#jd just an illusion

[averokagejd]

ok so that new teaser is great and i cant wait for the song

HOWEVER i wanna talk about the background for a sec

now idk if anybody really went over the background of i wanna dance but it didnt seem like most of them were jd coaches [i think i saw bailando and just an illusion there but that was abt it]

for this one, all the bg assets seem to be jd coaches

does this mean anything? prob not but it's fun to imagine them all being recording artists so

all the ones i can see in the bg are

Just An Illusion coaches

Freed From Desire coach

DeerStan, UnicornLover, and PandaFan

Tyler and Lauren

Mihaly

and Layl

if they all had albums this would be a sick lore drop tbh

[johnbrand]

Joining the Flock

Trying something different, please enjoy

With @henrypreppy

JD flipped the meeting invitation back and forth between his hands, the thin paper material an illusion to the actual weight its writing held. He could not believe he had actually agreed to this, let alone thinking about following through with it. It was not like his parents would have ever known. JD could lie about the entire ordeal and get away with it. But now he was officially registered for the first meeting of the year, his name practically carved into stone.

“Hey there, sorry I don’t mean to interrupt.”

JD rotated his head to the door, eyeing down the black-haired freshman standing patiently at the door. Slim, lanky, and could use tweezers, but by his posture JD could already discern that he was a casual fellow.

“I’m assuming you're Michael Freedman?”

“Mike will do,” Mike grinned. “It’s nice to finally meet you, I’m assuming you’re my roommate?”

JD stood up and extended his hand. “You got it, I'm JD.”

The physical exchange allowed for their first day jitters to transmit like a frequency between them.

“JD huh, is that a nickname?”

JD did his best to hold back his embarrassment. “It’s short for Jeremiah Delgado.”

Mike’s eyebrows rose, “A little bit of a mouthful.”

“You should hear it with the middle names,” JD quipped. “It’s what you get when you combine a Hispanic father and Biblically-obsessed mother.”

“Then no wonder you stick to JD,” Mike replied.

Taking a seat back on his bed, JD decided to steer the conversation elsewhere. “When did you move in? I didn’t see you this morning when I’d hauled everything up those four flights of stairs.”

Mike chuckled, “Perks of the top floor right? I assume I moved in right after you left. You’re not a clean freak or anything, are you?”

“God no,” JD answered, the tone shift catching him off guard. “I don’t have time to care about stuff like that.” JD had already picked up on Mike’s disorganization when he had arrived back at the dorm. It was a bit of a shock to see the place had already become a lived-in pigsty, even though they had just moved in. But JD truly did not mind the clutter, he was a bit on the uncleanly side too. Speaking of which, he realized he had forgotten to get a haircut before he left. The dullish chestnut mop was reaching shoulder-length now; JD was a bit curious to see what would happen if he let it grow even longer.

“Sorry if that was a bit blunt,” Mike plopped onto his own bed. “I just saw the invitation and I was curious.”

“The…?” JD paused, before picking up on what Mike was referring to. “Oh this? No sorry, it was pushed onto me at the club fair.”

The event had been just short of organized chaos. Practically a hundred booths had filled the auditorium, each of them advertising different clubs that the freshman could get involved with. Student Council, the Events Commission, even the CIA (which JD learned stood for “Chemists In Action”). He had been casually browsing, the only thing minorly interesting to him being the Pride organization, but somehow had accidentally strolled in front of the wrong stall.

“Looking to join the Campus Ministry?”

The man calling out to JD was rather put-together, probably the only person in the entire event showcasing a three-piece suit. As JD approached cautiously–hoping the man would not grab any more attention then he already had–he was able to inspect the stranger a little further. Late thirties, athletic, a ring on his finger and of average flair. He was not JD’s type, but he could still appreciate that the man held some appealing characteristics.

The man introduced himself as soon as JD drew close enough. “My name’s Peter, I’m the Campus Minister.”

JD replied accordingly, loathing his luck. He had chosen a college as far away from his parents and their strict lifestyle as possible, and yet now here he was, conversing with the very people who abided by their same morals and guidelines.

“Well Jeremiah, are you inclined to learn more about the mission of the Baptist Church?”

Wincing at the use of his full name, JD replied, “I actually grew up Baptist, but I’ve grown away from the faith since.” As soon as the words left his mouth, JD realized his mistake.

“Well you have come to the right place!” Peter exclaimed, a bit too over joyous. “The Campus Ministry is welcome to all, especially those returning to God’s graces.”

Before JD could protest, Peter had already handed him the formal invitation and written his name on the sign-up form. “The meeting is tonight, you won’t miss it!”

“I can’t believe you got sucked into that crap!” Mike was laughing after JD had finished replaying the scene for him. “Are you really planning on going?”

“I mean I have to, right? They’ve got me signed up.”

Mike shrugged, “It’s up to you man, but you don’t have a lot of time to decide.”

JD quickly eyed the invitation and then his phone and realized Mike was right. If he was going to make this meeting, he would have to leave now.

“Crap!”

———

By the time he got to the chapel, he had worked up quite the sweat. JD was not an active person, and as he entered the building, he realized he was also not properly dressed. Everyone else adorned their Sunday bests, some even more formal. The button-ups and slacks were a complete contrast to his own indie band tee and distressed jeans. JD shamefully placed himself in the back pew, hoping no one would notice the black sheep.

“Mind if I sit here, brother?”

JD obliged without acknowledging the stranger, cursing to himself as Peter ascended to the podium at the front of the chapel.

“Brothers and Sisters, I want to welcome you all to our first meeting of the year. As the Campus Minister, it is an honor to be able to guide you in our journey together, and with your trust lead you on the path towards God.”

All the members of the group came together to a round of applause. 

“Let me make one thing clear right away, brothers and sisters,” Peter began assuredly. “At the heart of the Campus Ministry is community. God did not create us to live alone in isolation. He specifically designed us to live together as like-minded beings. To thrive in Biblical communities where people who love Jesus Christ can enjoy fellowship with one another. To help each other grow in the faith, to become more alike. To learn from each other, incorporate a need for each other. God uses others to help us grow individually, and God uses us to grow other people.”

“I am reminded of a verse from Matthew 18:20: ‘For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.’ It is here that Jesus calls us to be sheep, His sheep, flocking under His name in likeness and in aspiration to fulfill His teachings. As a Biblical community, we find ourselves in Jesus. He is our center point, what draws us together, the common bond that we share. And as Baptists, we find ourselves following our shepherd, assimilating as one when we name ourselves a member of His church.”

“So why is community at the heart of the Campus Ministry? Whether you are eighteen-, nineteen-, twenty- or more-years-old, you came here searching for guidance. Guidance to tell you where to go, what to do, who to follow. Guidance found through relationships, through our collective relationship with God and His church. The Campus Ministry offers that guidance and more. Our community of brothers and sisters will help you navigate classes, properly study, and make wise decisions. They will eat with you, spend time with you, bring you into the fold, our flock, no matter what former walk of life. They will help you embody the classic look of a Christian.”

“Now, I would like to invite you to embrace that first step towards community. Take a moment and turn to your neighbor, introduce yourself to your new brother or sister.”

Finding himself slightly absorbed by Peter’s sermon, JD broke out of his haze to finally acknowledge the stranger he had allowed to sit beside him. However, JD found himself rendered speechless by the beautiful man before him. With coppery hair, a diamond-cut jaw, and inviting green eyes, JD gawked a second too long at his traditional counterpart. Pairing pleated trousers with a crimson sweater vest over a simple white button-up, the stranger exuded refinement. From his Ivy League haircut to his natural woodsy smell and even by the way the stranger sat, JD could feel heat rising from his own cheeks.

“Jackson Sanderson,” the stranger offered, and after a uncharacteristic stutter JD replied with his own.

JD was then introduced to other members of the club as they came around to introduce themselves. There was a Colton, a Bryce, a Jared, a Stanley. Eventually the names and faces began to blur together, each of them almost identical to each other. Attractive by traditional standards, reeking of arrogance and privilege. JD found himself almost unable to hide his large erection, loathing his existence. It was times like these he wished not to be “blessed” as his father had once grotesquely put it.

After everyone had returned to their seats, Peter finished his monologue. “Before you realize it, each and every one of you will become bonded through our Campus Ministry. It may not happen right away, but once you begin to know each other, you will begin to shape each other too. Now, let us end in prayer.”

———

JD’s first day of classes flashed by in an instant. Undecided, his schedule was mostly filled with the required objectives. A standard biology course, base level statistics, even a communications class–all of which had no actual assignments for the day besides reading the syllabus. But by the late afternoon after his final seminar, JD found himself ready for a lazy evening. He drafted plans involving picking up fast food, watching an episode or ten of some raunchy sitcom, and then drifting off to bed.

“Jeremiah!” 

The minister’s assertive baritone cut through JD’s headphones, which were slowly lowered to passive-aggressively demonstrate his annoyance.

“I wanted to thank you for coming to the first Campus Ministry meeting last night,” Peter explained as he approached. Today, he was dressed in a brown suit with a pattern meant for a man twice his age. “I was hoping to discuss some other things as well. Have a moment?”

Reluctantly, JD obliged, and soon he was following Peter to his office. Once inside, JD was able to discern a bit more about this man who had strangely taken an interest in him. Basic wooden cross on the wall, pile of materials on theology beside the desk, a picture of a woman around the minister’s age holding three children. JD accepted the seat in front of the desk, hoping this would not take long.

“Seeing the instantaneous bond that we have created over the past 24 hours,” JD restrained his eyebrow from visually questioning this statement. “I took it upon myself to become your academic counselor. As your minister, it’s my role to offer you structure and guidance during these impressionable years.”

JD was a bit startled by this statement, but said nothing.

Peter continued, “I’ve already taken a gander at your schedule and noticed all gen-eds. As you are undecided, I was curious if you had any majors you had in mind.”

“Not particularly,” JD answered, finding himself a little more relaxed. “I was hoping I wouldn’t have to think about it until a bit later, honestly.”

Peter’s direct eye contact intensified slightly. “Maybe it would be best to spread out your electives and place you in some courses designed to determine a major. Considering your passion for the faith, you could look into some classes in the Religion Department.”

JD found the minister’s wording a bit odd, almost belittling in a way. His response came out a bit muddled, “I never said that I had a passion for the faith?”

“Well, Jeremiah, I think it could do you a lot of good. As the Campus Minister, I’d be happy to offer you some additional resources as well.”

“‘Resources’?”

“Of course,” Peter’s face broke out into a big grin. “I’ll connect you with one of our students in the department. I have one in mind already, a sophomore: Jackson Sanderson.”

A blush broke out onto JD’s face. He could not perceive if the minister had noticed it or not.

“Jackson is one of our finest men,” Peter resumed. “You will immediately find him as a brother, perhaps one of your closest. After a while, you will feel the desire to emulate him, as he has the classic look of a Christian.”

Again, JD noted the strange diction, and a repeat of a phrase he had heard last night. But JD also noticed that he felt a certain calm when he listened to Peter. His voice just had a quality that kept one at ease. That was probably why he had become a minister.

“I’ll notify Jackson to get in contact with you shortly.” Peter then took a stand, prompting JD to do the same. “Until then, let’s begin thinking about your major and where we’d like to see you next semester. And further along, when you graduate.”

———

Jackson reached out to JD hours later, and after a bit of texting JD found himself roped into a study session the following day. He did not know what to expect, but he decided to put his best foot forward. Sure, he had no desire to engage with the church after his high school graduation, but JD rationalized that he could still be there to make friends.

“Jeremiah!” Jackson called out from one of the pews. He was surrounded by a swarm of men, all wearing outfits appropriate for more conservative times. JD had prepared for this, although his khakis and short-sleeved button-up still did not fit the bill.

“It’s JD,” JD corrected politely. “Thank you for letting me crash your guys’ study group.”

“Of course!” one of the men replied. JD should have known his name, but the person’s features were almost unrecognizable from the next. “Any brother is welcome to join.”

“Especially once Peter told us you were enrolling in the Religion Department,” Jackson added.

“I’m not enrolling in the Religion Department.”

“We get it, you’re ‘just interested’,” a second man insisted, to which everyone else began to chuckle as if he were referring to some inside joke.

“Anyway, don’t worry about it.” Jackson replied. The smooth quality of Jackson’s tenor settled JD’s nerves. “Let’s get to studying, shall we?”

The group agreed and promptly found themselves absorbed in their literature. While JD stuck to his reading and recording notes, the other men held a shallow conversation: one that any person could easily flow in and out of without paying too much attention. It began with simple topics at first; professors, extracurriculars, sports. None of these would typically entice JD, but he found himself occasionally tuning into the group’s monotonous channel. Eventually however, the topics converged into a singular subject: the Bible.

“I just think John’s interpretation is by far superior to the synoptic gospels,” Colton countered. JD could not believe he had remembered his name. “His use of monological writing is what makes Jesus more engaging to the interpreter.”

Jackson shook his head, “That may be true, but the synoptic gospels offer parables, short stories that people can relate too.” Jackson’s presence was different now then when they had first met. Before, frankly, JD had taken eroticism from Jackson’s standardized beauty. But now, he sensed something else. Rather than affection, JD recognized admiration.

“Enlighten us, Jackson, what parables can you relate to,” Bryce teased. “If we looked under your bed, would we find oil? As we already know you are a virgin.”

