and sits down with me and just right out the gate says "you don't have epilepsy." And he was not gentle or kind, his tone was very like "there are people here with real problems, dude." And he told me I had psych problems and recommended medication, and told me to get a therapist. And the only other time I walked away from a doctor's office that fast was when I was flat-out accused of drug-seeking when I blew out my shoulder when I worked in a bakery. That emotional combo of crying, feeling ashamed and being furious is a very unique blend.

So... that was like 5 years ago. And now... now I am so gun-shy. So shaken. So... insidiously, subtly traumatized by that misdiagnosis... that I am struggling to embrace the one diagnosis I have gotten multiple times from multiple diagnosticians, with the most physical evidence. There is like 4x more evidence of this diagnosis than even PTSD, and I wholeheartedly embrace my PTSD diagnosis. Why? Impostor syndrome. Well, more than that, maybe because my PTSD is like... blockading me. Same thing, I guess. I could be in support groups. I could be meeting people who are like me, who could teach me tips and relate to how hard daily life can be. I could be making friends that are like me. And I am saying a firm "no" to that until after I get screened for ADHD by a Primary Care in February (hopefully) because of that epilepsy misdiagnosis. Because I remember when I went and sat down on the couch in this woman's office at the Epilepsy Foundation with my girlfriend and we talked to this person as though I had epilepsy. Because I used to wear a medical alert necklace that warned people that I had epilepsy. And I luckily didn't get too deep into the community, because I really feel like if I did... they would be upset. Like I had lied to them. Like I had gotten their pity and compassion on false pretenses and violated their trust. Even if I didn't do it intentionally, even if I was misdiagnosed. I would be treated like someone faking alcoholism and going to AA meetings, like I'm infiltrating their inner sanctum. That part of my brain/personality is very certain that people would be upset, and that it would be disrespectful of me. And I do not want to do that again with ADHD. So... I've been avoiding it, dancing around it. Because I can wait a month, it's not that long.

And yeah, I forgot the question, but thinking about it just brought it back. Is that like... a malpractice suit? Is it even worth the trouble? I don't know what I would be getting out of it... like... compensation for time lost? Emotional damages? The massive dent to my family's wallet? I don't know if it's worth the stress, but I really feel like I should at very least find a good venue to tell this story. Unfortunately, I have a bunch. But I feel like the best thing you can do with trauma is turn it into a way for others (and hopefully yourself) to grow. Not to bury it, suppress it, or avoid it. But to share it and try to help others avoid the same fate, you know? So, I don't know if it's worth acting on that, maybe it would help me in the present with my impostor syndrome shit. I don't know.

But yeah. Huge derail there, welcome to my brain. Thanks for sharing story time. My mom has been learning a TON about not just me, but about my dad and my brothers from this discovery of ADHD stuff. Like... so much shit is starting to click into place for her now and she is loving sharing it. It's obviously conflicting for her. It's like... you treat someone like they're acting like an asshole, but they're really just... their brain works very differently and they're not explaining what's going on behind the curtain? They're not communicating well, if at all? So of course you feel like they're fucking with you or something. But the guilt can be a bit rough. But I'm super glad and super proud to see her make so much progress in her open-mindedness and personal growth. I hope it continues. It's such a great feeling to see my self-care and personal work inspire others - hell, not just "others", my own parent. As someone who has perpetually been treated as a "problem" for being different, and overlooked or even shamed or punished because of my eccentricity and verbosity... it is a very foreign and very heart-warming feeling to have someone that helped shape my world appreciate and respect my contributions, and learn from me.

Speaking of warming... it's fucking cold, my fingers are basically numb... so I'm gonna get ready for bed and cuddle up with the kitty. Merry Christmas!

[parachutingkitten]

Season 4 Analysis

STANDARD DISCLAIMER: I am going to be applying the concept of criticism to a TV show you presumably love and adore as much as I do. If you do not want your idea that the show is immaculate to be challenged, I would not advise reading past this point.

Mood for the season: It's a SuPeR fUn HaPpY pLaCe!!!!!

You don’t need to, but if you are interested, and haven’t seen my analysis of past seasons, you can find those here:

Pilot

Season 1

Season 2

Season 3

Hey guys! It’s been a while, hasn’t it? Season 4! We are here! I am SO biased with this season. It has problems man. It has ALL the problems! ALL the plot holes! ALL the stupid, stupid stuff, but I LOVE ALL OF IT! okay, let's back up. I'm about to drop some context on you. 

