#like yeah sure add a random human on the spread of animals

[michdoodles]

I have room for another character or two, who should I add? (Adding to that sketchbook spread of Sonic characters in an alternate style, you can see who I’ve already drawn to some degree here)

[new-blog-new-things-blog]

Are you kidding me?! Part 3

Bucky x Reader

Word count: 2163

Warnings: Swearing?

Slow burn af

The next day arrived a lot faster than I would have liked it to as I sat up in bed, attempting to run my hand through my hair, struggling with the knots. Shower, that is exactly what I need right now, you can't be stressed in a shower right? I make my way towards what I presume to be my bathroom and turn my light on, hot damn look at that beauty! That looked like a power shower to me, I always wanted one of those! Quickly I stripped off and put my clothes into a pile in the corner of the room. As I turned to enter the shower I see a button, it read 'heated towel rack'. Score. As I pushed it I'm pretty sure I actually squealed! I spun to locate said rack only to find it empty.

Great, just great. That's all I need right now.

I have lost my best friend, family, apartment, I mean I didn't have a job but any potential job opportunities and now I have no towels in my goddamn bathroom.

With a sigh I put my clothes back on, feeling more deflated than ever, where am I even going to find towels in this place? I must have asked the question out loud because a voice coming from nowhere answered me.

"Towels are located on the 2nd floor Miss L/N."

I swear I actually screamed. Like girl about to get axed in a movie screamed.

"What the fuck! Who is there?!"

I frantically scanned my room trying to locate where the voice had come from.

"No need to be alarmed Miss L/N, my name is J.A.R.V.I.S. I am Mr Starks A.I unit and I am here to assist you where needed."

"An A.I unit. Right. Okay. I think I remember the lady last night mentioning you, erm nice to meet you?"

Christ I was genuinely talking to a computer. What has my life come to?

"Nice to meet you too Miss. As I stated to you earlier towels are located on the 2nd floor, would you like me to guide you to them?"

Okay so the computer is friendly. A friendly computer. Christ.

"Are any of the others awake J.A.R.V.I.S? Because I really can't deal with that right now."

"All other occupants are awake Miss."

Fuck. Okay. Let's take a risk here.

"Okay J.A.R.V.I.S do you think you could help me, I presume you know about what I can do right?"

"Of course Miss that's what I am programmed for, I am also updated on your file."

Okay here goes nothing.

"Okay J.A.R.V.I.S I am placing a lot of trust in you right now so I really hope you don't break that trust. I am pretty scared and freaked out, so what I am going to do is turn myself into a cat and you are going to take me to the towels and if we see anyone you can't tell them it's me okay? Promise me you will just say I am some random cat or something?"

It was silent for a minute like it was thinking, can computers think? Is it even a computer?

"Security protocols accepted."

"Wait does that mean you will do it?"

"Yes miss, I have lit up the way towards the towels."

I went to my door and surely enough along the floor of the hallway was a row of lights lit up seemingly showing me to the way.

"Thank you J.A.R.V.I.S you are a legend."

Closing my eyes and getting myself ready to shift again, I decide to change it up this time and become a ginger cat because why not? The ache spread over my body as my form once again shifted. Once it was over I stretched my feline body out, trying to get comfortable in it as I slowly made my way out of room, following the lights. They led me to the elevator and I cautiously get in, the doors shut behind me and took me down 9 stops. Right so I am on the 10th floor, I locked that information away in my head. The door opened with a small ding and more light lit up for me to follow. Finally I reached my destination, right now comes the difficult bit, I reach up and take a towel into my mouth and drag it back to the elevator and the doors close once more.

This trip didn't go as smoothly as the previous. Only 2 floors away from mine the doors open again and I come face to face with a tall, dirty blond man that had muscles for days. He stares at me, confusion lining his face. Crap.

"J.A.R.V.I.S why is there a cat here?"

"Pease ignore the cat Mr Barton."

At least J.A.R.V.I.S is on my side, I stare, unblinking at this man and slowly start recognising him as Hawkeye.

"J.A.R.V.I.S whose cat is this?"

To be honest he looks more confused than suspicious so I may just get away with this.

"It is my cat Mr Barton."

I am so not getting away with this.

Goddamn it J.A.R.V.I.S we were doing so well.

"Right well we'll see about that. Call everyone to the common room please."

With that he comes over and starts stroking me. Wow this is gunna be awkward story. Maybe I can make a run for it when the doors open. As I was just thinking this, Hawkeye scoops me up in his arms.

"You're a pretty little thing aren’t you?" He coo's at me. Yep definitely awkward. The doors open again and he walks out with me, towel forgotten. Wait why had he questioned the cat but not the towel. He leans against the counter not letting me down. Slowly everyone makes their way to the common room, what a great way to meet my new neighbours. As a cat. Most didn't even comment on me in his arms, they just stated waiting for an explanation.

"Clint you cannot keep that. Tony wouldn't let you have your dog here, why would a cat be any different?"

Oh crap, the star spangled man himself.  I really hope he hadn't seen that video.

"Oh just wait cap you are going to love this!"

Clint replied with a laugh. Tony and Bruce were the last to arrive.

"What's going on Barton? Is that a cat?"  

Tony remarked eyeing me up, this is going to be awful. Clint finally puts me down on the side.

"Tony your A.I has decided to adopt a cat. Why does J.A.R.V.I.S get a pet but I can't have my dog here? That is totally unfair."

Everyone turned to Tony, who looked just as confused as the rest of them, this was such a bad plan.

"J.A.R.V.I.S mind filling us in buddy?"

"The cat is mine sir."

J.A.R.V.I.S replied. Man I guess he really is on my side here. Tony ran a hand through his hair.

"Okay fair enough, what's its name and I will get a collar made for it."

Tony shrugged and went to make his way over to me, I jumped down off the counter just as Clint popped up.

"Why does the A.I get a pet and I can't have my dog?"

"J.A.R.V.I.S is the most dependable of all us, he runs everything and pretty much keeps us alive. If he wants a cat he can have a cat. Will you just get it for me?"

They both made a bee line towards me and ran to the middle of the room looking for an exit. Well I guess it's now or never, man I hate quick shifts, this is gunna hurt like a bitch. With surprising quickness I shift back into my human form.

"You are not collaring me!"

Okay probably not the best first words I could say. As 2 sets of guns were trained on me and my arms were suddenly grabbed and pinned behind my back and a cold arm went around my neck. Wait what the fuck? Was that metal? Did this guy genuinely have a metal arm?!

"Who are you?"

The words were almost growled in my ear. If I wasn't fearing for my life I would have said it was pretty hot, to be honest I would have said anything at this point but this dickhead was cutting off my air supply.

"Mr Barnes, Miss L/N is struggling to breathe, could you please loosen your grip?"

I am really starting to like J.A.R.V.I.S, but this asshat only let's go enough that I start to cough.

"J.A.R.V.I.S I am presuming that this is the new recruit that got here last night and not some enemy that's here to kill us?"

Steve says slowly making his way towards me and my captor, his arms out in a non-threatening manner. I think it's a bit late for that captain I am already being fucking manhandled.

"Yes Captain Rogers, Miss L/N arrived last night, she is an ally and now part of the Avengers."

You tell them J.A.R.V.I.S.

"Okay Bucky you heard him now let her go, she isn't going to hurt anyone."

Steve's arms were still out, hmm maybe the reassuring vibe wasn't for me at all, but for this Bucky instead. He releases me and I fall to the floor gulping air down, trying to control my breathing.

“Are you okay down there?”

Tony came over and knelt in front of me offering me a hand up, I didn’t take it and got up on my own.

“I think I am good but it seems some people have no chill.”

I gave a pointed look and Bucky, Black Widow and the other man in which I didn’t yet know the name of.

“Sorry about that but you should know not to startle assassins, super soldiers and Sam.”

Tony chuckled, I rolled my eyes at him.

“I will add that to the list of things I should remember thanks. Hi I am Y/N by the way.”

I give a small wave then feel like such an idiot for waving, I clasp my hands behind my back.

Everyone introduced themselves except Bucky who was just avoiding my gaze like he hadn’t just been strangling me. With that thought I tenderly touch my neck, pain shoots to where I touch and I know I am going to have a wicked bruise there.

“I saw your video kid, I think you captured Steve perfectly. You will fit right in here if you carry on like that”

Tony said coming up to me and putting his hand on my shoulder. I snuck a look at Steve, he looked pained and slightly tinged pink, damn he had seen it.

“Yeah sorry about that, nobody was supposed to see that…”

I trailed off not really having the right words to say at that particular moment.

“What video?”

Sam asked with a smirk, he hadn’t seen it?

“It was in email about Y/N? You didn’t read it did you?”

Bruce answered before Tony could chip in with another snide comment.

“No one but you, Tony and Steve read those. I will have to check that out later.”

Sam sent a wink at Steve who looked like he would rather be anywhere but here right now. Same Steve, same.

“Okay quick update then Y/N is- for lack of words a shapeshifter, who also has the ability to talk to animals. Not cleared for missions yet but we will get her training as soon as possible, everyone up to speed?”

Tony look at me for either confirmation or for me to add anything else on but I just nodded my head at him. Natasha, Clint and Bucky were just watching me as if they were assessing my every move, it was very unnerving but I suppose that’s what you get with assassins.

“So can you only turn into cats or what?”

Sam commented with a smirk as if he was playing a game or flirting with me, okay if he wanted to play that game. I took a deep breath and focused on him, the look on his face as I turned myself in to him was perfect.

“I dunno is this a good enough for you pretty boy?”

I winked at him and he looked like he was really holding back a smile. I concentrated again and I was back in my own body, not breaking eye contact with him I clicked my neck and smiled.

“Okay I claim this one, come on I’ll give you a tour around the compound.”

Sam came to my side and held out an arm for me to take, without looking back I let him lead me away from the common room and back to the elevator. Waiting for the doors to open, I felt some ones gaze burning into my back. We walked in and I glanced over my shoulder to meet Bucky’s eyes, I didn’t look away from him until the doors shut behind me.

Part 2                                                                                      Part 4

[askneruandhaku]

NOTES

This is a long one

1. I have to clarify that the 2ch thread is set up and didn't happen in this timeframe but in a span of days. All the messages are real and existed but they're stringed together from different unrelated days. This is because there were multiple threads about this since they kept getting maxed, and the ones with "Neru's" messages weren't archived and have been lost in time (though you can still find remains in the archive i found). We only have a post quoting them from a previous thread so i had to mix them in with replies from the archived one. Yeah this was really difficult to pull off lol and my translations are probably not accurate.