All of the men, including Jackson and JD, took joy in that remark.

“Perhaps you will, perhaps you won’t,” Jackson finally replied. “But take our group for example, are we not fulfilling a parable right now? I would situate ourselves in the story of the Prodigal Son.” Jackson motioned to his peers, “Are we not the father?” And then to just JD, “And is Jeremiah not the Prodigal Son?”

The group pondered this thought, turning expectantly towards JD for an answer.

“Um…” JD stumbled, not expecting to be put on the spot. “I mean, that’s one way to look at it.”

Once again, the group exploded into laughter, their volume ascending to the roof of the chapel. JD chuckled along too, his nervousness fading as he became more comfortable with the group. By the end of the night, he found himself pleasantly surprised as he accepted the invitation to the next study session.

———

“Hey dude, are you interested in going clubbing?” Mike asked, having just exited the shower.

“When are you thinking of going?” JD was reorganizing his desk. For some reason, its cluttered nature had begun to bother him.

“In a few minutes here, hopefully.” Mike dropped the towel on the floor and grabbed some clothes off his bed. He gave a strong sniff to each item inspected, those too dirty were then tossed onto the floor. JD observed this but said nothing.

“Man, sorry but I can’t. I got a study group tonight.”

“On a Friday night?” Mike questioned. “This is like the fourth Friday in a row.”

“I know, but I already said I was going to be there.”

Mike frowned, scratching at his lower regions a bit. JD swiftly averted his eyes. “But don’t you study with these guys three times a week, and have lunch with them everyday too?”

“Yeah, but they purposely choose Friday nights to not be tempted,” JD finally answered.

The partially-answering statement held in the air for an awkward moment. Eventually, Mike responded. “Right…”

JD turned back to his task at hand, throwing out trash that should have been discarded earlier.

“Well,” Mike grabbed a jacket and his keys. “I guess I’ll see you later then.”

“Uh huh,” JD’s response was dull. Once Mike shut the door, he released the long breath that he had subconsciously been holding. He wondered when Mike’s presence had become so taxing. Perhaps he compared his roommate to the study group’s austere quality. JD found those straight-laced men ironically soothing.

This theory was proven once JD arrived into the chapel, the smiling faces of his peers sending a warm tingle across his body. The study session went similar to the rest, beginning with actual work before simply devolving into lighthearted, yet engaging discussions. If these conversations were not surrounding the Bible, then they focused on a topic JD was even less familiar with. 

“I think I’m going to propose to Hannah,” Jared suddenly said, to which everyone in the group audibly gasped.

“Are you ready, brother?” Jackson inquired, to which JD nodded along. 

“He’s already got the ring,” Stanley answered. Weeks ago, this development would have shocked JD. Two twenty-year-olds marrying in this day and age? But now, the thought was not that unfathomable to him. He was becoming more accustomed to the men's ideology.

“I booked reservations for her favorite restaurant,” Jared announced, his typical stale manner of speaking almost giddy. Almost. “I’ll pop the question before dessert of course, it’s all arranged.”

To that, the men applauded Jared, shaking his hand vigorously and giving brotherly pats on the back. JD high-fived him, embracing the honest excitement for Jared. Once they cooled down, Colton continued the conversation.

“Now you’ve got me inspired, thinking I should finally pop the question to Mary.”

“You’ve been thinking about doing that since you first met her in private school,” Bryce retorted.

“And have you not pondered the same with Julia, brother?” Jackson smirked, to which the other men piggy-backed off of. “Speaking of women, have you set your sights on any yet, Jeremiah?”

JD blinked, unbothered by the use of his full name, “Uh…not exactly. I just haven’t  been looking for anyone I guess.” 

JD was telling the truth. Before college, he had planned on finally finding a male partner to love and hold. And to lose his virginity to. But since the first day of classes, JD had not felt a connection to any male in particular on campus–or in general. JD assumed his sex drive had been lowered, that he was just growing out of some awkward teenage phase.

“Perhaps we’ll have to set you up then,” Jared’s grin held an impish edge. “I believe Jessica is still looking for a potential husband.”

Jackson shot Jared a glare, to which all the other men hollered at. “Jessica is only a freshman.”

“And so is Jeremiah,” Stanley pointed out. JD tried his best to stay quiet, although he had to admit that he was having fun too.

“We’ll see if Jeremiah proves to be everything the minister has promised,” Jackson offered. “After all, Jessica will only take a man who has that classic look of a Christian.”

———

“Jeremiah! Thank you for meeting with me again. Please, take a seat.”

JD followed the instruction, placing himself on the other side of the minister’s desk.

“Already halfway through your first semester, isn’t that unbelievable?” Peter started.

“It certainly is,” JD’s response was friendly. “Can’t believe two months have already flown by.”

“I can’t believe it either, but I can see it,” Peter noted. “I’m assuming you’ve been having meals with your other brothers?”

“They’ve got me going to the gym now too,” JD sighed. “An hour every morning before class since last week.” 

JD had been dining regularly with his study group, at lunch and dinner and even the occasional breakfast. And since this habit had begun, JD found himself eating like his peers too. No more ramen and late night fast food deliveries. Fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins were now the major facets of his diet, leading to his cleaner skin and an overall healthier glow. It was strange at first to recognize how much of a difference this better diet–and as of recently the exercise–had improved his body. JD found himself a bit more muscular, a bit more jovial, and overall more energized.

“That’s not surprising, our men do like to stay in proper form, physically and spiritually,” Peter chuckled. “Speaking of which, last we talked, you had discussed that you were contemplating committing to a major in the Religion Department. Have you thought more on that topic?”

JD considered this for a moment, not remembering if that was what he had actually said or not. But something about the minister’s confident tone assured him that Peter was correct. That was why he had come to this college after all, as his parents had approved of the strong Baptist connection. At least, to appease their wishes.

“A little bit I guess,” JD replied, causing Peter to grin. JD at first thought of it as smug, but then corrected the thought to Peter simply being excited for him. “I mean I’ve attended all four of the Campus Ministry events so far, and being around the guys has certainly been an influence.”

“A positive influence,” Peter amended.

“Yeah…a positive influence,” JD slowly repeated back, before coming back to speed. “As of right now though, I’m still undecided on it all.” Peter carefully leaned back in his chair, spreading his legs out a bit to accommodate. It was almost like the minister was trying to size him up, assert a bit more control.

“You are apprehensive because you still identify yourself as an outsider to our community.” Peter’s response was measured, continuous yet firm with every word laid out. “One thing that can be addressed is your attire. At the material level, you will follow the direction of your peers.”

JD tried to process this, although his brain felt a little hazy. “That might help, yeah.”

“That is something that can be addressed too, your intonation.” There was a particular glint in Peter’s eye, but JD found it easier to focus on the minister’s voice. “Just like your brothers, your inflection will remain in control and moderated. Your pitch will remain even and your vocabulary will become more refined.”

“Certainly.” While just one word, each syllable had required additional effort to come forth from JD’s mouth. The colorless articulation however obscured this exertion.

“It’s good that you’re taking my advice, Jeremiah,” Peter affirmed. “You have placed your trust in me to lead you on the path towards God.”

JD did not know if this was true before, but after Peter had said it, it felt as such.

“You will want nothing more than to become a part of our community,” Peter finalized. “I’ll inform Jackson of such, and he’ll help you along.”

———

JD stepped out of the bathroom, steam pouring out from behind him. He had never taken such a long and luxurious shower but it had felt so right. Jackson had recommended it, saying it was the best way to get rid of any excess hair that may have stuck to his skin after visiting the barber. He could not see it now, but JD already loved the shortened cut on his head. Once it was dried, the sides would naturally fall into a tight bowl-like shape. Then, JD would have the pleasure of applying the product–prescribed by Jackson–to fluff his bangs up into a traditional, conservative quiff. A proper style for a gentleman like himself.

In nothing but a towel, JD peered cautiously around the room. All alone, he allowed himself to freely disdain his roommate’s messy style. He had remained civil around the topic with Mike, but had secretly grown to loathe it. JD knew better than to say anything however, as that would have been pompous. Carefully placing his feet into open spots on the floor, JD tip-toed his way to his dresser, surprised to find a small note taped to the drawer.

A final gift, the classic look of a Christian -JS

Not thinking twice about the phrase, JD was surprised to find his boxers had been replaced with starchy, high-waisted white briefs. But his confusion quickly dissolved into recognition before fading into a simple, charming smile. The cotton fabric went up and over each of his legs in a matter of moments, the traditional cut making JD feel grounded somehow. Controlled.

Turning to face the mirror, it was almost shocking for JD to see the new reflection of himself. Only weeks away from the end of his first semester and the man before him was much different than the boy who had come to campus. Tanner, more muscular, an image of young masculinity. But those were explainable thanks to his improved diet and exercise. Other factors, like his wider jaw, broader shoulders, and inched-back hairline, were not as identifiable. JD questioned if it was incoming maturity, or perhaps something else.

Before he could reflect on the thought further, his body mechanically moved along to his wardrobe. A rack once filled with tees and crewnecks was now stuffed by dress shirts, vests, and blazers of assorted varieties. Tamer colors and patterns, only distinguishable to the distinguished eye. The rest of JD’s dresser now contained a variety of slacks, along with many different types of dress socks and ties. Loafers, oxfords, brogues among others sat in alphabetical order at the bottom. It was practical, and practically perfect.

When his peers had first offered to makeover his closet, JD had been apprehensive. Something in the back of his mind rang an alarm, whispering that he would also be sacrificing a part of his individuality. But JD’s body had decided for him in that moment, his head nodding in approval and with an amiable grin. And now after the swap, which JD later learned was in part financed by the Campus Ministry, he realized there was nothing he should have been afraid of.

After all, all of the brothers were remarkably different. Colton rocked a business cut with his blond hair, a style no one else had. Bryce had the most suits of the five, almost as many as their minister. Jared was the only one officially engaged (although JD predicted that fact would not last much longer. Stanley had his thick, time-honored black horned rims. And Jackson held his affinity for sweater vests, a Bonafede professional at styling them. They were truly all unique.

Quickly assembling his hair and a tasteful outfit–a white button-up, French navy-hued trousers, a currant colored tie and chocolatey derbies for his feet–JD assembled his school bag and made haste for the chapel. When he arrived, it was only Jackson awaiting him in the pews. The others had gone out to grab a quick meal.

“Jeremiah! I was beginning to think you wouldn’t make it,” Jackson nudged as JD took a seat beside him in the pew.

“You know I would not miss our study sessions for the world, brother!” JD’s rebuttal was chipper and authentic. Since Mike’s first proposal of clubbing, the offer has never been made again. But JD had received other invitations for outings with his fellow peers. However, none of them were ever accepted. To JD, it always felt more appropriate to stick to his group. Their presence felt familiar, grounded. Right.

“‘They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship’,” Jackson started. “‘to the breaking of bread and to prayer.’” 

“‘And all the believers were together and had everything in common.’” JD finished.

“The Book of Acts, I’m impressed,” Jackson smirked. “I now understand why Peter was so serious about you.”

JD should have questioned what Jackson was referring to, but instead sunk into the warm glow of his brother’s approval.

“But there’s still one thing you have to do,” Jackson noted.

JD’s heartbeat hastened rapidly, something he had not expected.

“You have got to come to church with us!”

JD felt a glimmer of hesitancy. He had not gone to church since he had come to college. He tried to remember why, but a subtle pain clouded his thoughts. Was it because of his parents? No, they just wanted what was best for him. Then was it because JD did not feel accepted by the church? JD tried to follow that thread, but the deeper he ventured, the stronger the ache in his head became.

“Come on, what have you got to lose?” Jackson gave JD a playful shove. “Plus, the minister will be giving a blessing to all students before finals.”

Something was telling JD to reconsider. Something urged him to do otherwise. But JD could not figure out what was so wrong about attending a simple service.

“Alright, I’ll go.”

Jackson’s perfect smile was wider than JD had ever seen it. “That’s it, brother! Then you’ll be just like us.”

That statement triggered something in JD. As if following out a code downloaded into his vital operating systems, he made a note to schedule an appointment with his academic counselor.

———

“What can I help you with today, Jeremiah?” 

Unlike the composed minister sitting before him, JD was irritable, prickly. Words were begging to escape his mouth, although he could not figure out what they were. He tried to express them as best he could.

“I want to become a part of the Campus Ministry, a part of your Biblical community.”

“And why’s that?”

“Because I want to be another sheep in the flock.”

A small smile tugged at one corner of Peter’s lip. “In other words, you are saying…”

The words flew out JD’s mouth: “I want to embody the classic look of a Christian. I want to fit in.”

That heavy, revealing truth tumbled before the two men, its release absolving JD of a burden unaware to him had been accumulating for months. Ever since his first meeting with the minister.

“It’s much easier to be just another piece of the puzzle, Jeremiah,” Peter began. “Never having to worry about anything else when you have a place to belong.”

The minister reached into his desk and pulled open a drawer, removing a small folder with JD’s name on it. Opening it, Peter pulled out a single sheet of paper and placed it in front of him. JD’s eyes scanned the page before focusing back on Peter’s own.