So, when you're a military brat you tend to make friends with whoever you can, and when I lived in Germany I had a friend who was fandom OBSESSED. She, at the time, was super into Homestuck, something I managed to avoid being sucked into, though I do know more about it than I would like. Anyway, this was the point at which I started getting sucked into Ninjago. So, I figured that if I could trust anyone with a strange obsession, it was her. I showed her the last episode of season 3, and she decided she was just going to dive head first into it with me. We watched season 4 together as it came out, we talked about it, had a bunch of inside jokes about it, I wrote some very short fanfiction about it, she made some OCs, one in particular that I remember was Stormy, a ditzy cloud master who wore pink, we shipped him with... one of my OCs, I don't remember. She hadn't watched the first two seasons, so I had to fill her in on a lot, but she was the first person I ever fandomed with, and it was over season 4. So I guess you could say season 3 was the grand beginning of my love for this show, and season 4 was the peak of my fangirl experience (at least for that phase of my life).

Plot

This season is a real mixed bag. Coming off the heels of the first season, nothing makes sense. Suddenly there are more elements, completely discrediting Lloyd's supposed power of four powers. And now it's genetic, which brings up the problem of Jay, who... if either Ed or Edna were masters, they would have slipped by now (but also like, how cool would it be if Edna just busted out with lightning powers) and then Zane who... doesn't have genes. It makes the world bigger, yes, but it also discredits the lore of the last two seasons, and brings up the question "Where the hell were the rest of the EMs when the Great Devour attacked? Or the stone warriors? Or the final battle?!" Anyway, it's a bit jarring and sudden to say the least. It definitely was not planned beforehand. There aren't even any hints in season 3. Like wouldn't it be cool if in season 3 we saw them go to the noodle shop, or Wu was really vague about elemental questions. It would make a lot more sense then. Idk. It opens the universe up to the plotlines of most of the future seasons, but it does sort of discredit the first two. This season is also kinda choppy feeling wise. You go from the mood the past season have had in the first episode to this sort of native tribal feel on the island, and then the factory and then back to Ninjago. It's kinda a mess. Overall it was just an excuse to put these characters in cool situations (which I have done before, I understand). Which I get, and it makes for some cool stuff, but I don't think any of it ends up meshing together super well in the end. When I think of this season I think of the tournament. I forget about the whole snake stuff at the end most of the time. I forget about the while Garmadon conflict. The fact that I forget that's there has to be a bad sign, right?

Characters

Character work this season is really pretty good for the most part! There are a lot of new characters. And they all are very distinct and fun, and even when two people you don't know especially well battle, you're still really invested. All of the Cole and Jay stuff is pretty good this season! Major upgrade from season 3. The whole fight scene is absolutely fantastic. Garmadon is freaking awesome this season. He keeps on trying to kill himself, and it's stupid, and the show sort of acknowledges that it's stupid, cuz Lloyd is just like 'dude, what the heck'. Kai's arch this season is pretty good, exploring his darker side and putting that intense conflict in front of him was good. I can tell you one thing, I like it a heck of a lot better than season 7, but we'll get to that when we get to that. So, yeah. Overall improvement in character! It doesn't dive super deep or anything, but it all works and is all interesting.

Skylor

So... she is one of the reasons I call this season the fanfiction season. We have a whole bunch of other elemental masters we've never heard of, and one of them their power is... all the powers. I can not tell you how much this ticked me off! And she hardly ever uses them! She has pretty much infinite power, and she doesn't think to use it, pretty much ever! There are no restrictions on her! This is what I hate Skylor for. And I do mean hate. BUT aside from that, strictly character wise she is done pretty well. She feels pretty fake and overly sassy at the beginning of the season, but there's a reason for that. It's an act. But it's not like she changed her personality to fool him, she intensified her personality to cover her intentions. Her arch feels pretty natural. That one scene where she does the evil laugh... that was weird. But aside from that, it feels okay. She was raised to think that lying and cheating is the norm, so when someone presents her with another option she begins to change. It makes sense. I love the scene where Kai and her look at each other through the prison bars and (even though their freaking legos) you can feel her realization that she's ashamed of what she's doing now. And after she makes the transition, she's just really chill. Like, I would like to hang out with her. I guess it is kinda sweet that even though she had all of the powers of... ever, at the end she's happy to just run her noodle shop. It's kinda poetic. Anyway, she may be a bit overpowered, and she feels like a bit of a Mary Sue, but overall her personality and interactions are enjoyable enough for me to mostly ignore that. I do agree that she is best used in moderation. She doesn't need to be part of the team. I wish we had a quick cameo each season, but whatever. What we have now in season 9 is nice, but she definitely needs to step back out of the spotlight in future seasons (knock on wood) in order to remain as likable as she's been.