BTW, it's not important if you're not able to read that particular page well, in fact i almost was going to leave it in Japanese. But i found the comments so amusing i decided to try to translate them. That's possibly the most unreadable page so i rrreeally beg you to open them in another tab to see them closely. I know it's a pain in the ass, sorry;; i didn't expect tumblr to make them so teeny.

2. DEN2: For those who didn't know, yes, "DEN---" is part of the name of a publicity agency, and i'm pretty sure the "2" comes from 2ch. That's what's imprinted on Neru's arm. I won't say which agency it is and i erased it from the thread even in Japanese because it's still unknown if this "conspiracy" was even real or not (google claimed it was a tech error and wikipedia said Miku's page was deleted due to copyright issues), but it's super easy to find the name of the company Neru supposedly worked for.

3. "But Akita Neru was born November 1st and in your comic she already existed".

In my... askblog... headcanon... world? Vocaloids (which are androids, not virtual beings) don't have birthdays on the day they're activated or something. Their birthday is celebrated on the day they were first released to the public, with exceptions. This explains why some Vocaloids may already exist design-wise or demo-wise (like currently Kizuna Akari, Mo Qingxian or Moke) but their birthday is celebrated on the day they’re finally released. In SeeU's odd case for example, the company decided to set her birthday the day she was "created" (design reveal), August 30, instead of the day she was released, October 21st.

For fanloids, their birthday to me would be celebrated the day they first introduced themselves into the other character's "life" or "world". The day they're noticed by the Vocaloid fandom, and content of them starts being made.

4. MOST IMPORTANTLY I know this will be insanely obvious to most people, but last time i uploaded a comic people started spreading it around the net without context and it created a fuss.

All of my comics are my personal headcanons, though some might have some elements of reality they are NOT trying to pass as the true stories for Neru or Haku (or anyone else). These comics are canonical for my askblog alone, so for the Neru and Haku in this askblog they are true, but they're not true for the real Akita Neru/Yowane Haku. It's up to their creators to decide their backstories, and you can look back to CAFFEIN and Smith Hioka's old comics and blog entries to know a bit more about them. The comics posted here are made for you to know the Neru/Haku of this blog and their world, because every single askblog has a little "world" and backstory set up.

Lastly, i found old comments about my comics like "this is bs, this character would never say this". None of these characters have a set personality. I got this complaint the most for portraying Miku being rude to Haku in the past, even though i already explained Miku was a confused character swayed by her producers until she learnt to harmonize all the contradicting thoughts that would rush to her from different humans. Just because someone has a bad day and you get only that one day of their life portrayed in a comic doesn't mean that's their set personality forever. This is why i didn't like when people removed context from my comics when reposting; i think if you read my blog you get a pretty good view of how i write these different characters but if you're only looking at the comics... yeah i can see why people thought i hate Miku (she's one of my favorite Vocaloids, by the way).

tl;dr don't judge my comics as if they're trying to be canon content, that is NEVER my intention. Comics are a very personal thing to me. I wish i didn't have to add my post but i had a pretty bad experience last time jkdfgh i found a fan animation of my comic on youtube and... vocaloid youtube comments says all.

(Fun fact: the title seems random but it was actually a reference to a song that accompanies a Miku/Neru PV, and i’m 1000% sure i mistranslated it and it makes no sense now because i’m hella tired. Not that this is a ship comic but i thought it was a cute reference)

[crystalelemental]

Alright, now that I’ve beaten the League, a few thoughts on the game overall.

I really like it, but I’m not sure I like it more than Sun/Moon, which is a damned shame considering the next part in a generation is almost always better in my eyes.  I think the only other time this might have been the case was Black/White 2.  Which is...oddly fitting.

I think my big issues come down to two things: Necrozma and Lusamine.  Combined, they adequately sum up all of my problems with the game.  I’ll get to them, but positives first.

Love the new UBs.  They’re all excellent, I can’t wait to get my Stakataka, Blacephalon is still cool, and while Naganadel cannot be my favorite because Nihilego is way better, it’s a neat design for a Dragon thing so I’ll let it go.  I’m a huge fan of the expanded island dex, and I’m sure that Nuzlock-esque rules would be fantastic with the new spread.  That said, I cannot imagine a horror greater than a Nuzlock in these games.  Totem Pokemon are hard as shit, and while that’s been fun for a normal playthrough, you’re basically asking for half your team to get wiped if you run a Nuzlock.  Marowak in particular is a fucking asshole, with Detect and, if memory serves, Ground and Fighting coverage on a Fire type.  Callie hated this fight, and had a really good point: it’s not entirely fair that you have two things, both now super fast, hitting for most if not all of your life in one turn.  You don’t really get breathing room in a 2-v-1, and without a chance to really switch out, a Nuzlock may as well be impossible, I feel.

I ADORE Mantine Surf.  The ability to accrue a reasonable amount of BP per session is spectacular, and I sincerely hope this mechanic stays forever.  Not even necessarily in this form, but in some kind of easy minigame that permits you to get a ton of BP per run.  Two runs gets you any move you want, and that takes all of 5 minutes.  Easily the best mechanic.  The move tutor options are also great, and a lot of additions really help a lot of Pokemon.

On a more neutral note, I think the Ultra Wormhole travel is interesting, and I don’t have that they put it in the game, but I really wish it wasn’t so random.  Going through the White Wormholes was a nightmare.  I found my first Celesteela on accident before getting Nihilego, but once I tried looking for another I couldn’t find it for an hour.  I really, really hate random chance, and think there should’ve been a way to make sure you know what you’re getting in to with those.  But, they also allow me to get an infinite number of UBs and shiny hunt forever, so I guess I can’t be too mad?

Now, the complaints.  The real ones.  I’ll start with Necrozma, because it kinda ties in with the other, but indirectly.  Necrozma, as a force you need to subdue, is great.  It does seem intimidating, and it’s new forms are great.  But it’s a force that...literally was already kept in check.  And was only a threat because some assholes pissed it off in their dimension.  They don’t really get into this, but it was apparently used to power the technology of Ultra Megaopolis.  Which, by the way?  Super disappointing area.  You don’t get to explore it!  It was just the tower!  Laaaame.  But getting back to Necrozma: I think what bugs me is that it’s a Dragon.  I know that’s petty, but another major super legend being Dragon type sucks.  I really was hoping we’d move away from that, but instead here’s yet another Dragon.  So now it’s a slower, weaker Deoxys-attack with better defenses, and an ability that lets super-effective hits deal more damage.  No idea how much more.

From a story angle, what really bugs me is that it doesn’t feel like an immediate threat.  I can definitely get behind the concept of a force of nature as the antagonist, in the sense that there is no villain and the real thing we’re struggling against is a force of nature or some conceptual threat.  It’s the entire reason I loved the Atelier Dusk trilogy so much.  But...well...that only works in the absence of a villain.  But we do not have the absence of a villain.  We definitely have one, and she was great once, but just...god, okay, get it together me.

Lusamine’s arc in this game weirds me out.  And not in the good way.  I knew some people who were looking at the anime trends and some of the promo stuff for this game, and going “Oh god, please don’t make Lusamine a good person, that’s really not okay.”  And I didn’t really agree entirely.  I think a redemption arc is fine.  I think that, given sufficient motivation and self-reflection, any villain becoming a good person is possible.  But with Lusamine...her actions are severely fucked up, especially toward her kids, and if you’re gonna have that redemption, it’s gonna have to be big, and it’s gonna have to mean going through a lot.  My biggest worry was the return of Mohn.  I saw that spoiler, and was worried they were gonna go the route of “well Mohn’s back, so Lusamine’s stable.  See?  She just needed her husband, and when he left bitch just lost it.”  Basically, I was worried about an invalidation of her entire character and agency as a person by having everything hinge on her husband.  Thankfully, that did not happen, and initially I was very pleased with the direction.  I have since changed my mind.

Lusamine goes off and awakens Necrozma, attempting to capture it for herself, fucks up, and Necrozma almost ruins the world or Alola, as well as Ultra Megaopolis.  She does this because, guess what, she still has that collection of Pokemon frozen in time.  She also still has the scene where she talks down to Lillie and proclaims she has no children.  So all the stuff that showcased her definitely being a villain?  Still there.  My problem isn’t what, it’s how.  A sufficient struggle and showcasing of Lusamine making an effort and dealing with ramifications for her actions would be good.  That I would appreciate.  But they didn’t do that.  Any possible changes occurred off-screen and we’re just told about them, and worst of all, the main takeaway they try to push is that Lillie and Lusamine talked to each other, and suddenly it was fine.  No.  That is not acceptable.  Communication is good, but do you know what Lillie tried to do, in both games, after the third island?  TALK.  Lillie tried to talk with Lusamine, tried to talk sense into her, and nothing came of it.  Communication only works if both parties are listening, and the entire point of Lusamine’s character is that she’s controlling and not willing to listen, but suddenly we’re gone to Ultra Space for a few hours and she’s completely changed as a person?  Nothing adds up, and it’s entirely because there’s no focus on characters anymore.

It was kinda like this with Delta Episode.  Instead of focusing on any human element, it’s just “Here’s this big cool super legendary Pokemon.”  And sure, Necrozma is cool and all.  But you know what was better?  The dynamics of a broken family, and the development of an abused child coming to terms with her history, calling out her abuser’s actions as awful, and moving forward.  But we don’t focus on that.  Instead, we sideline that entire family’s story.  You give a few more details initially, talking about the history and the loss of Mohn, and hinting at more complex motivations for Lusamine, then immediately toss all of that away in favor of...what, exactly?  Big space monster dragon?  Yeah, it looks cool, but it’s not as engaging as their story.  You focused on the wrong thing, and sidelined what made the initial games so good.

I mentioned Atelier earlier, and I feel like this is the perfect comparison, because Atelier Shallie did this too.  “This series is supposed to be light-hearted, so we have to have a positive and upbeat ending!”  Fine, great.  But the basis you set is heavy material and incredibly sobering, and you can’t just hand-wave that and insist that things got better off-screen or with minimal effort.  These things take time and effort to resolve effectively, and it’s almost better to imply that parties are willing to work toward a solution and not reveal the means, than insist that the means was a simple 5-minute conversation and easy fix.  Acknowledging the gravity of human struggles and showing only that parties are willing to work toward a fix without needing to show the fix is perfectly valid, and trying to undermine severity for the sake of remaining “light-hearted” becomes a massive problem for a story that is otherwise gripping.