“Your schedule that I have already drafted up for the next semester,” Peter replied, grabbing a pen. “You will join the Religion Department as a Theology major with a minor in Baptist Ministries. After graduation, you will continue your studies to receive a Masters of Divinity. By then, my proselytization will no longer be necessary as you will have become a permanent traditionalist.”

JD knew better than to say anything. Instead, he let his actions speak for him, his hand accepting the pen from Peter and with a delicate cursive, signing his name.

“Welcome to the flock, Jeremiah.”

———

“A healthy Christian learns and grows through community. A healthy Christian experiences spiritual and relational growth when surrounded by an affirming group of like-minded believers. Jesus spent a significant amount of time with his small group, the apostles, molding them and teaching them how to love and support one another and how to function as a healthy small group. Today, we do the same for our brothers and our sisters.”

Jeremiah sat in the front row next to Jackson, Colton, Bryce, Jared, and Stanley. The group was expertly dressed. Jeremiah’s baby blue button-up was paired with a matching tie underneath his charcoal suit. The tie, with cornflower polka dots on top of a banana cream yellow, was particularly chosen for its “vibrant and exciting pattern,” as Jeremiah had thought of it. Along with caramel wing tips that coupled nicely with his soft yet stiff quiff, Jeremiah felt dignified by his outfit. 

“It’s great to be part of a healthy, well-functioning group,” the preacher, an older, handsomely well-off man by the name of Dr. Ernest Holloway, continued. “However, our individual wishes can sometimes interfere with the overarching needs of the congregation. For our Christian community to remain intact, we need to come before God with an earnest desire to help others, and therefore maintain the needs of the group to truly experience the richness and glory of His intentions.”

“Being in a group is committing to one another by saying, ‘I want to laugh with you, share with you, study with you, and pray with you’.” Taking a deep breath, the doctor made his closing statement. “Being in a group is saying, 'All I want is to be like you’. Amen.”

“Amen,” Jeremiah and the congregation replied. The rest of the service went by quickly, and before Jeremiah knew it, he had finished singing the final verse of the closing hymn. Soon, the church was bursting with lively energy. Joyful conversations broke out between the Baptist brothers and sisters, nobody in a hurry towards the exit. Jeremiah found himself in a similar manner, following behind his peers as they sauntered their way towards the door.

As Jeremiah followed Jackson outside of the church, a young female voice rang out from behind them. “Well look at these fine, upstanding, proper young men!”

The pair turned around, now outside, to see who had beckoned them. Jeremiah caught the eye of the young lady, her coppery hair and conservative sense of style somehow familiar to him. 

“Both of you are so dandy and traditional,” she remarked. “A classic look for a Christian.”

“Jeremiah,” Jackson sighed. “This is my younger sister, Jessica.”

It took Jeremiah a moment to compose himself, a bit of scarlet peppering his cheeks. His hand nervously shot forward. “J…Jeremiah Joshua Manuel Delgado…nice to make your a...acquaintance.”

Jessica accepted his greeting. “I’ve never had quite this effect on one of your friends before,” she smiled to Jackson. “I think he fancies me.”

“Don’t flatter yourself so, Jessica,” Jackson denied. But all three of them knew Jessica was telling the truth. Jeremiah had gone nonverbal, the blood from his brain redirected to another destination. There was a tingling sensation around Jeremiah's genitals, his member slowly inflating. It was times like these that he was thankful to have “not been blessed” as his father once put it. If his package had been larger, there surely would have been an indecent scene.

Jeremiah knew what he had to do. With all the strength he could muster, he drew the only words he could think of to his mouth. His perfect jaw shifted, heavy brow furrowed, and he forced the sole sentence out of his mouth.

“Jessica Sanderson, will you marry me?”

———

“JD…Jeremiah, is that you?”

Jeremiah had finally grabbed the remainder of his items, the last bags of his belongings ready to go. Mike was standing at the door, blocking his path.

“Where are you going?”

Jeremiah scoffed, disapproving of Mike's irregular radicalism. “Somewhere that is cleaner, fresher, prim and proper. Somewhere where I can remain a dignified man dedicated to preserving tradition and culture in this world. If I am to embody the classic look of a Christian, then I ought to do so with like-minded brothers.”

Confused, not only by the fancified words but by his roommate’s overall preppification during their first semester, Mike asked a simple question. “Why?”

With a pleasant smile, Jeremiah handed over a small sheet of paper. He then exited the dorm, leaving Mike to flip the Campus Ministry’s invitation back and forth between his own hands and consider the harm of attending just one meeting.

[yourreddancer]

FROM PUBLIC CITIZEN

On Friday night, 50 United States senators — all of them Republicans — voted to put our nation’s security in the hands of a man who is laughably unqualified.

Except it could not be less funny.

With a tie-breaking vote from Vice President JD Vance, Pete Hegseth will now be Secretary of Defense.

Pete Hegseth isn’t qualified to be shift leader at a Dairy Queen (nothing against Dairy Queen). Putting him in charge of the entire United States military is a perversion — and every one of the 50 senators who voted for him knows it.

So why did they do it?

Because they were afraid that if they did the right thing and rejected Hegseth, Donald Trump would back someone else in their next election, and assistant president Elon Musk would spend millions to defeat them.

That’s why Trump defended his nominee so aggressively once news reports indicated how horrible Hegseth’s record is. It was a test. “Look how much they fear me.” “Look how willing they are to prostrate themselves at my feet.” “Look what I’ve turned them into.”

It’s really quite pathetic how craven and insecure they are.

Especially considering that even if they did lose their seats, ex-senators do pretty well. There are cushy positions on corporate boards or as high-paid lobbyists. There are deals to be had for books, podcasts, and speaking gigs. There are roles as pundits and hosts on Fox “News.” There are shady right-wing nonprofits and “think tanks” to run. There are car dealerships and cryptocurrencies to profit from. And on and on and on.

But no, these 50 senators were so afraid of Trump and so addicted to the illusion of political power (we say “illusion” because in reality they have forsaken any actual power in abject fealty to Trump) that they were willing to put Hegseth in charge of the $900 billion Pentagon, its 3 million employees, and all its warfighting capacity.

This is a man who has shown himself unable to run a small nonprofit. A man about whom there are credible reports of excessive drinking and out-of-control behavior. And a man against whom there are multiple allegations of sexual assault and domestic violence.

This is also a man who refused in his confirmation hearing to renounce the use of torture. A man who at his hearing was unaware of a major international alliance. And a man who has argued that women should not serve in combat roles.

Let’s not forget that for generations, it is Republicans who have held themselves out as the party that supports the military and is “strong on defense.”

In case you think your senator would never jeopardize America’s national security, here are the 50 Republican senators who just sold out our troops, our veterans, and our country:

Jim Banks, Indiana John Barrasso, Wyoming Marsha Blackburn, Tennessee John Boozman, Arkansas Katie Britt, Alabama Ted Budd, North Carolina Shelley Capito, West Virginia Bill Cassidy, Louisiana John Cornyn, Texas Tom Cotton, Arkansas Kevin Cramer, North Dakota Michael Crapo, Idaho Ted Cruz, Texas John Curtis, Utah Steve Daines, Montana Joni Ernst, Iowa Deb Fischer, Nebraska Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Charles Grassley, Iowa Bill Hagerty, Tennessee Joshua Hawley, Missouri John Hoeven, North Dakota Jon Husted, Ohio Cindy Hyde-Smith, Mississippi Ron Johnson, Wisconsin Jim Justice, West Virginia John Kennedy, Louisiana James Lankford, Oklahoma Mike Lee, Utah Cynthia Lummis, Wyoming Roger Marshall, Kansas Dave McCormick, Pennsylvania Ashley Moody, Florida Jerry Moran, Kansas Bernie Moreno, Ohio Markwayne Mullin, Oklahoma Rand Paul, Kentucky Pete Ricketts, Nebraska James Risch, Idaho Mike Rounds, South Dakota Eric Schmitt, Missouri Rick Scott, Florida Tim Scott, South Carolina Tim Sheehy, Montana Dan Sullivan, Alaska John Thune, South Dakota Thom Tillis, North Carolina Tommy Tuberville, Alabama Roger Wicker, Mississippi Todd Young, Indiana

(Here are the three Republican senators who did not vote for the charlatan: Susan Collins, Maine; Mitch McConnell, Kentucky; Lisa Murkowski, Alaska.)

If you are feeling angry and/or fearful about what it will mean to have someone as devastatingly unqualified and dangerous as Pete Hegseth running the Department of Defense, join Public Citizen in a message to the 50 senators who just voted for exactly that.

Those who serve in uniform, our nation’s veterans, the hundreds of thousands of civilians who work in the military, and — most crucially of all — every single American deserve better (far better) than Pete Hegseth. You have put us all in harm’s way for no reason other than your own cowardice in the face of Donald Trump. Shame on you.

Click to add your name now.

Thanks for taking action.

For progress,

- Robert Weissman & Lisa Gilbert, Co-Presidents of Public Citizen

[unpredictable-easty]

Stree 2 From Feminine Gaze

Bollywood has always been known for its Masala movies. Though there has been a slight turn towards more serious topics these past few years, it is refreshing when one of these entertaining, silly, music-filled movies makes a presence in front of us. 

As a person who likes to dissect a show or movie scene by scene, Stree 2 is a good study. Though it can be classified as another Bollywood masala with a mix of horror thrown in for good measure, there are factors to it that my feminine gaze has caught, scenes that perhaps, if we delve deep into it, would show the societal position of women.

I am sure I would have missed a lot more things than I caught but I would still like to put focus on the scenes that have caught my attention.

Scene 1: In the beginning of the movie we listen to the conversation between the characters where they talk about how women have been leaving their small town for better opportunities. Though at first I thought it was normal but when we delve further in the movie, we find out that the women they are talking about, have supposedly left the town without informing anyone about their intention, they disappeared overnight and nobody heard from them after that.

This scene rankled me. It also shows a significant truth about society. Girls with ‘modern thinking’ somehow become this other creature in our society. They somehow become the enemy of society and their life or well-being becomes an unnecessary thing. So many girls disappeared in the middle of the night and the only conclusion drawn was that they left themselves, without any investigation or even a try at contacting them. 

This problem, when considered for longer, can show why crimes against ‘modern women’ may be dismissed so easily, as if they were not done against a living breathing human.

Scene 2: The scene when they get to know only women with ‘modern thinking’ are getting kidnapped and all the household ladies argue that they would be safe from the monster because they are not modern. 

Pankaj Tripathi points out that if women had social media if they were educated or they went out, all these things also make them modern.

This argument brings out the age-old situation of women themselves not realizing how they have benefited from feminism. Every generation there will be women who will scoff at feminists fighting for rights and they will not realize that whatever freedom they have at the moment came from feminists before their generation. And thus the cycle continues.

Scene 3: The biggest thing to watch for and observe is the way the monster ends up controlling the male population’s mind and makes them revert back to the thinking that is centuries old. 

Here’s a comparison to be made, in the first movie we can see that Stree haunts the village, that she takes away men in dark, she calls their names and if they turn, she takes them. At no point in time is there a difference in men’s societal position, no women tell them to stay in their home the whole day or lessen their importance in their household. While the first thing done to women when the monster controls their minds is just that, control over women in every aspect of their life.

 We can’t blame the male population over it of course but it's the symbolism of it all. One can always argue that the monster was created in that way but we have to remember that what happened in the movie reflects the real life that so many women still live.

It also reflects how women's freedom eventually ends up being an illusion and how it can be taken from them if they don't constantly fight for it.

There is another incident that made me laugh a lot. When JD says to Varun Dhawan, ‘You’re a werewolf, don’t behave like an Animal.’ I don’t think it will take a genius to guess what this was in reference to.

At the end, I would just like to say that this movie not only proved itself entertaining but it’s subtle nuances make it clear that the writers, directors, and the whole production team put a lot of brains behind its planning and making sure that there were a lot of messages that should not be missed. Perhaps if we had more movies like this, the old spirit of Bollywood would be back and we could be entertained while being aware of the social spirit that art should always carry.

[draco-after-dark]

Hello Rockyy👋I realised that Feral is inspired by Toothless, so what would happen if Feral grew wings?

I mean the rock trolls were originally going to have wings. You can find concept art showing them with such so it's not that out there of an idea.

But imagining Feral. Then giving him the ability to fly.

Nothing is safe anymore. Menace energy goes up by 10,000%.

But i love what ifs so much! I'm rolling with this idea.

I don't think much would change behavior wise other then he would probably spend a lot more time up near the tree tops rather then near the ground.

He would definitely freak his brothers out a lot more the first time they see his wings. They would appear out of nowhere usually tucked under his fur pelt when he's not using them.

Once they're past introductions thought you know Clay and Branch are losing their minds over JD's wings. Because holy shit their brother has wings and can fly. Clay would would whipping out tap measurers and Branch would have so many pens and papers flying around as he's just writing down everything Clay is saying. They wouldn't even notice how uncomfortable JD is until Bruce pulls Clay away and Floyd gently places his hand on Branch. Only then do the two realize that JD is a trembling mess. Eventually once JD gets used to being around them all again he lets them all freak out over his wings. Even letting them touch the sensitive skin and stretch them out.

His brothers would be taken on so many impromptu flights. Ether being held by by Feral's hands wrapped under their arms or being flung on Feral's back where they would be scrambling for something to hold onto. Feral's a bit impatient and tends to take off before his passengers are situated.