Karlof

Love him. Freaking love him. Honestly, I probably relate to him the most. He's the first loser of the tournament, he avoids trouble, he sticks to what he knows, and he says it like it is. I love his interactions with everyone down in the noodle factory. He's like this perfect blend of optimism and pessimism. His interactions with Cole are beautiful. Their chemistry is really great. One of, I think everyone's favorite masters, and there's a reason why.

Shade

So... typical darkness character. Obviously selfish. But once the climax hits, I actually like him a lot. He kinda serves as an antagonist at first and then flips. It's kinda cool seeing a character with moral boundaries that far out. He's purposely suspicious to take attention away from Skylor, which I get. I think he has a lot of missed potential, but nonetheless, a decent character.

Neuro

I absolutely love his power! I love his manor, I love his voice. He may well be my favorite EM. I don't even know what else to say about this guy. If Karlof is who I am, Neuro is who I'd like to think I am. Calculated, calm, reasonable, and much like Karlof again, not too risky. I like him a lot. Cool guy. I like seeing how far he's willing to go for the ninja, and where certain lines are for him. It's kinda cool to watch. He could use a friend though. I HC he and Paleman hang out. Both quiet. Both reserved. Neuro could probably locate him in a room even if he's not visible. Idk. Anyway, I like him a lot! Great character.

Griffin Turner

Classic speedster. Good enough. Not much to say. He's fun. He's cool. He's what you'd expect. Decent screen time. None of it particularly character developing. For what he is, he's good at it.

Jacob

So, let's ignore the part where they made us think he was dead. He's a lot of fun. Good for them getting a blind character in there. Still confused on what his powers can... do? But I like his spunk. I think we all have a little soft spot for him.

Chamille

One of the only girls and she's pretty much evil. Why do girls have to be evil at one point to be interesting? Idk. Don't really care for her, don't really think much about her. Whatever. She's there. She serves her purpose. Fine. Okay. Moving on.

Paleman

Friggin love him. For the master of light to be invisible is a great move, and pretty creative. His voice is kinda obvious, but very distinct. It's a creative background character to have. I like him a lot. Again, I feel he could use some more love. See above Neuro HC. Like him a lot and... yay.

Bolobo

Kinda missed the "mother nature" pun... could have had at least one more female master... that's okay. He's cool enough. Kinda disappointing though. I mean, vines? Is that it?

Gravis

Gravity is a dang cool power. Idk what else to say. He doesn't get a ton of screen time, so it's hard to praise him too much, but yeah. I really like that. Actually had an FC (she was a villain but you know whateves) with the power, so seeing that be a real element they used is really cool.

Ash

I don't like him. He's very strange. He's just got that one laugh. He seems comically over the top a jerk. I like the way his mouth looks though. Unique and kinda cool. I was looking on his Wiki page, and it said he and Chamille kissed in the background at one point? Is that true? I am way curious now

Tox

Okay. She's nonexistent here, no personality. I guess she's kinda tough. Yeah, this gets confirmed later in season 9, when she speaks. But even there she's pretty nonexistent. Here's my idea. Instead of having all your females being 'tough' why not flip expectation on its head? I think it would be way funny and clever if the master of poison was super friendly, and bubbly, and genuinely a nice person. I'm thinking almost like Jay's (lightning... or I guess adopted) mom, levels of talkative and nice. Wouldn't that be kinda fun? Idk. Whatever. It is what it is.

Kapau and Chope

Best villains ever 10/10. 'Nuff said.