Ultimately, I strongly feel like the bad outweighs the good here.  As a cap-off to the series on handhelds, it’s almost disappointing to know that their idea of an appropriate culmination was a bunch of flashiness and “Look at this cool big Pokemon thing!” while sidelining the story and characters as hard as humanly possible.  I was really hoping for an improvement and a deeper analysis of the family dynamics within the context of the original story.  But instead, all of that is sidelined in favor of this “alternate telling” that changes nothing about the history of their dynamics, but ends on a note where everything is immediately and casually resolved with no effort, off-screen.  It’s bad, and I really, really wish that we’d stop getting these stories that have such a powerful start to work with, and just fuck up the ending beyond belief.  I know I have a tendency to complain, but I do not ask for much to be generally satisfied.  To miss that entire mark is, quite frankly, unbelievable. 

[sienna27]

I need to rant for a bit here.  This was triggered by a comment I received on a review, but the remark itself genuinely bothered me because I had a really stressful, crappy, afternoon and I just didn’t need to get the comment I got from the random reader.

So, my day.  Work earlier, then because I live in the south, this weird, unfortunate saga involving a sick raccoon which ended up being put down like ten feet away from me because he was having seizures and it was awful and Animal Control was pretty sure it was distemper and there’s obviously no treatment for that in a wild animal.  The whole thing sucked.  Seeing an animal in pain and having seizures is categorically upsetting.  Worse still having it get killed when you’re right in the vicinity.  And at first they were going to shoot it so there was like ten minutes waiting for a frigging gunshot!  Eventually they went with a different method but still, imagine WAITING for a gunshot!   This was two hours of my life from raccoon discovery to his poor little corpse removal.  Then from there I finally get home and all of a sudden I’m thinking, ‘fuck, distemper is supposed to be incredibly contagious!  My cats!’  And there’s no way of knowing which distemper this raccoon had (canine or feline, I researched and raccoons can catch both) so I’m freaking out because all this stuff I’m reading says humans can carry it into their pets on their shoes and clothes and my cats are inside cats so they only get rabies boosters   My sister’s pointing out that when they were kittens odds are good they did get a distemper vaccine and I just don’t remember, and that they just haven’t been getting the boosters, but either way the odds are good that they should be fine because MY exposure was mostly incidental.  I for sure didn’t have direct contact with the raccoon, it’s more that I was walking through the same area and I don’t know if I walked anywhere that he exactly walked and could have spread his germs.  Also, some people that I was around, DID walk over to him and then THEY were walking where I was walking inside the house.  Yes, that would be like two degrees of separation of ‘tracked’ germs, and I am clearly getting super paranoid but seeing the phrase ‘incredibly contagious’ over and over will make a person incredibly paranoid. Plus you know Stevo has his health issues anyway so he can’t be exposed to ANYTHING!  So I came in my house, threw my sneakers into the wash machine by themselves with a crapload of soap and bleach, then I mopped and Lysol’ed the front hall where I’d taken off my shoes.  I also found some L Lysine to booster the cats immune system but beyond that, there’s not much more I can do but hope for the best that I didn’t bring anything home that’s going to kill my fur children.  But obviously I’m still stressed because I can’t control the situation or know if there was any legitimate exposure and so it will be a few days until I’m feeling like we’re totally out of the woods here.  

Jump ahead, me post anxiety pill, trying to put this shitty depressing afternoon behind me and now I’m in my email.  I have a review on This Is Now.  I don’t think the person who wrote it follows me here, but if they do, you’ll know who you are.  And if they don’t follow me here, that’s fine, because I purposely didn’t write back to them on the review because they would have received this novella of ranting right now and they would have thought, ‘holy shit, this bitch is crazy!’  Again though, this bitch really just had a lousy day. But to the comment on the review, basically love the story, BUT quote, it’s very ‘frustrating’ that I’m only updating every six months so I really should consider moving the plot forward more than a few hours if I’m going to be making people wait so long to read the next chapter.  Then they also folded in the old, passive aggressive, ‘but it’s your story.’ 

Was there anyway that I’m going to read those words and not get pissed off?  Even taking the shit day out of it, I have said over and over how difficult my personal life has been this last year, and how hard it has been to find the time, and motivation (plus working laptops) to actually allow me to write.  And 99.99% of you have been so incredibly nice and supportive about everything because yes OF COURSE I know it’s frustrating to read a story that only gets updated every six months!  Clearly I feel badly about that point!  I’ve said that too.  But I also know that my chapters are (on average) probably 3x longer than most other authors.  So I put up a 13,000 word chapter telling the next portion of the story that I am telling, and then I’m told that was my option to do so (it being my story and all, thanks) but if I’m going to post so infrequently (keeping in mind this is the only extensive posting gap this story has had) I really should have jumped ahead in time too.  Um, no!  This day in their life is a huge day, I have said that previously in my author notes that lots of stuff is happening on this day and it’s going to take as long as it takes to tell it.  The scenes are in MY head.  I know what parts of the story need to be TOLD and what can be shuffled through in narrative, so how the fuck am I supposed to respond to ‘just jump ahead in time’ through crucial plot points, when that’s just a shit way to write?  Or the other interpretation is, ‘that’s great you posted but you made me wait this long, so you really should have snapped your fingers and magically come up with another 40k words to carry the plot along another two days.’

I mean, Christ, what difference does it make to anyone if my 13k word chapter covered two hours or two days?  It’s not like we’re on the verge of wrapping things up.  If you’re sticking with the story to chapter 22 and we just got our first walkers in town, you had to have figured by now (and by me explicitly SAYING it) there are a crapload more chapters to come.  I just don’t understand people.  And again if this person is out there, I know we’ve had perfectly amiable interactions before this, so I just wish you had thought your remarks through before you decided to share them with me.  Because you can maybe see now how there was just no way that you sharing your “frustration” and suggestions on how I should be writing my story that I have said (again repeatedly), that I haven’t been able to update for personal life reasons, were going to be well received.  I honestly wanted to scream.  It comes back to the base visceral response that all authors I’ve spoken to before have, which is, “if you have such great ideas on how things should be done, then you should go write your own story.  This, is my story.  I decide how things are done here.”

And let me add here, I don’t mind (and I don’t take offense) when people jokingly make a remark about gaps in updates or getting me to focus on one story or another.  I can tell if something is meant kindly and in good humor.   But I also hope people can see why readers telling me that they’re annoyed with me, and telling me how to write my PLOT(??), in turn, pisses me off.  I mean, I’m doing this for free first of all, and for like every hundred people that read a chapter, one or two will review, sometimes less than that, so often the author is out there posting into a void.  If you’re posting into a void and then somebody comes back with essentially a dramatic sigh and, ‘yeah, this is fine, but . . . ‘ it just sucks the fun completely out of this whole thing.  Especially when I was just SO happy to get that chapter up because the posting gap there had been so long.  And for the response back to not be a, “oh good you updated, but instead, a, “this is all you wrote?” is basically a HUGE fuck you, to me.  And the bad day might have made the remark dig in more sharply than it could have otherwise, but I stand by the inappropriateness of the remark to start.  Please just stop and think before you say shit to people.   This isn’t fucking Twitter.  I put so much of myself into my writing, and I feel like with all of my A/Ns I put with my chapters, that I should at least (by now) be a real person to the reader and not just a pen name on the email notification.  So if someone sees me as a person, and was still like yeah, fuck it, I’m going to say this anyway because what matters are MY feelings here, then I don’t understand that at all.

And yes, I will be fine tomorrow :)  Just needed to get that out of my head.  So off and away now.  Thanks all for listening, and those of you who say nice things about my writing and somehow refrain from also saying crappy things to me personally, I thank you all especially for that!  :)

[raptorsenshi]

Milk

When I was a kid, I was obsessed with milk.

We all had that phase, right? Where there was a food or drink we just couldn't get enough of and wanted it morning, noon and night. That was me with milk. I could drink it by the gallon. My parents didn't mind, they would rather I wanted something healthy like that to quench my thirst than be constantly after soda or one of those concentrate drinks full of sugar that you had to add water to.

I could make myself sick sometimes, drinking too much, too fast. But didn't every kid? Hell, even adults can have too much of a good thing and make themselves ill for it. It was never enough to put me off though, no amount of aching bellies could separate me from my beloved milk. Nothing could.

Or so I thought.

See, our kitchen was pretty small or at least it was too small to fit in the gigantic fridge (and freezer) my parents had. So it was kept in the basement instead.

One summer when I was around sixteen, my parents decided I was old enough to stay at home alone whilst they took off on a second honeymoon or something. I didn't mind, at that age I would rather have stayed at home with my friends than been a third wheel to my parents as they tried to rekindle the romance. Besides, if I needed another my grandparents lived right across the street. Yeah, my family was the kind who didn't stray far from their roots.

It was uneventful as you might expect: I had friends over and we played video games, pigged out on takeout and that was about it beyond my taking care of the house duties.

Until the third week.

The house was old so creaks and groans and other 'unexplained' noises were something I was used to and easily brushed aside. This one night, however, I had just come back up from the basement – the door to which lay in our kitchen – with a glass of milk, ready to crawl up the stairs and settle into bed for the night when an unusual banging came from the room I'd just left.

I tried to brush it off as just the ancient stairs airing their complaints after I'd trampled up them, but there was something so off about it. In my sixteen years of living in that house I'd never heard anything like it. I figured it might've been a wild animal, maybe a raccoon or opossum that had somehow got in during the day. Being a typical teen, that was not something I wanted to deal with late at night, so I simply locked the basement door to prevent it getting up into the main house and went to bed.

Morning came and I tentatively went down into the basement to check for any signs of a wild animal, and beyond the few cobwebs to be expected even in a furnished basement like our own, there was nothing, so I decided it really had just been one of the many noises of our old house, got my usual glass of milk and headed back up the stairs.

That night, the noise returned. This time I was sure it wasn't simply random creaking, because it started up at the exact same time right before I headed up to my room for the night. The only difference was I hadn't been down to the basement yet so it definitely was not the result of me stepping on some well-worn floorboards.

Being the not particularly brave teen I was, I bolted out of the house and across to my grandparents. Fortunately they were still awake and my grandfather was a bull of a man not to be messed with. He marched over with his shotgun to investigate, only to come back a half hour later claiming he couldn't find anything or anyone. He reasoned, like me, that it was maybe a raccoon and was hiding in a nook or cranny somewhere down there, and had locked the place up to stop it getting out much as I had done the previous night.

I stayed at my grandparents from that point on, going back into the house during the day to take care of any chores and play on my Nintendo for a couple of hours. I didn't go back down into the basement, opting to eat and drink at my grandparents' home too.

About a week before my parents got back there was a summer storm that caused a power outage. It lasted a couple of days but gave me all the more reason to spend the remaining time my parents were away at my grandparents.