Man just thinking about Feral with wings and then adding the glowing thing he can do. He would fan is wings out as a display and use his glowing as a way to create optical illusions and confuse predators/critters. His brothers lose theirs minds all over again.

On another note the more i think about this idea the more i like it. Might make a mini spinoff series about it because i really like the wing idea. Gonna draw art of Feral with wings too.

[notsobravetoaster]

Give you lore? Okay. Brought to you by the Jack is an artificial person theory.

Jack is the son of the bride and Rasputin. The thing that connects them in their pasts is the fact they are the sons of iconic JD couples. Jack has red hair and green eyes like the bride and power relating to reflections/illusions like we see Rasputin have at the end of I Am My Own Muse. As to why he’s with Night Swan? Easy, she stole him out of jealousy because she was jealous they got a happily ever after and she didn’t.

My other theory is that Jack is an orphan (because I find pregnancy incredibly out of character for Night Swan, as I believe it interferes with her ideals of perfection and order). She finds him when he was about five or six wandering around Eternyx, dirty, dressed in rags, scrawny, hungry, and cold practicing his mirror magic. She is intrigued by this and decided to adopt him.

I love those types of kinda unhinged theories, like, we're presented by jd team with this "who's Jack's father" mystery and our answer is "hold up are we sure NS is even his mother", keep'em coming please

Before jd24 I was a firm believer that the smaller storylines are connected to the main one. Maybe I just wanted to manifest that but I still believe it's a cool idea. Even tho my way of thinking was way simpler (just the "oh rasputin was late to the wedding cause he was captured by NS), I like your way of thinking anon, a lot of drama for this already filled with drama family

[archer-kacey]

Shawn Flynn (Analysis)

Let's talk about my favorite JDS weirdo!

We first hear Shawn's voice in Bendy and the Ink Machine, but Joey also mentions him in Illusion of Living in passing.

Joey mentions two things here, firstly that Shawn does "an excellent job." I know Joey lies more than a kid caught with their hand in the cookie jar, but considering the fact that JDS is held together with duct tape and rubber bands, I'm inclined to believe him here. After all, how the hell could they keep up with demands (so much so that the Alice dolls were overstocked) if the foreman fucked off constantly.

Joey also says that Shawn's "creativity knows no bounds." Makes sense for his position, but also helps confirm that Joey does think highly of him in terms of his work. On a personal level, though, maybe not so much.

Based on Joey's insistence for perfection, we can infer that Shawn, like many, was just trying to do his damn job, and Joey blew his lid when things weren't exactly to his liking.

Shawn also mentions that the Alice merchandise wasn't selling well, and offhandedly proposes that they may have to melt the remaining stock down in order to get rid of it. Pretty self-explanatory tape, all things considered.

(The Bendy Wiki also mentions that he has a Dublin accent. I am not at all an expert on ANYTHING Irish but I did find out that Jacksepticeye is from Offaly, Ireland (Midland/East Ireland) and Dublin is also part of East Ireland, so...I'm assuming this is correct.)

There is also an easter egg with the Seeing Tool in BATIM written over Shawn's audio log, though this is mostly a nod to his voice actor.

Anyway, onto Boris and the Dark Survival.

In BATDS, Shawn mentions that he bought a new belt, (a one-of-a-kind toolbelt apparently,) and it was stolen immediately the next day. The perpetrator was a Gent employee, and they very brazenly wore it around right after stealing it. We aren't sure who this employee is, that's mostly speculation. But I don't think that's the point- this odd anecdote represents some of the first seeds of distrust being sown between JDS and Gent employees.

This brings us to Dark Revival.

Funnily enough, I find Shawn's departure from the studio much more interesting than his actual time employed there.

Firstly, Shawn mentions that Joey took it well when he decided to leave. Between the shift towards Gent's experiments and new technology, the funding from Gent, and the sudden irrelevance of having Bendy merch going out in droves, it's possible that Joey just didn't care.

Shawn also seems to give zero fucks about Joey's opinion, based on his Dark Revival and Bendy audio logs, which I find fucking hilarious. Not the first disgruntled employee, but certainly the most confident when faced with Joey himself.

He mentions wanting to find a cabin upstate, see some open sky, and start anew with his family. Overall it seems like leaving JDS gave him a more hopeful lens on life.

But the MOST headscratching thing about his parting audio log is the last few lines;

"But before I go, I've made one last toy. A little parting present for the factory lads. Let's see how long it takes them to find it."

We never hear from Shawn again, so we have NO IDEA WHAT THIS MEANS LMAO. Leave it to Shawn to be mysterious for no apparent reason.

However, there is a possible connection to be made. In the Heavenly Toys area, there's a factory output sheet slapped on one of the walls.

The last column mentions a "Bendy Starface Stuffed Toy", which we've never seen presently. There was only one ever made, and after that it was immediately discontinued.

I don't know why it would be listed at all if Shawn did leave the Starface Bendy as a gift, so this may all be a dead end. (I'm also aware that this might be a "Scarface" reference, although I really don't know what that has to do with anything.) Regardless, I find it a weird coincidence that Shawn left a single toy behind, and Starface also seems to be a completely unique Bendy toy.

TL;DR Shawn Flynn is cool and might have left an Among Us plushie at the studio for his co-workers

[partywithoutsmiling]

In your moonlight AU what do Branch's brothers markings look like? What was Brandy's reaction to Bruce's markings?

Very tricky!

Giving it some thought, I think all of the Bros have that hint of filigree that Branch has, but not to that extent (Branch's rendition is rather artistic)

All of them would have some sort of plant motif tho

For JD, I imagine something like ivy vine, all curling around his shoulders and other joints, spread across his back as if growing from a single root

Lots of curls and swirls, something like cross between those two:

Bruce's wouldn't be as symetrical; out of all the Brothers', only JD, Branch and Clay have symetry in their markings (ie the 'core' of them is centered between their shoulderblades or at the center of their lower back, from which the rest of the pattern spread out)

Bruce's 'core' would probably start at the high point of his left shoulder, then spread heavily down that arm, then the rest of the patterning would 'bloom' across his higher back down to his right hip, and to minor extent across his chest

All his limbs would bear spatterings of the same design, but they would be rather removed from the main root of it

Honestly it amused me to imagine him having like, hibiscus like markings, similar to that which you can see on 'Hawaiian' t-shirts- but honestly a lily in bloom would have served him way better XD

His markings definitelly look more like a purposeful tattoo- and when they met, Brandy probably took some time to convince it was natural and not this Troll just telling tall tales XD

Clay's patterning are like willow branches; no fancy curling or twisting, they resemble stripes more than anything else, sweeping from his lower back up and across his shoulders and arms, the long leaves complimenting the illusion.

Floyd's markings are similar to that of Bruce in that they start in unconventional 'core', in that they start at his right hip; the main 'design' definitelly being that of a rose- though in its simplicity, it looks like leopard or cheetah markings - with spattering of rose buds all over his limbs and shoulders- but the main eye-catcher would have been thorny vines wrapping around his right leg and all over his tail, reaching across his back and shoulders like creeping tendrils.

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

Out of all 5 of the brothers, only John Dory and Bruce would have been comfortable with their markings, growing up, as both would have been seen as pretty and intricate enough to catch an eye of a potential mate, and very attractive to a Pop Trolls' eye.

Clay's, similar to Poppy's, would be seen as too harsh; not simple, certainly not, but very rigid, with none of the desired fancy and 'bubbliness' Pop Trolls look for.

Floyd's, ironically enough, would have ranked rather low on the attractive scale; yes, he has the rose in full bloom, but most of his patterning is dominant with thorny vines/tendrils- not something that would be seen as a positive trait.

Branch honestly doesn't have any complicated feelings about his own markings- they are there, and they are too visible, so he considers them nuisance for that fact alone; it would take Poppy's interest and him starting to move past his Grandmother's death for him to really take closer look at his patterning and find beauty in it- and find the beauty in others' markings.

He just never really paid attention to them in that way XD

(Though when Poppy so boldly started posing and strutting for him, he couldn't help but be drawn into watching her, even as he was not completely sure why. Branch is just a soft goober honestly XD he is attracted to Poppy's confidence subconsciously, and on instinctual level he knows that's what her markings represent)

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Zack Beauchamp at Vox:

At the end of the vice presidential debate, Gov. Tim Walz asked Sen. JD Vance a pointed question: Did Donald Trump lose the 2020 election? Vance’s response: “Tim, I’m focused on the future. Did Kamala Harris censor Americans from speaking their mind in the wake of the 2020 Covid situation?” There is a clear right answer — that the 2020 presidential election was in fact legitimate — and Vance refused to offer it. It was, as Walz immediately noted, “A damning non-answer,” one that showed viewers who JD Vance is and what he stands for.

Ultimately, every issue discussed earlier that night comes in second to the fundamental question of whether America’s democratic institutions deserve to endure. On that question, Vance truly is radical, and his exposure as such was the only truly important moment of the night. Many Republicans have embraced Trump’s lies about the last election. Some have done so reluctantly, but Vance has been enthusiastic. He has, among other things, fundraised for January 6 rioters and said he would have illegally thrown the 2020 election result to Congress had he been in Mike Pence’s position at the time. But what’s most distinctive about Vance is the degree to which he has paired 2020 conspiracy theories with a coterie of other anti-democratic positions and ideologies.

[...] And yet, it wasn’t central to the vice presidential debate tonight. The moderators left it until the very last minutes of the event, only coming up after the debate was originally scheduled to end. Despite democracy being at the core of the difference between the two candidates onstage — in fact, the core ideological difference between the two parties today — it was treated as an afterthought. In doing so, the moderators created an illusion of normalcy: allowing the two candidates to civilly discuss issues like housing and the deficit in a basically standard-politician manner, when in fact they disagree on an existential question about the nature of American government itself.

It’s also worth dwelling on Vance’s attempt at deflection — the confusing line about Harris trying to “censor Americans from speaking their mind” on the Covid-19 pandemic — because I think it’s essential to understanding the ideological scaffolding of anti-democratic politics on the right today. There are multiple theories on the right about how the Biden administration colluded with Big Tech to censor Americans, and it wasn’t exactly clear which particular one Vance was referencing. For present purposes, the details of the issue are less important than the ideological role they play. For Vance and others like him, it is essential to do more than just insist that Trump was right in 2020 — to go the extra mile and say that Democrats are the true threat to democracy in America today. That argument, the claim that he and Trump are democracy’s real defenders, serves as justification for taking aggressive action to seize power.

Last night on the debate stage, JD Vance provided a non-answer on the question regarding the 2020 election, and Tim Walz providing a devasting rebuttal by calling Vance’s response a “damning non-answer.” #VPDebate

See Also:

HuffPost: JD Vance's 'Chilling' Answer To 1 Very Simple Question Causes Jaws To Drop

The Guardian: Vance refuses to say Trump lost the 2020 election in Walz debate

Daily Kos: JD Vance doubles down on wanting to help Trump steal an election

Daily Kos: 'That's a damning non-answer': Walz responds to Vance's Jan. 6 denial

[multi-level-shipper]

Just to avoid reblog chaining/ bendysplaining on lucky-dreamfisher's post, I'm gonna throw this Tweet up here and talk about it.

Here's the thing, Meatly has labeled the all the books as "fun extras." All the books, meaning the Employee Handbook, Illusion of Living, Crack-Up-Comics, DCTL, TLO, and Fade to Black.

And yes, they are bonus content. You do not need to read them to understand the base games. It's just odd to me that they're being treated as if they have no connection or impact on the "canon" of the games. It just feels a little disingenuous.

Illusion of Living is Joey's autobiography. Yes, it is completely fair to expect people NOT to read it, because how well it holds your attention largely hinges on how much you like Joey, and Joey talking about Joey. But you CAN'T ignore the fact that this is a giant life story dump from one of the most integral characters to the plot.

And then we have Buddy from DCTL being HEAVILY implied to be our Boris. It was never confirmed from what I remember, but the timing of the transformation lined up with BATDS. So we could argue that even DCTL still has SOME lore relevancy as far as the games go.

Even the Employee Handbook has notes and other details from the lives of the JDS employees (on top of being an actual game guide lol.)

I guess the main thing that confuses me is this; if you are going to have books that tie into Bendy's canon, why call them "fun extras"? Why separate them?

I'm all for the authors having their creative freedom, (I've said before how much I love Adrienne Kress's work and how much she breathes a soul into these characters,) but specifically pointing out how the authors "make things their own" in the context of this Tweet seems to mean it separates the books from canon entirely.

Maybe I'm reading the tone of the Tweet as too dismissive. I am biased. I do not like Meatly. It's frustrating to see him as the creator of this franchise twirl his hair and go "well...actually the books are kind of the authors' thing idk..." when, hilariously, the books are just echoing the game's characters and lore nearly down to a tee.

TL;DR The Bendy books are plot relevant, why are we (TheMeatly) just now deciding to separate them from canon?

[mirkwoodshewolf]

IATCOD Chap. 29; Battle against Pestilence

*Author's note*

Okay so this one really took some time but I appreciate the likes and love this story is still getting :) Work and writer's block really affected me writing this but over the Christmas break I was able to sit down and really focus my sights on this story here and I hope you all enjoy this little New Year treat.