Romance

KAILOR

Okay, I freaking love them! They're not my favorite couple or anything, but they work really, really well… under certain conditions. There are a few bumps I can't ignore. Can we have a protagonist in the show who doesn't send googly eyes at their future love interest the first moment they see her? And remember when they made us think Kai and Skylor were related... yeah... why did we need to do that? That was... kinda uncomfortable. BUT other than that, Skylor is exactly what Kai needed. First, he needed a redhead. Duh. Second, he needed someone who would see right through his Kai shmoltz and be real with him. Third, she had to be fun. And finally, she needed to wear the pants in the relationship. And Skylor fills ALL of those requirements! I like that Kai falls for her right away, and I love that she doesn't think she likes him until... she totally does and it's like 'Oh SNAP!'. I love that weird scene where Chen walks around with Kai like he's already his son in law, that cracks me up! I guess I like them more in theory than in practice. It feels a touch forced, and it needed a bit more time. Point being, the beginnings of the relationship are extremely awkward and strange, but towards the end of the season, it gets good! I just wish we could see more :)

The... love... triangle

Alright, by now, you guys should know how I feel about these things. They suck. They're stupid. I hate them. They're pointless. And this season is... quite possibly the stupidest. So... the whole Garma-Wu-Sako... thing this season is that Wu wrote a letter to Misako a long time ago, and Garmadon stole it, and then... Misako *groan* used it to determine which of them she was going to marry... okay. Yeah, Garmadon, that was a crap thing to do. But you know what, he was evil. Wu should have just signed the thing when he wrote it. But also, Misako... WHAT ARE YOU DOIN' GIRL?! Why... would you let a letter... be the final deciding point? I don't get that. And my main problem is that she basically chose her husband based on his writing ability. The thoughts Wu had in the letter obviously directly express what Garmadon wanted to say. In the end, his feelings for her were still the same. The only thing different is that he didn't write it. He's not good with words the way Wu is. But the show treats it like he lied about his feelings, and didn't even like her. Like he was using her for personal gain or manipulation or something. Idk. The whole thing makes no sense. Now, maybe if he did something to make Wu directly look bad or disingenuous THAT would be understandable. But... idk. I don't get it. Misako sucks. Let's move on.

Villians

Chen

Chen is my favorite villain. Hands down. No competition. Any way you slice it. I friggin love the heck out of this dude. And here's why. First off, he's a very comedic villain that still remains extremely threatening, which is an extremely thin line to walk. I mean, think about it. With all the other villains, they were intimidating, and the henchmen provided the humor. Here, I guess you could say they flipped it cuz Clouse is pretty intimidating, but Chen is still crazy scary on his own. And here's how they do it: He's insane. Straight up, he has lost his mind. Nothing he does makes sense, but that's fine, cuz it probably makes total sense to him. You can laugh at the quirky things he does, but also live in fear knowing that he has trap doors installed EVERYWHERE. Why? Cuz he likes them! Is there a better reason than that when you're crazy! That was my problem with people with Pythor. He is so smart, why didn't he ever think that the devourer might eat him too?! There is no explanation. But with Chen, that doesn't matter! He wants to be a snake! Why? Why not?! No flaws in that thinking, right? This is also why I like Ultra Violet so much. She's the only one to rival his position, but because she's more of a side villain, I don't feel that's enough to dethrone him. With insane villains, you never have any idea what they're playing at, if it's smart, or how to counteract, cuz they're just insane. I mean, seriously,

"Chen, the ninja have figured out our plan, what should we do?"

"COOL! Let's tell EVERYONE our plan!"

And it works! I love his voice. Just the way he says things makes me so happy! He's having so much fun, and I have fun with him! 10/10 villain. Great work.

Clouse

I can't get past the voice. It sounds so over the top evil and... it's kinda annoying for me? He has a decent backstory and such, but whenever he's on screen I always find myself wishing it was Chen. He just sucks the fun out of everything and leaves nothing there, so most of his interactions aren't particularly interesting. I don't know. Never really thought much of him.

Humor

Needless to say everything with Chen works! Everything with the EMs works. Jay's whole Positive Thinking streak is amazing! There's not a lot that falls flat on its face. It's really pretty fantastic.

Favorite joke: too many to count. If I had to pick one...

Chen's: the reds, the purples, the super dark purples!