When I returned one morning to open up the curtains I noticed a foul smell spreading throughout the house. Knowing the power had been out I assumed the heavy, pungent odour was coming from the food in the fridge and freezer that had begun to go bad. The thought of dealing with it was unpleasant but it wasn't something I wanted my parents to come home to. I didn't want to deal with the cleanup and my grandparents would be out of town for the night visiting my great-uncle and I didn't much fancy having to clear out rotting food alone.

So I did what any bone-idle teenager would do and left it. Sprayed some air freshener and dealt with it for the day, choosing to eat dry cereal and drink water rather than going down to the basement and be overwhelmed by the stretch seeping out of it.

That night was particularly hot – even for summer – and so I ended up turning the AC on. The cool air spreading through the house was a relief as I went to sleep, but it was soon a decision I was regretting.

I woke up at around four in the morning to find the air of the house thick and muggy, it was worse than when I had gone to bed. Worse still, was the stench so strong I could taste it in my mouth. It was sweet and sour all at the same time, mixed with the sulphuric smell of rotting eggs and something my adolescent brain could only describe as someone having missed the toilet.

I thought about a time when I was younger, when my dad had accidentally unplugged the fridge and none of us had noticed until the milk had gone off. I could remember that smell as I gagged and hurried into the upstairs bathroom, kneeling before the toilet as my stomach threatened to empty itself. It was sweet and bitter like this smell, with something acidic I've never known how to explain, and I could remember the thick, chunky sludge the milk had become, none of this helped me as the scent that filled the house seemed to flood into every pore of my body. I could smell it on my clothes, it was so strong my eyes watered and with one final, heavy flip, my stomach heaved and I vomited.

How could the smell have gotten so bad in just a few hours?

It was only when I was cleaning myself up at the sink that I noticed the air vents weren't pushing out any soothing, cool air. Knowing that I obviously hadn't turned it off as I had been sleeping, I assumed the system was still messed up after the power outage. I couldn't stay in that house with that heat and that smell and so, dressed only in my underwear, I hurried over to my grandparents and, once again, spent the night there.

When they arrived in the morning I explained the situation to them. Neither were pleased I hadn't taken care of the rotting food the day before, but agreed to help before it could get any worse.

'Worse' would be an understatement for the odour that smacked us in the face. My grandmother couldn't even make it into the house, she was an ashen white and bent over the table on the porch, gagging. Even my grandfather lost his hardened composure upon setting foot into the house, having brought a tissue out of his pocket to cover his nose and mouth.

"Stay here," he told me, a clear command even if his words had been a little muffled. I, of course, didn't listen to him – because it made no sense to me for him to make me stay out and have him clean up all the mess – and once I heard the basement door open I cut through the house to the kitchen.

I can only describe walking into that kitchen as having your face millimetres from an oven door when it's opened and the wave of heat knocks you off your feet. It was that, but only the smell. I could hear my grandfather retching and coughing as he descended the stairs, and I myself was soon doing the same as I made my way to the basement door with tears forming in my eyes.

Now my grandfather was a hard man, but I had never heard him swear until that moment. And it was as if he was making up for a lifetime of never saying a bad word with the string of curses leaving him. This urged me on through the heated murk of stench that made traversing the stairs a grinding task.

I wish I had listened to my grandfather when he told me to stay with my grandma.

He tried to urge me back up before I saw anything but it was much too late for that.

The noises I'd heard from the basement weren't from the house settling, nor were they from an animal.

They were from a human.

A human now rotting in the summer heat and half-hanging out of an air vent. Now I knew why they'd stopped working, and how the smell had permeated the whole house so quickly. It also explained why neither me or my grandfather had found anything upon investigating the basement- they'd been in the vents. The fact a person had somehow gotten into my home was chilling enough, to see them as the first dead body in my life was worse. Death is a part of nature, but a disgusting part when the usual human ways of dealing with it aren't in practice.

A body rots quickly in heat, and their corpse was hanging in such a way I'm sure that if it had been left another day or two the body would've snapped in half. Fluids leaked down the walls: congealed blood, dirty brown liquid I didn't want to think about, and the worst of it- something thick, white and pus-like that reminded me of that sour milk.

The smell of death clings to everything, and even after the body was removed, all furniture from down there tossed out and the basement professionally fumigated, it still lingered. I threw out the clothes I'd been wearing that day, no matter how many times they were washed it was still there. I couldn't go down to the basement, it still hit me like a truck each time I so much as passed the door. Even my parents who were fortunate enough to still be gone during the worst of it couldn't deal with it. They moved to the street over and from what my grandparents have told us, whenever someone new moves in they always complain about the smell.

We never did figure out how they got in, the police believed there must have been some open window I missed one day and I'm inclined to agree. They were homeless, looking for food and shelter, something I can't hold against them. I almost feel guilty in a way. The noises they made sneaking around the basement at night drove me away to my grandparents. Maybe if I'd stayed I would've heard them call or help – if they had called for it at all – when they'd got stuck in the vent. Maybe they'd still be alive. I don't know.

What I do know is from that day on, I couldn't drink milk. The smell of even fresh milk would bring the reek of death back to me, like it had just been trapped and waiting somewhere at the back of my nose. The sight of it reminded me of those fluids seeping down our basement walls.

When I was a kid I loved milk, now I hate it.

[powerfultulips]

huypdfpgpdfpgisjdfgjsdhfsdfSD?GSDFGdF?Gs?.?>?Dfgduiosljdfs i am ASKING AWAY gimme those asks

1- How are you?

really fuckin gay. also a bit tired, didn’t sleep too well

2- Post a picture of yourself.

nya

3- Do you ever wish you were someone else?

yeah, usually not a specific person, there’s just a lot of things i would like to change about myself and my appearance

4- What is your entire name?

i just can’t decide. too many possibilities.

5- How old are you?

twenty-two

6- Age you get mistaken for:

people usually think i’m a teenager

7- Your zodiac/horoscope and if you think it fits your personality:

aquarius, not sure but i am not an eridan kinnie

8- What did you do on your last birthday?

cuddled my boyfriend

9- What is one thing you would like to accomplish before your next birthday?

c....cuddle my boyfriend again?

10- What is your hair color?

part of it is dyed black i think, but my natural color is starting to show because it’s been. a while.

11- Have you ever dyed your hair?

y. yes

12- What is your eye color?

blue, or maybe green

13- If you could change your eye color, would you?

nah

14- Do you wear contacts/glasses?

gwasses

15- Your opinion about your body and how confortable you are with it:

it’s a nice body, but i wish i could alter my features to be more feminine.

16- Have you ever considered plastic surgery? What would you alter about your body?

idk if gender-affirming surgeries count so i’m just gonna skip this question (still not sure if i want surgery or not, though)

17- Say 8 facts about your body:

i’m pretty tall, about 6′1″. i have nice hips. i also have nice thighs. some of my knuckles are a bit scuffed-up from me chewing on them. i’ve got some scars, though they’re continuing to heal. i really can’t think of anything else, eight is a lot

18- Do you have any tattoos?

only one, unfortunately

19- Do you have any piercings?

not yet

20- Left or right handed?

righty

21- What’s your sexual orientation?

queer as fuck (pansexual or possibly panromantic acespec??)

22- Do you drink?

water. also sweet tea when i can get my hands on it

23- Do you smoke?

ciggies,,,, yeah

24- Do you have any pets?

no

25- Where do you work?

i don’t

26- Something you are working on right now:

being kinder to myself

27- Do you have any “rules” about food?

i usually eat my foods separately

28- Where are you from?

the void

29- What would you say is your best quality?

i’m really gentle and understanding

30- What do you think you’re really good at?

loving my friends, taking care of them, supporting them through hard times

31- What do you think you’re really bad at?

handling my own emotions, and communicating

32- What talent do you wish you’d been born with?

just like a functional brain would be nice

33- Are you a bad person?

well i sure hope not

34- Are you nice to everyone?

pretty much

35- Say 3 facts about your personality:

kind, gentle, loving

36- Has someone ever spread a nasty rumor about you?

people used to say i was faking being hurt, when i played sports

37- What is your ideal bed? Why?

just like a big and soft one, so i can spread out and cuddle with my fiancé

38- Did you wake up cranky?

i honestly don’t remember

39- Do you sleep with a stuffed toy?

always

40- What do you think about the most?

@literally-an-envelope

41- Share 2 habits:

knuckle-nibbling, and smoking i guess??

42- What you want to be when you “get older”?

happy

43- What are your career goals?

i’d really like to be a successful writer, someone who helps people and really changes lives, y’know? helping people not feel so alone

44- What is your ideal career?

literally the same as the last question

45- Is your life anything like it was two years ago?

not one bit

46- Do you replay things that have happened in your head?

all the fuckin time, my dude

47- Have you ever had an imaginary friend?

yeah i had a whole team of them that played baseball with me

48- Say 10 facts about your room:

blue walls. there’s a lamp in the corner with a trans pride flag hanging from it. i’ve got a table next to my bed, with a stack of books i haven’t read. there are stuffed animals scattered around the room. i have a plastic tub full of boxes full of baseball cards. there’s also some baseball cards outside of the tub. i have an empty shoebox in here, for some reason. there’s also a weird little moodboard i made. there’s a painting of a butterfly on my wall. and, uh, it gets kinda warm in here compared to the rest of the house sometimes.

49- Do you have any phobias?

i don’t like bugs or needles very much, but i dunno if they’re technically phobias

50- Have you ever been to a psychiatrist/therapist?

uh, yeah, quite a few of them actually

51- Are you allergic to anything? If so, what?

mushrooms, that fake cinnamon stuff they put in redhots and cinnamon gum and lifesavers, a couple different medicines

52- Ever broken any bones?

yes

53- Ever come close to death?

i think so.

54- Things you like and dislike about yourself:

i like my personality, i don’t like certain things about my body, and i also don’t like the fact that i’m an anxious, depressed, traumatised disaster of a human being

55- A random fact about yourself:

one time my friend gave me the keys to their car so i could drive to therapy, and i woke up early that morning and drove like 20 miles to another town, just for the adrenaline rush. and then i drove back and barely made it to my appointment

56- What are three things most people don’t know about you?

i’m part of a DID system, so there’s actually like 30 of us running this account. i used to play sports (baseball and basketball mainly), i really miss it sometimes. and.... i wrote a novel when i was in high school, it’s really awful though. and it has my deadname on it.