Taglist:

@plethora-of-things

@jd-johndeacon-or-jackdaniels

@waddles03

@queen-paladin

@psychosupernatural

@thats-s0-ravenn

@remussl0vers

NEXT CHAPTER

___________________________________________________

Druig, Hela and Merry continued to fly onward and just as they passed through the clouds and began to descend, Druig then came upon a sight that he never thought he’d see ever again in his lifetime.

“It—it cannot be.” He said bewildered with wide eyes.

“It can’t be what?” asked Merry.

“It’s our home.”

“Your home? But Hela never once mentioned she had a home to settle in. She had told us that you all lived a nomadic life. Like some of our ancestors did before settling in the Shire.”

“She’s not half wrong. We did live a nomadic life for a long time. But growing up, we did have a home far to the East of the great desert of Rhun. Before those now called the Easterlings would make their home there, the Celestials made their home in those lands.” As Druig looked down at the grand castle of marble and stone, all the feelings of nostalgia came at him like a wave.

But he was surprised of how Hela could remember every single detail of this castle.  He—he had to make her forget it after it had happened.

Icarus and Hela both swooped down before finally landing on one of the upper balconies and Hela’s Starlight armor dispersed leaving her in the same dress she had on earlier.

“Well let’s hurry before Kingo decides to burn the whole kitchen again.” Hela said as she walked past the throne room.  Druig and Merry slid off of Icarus’ back and he took off flying with a proud screech.  Druig looked around and remembered how in their youth, he, Makkari and Hela would stand by Mother’s side by that very golden throne with each of their elder siblings standing along the stairway that lead to it as the Celestials would take council with all the Great leaders of each race of Middle Earth who needed their guidance or wisdom.

The rectangular fountain that cut through the middle of the throne room made Druig think of the great Anduin river as it’s crystal clear waters sparkled in the sunlight.  Grand statues sculpted by Phastos and his siblings of creation of the greatest and most memorable Celestials were placed all over the grand throne room. Each level leading all the way up to the grand roof had a statue of a Celestial that were either still around and made a great change to Middle Earth, or those who had died with nobility and honor defending their homeland.

“I had almost forgotten but being here it brings it all back. The sound of the fountains water ripples, the fresh breeze that would come from this very balcony, and feel of the cold marble from each statue that stands in this very hallway.” Druig said in a solemn tone.

“Lord Druig?” Merry spoke up as he noticed how Druig was starting to fall under the spell as he stood in front of his mother’s throne.  “Druig!” Druig snapped out of it and turned to the young halfling.  “Remember what King Theoden said. This illusion has the power to affect us too if we allowed it. I understand you must miss your home, but we’re the only ones who are able to help Hela.”

“You’re right.” Druig said.  “The others won’t survive if we take too long. Come, let’s keep playing along for now and see what plays out.”

“Do you have a plan yet on how to disrupt the spell?”

“I’m working on it. But I need to get a feeling on how much I can affect in her head with this spell. I’ll have to keep it subtle, if I try too hard I could end up doing severe damage to her psyche.” Merry nodded and the two of them walked out of the throne room and soon wound up in the kitchen.

The kitchen was in chaos with so much flour scattered all over the floors.  Dough had reached up onto the high shelves almost as if an explosion had happened and various pots and measuring cups covered the entire tabletops.

“Kingo how many times do we have to tell you that you don’t belong in the kitchen? Must I get Phastos to reiterate that lesson?” Hela asked their big brother.

“Blame Maui and Persephone, they were the ones screwing around with the measurements for the cake.” Kingo tried to reason with.

“Only because Maui wasn’t measuring the flour correctly!” Persephone proclaimed pointing at Maui.

“I would’ve done the correct measurements if Persephone hadn’t been hovering over me like a fly. That’s my job! Plus she started it with hogging the eggs!” Maui argued.

The two youngest Celestials went face to face growling at each other but Hela got in between them and stopped their fighting.

“Enough! You’re all to blame for the mess. Now all three of you clean this mess up before Phastos gets back from Eregion. And he won’t appreciate coming home to see his kitchen in such disarray.”

“She’s right. Maui you start by cleaning up the flour, Persephone you handle to pots and cups, I’ll supervise everything else.” Kingo clapped his hands.

“Actually Kingo, you can clean the dough that’s plastered all over the shelves. You are the tallest one out of you three.” Hela suggested.

“What?!”

“Yeah Kingo.” Mocked Maui.

“Get to it tall guy.” Teased Persephone.

“I don’t understand why I should be cleaning the kitchen when I didn’t even do anything this time.”

“Just do what she says Kingo.” Druig said.

“I don’t need a lecture from you Druig, besides I’m the oldest so what I say—” Druig’s eyes glowed pure gold and Kingo stopped speaking as his eyes went the same golden color and he went to cleaning up the dough from the shelves without another word.

Merry stood in awe at Druig’s ability to control people without a second thought but he was also intimidated by it.  Hela did once say that the mind is both a powerful ally or your greatest enemy.  And the fact that her twin brother could merely reach in and control you frightened him as a young halfling.

“You know you didn’t have to do all that Druig.” Hela whispered to him.

“Where’s your sense of humor my sweet Hela?” Druig teased.  “Besides Kingo needs to be taken down a peg or two every now and then. Gaslighting his way out of trouble when you know he’s been behind the act in question.”

“True but it’s still wrong to force your will over someone else’s.” the look in her eyes made Druig’s heart ache in regret.

What he’s had to do to Hela in the past when Sauron began to fully rise to power during the Second Age made him feel queasy.  And knowing what he had to do to free her almost made him want to give up the mission and allow her this chance at happiness after seeing her suffer through so much this past Age.

Hela gave Druig a pat on the shoulder before leaving them.  Merry turned to Druig and the Mind Celestial said.

“I know what you’re thinking. That was another test. I was always reckless with my mind powers. I once even believed that I could control every race in Middle Earth all at once. Elves, Men, Dwarves, even the orcs. I could get rid of whatever I didn’t like of them. Their stubbornness, their greed, prejudice, their lust for blood and war. All gone. But seeing the world through Hela’s eyes through my stone I realized that without those qualities, none of them could ever truly Be.”

Merry’s eyes softened at Druig’s statement and a small smile came across his face.

“C’mon. Let’s see what else you can manage here.” Druig looked down at the young hobbit and wrapped an arm over his shoulder and guided him out of the kitchen.

Back in the physical world at the docks where the Corsair pirates were supposed to meet up with the orcs before Aragorn and the others highjacked their ships thanks to the Army of the dead.  The skies seemed to grow darker as more red thunder flashed through the sky but this time it began to strike down near the shores.

Flash after flash of red lightning came down from the sky until the sea itself was struck with such a blast that it split the sea.  A large whirlpool started up at the center of the sea creating a gaping vortex that now revealed the cage where Hela had imprisoned the Deviants.

The runes she had made burned into the sand in a large circle as well as a five pointed star in the middle of the circle.  Two more outer circles surrounded the main circle as more runes appeared written within the lines of each circle.  It was then fiery eyes began to appear from within the circle as the sounds of roars, snarls and growls sounded off deep from the earth.

Levitating above the sea in a three point triangle were Deimos, Perses and Nergal.  Their eyes reflected off of the glowing circle that lie just beneath them.

“SAURON’S PETS! DEVIANTS! LOOK AT YOU AND YOUR SQUALLY PRISON! WHO PUT YOU DOWN THERE!?” proclaimed Nergal.

‘HELA!!’ their animalistic sounds almost seemed to speak out Hela’s name.  The three Celestials of Death’s hands began to glow in their respected colors and Perses proclaimed.

“AND NOW THAT WE SET YOU FREE!” their powers shot down at the main points of the seal keeping the Deviants prisoned.  Red, Black and Green fought against the Grey colored seal which shot right back at the three Celestials of Death trying to fight back. “YOU SHALL CONTINUE WHAT YOU WERE MEANT TO DO!!”

Soon the grey seal dulled and the runes dissolved into thin air.  The earth and the sea began to rumble as it then shot upward and a large shadow of a dragon was the first to fly up into the sky roaring loudly.  Hundreds of other flying Deviants soon followed after the Great beast, the sea then split further up towards the shore as the rest of the Deviants began racing out onto the land.

“And the fun begins.” Smirked Deimos.  “STRIKE ALL THAT COMES TO YOUR PATH. MEN, ELVES, DWARVES, HOBBITS, THEY ALL HOLD CELESTIAL ENERGY. FEAST!!!” Deimos then declared.

The Deviants all let out a roar as the flying beasts took off towards the North while the land-based beasts raced towards the nearest settlement, Gondor.

“There will be no place left for anyone to hide.” Perses spoke before cackling sinisterly with an evil look to his eye.

“And who’s to say they should have all the fun?” Deimos proposed as he and Nergal eyed each other.  Nergal then flew towards Gondor while Deimos headed further North towards Erebor and Dale to first quench his bloodlust before dealing with Cain as he promised.

Perses then turned towards the Great Beast who stood as large as one of the elder dragons of Middle Earth from the 1st Age.  The Great serpent-like beast turned its attention to Perses and he said.

“Our Master has a special plan for us, my Sister.” The Great beast bellowed lowly as it’s great head lowered down before Perses and he extended his hand outward to touch it’s large, shadowy snout.

At Gondor, Cain let out a gasp as he stood in the throne room.  The Fellowship and Eomer turned towards the mortal Celestial and Legolas asked.

“Cain what is it?”

“Can’t you hear it? They are here.” Legolas then stood frozen as he turned towards the balcony and his eyes widened in fear.  The men all went to the balcony and from the distance, a rise of shadows was charging head on towards the White city.  The haunting roars and terrifying snarls echoed through the air.

“Gandalf and Faramir better have found a way to bring about this seal of protection! We’re out of time!” Eomer said tensely.

“Come on Gandalf.” Aragorn whispered.  Just when it seemed that they were breach past the borders of Osgiliath, a bright light rumbled through the stone and marble of the entire city.  It shot out across the earth between the White city and it’s defense and soon a barrier started forming around all sides of the city.

The deviants that were close enough to the borders of Osgiliath were suddenly flung backwards which such magical force it knocked them unconscious.  The Deviants tried all sides of the city but no matter where they tried, they just couldn’t break through the shield’s defense.

“Bless you Gandalf.” Praised Gimli as he fell to his knees.

“It’s bought us time. But they won’t just surrender. Deviants are known to sit and wait till the time is right to strike. And this is only a small portion of the numbers that await us.” Cain said as he walked away from the others.

“Cain, you besides Hela would know everything there is to know about these beasts. What do we need to know that we don’t already know?” asked Aragorn as he stood next to Hela’s brother.

“As the legends state, no living mortal weapons can defeat these beasts. Only weapons forged by Celestial magic can injury these creatures. But I’m afraid you must also learn that some of them have unique abilities.”

“What do you mean unique abilities?” asked Pippin.

“There are three species of Deviants. The first are the normal beasts that grow no bigger than your average horse. But they are the ones that have the ability to turn you to stone.  The second leveled Deviants are the flyers. While having the same ability to turn living creatures to stone they’ve also been known to gain the powers of our Celestial kin.”

“Durin’s beard.” Gimli whispered fearfully.

“It was as much of a surprise to my kin. When I had heard some of my starlight brothers going against some of them in the Misty mountains to defend and aid the Illusional celestials. They were shocked to see how some of them were air bending or breathing out fire like dragons.”

“And what of the third deviant beast?” asked Eomer.

“I pray that we don’t come across this one. Sauron once called it the Great Leviathan. A beast said to be almost as big as Ancalagon himself. She was the very first deviant to ever exist and all the Deviants came from her. Constantly spurting out newborns each time she feels her children feasting. In fact it was her arrival that decimated our homeland and killed more than half of all mine and Hela’s siblings. If she makes an appearance, Vadar help us all.”

“Then let’s take the time that we’ve been given and work out a strategy. Hopefully Druig and Merry can awaken Hela before anymore Deviants arrive.” Aragorn said.

“Hope.” Echoed Nergal’s voice through the halls of the throne room.  “It’s the one thing about humanity and mortality that I never understood. Even in the face of despair and at the brink of death, you mortals always cling onto that last fleeting, shimmering glimpse of hope that is said to be on the horizon.” A green mist soon seeped from the upper walls and down to the ground forming Nergal’s body.

Once his body fully manifested into the throne room, the apothecary robes that he had once worn had now been transformed into his true Celestial of Death uniform.  A long black tunic that hugged his body but at the ends of his robes, they were torn and ripped apart but in a manner like the material had been rotting away for centuries.  Around his neck he wore a silver necklace with center piece in the shape of a crow’s skull.

But what caught the Fellowship by surprise was the color of his skin to now be faded and grey like he had been sleeping near the cinders from a fireplace.  His once rich and healthy hair now appeared sleek and greasy as strands of it stuck over his face, his eyes now sunken in almost as if he had been kissed by Death itself.

“Every one of our siblings had a distinct power that set us apart from our chosen Celestial names.” Started Cain.  “Based on what Faramir told us, my guess is that you represent Pestilence that is associated with death.”

“You are indeed the most clever Celestial brother Cain. No wonder Sauron wanted you for his army.” Nergal praised with a mocking grin.