Drama

This season has some damn good drama. It has my personal most sad moment in all of Ninjago. I'm of course talking about Garmadon's death...  JK! XD I WAS LAUGHING ALL THE WAY THROUGH THAT SEQUENCE! But we’ll get to that later. Okay. But for real, my personal most heartbreaking moment is when we find out Pixal is scrapped (of course it's Pixal related) but seriously, watching this for the first time, it broke my heart hardcore. I audibly gasped. They have these conversations, and she realizes he doesn't remember her, and it hurts her because they were comPATABLE GOSH DANG IT! And then he starts remembering, and she knows she can't go with him, so she lies to him to give him the motivation to make it out, and then the reveal, and Zane's heart breaks, and your heart breaks. This whole scenario reminds me of my own writing, it has all these things I enjoy using. Distinctions between fantasy and reality, characters lying to each other to protect them, and an ending realization of total and complete emptiness. Of course, Pixal is added into his head, and all is fine and dandy. It works for this season but serves her worse in future seasons. Regardless, that moment when Pixal says 'scrapped' is the most depressing thing I've ever seen. All of the Zane drama this season works really well. Zane having an identity crisis is something I didn't think the show would handle. When Zane says he's just a clone if himself I was like 'oh, dang! They went there!'. It's almost like he's comparing himself to Cryptor, and it's some heavy stuff. Everything this season is shrouded in mystery. I love that. For the first half of the season or so, I really like the tournament stuff. But as we get Cole, and especially Jay in the noodle factory, that plotline gets much more interesting. I don't get into the Nya and Lloyd and Garmadon stuff that much. The stuff with Kai is okay. But overall, there's some good stuff.

Climax

Okay, so... I... I mean I like the build up. The thing with all the trucks is really good. Most of it was really pretty good with all the EMs doing stuff the ninja would usually do. But the whole ending thing, with getting mini Pythor involved, and you know. The whole Garmadon death thing. He died an honorable death and all that, but... idk, I can't get past Lloyd's voice. As he reads him off I just couldn't stop giggling! It's so overdramatic, they feel like they need to make Lloyd mad at his dad for whatever reason so he can come back at the last second, and it all feels so forced. And then the ending is super overly cheesy for how serious the show wants to take itself at that moment. Idk. I don't like it. One of my least favorite finales.

Spotlight episode

There are some good ones to choose from this season. Some real good ones. But the one I find myself watching the most is Ninja Roll. This episode doesn't have too high stakes, it doesn't make much sense, it's kind of pointless, but it perfectly encapsulates the reason I watch Ninjago. I don't know exactly why I watch Ninjago. I'm not into the action most of the time. The romance is cute, but not potent enough to warrant watching the show. The humor isn't revolutionary, the characters aren't especially deep. No, the reason I watch Ninjago is cuz it's fun. Ninjago is just a good time. It has just enough of all of those aspects to make for something I love. It makes me smile. With seasons 8, and especially 9, Ninjago has shifted into this darker action based, lore-driven thing, which I thought I would like, and I do, but I think it's lost a bit of that fun factor. In my opinion, Ninjago is it's best when it's self-aware, and doesn't take itself overly seriously. When you don't have to end the season on an ominous dark cliffhanger. I mean really. What is this? Chima? No. I just want to go hang out with the ninja and the gang, whatever it is their doing. This episode takes advantage of every situation a roller derby with the ninja provides. Of course Jay roller skates with his mom. Of course, Kai is incompetent at it. Of course, Chen cheats, of course, it all comes down to Lloyd. Of course, there's freaking buggies that Chen releases! This whole episode makes me smile and laugh and it has a good message. This is what I miss about Ninjago, and that's why it's my spotlight.

Misc

I know everyone always teases Jay about his TV show, but what about Kai and his wrestling career? I just feel like that would come up more often

I completely subscribe to the theory that Pixal was scrapped to fix Zane cuz they beat him up so badly when capturing. I'd kinda like to think Pixal even volunteered herself for it... ONE SHOT IDEA

I have to scratch... my face.

I need a number on the trap door to button ratio on the island

This season has my favorite intro of any season. Mainly cuz the remix is FIRE and I hate the fact that they don't have an extended version that sounds more like the opening itself. 

So all together, the word to sum up season 4 is fun. Definitely not technically the best, or the smartest, or the most well done, but it's my favorite because of nostalgia, my inner child, and because it makes me smile. I love this season.

- Maya (Parachutingkitten)