57- An unknown fact about your life:

when i switched from chrome to firefox i didn’t transfer any of my bookmarks over

58- Share something about yourself others might think is weird:

i’m really into learning about cases of people who disappeared under mysterious circumstances. i really wish i could know what happened to some of them

59- Five weird things that you like:

i really don’t know what qualifies as weird anymore

60- Do you have a facebook? If so, would you add the person who sent you this?

yeah, but i don’t use it, and i already have them added

61- Do you have any pictures on your Facebook?

i don’t think so

62- Describe yourself in one word/sentence:

a really sweet, gentle human who’s trying their best

63- A quote you try to live by:

“all humans are good for something. the important thing is finding what.” (tom, mlb power pros 2008 success mode)

64- Leave me a compliment:

you’re like, really handsome and precious and adorable and sweet and kind and amazing and i’m so lucky to have you in my life @literally-an-envelope

[drink-n-watch]

Guys, have I told you how lucky I am to work with Crow? He is always supporting and incisive. I can count on him and it’s a big deal. For instance, I am way late with this review. I’ve been burning the candle at every possible end and then some, so after I watched Demon Slayer yesterday, I dashed out the door got back late in the evening and just collapsed without putting my end of the post together. I do that a lot. Crow has never so much as grumbled if anything he wants to know if I had fun and is genuinely happy for me when I did.

  I’m not blushing at all. No sir. Not one little bit!

And it’s not just me. He goes out of his way to shout out other blogs in his episode reviews. That’s a lot of work, believe me! He’s always happy to answer questions and help other bloggers out and to this day, I have never seen him ask for anything in return.

No, you didn’t accidentally stumble onto my Crow appreciation post. I have a point, and it’s this: having a social support system with people who honestly care about you and want your happiness changes everything, as we learned in this week’s Demon Slayer!

And she brought it home! Swoosh!

I’m impressed! It’s thematically perfect. And you’re right — social support is important. As far as this episode goes, I’m dying to talk about the “family” and my new favorite character Shinobu (but I don’t want to say it too loudly for fear of offending her…), but I think it’s best we follow the forms.

So, I’m bold his week and there will be spoilers. I know, saying that is repetitive, but I’d really hate to spoil something without warning someone first!

So this week was the long-expected conclusion to the Spider Forest arc. Or at least I assume. And although I knew (we all knew) that this is what was going to happen (i.e. Demon Slayers rool, demons drool – now let’s get outta here), I personally didn’t expect it to happen quite this way! How about your Crow?

I think it’s safe to say what happened took me by surprise. Now, part of it I probably could have guessed, but even that part had a Demon Slayer spin on it. While last week was all about spectacle, this week was all about playing with expectations. 

I was both exhausted and exhilarated to see Rui get back up. The fight had already lasted a while and was so visceral and punishing that I wasn’t sure if I could take more. But at the same time, I love that Rui is a genuine threat, one that Tanjrou may not be able to deal with yet, no matter how hard she tries.

I had expected Giyuu ex Machina last week, I had to admit Rui’s revival had me so surprised I almost forgot about Giyuu. Almost, not completely, the boy is kind of unforgettable. 

The fight was great as usual, but you know what I got out of it? “Giyuu is unreachable”. That’s how Rui put it as his threads were being blown away the second they got close. I think this will be a metaphor that comes back. Giyuu’s strength and calm have built an impenetrable wall around him and he is alone now. We’ll see if Tanjirou can change that. Any thoughts on this awesome fight or the foreshadowing?

First, did you see Rui use webbing to pick up and reattach his head? That was creepy and effective! 

I remember thinking why isn’t the body disintegrating and then….

You know, when Rui explained that he’d cut his own head off to prevent Tanjiro from doing so, I almost felt cheated. Part of the exhilaration last week was a product of Tanjiro and Nezuko working together to take down an unstoppable foe. Learning they’d actually failed hurt. 

But as soon as Giyuu announced he was about to use Total Concentration, Water Breathing, Eleventh Form, Dead Calm, I was as surprised as Tanjirou. And I forgot all about my disappointment.

I think your point about Giyuu is insightful. Nothing gets to him; nonone can touch him. In a way, he’s the perfect antithesis of Tanjirou in that the latter’s in this for his family, whereas (as far as we know), Giyuu is alone. Now that you’re mentioned it, I’m really interested to see where this goes!

ven though Giyuu made very quick work of the situation, a demon never goes gown that quickly, and we finally got an explanation of what’s been happening here through Rui’s extended backstory, and boy was it sad.

Oh sheesh, pretend I said this at the beginning of the post: THERE WILL BE SPOILERS. LOTS AND LOTS OF SOILERS!

I got you covered!

See what I mean, you can count on this guy!

Rui is incredibly strong and somehow got permission to spread his blood, something usually taboo among Demons. Rui’s blood is so strong in fact that it can transform demons that take it in, in Rui’s likeness. Although it’s an imperfect and impermanent transformation. It also grants these demons exceptional powers they did not have before. That is what Rui’s family is. Just a collection of random demons Rui took in. That’s why instead of names they have functions such as Big Brother or Mother. 

None of them care about Rui or each other really. And Rui, having lost all memory of his human life, was forcing this charade because he felt the need to recapture something. Although he didn’t really know what anymore. One thing is for sure, he did not manage to create a family.

I think one of the scenes that hit me most was seeing mother revert back to her true form. As a seemingly very young demon. Believing her to be a lost woman in an abusive relationship with “father” was one thing, knowing that she’s a random little girl demon forced into this bizarre play is a completely different type of nightmare. One I’m less familiar with so it makes it scary. One that could potentially still encompass the other as well. How about you Crow, what were your takeaways from Rui’s home life (they use to be a very large family I notice…)

Seeing them all sit around the table for a family “dinner” was surreal. The utensils were cracked and broken. There was no food. Just a fandom collection of demons, united in fear of Rui, taking on the form of the family with none of its substance. 

What really drove home Rui’s deranged state was how, as you pointed out, we started out with a pretty large family — but by the current timeline in the story, there weren’t many left. And they weren’t killed by Demon Slayers! Kumo Oni Ane (sister) betray another family member, just to show her worth to Rui, was both horrifying and understandable. Rui tortured the other sister, then tied her to the top of the house facing east. Seeing the betrayed sister begin to cry as the morning sun struck her and turned her to ash kinda summed up everything wrong with Rui’s delusion. 

In the tail end of the episode, we catch up with Big Sister, now alone and the super scary butterfly demon slayer lady. I have to admit the butterfly kimono design sure works well in movement. Good collaboration between character design and animation there. That fight (like most demon slayer fights) was delightful to watch.

And butterflies are often carrion creatures that feed on corpses. This weird overlay of fragility, beauty and grim appetite somehow personifies the character well.

A lot of people think that the girl is a demon. I can see why. They are probably right. A tiny part of me is wishing that she isn’t. She isn’t strong enough to decapitate a demon for one. That’s unusual as we have seen demons always have greatly increased physical strength. But maybe this case is special. She also doesn’t seem to sense other demons… Something is off about that girl. I’m not saying she’s human, that may be even weirder but I’m thinking she may be a hybrid or a “something else”.

Maybe it’s just me, but I think Shinobu stole the show! Sure, Giyuu was his normal awesome and cool self. But Shinobu… When she pinned Kumo Oni Ane to the ground and asked her how many people the demon had killed, she already knew the answer. She was just giving the poor demon enough rope to hang herself with. Did I just say “poor demon?” In this context, yeah, the demon was really at a disadvantage. Shinobu was so cheerful, and so upbeat, and so beautiful, that when she talked about how she was going to have to torture the demon to satisfy justice, the contrast was almost hard to articulate. 

Statements like “Let’s both give it our all!” — where Shinobu’s all would be inflicting torture and sister demon’s would be healing from the torture — were within a context that was outside my experience. Did you catch how she lamented that she was weak to kill a demon by decapitation, but she compensated by creating a demon-deadly poison? It was chillingly in character for her to add, “I’m also rather awesome!” 

And her swordplay… 

You’d think the character impressed me or something!

For me, it was all about Big Sister.Thie fierce drive for survival she has that overrides everything else. Betraying friends, associated even her own self without hesitation in order to survive. It’s pIt really created a tangible ethos with powerful motivation that my mind latched on to.

Well, this is a short review by our usual standards. The episode was great in my opinion. I really liked it. And it once again showed that Demon Slayer works better when our three boys aren’t roughhousing together (or at all). But it was also a plain, straightforward emotional tale. I think this one is best felt rather than overanalyzed. And I respect that Demon Slayer has the range for those sorts of stories as well. How about you Crow?

I’ll echo your observation that Demon Slayer has the range for both the glorious combat from the previous episode and the quietly developed, emotional horror of this episode. It takes skill to pull off either; even more skill to pull off both. I’m impressed.

I also liked how the last shot was of Rui’s severed head on the ground, facing the thing he wanted most but couldn’t have — or could not ever have had given his technqiues. 

He was facing Tanjirou, who couldn’t even stand. He had barely managed to drag his body over to Nezuko. Now, he had wrapped his arms around her unconscious head. All he could do was say her name.

And all Rui could do was turn to ash. 

At least, I hope he turned to ash. I guess we didn’t really get to see it!

Reviews of the Other Episodes

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 01: Cruelty

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 02: Trainer Sakonji Urokodaki

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 03: Sabito and Makomo

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 04: Final Selection

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 05: My Own Steel

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 06: A Friend fo All Humans

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 07: Muzan Kibutsuji

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 08: The Smell of Enchanting Blood

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 09: Temari Demon and Arrow Demon

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 10: Together Forever

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 11: Tsuzumi Mansion

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 12: The Boar Bears Its Fangs, Zenitsu Sleeps

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 13: Something More Important Than Life

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 14: The House with the Wisteria Family Crest

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 15: Mount Natagumo

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 16: Letting Someone Else Go First

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 17: You Must Master a Single Thing

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Episode 18: In which Tanjiro Dispenses Good Advice

Review Of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 19: The Bonds That Tie Us And A Family Affair

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Episode 20: In which Tanjiro Dispenses Good Advice Guys, have I told you how lucky I am to work with Crow? He is always supporting and incisive.