“Even in my wrathful rage, I would rather have myself be hanged in the gallows than join forces with Morgoth’s lacky.” Sneered Cain.

“And such spirit. Now I know where Hela got hers from. She was indeed a worthy opponent, too bad she was still too weak to finish us off. Her beloved elven lover, that was her weakness. Had she truly let her feelings go, she would’ve had the chance to kill us.”

“Lady Hela has more humanity in one finger than any one of you in your entire body!” snarled Gimli gripping his axe.  Legolas placed a hand to Gimli’s shoulder both calming him down but also trying to ease his own anger as he glared at the Celestial before him.

“Morality. Is weakness. That’s what got her trapped and allowed us to bring forth the Deviants.”

“Then why not take down the shield yourself? Being a Celestial of Death surely you must know how to take it down. Or did you underestimate the first Celestial of Death’s knowledge of such a spell?” Aragorn challenged.

“The one thing I will praise her is a knowledge of such a spell. Creating a spell out of an ancient Elven incantation. But it matters not in the end. All spells have their weakness, but it’s not my job to find that out. Plus I’d prefer to see you all wriggle like worms on a hook waiting for the inevitable.” Nergal smirked wickedly.

“Then what have you come to seek?” asked Legolas.

“As Cain said; we each do represent a degree of Death itself. I being the Celestial of Pestilence seek out to cause nothing but sickness and plaques. However my power is limited to just how far I can spread such a contamination. But there is a gem just powerful enough to give me the enhancement that I need.”

“You wish to gain the power of my mother’s Celestial gemstone.” Cain exclaimed aghast.

“And the first victim I’ll be targeting is that foolish hobbit who took the Mind stone. Don’t think we didn’t know of your plan to try and save Hela’s mind from my death spell and since Hela’s little elvish guard dog is there, perhaps it’s time for a little rematch.”

“If you want to get to him, you’ll have to kill me first!” Cain growled.

“Killing you is reserved for someone else, but I’ll gladly take the gems I know you carry in your pocket. I knew Hela would trust the most powerful of our kins stones to the Last of the Starlights.”

“Believe me when I tell you this Nergal the Malicious,” Cain withdrew his sword giving it a twirl before having it extended downward much like King Thranduil always had his swords be an extension of his being, “You. Are no brother of mine.”

“And if you want Cain, you’ll have to fight me too.” Aragorn said as he withdrew Andúril from his sheath, Legolas knocked an arrow into his bow and Gimli gripped his axe tighter as they too stood beside Cain.  Even Eomer and Pippin also withdrew their swords and stood on the other side of Aragorn.

“You’ll have to take down all of us, Plaque bringer.” Gimli snarled defensively.

“You all made this fight too easy.” Nergal spoke softly as he secretly started up another poison green gas bomb like he did back at Minas Morgul.  But before he could make his attack, a bright light shot at him diffusing his spell and sending him rolling across the floor.

“If it is as easy as you claim, then why not include two more into this fight?” Gandalf’s voice spoke up.  Everyone turned to see both Gandalf and Faramir now standing by the main doors of the throne room, Faramir holding his bow in hand.

“And this is a fight I’ve been waiting my whole life for.”

“Then you best give me all you got, boy.” Nergal eyed each and every one of his upcoming opponents and waited for the first attack to come to him which came once both Faramir and Legolas released their arrows on either side of Nergal.

But the Celestial of Pestilence leapt between both arrows before summoning out his soul strings to try and ensnare everyone under his command but everyone managed to avoid getting caught in Nergal’s puppet strings.  Pippin and Gimli came in with their weapons but Nergal managed to drop kick Gimli’s axe down while he blocked Pippin’s sword with his own blade.

When Pippin recognized the blade as a Morgul blade, his eyes widened and he managed to just barely to dodge Nergal’s counter attack by the width of his curly hair.  Nergal once again flipped over and landed on top of the King’s throne as his Morgul blade extended about as long as Aragorn’s sword.  His soulless golden eyes now gleaming with desire and pride.

Up on the White tower, Haldir could hear the sounds of a battle happening in the throne room.  He saw a flash of familiar green magic and knew right away that Nergal was within the city of Men.  His blood boiled in rage as he clenched Aeglos to the point where his knuckles were turning white.

He turned towards Hela and Merry and saw how Merry’s hands still glowed with Druig’s magic and his eyes were still the bright golden lights encompassing his entire eye balls.  He then turned towards the barrier shield that was keeping the Deviants out and saw how they were now just sitting and waiting for the moment to strike.

“I hope you can forgive me, meleth nin. But I must do this. For you.” He walked out of the room and proceeded down the stairs his eyes filled with hatred and a desire for vengeance at the being who took his beloved away from him.

Back in Hela’s prison, Druig and Merry continued to help out anyone they could to keep up the rouse that Hela had built for herself and soon enough by sundown a grand Midsummer’s Eve festival had officially begun.

There was beautiful music, dancing, grand feasts and the best served wine and ale spread out through miles and miles of tables.  Druig and Merry watched as Hela and Haldir were dancing together much like they had back at Rohan after the victory at Helm’s Deep.

“Having a Celestial for a partner is a commitment that not everyone can accept.” Druig said.  Merry looked up at him as he continued, “Not only would they have to accept that Middle Earth comes first whenever we are called to defend it, but also there is little to no chance of your bloodline continuing. Not unless we give up our immortality first.”

“Cain said he had done it willingly when he met his Yvanne. And even for as little of time he got to spend with his family, he said it was worth every second of it. Seeing his children grow up, being with the woman he loved.”

“A Celestial’s love story always ends in tragedy Merry. It did for Cain, it will for Thena once she knows the truth, as well as many brothers and sisters long before my time.”

“But if a love is worth fighting for, the tragedy is only part of the story.” Druig looked down at the young hobbit.  “Now I may not have known why she did it at the time, but Hela always stroked her left wrist almost as if she were checking if something was there. And whenever she realized there wasn’t, she always became sad. Being on this quest and getting to Lothlorien to see the reason why she was sad, it all became clear. When Haldir offered to go with Hela to Gondor after Pippin had touched the Palantir, I saw a glimmer of his feelings still there for her. And even now with him guarding over both our bodies, their love is unlike any I had ever read or had been told as a child. Their story can end up this happy like she wants it to be, but she must understand that life must happen first and that she’s the only one who can help us out there.”

“Never did I think I’d hear more wiser words from someone other than my brothers Phastos and Apollo. If not for my powers accepting you, you’d make an impressive Celestial of Inspiration.”

“Both Hela’s and Bilbo’s war stories had a hand on how I try to view the world. Not as a one shade of color but how it could be.” Druig looked out towards the illusion of Hela and Haldir as they finished their dance and kissed each other as he saw all of his siblings applaud their dance.

“I’ve figured a way how to break this illusion. But it requires returning a memory I took from Hela.”

“What memory was that?”

“It’s better if you see for yourself Merry. Even I have a hard time remembering that day. It was the day that changed the lives of the Celestials forever.” Druig looked up towards the orange-pink sky and raised his hand high up as his eyes glowed a pure bright gold, encompassing his entire eyeballs as the sky began to spark with golden flashes of lightning.  “Be warned Merry, what you are about to see….is unlike anything you have seen in this war.”

Back in the physical world; Gimli, Eomer, Faramir, Pippin, Legolas, Gandalf and Aragorn were all sprawled out in various spots throughout the throne room.  Their bodies bruised and bloodied some were even knocked unconscious just barely breathing from their fight with Nergal.  The only left standing against Nergal was Cain but even he was bruised and bloodied.  His left brow seeping out blood down the left side of his face after being thrown towards one of the pillars in the throne room.

His legs now starting to shake as he could barely stand while he kept a firm grip on his weapon and his breathing was deep and harsh with each grunted pant.  Nergal merely stood there not a single scratch on him and a look of arrogance as he stared at Cain but held no other expression on his face.

“I’d expect more from the great Fellowship much less an exiled Celestial but look at you all now. Barely able to stand.” Mocked Nergal.

“Be thankful I don’t have my Celestial powers. There’s a reason why I was the first.” Panted Cain.

“And you threw it all away for love.” Nergal sneered out the word love.  “Love made you weak Cain the Wrathful. Your pathetic excuse of a sister was proof of that!” Cain let out a low growl before the two Celestials charged at each other, their blades clashing together with loud clanks.  Cain pushed Nergal back with each strike he made, forcing the Celestial of Death to back up until Nergal got the advantage and stopped his attack before levitating in the air to push Cain back.  Letting out an almost animalistic hiss as Cain started to feel the an affect similar to the Black Breath overcome his senses.

He tried to hold firm but with a slight change of his foot pivoting inward, that gave Nergal the advantage he needed to uncross their weapons and send a kick right into his chest sending Cain flying and landing right onto his back with a hard thud.  Nergal snickered lowly before levitating towards Cain spinning his sword in a deadly manner before it suddenly became two dual swords coming down at Cain.

Using his own sword all Cain could do was block each deadly overhand chop that came down his way but the affect of Nergal’s own black breath was starting to take its effect on Cain’s body weakening him and throwing his senses off.  His arms could barely hold his own weapon as with a final undercut swing, Nergal had disarmed the former Celestial of Starlight.

“Mr. Cain!” cried Pippin.  Now exhausted and paralyzed from the black breath of Nergal, Cain could only lay there on his back trying to regain his remaining senses but it all proved to be in vain.  Nergal pressed his foot to neck and raised his sword up.

“It’s time we put an end to this.” Suddenly a spear was pierced right through Nergal’s stomach and he was lifted up into the air by none other than Haldir using Aeglos.  The Marchwarden of Lorien then tossed Nergal off Aeglos’ blade sending him out towards the outer courtyard where the Tree of the Kings stood.  Haldir followed behind Nergal with a dark look in his hazel blue eyes.

Nergal groaned at his stood up and allowed his powers to close up his wound.  He looked to see Haldir with the spear of Aeglos at his hand and saw the dark expression of hatred and vengeance upon his face.

“Poor little Marchwarden,” mocked Nergal as he stood up.  “Come to avenge your fallen Celestial lover?”

“No.” Haldir growled lowly.  “I want to be the one who puts you in the ground myself.” Nergal smirked maliciously.

“Atta boy.” He praised before the two of them charged toward each other.  Haldir made the first strike with a side swipe using Aeglos but Nergal bent backwards as he slide underneath the blade but what he didn’t expect was Haldir to quickly swing the blade and slice him in the back of the calf.

Haldir then slashed at Nergal’s face and Aeglos’ blade actually managing to cut his cheek.  The black blood seeping down from both his cheek and blade.  Nergal raised his hand and touched his bleeding cheek and let out an impressive whistle.  The crazed look in his eyes intensified as the sinister smirk grew larger.

Nergal quickly summoned out another Morgul blade and the two of them clashed again.  Nergal first went for Haldir’s feet much like Haldir had done to him, but the Marchwarden was light on his feet as he flipped over and dodged the attack.  Both men using all their strength grunting and growling as their blades collided with each other until Haldir used the same nerve attack that he’s seen Hela use.

He delivered a hard punch just below Nergal’s shoulder blade and the Celestial of death let out a pained cry.  Haldir abandoned Aeglos and kept up with the hand to hand combat as he kept delivering punch after punch using his knuckles and fingers to hit at Nergal’s every nerve.  The Celestial of Pestilence was growing tired of Haldir’s cheap trick.  Even as he tried to slice at Haldir with his blade he couldn’t land a single cut on the Elf he had once tortured.

Haldir then landed a hard jab at Nergal’s wrist which caused him to drop his blade.  Growling as he lunged after the Marchwarden again only for him to dodge his attack by spinning around the Celestial of Pestilence’s body.  However he just barely dodged another Morgul blade that Nergal secretly summoned, as the blade had cut through Haldir’s hair cutting off Hela’s courting braid she had made for him.

This enraged Haldir even more so.  His eyes narrowed and his lips curled over his teeth as he snarled like a rabid animal.  Almost in a flash of speed that would almost rival Makkari, Haldir punched Nergal square in the face with every bit of ounce he could.

And since Elves have enhanced strength compared to Men, this punch felt like getting his with a large boulder thrown at the speed of a Meras run.  Nergal was left briefly dazed from the punch but Haldir continued his assault on the fake Celestial.  Punching, grabbing his hair to knee him in the face, and hitting at his pressure points.

One move he had pierced Nergal by the shoulders with his Elven daggers, managed to fully flip himself over the Celestial and as he landed on his feet behind him, he had flipped Nergal over his head slamming him to the ground.  Breathlessly Nergal lay there on his back but his judgement had only just begun.

Haldir manhandled Nergal up onto his knees and began beating his face in.  Left, right, left, right, combos of punches across each side of his face.  He had beaten Nergal’s face so hard that one would almost think he was about to beat it inward.  And each time Nergal’s body caved in on itself, Haldir would lift him back up and continue his assault.

As everyone stared in shock at Haldir’s decent into vengeance, they knew that if he had succeeded in killing Nergal like this, there’d be no going back for him.  Once an Elf has killed with darkness in their hearts, they are forever tainted and lose themselves to the darkness.

Haldir’s eyes that once held such starlight in them had now appeared dull and dark as he stared Nergal down like the filth he was.  A darkness had consumed him as he carried himself over towards Nergal’s abandoned Morgul blades and wielded them in his own hand.  The green aura surrounded him and the blades as Haldir slowly crept over towards Nergal who lay on the ground defenseless.