[3one3]

The Sequel - 887

An Hour And Two Halves

André Schürrle, Juan Mata, other Chelsea/BVB players, and random awesome OC’s (okay they’re less random now but they’re still pretty awesome)

original epic tale

all chapters of The Sequel

“Show you what I can do, and you know it’s true, when I dance with you,” Christina sang along quietly with the song on the radio while she chopped carrots for her stew. It was a Joe Jonas song she didn’t even particularly like, but it was upbeat and bouncy and she was in a great mood. The vibe got bigger and louder as the chorus approached, and she was so ready for it. The rider dropped her knife on the plastic cutting board and dramatically flung her hand out at her sous chef, who was cutting green beans. “”Oh-oh-oh-oh, give me your haaaaand,” she sang loud and proud and with a silly face. “Oh-oh-oh-oh, I’ll be who I aaaaam. Oh-oh-oh-oh I ain’t no...Michael Jackson, but give me one chance, one chance to daaaance. Give me, one chance, one chance, to daaaance.” Juan didn’t offer his hand, so she just hopped around him in her energetic, extremely-non-Michael-Jackson-esque way. Her stew-making process was riddled with work interruptions for dancing and animated singing. Despite the midfielder’s disinterest in letting her drag him around his kitchen dancing to Top 40, he found her behavior amusing, and hilarious even at times. Her dramatic and extremely relevant interpretation of Justin Bieber’s “Friends” had him doubled over laughing. When it was over, they agreed that they were evidence for broken up couples everywhere that they can’t still be friends. Christina stopped singing and dancing to make out with him after the third “But we had something so good” line, so it really was pretty self-evident.

“What’s next, cariña?” Juan asked when her dancing took her back to her knife work and he was finished with his.

“Nada. Everything is finished. We put the potatoes in in an hour, and then the rest of the veggies half an hour after that, and then half an hour after that, we eat.” The beef was already simmering away in a big pot of stock, wine, herbs, and onions. He laughed at the chef when her eyes had the typically bad reaction to chopping all the onions too. Their whole cooking project was mostly Juan laughing at Christina, and Christina loving it.

“What do you want to do for an hour and two halves?”

“I’m not really sure, but I know I want to go for a walk after dinner. I miss the smell of London on a fall night sooooooo bad.” She turned her bottom lip over in an exaggerated pout and used her big knife to slide the carrots into the bowl with the beans. “Do you have any ideas?” The Spaniard took both the knife and the small cutting board to rinse in the sink with the ones he used.

“One.”

“Your penis is never going to be in my colon.”

“I want to read a poem to you, from the book.”

“Oh jesus,” the Olympic medalist groaned at the Olympic failure whose token of failure she kept in her book as a reminder of his belief in her ability to avoid failure. There was an unrealized connection between all of those things. The two athletes borrowed a variety of types of strength from each other, and they cultivated that borrowable strength in their own ways- alike, but different. The rider collected takeaways from her history books, and fed her imagination with her mysteries. The footballer collected food for thought from more abstract texts, like the collection of poems she gave him. Books and mutual intellectual stimulus would always bind them.

“It’s very good and you’ll really...relate to it.”

“Is it going to take an hour and two halves?” Christina asked, reluctantly consenting with her body language if not her actual language.

“No.”

“Fiiiiine. I want to hear the end of this Mikky Ekko song though.” She turned around and backed herself up to the small island counter, preparing to hoist herself up on it. Sometimes she was too lazy or tired to do it all on her own, and opened up a big bottom cabinet to step into for a boost. Then she could use her foot to close it again once seated. Juan always complimented her creativity in the matter. She intended to do it on her own on Sunday, and clamped her hands on the counter. He noticed as he was drying his hands, and dropped the towel to lend some help. His hands grasped her waist and lifted her the extra couple of inches she needed on top of her little hop, and he kept them there even after her butt landed safely. He held onto her to keep her from sliding back, so that she had to spread her legs to make space for him in between, and so that she was right up close to his body.

“I lied before.”

“Bout what?”

“I have two ideas for the hour and two halves.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“I hope the second idea involves dragons,” the girl in leggings deadpanned to the boy between her legs. She also casually hung her wrists over his shoulders and passively kicked the backs of his thighs with her heels.

“I can’t wait for your birthday. I’m going to give you the biggest dragon-themed party anyone has ever seen,” the Spanish player laughed, with the same delight in the glint in his eye that had been there all through her dance-cooking. “Every little boy will be jealous.”

“Can it be a costume party? Will you be dressed as a knight? Or is this a Thrones-type dragon party? You would totally be a Stark.”

“We’ll have to see. I have some time to plan.”

“What’s your other idea for an hour and two halves?”

“I want to photograph you- exactly like this,” Juan hastened to add the second Christina’s face turned disapproving. “Exactly the way you’ve been here all afternoon. Just for myself, not the walls, or your Instagram, or a magazine.”

“Aww.” Spanish Teddy Bear is the sweetest, she cooed to herself. I thought he meant naked, and that he was going to try to say he wanted to do a “tasteful” thing instead of something pornographic, which is just what dudes say when they want you to feel classy and glamorous about being pornographic. It’s nice of him too to acknowledge that he recognizes how done I am with being photographed for other people right now, and even for my own social media. I haven’t posed anything with myself in a couple of weeks, because I’m sick of looking at myself, to be honest. I’m sick of hearing about myself too. One of the nice things about weeks and weeks without horse shows is not having to hear about me. I’m so fucking sick of me. Last night was too much about me. I want to crawl back under my rock until Doha. But I can be photographed for him, because that’s adorable. Especially since I don’t even look cute right now, I don’t think.

“Hopefully you don’t think too hard after I read the poem,” he snorted. “That would ruin the picture.”

“Ugh, do we have to?”

“Yes. I’ll go get the book.”

Juan didn’t have far to go. Much to Christina’s surprise, her gift to him was right on the footstool-table next to the chaise by the window. That meant he was actively reading it, at least part-time. That was where he kept the current book when it wasn’t traveling with him for a match, or when he wasn’t reading it in bed. She figured he was reading a novel that he would have taken to Chelsea Harbour with him on Friday night since she didn’t notice him put the Frank Bidart poems in his reading nook after the game on Saturday. On occasion, she had a “travel” read and a “home” read going on at the same time too- a practice she learned from the player. He said it helped him get his head into the right lane. The “travel” read, regardless of type, was for shifting focus away from everyday life to the match. He told Christina that it was especially helpful during the busy parts of the season when the team played every 3 or 4 days. The “home” read signaled the shutoff of football and the time to relax and recharge. The first kind tended to be more inspirational, like an autobiography, and the second variety was most often a work of fiction.

They met in the middle. Christina sat sideways on the sofa, Indian-style, and then collapsed backward to enjoy the stretching that position provided and also the offered focal point- the ceiling. Looking at the matte white ceiling was definitely preferable to making her expression available for his purposes during or after the reading of the poem. He sat by her legs and put his socked feet up on the coffee table. Without preamble, he began the poem.

“Advice to the Players. There is something missing in our definition, vision of a human being: the need to make. We are creatures who need to make. Because existence is willy-nilly thrust into our hands, our fate is to make something- if nothing else, the shape cut by the arc of our lives. My parents saw corrosively the arc of their lives. Making is the mirror in which we see ourselves. But being is making: not only large things, a family, a book, a business: but the shape we give this afternoon, a conversation between two friends, a meal. Or mis-shape. Without clarity about what we make, and the choices that underlie it, the need to make is a curse, a misfortune. The culture in which we live honors specific kinds of making (shaping or mis-shaping a business, a family) but does not understand how central making itself is as manifestation and mirror of the self, fundamental as eating or sleeping. In the images with which our culture incessantly teaches us, the cessation of labor is the beginning of pleasure; the goal of work is to cease working, an endless paradise of unending diversion. In the United States at the end of the twentieth century, the greatest luxury is to live a life in which the work that one does to earn a living, and what one has the appetite to make, coincide- by a kind of grace are the same, one. Without clarity, a curse, a misfortune. My intuition about what is of course un-provable comes, I’m sure, from observing, absorbing as a child the lives of my parents: the dilemmas, contradictions, chaos as they lived out their own often unacknowledged, barely examined desires to makes. They saw corrosively the shape cut by the arc of their lives. My parents never made something commensurate to their will to make, which I take to be, in varying degrees, the general human condition- as it is my own. Making is the mirror in which we see ourselves. Without clarity, a curse, a misfortune. Horrible the fate of the advice-giver in our culture: to repeat oneself in a thousand contexts until death, or irrelevance. I abjure advice-giver. Go make you ready.”

“It’s remarkable how you managed to conjure a poem that hits on me missing my family at the same time as my need to figure out what’s next in my life and then also the way you’re “making” with the mirror, with Common Goal,” the very impressed rider commented after giving all the words a moment to land. Every stanza felt immediately relevant to her, and she wanted to make sure Juan understood that she got it all. “My parents were the work to not work people, and they tried to make a business and a family, and never made their own likeness, or what they truky wanted to make. Like, I think my mom would rather have owned her own knitting store than been who she was. You and I are the lucky ones who get paid to make the thing we want to make, or our likeness, mirror image, whatever. But then we kind of grow out of that and we realize what we need to make is actually bigger than football and riding. For you, it’s Common Goal. And the weirdness and equilibrium I experience on and off right now is me trying to figure out what exactly it is I want to make next. And at the same time, I think you and I are kind of making our combined mirror reflection together too...” It all came out so quickly as her mind linked the ideas for the second time, and as she got more excited about them. “Did you think of those things when you first read it, or did it stay with you for a little while and the relevance came later?”

“Right away. From the title, I thought, “This is an important thing for me to read. This is about me, in some ways,” and then I read on and I thought, “This is Chris’ parents, and this is why their relationship was how it was, and why her mum resents her so much. Chris makes the thing she needs to make from inside. Mrs. Martin made the thing she thought she was supposed to.” And I liked the repetitive lines. “Without clarity, a curse, a misfortune.” I try now to have clarity when I make decisions. No lies, no confusion. You’re right,” he smiled as his friend peeked over at him from the flat of her back. “I do feel like I’m making the right thing now, besides football. I like this poem very much.”

“Thank you for sharing it,” she smiled back. “Sorry I objected. I should know to trust you by now,” she chuckled. He grabbed her wrist when she lifted it for help, and pulled her back up and forward so that she could reward him with a sweet kiss in the middle of his lips. They could have dissected the poem together, quite happily, for the two hours before dinner. It just wasn’t necessary. They didn’t need to talk each other into believing their take, or dissect it. Knowing that was sort of novel. Christina appreciated it.

“I have enjoyed the book a lot. It was a good choice, cariña.”

“I enjoy your face a lot.” She put her hands around the back of the player’s neck, paused to watch for the flattery’s impact to arrive in his beautiful blues, and then pulled on him until he got the message that she wanted him to lie beside her, not just be annoying and hang on his neck. He went pretty willingly, and she got more of her arms around his head when they found a comfortable spot together, and she rubbed her right leg on his bare ones until it pushed her leggings up her calf a little. “I know you want to take pictures of me acting like I live here,” she teased knowingly. “But I’d rather be a lazy bum on the couch.” Juan’s nose was captured playfully between her teeth until he kissed her chin. He found an unexpectedly ticklish spot, and took advantage when Christina’s shiver-like reaction brought her midsection even closer to him. He hugged her waist tight with one arm.

“We’re getting closer to the part of the season when I’m a lazy bum on the couch a lot,” he told her while she played absently with the hair at the back of his head, well below the thinning spot. “I hope you’re joining often.”

“I want to stay here for most of the week of the horse show. Schü and Lukas are coming for the Sunday and Monday, and Tuesday, after, so we’ll stay at a hotel, but I’ll be here for 6 days before that. I don’t know if you want an extra bum on your couch for that long.”

“It’s a sexy bum, so I want,” the Chelsea man smiled, squeezing her butt.

“I might want to come for New Year’s too, but I dunno yet. I have no idea, really.” I also kind of want some magical night with Schü. I owe him that, and I want it anyway. I want special with him. We never have that anymore. We have nice nights ended early because of dead goldfish, and then two nights of crying until midnight because of the dead goldfish. How dare the goldfish go and die when it knew Lukas liked to watch him in the light from his nightlight when he wakes up in the night and can’t sleep? How dare he leave him with no soothing thing to watch. IIIIII didn’t know he did that, but surely the goldfish knew.

“You’re always welcome with me, baby girl.” Juan rubbed his nose on the rider’s and then kissed her, long and low-energy, and perfect for the moment. He was finally able to shed the longstanding feeling that their time together was limited, so he was no longer hastening to get his fill of her, and get “through” everything he wanted with her before her next departure. There was a new calmness- a change in behavior dictated by the realization that the clock wasn’t running anymore. Christina was always coming back to him. They didn’t need to have sex in 6 different positions on the first night, or hurry to get from couch-cuddle-flirting to more serious foreplay to actual sex. “Hurry” was relative, of course, because the player’s imperative was subtle, but it was noteworthy by its absence. She watched him for a second, the side of her thumb resting lightly on his cheek, and reflected on that change. I wish I had his ability to settle down in something and believe it’s going the way I want even when I know it will probably change. Thinking too hard about anything was unpalatable in that moment of closeness, and shared breath, and soft pads of fingers on highly personal skin. The equestrian star took her turn to kiss her favorite Blue, mostly on just one side of his mouth because getting to the whole thing would have required her to move her head a little and that was too much. The exact position she was in- literally and figuratively, physically and emotionally- was too perfect to alter either by movement or consideration. His lips were perfect- warm, unblemished by dryness or cracking or even a wrinkle, tense just enough to hold the kiss together, still enough not to interrupt the transfer of love and comfort through that most import line of communication. A kiss like that was practically nothing and almost everything simultaneously. And it was, afterward, symbolic of a cornerstone in recent memory.

“I think I want to tell you something,” Christina whispered after her smooch. Her regular conversational voice was small enough to fit in the very small space between them without even breathing too much air in Juan’s face- something she often took into consideration when snuggling close with anyone- but that voice came with full conviction and confidence and those weren’t the preconditions for what she wanted to say, so all that came out when she opened her mouth was a sweet whisper.

“What?” the Spaniard whispered back teasingly, with a grin, almost like stage-whispering.

“I used to really hate the person I was with you- like because you made me want to do things that hurt Schü, and our relationship has, at times, made it very difficult for me to look after my responsibilities and ride my best, and do the right thing. I loved being with you, but I hated who I was for that,” she explained with a bit more surety. “Now I feel like I’m actually growing and improving myself- I don’t want to say because of you- but with you, together. I’m making decisions that feel good, and I’m finding it easier to be happy and content wherever I am, physically and in a moment. I don’t know- Maybe it’s because the Olympic hurdle is in the rearview now. Maybe that was the big difference. I just don’t think it was. I think it’s you. I’ve said in the past that we are the worst thing for each other. I don’t think so anymore. I think you’re the best thing for me right now.” I didn’t really mean to get so into this, the rider realized, pointer finger on Juan’s chin, which she was staring at instead of the receptive blues she looked into while she talked. I wasn’t going to say that much. I hate when I start trying to tell someone a small thing, or a short thing, and it gets me thinking, and then I can’t stop talking. Now I’m rambling to myself because...who knows. Anyway. “I’m glad you’re coming to Doha too,” she finished after reaching for some kind of period for the declaration, or something to take up some more airtime since Juan wasn’t saying anything.

“I told you we could be happy together and that we can do more than be miserable together. Not miserable together because we’re together, but be together because one or both is miserable about other things. You know what I mean,” the footballer laughed. He was recalling a conversation they fought through years back, right after Lukas was born. Christina didn’t think they could ever be a couple because all of their experience together was when one or both of them was in bad shape because of their other relationships. They were always closest when their lives were the most tumultuous and generally unhappy. “And now you understand how I feel with you,” he added, more sincerely. “I feel good about myself, and happy with myself, with you. I always have, more or less.”

“I think it’s more for you now though. Ever since we stopped lying.”

“That could be.”

“Okay I feel too grown up and in touch with my feelings now. Give me something stupid and immature to talk about.”

“Can I tickle you?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Can I go get the camera and take pictures of you?”

“Can I do goofy poses?”

“Yes.”

“K. I need another kiss first though.”

[shoeshineyboy]

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If I can post this first time it’ll be a miracle (also I’ll answer in a read more)

1 - How are you?Not too bad. Pissed off because I’ve been waiting for someone to fix the radiators, but happy because I have a Bowie night tonight!2 - Post a picture of yourself.I’ll reblog a selfie at the end of this because I can’t figure out how to add a picture lmao3 - Do you ever wish you were someone else?Yeah but no one in particular, just... not me?4 - What is your entire name?Elizabeth Mary R___________5 - How old are you?206 - Age you get mistaken for:Either 15 or 23 there’s no in-between??7 - Your zodiac/horoscope and if you think it fits your personality:My sun sign is Virgo and I think the actual descriptions fit, just not all the bullshit tumblr ones which say all I do is tidy up and study because I literally do neither of those things and I’m the least visibly organised person on earth8 - What did you do on your last birthday?I went shopping with Alex, had a couple of drinks in the pub, chilled out listening to music and went for a meal at Cafe Rouge... I think we went out after but I can’t remember :L9 - What is one thing you would like to accomplish before your next birthday?I’d like to be able to perfect back&chest rolls with my hula hoop!10 - What is your hair color?It’s currently half way between brown and blonde I guess?11 - Have you ever dyed your hair?So many times haha, it’s technically dyed now...12 - What is your eye color?Brown13 - If you could change your eye color, would you?Eh, maybe? Would be nice to have lighter eyes so they stand out, they’re so dark tbh they look tiny14 - Do you wear contacts/glasses?I should do but I don’t15 - Your opinion about your body and how confortable you are with it:I’m not keen on it at all. It sticks out in all the wrong places and my back is too long. Idk I deal with it, but if I could have a different one I totally would16 - Have you ever considered plastic surgery? What would you alter about your body?I have considered it, I’ve like briefly considered lip fillers a couple of times but idk they usually look awful, when I’m older I’ll probably get various tucks but nothing is calling out to me?17 - Say 8 facts about your body:1. I have perfect vision, but my left eye is irregularly shaped, meaning light can’t enter the pupil properly2. I’m a UK 6-8 dress size3. I have long fingers I guess?4. I look a lot taller than I actually am (that counts, right)5. Actually yeah I’m 5′56. I’ve never had surgery or broken a bone7. But I have fractured my skull once (or some kind of head injury)8. I’m fairly flexible18 - Do you have any tattoos?Just one, need to book another one soon19 - Do you have any piercings?4 - lobe piercing in each ear, nose ring, helix piercings20 - Left or right handed?Right handed21 - What’s your sexual orientation???????22 - Do you drink?Yeah23 - Do you smoke?Not anymore!24 - Do you have any pets?Sadly not25 - Where do you work?I don’t at the moment, used to work at Starbucks though26 - Something you are working on right now:Passing my first year of uni :L27 - Do you have any “rules” about food?I’m vegetarian, and I try not to eat much that is preprepared as there’s a lot of salt; also I’m a small portion person, mostly :L28 - Where are you from?Bath, UK29 - What would you say is your best quality?Uhh that I’m funny, I guess?30 - What do you think you’re really good at?Uhhhhh... writing dialogue?31 - What do you think you’re really bad at?Sports32 - What talent do you wish you’d been born with?I wish I could’ve been a really good singer? Like one of those people who naturally have a beautiful voice?33 - Are you a bad person?Probably, depends who you ask34 - Are you nice to everyone?I am at first, but I’ve become a lot less tolerant of people’s shit since I first went to uni?35 - Say 3 facts about your personality:1. I’m one of those people who’s v quiet until I get to know someone2. I’m very insecure3. I’m usually up for doing stuff, and I usually stick to any plans I make36 - Has someone ever spread a nasty rumor about you?Haha yeah37 - What is your ideal bed? Why?Any comfortable bed is good, though I love the raised ones that you get in nice hotels because I feel important :L Must be a soft mattress tbh38 - Do wake up cranky?Apparently!39 - Do you sleep with a stuffed toy?I have them on the bed, yeah c:40 - What do you think about the most?Alex and hoop routines lmao41 - Share 2 habits:Nail biting (ew) and always having a coffee in lectures :L42 - What you want to be when you “get older”?Well-travelled and comfortable43 - What are your career goals?Some kind of Early Years specialist, I guess?44 - What is your ideal career?Idk, really... I’ve never really known what I’ve wanted to do?45 - Is your life anything like it was two years ago?Not really, 2 years ago I was at college, hoping to study Politics at Exeter. I was still with Alex which is pretty much the only thing which hasn’t changed46 - Do you replay things that have happened in your head?Aaaaaaall the time47 - Have you ever had an imaginary friend?Nope