A skillful swirl of the blades Haldir then raised up the two dark blades to finish the job with a rageful cry.  But just before he could finish the job, Cain had appeared before him grasping his wrists in his hands holding the young elf back from committing the act that would forever taint him.

With each rageful cry or growl he let out as he tried to free his hands from Cain’s grip only enhanced Cain’s hold on him.  He looked at Haldir with those glowing orbs of his and even though they couldn’t show emotion like normal eyes do, the look on Cain’s face showed it all.

He didn’t even need to say a word to the Marchwarden because he himself had been there before.  The rage, the grief, it had now formed such a darkness in the Elfling’s heart that Cain knew all too well.

As Haldir kept his eyes on Cain, his anger slowly began to diminish.  The green aura that once surrounded him began to dim as he slowly loosened his grip on Nergal’s Morgul blades.  The two dark blades fell with a clank as Haldir’s anger began to subside.

Suddenly Nergal used his own Celestial nerve attack to paralyze Cain as he palm-heel strike him in the back.  A green aura of Nergal’s magic shimmered around Cain as he collapsed onto his side, his face pale almost as if he had been kissed by death itself.

Haldir grabbed hold of his beloved’s brother to ease his fall while Nergal heavily panted, his face stained with blood and bruised beyond recognition.

“Cain, Cain!” Haldir called out.

“She was weak…..because of you.” Nergal’s gruff voice panted out.  “This exiled filth, left himself exposed. Because of you.” Nergal and Haldir’s eyes met and Haldir noticed how Nergal now held the satchel that held the remaining Celestial gems that Hela had given her brother to hold onto.

The Celestial of Pestilence’s smirk became crazed, his hollowed eyes staring wildly at the young Marchwarden Elf.

“You—are the poison to the Celestials.” Haldir glared at Nergal as he held Cain’s body closer to him.  As Nergal’s cackle echoed through the courtyard, Legolas fired an arrow which caused Nergal to drop the satchel but also allow all the remaining stones to fall out.

Once Ajak’s sapphire blue stone was exposed Nergal went after it but Haldir quickly tackled him and held him down to the ground.  Legolas, Faramir, Pippin and Gimli soon joined in holding the Celestial of Pestilence down while Aragorn raced after the stone.

“ARAGORN NO!!!” Gandalf warned.  But it was already decided.  Nergal shoved and kicked off his captors to try and beat Aragorn to the stone, but the Fellowship and Lord Faramir were resilient and relentless as they’d keep coming back and try to hold Nergal back.

Finally Aragorn slid across the ground and managed to grab the Celestial Prime’s stone in his palm.  Immediately a burst of light shot out and a dust storm swirled around the entire courtyard.  The strong winds forced everyone to hang on as that they wouldn’t be caught in the storm.

As for Aragorn—well he had forced his body to make the ultimate sacrifice.  He writhed in agony as the stone began to burn right through his palm.  The same sapphire blue that was on the stone, began to shine along his entire body slowly cracking and breaking it down piece by piece, slowly and agonizingly.

Aragorn was forced to have himself rooted to the ground as the stone’s power began to consume him and break him down.  All the while sapphire fireballs swarming around everyone within the dust cloud.

Nergal took great pleasure at seeing Aragorn’s suicidal and foolish sacrifice.  He knew that none but a Celestials could wield the raw power of the stones and now the ‘King of Gondor Isildur’s heir’ had foolishly thought he could wield the power of the most powerful and the First Celestial to ever exist in Middle Earth.

As Aragorn continued to scream and feel every ounce of pain the stone was giving him, he soon heard a voice call out to him.

“ARAGORN! TAKE MY HAND!” it was Legolas.  Using whatever strength he had left, the young Elven prince had stood up and fought against the Celestial magic that was forcing him to stay away to call out to his friend and extend his hand out.  He watched as Aragorn’s disintegrating face turned to him but instead of seeing Legolas, Aragorn saw someone else.

In fact he had been transported to what felt like the heavens.  The stars were all he could see before him, millions and millions of them surrounding his entire vision and he saw both the moon and the sun hovering side by side of each other.  But it was the person that stood before him that surprised him the most.

‘Those who are worthy of my power, must learn to share the burden of it with others.’ the female voice asked him.

“Ajak.” Aragorn whispered.

“TAKE MY HAND!!” Legolas’ voice echoed through his mind.  Ajak smiled and extended her hand out to him and immediately Aragorn had reached out and took Ajak’s hand.  Only to then reveal that he had now taken Legolas’ hand and now he too was experiencing the same agony that Aragorn was feeling.

The raw power of the Celestials.

Legolas kept a firm grip of Aragorn’s hand as the sapphire light now began to shimmer through his own body.  But as the cracks and magic began to affect his body, the light surrounding Legolas changed from sapphire blue to an earthly green color.  The same color as Cersei’s stone.

Nergal continued to watch with amusement as another fool thought he too could wield the power of a Celestial.  That’s when his attention turned to Aragorn’s other side.  Going towards the hand that held Ajak’s stone was Gimli, son of Gloin.

Holding his hand before his eye he trudged towards Aragorn’s screaming body and with his other hand he reached out until he finally touched Aragorn’s arm.  His entire body immediately starting to crack and breaking down as it went from the Sapphire blue light to Gilgamesh’s bronze orange color.

And not even waiting another second, a small hand reached out towards Gimli’s cracking gloved hand and that hand belonged to none other than Pippin.  The second Pippin grasped Gimli’s hand, he screamed as a turquoise light began to surround him and break his body apart.  The same color as Sprite’s stone.

The four members of the Fellowship were now being taken and broken apart by the power of the Celestial Prime.  But to Nergal’s surprise, instead of immediately combusting into millions of pieces, their bodies were now magically healed and they glowed with their respected lights as the phantom figures of Cersei, Ajak, Gilgamesh and Sprite stood over each of their chosen wielders.

“You’re mortal……how?” Nergal exclaimed in shock his eyes widened with fear.

At the crown of Aragorn’s head Ajak’s mantle crown began to form and his voice along with the voice of Ajak spoke out.

“They have proven themselves worthy Celestials. You, Nergal the Pestilence have not.” Aragorn’s eyes now glowed a pure golden light and Ajak’s mantle crown fully formed itself on top of his head.

Nergal growled and summoned out his Morgul blade but before he could lunge for an attack to Aragorn, the King opened his palm that held Ajak’s stone and the sapphire magic shot directly at the Celestial of Pestilence.

Fear and pain now consumed Nergal as he was raised high up into the air.  The sapphire magic of the Celestial prime now surged through him, encompassing him as it slowly broke him apart piece by piece.  A small smirk came across Aragorn’s face as he allowed the Celestial Prime to deal with the being that harmed his sister and his friends.

All Nergal could do now was scream in agony as the sapphire light began to fully consume him until finally his body combusted into sapphire flames and the green aura that he once had was snuffed and consumed by the power of the Celestial Prime herself.

Once Nergal was finally defeated, a bright sapphire light and magical wave forced the Fellowship away from Aragorn and the dust cloud that once formed around the courtyard had disappeared.

Exhausted from the pain and Celestial magic they all endured, Legolas, Gimli and Pippin soon turned to Aragorn as dust had surrounded him briefly blocking him from their vision.  When the dust cleared, they soon took notice how he had was now wearing the very same Celestial style of armor as the Celestial Prime Ajak herself.

Aragorn opened his eyes to reveal the glowing aura was gone and he was now fully back in control.  He turned towards his friends and they all stared at him in awe.

“Not only have you been accepted to wield the power of the Celestial Prime Aragorn, but you have also been accepted to become like the Celestial Prime.” Gandalf said as he helped Cain stand up.  Aragorn looked down to see his ranger clothes had indeed been replaced by the Celestial prime’s armor and helm.

“I heard her voice in my head. Those who were worthy of her power, should be willing to share it with others. And from her eyes I have seen the powers they need.”

“I saw it too. I saw Sprite in my vision the second I took Gimli’s hand.” Pippin spoke.

“Aye, and I heard the stronghold Celestial Lord Gilgamesh himself. He spoke to me and said that he had been waiting for a Dwarf kin of the one who sacrificed himself for Hela.” Gimli knew that Gilgamesh was referring to when Kili had sacrificed his life for Hela when they fought Bolg spawn of Azog together.

“It was at first faint to me but I soon heard Hela’s sister Cersei speak to me. Telling me that there’s no other being on Middle Earth not more worthy of her power than one of Elvish blood.” Aragorn then went over to the scattered gems and gathered them all up together and magically summoned another satchel.  He placed all the gems except for Cersei’s, Gilgamesh’s and Sprite’s stone into the satchel and walked up to his friends.

“Hela’s kin has trusted us with their power and we must do everything we can to honor their word. We cannot defeat the Deviants with mere mortal or Eldar weapons alone, but with the power of our chosen Celestials flowing through our veins we might stand a chance. Hopefully soon Druig and Merry have figured a way to free Hela and then the Deviants shall fall once and for all.”

Once Legolas, Gimli and Pippin were given their chosen stones and held them tightly in their palms.  The stones respected color light surrounded them, a light whirlwind forming around each of them until the lights faded and now, like Aragorn, they too wore the Celestials armors of the Strongholds, Illusions and Elementals.

“We’re right there at your side Aragorn.” Legolas said bowing Cersei’s celestials bow.

“We’ll follow you into death and darkness laddie.” Gimli added as he gave him Gilgamesh’s Celestial bow.

“Those Deviants won’t know what hit them.” Pippin said with a cunning smirk and cracking his knuckles.

That’s when piercing through the air was the sound of a haunting whistle.  A whistle that Cain knew all too well as the familiar chill of fear ran up his spine.

[penguinlife]

Just an observation.

Last Wednesday, we had our year-end braai (bbq) at the office. I don't follow reality shows, but some of my colleagues do. As we were sitting around making small talk, as one does as a work event. They told me that the reality stars get paid according to online buzz. I was shocked, and they came with receipts. Now, this is specific to South Africa as all the articles they could find were specific to South African versions of American shows, but something about that made me think. Netflix was in charge of the WT. They had all those fan events that have been unique to Bridgerton. Did they have a separate contract/bonus deal with Nic and Luke similar to the reality show actors? Remember what a fan of reality shows Nic are? Also, she met Andrew Garfield at that event that Amelia from the Chicken Shop Date also were at, and it was literally the next day that it was leaked that he and Florence didn't hear cut when filming a love scene. It didn't garner the same buzz that the carriage scene did, but it is suspicious none the less. Also, remember the insane buz Andrew and Amelia got for their Chicken Shop Date episode and also remember that Andrew is also Nics costar in The Magic Faraway Tree. I am not saying the WT was all fake. We, as a fandom, would have spotted it by now. I think they leaned into the unnatural chemistry, and it sparked real feelings again.

I always find it funny when people think they can control SM and manipulate 'viral' as the old people call it. Why is one cat video viral but not all? Because no one can truly control the SM machine. I have completed enough social media marketing courses to know that no one can control it. Authenticity always outsells. Think of "Who the fuck did I marry" viral 62 part TikTok series. Nic is also a fan, btw. So it comes down to money, Antonia had caused Luke to miss out on some of his bonus when the fans turned on him. Nic tried to save the situation with her posts. Because she thinks herself to be more Social Media wise. But when the WT ended, so did their contractual obligation. But social media and the fandon are not a switch you can turn on and off. Their real feelings have become collateral damage, in my opinion. I stand by that they hooked up between Brazil and Italy. My theory in that has not changed.

A comment on Luke and A: Do you remember that friend post of them at the table at a wedding? Luke ran his hand up her arm in that very loveable way in June/July, if I remember correctly? That sold their relationship for me. But in my theory above, it was also before he found out how much papgate cost him. A knows about the bonus contract, and that is why Luke is still liking her posts. To give the illusion that they are still together. They definitely broke up in August/September. This all being said, we should be kind to them and not judge them too harshly. They were still mostly struggling actors until before the WT. It wasn't a normal press tour. Their relationship is more real and authentic than what any marketing team can come up with. My hope is still that they will rekindle what they had during the fliming of S3 and the WT.

As I am typing the next part, I realise this is going to infuriate some. Nic used JD at the festival to try and stop the Lukola train. He is a willing participant and friend, trying to catch some rays. But this is where Nic missed the authenticity part. Only a very small part of the fandom fell for it. She wanted the heat off of her and Luke before S4 filming started. I bet the end of the WT was super uncomfortable.

Now the sad part is, I have read some Benophie fan comments who are saying Polin is going to overshadow S4. Well, for the record. What Jess and her team did with Benedicts' story in S3 is to blame for it. Unless Paul is joining their love story in a throuple, what was the point.

[thephoenixandthecrocodile]

Thoughts on Episode 6 - Part 2

I didn’t realize one could just summon a sea worm, haha

Seriously, what the hell is wrong with Numenor’s legal system? XD

Poor Earien ☹ She just wants her father to comfort her, to acknowledge that he feels her pain. That hug nearly broke my heart

So basically Isildur’s stupidity kept both Elendil and Earien so distracted, they somewhat worked as father-daughter but now that he’s gone, they’ve lost the one thing uniting them and all their pain, loss, and anger is coming through.