48 - Say 10 facts about your room:1. I share it with Alex2. We sleep on a mattress on the floor3. There’s clothes all over the floor4. It’s where the PS4 lives5. It’s either too hot or too cold, there’s no in between6. There’s two lava lamps7. It’s where I usually hang out8. It’s literally always messy9. We have clothes rails instead of wardrobes10. The posters look great49 - Do you have any phobias?Driving past lorries, heights, distorted-horrific human forms (think Babadook)50 - Have you ever been to a psychiatrist/therapist?Yeah, one was crap and the other was nice but useless51 - Are you allergic to anything? If so, what?Peanuts, shellfish and pollen52 - Ever broken any bones?Nope53 - Ever come close to death?Yeah, I was in a car accident when I was 6. Police were amazed my mum and I survived...54 - Things you like and dislike about yourself:LIKE:My sense of humourMy sense of styleHow I can hula hoopMy music tasteThe fact that I can cook idkHow far I’ve come from secondary schoolDISLIKE:How I overreact to everythingThat I get jealous v easilyThe fact that said jealousy leads to panic/cruel commentsThat I can’t motivate myselfHow nervous I am around people55 - A random fact about yourself:I’ve never been to Amsterdam56 - What are three things most people don’t know about you?1. I actually really enjoy crap club music2. I am terrified of rollercoasters3. I’m not keen on cornflakes57 - An unknown fact about your life:I’ve never met either of my biological grandparents58 - Share something about yourself others might think is weird:I find skin-tight jeans really uncomfortable sorry59 - Five weird things that you like:1. Pineapple on pizza (apparently everyone hates this)2. Hideous jumpers3. Really loud cats4. Weird coloured lipstick5. Vodka mixed with wine60 - Do you have a facebook? If so, would you add the person who sent you this?I do, message me off anon & I’ll decide61 - Do you have any pictures on your Facebook?Loads62 - Describe yourself in one word/sentence:”You’re a bitch, but it’s funny and is the reason why I love you” - Alex63 - A quote you try to live by:”Each one of us is a brain, an athlete, a princess, a basket case and a criminal”64 - A famous person you’ve been compared to:I’ve been told I look like Anna Kendrick?65 - Weird things you do when you’re alone:I dance around the house, that’s about as far as it goes..66 - Something you do without realising:Pick at the skin of my fingers67 - 5 things you want to change:1. Brexit2. Trump3. Literally all the horrible things going on4. My facial features5. How difficult it is to get nice veggie food when on holiday68 - Someone you’d like to be for a day and why:Idk really?69 - Leave me a compliment:U sure are a nice anon

70 - What is your favorite thing to do?Hula hoop!71 - What’s your favorite color?Orange, purple and silver72 - What’s your favorite band/singer?Pink Floyd!73 - What’s your favorite movie?What’s Eating Gilbert Grape74 - What are your favorite books?The Night Circus (Erin Morgenstern), the Bell Jar (Sylvia Plath), the Chronicles of Chrestomanci (series; Diana Wynne Jones), the Hogfather (Terry Pratchett), Maskerade (Terry Pratchett)75 - What is your favorite quote and why?”Come sleep on the beach, keep within my reach, I just wanna die with you near, I’m feeling so high with you here” - from ‘Sea and Sand’ by the Who, because I have so many memories associated with this song76 - What is your favorite word?Soufflé; it looks like it should be pronounced “soo -full”, but it isn’t!77 - What is your least favorite word?Moist. Ew.78 - What is your favorite type of food?Roast potatoes?79 - You favorite ice cream?Ben & Jerrys Phish Food80 - What’s your favorite animal?Dogs & cats81 - Dogs or cats?I love them both!82 - Describe your favourite texture:Crushed velvet 83 - What is your favorite flower?Roses (bc I’m cliche)84 - What’s your favourite scent? And on the opposite sex?My favourite is sandalwood incense, but on guys it’s whatever the CK cologne Alex wears is85 - What is your favorite season?Summer!86 - What are the top five places you wish you could go before you die?Cambodia, Australia, Thailand, Peru, Japan87 - What are four things you can’t live without and why?Alex - because he’s my biggest supporterHula hooping - it’s the one thing guaranteed to make me happyMy phone - because it’s how I communicate with all my friends, who live miles awayThe beach - because looking at the sea puts things into perspective

88 - Which mythological creature are you most like? Why?Probably a nymph; I hide away but would be around for people I trust89 - What’s your favorite television show?Call the Midwife... or Big Brother at the moment lmao90 - Favorite place to shop at?All About Aud in Brighton 91 - Say 2 facts about your favorite things:They all improve my life in some wayThere’s no specific type of thing I love, there’s so many that contribute

92 - Say 4 facts about your parents:1. They met at the University of Bath in January 19842. They dated for 8 years before they were married3. My dad is an engineer and my mum is a pharmacist4. They originally wanted 4 children but I somehow put them off :L93 - Are you more like your mom or your dad?I’m a mixture of both, but probably slightly more like my dad?94 - Do you have any siblings?Nope!95 - Say 9 facts about your family:1. Both of my biological grandmothers died before I was born2. I’m not blood-related to any of my cousins3. I’m the oldest cousin by 7 years4. They’re very ‘traditional’ in their views5. I’m the only vegetarian6. My uncle and I are the only ones who are tattooed7. My maternal grandmother was at one point one of the fastest runners in Wales8. My great-grandmother lived until she was 999. One of my aunts lived in India for 10 years96 - What’s your relationship like with your family?Great with my parents, aunts and uncles, not so good with my grandparents lmao97 - Say 7 facts about your childhood:1. I was born in Radstock, Bath, but moved to my parents’ current home in 19992. My favourite school year was Year 13. I was really, really into snakes at one point4. My best friend’s name was Jennie5. My first ‘boyfriend’ in primary school was named Christopher; 15 years on and we still hang out, he drives me into town sometimes6. My favourite toy was a stuffed duck7. I didn’t go on a plane until I was 698 - The best and the worst childhood memories:Best: my 5th? birthday party; we had a piñata shaped like a worm, but my parents hadn’t realised you had to make a weak spot, so it took 20 minutes to open it (aka my dad pulled it down & everyone stood on it)Worst: the car accident99 - Say 6 facts about your home town:1. It was built by the Anglo Saxons and fortified to keep the Romans out2. It used to be a major city lmao (back in the bronze age)3. Its population is about 50004. There’s three churches5. And at least six pubs6. The highwayman William Pier lived & was killed there, but no one knows where his grave is since it’s unmarked100 - Are you going out of town soon?I’m going to London on Saturday!101 - Where would you like to live?Bristol, one day!102 - What would your dream house be like?Preferably like 4/5 bedroom townhouse (because I want 3 kids and a guest room lmao), but it’d be very ‘me’ in terms of decoration, with like fairy lights and wall hangings and super colourful things!103 - Where would you go on your dream vacation?Probably travelling, just to go everywhere!104 - Where you want to be right now?I’m quite happy here at the moment 105 - Top three places to visit:That I’ve been to?1. Vienna2. Amalfi Coast3. Berlin

106 - Would you ever smile at a stranger?Sometimes!107 - Do you prefer to be friends with girls or boys?I really don’t care :L108 - Who is someone you never tire of?Alex, Frankie and Callum109 - Do you have someone you can be your complete self around?See above!110 - Who is your most loyal friend?Callum111 - Is there anyone you can tell EVERYTHING to?Callum, Adam Gabe probably?112 - If your best friend died, what would you do?Be absolutely distraught?!113 - Something you’ve lied about.Uhh idk specifically?114 - Have you ever felt replaced?Dude my boyfriend can talk to someone else at the bar and I’ll worry that I’m useless lmao115 - Say 5 facts about your bestfriend(s):1. I met them all through completely different circumstances; I don’t think they know each other2. We’re close because we enjoy something different, be it fashion, music, whatever3. They’re people I can just carry on with like nothing happened when we meet up4. They all live much too far away5. If I have a party for my 21st I’m having it in Gloucestershire so it’s close for everyone so I can see them all

116 - The last person you hugged?Alex lmao117 - Story of your first kiss?My actual first kiss, I don’t remember because I was drunk lmao, but the first one I remember was nice and sweet and he was so nervous, he actually asked me - thought it was cute at the time, is probably, actually really cringey haha118 - Do you like kissing in public?Don’t mind it but not too much :L119 - Have you ever kissed someone older than you?Haha yeah120 - You have a preference for boys or girls?Eh121 - Is the male or female body closest to perfection?All bodies are perfect!122 - 5 things that irritate you about the same sex/opposite sex.I’m assuming this is based on relationships so I’ll go for cis men:1. Aversion to showering (both guys I dated properly would go a long time without showering lmao)2. Mansplaining (shut up)3. The fact they get praised for cooking/cleaning/whatever while I’m expected to do it4. The fact they get promoted quicker5. Hitting on me123 - Do you believe in love at first sight?Nope. Lust, yes124 - Do you believe in soul mates?Yeah, but I believe you can have multiple soul mates and they can be platonic, too125 - What is your idea of the perfect date?A nice walk, followed by a meal somewhere fun - nothing too fancy!126 - Based on past relationships or crushes, describe your perfect boyfriend/girlfriend:The one I already have! A shy, long-haired guy who loves classic rock and plays an instrument haha :L127 - What is the first thing you noticed in someone?I generally notice hair first because I’m awful and shallow haha128 - Are looks important in a relationship?At the start, yeah, but people get more attractive the more you find them to be a decent person...129 - What’s the most superficial characteristic you look for?Long hair on guys haha130 - What’s your opinion on age differences in relationships?Eugh.... as long as both are over 18 I guess it’s okay? People over like 21 dating people younger than 18 comes off as a bit weird131 - Would you ever date someone off of the Internet?I’d consider it132 - Five guys/girls whom you find attractive:1. Alex2. Syd Barrett3. Stevie Nicks4. Kate Bush5. Noel Fielding133 - Do you have a crush on anyone?Alex haha134 - A description of the girl/boy you like:He’s 5′7, has long brown hair and blue eyes, he’s cute and chubby and plays guitar. He likes talking to people but is really shy to do so, he lacks confidence which is sad but also people really do like him! He’s very sweet and soft and warm and I love him 135 - Say 1 fact about the person your like:His favourite film is the Lord of the Rings trilogy because he sees them all as one story136 - If the person you like says they like someone else, what would you say?”What the actual fuck” and then I’d cry137 - When was the last time you told someone you loved them?Just now!138 - Do you think someone has feelings for you?I hope so :L139 - Do you think someone is thinking about you right now?Ehh, maybe?140 - Have you ever cried over a guy/girl?Whoooooo hasn’t :L141 - Have you ever wanted someone you couldn’t have?Yeah, I think a lot of people have142 - Anyone you’re giving up on?Uhh, all the people I liked before I was with Alex haha143 - Have you ever liked someone you didn’t expect to?Yup!144 - Have you ever liked someone who your friends hated?They didn’t hate him but they took a while to warm to him145 - Have you ever liked one of your best friends?Yeah146 - Has anyone told you they don’t want to ever lose you?I think so? Lmao147 - Is there a boy/girl who you would do absolutely everything for?Probably like all of my friends haha148 - Is there someone you will never forget?Probably149 - Say five ways to win your heart:1. Actually listen to what I say2. Take me nice places3. Write me a song or a poem or something4. Be genuine and kind to me5. Help me out when I’m in one of my stupid sad phases150 - What turns you on?Being a musician, nice cologne/perfume, good hair, being a genuinely decent human :L