Also, Elendil, can’t you see how much Earien loves you? She went to the woman she blames for Isildur’s death to save your life!

“What about my heart?” Just kiss already, Miriel and Elendil!

Disa, I love you so much!

I don’t know if the cape swish and interpretive dance was required to call the bats or if it was just Sophia having fun with the scene, but either way I adore it!

And it’s confirmed: Disa is canonically Batman in the Rings of Power universe

Also those bats are fucking huge!

Disa and Durin: official power couple of Middle-Earth

“They’ll be back and they will be more of them” Well, I guess you need to find more bats and soon.

My gods Miriel’s dress is fucking gorgeous! Whoever designs her wardrobe has been on fucking fire this season

I wonder if the kaiju creature was screaming, “AH IT’S MIRIEL. I LOVE YOU!!!”

“Strange worms tossing women out of the sea is no basis for a system of government.”

Seriously though MIRIEL IS MY QUEEN AND GODDESS. She’s such a bad ass and fearless. I love her so much.

Ooo Pharazon and the Palantir

Poor Adar already knows that Galadriel and Gil-Galad would gladly wipe him and his children out. He can’t fucking trust anyone

Soooo if Adar knows that Elrond has Nenya, then does that mean we’re getting an Adar/Elrond scene? I need Adar to have at least one scene with every cast member before he dies. It’s a requirement, JD and Patrick! You hear me?

Not sure what you thought you were doing there Galadriel revealing everything

So Adar basically emptied all of Mordor to take on Sauron?

One thing I really love this season is how paranoid everyone is about doing what Sauron wants, when doing nothing may even be worst. It makes us, as viewers, understand why Sauron is so dangerous even when he’s at his weakest (no army, no stronghold, etc.)

Poor Eregion ☹ Under attack and thinking their lord has abandoned them because he’s currently trapped in Sauron’s lala land illusion

Celebrimbor: Don’t mind me. Just drawing rings, lalala

Also, again Celebrimbor missing a siege because he’s so concentrated on his pet project is understandable.

Just drawing rings, lalala

Oh my god I died laughing when Sauron slid to the window and asked “How’s your progress” XD

Yes, Celebrimbor fight back and push that deceiver to the wall! You will not regret that later

It looks like Suaron hurt Celebrimbor when he grabbed his arm. Poor Brimby ☹

Sauron, you fucker. When bullying doesn’t work, time for some hocus pocus and flattery

God the relief on Celebrimbor’s face when he “sees” that everything’s “ok”.

“I came to Eregion, not because the Valar needed you. I did.” Knife stabbed directly into heart and twist. This is why Celebrimbor goes back to work. He is needed, he is needed by this majestic, scary, powerful being beyond anyone on Middle Earth. He is needed and wanted because he can make true beauty, beauty that will rival the most beautiful thing in the world: the Silmarils. Sauron is such a fucker for saying this to Celebrimbor, but also I need Celebrimbor and Annatar to have one on screen kiss before the end. Please?

Celebrimbor looks at Sauron so hopefully during this speech, it’s heart breaking.

And Feanor’s fucking hammer! Ahhhhh

That fucking transition from illusion to reality is fucking terrifying and amazing and I can’t believe it was all practical

And then you focus on Sauron’s footsteps and his welcoming of the attack with outstretched arms. Fucking beautiful

I’m really excited to see how JD and Patrick handle a siege. They obviously have big shoes to fill considering the siege of Minas Tirith and Helm’s Deep, but I’m excited. ^_^

[supyovalk]

Just Dance: The Backup Clone Theory(-ies)

So just about now I thought about the Just Dance Story Mode And then I thought about how Jack Rose's Maps (Yes, both maps) and The Travler's solo map are the only story mode maps with some kind of "Clone Backup dancer" And that make me question...

Why? And Why these two specifically?

Like treasure is all about the clones, and even in Locked out of Heaven it's a major deal in the first two houses.

So I came up with two main theories into why is that the case.

THEORY 1: CLONES = EGO

In a universe where dancing is the driving focus, it's easy to assume that the Coach's environment reflects their personality.

And what fit for a dancer with a bit of ego? Clones of Themselves.

Now, It does actually fits really well with the current story.

Case A: "Rock Your Body"

In "Rock Your Body", Traveler does bring an aura of ego to with his expressions and dance. Hell, the song is basically "Hey Babe, Stay with me since my game is the best." And Us One of the Most Powerful People in the dance verses.

Be noted that he doesn't use them in "Save Your Tears". Maybe to imply that he lose his ego the moment he found his one true love Shia Nova?

Case B: "Locked Out of Heaven"

During the First and Second Houses, we see clones of Jack through mirrors, and also in the upper section, he does project himself on the screen. Now calling it to say Jack is has much ego seems like a good move... however, it does seem like those aren't real clones, but rather reflections.

That could Imply that Jack maybe does have Ego as a Performer, as seems on the Reflected outside, and told as he does told that he "has trouble sharing the spotlight" but inside he's reserving that ego. After all from his Epic Avatar, he does want nothing more then a love from friends.

Also more notable is Nightswan popping in the second verses, taking over the mirrors, the physical reflceting. maybe that's an analogy for Nightswan's reshaping Jack's outside personality through her upbringing to fit more to hers? He is the closest in appearance to his Night form from all the five coaches.

Maybe also that's why Nightswan's Weakness strategy didn't work on him, his real weakness is not his ego, but instead could his reliability for adoration, from fans, from his mom, anyone at all, and therefore not having enough self worth.

Speaking of Which...

Case C: "Treasure" (A.K.A Ego Clone Central)

In Treasure, we see an illusion of Jack, a narcissist that has achieved his dreams of glory, full with thousands of clones. And is the first time we see his clones? Them breaking out of the mirrors from "Locked Out of Heaven". That could symbolize that Jack opened his gates of ego into his head and is now only caring of himself.

But interestingly, that didn't seemed to convince Jack at the end of the story, Despite Nightswan specifically trying to target that weakness in him. because that's not what he wants to be on the inside.

Now that's theory 1, deep and intersting. But here's another possible take not as deep but still is consequenceial.

THEORY 2: THE TRAVLER'S IS JACK ROSE'S DAD

Now this one is more straightforward: Since Wanderlust's inherited portal creation but NOT clones, maybe Jack Rose is the opposite.

And as established, The Traveler does get around a lot, both literally and figuratively, so he could have had an affair with Nightswan.

That would make Wanderlust & Jack Stepbrothers (Half brothers) which would explain why they are paired together, and why the JD Team is insistent on not romantically pair them.

That would also make Cygnus' relationship with Nightswan be a business partner who either has a crush on her or is not given enough respect by her.

What do you think about those theories?

[captainunderkrupp]

some trolls band together theories/notes!! (contains some spoilers for the new trailer!!!)

In the first movie, Creek had chartreuse pants. In the second movie, Hickory had chartreuse skin. They both betrayed a loved one for a leader type person. In this movie, the characters who have chartreuse hair include Clay, Velvet, and Veneer. I can't wait to see if Clay follows the pattern, especially since he seems to be with Viva in the trailer.

The Putt-Putt trolls all seem to be monochrome, besides Clay and Viva. While it would make sense that Clay doesn't share the same color scheme as them, I'm curious about Viva... especially considering Poppy IS monochrome, being pink all over. Give her some properly crazy hair like Viva, and she would fit right in. Poppy also was the main demonstration of camouflage in the first movie, having her hair look like grass and moss to hide from Chef! I really hope they bring that aspect back more, especially since the Putt-Putt trolls at least seem to hide themselves shape wise as golf balls.

Viva asked specifically if Poppy's father was King Peppy. I'm curious why Peppy wouldn't have mentioned Viva at all, because while he is the type to hide or ignore upsetting information, he also cares deeply about his subjects, refusing to leave them behind. He even was very careful about his daughter Poppy in the process of saving his citizens. I theorize that either Viva is lying to Poppy, or she is a half sister, one that either Peppy didn't know about or was switched at birth with Poppy.

Another thing to note: while Viva looks remarkably like Poppy, practically her twin, she doesn't share ANY colors with her father, wheras Poppy shares her hair color with him. Tiny is practically a copy of his own father, and Branch shares his skin color with each of his brothers. Now, they don't share appearance so much with their grandmother, Rosiepuff, except that John Dory perhaps shares her hair color somewhat. However, that has another generation (the parent(s) of the BroZone) to explain differences of color and appearance. Why does Viva look the way she does?

While Velvet and Veneer somewhat fit within the aesthetic of their toony/alien subjects, I think their appearances are being influenced by Floyd's essence, and we'll see a transformation back if they are without it for a period of time.

I'm so curious about Spruce's family, especially his kids. I theorize that the vacation island residents we see are at least some related to him! I also think it would be a neat gag if some of them were in his hair, or he was carrying an egg.

I wonder what the brother's opinions of Branch being with Poppy will be. Will they acknowledge it, or will Branch be spending part of the movie convincing them that yes, this is a real, solid relationship? Especially since boy bands are often known for being forced to maintain the illusion of being "available" for fans, and thus being banned from certain relationships, at least publicly? I'm also thinking about this in the fact that Spruce is married and has given his brothers niblings.

Spruce is definitely gonna yell at JD for dragging Tiny along and not actually protecting him properly like a proper child, and then Tiny is gonna be annoyed that Spruce IS treating him like one lol

Sadly, I'm not sure we're going to be seeing much of the bergens in this movie :( They're just not very present or available in the trailers so far. I do love seeing them again though!!

ok thanks for reading I'll probably update this in an rb when I actually watch the trailer all the way through LOL

[inkdemonapologist]

Do you ever think about how Nathan Arch is canonically Joey’s sugar daddy?

YALL HAVE A WILD DEFINITION OF “CANONICALLY” SOMETIMES

What we know (assuming there's no exciting new nathan lore im gonna discover when i read FtB, in which case don't tell me lmao), canonically, is that Nathan gave Joey a lot of advice about starting his company, some more advice while JDS was running and looked over the land for the Bendyland park with him, and that when things got real bad for JDS, Joey wrote to Nathan, hemming and hawing about how he normally definitely wouldn’t do this, to ask for a specific amount of money to help with the bills. We also can assume he’s a little older than Joey, since they were in the military together when Joey was too young to be in the military. 

What is not hard AT ALL to read between the lines is that Nathan had a big crush on Joey Drew, source: every footnote in the Illusion of Living, several audiologs in BatDR. 

What is certainly possible to believe is that Joey would never mention if Nathan was giving him consistent financial support, and that Nathan would similarly gloss over it, because he likes the image of Joey as a clever self-made man who deserves his success and wants to preserve Joey’s good name. 

We actually don’t know if Nathan gave Joey any money, we just know that Joey asked for it, and that everything we know about Nathan suggests he would’ve been happy to help (and everything we know about Joey suggests he would’ve downplayed how much he really needed and thus the studio going under anyway does not mean Nathan ignored the request.) So it’s quite reasonable to suspect he did, but even THAT isn’t canon confirmed.

And, like, not to be That Guy except that this is my blog and I can That Guy to my heart’s content — giving someone money does not make you a sugar daddy. SUGAR DADDY IS A TRANSACTIONAL RELATIONSHIP and gay relations between Joey Drew and Nathan Arch are the realm of headcanon. LIKE, A HEADCANON THAT CAN BE VERY STRONGLY SUPPORTED AND ARGUED FOR, if someone told me "wow joey and nathan DEFINITELY had something going on" I would laugh and agree, but it's an interpretation nonetheless. You could make an equally strong argument that Nathan is closer to what the kids call a simp, praising Joey’s brilliance and helping him with his problems and eagerly paying his bills because of a huge unrequited crush that Joey took advantage of but never returned. There's several ways to read it. 

But... I do think a lot about how these two stayed in contact, stayed friends, even though Joey always seemed to be playing a role around Nathan, never quite felt comfortable explaining the things he felt most passionately about. He tells him about Bendyland, but clams up when Nathan doesn’t understand why it matters so much to him. It doesn’t seem like Joey ever tells him about Audrey; even though Nathan can hear the joy in his voice and notes that his old friend sounds more like himself than he has in a long time, he never knows why. Nathan is so so so taken with Joey, but there’s something about Nathan that Joey doesn’t trust. 

Interesting that Joey never does brag about Nathan investing in him as proof of his own business acumen, though he doesn’t mind bragging about the investment of a grief-stricken mother who only regarded him as a polite young man. What’s threatening, then, about the idea of Nathan supporting him? It’s interesting the way Nathan is fascinated with every part of him and Joey always holds himself at arm’s length. Interesting how Joey enjoys his company, but gets uncomfortable and changes the subject whenever Nathan regards him, positively, as someone who pulled himself up to success out of nothing. Interesting to compare Nathan to Kyle, the other rich friend of Joey's who gets called a “sugar daddy” by the fandom (despite being younger than Joey), how Joey is uncomfortable when Kyle prods him about his status and tries to take credit for him, and then the way Nathan doesn’t do this but Joey still shies away whenever he hits the edges of those topics. ...It’s almost more interesting if Joey was trying his absolute hardest to avoid Nathan funding him, despite the fact that Nathan was clearly taken with him and probably would have been happy to help. What strings were attached to Kyle that Joey was afraid to find in Nathan?